Takin' the Reins (The Sterling Brothers #2)

by Jenika Snow

  Yeah, when he finally had Lexi she’d know exactly who had been deep inside of her.

  The pleasure moved through his body, starting at the base of his spine and washing into his very cells. He stroked his cock faster, curling his fingers around his shaft even tighter until the pain mixed with the pleasure.

  Christ.

  He breathed harder.

  I’ll make her mine.

  Every muscle in his body clenched, tightened, and the need to just unload and get off came on fast and strong. But before he came he moved over to the shower, wrenched the curtain open, and pointed his dick toward the water. He started jerking off even more forcefully, his orgasm right there at the surface.

  Lexi.

  He groaned at hearing her name in his head.

  He clenched his jaw and finally felt the pleasure move through him. He watched as the thick, white jets of his spunk shot out of the tip of his cock and landed on the shower floor, the water washing it away instantly.

  When his orgasm finally dimmed and his body wasn’t so tense, he braced his hand on the wall beside him and breathed. Fuck, he hadn’t jerked off in longer than he cared to admit. He’d never had to. But that orgasm, and the thoughts of Lexi that had brought him to that point, were so fucking intense it rivaled actual sex.

  It wouldn’t rival what you could have with Lexi.

  Despite the fact what he felt had come on so strong and fast it made no damn sense, Jace knew he wasn’t about to walk away and ignore his feelings. He’d go after Lexi, and when he finally had her he doubted it would be for one night.

  Chapter Four

  Jace wiped the sweat from his eyes and lifted his head to see a dark blue SUV coming up to the main house. He leaned against the new fencepost he’d just put in, and watched as the vehicle came to a stop and Brooklyn Jacks, Pearl’s friend, climbed out. Her dachshund, cutely named Hot Dog, was tucked close to her side. But as soon as she shut the car door she let the dog down, and he started running around chasing the birds.

  When Brooklyn had first come to the property after Travis and Pearl had become a thing, Jace had wanted her. Hell, so did Colton. Brooklyn was definitely a looker, but he’d backed off, letting Colton go after her, or at least try. To Jace’s amusement Brooklyn had shot Colton down, and still continued to, despite the fact his brother tried to get with her at every opportunity. If Brooklyn only knew turning Colton down made the Sterling brother want her even more, almost in an obsessive manner, she might have just given in. But Brooklyn was smart, gorgeous, and she knew what she wanted in life. That was clear. If she did want Colton she was playing hard to get really damn good.

  Brooklyn turned and shielded her eyes with her arm, looking in Jace’s direction. She lifted her hand in a wave, and he did the same.

  “Well, fuck me.” Colton’s voice was deep, his breath sawing in and out of him as he dropped a few posts down beside the fence.

  Jace looked at his brother, seeing that obsession clear on his face.

  “Dude, you need to just get over her. She’d doesn’t want anything to do with you.” Jace turned away from Brooklyn and went back to working on the fence, but Colton still stood there, staring at the woman like a fucking creep.

  “I have never wanted a woman like I want her, Jace.”

  That had Jace stopping and looking at his brother. “You say that about all the women.” He was exaggerating, but it was mostly true.

  Colton ran a hand over his mouth, not saying anything for long moments. Jace looked over his shoulder to see Brooklyn bend down to pick Hot Dog up.

  “I’m telling you, Jace. She does that shit on purpose.”

  “What shit?” This should be interesting.

  “Flaunts herself when she comes over here.”

  Jace just shook her head. “Colton, it’s warm out, so she’s wearing shorts. And she’s just picking up the dog. I think you want her so bad you’re reading into things.” A moment of silence passed.

  “Yeah, maybe, but I’ll tell you what.” Colton looked at him. “I will have her.”

  Jace shook his head again. “Well, in the meantime help me put this fucking thing up.”

  For the next twenty minutes they worked on the fence, and the entire time—hell, since he left the damn bar—all he’d thought about was Lexi. And jerking off to her had only made his need for her worse.

