by Jessie Cooke
“You okay, sweetheart?” He didn’t sound like he really cared. Everything Micah said was like he was reading from a script I’d noticed. I nodded and he continued on until we got to the second door on the left. The door was open and inside was a large, plush glass-walled office. He took a seat in one of the big green chairs that sat on either side of an oak table. I sat down on the opposite side, sinking down into the rich, velvet upholstery.
I cleared my throat and said, “Micah I don’t want to leave you in a bind, so I’ll do the appearance you already have set up for me…and the next fight…but by then, I need you to get someone to replace me, okay?”
He was looking at me like he was studying my face, trying to commit it to memory. Finally he said, “You ever been on a Harley?”
“What? No.”
“You would look really good on a Harley. I guess if you couldn’t drive one, I could put you behind one of the guys…that would be hot too.”
“I’m sorry…what are you talking about?”
“The Harley Davidson Cafe was thinking about having us come down to help them kick off the Lost Highway Festival.”
I wasn’t normally rude, but this guy was starting to piss me off. “I’m sorry, Micah, are you hearing impaired?”
“No sweetheart, I hear you. You want to quit…again. The thing is it’s just nerves. You’ll get past it and before you know it honey you’ll be a household name. You’ll be the fodder for fantasies of men eighteen to eighty.” If he thought any of that was making me want to stay, he was crazier than I thought he was.
“I don’t want any of that, Micah. This was only temporary for me. I’m going to be a lawyer.” He laughed. That pissed me off any more. “What’s so funny?”
“Nothing honey. The thing is I was just about to mention the contract. I didn’t want to bring it up…but you’re kind of forcing me to. Then you tell me you’re going to be a lawyer. Did you read the contract you signed in HR the other day?”
Shit! Fuck! Damn me! “Um…not thoroughly…”
“You’re under contract with us for six months honey. You can’t work anywhere else or be photographed for any other gigs…not even the local union pin up girl calendar.”
“Oh…” I felt sick again. The room spun and I really wanted to throw up. Jeez, what the hell kind of pre-law student signs a contract without reading it?
“So, I think I’ll set you up for the Harley gig…I’ll keep you posted.” He jumped up out of the seat and bounced on his heels. “You take care sweetheart and anytime you have any questions about anything, you call me, okay?”
This man acted insane…but I was starting to understand that he was a shark. Damn him! “Yeah, thanks,” was all I said as he bounced out of the room. Shit! I leaned forward and put my hands in my head. I really shouldn’t blame Micah. I’m the idiot who didn’t read the contract. I wonder why Lizzie didn’t mention a contract. I’m not sure how long I sat there like that, trying to pull myself together before I went out front, but when I finally pulled my head up, Jacob Wright was standing over me.
“Hi there.” God, even his voice sent little shock waves through me.
“Hi.”
“You alright?” I wondered if he really cared or if he was just being polite. His eyes were soft and they seemed genuine and warm.
“Yeah,” I said, standing up. “I’m good.” Suddenly I was embarrassed again. What is it with me embarrassing myself every time I see this man?
He ran his eyes slowly from the top of my head down to my feet. Then he started there and went back up. It was like orgasm in a glance. My body seriously felt like it had been touched. “You look good,” he said with a grin. He took a step towards me and I leaned back into the chair. He took another one and I jumped up to my feet.
“I should go,” I said with a quiver in my voice.
“Don’t go, Cassie,” he said. Dear God he is ridiculously sexy.
“I…um…I really should. My friend is waiting for me.”
He stepped into my space and I could smell that musty, sweaty scent that men get when they work out. It was turning me on. I was out of control. “I can take you home, Cassie.” I was watching his lips move and I realized that when I drew my eyes back up to his face he knew that I was. He smiled and flashed me those dimples. He didn’t fight fair.
“Oh no, it’s okay. My car is at Serenity…” Suddenly his mouth was covering mine and instead of pushing him away, my arms went up around his neck and my toes came up off the ground and my tongue slipped into his hot mouth. My body was in complete mutiny. He kissed me hard and then he gradually slowed down, letting his tongue tangle up with mine slowly and then pulling it out and running it across my bottom lip. When he pulled his head back and I opened my eyes, he was staring at me with such lust in his that I considered doing it right there. What in God’s name is wrong with me?
“You really should stop doing that,” I told him. He grinned again and with his mouth still so close to mine that I could feel both the vibrations and the heat from his he said,
“Why?”
“Because I don’t even know you.” My voice was husky and I was still out of breath. It didn’t sound sincere even to me. He took another step back and extended his right hand. I narrowed my eyes at him and he said,
“I’m Jacob Wright…and you are?”
I took another step back. Maybe the pheromones won’t chase me. “Don’t be sarcastic.”
“I’m not being sarcastic,” he said. “You said you didn’t know me. I was introducing myself.”
“You know what I mean…”
“Okay, you’re right. We should know each other before we do anything crazy.” He said that so confidently, like he knew that we were going to do something crazy once we got to know each other. “I’m having a party tonight. Seven o’clock.” He leaned over the desk behind him, and grabbing a pen off it he wrote down an address and a phone number and held it out to me. “Please come.”
