It was all such a juxtaposition, but it was one that intrigued Jasmine more than anything she had ever known.
She made her way toward the door he had disappeared through and stepped into a darkened hallway. She reached up and moved a curtain slightly and sunlight streamed in, showing her a door at the other end of the hall. Maddy followed behind her, humming a little song, and she pointed to a door on the left and said with certainty, “He’ll be in there.”
Jasmine pointed to the door and Maddy nodded. She reached up and knocked quietly with her fist.
“Brick? Sorry to bother you, but do you have a minute?”
“Sure!” he called through from the other side.
Jasmine pushed open the door and stepped into the chilled, oily and raw space of the garage.
“Oh,” she said with surprise as she caught sight of him hunched over a big glistening Harley. He was streaked with motor oil, all down his hands and a smudge along his cheek. A patch was visible on the leg of his jeans and it smelled of cologne, masculinity and danger in there. Jasmine stopped in her tracks and had to force her mouth to stay closed; it seemed desperate to sag open with shock and awe.
“This is Daddy’s workshop,” Maddy said as she skipped past Jasmine and went to twirl next to the motorcycle Brick was working on.
Jasmine let her eyes wander around the room. The garage door had been fully opened and light and warm air streamed in to meet them, but the scent of oil was still thick in the atmosphere and it made it feel kind of claustrophobic. The bike he was working on wasn’t the only one in there, he had tons. And Jasmine instantly counted at least five before she had to tear her eyes away and fix them back on Brick. She didn’t want to appear nosy, but, in truth, she was absolutely fascinated with it all. She couldn’t get enough.
“What can I help you with?” he asked as he rubbed his knuckles affectionately across the top of Maddy’s head.
“We want to open all the shutters,” Maddy said cheekily. “Is it okay if we do that, Daddy? Please?”
Brick scowled and looked over at Jasmine.
“I opened one of them so I could see to do her hair,” Jasmine offered with a bit of embarrassment. “And Maddy just wondered if we could open the others, but I wanted to check with you first.”
“Sure,” he said as if it had been the most ridiculous question he had ever heard.
Then he turned his back on them and continued to tinker with his biker.
“Come on,” Jasmine said. “Let’s go back and you can help me in the front room.”
As she reached the doorway of the garage, she turned and looked back over her shoulder, and she was a little stunned to find Brick looking back at her too. They faltered for a moment, their eyes fixed in on each other’s, and Jasmine went to speak but no words would form and she felt her stammer rise in her throat.
To break the tension, she smiled then turned and ducked out of the garage and back into the back hallway of the house.
“Jeez,” she whispered to herself as she rested her back against the door. “You’re really not making a good impression here, are you…”
She and Jasmine spent the next hour opening the shutters and playing with the lights in the front room. It turned out, Maddy and she had quite a lot in common, especially when it came to their hate of overhead lighting.
“I like the table lamps,” Maddy said with a nod of her head. “But I hate the ones on the ceilings.”
“I’m the same at my house,” Jasmine agreed, and she momentarily forgot she was speaking with a five-year-old.
“I like it with the shutters open,” Maddy said as she bounced up and down at the window. “I can see our whole street and the rest of the neighborhood.”
“Well, now you know how to open them,” Jasmine smiled.
“And I will,” Maddy put her hands on her hips and shook her braids from side to side so they slapped against her shoulders.
From out the back, she heard a door slam and the sound of heavy boots coming up the hallway. Her heartrate picked up a little and she turned to stare at the door.
When Brick walked in, Maddy ran over to him and jumped into his arms. She didn’t seem to care that he had a dirty rag thrown over his shoulder and that he was covered in oil, she buried her head into his neck and hugged him tight.
“Daddy, Jasmine is the best!” she beamed as he laughed and twirled her around.
“Is she now?” he asked as he looked back at Jasmine over his shoulder. “Well, it looks as if you’ve certainly got yourself a fan around here.”
Jasmine smiled and tried not to blush. Even though she knew he was right and it was clear she and Maddy had more than a natural rapport, they had gotten on like a house on fire.
“So, would you like it if Jasmine came to play again?” he asked her.
Maddy nodded her head and then went shy for a moment.
“Well, maybe if you ask her nicely, she will…” Brick said teasingly.
“Jasmine….” Maddy drawled.
“Yes, Maddy?” she played along.
“Would you come and play with me again sometime?”
“I would absolutely love to!” Jasmine smiled.
“Yayyyy!” Maddy clapped her hands and jumped down out of her dad’s arms. “Yay, Jasmine is going to come play again!”
“Why don’t you say goodbye and head on up to your room so we can talk for a moment?” Brick said as he patted her softly on the head.
“Bye, Jasmine,” Maddy said as she dashed forward and hugged her tightly. Then she bounded out of the room and started to run up the stairs.
Jasmine felt overwhelmed with emotion. Maddy was a very special little girl, and she felt so lucky to have found her.
“She’s just a dream, you’re right,” she said with a smile.
“I know, she really is,” he said as he scratched the back of his neck.
“You’ve raised her well, she’s a credit to you.”
