“I know. Me too.” I cut a left out of the grocery store parking lot and headed toward the shop to drop off the van and pick up my truck. “So, what are your plans for tonight?”
It was Thursday, but it felt like Friday to me. I generally headed to the gym and did some cardio and weight lifting after work, but tonight, I felt like skipping to celebrate making it through the most awkward job I’d been to in a while.
“You want to hang out?” Brent scooped out a wad of goop from his Skoal can and crammed it into his bottom lip. “Skipping the workout tonight for some fun?” He placed a hand over his heart as if he was shocked by this news.
“What the hell ever, man. I had a rough day; you know that. I wanna unwind some. Where you headed to tonight?” I pulled into the shop’s parking lot and pulled the van around toward the back.
“Blue’s, where else would I go?”
Blue’s was the most decent bar out of the two in Coldcreek. I’d stupidly attempted to buy my first beer there while still in high school, and then later—when I’d turned twenty-one—got so incredibly shitfaced I somehow managed to fall into the bar and cut myself above my right eyebrow. There was still a little white scar there.
“What time? I’ll meet you there.” I climbed out of the van, and walked around to the back to lock it.
“You’re serious? You really gonna miss a workout to drink at the damn bar?” Brent grinned, leaning against the back door.
“Jesus Christ, you act like this is so out of the ordinary for me.”
“It’s not Friday, so this is out of the ordinary for you.”
Cramming the van keys into my front pocket, I fished out my truck keys. “Well, don’t make me second-guess myself, then. Just go with it.”
Brent tossed his hands up in surrender. “All right, all right. Be there at seven. I’ll go in a little early for you, because I’m sure you’re gonna wanna head out of there by like nine thirty or so, old man.” A shit-eating grin spread across his face, and I resisted the urge to land a blow to his stomach.
“Shut the hell up.” I shook my head and walked toward my Chevy. “See you there.”
“See ya.”
My cell rang as soon as I gripped the handle of my truck door. It was my dad.
“Hey,” I answered. I opened the cab door and shoved my six-pack in the passenger seat.
“How did the Lewis job go?” Dad asked. His tone was off. It sounded as though he was on the verge of laughing.
“Awkward as hell, but we managed to get it done. Why?” I smiled, knowing somehow Dad knew the type of people the Lewises were.
“Were they naked?” he asked, laughing.
I bit the inside of my cheek and then chuckled. “You knew they were nudists? What the hell, Dad? Why didn’t you say something? A little warning would have been nice.”
“When the husband called to schedule with us, it was one of the first things out of his mouth. I figured not telling you would make for an interesting day for you boys.” He managed to choke out the words through his laughter.
“That it was; that it was.”
There was a pause while my old man caught his breath. “I’m sorry. That was pretty damn cruel of me. You’re right. I should have warned you boys. Anyway, I was really calling to see if you were still planning to stop by this weekend and help me fix that light in the kitchen. My knees aren’t what they used to be, and I doubt I’ll be able to get my fat ass around in that itty bity attic.”
I rolled my eyes. My father might be a large man, but I still hated it when he called himself out like that. His weight issue was one of the reasons I worked out as much as I did. There was no way in hell I’d ever allow myself to get as big as him. I was naturally a large guy, just like him, so working out and eating healthy was the only way to ensure history didn’t repeat itself with me.
“Yeah, I’ll swing by Saturday, I guess.”
“Your mom will be happy. She’s been crawling my ass about that damn light for a week now.” He chuckled.
I smiled, picturing my tiny mom doing just that. She might be the sweetest-looking lady, but she sure had an attitude from hell when provoked. Dad not doing something she’d asked him at least twice fell under the category of provoking her in her book. “I’m sure.”
“All right, have a good night. I’ll see ya first thing tomorrow.”
“See ya.” I tapped end and slipped my phone back into my pocket.
