by Em Petrova
He stepped up to the autograph table, butting in line in front of a woman holding two photographs of the man’s oversized head.
Ty grinned at him. “Wipe the scowl off your face, Savage. You’re the one who left the tour—this could be you standin’ in my place.”
Jada looked up too. “Dom. I didn’t know you’d wandered over here.” Jada linked her fingers together, looking as pretty as a summer day in a short blue dress that seemed to float around her tanned thighs. The sleeves were cut in a way to show off her toned arms too, and damn if Dom’s cock didn’t sit up at the tease of skin she showed off.
He held her stare a heartbeat too long, and then kept on holding it. Her cheeks grew pink, and he knew it had nothing to do with the afternoon sun. And it sure as hell didn’t have anything to do with Ty Perry.
“Ooh, there’s Savage.”
He recognized the woman’s voice and looked over to see the customer who’d just watched him repair the table. She flapped a hand in a girly wave, and he lifted a hand in response.
When he looked back at Jada, her eyes were narrowed, and a scowl twisted her pretty lips. He wanted to laugh out loud, a big deep belly laugh. She didn’t like those women fawning over him any more than he liked Two-Brain-Cells Ty Perry nudging her with his arm.
Ty looked up from autographing his photo for a lady. “Rodeo’s not the same without Jackson.”
Dom’s guts bottomed out. Jada was staring at him.
“Jackson Jesse James?” she asked.
He landed his gaze on her but then let it slide away as she looked so deep into him and saw the pain in his wince.
“You never told me you knew him,” she pressed on.
“They were the best o’ friends. Sad times, wasn’t it, Savage?” Ty scribbled another autograph.
“Yeah,” he grated out and then turned to go.
After five steps, Jada caught up to him. She touched his arm, and he paused to stare down into her eyes.
“I’m so sorry, Dom. Why didn’t you tell me he was your friend?”
“Doesn’t matter. I couldn’t save him. Bet ya heard he was tied to that bull and there was no way for me to untie him too?” he shot out, pain fusing with anger and disgust that Ty Perry had been the one to bring all this to the forefront of his memory again.
She shook her head, tears forming in her brown eyes. “No, I didn’t read that. Dom, I can’t imagine what you went through. If you ever need to talk about it…”
He rubbed at his scar. “I don’t,” he snapped and hurried across the road again.
“Dom!”
He stopped and glanced at her.
“Pick me up after close?” she asked.
He pushed out a tight, hot breath. Right this minute, knowing he would spend time with the woman he loved later was the only spell of calm he’d have.
He nodded. “See ya later.”
Chapter Nine
For the rest of the work day, Jada had a difficult time focusing. After learning about Dom’s friend being the bull rider who recently died, she just wanted to hold on to him and get him to talk about the pain he was withholding from her.
Until the moment when he rubbed his scar, she didn’t realize he associated the marking with his loss. Now she did. She also had an inkling as to what Grandpa meant by shaving, as if uncovering the scar, bringing it into the light of day, would help to heal the chasm in him.
When Jada started outside, she looked up and saw Dom. All of Dom—in all his glory of jeans, Stetson and boots. He leaned against his truck, which was parked beside hers in the empty lot.
Her heart gave a hard tug, and the string followed the line down between her legs. His eyes burned into hers, and he wore a scuff of five o’clock shadow better than anybody else she’d ever seen.
Her hand tremored on the door lock, but she managed to twist the key in the lock and drop them into her purse.
The moon had slipped down the sky, hanging like a low pendant of gold in the deep midnight. Tiny stars seemed to wink at them in greeting.
Dom pushed off the door of his truck at her approach, and every single inch of the man couldn’t look more masculine if someone bought a bunch of man parts and built the perfect one.
His chest was chiseled, the pecs rounded with muscle. When he moved, he stretched slightly like a cat after a long day, and the sexy move sent Jada’s heart into a wild beat.