Brick looked almost embarrassed by the compliment and he shrugged his shoulders and wiped his hands down again on his filthy jeans.
“So, what do you say?” he asked. “I mean, you two obviously get on great, she’s comfortable with you, and you have good availability… I’d happily offer you the job.”
“And I’d happily accept it,” she said.
Brick held out his hand, and even though it was dirty and covered in oil, Jasmine reached out and shook it. His grip was strong and as their skin touched, he held her gaze.
“Now, there we go,” he laughed. “A girl who doesn’t mind getting her hands dirty! That’s exactly the kind of person we need around here.”
Now it was Jasmine’s turn to feel embarrassed; she felt the blush roar right through her face and she stared down at the floor and twisted her toe into the carpet.
“So when do you need me?” she asked as she looked back up at him and their eyes locked in on each other’s.
He really did have great eyes. They were deep and soulful, and the little wrinkles at the corners added depth to his features that were both sexy and charming.
“Tomorrow night?” he asked tentatively. “I need to work late.”
“Sure,” she nodded. “What time?”
“If I get her from school, could you make it over here for around four? That way, I can show you where everything is before I have to bail.”
“That’s absolutely fine,” she nodded.
“Oh and pay wise,” he said. “What would your hourly rate be?”
Jasmine felt a wave of panic wash over her, she hadn’t even thought about what she would possibly charge. When she had babysat as a teen, she had only ever said $10 an hour and she had only ever sat with the kids for a couple of hours at a time. She had no idea how long she would be expected to stick around at the house, or what roles she would end up taking on. Surely, if he was out that late, she would have to bathe Maddy and put her to bed, not that it bothered her in the slightest; as things were going, she was enjoying Maddy’s company so much she woul
d have done it for free.
“How about forty bucks an hour?” he asked nonchalantly and Jasmine felt her jaw sag open.
She certainly hadn’t been expecting that.
“Forty?” she asked with wide eyes.
“Sure,” he said. “Maybe even fifty, depending on how late I end up having to make you stay.”
Sweet Jesus, I’m going to be earning a fortune if I do this several nights a week… she thought, trying to keep the look of shock from her face. It was certainly going to beat minimum wage in Lisa’s store with crumby bonuses for bringing in more customers through her online promotions.
“Erm, well, yes, I mean, that sounds very reasonable.”
“Well, like I said, nothing is too much for the right person,” he smiled. “I haven’t seen Maddy that happy in a long time.”
There was a look of sadness in his eyes and Jasmine sensed it was her time to leave.
“Thank you so much, Brick,” she said as she walked toward the front door. “Really, this has been great. I’m looking forward to working with you both.”
“Us too,” he said as he crossed his arms over his chest and waited in the doorway as she stepped out of the house and started off down the stairs.
She looked back over her shoulder as she reached the bottom and he waved at her before he disappeared back inside and closed the door.
As soon as she turned and continued to walk out of the neighborhood, she was stunned at how much her heart was racing and at how alive she felt.
She had no idea what had really just happened in that house between them, but she had felt a spark between her and Brick. She had felt something big and powerful, and although he was employing her now, she had the feeling that something important was going to come from it.
Maddy was such a delight to be around, and Jasmine could rejoice that she had found herself another job after the couple weeks of worry and uncertainty.
“No subletting for you,” she grinned as she reached into her purse and pulled out her cellphone.
She could see the list of texts from Cadence and she laughed as she started to work her way through them, reading them all. As she had suspected, half of them were worry and half of them were jealousy.
Pressing dial, she raised the phone to her ear and when Cadence answered on the second ring, she couldn’t help but laugh.
“Calm down, will you,” she laughed.
“No, I will not,” Cadence barked. “Tell me everything.”
“Okay,” Jasmine said. “But I hope you’re sitting down, because this may take a while…”
She walked back toward Main Street and to her apartment building while she filled Cadence in on everything that had happened.
What a crazy, unexpected day it had been. But it had also been a day she would never, ever forget.
6.
Jasmine sat on the couch with her legs crossed underneath her as she nursed a glass of wine with a widening grin.
“Honestly, I can’t believe this has happened,” Cadence said with disbelief. “I really can’t… I mean, it’s crazy.”
“You’re telling me,” Jasmine said as she sipped from the glass. “This time yesterday, I was scared I was going to get evicted and have to move home with my parents. Now, I have a job working for a goddamn Forsaken Rider… It’s insane.”
“Tell me more about him,” Cadence said as she looked on dreamily. Jasmine hadn’t known her friend had harbored such a secret desire for the badass bikers that ran their town as well. But it was good to be able to talk about it with someone. Jasmine had seen them around Slate Springs for years, and when she had become aware of who they were, she had been instantly intrigued. They seemed so elusive and superior, that was the only way she could explain it. They owned a lot of the property around Main Street, and they ran several businesses which catered to carnal, nighttime desires. She knew they owned the strip club on the outskirts of town, along the highway, and also a biker bar in what was regularly called the “bad part of town.”
“He’s different,” Jasmine said thoughtfully as she found herself staring off into the distance. “He’s quiet but not quiet… Does that make sense?”
