by Calinda B
“Gotta get your order in. I’ll be back.”
The next two hours flew by. A steady stream of customers poured in and out of Chica Ríos, giving her no time to chat with Jace. He finished his burger, ordered another stout, and watched her all night. On occasion, he pulled out his mobile phone, stared at it, and shoved it back in his pocket.
Finally, at eleven, her shift ended. The diners had pretty much cleared out and only the serious drinkers were left. Sharon and the other wait staff could handle them. She held up a finger to Jace, and mouthed, “I’m done.”
He nodded.
She made her way into the back, hung up her apron, and let out a long sigh.
“Well, here goes,” she said. On the way out, she stopped in the ladies’ room to freshen up, combing her hair and applying lip gloss. When she passed the bar, she said, “Give me an amber ale, please. And another stout for my new friend.”
“One amber ale, coming up,” Devon said, smiling brightly. “He’s been sitting there the whole time. He must like you.”
“Either that or he’s a predator.”
“Nah. I think he likes you. Have fun,” he said, handing her the beer.
She took a welcome sip of her ale to calm her nerves before sauntering to his table.
He stood, grabbed his jacket off the chair, and waited for her to sit.
“Sorry you had to wait so long,” she said with a shrug. She set the stout in front of him.
“Didn’t mind a bit,” he said. “I enjoyed watching you work. You’re efficient, fast, and friendly.”
He extended his hand, gesturing for her to be seated.
She settled across from him, eying him as he took his seat.
He held up his dark brew to her.
She lifted hers, clinked his, and sipped her ale.
“And sexy as hell,” he said, gazing over the top of his glass at her, his eyes dark.
A flush crept up her neck and cheeks. “What are we toasting?”
“First encounters. The thrill of discovery. I love to explore new things.”
Another rush of pleasure flooded her insides.
“I’ll drink to that.” She took another swallow. “You seem to have a strong effect on me,” she said courageously. Stop it. You’ll get yourself in trouble.
“Is it a good effect?” he asked.
“Maybe,” she stated simply, fiddling with her fingernails, all good sense suddenly hijacked from her head. She took another swallow of beer.
“Are you wet for me?”
“What?” She practically spat out her beer. Wild jungle drums and dancing heathens now accompanied the ache between her legs. “You’re bold.”
“Are you?” His green-eyed gaze pushed into her. “Wet, that is?”
“Guess that’s on a need to know basis,” she said, feigning a coolness she did not feel.
“I need to know. Because I’ve been sitting here with a hard-on for you for two hours.”
Her entire body surged with heat. “Jesus, who gave you the keys to the bulldozer?”
He chuckled and licked his lips. “Maybe it was you.”
“I don’t think so.” She pressed the cool glass against her cheeks. “It’s hot in here.”
He drained his mug, then set it on the table with satisfaction. “Finish up and let’s head outside where it’s cooler.”
“I don’t think that’s going to help,” she whispered. The flush in her cheeks grew feverishly hot.
He chuckled, his eyes darkening. “I like it when you blush. It’s lovely.”
“I’ve been doing it enough tonight,” she said, shaking her head slightly. Total player.
He grinned and stroked his fingers back and forth on the polished wood.
She wanted to feel his fingers stroking her skin. Oh, you’re good. I’ll bet you have this down to a science.
“What were you saying earlier to me? Something about you got my…?”
“The flowers you sent.”
“I didn’t send any flowers,” he said, his face crumpled in consternation.
“You didn’t?” Shit, shit, shit, she thought, wanting to die on the spot. Sudden embarrassment swamped her good mood. For two days, she’d thought, hoped, prayed, and resisted her longing at getting to see him again. “I see,” she said, wanting to flee.
“Don’t…” He extended his arm across the table and placed his hand on hers.
Electric sparks dashed up her arm. She tried to jerk her hand away but he captured it.
“I’ve been so busy, Zoé, I’ve been unable to think straight. Sorry. I would have liked to send you flowers but I honestly didn’t think you’d be receptive to me in the first place after the other night. I came here on an impulsive lark.”
