by Jennifer Ann
“Jace…” she whispers, burying her face in my chest.
I lean back and pull her chin up to show her with my mouth everything I can’t put into words. Like our first real kiss, it’s brutal and desperate, filled with a thousand promises I can’t keep. She mewls and grinds her hips into my throbbing cock, answering every eager stroke of my tongue with urgent swipes of her own.
When kissing her, it becomes clear as mud what I want. The way her mouth answers mine, her fingers grip my ass, her body somehow fits with mine despite it being twice her size, I want more. I want her. For however long I have her. It’s fucked how I’m putting my needs ahead of hers and how I selfishly want her all to myself, even though she seems to want me just as badly.
Drawing back from her sweet little mouth, I watch the pad of my thumb run over her swollen lips. “Run away with me,” I whisper.
Gasping, she pulls away, eyes impossibly wide. “What the shit? I—I can’t.”
“Why not?” I challenge, drawing her back in to kiss her once more. “What’s keeping you here? Ellen?”
Though I catch a glimmer of hope in her eyes, she leans back, shaking her head. “I just…I thought you had to keep a low profile. It’d be difficult to find a job in Mexico when my Spanish is limited to bar lingo.”
I grunt, realizing that’s an excellent question. “So you could bartend. We’d figure something out.”
“I don’t even know your last name!”
“Daniels.”
“The idea in itself is completely insane,” she says with a forced laugh. “You’re asking me to play Bonnie and Clyde with someone I’ve known less than twenty-four hours. We haven’t even had time for a proper date.”
“You’re right, we haven’t known each other long enough to make any big decisions, but we’re both lonely and we’re good together. Like you said, I’m not asking you for wedding vows. I’m not even asking you to do this so we have a chance to be together, though I’d like to give whatever this is a fair shot if you’re open to the idea. I’m giving you the opportunity to get the hell away from a life you told me yourself that you despise. We’d disappear so Ellen couldn’t find you unless you wanted her to. You’d finally be free from your psychotic ex. If you one day decided you wanted to come back, you could do it on your own terms.”
Biting on her bottom lip, her eyes jump around the room before returning to hold my gaze. “How do I know you’re not planning to dice me up in my sleep and throw me in your freezer?”
When I laugh, I realize I’m falling harder for this little ball of fire by the second. “Because a, I don’t own a freezer, and b, I had a chance to do that last night and I was content with pleasuring you instead.”
“Who doesn’t own a freezer? How do you keep your ice cream cold?” As if plagued with a more serious thought, her face screws up. “I don’t know anything about you beyond what that glorious mouth can do. You haven’t even dropped a hint about what it is you’re running from.”
Though I’ve already plummeted over the edge of reason by inviting her along, I can’t worry about what could happen to her if she became tangled in the truth. “I know this is asking a lot, but you need to trust me when I say I’ve always done things with good intentions.”
“That’s not enough.”
“You’re not exactly being straight with me either,” I remind her. “If I have to explain, you should too.”
Pulling herself from my hold, she takes a step back and looks toward the door. When her shoulders slump, it’s like I’m watching her physically give up on us. “This clearly isn’t going to happen. You should go.”
My throat closes up when she refuses to look my way. “That’s how you’re going to leave things? You’re going to turn down my offer all because you want to know all my demons without offering anything about yours?”
“Kory’s waiting,” she replies in a firm tone. Her eyes drag back to mine and she grimaces. “Please, Jace. I’d rather you get the hell out of here before I start crying grossly ridiculous tears and beg you not to go. It’s best for both of us this way.”
“You’re right.” I hook my bag over my shoulder and move toward her, pressing my lips against her forehead for only a quick moment. Any longer and I’d have her back in my arms once more. “Goodbye, Phoebe. Take better care of yourself. You’re worthy of a better life.”
I walk out the door without looking back despite the burn spreading through my chest.
