“We’re not, Payton. I don’t know when you saw me with her before, and I don’t give a fuck. The girl you saw me with tonight means something to me, but not in the way your screwed up head thinks. She’s my fucking sister!”
“Your sister? You honestly expect me to believe that. You might see me as some dumb blonde that’s only good for a fuck, but I’m not stupid, Jack.”
“I don’t know how you obtained your skewed way of thought, but I think you’re far from stupid. Yeah, I love fucking you, but that’s not the only thing I love about you. You are beyond sexy and gorgeous. You’re un-fucking-believably beautiful. I love how you tell people what you think, no matter if it’s the right thing to say or not. I love how you give to the people you care about. And I absolutely fucking love your sense of humor. You’re funny as hell and crack me up. There are so many things about you that I love, but it’d take me an eternity to list them all. I want you and only you, Payton. I’m telling you right now—that girl is my sister and nothing more.” He speaks in a low, soothing tone easing the panic coiled in my stomach. I’m safe with Jack; he won’t hurt me. Well, at least physically. Emotionally he has the ability to completely annihilate me.
And correct me if I’m wrong, but he used the word ‘love’ a lot in that statement. Don’t get carried away, Payton. He’s not declaring his undying love for you. He just loves things about you. I’m going to give him the benefit of the doubt, but he’s got to prove to me that the chick he was with is his sister.
“I thought you got called to work?”
“I did, but a guy’s got to eat. My sister dropped by the station and offered to take me out for dinner.”
“Your ‘sister,’ right,” I say using my fingers to do air quotes.
“Think I already told you that,” he says.
“Prove it,” I challenge.
“What?” He quirks an eyebrow.
“Prove to me that she’s your sister.”
Bang! Bang! Bang!
“Payton, you in there?” Shit, it’s Juan.
“Um, yeah,” I answer.
“What the fuck are you doing back here? I have customers waiting at an empty bar. Get your sweet ass back to work!” he yells. Jack lets out a growl at the ‘sweet ass’ comment.
“I should get back there,” I squeak, suddenly nervous.
“You coming to my place, or am I at yours tonight?” he asks.
“Neither. I still don’t trust you. Just give me a bit of time, okay?” I respond, avoiding eye contact.
“Bella,” he murmurs, gently guiding my chin up with his fingers. “Look at me,” he gently commands, his thumb stroking the side of my face. My eyes slowly look up and lock onto his intense green eyes.
“I need time, Jack. Please, don’t push me,” I plead.
“You can trust me, Payton. But if it’s proof you need, I’ll get it for you.” His lips softly brush against mine, and his tongue flicks out licking my bottom lip. The warmth from his body heat disappears as he backs away from me. I turn, unlock the door, and walk back out to the bar without uttering another word to him.
After the bar closes, I drive back to my house. The driveway’s clear of all other vehicles, so I know my roomies are still at work. The thought of going into that empty house and climbing into bed without Jack lying next to me is almost too much to bear. I know I told him that I needed time, but my resolve’s wavering. I reach in my purse and pull out my cell phone to call and ask him to come over, but instead I type in ‘De Luca’ and assign him a ringtone. Now he’s programmed into my phone for easy access.
With a sigh, I get out of my car, go into the empty house, walk up the stairs, and get ready for bed. Once I’m lying in bed, I stare up at the ceiling and think about Jack. Can I truly trust this man? God, I want to, but I don’t know if I’m able to. I’m so rung out emotionally from today’s events that it doesn’t take long for sleep to overtake my senses.
I’m sound asleep when I hear a knock at my bedroom door.
“Go away! Sleepin’,” I say in my raspy, zombie morning voice.
“No way, Payton! Some hot fucking dude just pulled up on a Harley and said he needs to see you like RIGHT NOW. Said it’s an emergency,” Molly shouts through the door.
I untangle myself from my sheets and jump up out of the bed. Flinging open the door, I run past Molly and race down the stairs to see what’s going on. My heart’s racing and legs are shaking as I hit the bottom of the stairs, not knowing what to expect when I get there.