  “Jace,” Colton said his name, stopped, and looked over at him.

  “What?” He continued to work, because whatever Colton had to say didn’t have to do with what they were doing now, he knew that.

  “What was up with you and that woman at the bar?”

  Jace clenched his jaw but kept working. He thought a moment on how to respond. He didn’t lie to his brothers about anything, but he also didn’t like talking about personal shit, especially when that shit concerned a woman he wanted badly. “What about her?” He was avoiding the question, because honestly he didn’t know what he should say.

  “You didn’t bring her home, but it was clear you wanted her like a fiend.” A moment of silence passed. “So, what, she turn you down or something?”

  He stopped and looked over at Colton. His brother was already staring at him. “I didn’t ask her to come home.”

  Colton lifted an eyebrow. “Why the fuck not?”

  Jace just shook his head, not ready to admit he felt something more when he’d looked into her eyes.

  “You wanted her, I could tell she wanted you, so I don’t know what the fuck is the issue.”

  Jace didn’t bother responding. Colton had the mentality that fucking around and enjoying the one-night stands was what life was about … in so many ways. He didn’t fault his brother for not wanting to settle down, because honestly he was the same way. He wasn’t saying he wanted to marry Lexi, but he could say that she was the first woman he’d given a second thought to seeing, to having more than just a fuck with. And the craziest part of it all, despite having “known” her for years, was the fact they didn’t know jack shit about each other.

  “I say if they want to fuck, and you want to, bring her home and make her walk bowlegged in the morning.”

  Jace couldn’t help but smile. “Maybe I’m getting too old for that shit.” He hadn’t meant to say the words out loud, but the silence that greeted him told him Colton had heard well enough.

  “You thinking of settling down like Travis?”

  Jace didn’t answer for a long second.

  “Jace?”

  He looked at his brother, only then realizing he’d been focusing on the post in front of him. “I don’t know, Colton.”

  “Well, shit,” was all Colton said. “Another Sterling going down.”

  “Yeah,” Jace said, and without saying anything else they both started working on the fence again. There wasn’t anything left to say, because that realization that Jace was tired of jumping from woman to woman hadn’t been something he’d ever thought he’d care to think about. But he was tired of it, and it had just taken one look at a dark haired, blue-eyed beauty that made everything he thought he knew about himself change.

  ****

  Lexi pulled to a stop in front of the duplex in Granite. She cut the engine, pleased by the appearance of the house, and felt her hope rise a little that she may have found a decent place to live, and one she could actually afford. Granite, being a small mountain town, didn’t have a lot of open real estate, and the places that did open up were too pricy for her wallet, and more aimed toward the retired of a wealthy family wanting to settle in a quiet, picturesque place. But her father worked with a man that had just finished renovating this duplex, knew Lexi was looking for a place, and had told her to come over.

  She loved her parents, but she was too old to be living with them. She wanted to have her own place, her own space. She also knew her parents needed that for themselves, as well.

  Lexi grabbed her purse and got out of the car, checking out the neighborhood, or lack thereof, and heard a car door slam shut behind her. She
turned and saw an older man walk up to her, his smile wide, his hair graying. She’d never seen him before, but then again she didn’t know everyone her father worked with.

  “Lexi?” The man asked, his hand already outstretched for her to shake.

  “Yes.”

  “I’m Robert. I work with your dad.”

  She took the offered hand, gave it a shake, and before she could say anything he was leading them up to the front door. “It’s nice to meet you.”

  “I’ll just get right to it since I’m short on time and I’m sure you have things to do today.” He smiled at her again. “I just fixed up the two houses over the last few months. The other side of the duplex is rented out to a young man.” He looked over his shoulder at her as they made their way up to the front door. “About your age I’d say. He’s really nice, but keeps late hours, so he’s not around much.”

  She nodded, liking the fact she’d have the place more to herself. He opened the door and instantly the smell of cleaning supplies and fresh wood from the new construction filled her nose.