Zoé slowly withdrew her hand. Stop this before it goes anywhere. The guy’s a player. “I wonder who sent them.”
He pressed her fingertips into the wood before they got away. “Where are you going?”
She looked up, meeting his eyes, his gaze slamming into her. “I’m not going anywhere.”
“Right. You’re not.” His fingers traced a lazy trail along her hand, sensuously walking on top of her wrist.
Instantaneous arousal shattered the apex between her legs. He may as well have been moving those damn fingers up her inner thighs.
He gave her a soft smile. “I’m sure you have many ardent admirers. Lucky I got here when I did. Otherwise I’d have to stand in line.”
“No.” She lowered her gaze and smiled. “I sure don’t know of any.” She bit her lip and looked at him. “If I do, I’ll have to get rid of them, I guess.”
“I’ll have to replace them, I guess,” he said, grinning wickedly. “Let’s head outside.”
He reached for her, enveloping her hand in his large, warm palm.
The touch felt voltaic. She stood, letting him lead her out into the cool night air, her heart beating wildly.
He drew her around the corner, into an alleyway. Pressing her against the brick wall, he placed his warm palm behind her neck and brought his mouth to hers.
This was no meek, tentative, ‘hey, do you mind if I kiss you?’ kind of contact. The kiss felt like a plundered claiming, as if they’d launched from the gate like trained horses, running in the race of their lives.
Keeping his hand behind her neck, he brushed his other hand along her lower back, cupping her ass and pulling her against his erection.
He smelled divine, all male musky heat. He tasted superb, like beer and him. She yanked up her skirt and lifted one of her legs, wrapping it around his hips, grinding into him. Oh, my God, she thought, as he worked his mouth against hers. It’s been too long since I had a man.
He plunged his tongue into her mouth, sliding and stroking against hers.
She moaned. And I’ve never had a man like this.
“Well, well, what have we here?” a male voice said. “I thought I heard some moaning.”
Jace jerked away from her, turning. “Billy? What the hell are you doing here?”
Zoé’s heart slid down to the dirty asphalt. She tugged her skirt into place, peering around Jace to where Billy stood grinning, hands in his pockets. “Yeah, what are you doing here?”
“Didn’t you get my flowers?”
She wrinkled her nose. “You sent the roses?”
“And the personalized note. Mine, all mine. I didn’t think you’d already be getting busy with the likes of him,” he said, indicating Jace.
“You didn’t even remember my name,” she said, her gut twisting into a tight knot.
“Oh, I remembered it. I had to show the girl I was with that I wasn’t interested. Not in that moment, at least. I got home and changed my mind. We did have the start of a good thing going.” Billy sidled closer to her.
She wanted to throw up. “Apparently not.”
Jace moved protectively in front of her, shielding her from Billy. “Go away, Billy. We’re in the middle of something.”
“I see that.” He smirked. In th
e dim lamplight, he looked sinister. “Two’s fun but three’s better. We can share.”
“No,” Jace said. “We can’t.”
He took a step toward Billy, fists clenched.
“Jace, don’t,” Zoé said.
Jace didn’t seem to hear her. He took another step in Billy’s direction. “You’re not going to fuck up another situation for me.”
“Oh, right. You’re still pissed about that. People all make choices,” Billy said. “Kate sure did. She was fucking hot.”
His lips curved in a smile but he kept glancing at Jace’s fists. He took a step backward.
Kate?
“Yeah? Good to know. You can have her. And here’s my choice, Billy.” Jace hauled back and swung, his fist landing square in Billy’s jaw.
Billy stumbled back, his hands flying to his bloody mouth. “What did you do to me?” He palpated his face with his fingers. “I think you broke my jaw. That’s a lawsuit in the making.”
“Yeah?” Jace said. “Go tell daddy. Be sure to tell him how you called in sick yesterday, too, while you’re at it.” He lunged at Billy.
