Bearded Dessert (One of the Boys Book 3)

by Teresa Crumpton

  He turns to face me. “Jax, I––” he begins, and I cut him off.

  “We’ll talk tomorrow, okay?”

  He nods before leaving the room.

  He’s a damn fine DILF!

  Chapter 4

  Forest

  Closing the spare bedroom door behind me, I head back down the hall to the living room where the tacos and nachos are getting cold. Grabbing my beer bottle, I plop down and finish what remains. When my beer is gone, I pick up a taco and quickly scarf it down. I really need to eat more, but my appetite is gone, and I’m pissed at myself.

  Fucking hell. Could that conversation have gone any worse?

  There has to be a way to fix this. Fuck if I know how, but Calla and Nessa definitely will. Reaching for my phone, I open our group chat. I’m going to get so much shit for this.

  Forest: So I need advice bc I fucked this all up. Over dinner, I tried to talk about me & Jax dating, but she didn't seem happy about it. I don't know if I fucked up, or if she's just not into me & Ella.

  Tossing my phone off to the side, I grab the television remote and channel surf as I wait for a response. Not finding anything to watch, I pull up Netflix and start my next episode of Psych. This show cracks me up. About ten minutes into the show, my phone buzzes with an incoming text.

  Nessa: Please tell me you didn't say anything about being friends.

  Adam: Why wouldn't he say something about being friends? We had that discussion.

  Nessa: I’ll explain it to you later.

  Wes: Dude, what the fuck did you say to her?

  Forest: That I’m ready to start dating the right person & I didn't want to jeopardize our friendship.

  Calla: That could've been worse. How did she react?

  Forest: She stayed pretty quiet. I know I said it all wrong. I’d been on my game until I got to her place and found the shit show there.

  Adam: Don't do like Wes did and run off.

  Wes: Fuck you

  Adam: Sorry man...even in your dreams, you're not my type.

  Chuckling, I close my eyes and shake my head. Leave it to Adam and Wes. My phone buzzes in my hand.

  Trey: Where is she now?

  Forest: In my spare room. She got a call & decided to go to bed early.

  Calla: I’m guessing she took your comments to mean you’re going to start dating other people. So you need to make it clear that you want to date HER.

  Nessa: Calla makes a good point. And since she's so close to Ella, she might think you want her to watch her once in a while when you go on said dates.

  Wes: That's fucked up. Women are so weird.

  The faint sound of chimes goes off from the direction of the spare room, and a sinking feeling fills me.

  Trey: I can't believe I’m the one saying this. Stop talking and just fucking kiss her. Let your actions tell her what you want.

  Nessa: He needs to talk it out.

  Forest: I like the way you think, Trey.

  Wes: Agreed. I should've listened to Trey’s advice sooner.

  Adam: No shit. But you came around.

  Calla: Finally. LOL. From experience...actions do help. Yes, she'll have questions, but at least the kiss will get her asking the right ones.

  Forest: Thanks, y’all. I need to go.

  Pushing off the couch, I drop my phone on the cushions then grab the food off the table. When everything is put away, and the living room is clean, I walk down the hall toward the spare bedroom. As I go to knock, I hear Jax’s voice.

  “I’m not sure. He said he's ready to date, but I don't think he meant me,” she explains and pauses.

  “C.J., he kept saying he didn't want to mess with our friendship,” she responds. Then more silence on her end.

  I know I shouldn't be listening to her conversation. It's an invasion of her privacy, but it's the only way to know where her mind is so I can fix this.

  “Yes, I introduced him as my friend to my dad. We are friends.” She pauses. “How is that the same thing?”

  There's a longer pause, and I’m shocked C.J.’s defending me. For months, I’ve had the impression he was unsure about me and the situation. Granted, Jax has opened up about her mother's passing, and it seems to be lifting her spirits some, but it's still a convoluted relationship we have.

  “You could be right. There have been times when we're hanging out that he's mentioned never having long-term relationships. Besides his parents and twin, most of the relationships he's been witness to have sucked. Hell, look at Calla and Wes. It took them years to make the right decision,” she adds.