“Not at all,” Cadence scoffed.
“Okay, let me try again…” she bit her lip. “Like, he thinks about things. It’s like he has to really weigh everything he is going to say, because he never says anything he isn’t sure of.”
“Okay…,” Cadence urged her to continue.
“Maybe that’s an age thing?” Jasmine offered. “I mean, he must be at least forty.”
“That’s so hot that he’s older,” Cadence fanned her face. “Is he sexy?” She wiggled her eyebrows.
Jasmine felt herself blushing again.
“Yes, he’s sexy,” she said with a smudge of embarrassment. “But, obviously, I can’t think of him like that. He’s way too old for me, and I’m working for him.”
“That doesn’t mean you can’t think of him like that,” Cadence roared with laughter. “In fact, I think that means even more reason for you to think of him like that.”
Jasmine rolled her eyes.
“You’ll have me fired before I’ve even started this job if you’re not careful,” she scowled.
“I want to know more,” Cadence said eagerly. “What’s the house like? What was he wearing? Did you see anything illegal when you were over there?”
Jasmine took another sip and cast her mind back to earlier that day.
“The house was beautiful,” she said with a smile. “A beautiful old place, you know the road where all the old mansions are?”
Cadence raised her eyebrows.
“Shit, really?” she asked.
“Yeah, in there,” she said. “He said his family’d had it for years.”
“From an old Slate Springs family then, he must be… That street is legendary. No one on it wasn’t one of the first settlers of this town. His family must have been here for decades, hundreds of years even.”
Jasmine shrugged.
“I got the feeling he was pretty well rooted here. But that he’s also the type of guy to keep to himself.”
“And what about the mom?” Cadence sat forward with wide eyes. “Where’s she in the picture?”
“Well, this is the thing, I don’t know,” Jasmine said. “I was on the verge of asking, but then I realized it was incredibly rude and too soon. I mean, I’d just met the guy and I didn’t want to pry too much. He did say one thing, though… He said he wasn’t married and it had pretty much just always been Maddy and him.”
“Wow,” Cadence exhaled. “Maybe she died…”
The girls both looked off into the distance and a sadness descended over the entire room.
“Maybe,” Jasmine whispered. “I don’t know any other good reason for anyone to leave those two behind. Maddy was just incredible. Such a smart little girl and full of personality. And Brick, well…”
“He’s hot as fuck?” Cadence laughed.
Jasmine blushed again.
“Stop it,” Jasmine sipped her wine. “You’re going to turn this into a thing.”
“It already is a thing,” Cadence cackled. “You want him bad, just admit it!”
“I do not! Stop being so ridiculous! He’s far too old for me!”
“That doesn’t mean a damned thing…” Cadence trailed off and a mischievous look crept over her face. “Imagine being with a daddy… An older man… With all that experience he has hidden away. Damn. I could think of worse ways to spend my time.”
“You’re insufferable,” Jasmine rolled her eyes. “You’ve never even seen him or met him, and you’ve already decided I have a crush on him and that you want to fuck him.”
“You do have a crush on him, I can smell it a mile off,” Cadence said matter-of-factly. “And let’s be honest here… You said it yourself, I’ve only ever had bad sex. Maybe a daddy could teach me a thing or two about good sex. Wouldn’t you agree?”
“Stop saying daddy,” Jasmine scowled
. “It sounds so filthy.”
“That’s because it is,” Cadence grinned.
Jasmine got to her feet and wandered over to the window. She looked out over the alleyway and through the gap in the buildings so she could see the car headlights from the passing traffic flashing past as they zoomed up Main Street.
“He is sexy…” she admitted. “It took me by surprise, actually. I don’t know what I was expecting, but it certainly wasn’t that. He’s just so… so… different.”
“I like different,” Cadence sighed as she stared into space. “I’m imagining him right now… All dangerous and lawless, ripping off his top. You said he had tattoos, right?”
“Yep,” Jasmine smiled as she remembered the ink that had worked its way all down his muscular arms.
“Hot. As. Hell.” Cadence growled.
“Maybe you should go babysit for them,” Jasmine said with irritation. “You’re clearly interested.”
“Nah,” Cadence brushed it off and let the dreamy look fade from her face. “It’s all well and good pretending, but if it came down to it, I know I would never have the nerve. Older men scare me.”
“I know what you mean,” Jasmine whispered. “He scares the hell out of me.”
She sipped her wine and felt the warmth spread right through her body. He was intimidating, but the way she had seen him with Maddy proved to her he had to be a good guy deep down. He was so gentle and caring, he clearly loved his daughter more than anything.
“So, are you excited for tomorrow?” Cadence asked as she got to her feet and wandered into the kitchen area. She opened the refrigerator and pulled out the bottle of wine to top off their glasses.
“I’m looking forward to having purpose again,” Jasmine said as she looked back over her shoulder and held out her glass. “I can’t believe how stagnant these past few weeks have been. It’s been awful. I can’t sit around doing nothing, it’s just not my style.”
“Yeah, you’ve always been the type of girl who likes to be on the go.”
BRICK (Forsaken Riders MC Romance Book 17) Page 5