Jack’s sitting on the sofa in the living room, and when I enter the room he twists around to look at me. His hair looks unbelievably sexy, clearly messed up from his motorcycle ride here. And he looks absolutely delicious in his dark wash jeans, black short-sleeved t-shirt and motorcycle boots. I watch as his heated gaze travels down my body and then back up to make eye contact. I look down at my body and realize I’m wearing a white tight-fitting cami without a bra and a pair of hot pink boy shorts. Whatever. He’s seen me naked, so really I’m kind of overdressed.
“What’s going on, Jack? Is everything okay?” I ask, concern filling my voice.
“No, it’s not.”
“Oh God! Is there something wrong with Ella, Ryder, or the kids?”
“They’re fine, Payton. This is about us. I agreed to give you time, but I just can’t fucking do it. Already spent too much time away from you—not wasting another minute,” he confesses, standing up, walking over to me, and wrapping me up in his strong arms. I close my eyes and just enjoy the moment.
“Got the proof you requested,” he says with a hint of humor in his voice.
“That’s the emergency,” I say disbelieving.
“Yep,” he says, a wide grin spreading across his face.
“Okay, show me the goods, De Luca.” His eyes turn wicked, and I can only imagine what kind of thoughts are in his head right now. “Don’t even go there. The proof—show me what you’ve got.”
He releases me from our embrace and entwines my hand with his, guiding me over to the sofa. We both sit down at an angle with our knees touching. Jack reaches over to the coffee table, picks up a book, and hands it to me.
“This is my senior high school year book.” He starts flipping quickly through the pages. When he finds what he’s looking for he hands it to me. “My graduation photo,” he says, pointing to a photo of himself as a teenager. Sure enough, there’s his name and quirky little bits of info about him. Wow, he was even hot as an eighteen year old. Doing the math, I realize he’s thirty-five years old, making him eleven years older than me.
He snatches the book back and starts turning the pages again. “Uh-huh, here we go. Take a look at that, baby,” he orders with a sly grin, placing the book back in my hands. I glance at the page he motions to, and there she is. The supermodel’s two grades behind Jack, and the name under the photo says ‘Isabelle De Luca.’ Fan-fucking-tastic! She is his sister, and I made a total ass of myself last night!
Chapter 10
First Date
It’s been three days since the whole ‘restaurant’ fiasco, and I still haven’t seen Jack’s sister to apologize, but he assures me it’s all good. Even though I believe him about his sister, I’m still not ready to jump right back into the proverbial sack with him yet. We need a few days to cool off. Whenever Jack and I get together it’s so intense that I can’t think straight, and all I can think about is jumping him.
Jack’s had to work quite a bit, so I haven’t seen a lot of him. We met up for coffee a couple of times, and he really tried to behave himself—tried being the key word. He played footsy under the table, and when I pushed his foot away from my legs, I felt his coarse fingertips glide up the smooth skin on my bare thighs headed for the hem of my jean skirt. I once again pushed his hand away, and I heard him as he released a frustrated breath. I laughed at his reaction, and he scowled. I promised him that it wouldn’t be much longer, to which I received a waggle of his eyebrows and a sexy grin.
I just finis
hed getting ready for bed when my phone starts ringing. ‘Dag Calling’ shows up on the display. I debate whether or not I should answer it. Fuck it. I need to know why he thinks it’s okay to call me after what he did. I answer it.
“What do you want, asshole?” I snap.
“I deserve that,” he says.
“Damn straight. You deserve a lot worse,” I clip.
“I know. I thought I’d call to apologize. I don’t know what came over me. No, that’s a lie. I like you, Payton. A lot.”
“You’ve got a funny way of showing it,” I hiss.
“The whole time we were together I wanted you. Fuck, I still want you, but you clearly don’t want me. When I heard you call out another man’s name while I tasted you, it fucking gutted me. My anger raged, and I fucking lost control.”
“No shit, Sherlock.”
“We could be so good together, Payton. Please give me another chance. I think I can make you want to be with me,” he pathetically begs.