  “You’re right. I won't jump the gun. Forest isn't like most men, and he's cautious when it comes to Ella. I'll talk to him…in the morning. I need to think things over too. I don't know what I’d do not having him or Ella in my life.”

  Why would she think she wouldn't have us?

  “Thanks for talking this out with me. Depending on how the talk goes with Forest, I may need to crash at your place. Dad wants to talk tomorrow too.” She pauses. “Love you too. Night.”

  It's quiet on the other side of the door, and while I want to respect her wishes to think things over, I need to give her one more thing to think about.

  Knocking, I ask through the door, “Jax? Are you still awake?” There's some shuffling from the other side before the door opens. Jax leans her head on the door, her expression weary as she bites her bottom lip.

  Damn I want to suck on that lip. Or be that lip. Or both.

  She's a little rumpled now, her eyes a bit puffy and red. The look reminds me of the nights Ella has nightmares and wakes up crying. Seeing this look on Jax, knowing my jacked-up explanation is what caused it, guts me, and I want to kick my own ass.

  “Forest, I’ve had a long day, and I’m not ready to talk yet,” she says, pulling on the hem of her blue cami.

  She's not making eye contact with me, and that makes my stomach sink even further. She's been pissed at me before. Not often, but it has happened, and she always makes eye contact. It makes sense now that I know her father is a cop. I’ve always thought she has brass balls like Calla. Now I know how she came by them. Naturally.

  “What I was saying earlier––" I start, and she cuts me off.

  “Forest, we’ll talk in the morning,” she responds, glancing up at me.

  Stepping forward, I barely leave an inch of space separating us before my hands cradle her head. I lean in, gently kissing her. When my lips touch hers, she’s stiff as a board, but it doesn't take long before she kisses me back. Our kiss turns needy fast, and Jax grabs my shirt, clutching it in her hands.

  When I finally pull away needing air, I step back just enough to be able to look into her gorgeous amber eyes.

  “I wanted to give you something else to think about tonight so tomorrow, when we straighten out what I was trying to say tonight, you have a better perspective,” I tell her. Bringing both of her hands to my lips, I softly kiss them.

  “Yeah. That's definitely going to give me something to think about,” she replies breathlessly.

  “Night, Jax. I’ll see you in the morning.” I turn and head to my room.

  “Night,” she calls back, and I hear the door close.

  That kiss consumes my thoughts the whole way to my room. As I get ready for bed, I send a text off to to check on Ella.

  Forest: How was Ella tonight? Did she finish all her homework?

  Mom: Yes. She had a little trouble at first, but once we talked the problems out, she was able to focus.

  Forest: Good. Is she still up or in bed already?

  Mom: She crashed early. We almost called, but she didn’t want to interrupt your date.

  I chuckle. That’s my girl.

  Forest: She really wants me to be with Jax.

  Mom: Yes, she does.

  Forest: Give her a kiss and hug for me. Night, Mom.

  Mom: Night, Forest.

  Stripping down to my boxers, I crawl into bed, close my eyes, and envision Jax in bed next to me. And al
l the dirty, sexy things we could be doing. Just the thought of Jax in my bed makes me hard, and there’s no way I’ll be able to sleep. I toss the covers off and roll out of bed, heading for my bathroom. Flipping on the lights, I make my way to the shower. Removing my boxers, I step into the enclosed space and turn the water on cold. I let the water cascade over me until I’m shivering, and my hard-on is gone.

  I dry off, making my way back to bed and picking up my phone after I cover up.

  Forest: I fucking want you in my bed, I type out. Then I delete it and try again.

  Forest: I want us to be together.

  What the hell am I doing?

  I delete the text again then place my phone on the nightstand and roll over.

  Chapter 5

  Jax

  Holy shit balls! That kiss was fucking hot. Closing the door, I drop my head against it. How on earth am I going to work through all the thoughts in my head after that? I was really off the mark regarding what he wants. Fuck...C.J. was right, and now I owe him dinner. Son of a bitch.

  Touching my fingers to my lips, I gently rub them back and forth, trying to feel Forest’s lips against mine again. Pushing off the door, I head back to the bed and grab my phone off the nightstand as I crawl in.

  Jax: Forest kissed me.

