“You going to the auction?” Cass asked. Jenny tensed.
“Yes. You?”
She didn’t know what else to say. Cass was the kind of hard-looking woman who fit in at a chopper shop. Cass wore a tank top and a leather vest and jeans that Jenny swore were acid-washed, and she could probably hold her own in a brawl.
By comparison, in the better of her two pairs of blue jeans and the cutest shirt she owned, a half-sleeve lilac top with big flowers outlined in embroidery and beads, she didn’t feel like she belonged. Josey had gotten the top for Jenny last year on her birthday. It was only the second time she’d worn it. And she’d never been in a brawl. Heavens, she’d never even punched a person. That was not the sort of thing she did.
“Got my eye on someone,” Cass said, staring extra hard through the glass.
This statement sent a spike of fear through Jenny. Surely this woman wasn’t looking at Billy?
Then Cass laughed. “Don’t worry, honey. We ain’t after the same Bolton.” She half patted, half slugged Jenny on the shoulder. Jenny managed to keep her balance in her one pair of fancy shoes—the satin pumps that went with her dress.
Should she ask which Bolton Cass was after? No—a certain measure of ignorance was, in fact, bliss. So she said, “That’s good,” as the front door opened and Cass went to attend to the customers.
Jenny sat in one of the big leather armchairs and kept an eye on the three figures. She couldn’t tell which one was Billy and which one was Jack—they were both big men—but every so often, one white-clad figure would pause and turn his masked face in her direction.
Billy was keeping an eye on her. All she had to do was make it until tonight.
*
Five hours later, Jenny and Seth were riding up the freight elevator at Ben and Josey’s. Jenny felt a little queasy, although she didn’t think that was from the jerky elevator. No, the way Billy had peeled out of the lot on his bike after a hurried “I got something to do at home. I’ll meet you there,” had her nerves on edge.
Earlier, he’d said he was coming over, but had made no mention of something he had to do. This was supposed to be an almost date, wasn’t it? That was the whole point, right? Well, how the heck could it be an almost date if he wasn’t here?
The elevator lurched to a stop and Seth opened the doors. They’d been here enough that he knew what to do. Then he was out, running down the long aisle that divided Ben’s warehouse into separate living quarters. “Josey! Ben! I painted a bike today!”
Ben’s head popped out of the room he was converting into a nursery for the baby. The room had mint-green walls and doors. In Jenny’s opinion, Ben hadn’t been overly emotional about the baby, due in four months. But he was putting a lot of time into that room, getting it just right.
“Hey, come tell me what you think of this bookcase here,” he said.
Jenny shook her head as she followed him into the nursery. Men. Boltons. Not so good with emotions, better with tools. Maybe Ben didn’t gush. But he was here, working on behalf of the baby and Josey.
Was it wrong to want someone to take care of her, too?
She pushed the selfish thought away. She took care of herself. That had always been enough before. Before she’d met Billy.
Ben was waiting. Jenny studied the bookshelf. “Looks good.” He nodded his approval and asked Seth to help him with something.
Josey appeared. “How was the shop?”
“Okay. Met Jack, the painter.”
Josey’s eyes wrinkled up with a deep smile. “Where’s Billy?”
“He said he had something to do at home and he’d meet us here.” This pronouncement was met with a frown, but Jenny didn’t want to dwell on how this evening could go wrong. So she patted Josey’s growing belly. “Any kicks yet?”
“Maybe.” Josey beamed as she moved Jenny’s hand below her belly button. “You’re the expert here. You tell me.”
Another pang of loss hit Jenny as she felt the tiniest of flutters. Fifteen years ago, she hadn’t even known she was pregnant until those little flutters got stronger, to the point that Seth was karate-chopping her and she was forced to admit that it wasn’t just gas and she wasn’t just gaining a little weight. What had come after that had been sheer panic at telling her mom, then hope that Ricky would marry her and they’d live happily ever after. When that didn’t happen, well, her world had kind of fallen apart.