“Not going to happen. I didn’t go to the police when you tried to force yourself on me, but I will if you don’t leave me the fuck alone. Go to hell!” I yell then end the call. I’m so shook up by Dag’s phone call; I can feel my heart beating rapidly in my chest. I immediately call Jack and tell him about it. He’s fucking pissed and tells me that if Dag tries to contact me again to let him know ASAP. I don’t have a problem with that.
* * *
I just finished working a day shift, when I pull the car door shut and hear a dinging sound. I take a quick look around the floor near my car seat, but I don’t see anything. Oh well. It’s probably just loose change or something.
I’m anxious to get home because Jack’s coming over for dinner. I’m going to attempt to cook something for the man, but if I were a betting woman, I’d say we’re going to be ordering in later tonight.
Sure enough, I burned supper so Jack and I are sitting on the sofa eating pizza. After we finish eating, he turns on the television and flips through the channels before finally stopping on the show Alaska State Troopers. I can’t be bothered to watch television, so I lie down on the sofa with my head in his lap. He doesn’t speak as his fingers gently massage my scalp and run through my hair. God, a girl could get used to this. I’m so relaxed, it doesn’t take long before my eyes drop and I fall asleep.
The next thing I know, I’m waking up in my bed. I notice I’m no longer in the t-shirt and jeans I was wearing last night. I’m currently wearing a tank top without a bra and the bikini panties I had on under my jeans. That sneaky bastard, he still managed to see parts of me naked! The thought of him undressing me last night sends a welcomed tingle to my girly parts. I should feel like my privacy’s been violated, but I don’t.
When I get out of bed and make my way toward the bathroom, I hear my cell buzz indicating there’s a text message waiting for me.
Hey Babe,
Be ready by 11:00 a.m. Wear jeans, t-shirt and your leather jacket. Picking you up on the Harley.
Okay, what’s he got planned for today? I look at the time on my phone. Holy fuck, it’s 10:20. I better get a move on if I’m going to be ready in forty minutes. Unbelievably, I get ready in time. I even have five minutes to spare. I’m just finishing eating my second piece of toast when I hear the rumble of Harley pipes. My pussy spasms. I can’t wait to straddle that piece of metal and pull myself tightly against Jack as he drives. I could care less where we’re going—I’d be happy just driving around in circles.
The rumbling suddenly dies, and Jack’s walking in through the front door without even knocking. He looks unbelievably sexy this morning wearing his black leather jacket, dark blue t-shirt pulled tight across his chest, and jeans that make his ass look oh-so-yummy. He pulls the aviator sunglasses down his nose and off his face, giving me a view of his sexy green eyes.
“You ready?” he asks, dragging his eyes slowly down my body.
“Yep, just need to finish my OJ, and I’m good to go,” I tell him, chugging the remains of my orange juice. He chuckles as he watches me. “Okay, let’s do this. Whatever this is,” I say, walking over toward him. He reaches forward and grabs me by the waist, pulling me against his body.
“Morning,” he whispers against my lips.
“Morn—” I whisper back, but he cuts me off with a tantalizing kiss.
He pulls back about an inch, and I feel his tongue lick his lips. “Payton and oranges. Love tasting those two things in the morning,” he mutters against my mouth. My fingers grip the hair at the back of his head and pull him to me, crushing my lips back against his. I feel a deep rumble come from the back of his throat when I suck his tongue into my mouth.
He suddenly breaks apart from me and gently pushes me away from him. “Fuck, Payton. Stop, or we’re never getting out of here today.”
I’m a little breathless, but I manage to get out, “Okay, I just have to grab my phone first.” I search my purse, but I can’t find it. I run upstairs to check in my bedroom, but it’s not there either. That’s weird. I used it not forty minutes ago, where the fuck is it? I run back downstairs and check my other coat pocket, but still no luck. “Shit!” I curse.
“Problem?” Jack asks.
“Yeah, I can’t find my phone,” I admit.
“I’ll call you and if it’s in the house, you should be able to find it,” he offers.
“Okay,” I say, but then remember what I set as his ringtone. “Uh. Never mind. I don’t need my phone. Let’s go,” I nervously squeak out. Nice one, Payton. Now he’s going to wonder why you’re acting so strangely about it.