  “This place is incredible.” She wasn’t exaggerating either. The living room, dining room, and kitchen were all located in one massive area, separated only by tile and carpet. The walls were tan and the molding white wood. The furniture that was in the house was older, but looked nice enough.

  “We remodeled everything since this place was built in the seventies and pretty outdated.” He led them into the kitchen. “Granite counters, and the appliances and furniture come with the place. I wouldn’t normally include the furniture, but you’re Braxton’s daughter, and I figure this being your first place you’ll need the stuff. I would have just donated anyway because it’s all older.”

  She smiled at him. “That’s very generous of you.” That was a plus seeing as she didn’t have anything and couldn’t afford to buy things, not right now at least.

  She smoothed her fingers over the countertops and stared out the window above the sink. There was a small deck that was attached to the sliding glass doors in the dining room, and she could see the vast expanse of woods that made up the “backyard”.

  She walked around the rest of the duplex, which wasn’t very big, but for only her it was spacious. They stopped at the front door, and she looked around once more.

  “It’s really nice, but I’m on a pretty tight budget.” She didn’t want special treatment just because this man knew her father, but she’d be upfront about her finances.

  “Your dad has helped me out a lot over the years, and renting this place out to someone I know will take care of it, will help me sleep better at night.”

  She didn’t remind him that he didn’t know her, and for all he knew she could be some crazy party girl. She snorted at that and nodded. “I really do love it.”

  “Then it’s yours.” He explained the rent, what was included, and what utilities she’d have to pay. Although it was still a decent amount she’d have to come up with every month, the fact was she could swing it, and she’d have her own place.

  Now, she just needed to figure out how to stop thinking about Jace, because as it stood he was taking up too much of her time, and there was no future for them.

  Chapter Five

  It had taken a week, but Lexi was finally moved into her own place. Her parents hadn’t been happy that she’d left home, and although they hadn’t actually said anything about her leaving, she’d been able to see on their faces they liked having her home. But she needed her own space, and so did they.

  She watched her father’s truck pull away from the duplex, turned from the window, and looked around. Boxes were scattered around the living room and kitchen, and in the bedroom it was the same scene. Her stomach chose that moment to grumble, and she contemplated ordering a pizza or just going to the store to fill the fridge. Although she was tired, the latter sounded like a better idea in the long run. And also maybe leaving the house and finding something to do, even as mundane as shopping, would help her get Jace Sterling out of her mind.

  ****

  “And beer, don’t forget the beer and jerky.”

  Colton’s words played through Jace’s head as he headed into town. He came into town limits, and turned on the main strip of road, the traffic thick because of the weekend and the time of day. The turn had a stack of papers he’d had on the passenger seat falling off to the floor. Although he should have left them because he was driving, he reached down to grab them. Contracts were mixed amongst them, and getting them shitty when they had to be signed and sent back to the clients wasn’t very professional.

  His fingers barely rushed the edge of the papers, and he glanced at it for only a second. When he lifted his head it was to feel his heart jump in his throat and his whole body tense. He slammed on his brakes, held onto the steering wheel with both hands, but he still rear-ended the car in front of him. He jerked forward from the force, and saw the car in front of him—a tiny fucking thing compared to his truck—lurch forward from the impact. For a second all Jace did was sit there, stunned, not hurt, but still shocked. And then he was moving into action. He got out of the truck and rushed over to the driver’s side door to see if the passenger was okay. The door flung open before he reached it, and the woman that got out had his heart stopping.

  “What the fuck?” She hollered out, rubbing her neck and glaring at the ground. “You rammed right into me—” Her words stopped when she looked right at him. They didn’t speak for several moments, and then he walked up to her.

  “I’m so damn sorry,” he said and looked her up and down. There was no blood, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t hurt, even if he didn’t rear-end her that hard. “Are you okay? I should call an ambulance.” He went to get his cell out of his pocket, but she lifted her hand and shook her head.