7
Phoebe
Several minutes of staring at the door after Jace is gone, I become aware of the tears spilling down my face. Loneliness creeps its way into my soul like a black cloud. Jace was the first good thing to come into my shitty existence for a very long time—at least in the time since Logan left.
While it was a major plus that Jace was a rockstar when it came time to kissing and achieved expert level when making me come, there’s so much more that makes him amazing. He’s the kind of guy I never thought I’d get mixed up with. And for some foolish reason, I truly believed he would stick around and be the first man to fight for me.
Wiping my face, I tell myself I’m not going to cry over someone walking out of my life when I didn’t even know his last name until a few minutes ago. You still know he was the best that’s ever happened to you, my asshole conscience retorts.
“What do you know?” I ask myself out loud. “You’re the same jerk nugget who once thought Decker might be a good guy after a few shots of tequila. I just need a dog, or some other goddamned pet that doesn’t require so much work so I’m not alone anymore….and so I stop talking to myself.”
The truth is Ellen would never let me just slip away and disappear from her life. It’s far too complicated. She relies on me for too much and would hunt me down if I had left with him. If she knew he meant something to me, she would turn him into the cops. My life’s too convoluted to simply walk away without there being any consequences.
With the knowledge that in a few hours I’ll have to face reality and report back to work, I decide to sleep off what’s left of a nagging hangover and snuggle with Deadpool a little longer. The masked character may be a one-dimensional, fictional man forever trapped in a swatch of cotton, but at least he’ll never leave me. I slip into the comfort of my bed, throwing the blanket over my head to block out the sunlight shining down on my face.
Tossing and turning for several minutes, I’m unable to shake the image of Kory and Jace breaking into Doug’s yard. Since they didn’t tell me how they thought they were going to get his motorcycle back, it’s the only scenario I can imagine. How do we know Decker isn’t still watching? He had to have been spying on us last night in order to know when it was safe to slash Jace’s tires. This morning he could’ve seen Jace leave with Kory.
My breath catches when I imagine the sheriff catching wind of whatever they’re doing and arresting them both. Kory has a family to take care of and can’t afford to lose his job. And if anything bad happens to Jace before he’s able to leave town, it’s all on me. He’s only in this mess because he stood up to Decker.
I can’t let him put himself in danger.
Damn it all to hell.
Jumping from the bed, I text Kory, slipping into my sandals on the way out.
Running is so not my thing, and midwestern summers can be brutal as hell. By the time I’ve half dragged my body to the other side of town, the sun is at full-strength with what feels like 100% humidity. I’m panting like a 90 year old chainsmoker and my head’s sprinkled with sweat when I approach the fenced yard, hooking my fingers through the lattice and scanning the lot for Jace’s motorcycle.
By the time I find it near Doug’s shop, I can’t decide if I’m relieved he hasn’t left or scared to death it means the guys were caught. Knowing my suspicious behavior was probably already caught on video for Sheriff Mortensen to see, I look for the nearest camera and flip it my middle finger.
“Phoebe!”
Nearly jumping out of my skin, I spin around with the sound of Kory�
��s voice, but don’t see his truck or anyone else in the quiet neighborhood. It’s one of the least used roads in town, scattered with houses that need demolishing and others that just need a good paint job. At least I don’t see Decker or any of his minions lurking in the sunlight’s shadows. I’m convinced I’m hallucinating until I hear, “In the shed across the street!”
Among the overflow of Doug’s cars to be junked across the road, there’s a little gray shed that’s missing half its boards. I always assumed it was an archaic outhouse used before the invention of electricity. When I see Kory’s eyes peering out at me, I slowly slink across the pavement, pretending I’m going anywhere other than toward the shed.
“Quit dancing around like a nut job and get your ass in here before someone sees you!”
I scurry toward the little shed and step in through the open door. Among piles of car parts and choking dust, I collide with Jace’s rock-hard chest. The combined effect of his deodorant or whatever the hell is making him smell amazing and his familiar minty breath up close has me all liquidy inside. How in the name of Thor did I let this beautiful man simply walk out of my apartment?