Billy scrambled back. He spat out blood. Pointing between Jace and her, he snarled, “This thing? This hookup you’re thinking is going to happen, Savage? It won’t go down the way you think.”
Zoé blanched. A chill washed over her.
“Get out of here, you piece of shit.” Jace lunged at Billy.
“This isn’t over. I guarantee that,” Billy said, still backing away. “My lawyers are going to have a field day with you.”
“Sic them on me, I don’t care,” Jace said.
“Jace. It’s okay. You don’t want to piss him off. Let’s leave.” Zoé tugged at his arm.
“Not until I see him get in the fancy car his daddy purchased and drive away. Asshole doesn’t know the first thing about the value of hard work.”
Billy slithered around the corner.
“And stay away from Zoé,” he yelled.
“Make me,” Billy called. “Better yet, take her. I never eat leftovers.”
Zoé winced.
“Asshole,” she yelled, brushing off her skirt. “Prick. Cocksucker.”
Billy’s laugh drifted into the alley.
“Someone’s got a dirty mouth,” Jace said, turning back to her, a slightly amused smile on his face.
Billy’s car raced through the parking lot.
Jace frowned. “Shit. I can’t stand that guy.”
“Me, neither. I can’t believe I had a thing with him. Why were you hanging out with him the other night?” Zoé asked.
“Long story,” he said. “Are you all right?”
“I think so. Shocked is all. What do you think he meant by ‘this hookup won’t go down the way you think?’”
“That’s just bullshit. He lies all the time. Don’t give it any thought.” He shook his fingers, wincing.
She picked up Jace’s hand. “Are you injured? Let me see.”
“I’ll be all right,” he said, tugging his arm.
She kept a tight grip on him, peering at it in the dim light. “Looks swollen. Let’s head to my house and let me put ice on it.”
“I’d rather continue what we started.” He moved closer to her.
She trembled, swallowing hard.
“Wouldn’t you rather be comfortable?” she asked, pressing her palms against the cool, rough brick.
“Comfort is a state of mind.” He placed the injured hand on the wall, next to her ear, wincing slightly.
“Don’t hurt yourself,” she said.
“I said, I’ll be fine.”
She let her head fall back against the dusty, unforgiving wall, her mouth upturned.
He lowered his mouth to hers, consuming, sucking, nibbling her lips. His free hand pushed her skirt up, fumbling with the waistband of her tights. He tugged them down and slid his hand between her legs.
“Mm, wet,” he said against her mouth. “Definitely wet.” He took her hand and guided it to the front of his jeans. “This is what you do to me.”
He put his hand back between her legs and explored the slick heat craving his attention.
Her eager fingers sought his zipper, yanking it down. When she slid it open, she felt his phone vibrate inside his shirt sleeve pocket.
“Shit,” he said. “Goddamn it.” He yanked the phone out of his pocket, looked at it, tapped the connect button, and said, “Yeah?”
Zoé heard a female voice. She yanked her tights into place and pushed down her skirt.
“Okay. Yeah. Sorry, Lila, I lost track of the time. Okay. You know the deal. I’ll catch the next ferry and be home as soon as I can.” He slid the phone back inside his pocket, and then dropped his forehead against hers, panting.
“Everything all right?” she said, smoothing his hair with her palm.
Who’s Lila? A stab of jealousy lanced her stomach. Her rational mind attempted to talk her out of the sensation. You don’t even know this guy. The stabbing sensation persisted.
“No. I have to go. Believe me I don’t want to.”
She wanted to ask him what he had to get home to —more like who —but she knew zero sum about him and it wasn’t exactly her place to grill him. “Okay.”
“You’ve got to believe me. When can I see you again?” He lifted her chin with his fingers, searching her eyes with his dark emerald pools of desire.
“Sounds like you live over there, across the pond.” She pointed toward the peninsula far across the Puget Sound.
“All the way up in Port Townsend.”
“I’ve never been. I…I could maybe come with you.”
He slowly shook his head. “Not yet. I have a…it’s complicated, let’s leave it at that.”