The reaction to her body was everything a man did to a woman. Her nipples puckered beneath her bra. Her pussy squeezed on air but she thought of his thick erection splitting her folds and sliding in.
Their gazes met, and she didn’t want to look anywhere else.
“You ready?” He didn’t beat around any bushes, and she didn’t know whether to be happy about that or disappointed in her own lack of willpower when it came to Dominick Cole.
She also wished she could mentally stop undressing the man. Or mentally skating her hands over his steely-velvet skin.
She felt herself nod, and he reached for the passenger door of his truck. He opened it wide and waited for her to climb in. Once she was settled in the seat, he tossed her a knowing grin and closed the door.
Her insides juddered.
After he settled beside her, he started the truck and put it into gear. They didn’t bump out of the parking lot before he reached over and placed his warm, heavy hand on her knee.
“Looks like you had a good turnout today.”
She nodded. “Sold out of brisket, chicken and pulled pork.”
He sliced a smile her way, lashing her insides. “Glad to hear it.” The smooth texture of his tone started to pluck at her shirt buttons before he ever laid a finger on them. If he kept talking, she’d wind up naked long before they reached his house.
“Dom, it’s only fair that I tell you my next move.”
He stared at her for a heartbeat. “What move?”
“I’ve entered some fair competitions for barbecue.”
He glanced at her again and then nodded. “And you’re telling me because you want me to enter or not to enter?”
She shrugged. “That’s up to you. I just want to keep our playing field level.”
“Inviting the competition out to compete. Good strategy.” He chuckled.
She caught sight of the scar on his jaw and before she thought better of it, she reached over and skimmed her finger over the spot. He froze again.
“You got this from a bull, didn’t you?” she asked quietly.
He nodded.
She dropped her hand. “I know it must torment you, wondering why you lived and only have a scar.”
His chest inflated, and then he issued a grunt. “It’s over.” The finality of his tone made her realize that it was far from over when it came to his emotions on the subject, but she didn’t pressure him more.
“Thank you for telling me.”
He didn’t respond, just drove on. After a minute, she took his hand. The burning look he sent her way had her wiggling in her seat, unable to sit still while his hands were on her.
Neither spoke during the drive. Anticipation tightened her insides until she felt so high-strung she might snap. They arrived at the front of his house, and she peeked at him from under her lashes.
“Before we go inside and I undress you and make love to you, Jada, I have something to tell you.”
She couldn’t budge a muscle or even breathe.
He eased his fingers up her thigh, creeping toward her dripping wet center. “I’m in love with you. I never stopped lovin’ you, and I never will. You’re the first person I want to talk to in the mornings and the last one I want to see at night before I close my eyes.”
A rasp escaped her, and her brain processed what he was saying in a fraction of a heartbeat. He loved her…wanted more with her.
What could she say to that?
He released his grip on her leg and climbed out of the truck. Her pulse throbbed in her ears as he circled the vehicle to open her door. When she slid out, he hooke
d his arm around her back and brought her flush against him. She met his gaze, her breaths coming fast.
“You’ll be spendin’ the night with me.” His words sandpapered over her senses. Next thing she knew, he rushed her down the sidewalk to his front door and guided her inside. Darkness surrounded them, and Dom captured her mouth as he kicked the door closed behind them.
She clutched his broad shoulders. She went for his buttons, needing to remove the cloth and feel the flesh beneath her hands.
He pulled her against him, dragging her off her feet, and turned for his bedroom. Now that she knew how soft his bed felt and how it smelled of his delicious manly scent, she couldn’t wait to sink into it with him.
The intoxicating flavor of him flooded her head as he kissed her hungrily, deeply, without stopping. She didn’t register they’d made it to his room until she saw the moonlight falling over the smooth quilt.
He lay her down on the mattress and followed her, kissing her lips, the point of her chin, her throat and then the tops of her breasts that he exposed by tugging down the fabric. She issued a soft sigh, and he answered with a guttural groan as he plucked at her nipple with his lips and teeth.