  C.J.: What did I tell you?

  Jax: That he wanted me.

  C.J.: Exactly! So...you’re bringing me good sushi tomorrow?

  Jax: Fine. Send me your order later. I’m going to go try and sleep.

  C.J.: Night…sweet dreams.

  Jax: Ass...Night.

  Placing the phone back on the table, I shimmy under the covers, fluff the pillow, and try to sleep. Try being the operative word. As soon as my eyes close, visions of Forest appear. The fantasy I’ve been having of Forest kissing me now morphs into more. Having his lips on mine, and knowing what his bearded mouth feels like, makes me want to feel it again. Only this time, in more sensitive places.

  Just thinking about it makes me horny, and I fight my desire to play with myself. There's no way in hell I can pleasure myself in Forest’s home. Even knowing he wouldn't be able to hear me, I don't want to take the chance. How embarrassing would it be if he happened to walk by and overheard me calling out his name in ecstasy?

  Turning on my side, I punch the pillow before reaching for the lamp on the nightstand and turning it off. Rolling over, I take a few deep breaths and try to clear everything out of my head.

  Knocking jolts me out of my restless sleep. “Go away,” I mumble, keeping my eyes closed and not wanting it to be morning yet. “Give me a few more hours.”

  “Jax, your dad’s on his way up,” Forest informs me.

  Why is Forest telling me my dad is here?

  Rubbing my face, I open my eyes and realize I’m not in my room. That’s when the events from yesterday hit me. I’m at Forest’s place. There’s another knock.

  “Jax.”

  “Give me a sec,” I yell, rolling out of bed.

  “I’ll get coffee and breakfast started. Is there anything you or your father don’t eat?” he asks, and I have to think about it.

  “Anything you fix, we’ll eat,” I reply when I hear a knock in the distance. Shit. Dad’s here.

  “I’ll get that. Hurry your sexy ass up. I don’t want to be alone with your father.” Forest’s voice travels away from the door.

  Did he just call me sexy?

  I dart into the bathroom to make myself slightly presentable before making my way to the kitchen.

  “French press coffee okay with you, sir?” I hear Forest ask my father.

  “If that’s what you have, I’ll drink it.” There’s a pause, and I hear water running. “So, Forest. Tell me...what is the deal with you and my daughter?” my father demands, and I stop dead in my tracks.

  “Well, sir, I think that’s something your daughter and I need to discuss before I discuss it with you. What I will say is that she’s one of my best friends, and that makes her family. My daughter loves her.” There’s another knock at the door before it opens.

  “Ella, dear, wait!” comes a gruff male voice, and I’m pretty sure it belongs to Forest’s dad.

  “Daddy, you’re up! Did you see Jax last night? Gramps wouldn’t take me to Voodoo to get donut’s before school,” comes Ella’s sweet voice.

  With Ella and Mr. Jenson here, I know the conversation has come to an end, and I make my way to the kitchen.

  “Why aren’t you at school, young lady?” Forest asks.

  “I forgot my P.E. clothes, so we had to come get them. I know you reminded me, and I really thought I had them, but all I had was my shorts and one shoe. I’ll be quick,” Ella explains and runs down the opposite hall to her room.

  Mr. Jenson is standing between the entry and living room when I enter the open living space. He glances my way and winks at me.

  “How are you this morning, Jax?” he asks, reaching for me and pulling me into a hug. “We saw what happened yesterday on the news, and if there’s anything you need, you let us know.” His words overwhelm me and fill me with gratitude, and I have to fight back the tears threatening to fill my eyes.

  “Thank you, Mr. Jenson.” I squeeze him and take a step back as a bundle of energy crashes into me.

  “Jax!” Ella squeals, wrapping her arms around my waist.

  “Hi, Ella! Did you find what you needed?” I hug her back and kiss her forehead.

  “No.” She turns toward Forest. “Daddy, do you think my shirt could be in the laundry room?”

  “Go look,” he tells her, and she darts down the hall I just came from.

  “Morning. Did you make enough coffee for all of us by chance?” I ask Forest, and he winks at me.

  “Joclyn, did you sleep okay last night?” my father inquires, and I roll my eyes at him.