“Okay.” Her heart felt heavy, wooden. What was the start of an all-consuming bonfire had been reduced to simmering ash, courtesy of Verizon.
“Hey,” he said. “Look at me.”
She tried to avert her eyes but he made it difficult, keeping a gentle grip on her face. She sighed and met his gaze.
“What?” she whispered.
“This is not how I wanted it to go down tonight. I want to see you again, yeah?”
She remained quiet.
“Yeah?” he said again. “I. Want. To see. You.”
He tapped the end of her nose.
Yeah, right. To fuck.
“My dad’s having a barbeque tomorrow,” she blurted. “He wants me to get along with his new girlfriend.”
Why did I say that? That’s like a date. This is, well…this is sex.
“What time?”
“I have to work the lunch shift here so I planned on heading over there about four.”
“I’ll see what I can do. I’ll have to move some things around but I think I can make it. Ever rode on the back of a Grievous Angel?” His eyes danced with mischief.
“Is that like a bad boy love god?”
“Even better. It’s my bike.” He indicated his motorcycle parked across the street.
“No, I can’t say I’ve ever wrapped my legs around an angel. I look forward to it.” She bit her lip, looking up at him through her lashes.
“Good,” he said. He leaned down for one more sumptuous kiss. “It’s a date, then.” He pulled away, and slipped his phone free. “Digits?”
She gave him her number.
He slid the phone into his inside jacket pocket, right next to his heart.
“I want this right here,” he said, patting the coat. He grabbed her hand and placed it between his legs.
She groaned at the feel of his rigid heat. “Jesus, Jace. You’re killing me.”
“And you can guess where I want this. I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?”
“Okay,” she said.
Cupping his palm behind her neck, he lowered his lips to hers, giving her one last, heart-stopping kiss. When he pulled away, he said, “That’s a promise of more to come.”
Oh. My. God.
He stroked her cheek with his thumb
. Then, he trotted across the street.
She floated all the way to her car, endorphins flooding her. What happened to the need for love? It just got flattened by a bulldozer, that’s what. Put the brakes on, Dubois, before your heart gets crushed to smithereens.
Chapter 8
Jace
Thoughts of Zoé slithered into Jace’s dreams, making him rock hard. He awoke, several times, and dealt with it, stroking himself to climax, but his hunger for her persisted. Finally, he gave up on sleep and got up as dawn sprinkled gravel into his weary eyes.
After fussing with Marni and dosing with coffee, he took off to drop Marni off at her child-care.
Jace’s truck rumbled up the driveway to his aunt’s farm house, about forty minutes from his house. “Here we go, baby girl,” Jace said, hefting Marni out of her car seat. He pulled her pink dress down over her chubby thighs and brushed crumbs off her chest. An orange sweater completed her outfit, the top two buttons unbuttoned. “You made a mess in my truck.”
She sucked vigorously on her pacifier, staring at him.
He thought about what Lila said to him about pacifiers and ear infections, and made a vow to get rid of it. Once his sister returned.
“Uncle Jace is a busy guy, isn’t he? But we had fun yesterday, didn’t we? You wore me out with your All Terrain Stroller. We must have walked miles until you insisted on the backpack.” He tucked her onto his hip, reaching for her bag of supplies in the back of the cab. “Don’t forget your purse.”
He pulled the yellow and orange canvas strap over his shoulder.
She patted his cheek with a sticky hand.
“I’m going to see this girl I like. You’d like her, too. Maybe I’ll introduce you to her. Down the road, of course.” He slammed the door shut to his pickup truck and turned to stride up Aunt Molly’s walkway.
When Aunt Molly opened the door, Marni reached for her.
“She really likes you,” Jace said, eager to hand her off.
“We’ve got a good thing going, don’t we, Marni?” His aunt smiled, her lined face crinkling into deep creases. “We got to see each other a lot when your mom was gallivanting around, didn’t we?” She nuzzled Marni’s cheek. “You’re going to help me feed the goats, aren’t you?”
“Goat,” Marni said. “Goat.” The pacifier fell from her mouth.