I looked at the paper in his hand like it was a snake. I was afraid to touch it. “I-Um-At your house?” Jacob Wright’s house? Uh huh! No way! Can’t do it!
He grinned again. “Yes.”
I took the paper, looked at it and said, “Thanks for the invitation but…” He reached up and covered my lips with his fingers. They were hot. Well, I tried.
“Please come,” he said again. God his voice was so deep and sexy and I know that he knew what those eyes were doing to me. He’d probably practiced since he was a kid in front of the mirror. He knew how to draw down the lashes and make them sweep the tops of his cheeks…he knew how to bring out those dimples too. He had an arsenal of weapons of mass destruction at his disposal…and my ability to think clearly or at all was destroyed. I was going to have to surrender. He moved his fingers away and said, “I’ll see you tonight, Cassie?” Dumbly, I nodded.
8
Jacob
I watched Cassie’s sexy little round ass disappear out the door of the office and as soon as she was gone, I dropped down in the chair. Fuck me! What did I do? I just invited her to my house. I’ve lived in my house for three years now. The guys have all been there and the two who are married, Jon and our trainer Derek have had their wives there and Lance and Brock always show up with a different chick…usually a show girl…but never once have I had a girl there as my date. Never once have I had a woman in my bed. Vegas made it too easy. There are hotels and bars everywhere. Hell, they don’t even frown on sex in the bathrooms in some of the clubs. I decided a long time ago that I wasn’t going to let some woman come into my life and start setting up house…that leads to wanting to get married and having babies. I didn’t want a wife, ever. I didn’t want babies, ever. I’d seen how well that worked out with my parents. Mom had the babies and then she died and Dad got stuck with the babies that he didn’t really want, so he sent them away. Every time said babies were allowed to return home from school for a vacation or a weekend, Dad had a different wife. It was all very messy. I didn’t like messy. Ye
t I’d just invited a beautiful young woman who is obviously hot for me to a party at my house. A party that I’m not really having. What the fuck?
When I got back out to the work-out room I took Brock aside and said, “I need you to help me set up a party for tonight.”
“A party? I’m there. Where?”
“At my house. We’ll barbecue or something…”
“What’s the occasion?”
“Your birthday,” I said. I didn’t want Cassie thinking I’d made up the party just to get her to come over. I did, but I didn’t want her to know that.
“I was born on Christmas day. Everyone knows that today isn’t my birthday.”
“Okay then, we’ll say it’s Lance’s birthday. Buy a cake and have his name put on it, will you? I have to go.”
“Where are you going?”
“I have to get things ready for the party.”
He looked at me with a confused look. When I was about halfway across the room he said, “Hey Jacob!” I turned around and he was grinning. “You want me to bring an extra girl for you?”
“No, thanks.” I tried to turn back around and he said,
“Jacob!”
“What?”
“What kind of cake does the new octagon girl like?”
“Fuck you!”
I went home and took a shower. Then I washed the dishes that were in the sink from breakfast. Then I went to the store and bought way too much food…and then I went home and waited. While I waited, I paced and I cussed myself and I wondered why I was doing something that I hadn’t done since high school…waiting for a woman who either wouldn’t show up, or who would show up and try to change my life. About three o’clock, I called my brother.
“Hey E!”
“Jake, what’s going on?” My brother is the only one on earth who calls me Jake. It was what our mother used to call me. She called him “E”.
“I’m having a party tonight. Why don’t you and the Mrs. stop by?”
I heard him sigh. “Tammy is in Belize this week.”
“Belize? For what?”
“She went on vacation with her sister. She’ll be back on Friday.”
“Great!” That sounded too happy. I cleared my throat and tried to amend it. “I mean, great that I called you then so you didn’t have to sit home alone tonight. Come party with us.”
“Hmm, I’m not sure…”
“Come on E, we never spend any time together. Come over and have some fun. All the guys will be here.”
“Yeah? Yeah. Okay. What time?”
“Seven.”
“What should I bring?”
“Nothing, just be here.”
“What should I wear?”
I rolled my eyes. “You’re such a fucking girl. I don’t give a shit. How about your red dress?”
“Screw you,” he said, but he was laughing.
After I hung up with him it seemed like this was the longest fucking day of my life before six-thirty when the doorbell finally rang. I pulled it open to Brock’s ugly face. The chick he had on his arm was at least nice to look at.
“Where’s the cake?”
“Jeez! Hello to you too! It’s coming. Lance said since it’s his birthday, he would bring the cake.”
“Oh hell! Lance is going to bring a freaking carrot cake or something fairy like that. I told you to bring the fucking cake. Can’t you do anything right?”
Brock grinned and said, “Damn, that girl has you spun out! I’ve never seen this side of you…all in love and shit.”
“Um, I’m sorry honey but I have to pee.” I forgot about the woman on his arm and I realized then that I hadn’t even let them in the house.
“Oh damn! I’m sorry.” I stepped back and let them in…Brock, reluctantly. I looked at the woman and said, “Second door on your left down the hall, darlin’.”
She batted her long, fake eyelashes at me and said, “Thanks.” She headed down the hall and Brock and I both watched her plump ass disappear before I turned back on him.