She sifted her fingers through his hair as the kiss spiraled on. Pleasure zapped her spine as he removed her top and bra and exposed her fully to his mouth. She arched into his sucking pulls and finally removed his shirt as she’d been struggling to do for minutes.
She cried out as her hands met warm, hard flesh. He moved over her again, looking down into her eyes, biceps bulging on each side of her.
“I love you, woman.”
Her insides quivered at his words, but she couldn’t form any in return. Not because she didn’t feel the same—because she was so far gone with lust.
She kissed his chest and worked her hands over his belt until she released his hard cock into her hand. She stroked it in a smooth move from base to tip, and he shuddered in pleasure.
She skimmed her hand down his cock again, tracing the shape and feel of him with her memory and blind knowledge of what he enjoyed. He found her tight nipple and bit into it, making her issue a cry as he rolled it around on his tongue.
Again, she caressed his thickness, and he quickly launched off the bed. In the dim light of the moon, she watched him shuck his clothes and then reach for her. He stripped her swiftly and deftly, his callused fingers rubbing all the right spots on her body.
Then he poised at the heat of her, breathing hard.
She parted her legs, wrapped her arms around him and pulled him inside her. He tunneled into her with a groan. “You fit so perfect,” she whimpered.
His eyes flashed. “Damn right I do.”
He eased out and then shoved deep again. She cried out at the feel of him overflowing her. The bed rocked. The music of their raspy breathing and their grunts of pleasure on every penetrating stroke unhinged her. Her insides clenched hard—she grappled at his shoulders and came on a throaty cry.
His muscled thighs smacked hers as he went wild, sinking deep, claiming her with his body and mouth and heart and soul in a way she’d always dreamed of and had lost hope of having.
He poured his release into her, and she scored her nails down his back as she kissed the grumbles of pleasure off his lips. She gripped him to her and rode through the last of her orgasm with him jerking inside of her. When he collapsed, she bore his weight and riffled her fingers through his soft hair again.
Seconds passed, and her words returned.
“I love you too,” she whispered.
He rolled over, pulling her with him, and holding her tucked under his chin as he stroked his fingertips up and down her spine. She wasn’t sure how to proceed from this point on—they’d both declared their love for each other—but she had to roll with what life was dealing her.
They could be the old couple who still fought over barbecue recipes and who made the better brisket while they thought up crazier marketing ploys to outdo each other. She smiled against his chest and closed her eyes. Whatever happened, happiness was sure to follow if they loved each other, right?
* * * * *
Dom came awake to the good smell of butter frying in the bottom of a pan. It took him a minute to figure out where he was—bed. What he was smelling—food. And why—Jada.
He sat up and looked around his empty bedroom and then located his clothes neatly draped over the foot of the bed. He grinned. As if he’d be wearing clothes when he ate his first ever breakfast with the woman he loved.
He walked out into the kitchen as naked as the day he was born. Jada stood at the stove fixing a midnight snack for them both and wearing nothing but his chambray shirt.
Taking a minute to drink in her appearance of bare feet, smooth legs, loosely draped shirt rolled over her capable forearms, he landed at her blonde hair—sexy, disheveled and hot as hell.
“Mmm.” He moved up behind her and cupped her breasts through his shirt, finding that she hadn’t buttoned all the buttons and swaths of skin met his palms. He nuzzled her fragrant throat. “Damn, you look good enough to eat.”
She twisted her head for his kiss. “Hope you don’t mind me taking over in the kitchen. I woke up hungry.”
“Can’t have that, can we?” He turned her into his arms, and she slipped hers around his neck, looking up into his eyes. The fact he saw happiness in her beautiful eyes gave him a hard pang of joy himself.
“We have to keep our energy up.” She toyed with the hair on his nape.
“Uh-huh. What’s on the menu?” He let his gaze linger on her peek of cleavage through the edges of his shirt.
“Eggs over easy and fried potatoes.”
“Mmm. I hope you used the bell pepper I had in there.”