  “I don’t need an ambulance. I’m fine.” She still rubbed her neck.

  “I think it would be better if you were checked out. You could have some problems that aren’t noticeable right now.” He had his cell in hand, ready to dial.

  “No, please, don’t call. I’m fine, really.”

  He looked at her for a second, knowing he shouldn’t let her have this, that he should call, should make her go, but the expression on her face had his lowering his arm to his side.

  “I’m fine, really, but thank you for wanting to make sure.” She walked past him and to the back of her car. “Well, shit,” she said under her breath.

  “I’ll get it fixed, don’t worry.”

  She looked at him, lifted her arm, and shielded her eyes from the sun. “I hope so since you slammed into me like a bat out of hell.” She smiled, and his gut tightened. They’d pulled off to the side, but this stretch of road was pretty quiet anyway.

  “Do you want to exchange insurance—”

  “Damn, even though you hit me my insurance will still go up.”

  He looked at the back of her car. The bumper and one side were pretty banged up. He looked at his truck. Aside from some paint coming off it was fine. His truck was older and built like a tank, whereas her car was one of those small ones that was like a tin can on wheels. “Or, if you want, I can fix your car and we don’t have to get the insurance involved.”

  She was silent for a moment and then rubbed her head. “Is it wrong if I don’t think I need to call my agent?”

  He smiled and shook his head. “I fucked up, Lexi.” He saw her throat work as she swallowed. “So this is all your call, but I do think you should get seen, just to make sure you’re okay.”

  She looked at her car, ran her hand over the bumper, and exhaled. “Physically I’m fine. But my poor car.” She chuckled, but it sounded a little distant.

  He didn’t mention it looked worse for wear before the accident, because it didn’t matter because he’d get it taken care of for her. This was his fault. She bent over to look at the bottom of the bumper, and like a dick his gaze went straight to her ass. It was big, round, and the pants she wore curved around the globes perfectly.

&nbs
p; “She was rough around the edges before, but I guess now she really has some style.”

  He should have chuckled, because what she said was humorous, but her ass … fuck, her ass was right there. His hands twitched, the image of reaching out and smacking those big globes having his cock start to harden.

  Oh, fuck no.

  He cleared his throat just as she straightened and turned to face him. “I’ll have Richie tow the car to his shop.”

  “I’m sure it’s drivable,” she said and smiled. “I can just go over there.” She narrowed her eyes for a second. “But will they have time to fix it? I mean without an appointment—”

  “It’s fine. I know Richie, and he owes me a handful of favors. But maybe we should have it towed just in case.”

  She was already shaking her head before he could finish.

  “Seriously, I can drive over there.” She was heading toward the driver’s side of her car before he could argue. Lexi was a spitfire that was for damn sure.

  “Okay then,” he said and headed to his truck when she was already in her car with the engine started. Damn, she’d been on his mind since he saw her at the bar, and a week later here they were, in this shitty situation, but Jace wanting her still just as fucking badly. He was in for trouble where Lexi was concerned.

  ****

  Lexi watched Jace and Richie talk, and although she was in the office, she could see them through the large windows. Jace, God, Jace stood there speaking, his body big, muscular, but relaxed. He’d been sincere about his worry for her when he’d rear-ended her, and how could she get mad at him when he been so kind and was helping fix her car right away?

  Richie was nodding and pointing to her car, her beat up as hell, old and falling apart car. It wasn’t the prettiest, but she’d had it for longer than she even wanted to admit, and it had been good to her. Jace looked at her, and she felt her heart rate increase. His blond hair was short but messy, and even from the distance she saw the brightness of his blue eyes. Her breath stalled, her entire body became alert, and she knew there was no way she could just push Jace out of her mind. Hell, she’d had a tough time with that growing up and having a major crush on him. But after their encounter in the bar, and for the whole week afterward, he’d occupied space in her head. She hated it, but couldn’t help it either.