“Hey,” he says, staring down at me.
“Oh, hey,” I reply, trying to keep it casual when I’d rather jump into his arms and kiss him. They say absence makes the heart grow fonder, but I’ve never heard any mention of how it makes your body all horny and crazy achy to be touched. With a slight tremble, I step back on the dirt floor and look to Kory for guidance. “What's the plan?”
My friend avoids my stare by looking away. “We’re…uh…waiting. For someone.”
“Wow. Sounds like you put a lot of effort into this plan.” I cross my arms and lean in until he’ll look at me. “Spill it, Kory.”
“We’re getting a ride into the yard with someone that will distract Doug,” he confesses. “We figure that way it’s not breaking and entering.”
“I’m doing this alone,” Jace tells him. “You don’t need to get involved in my shit.”
“He really doesn’t like getting people involved in his shit,” I tell Kory from the side of my mouth. “It’s a good call, considering Bella and Teddy need you in one piece.”
Kory tilts his head. “And what part of this would involve me getting split into pieces, exactly?”
“You know what I mean,” I answer, matching his smart-assed expression. “So who’s this ‘someone’ you roped into this mess?”
“Your mom,” he blurts, cringing the second he says the words.
I release a fake laugh. “You mean ‘your mom’ figuratively, like one of those smart ass remarks kids say to each other, right?”
“I didn’t know that’s who he was calling or I would’ve stopped him,” Jace tells me, confirming my greatest fear.
“What?” I roar, pushing on Kory’s chest. “Have you lost your goddamned mind? We can’t trust Ellen with something like this! For all we know that vindictive bitch is the one who called the sheriff this morning!”
“Come on, Phoebs,” Kory pleads. “Don’t be mad. How many other people in this town would be willing to help out with something illegal?”
“All of them!” I reply, throwing my arms out at my sides. “All of the people! This town is overflowing with crooks who either steal or swindle for a living and still can’t afford to live anywhere decent! Why do you think they’re so content on living somewhere ruled by the world’s most incompetent sheriff? I’m fairly certain there’s something about its moral decay posted in the town’s brochure!”
Smirking, because apparently he doesn’t quite grasp how livid I am, Kory lifts both shoulders before dropping them again. “Sorry. I just thought she’s good at this kind of thing, so I figured she’d be perfect.”
“Of course she is! That woman’s a conniving trash chomper!” I fist the hair on top of my head and briefly close my eyes. “Dammit, Kory. Next time run any ideas that involve Ellen by me first, all right?”
He gives me the kind of puppy dog look with his big brown eyes that I can never stay mad at when he answers, “Yeah, okay.”
It’s not really his fault, considering I’ve never really opened up about Ellen to any of my friends. I’m afraid of what they’d think if they knew the truth, and I have so few friends the way it is that I can’t afford to lose any.
I not-so-gently push Kory toward the door. “Text her and tell her that there was a change of plans. Then go home to your wife and baby. I’ll take it from here.”
Kory’s eyes skate between me and Jace. “You sure?”
“This became my mess the minute Jace stepped up to Decker last night,” I confirm, nodding. “I should be the one to clean it up.”
“All right. Be. Careful.” Kory lifts his fist to Jace. “Take it easy, man. Good luck getting outta here.”
“Thanks for trying to help,” Jace replies, bumping his knuckles. “Keep an eye on Phoebe for me after I’m gone.”
I turn away from them, inwardly wincing with the reminder that he’s still leaving. What sadist part of me thought hunting him down and having to say goodbye all over again was a good idea?
The moment the lopsided door shuts behind Kory, Jace steps into my personal space. Like right in my face, leaving me no way to avoid him.
His beautiful eyes widen as a playful smirk quirks his lips. “Are you here because you changed your mind about coming with?”
“Absolutely not,” I answer quite firmly, pushing him back. When the palms of my hands connect with his chest, however, I find it impossible to drop them. “I merely felt like it was my fault you’re in this situation to begin with and wanted to make sure you made it out unscathed.”