“Knock that shit off about Cassie! I swear to God if you say one stupid thing to her or in front of her tonight…” He was laughing. I wanted to knock the son of a bitch out, but he was saved by the doorbell.
I tried to look happy as I opened it, just in case it was Cassie. It wasn’t, it was Lance. He at least had a cake box in his hands. “Oh good. The birthday boy is here.” I let him in and said, “What kind of cake did you get?”
“It’s not a cake. I got mini Temptation Spice Torte’s instead.” He looked enormously pleased with himself. I looked at him like he was from outer space.
“Are you kidding? Please tell me you’re kidding. Why are you such a fucking fairy?”
“You’ll love them, and it’s my birthday so I got to pick.”
“It’s not your birthday.”
“Oh, do you want me to tell your girlfriend that? Because Brock said…”
“Shut up. Brock and his woman of the day are on the patio. Go help him light the grill or something and don’t burn your delicate hands.” Lance held up his middle finger before he left. I pulled open the pink box and sure enough, it was filled with something that looked like tiny little cakes. Did he think we were having a fucking tea party? What the hell is a torte?
“Hey Jake!” My brother let himself in the front door.
“Hey E.”
“What are you staring at?” he asked. He came over and looked into the box. “Oh yes, tortes! Are those Temptation spice?”
“Mary Mother of God! Where are all the men?” Ian was looking at me like he had no idea what I was talking about as the doorbell rang again. By seven forty-five the back yard was full of people, the steaks were grilling, the fools I fight with were swimming, Lance and E were embroiled in some sissy ass conversation about the bakery where Lance got the tortes and I wanted to bust somebody’s head open.
“Girl’s a no-show?” Brock said with a grin. Maybe I’d bust his head open. I looked at the big moon shaped clock that hung out by the pool.
“It’s early yet. People might still be coming.”
He laughed. Yep, it was going to be his head. “People? Or blue-eyed octagon girls?”
“All of these people at the party and you can’t find a single other person to antagonize?”
“It’s cool man. I mean, I never thought love would happen to you, but it’s cool.”
“Stop saying that shit!” He laughed again. He was going to laugh one too many times…
“Brock!”
“Your woman is calling. She must have sensed I was about to kick your ass.”
“Hey Jacob! Is the food almost ready?” Jon yelled across the yard at me. I pulled up the lid on the barbecue pit. The salmon steaks I had put on there over an hour ago looked like little round pieces of charcoal. I slammed it down. Shit! Taking a deep breath I said,
“Yeah, any minute now.” I went inside and got my phone and the menus for the Chinese and pizza places up the streets. I stepped into the foyer and was just beginning to dial when I saw a flash of something white out of the side window on the door. I looked out and there she was. Beautiful Cassie was walking back and forth along the front part of my lawn. She looked like she was debating whether or not to come inside. God she looked good out there in the moonlight. Her hair was such a pretty color and it looked even prettier when the moon caught it. She was wearing a white sundress and sandals. Compared to the women the asshole’s inside had brought, she looked like she was going to church. Just looking at her made my cock twitch in the front of my jeans. I watched as she turned and started to head back towards the street. Damn it! She was leaving. I pulled open the door and when she heard it she froze. She slowly turned around and saw me standing there. She took my breath away. I grinned; she gave me a shy smile. I wanted to fuck her right there.
“Were you leaving so soon?”
“Um…no, I just…damn it.” She wanted to lie; I could see it in her face. She couldn’t do it though. That was another poin
t in her favor. “I’m sorry. That’s not true. I was going to leave…I think. It was the third time I went back to my car and started all over again. I’m not even sure why I came. No offense to you at all, I’m just not really a party person. I don’t even like to drink. I almost called you to cancel but that seemed so rude at the last minute…” I covered the space between us and stopped the flow of her nervous words with my mouth. As I reached around and pulled her up tightly against me, she moaned. I was going to come in my fucking pants. When I broke the kiss, I lowered her slowly. Her body was shaking and I didn’t want her to fall over.
“I’m glad you came,” I told her. She was still trying to catch her breath. She nodded. I took hold of her soft little hand and said, “Come on. Let’s go inside.” She nodded again. She was so damned cute.
9
Cassie
If this man does not stop kissing me like that, I am going to lose all powers of communication. And probably all powers of reasonable thought. But maybe I lost that already. The way he held me up against his hard body while we kissed was as incredible as the feel of his lips and tongue against mine, but when he grabbed hold of my hand and held it while he took me inside and introduced me to all his friends…and his brother, that took the cake. It was just so intimate. I’m not sure what I was expecting, but this was not it. This was a bunch of good friends having a few drinks and some food, and Jacob was acting like he and I were on a date. I think I fell down the rabbit hole and suddenly everything was backwards. Aren’t these the Alpha male fighters that love to party and chase every skirt on the Vegas strip? Did I just hear Jacob’s brother and that huge blonde heavyweight Lance talking about a recipe for mini lemon tortes?
“Chinese or pizza?” Jacob asked me suddenly.
“I’m sorry?” I thought I’d missed part of the conversation while I was listening to the bakers.