At no point had she ever been able to enjoy being pregnant, to take the time to marvel at the gift of life she was creating. Years had passed before she got over not only the loss of Ricky, but also the loss of her carefree teenaged years. All because she’d lost her head over a bad boy. Well, maybe Ricky hadn’t been all bad, but he certainly hadn’t been good. Not as good as she’d tried to be ever since, as if she could make up for her mistakes.
Jenny was thrilled for Josey, she really was. But moments like this—Ben building a nursery by hand, Josey feeling the butterfly flutters—these were the moments she’d never had and probably never would. She couldn’t even pull off an almost date. How was she supposed to settle down and take another crack at happily ever after?
“Definitely kicking,” she said with a grin to Josey, trying to put her worries aside. “Give Sweet Pea here a few months. Remember how Seth kicked me so hard he rolled me over in bed once?”
Josey’s eyes widened. She’d always thought that was a funny story, but now, she looked mildly terrified. “Yeah…”
Then she heard the freight elevator clanking, and her back stiffened. It had to be Billy. Part of her wanted to rush out and greet him. This was an almost date, after all. Wouldn’t it be lovely to act like it?
But something held her back, and that something was the way he’d roared off after they had finished at the shop. She tried to tell herself that she was playing it cool, but that lie didn’t hide the fact that she was more than a little unsure of what was going to happen next.
Josey went out first and said, “Oh!” in the tone of voice that made it clear that the man outside wasn’t what she’d been expecting.
Jenny tried not to rush out to see him, but she did walk a little quicker than normal. The first thing she noticed was the way Billy was standing. His feet were spread shoulder-length apart and his head was down. He looked like he could plow his way through a bar full of the baddest of bikers without getting a scratch on him.
She’d seen that look before, at Josey’s wedding. Then, she’d thought he was pissed off at the world, a dangerous man to be avoided. Now, however, she saw something else. He didn’t like that everyone had noticed him, and he liked it less that Josey had commented in surprise.
Then Jenny looked again, and saw why. Billy was wearing a pair of dark-washed jeans that looked expensive, instead of merely old and broken in. He had on another T-shirt, but this one was sea-foam green, with a texture to the fabric and a V at the neck. These things weren’t so far beyond his normal attire, but the close-cut blazer he’d thrown on top of it all? The high shine to the shoes—that were not biker boots? The way his hair had been combed—but not pulled back into a ponytail? He was hot. Movie-star hot.
The heat that flashed down Jenny’s back when Billy looked up and their gazes met was so fierce that it left her with an agonizing case of goose bumps. He’d gone home to change for her. And she appreciated the effort. Boy, did she appreciate it.
Then she saw the two small boxes tucked under one of his arms—one was a plain brown, the other had a bow on it. He noticed her looking.
“I had to go pick these up for you guys.” He handed the plain one to Seth and the one with the bow to her.
“Presents? Awesome!” Seth snatched his up and began prying it open.
Jenny took the box much the same way she took her tea from him. Her fingers skimmed over the top of his, shimmering heat filling the air around them. It felt different this time. Everyone was watching them—and everyone knew what was going on.
“You didn’t have to get us presents.”
“A phone!” Seth yelled, snapping her out of her trance. “You got us phones? Man, that is so cool!”
“You got us phones?” The first thing she thought was, How much did this cost? Because it was one of those slick phones, just like Billy had. It wasn’t just a phone. It was a sign that he had the money to walk right out and buy not one, but two of them.
“You need one.” Then he blushed. “To call Josey,” he added.
Behind them, Seth and Ben were talking about phone this and app that, but Jenny ignored them. After Bobby stopped filming at the school at the end of this week, Billy wouldn’t be out there every morning and every night. However small and stolen the time they’d had in the past few weeks had been, it was all going to come to a crashing halt in a matter of days.
And he’d bought her a phone. No matter what he said, she knew it wasn’t to call Josey. It was to call him. He wanted to keep talking to her.
It was the most thoughtful thing a man had ever done for her.