Cranking my truck, I backed out of my parking space and headed home for something to eat and a shower. I rented a small, one-bedroom house, but that was all I needed. It was only Mojito, my pit bull, and me. She was about a year old now, and the best thing to come out of my last relationship. I’d bought her for my ex, Hilary, on Valentine’s Day. We’d split shortly after—due to her screwing some old man she’d met at the place she worked—and left Mojito behind.
I pulled into my driveway and beneath the carport. Glancing at the front window, I spotted Mojito staring at me as I climbed out. Loyal. That’s what dogs were. Freaking loyal through and through.
“Hey, girl,” I cooed to her as I walked through the front door. She bounded off the couch and straight to where I stood, kicking my boots off. “You been a good girl today?”
She licked my arm as I petted her, and that was all the confirmation I needed.
Shifting past her, I headed toward the kitchen, ready to make some sort of concoction out of whatever the heck I had. There wasn’t much to work with, because I hadn’t been to the store in a while, so I settled for a can of Chunky soup. It said it was heart healthy on the side, which made me feel a little better. Generally, I made an actual meal, something with some substance, something that nourished the body, but tonight I would go with what I had.
Popping the can open, I dumped the contents into a microwavable bowl and placed it inside the thing. While waiting the minute for it to heat up, I did my usual—scrolled through my Facebook newsfeed. My oldest sister, Aubrey, had posted two new pictures of my niece and nephew. I “liked” them and then continued to scroll down. My youngest sister, Cassie, had posted some hippy saying about loving Mother Earth as much as yourself. God, those two were like night and day. The microwave beeped just as I noticed Brent’s newest status update.
Gettin’ ready to head to Blue’s with my boy, Ian…that’s right, everyone, the hermit is coming out tonight!
I laughed as I scooped my piping hot bowl out of the microwave. Setting it on the counter to cool, I commented on his post.
Yes, world, I am still alive. Thank you.
There were a few buddies from work who commented with: “Damn right” and “Get ya some.” Was it that big of a deal that I was planning to go to the bar tonight?
Taking a bite of my soup, I pondered that thought for a little while, deciding maybe it actually was. The only things I ever seemed to do involved the word work—either workout or work. When had my life become so boring? I laughed at a few more comments made by some people I knew on Brent’s status update mentioning me, and scrolled through my newsfeed some more.
By the time I’d eaten my watered-down vegetables and beef, I headed to the shower. After I’d gotten ready, there was still at least an hour to spare, so I played a little catch and retrieve with Mojito in the backyard to kill some time. At six thirty, I locked up the house and headed out, because if I didn’t, then I was sure to find some reason to talk myself out of going. As it was, I was already beginning to have doubts.
CHAPTER FIVE
LAUREN
At 7:35, I was sitting on my sofa, waiting impatiently for Jimmy. He’d said he would be over at seven. This was the thing I hated most about him—the way he always seemed to make me wait. He was never on time. Ever. I wasn’t some completely anal person, but I still managed to make it to a place when I said I would. Popping another pita chip covered in a ranch dip I’d gotten the recipe for online in my mouth, I chewed and stared at the TV screen. There was some sort of cooking game show I’d never seen before on. It
was entertaining, but my mind was still hung up on the fact that Jimmy wasn’t here yet.
Halfway through the bowl of dip and pita chips, I decided to tap into the wine. As soon as I finished pouring myself a glass, there was a knock at my front door. My heart sped up—just like it always did in Jimmy’s presence—and I wiped my mouth, hoping to hide any evidence I’d nearly devoured our snacks all by my lonesome. My eyes fell back to the dip on the table. Why had I allowed myself to eat almost the whole thing? I really needed to look into getting a gym membership. The one at the college had come in handy while I was enrolled. I could head to class, do my beauty school stuff, and then hop right over to the university gym and work out until I was a puddle of sweat. Now that I’d finished up all my classes and was no longer a student, I didn’t have that luxury. I’d have to find a place off campus to use. Soon.
I let Jimmy inside with a wide smile. My frustration and pissed-off demeanor from having to wait on him completely disappeared once I looked into his incredibly blue eyes.
