by Calinda B
She waved her hand in the direction of the goat pen.
Jace stooped to scoop up the pacifier, tucking it into his back pocket. “She’s not so sure about me,” he said. “Want to keep her?”
“Jace,” Aunt Molly said. “Give her time. Her world’s been kicked on its heels.”
What about mine?
“I’d rather my sister took over her responsibilities. This isn’t particularly fun.” He stood on the front stoop, looking sullenly beyond the willow tree in the side yard to the waters of the Puget Sound. “You’ve got a great view. I never get tired of it. Been a source of comfort ever since I was a teen.” He turned back to his aunt. “Thanks for doing this.”
“Well, I know you didn’t sign up for this task willingly. And Marni’s a good girl. Your uncle and I don’t mind at all.” She bounced Marni on her generous hip. “She likes to help with chores.”
She pushed her graying brown waves away from her pleasant looking face.
“I heard from Jayna.”
“Did you?” Aunt Molly said eagerly, her eyes bright. “What a relief! Is she coming home soon?”
“She didn’t say. Said something about needing to take care of things and then I heard a man arguing with her and she hung up on me. The number’s unlisted. It’s not like I can call her back. She could be in Egypt for all we know.”
“Oh, dear. At least she’s alive,” Aunt Molly said, clearly heartened. “Have you thought about what you’re going to do if she never comes back?”
“Not much. I’m still holding out hope she’ll come around.”
“Your sister is one screwed up girl. I can’t help but think that your strict upbringing made her snap. My sister and her husband can be quite the hellfire and brimstone kind of disciplinarians.”
“Tell me about it. When I left, I swore I’d always have welts on my backside.” He rubbed the back of his jeans before setting the big bag inside the doorway. “There are bottles, diapers, toys, the usual. Cookies and baby food, too.”
“Okay, good. Honey, you know we tried our best when you came to live with us but she was already set on the downward spiraling path. We thought we’d lose you, too, but you came around.”
“It was that or end up in a morgue somewhere.”
“And that would have been a big tragedy. You’re a good guy, Jace. My favorite nephew.”
He scoffed. “Your only nephew.”
She winked. “Makes you even more special.”
“Thanks, Aunt Molly.”
Marni waved her pudgy hand at him.
He reached out and let her wrap her moist, gooey palm around his finger. “Her hands need to be washed.”
“We can handle it.”
“I’ll do my best to get back before midnight.”
“Don’t you worry, honey. If you think you’ll be out too late, we can keep her overnight.”
Jace’s face brightened. “Seriously?”
“Why not? She’s no trouble at all. And you need to have some fun, sweetie. You’ve been looking a little ragged lately.” She flicked her gaze at his hand. “What did you do? Get in a fight with someone?”
Jace looked at his scrapes and bruises. He’d wrapped it in gauze and antibiotic cream when he got home last night but took the dressing off before he left so he didn’t look a wreck. On the other hand, I’ll even take a sympathy fuck right about now. Maybe I should reconsider the bandage. “Yeah I did. I punched Billy O’Reilly.”
“Oh, no. That kid’s trouble with a capital T. I hope you came out on top.”
“We’ll see. He threatened me with a lawsuit.” He pushed his hand through his hair. “I’m sick of his fucking bullshit.” He glanced at his aunt. “He waves all his unearned cash around, dicking around with everyone. He’s part of the reason Kate and I broke up. Did I ever tell you that?”
“You didn’t. I always wondered but figured it was none of my business. Frankly, I thought she was using you.”
Jace’s eyebrows lifted. You have no idea. “Anyway, I’ve gotta run back to the house, pick up the Deus and head over to Seattle.” He kissed Marni’s chubby cheek, sniffing her sweet, baby scented skin, gave his aunt a quick hug.
“Wave bye-bye to Uncle Jace,” Aunt Molly said. She grasped Marni’s wrist and pumped it up and down.