“So you at least admit you care about me?”
“You’re not even a full step above some random dude I’ve only talked to online,” I scoff, spreading my fingers across his tight muscles. I guess subconsciously I’m stroking him the way I’d rather be stroking other parts of his fine body.
Both of his eyebrows lift. “Do random dudes online make you come often?”
I stare down at my twitchy fingers, knowing I’ll come apart if I dare look into his eyes. “Maybe once or twice when we were talking nerd-speak to each other.”
“I don’t even get bonus points for doing it with my mouth on your pussy?” he challenges in a much deeper, sexy tone.
My breath hitches. The memory of seeing his head between my legs ignites a roaring blaze of ecstasy that spreads from my stomach downward. Just hearing him talk about it has me wetting myself. I’m so game for more playtime with this hottie.
“This is not the time or place for this,” I say, shaking my head and finally dropping my hands. “We need to work on a plan so you can get the hell out of here. Besides, I’m covered in sweat and this place is disgusting.”
“Can’t be worse than your apartment.”
“Ass munch!” I slap him playfully even though I know damn well it’s true. His laugh gains momentum when I add, “It was my maid’s week off.”
“Are you sure you don’t mean year?” By now he’s laughing so hard that tears are beginning to form. As much as I want to feel every last inch of him buried deep inside of me, I also kind of want to slap him.
“It’s another good reason you wouldn’t like it if I had agreed to run off with you. We’d find some little shack on the beach somewhere but it would never be cute because I suck at housekeeping.”
His laugh abruptly stops when he grabs onto my arms. “Maybe I like the idea of being stuck in a messy little shack with you. It’s still not too late for you to change your mind.”
As I’m opening my mouth to tell him I’m quite certain that my mind is made up (when in reality it isn’t, but I have to remind myself it’s still a bad idea), a truck engine grinds to a stop and a horn blasts. I peek out through a gap between warped boards, biting down on a moan of pleasure when Jace pushes up behind me to see over my head. The form of his hard cock pushed against my lower back, begs to come out and play.
Ac
ross the street, a big white semi truck waits outside of Doug’s gates, slowly pulling in once they open. Stomach churning with the sight of the familiar logo on its side, I wiggle out from underneath Jace.
“Who’s that?” he asks, still watching the truck.
“Decker,” I answer dryly, pressed for a sudden need to breathe clean air. The shed is too dusty and Jace has made my body too sensitive. I pull at the neck of my shirt. “This isn’t good, Jace. He’s coming to get your motorcycle.”
“That spineless fucker!” Jace slams the palm of his hand into the side of the shed, spreading a cloud of dust around us and nearly making the dumb thing collapse around us. “I’m going over there to beat his ass!”
Coughing with a surge of dust creeping down my throat, I hook my arm around his elbow. I imagine it’s exactly how trying to stop a bull would feel. “Oh no you don’t. That’s exactly what he wants. If you start something with him, he’ll call his daddy and have you behind bars so fast your gorgeous head will spin. We just have to figure out a way to get one step ahead of him.”
As he brings his fingers up to twist in his hair, he nearly lifts me off the ground in the process. “I can’t give him time to sell it or have it junked. I have to stop him.”
“He won’t do anything to it. He’s holding it for ransom, hoping it’ll draw you in.”
“You don’t understand, Phoebe. That bike is the only thing I have left.”
“Not anymore.” Grabbing onto his chin, I force him to meet my gaze. “You have me.”
Sneering, his brows draw down. “Yeah? For how long before I’m back to having nothing? Another hour? Another day at most?”
I let go of his chin and drop back, closing my eyes. The reality stings like a bitch. He’s right, I had no business claiming I was his when this thing between us is only temporary. But does it have to be? And why does it sting so much to hear him say he has nothing?
“I’m sorry,” Jace mutters. “That was a dick thing to say.”
I wave a hand at him. “No, you’re right. I get it. It wasn’t fair of me to claim that I’m yours.”