“I did.” She leaned onto tiptoe for his kiss, and he brushed his mouth over hers in the softest of caresses. Then she twisted in his hold again to face the range. Using a spatula, she moved the potatoes and peppers around the pan, releasing a gut-enticing good smell into the kitchen.
“Grab plates,” she ordered.
“Yes, ma’am.” Reluctantly, he moved away from her and reached into the cupboard for two dishes. He set the forks and napkins on the small table he’d scored from a yard sale on the edge of town when he first moved back.
She turned from the range with the pan of home fries. She dished out a generous portion for herself and a larger one for him. Then she added two eggs each. She set the pans aside and looked around. “Ketchup?”
“You betcha. I’ll grab it.” He walked to his fridge and pulled out the ketchup. After he settled with her at the table, their gazes met.
She ducked her head, hiding her smile and a sweet blush. “We haven’t eaten together in a while.”
“We can call it a date.” He forked up some potatoes with ketchup and took a bite. He groaned around the perfect seasonings she’d added.
“Good?”
“So good.” He took another bite and chewed, watching Jada savor the food too. After a moment, he had to say what was on his mind. “I can’t help but feel we’ve turned a corner.”
She looked up. “I feel it too.”
He also felt so much lighter since he confided about Jackson.
He continued, “I don’t know when it happened, but I’m glad it did. I couldn’t stand you disliking me for all I’d done—leaving, then putting my restaurant across from yours.”
“Maybe the restaurants being so close really do push our business. I notice times when a carload pulls into your lot, and half the people get out and come over to mine.”
He nodded. “I’ve seen the same.”
“It’s like a food court.”
He smiled. “Precisely. So am I forgiven for the sign too?”
She laughed, a merry, musical sound that gripped at his insides. “I guess I took that a bit far.”
“Painting a horse’s ass on my sign? Nah.” He took a bite of egg.
She giggled around her food, and then they ate in companionable silence for a b
it. When his stare lit on her cleavage again, she tossed a green pepper at him. It bounced off his chest. “My eyes are up here, Savage.”
He lifted his gaze over her golden skin to her striking eyes. “Yes, they are. You’re so damn beautiful, Jada. It makes my heart stop sometimes when I look across the road and see you.”
Her lips parted on a sigh. “You’re not too shabby to catch sight of yourself.”
“I’ve noticed you checking me out a time or two.”
“How about those ladies at the Ty Perry meet and greet? They were drooling all over you.”
He didn’t tell her that they’d been eyeing him while he fixed the table legs. “I don’t know what ladies you’re talking about.”
She tossed another green pepper at him, and he scooped it up and popped it into his mouth. She laughed at him and finished her meal, sitting back with a hand over her stomach.
They stared at each other. “Truce?” she asked him.
On impulse, he shoved his chair away from the table and lunged at her. Tackling her to the kitchen floor, he captured her mouth and hitched her thigh around his hip, spreading her to him.
A peal of laughter escaped her, and he rumbled his own as he kissed her deeper. He’d definitely call this a truce.
* * * * *
Jada was getting used to the walk of shame. Getting out of her car and walking up to her front door wearing the same outfit she’d left in the day before didn’t bother her, though. Especially since there was no one around.
“Ah-ha!” The familiar voice startled her, and she whipped in a circle to see Joss coming up the sidewalk at a fast pace, baby CT in her arms. “I knew you hadn’t been home last night! Didn’t you get any of my texts?”
“Um.” Jada bit her lower lip. “I didn’t check my phone.”
“Because you were busy.” She looked her over, from messy hair to wrinkled clothes and her favorite boots that she’d fished out from under Dom’s bed this morning. “Where were you?”
“Nowhere.”
“Looks like a fun nowhere. With your fiancé Dom?”
Jada groaned. “I hoped you wouldn’t hear about that.”
“You hoped wrong, big sis.” Joss looped her arm through Jada’s and led her to her front door. “Let’s go in and have a nice long chat about your secrets. I hope you have decaf coffee.”