He waved as he climbed in his truck. Driving to Zoé’s house, flooded with thoughts of her, he had the good sense to stop and buy some flowers. All that errand did, however, was stall the nerves in his belly, focusing his mind on flower selection. As soon as he got back in the cab, his mind concocted all sorts of fantasies about what he’d like to do with her. Hence, by the time he arrived at her house he was hard as a rock.
After parking alongside the curb, he climbed from the truck and paused, standing with his fists on his hips. His keys lay curled in the nest of his fist. He squeezed them, comforted by the solid metal feel. You never had to get up the nerve when you were partying, dipshit. You simply made your selection, took her hand, and got busy in a stateroom on the lower deck of the yacht.
The house looked like a nothing-much kind of West Seattle dwelling, but Jace didn’t care. She could live in a shoebox for all he cared. He dropped the keys in his pocket. His hand followed, as he nervously fidgeted with the keys before taking the next step—standing before her door. He swallowed, shuffling his feet on the welcome mat before pressing the doorbell.
When she opened the door, he thrust the bouquet of mixed flowers at her, like a teen about to go to the prom. “I didn’t know what you liked.”
He scanned her, while fingering the edge of his pocket with his thumb. Fucking gorgeous. Her hair hung loosely around her face, skimming her shoulders. She wore an oversized top printed with the words, love when you want to, not when you’re lonely. Over tight jeans hugged her curves but she could have been dressed in a potato sack as far as he was concerned.
“Oh, these are beautiful, Jace! Chrysanthemums, daisies, lilies —even sunflowers! I love this! Much better than Billy’s stuffy roses. Those got thrown in the dumpster behind the bar. Good riddance. Come in, come in. I’ll put these in water and we’ll be off.”
Jace stepped through the entrance, looking around at her comfortable surroundings. The colors of her home consisted of blues, yellows, and occasional splashes of green and orange. Colorful plumped pillows were arranged neatly on the sofa. An old stereo stood in the corner. No T.V. Good for her. Sturdy metal stands were placed near every window with plants of various sizes and species placed in tidy rows.
“You into gardening or something?” He eyed the swish of her hips as she made her way toward the kitchen.
“Yep, I’m studying permaculture.”
“Huh,” he said. After pausing to savor her seductive walk, he followed her. Instead of entering, he leaned against the door jamb of the kitchen so he could further watch her move. “What can you do with a degree like that?”
She pulled a crystal vase from the cupboard, filled it with water, then, set it on the blue tiled counter.
As she arranged the flowers, she said, “I’d like to help third world countries in food production. There’s a lot we can do. I’m hoping to get an internship in Costa Rica —or a job. After that, who knows? Africa, maybe?”
“Sounds noble. You’re going for the money, right?”
Her head whipped around to look at him. “Not really.”
“I’m kidding. Unless you can get a grant or something there’s usually no money in noble causes.”
“True enough. I’ve never been motivated by money.” She turned back to her flower arranging.
“Same here but I do like to pay the bills.”
“Me, too.” She pivoted away from the counter and placed the vase on her kitchen table, positioning it in the center. She knocked on the wood with her knuckles. “So far, so good. I’m not in too much debt with school loans. I inherited enough money from my grandma to pay for most of my education. I work my butt off when I’m not studying or in classes. If it doesn’t
work out I can always get a job as someone’s fucking landscape bitch.”
Jace smiled. “There’s that dirty mouth again.”
“Does it bother you?” Zoé looked at him, gazing with deep brown pools of warmth.
“Fuck, no.” He smiled. “Unless you meant you were going to fuck the guy who hired you. That’s going to be my job.”
Her eyes widened and she licked her lush lips.
“What do you think?” She gestured to the yellow and gold bouquet.
“Fucking beautiful,” he said, staring at her.
Her eyebrows rose. “Talk about a dirty mouth. That’s three fucks in less than a minute.”
“Oh, I guarantee it will be longer than a minute.”
Her fingers began working in circles, rubbing thumbs to fingertips. She stared at him like a doe in the middle of a field, alert, watchful.