If they were alone, she’d kiss him. She’d kiss him long and hard, then she’d kiss him some more, hoping and praying the kiss led to something more, something selfish, something good.
But they weren’t alone and her reality was unavoidable.
“I can’t pay you back right now.” Not when she was hording her precious few dollars to buy him at auction.
“You aren’t paying me back at all. The plan is good for a year. The kid’s going to need a phone when he goes off the rez to high school next year, anyway. He earned it.”
She wanted to protest—he couldn’t spend this much money on her. Then Seth hit him midchest, a full-body hug-slash-tackle. “Thank you, thank you, thank you! This is so awesome!”
Billy awkwardly patted Seth on the head. “You’re welcome, kid. Anytime you want to come back to the shop, give me a call. Had the guy put all the numbers in there.”
Seth disengaged and started hopping. “Really? Man, that is so cool!”
Ben grinned over Seth’s head. “Easy, kiddo. Come pick out what you want to drink for dinner—root beer or orange soda?” He and Josey led Seth away.
An awkward silence settled between Jenny and Billy. She needed to say something, but she was at a loss. No one had ever bought her such an extravagant gift, for that’s what it was—extravagant. She knew there were cheaper phones on the market. She’d priced them. She still couldn’t afford them, but she’d priced them.
“You didn’t have to get me a phone.” She realized she hadn’t even opened her box yet.
“You don’t like it.” His blush deepened.
She was in danger of insulting him—again. So, even though it went against her financial principles, she stepped into him. “That’s not it,” she said, dropping her voice. “It’s the most thoughtful thing anyone’s ever given me.” She stood on her tiptoes, put the hand without the box in it on his chest to balance herself and placed a kiss on his cheek, right above his beard. “Thank you.”
One arm snaked around her waist and pulled her in tight, while his other hand captured hers and held it against his chest, right over his heart. The long, hard planes of his chest pressed against her front—muscles so firm they were almost unforgiving. But the way his hands held her body with that much gentleness? Her knees went weak.
A low rumble rose out of him, and the vibrations she felt as much as heard had such a sexual undertone that she wanted to do a whole lot more than kiss him. Heat flooded her belly.
“You look really pretty today.”
All that heat pooled lower and she felt her hips shift against him. The pupils of his eyes widened in a look of pure desire. He leaned forward, his gaze glued to her lips.
Kiss me and make it worth it, she thought.
Then her box rang. “Mom?” Seth called out from the other side of the warehouse. “Are you going to answer it? Mom?”
A look of resignation blocked out the desire on Billy’s face. But the amazing thing was, he didn’t get mad or grumble about stupid kids or act like Seth’s presence was a deal-breaker. Instead, he gave her a tiny smile and a quick squeeze around the waist and said, “We aren’t done here,” as he let her go.
“Better not be” was all she could say.
Then she answered the phone.
Twelve
Dinner took forever. Two forevers, by the time they ate dessert. Billy had to settle for sitting across from Jenny. The food was good, so there was that, but still, by the time Jenny made Seth carry in his dishes and Ben suggested they all play a game of pool, Billy was on the verge of punching something.
But Jenny smiled and blushed and said, “That would be fun,” while she looked at him with those big eyes.
“Sounds good,” he offered.
So that’s how he found himself playing pool with Jenny against Ben and Seth while Josey sat and watched.
And Jenny was terrible. The only saving grace was that Seth was even worse, so the game was mostly Billy and Ben playing against each other. Which was fine, except Billy could do that anytime he wanted. And it wasn’t how he wanted to spend his time with Jenny.
Luckily, his little brother wasn’t stupid. After Ben sank the eight ball, he said, “Seth, did I tell you we got the newest ‘Call of Duty’?”
“No way! Mom, can we play?”
Jenny got that look on her face that made it pretty clear that, normally, she wouldn’t exactly endorse a little warfare gaming. But she said, “I guess. But only for a little bit—you still have to go to bed at a reasonable hour.”