  “Found it!” Ella’s young voice carries down the hall. She bounds in carrying her shirt and a bag. “Somehow, my shoe was in this bag. Daddy, was I supposed to put my gym clothes in here and not in my weekend bag for Gramps and Nonna’s?”

  Forest has been trying new ways to keep Ella organized, though it’s more like keeping himself organized. Except for maybe the first two months, and when they moved, Ella is a neat freak. Especially when compared to Forest. Unless we’re talking his kitchen. You could eat off the floor in his kitchen.

  “Remember, you wanted the bag because it reminded you of the cheerleading bag that ripped, and you said if we got it, you’d use it for gym, cheerleading, and gymnastics?” he questions her.

  Ella puts her hands on her hips and purses her lips together, staring at the ceiling. As if the conversation comes back to her, she scrunches her nose and nods. “I remember. But why wasn’t it in my room?” Her bottom lip pops out in a pout.

  “Maybe because when I told you to put your clothes in the laundry room, you took the bag in there to empty it,” he suggests. She shrugs and heads to Mr. Jenson. “Gramps, we better go. I’m going to be so late.” She drags out the last two words.

  “Young lady, say goodbye to Jax. You might see her later.”

  “Bye, Jax. Bye, Daddy! Love you both,” she says as Mr. Jenson opens the door and lets her walk out before him. It fills my heart every time she tells me she loves me.

  “Bye, son. Jax. I’ll talk to you both soon.”

  “Thanks, Dad,” Forest calls as his dad closes the door.

  Forest grabs mugs off the counter and pours cups of coffee, passing the first one to my dad before handing me one as I step up to the bar.

  “Your daughter is a cutie,” my father comments, picking up the mug and before taking a sip.

  “Thank you. And I can’t disagree with you. She’s also a ball of energy, and I’m still not sure how I lucked out getting her in my life. Granted, if it wasn’t for Jax, I’m not sure we’d be where we are today. Learning I had a seven-year-old was a shock. In addition to that, us not getting any time to get to know each other before we were living together was interesting,” Forest re
marks as he begins pressing his coffee.

  “You didn’t know you had a daughter?” my father asks.

  “No, sir. I hadn’t seen Ella’s mother in years, and she never told me about Ella until she was informed that she had less than six months to live. She’d been diagnosed with an aggressive form of ovarian cancer when she was pregnant with Ella.”

  “I see.” My father glances at me. “You’re able to help her.” It wasn’t a question. Just a statement.

  “I am. I’ve helped both of them, and in return, they’ve helped me break down walls I’ve had up since Mom passed.” I take the stool next to my dad.

  Dad’s focus stayed on me as I responded.

  “I’m glad to hear that. It’s always worried me that you built those walls. You built them so high and so thick, I wasn’t sure they’d ever come down.” Dad turns his attention back to Forest. “Thank you for helping Jax.”

  “Trust me when I say it’s been a pleasure.” Forest finishes making his own cup of coffee.

  “Now that you’re done interrogating Forest, can you tell me what you found out?” I ask, taking a sip of my coffee. Damn he makes a great cup of coffee. Maybe I can get him to teach me his secret?

  “That wasn’t an interrogation,” Dad argues, and I wave him off. He lets out a long sigh. “Forest, can I trouble you with making eggs and bacon? It’s been a long night, and I’m running on empty.”

  “Night? Did you not get any sleep?” The coffee goes down the wrong pipe as I speak, and I cough. My heart is racing from Dad’s words.

  Forest moves around the kitchen to the fridge and pulls out eggs and bacon, along with a few other things to make breakfast.

  “I didn’t. I needed to get all the information I could before I came over. Joclyn, I’m afraid it’s not good. I’m actually glad Forest stepped in yesterday and said you could stay here. And I’d appreciate it if you could stay here for a few more days. The home invasion wasn’t random like I’d hoped. It looks like the guy was a hired gun for one of the organized crime families I’ve been investigating. If it’s possible for you to not go into Voodoo for a few days, that might be good as well. But I know that’s a bit harder to do. We might want to move you into a building like this so it’s a bit harder for someone to break in.”