Jace liked her responses to him. “And that will only be the first fuck —the exploratory phase. You know, where you break ground.”
“You have to have a good tool.”
“Only the best,” he said. He stroked his jaw with his hand, contemplating her.
“What’s phase two?” She stepped back against the countertop, placing her hands on the tiled surface. The window behind her framed her face, sunlight shining on her glossy hair.
“You tell me. You’re the expert here.”
“Plow. Plant seeds. Tend to them. Nurture them like crazy.” Her attention dropped to his hard cock for a second. “Are you going to kiss me before we go, or what?”
“Someone’s bold. I’ll start with a kiss —then I might get to ‘or what.’” He stalked across the room. Standing before her, he studied her face. “You’re beautiful.”
She placed her hands on his chest. “So are you.”
He caressed her soft lips with his thumbs. “You’re trembling. Do I scare you?”
“No. You affect me, is all.”
“And you like the way I affect you, yeah?”
“Yes,” she said, on a breath.
“Are you wet?”
“Yes.”
“Are you wet for me?”
Her eyebrows lifted slightly. “I don’t see anyone else in the room, do you?”
“If there were would you be wet for him?”
“No.”
He leaned down, bringing his mouth close to hers.
Her eyes closed and her rosy lips parted.
“Who are you wet for, Zoé?” he asked.
Her eyelids popped open. “You, Jace.”
“Only me?”
She frowned a little. “Yes, only you.”
He pushed his erection against her, rocking his hip. A groan escaped his lips. “This is all for you, baby. You and you alone.”
Her eyes closed again and her nostrils flared.
His cock twitched. So fucking beautiful.
“You don’t know me. You talk as if you’re making some kind of commitment.”
“Ground rules. Exploration can’t begin unless we have a few rules in place. One of mine is exclusive rights.” He rocked his cock into her soft belly.
“How can you ask that of me if we don’t know one another?” she said, her eyes half lidded.
“I’m not playing unless I like the answer,” he said.
She opened her eyes. “What about last night? You didn’t ask for rights then.”
“I didn’t know I’d want them until I tasted you. Now I know. Will you grant me exclusive rights, or won’t you?”
“I said, there’s no one else in the room.”
“That’s a hedge betting answer.” He nuzzled his nose against her cheek. “Will you grant me exclusive rights?”
He placed his hands on the counter, one on each side, his thigh pushing between her legs, spreading her knees apart. He studied the pulse throbbing in her neck, pumping strong, fast, and steady, before letting his gaze roam along her face.
“I don’t know you yet,” she said.
“Wrong answer.” He grazed the side of her neck with his teeth. “I want you all to myself.”
He bit her lightly.
She let out a short gasp.
“I’m going to possess you.” He nibbled and kissed her neck before sucking deeply, drawing her flesh into his mouth.
She moaned.
He released it with a pop. “I’m going to consume you. But only if you give me my rights.” He fingered the red mark left behind before considering her eyes. “Will you grant me exclusive rights, Zoé Dubois?”
“Yes, Jace,” she said, returning the gaze. “Exclusive rights. I’m a one-man woman.”
Fuck. He brought his lips so close to hers he felt her warm breath puffing against his lips. He savored the heat rolling off her body and the feeling of being pressed against her.
“We’d better go,” he said softly into her mouth. “We don’t want to be late.” He drew away from her, smiling at the look of frustration that crossed her face. “Don’t forget your promise.”
Then he took her hand and led her outside to his Grievous Angel.
Chapter 9
Zoé
A sense of exhilaration swirled through Zoé as Jace turned on the bike and took off. She fought the urge to throw her hands in the air, like some cheesy girl in a commercial. The vibration of the bike between her legs, her hips pressed into Jace, the wind causing strands of her hair to flutter and twirl around her helmet clad head—the whole experience felt like liberation from whatever load of responsibility and fear she hid behind. After Billy, she’d gone back to a safe, responsible life, not wanting her heart to be pulverized again.