Not that Seth heard that last part. He was already sprinting toward the TV room, Ben trailing him.
Josey sat on her stool for a bit before she said, “Well, I’m tired.” She rubbed her back for emphasis. “Think I’ll put the dishes in the dishwasher and go to bed.”
“Need some help?”
Billy couldn’t believe his ears. Had Jenny just offered to bail? When they were this close to not having anyone around?
But Josey quickly said, “No, I’ve got it. You have fun.”
The women shared one of those feminine looks, and then, finally, he and Jenny were alone.
“We don’t have to play pool, if you don’t want.”
Her cheeks pinked up real pretty. “I’m not that good….”
“You’re holding your stick wrong.” Her eyes flashed, but before she could snap off a smart response, he was behind her. “Here. I’ll show you.”
He angled her body, not bothering to keep any distance between them. He’d been waiting all day—all week—for this moment. No school, no cameras and no family. At least, not within line of sight.
Her body tensed against him. He moved her hair out of the way, giving him full access to her neck and ear. “I won’t do anything you don’t want me to, Jenny.” Because he felt he had to prove to at least one of them that he wasn’t lying, he leaned past her and picked up her cue. “Don’t know why you loop your index finger over the cue. You’re supposed to let it rest on your hand like this.”
She hadn’t said anything, and she continued not saying anything as he bent her forward, lined the cue up on her hand and guided her through a shot.
His thinking was blurring. The feeling of her pressed against him was diverting all the blood from his brain to other parts—parts that were now straining behind his belt, against her backside. If he were a respectable man, he’d compliment her on that shot, maybe offer another tip on how to improve her aim and, most important, step away from her.
Too bad he had never been respectable.
He slid one hand around her waist under the swell of her breasts and pulled her in even tighter.
“I don’t think you’re playing fair,” she said, her voice low and sultry.
“Never said I would.”
She leaned back and ran her hand through his hair. “Your brother is in the next room.”
He couldn’t help it. He slid his hand up a few inches and took her breast in his palm.
She exhaled, her warm bre
ath pulling him in closer. One taste, he thought as he dipped his head.
When their lips met, her body arched into his. Her nipple went rock-hard under his touch and his body responded in kind. Had he ever wanted a woman this badly? Was there anything he wouldn’t do for her? Right now, with her soft curves melting into him, her teeth skimming his lips—sweet, merciful heaven, she was going to bring him to his knees.
She spun in his arms, which made everything better and worse at the same time. He picked her up and set her on the pool table. Her legs fell open. So it wasn’t his fault that he had to step between them, and it wasn’t his fault that he had to snake his hand back below her bottom to keep her from losing her balance and sprawling across the pool table. But it was a little bit his fault that he cupped her bottom and pulled her warm center toward him, and it was a whole hell of a lot his fault that he leaned into her, his full-on erection rubbing against her through two layers of denim.
Her head fell back as he ground against her, a low moan humming on her lips. Man, he had her right where he wanted her, and by the way she was digging her nails into his back, it was the same place she wanted to be.
“Jenny,” he groaned. “Tell me what you want.”
Even through his muddled thinking, he knew he’d promised her that he wouldn’t do anything she didn’t want him to. And that was the sort of promise a man kept, no matter what.
“I—”
“Oh, man! No fair!”
At the sound of Seth’s whine from the TV room they both shrank back. How hard up was he? So hard up that he’d almost done unspeakable things on his brother’s pool table.
Eyes wide, Jenny was obviously coming to the same conclusion. She pushed him back. Not away, but back. “Is this a date?”
He felt the corner of his mouth curl up. “No.” What he wouldn’t give for a date.
“No?”
He leaned forward so he could feel the pressure of her hands on his chest. “If this were a date, we’d be alone and I’d lay you out on this pool table, strip those jeans off you and I wouldn’t stop until you screamed my name.” It sounded so good that he was having a little trouble remembering why he didn’t go ahead and do it now.
Bringing Home the Bachelor Page 10