A devilish grin spreads across his ridiculously handsome face. “Interesting. Is there some reason you don’t want me calling your phone, baby?” he inquires.
“Nope. I just decided I don’t really need it. That’s all,” I answer, trying to not sound panicked.
I watch as he takes his cell out of his jacket pocket. Oh shit! I’ve got to stop him. I lunge for his phone, but he pulls back and laughs at me. “Oh, I’ve got to call your phone now,” he says, dialing my number. I attack him by jumping on his back, trying to rip the phone away from his grasp, but it’s too late. I hear his ringtone coming from the living room. I climb off his back and watch as Jack flashes me a sexy grin and makes his way toward the sound. Meanwhile, I’m frozen in embarrassment. This is not happening. I only have myself to blame, though; I’m the one who programmed that ringtone in the first place. Jack rushes back to me with my cell in hand. The song, “I Touch Myself” by the Divinyls is still playing on my phone.
“Do you?” he asks me.
“Yep, now give me my fucking phone,” I snap, putting my hand out.
He lets out a low chuckle and gently places the phone in my hand, then grabs my wrist and pulls me to him again. I can feel his huge erection pressing into my belly. “Wanna see that sometime,” he growls into my ear, and my legs almost drop out from underneath me.
“We done here?” I ask him. When I back away, I follow his gaze as his eyes devour me. Do not jump him, Payton! Keep your hormones in check, girl. You do not want to climb on Jack’s beanstalk. Who am I kidding? I totally do.
“We’re done. For now,” he counters. Damn, if I don’t like the sound of that. This is what I’m talking about when I say I need some time. When Jack’s around I lose all sense of control, and I just want to spend the whole day in bed while he fucks me stupid. Is that wrong?
He walks out the front door, and I follow closely behind. When I look up I see Jack leaning against his motorcycle with a helmet in his hand. Now, I’ve seen Jack riding, and I know he doesn’t wear a helmet. He must have it for me. As soon as I reach him, he flips the helmet around and places it on my head, then buckles it up under my chin. He places a tender kiss to my lips and pulls away.
He straddles the seat then motions for me to get on behind him. I do as he tells me and, as soon as I’m situated, his hands reach behind him and grasp both of my wrists. He wraps my arms around his waist, and I hold on tight. When h
e revs the engine, I feel the tingling in my pussy start to build again. Traitor!
We pull out of the driveway, but where we’re going I have no idea. Jack’s being pretty tight-lipped—not telling me anything.
Our first stop just happens to be at a gas station. There’s just something about the smell of oil and fuel that gets a girl all hot and bothered. Very romantic. Not! I wait by the bike while he goes inside to pay for the gas. Suddenly, his ringtone goes off again. I swipe my finger across the screen and answer it.
“Jack.”
“Payton.”
“Can I help you with something?”
“Nope.” He disconnects. That bastard! I can’t help but smile.
He exits from the building and casually walks back over to me, but I see him looking down at his phone. Then suddenly, his ringer starts blaring again.
“Seriously?”
“Sorry, called you by mistake,” he says, shoving his phone back into his pocket and climbing back onto his Harley. I hold on to his waist again as he pulls away from the gas station. About five minutes later we’re stopping at a grocery store.
“What are we doing here?” I ask curiously.
“We’re going to be gone most of the day. We need food.”
This time he removes the helmet from my head and tells me to come in with him. I’m not going to lie and say it isn’t weird to be grocery shopping with Jack, because it totally is. The funny thing is, the only things I want to buy here are lots and lots of chocolate sauce and whipped cream. I can’t seem to wipe the goofy grin off my face. Then all of a sudden, my damn phone rings again, and my smile quickly fades. I have a feeling I’m going to hate the Divinyls after today. I look at Jack and try not to smile, but I fail miserably. “You’re really enjoying this, aren’t you?”
“Fuck yeah,” he says with a grin.
After picking up some deli sandwiches, a salad, and a couple of bottles of water, we make our way to the front checkouts to make our purchase. While we stand and watch the cashier scan and bag our items my freaking phone goes off again. From my peripheral vision, I can see Jack’s body shaking with laughter.
Sweet Ride Page 12