“For you.” He bent down and placed a featherlight kiss on my cheek as he pushed a small box into my hands. “I’m sorry I’m late.”
My mouth watered at the sight of the Honeycut’s Sweets and Treats emblem printed across the top of the small box. I already knew what would be inside—some of the best chocolate candies known to man—but I didn’t know which.
Locking eyes with him, I smiled. “It’s all right.”
“I got those raspberry candies you enjoy so much,” Jimmy muttered in his sultry voice.
This day might have started out shitty, but it was ending on a high note—Jimmy, wine, and raspberry chocolates. Oh yes.
Carefully removing the lid, I pulled a candy from the box and placed it to my lips, being sure to draw Jimmy’s attention as I did so. Forcing myself to take a small nibble, instead of popping the whole thing in my mouth as I would have had he not been here, I moaned as the sweetness erupted on my tongue and closed my eyes. The candy was delicious, but so was turning Jimmy on.
Wrapping his arms around my waist, he pulled me into him until I was pressed so tightly against his body it was nearly hard for me to breathe.
“Could I make those noises come from you with my touch right now?” His breath was hot and husky in my ear. The words sent shivers to all the right places, and I melted into him further.
“Mmm hmmm,” I mumbled in response.
His fingertips brushed across my cheek, down my neck, and straight to the cleavage I had going just for him. The hungry gleam in his eyes turned me on, same as it always did. That was one thing about Jimmy I could never get enough of—the way he looked at me when he wanted sex. It was as though he would devour me in all the best ways possible if I’d just allow him the pleasure.
“Let’s have a glass of wine first. Maybe I’ll feed you a few chocolates.” His accent was so thick and rich that it made warmth pool in my lower stomach. Dear God, I’d missed hearing his voice. “Where should we have this moment, the couch or the bed?”
Hearing the word bed, I snapped out of my Jimmy-induced fog, and remembered the mess that was currently my bedroom.
“It’ll have to be the couch.” I frowned after the words fell from my lips, because I knew any chance of him spending the night to cuddle while drinking ourselves silly was out of the question now. There was no way he would sleep on my small sofa with me. “My bedroom is out of order at the moment.”
“Out of order?” His face twisted into this boyish, confused expression that I found sexier than hell.
“Yeah.” I walked across the apartment to show him. “Apparently, the water heater from upstairs busted and flooded. It ruined the ceiling above my bed and soaked me in hot water last night.”
Jimmy followed closely behind me, his hands reaching and grabbing for me as we walked. It was as though he couldn’t keep his hands off me. God, I loved being with this man. Why couldn’t all men treat a woman this way while in their presence—as if they were a freaking goddess?
Opening the door to my room, I stepped inside. There was so much moisture lingering in the air, my clothes instantly stuck to me. It dawned on me then that everything in the room would become musky and moldy if I didn’t move it out soon.
“I see what you mean.” Jimmy licked along my neck, moving his way up to my earlobe. “Then the couch it is. I have no issue with this.”
I leaned into him, thankful he was so into me and that I got to soak up this Greek god’s attention for the time being. Inhaling his masculine scent while feeling his hard body pressed against mine made the warmth pooling in my stomach dip even lower. Wine, we needed wine before I asked him to press me against the wall and take me right there in my tiny ass hallway.
“Wine and chocolate, let’s move this action to the sofa.” I smiled as impishly as I could manage.
His eyes flashed at my words. “Let’s.”
Once I grabbed another wineglass from in the kitchen for him, and we sat for a while talking, the conversation shifted toward the upcoming trip.
“You’ll need to get a passport soon,” he insisted.
Passport. I hadn’t even thought about that. My mind drifted to what I might need to obtain something like that—birth certificate, social security card. I needed to search my closet for those things tomorrow. Jimmy’s hand slipped across my thigh in a slow motion, splitting my mind in two while vying for my undivided attention. Taking another sip of my wine, I made a mental note to make a note on my phone about all the things I might need for this trip, putting passport on the top.