Zoé clung to Jace’s chest, as they zipped along the road on his hot as shit Angel. Exclusive rights? He insisted on exclusive rights, even before they’d done anything. She liked the thought of exclusivity. And then, when she said yes, he walked away from her, leaving her wanting. Will he be like Jack, the guy before Billy, who lied to me about having another girlfriend? She didn’t have a stellar history of satisfying relationships and this one reeked of trouble.
Oh, this man is going to crush my heart.
Jace kept constant contact with her, stroking her leg with his leather gloved hand, or pressing his arm against hers wrapped firmly around his solid chest, when he wasn’t occupied with driving. The vibration of the motorcycle kept a steady hum against her clit, stirring her to a dissatisfied frenzy. She wanted nothing more than to flip him on his back, climb on top, and invite him in to satisfy the hunger he’d created.
When they got to her dad’s, Jace pulled up to the curb and killed the engine. He flipped down the kickstand and waited.
Reluctantly, she scrambled off the bike and brushed off her pants. Next, she removed the helmet and tried to finger comb her messy hair into submission.
He swung his long leg over the Deus, removed his helmet, and shook out his hair, like he was the lead model in a shampoo commercial.
“Did you like that ride?” he asked, grinning at her.
“Yeah, it was fun.” She fluffed her hair, squashed flat from the head protector. “But, honestly, Jace. Exclusive…”
“Good,” he said, interrupting. “There will be more where that came from. Wait until I take you out on vast stretches of highway, open up the throttle, and we fly.”
He slung an arm around her and guided her up the sidewalk.
“You’re awfully presumptuous, Jace Savage.”
“I know what you want,” he said, smiling seductively.
“Stop with the bulldozer,” she protested.
“Vroom, vroom,” he joked. “I never got the hang of these brakes. Are they even capable of stopping, once they’re put in gear?”
She let out a short laugh. “Honestly.”
At the door, she shrugged free of his embrace to look presentable to her dad. Her stomach had bunched into a knot of butterflies, begging to be set free of social niceties and get somewhere private with Jace. Attempting a calm expression, she reached for the doorbell.
Her f
ather opened the door. His aging, handsome face looking groomed, with his hair combed back.
His gaze landed on Jace, and his eyebrows rose. “Oh! I didn’t know you’d bring a date.”
“You said I could bring someone.”
“I did, true. But you said…”
“So, Dad, this is Jace” she said, cutting him off. “Jace, this is my dad, Alex Dubois.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Jace said, extending his hand to her father.
Okay, manners. That’s a plus.
“Pleasure’s all mine. I didn’t know my girl was dating anyone.” He smiled at Jace.
“She is. She’s already granted me exclusive rights.” He laughed as if it were a joke.
“Oh?” her father said.
Her face grew crimson. The constant state of embarrassment already felt like a theme with him.
“Come in, come in.” Her dad stood back and gestured them into the house.
They followed her dad into the front room and she hissed, “Rights can be revoked, you know.”
He snaked his finger up her spine, making her shiver. Leaning close to her ear, he said, “Not if you know what’s good for you.”
Her core throbbed in response. Damn him.
Her father stopped them in the kitchen. “What would you like to drink, Jace? I’ve got beer, wine, ice tea, and soda.”
“Beer’s fine. You, baby?”
Again, with the familiarity.
“You know me, Dad. I’ll take a cold one. Make sure Jace’s is ice cold, too. He needs to cool down. He’s been driving hard all afternoon.” She smiled sweetly at Jace.
He chuckled.
The bastard.
Her father eyed the two of them with a creased brow. “All right, two beers coming up. Why don’t you show Jace where the patio is? I’ll bring the beverages out. Linda’s already out there with snacks.”
She led Jace through the back porch, stopping before they went outside. “You’re being awfully familiar with me.”
“You granted rights. I take my rights seriously.” He flashed a playful, mocking grin at her.
Damn, damn, damn! She made a frustrated little growl.
“Wet again, are we?”
“Stop it! We’re at my father’s. You’re impossible!”