“You’re beautiful when lost in thought,” he murmured, staring at me fixedly. “I cannot wait for you to see my country.”
I licked my bottom lip. “Oh yeah? Is there anything in particular you want to show me while there?”
The words had fumbled from my mouth before I could stop them. I’d meant them in a sexy, say-something-dirty-to-me kind of way, but they instantly brought the conversation I’d had with Blaire to the surface of my mind, making me nervous. She’d said he might be thinking of popping the question while there. My stomach churned at the thought. I wasn’t ready for that type of thing. I didn’t think Jimmy was either, but this trip did seem a bit out of the blue.
Jimmy’s hand slipped higher up my thigh, and I waited for dirty words to spill from his kissable lips in that heavy accent of his, but they didn’t. Instead, he began to list the places he wanted to take me to—historical attractions.
“And of course we must visit Delpi, on the slopes of Mount Parnassus. The place of the most famous oracle. It’s a sacred place of worship for my people,” he whispered, his fingers moving closer to the hem of my skirt.
Tingles swept through the area between my thighs and made desire bloom through my body the closer he got to my panty line. Dipping his head, he began pressing soft kisses along my cheek before moving down my throat. Goose bumps prickled along my skin from this added sensation, and I shivered.
“We will have to sit and watch the sunset over the Aegean Sea with wine in hand while nibbling on meze,” he continued.
My breathing hitched as his fingertips finally found the silky fabric of my panties. The yearning for them to slip beneath the thin material slammed through me deliciously, and I nearly hung my head back, closed my eyes, and begged. I rocked against his hand, and that was all Jimmy needed to know exactly what I wanted. His fingers glided over the smooth fabric once more before pushing it to the side and touching my skin directly. The warm pad of his thumb found the right position to rocket pleasure through me, while his other fingers went to work pushing me to climax as well. I entwined my fingers though his hair as he found the right rhythm. My hands skimmed down the back of his neck and across his broad shoulders, taking their time in getting where I wanted them. Two could play the teasing game.
Jimmy’s tongue darted out and licked along the rim of my ear as his other hand slid beneath my thin tank top to play with one of my nipples. As his tongue continued in its venture from m
y ear to my collarbone, I nearly burst at the seams with the thought of it being someplace else.
Wine. Chocolate. And Jimmy. Yes, this night could not get any better.
CHAPTER SIX
IAN
Blue’s on a Thursday night was busier than I thought it would be. I guess people didn’t have the same rule as I did about saving getting trashed for the weekend when you didn’t have to get up and go to work the next day. Duke, the bouncer, was at the door like usual, waiting for someone to pass through with the right information in his or her hand. I’d pulled my ID out of my wallet before walking to the door. I flashed it and he smiled.
Duke had been the bouncer at Blue’s for as long as I could remember. He was a big, burly guy always dressed in the same outfit—tight Wranglers and a black T-shirt. I was unsure if this was the uniform he’d been told to wear, or if that was just how he preferred to look for the job, because the clothes made him feel badass. Either way, he looked like someone you wouldn’t want to piss off and took his job seriously.
After Duke waved me on, I made my way to the bar. Pulling out a stool, I sat and skimmed the bottles lining the back wall, figuring once I ordered something I would search for Brent through the crowd. A hard slap across my back startled me and caused a familiar laugh to burst free from the person who’d done it. Glancing over my shoulder, I glared at Brent. He had a shit-eating grin plastered across his face.
“What the hell, man? You about gave me a heart attack.” I chuckled.
“Sorry, but I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to scare the shit out of you.” Brent laughed. When he finally contained himself, he took the stool beside me. “So, what are you drinkin’ tonight? I’ll buy the first one.”
My eyes shifted back to the wall of liquor behind the counter. Generally, when I went out, I ordered a beer or two and called it good. Since I was out of my box for good tonight, by even being here to begin with, I figured why not go all out and order a shot of something to start with instead of my usual.
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