by E. K. Blair
With my door shut, I dropped my purse on the floor, retrieved my phone from my back pocket and then made a dive on to the bed, sprawling out on my stomach while I dialed Callie.
She answered on the second ring. “Hey girlfriend,” I said in response to her distracted ‘yeah’.
When she realized it was me, she screamed and dropped her phone.
“Thalia, you still there?”
“I sure am.”
“How’s it going with Liam?”
“Not too bad, although he was an ass out on the lake, earlier.”
She sighed down the phone. “You can’t swim”
“Yeah, I know. It was pretty scary, especially when Liam rocked the boat.” I inhaled and let my breath out slowly, knowing when I mentioned, Jack, I’d get bombarded with questions. “His brother, Jack, pulled me out and looked ready to murder Liam. I left them to it and ran off to cry.”
“That bastard, he made you cry – hang on – Jack – who’s Jack?”
I smiled thinking about Jack. “He’s Liam’s brother and so damn hot.”
“Please tell me you aren’t getting up to no good with his brother?”
“It depends what you call ‘any good’.” She stayed silent. “He came after me and held me in his arms. He felt good – hard and solid against me – he’s getting married.”
“Oh fuck!”
“Lovely language, for a lady.”
Callie snorted in response.
“He’s lonely Callie. Even though he’s always done what his parents wanted him to do, even, if I’m not mistaken, marry this woman; they still treat him like shit. The fact that he’s good looking, doesn’t help my attraction to him.”
“You are in trouble. Perhaps, I should visit. To check him out.”
“No, you won’t.”
Shit. She started to laugh – rather loudly. “You’re in way over your head. What does Liam have to say about all this?”
I sighed. “I can’t figure him out. He said he wants me to ‘pretend’ to be his girlfriend and that he knows we aren’t going anywhere. He just wants to be friends, which is more than fine with me. He also said that Jack will get married, no matter what. Basically, he warned me away from his brother.”
“How does he know you have the hot’s for Jack and how old is he?”
“Apparently, Jack has never acted with anyone the way he does with me. The episode on the lake was to prove to me that Jack would come to my rescue, and he did... Oh, and he’s twenty-five.”
“What are you going to do? It sounds like he has the hots for you as well.”
“Oh Callie, he pulls at me. When I see him all I want to do is hold him. Wrap him up in my arms and never let go.” I laughed, embarrassed. “I only met him less than twenty-four hours ago and can’t get him out of my head.”
“Thalia, he’ll break your heart. Promise me, you’ll stay away from him, no matter how hard it is. Make sure Liam is always with you around the house so you don’t get caught on your own with him.”
I didn’t think it wise telling her I was sharing a bathroom with him.
“Anyway, enough about me. How’s Texas?” She giggled. I moved the phone away from my ear and looked at it, thinking I’d heard wrong. She never giggled. “Did you just giggle at me?”
“Maybe.”
“Callie.”
“We have a new ranch hand – he’s hot. He’s a sexy cowboy, Thalia....”
Shit. “That is so not fair – I bet Jack would look hot in denim, boots, and open shirt.” I could dream and probably would.
“Oh my God. I’ve got to go so you behave and NO Jack. Love you, Thalia.” She hung up.
I rolled over and lay on my back, resting my hand with my cell on my chest. I needed to do what Callie said, and stay away from Jack, but something told me, that wouldn’t be all that easy.
Chapter 19
Jack
“What’s this about you having a boner for your brother’s girl?” Donovan asked walking towards us, which stopped me dead. I looked towards Reece who looked just as stunned, then back to Donovan.
“What the fuck!”
He grinned. “Reece sent me a text, saying you wanted to fuck your brother’s girl.”
“Whoa, whoa, whoa. I never said that. I’ll show you the text if you want. What I said was ‘you were screwed up over your brother’s girl’.”
“You’re like a bunch of fucking women. Fuck.” I ran my hands through my hair, and then shoved them into my back pockets. “Look, can we leave this alone. I’m going to avoid her from now on. Let’s just go and eat.” I walked off towards the café and pushed through the door with Donovan and Reece following while I tried not to laugh at them.
We took a seat in our usual place, ordering our food from Mary who’d worked there since we were young boys running circles around her.
“Ryder rang me earlier.” We both looked at Donovan.
“And,” we said at the same time.
He didn’t give anything away then all of a sudden he started to smile. “We still have a standing Saturday night date and maybe Wednesday as well. He wants us to do next Wednesday and see how it goes.”
Both Reece and I just stared at him. That was what we’d hoped, but I was stunned that he’d given it to us. I loved music. All types of music. I didn’t think I could stop for anyone, and didn’t see the reason why I should. God, help me when I had to tell Mia. She’d be pissed as hell.
“Hey, isn’t that Liam. Oh, and a babe,” Donovan announced.
My head whipped up. I took a breath and looked out of the window and there they were, walking across the road heading in our direction. Fuck.
“So much for staying away.” Donovan chuckled.
They walked into the café with Thalia having a good look around. I waited until her eyes met mine. She froze. I couldn’t take my eyes from her.
“Well, we know it isn’t just you. When you both finally get naked, you better make sure it’s in water, otherwise you’re likely to set the place on fire,” Donovan blurted while I held Thalia’s gaze.
She started walking towards us, leaving Liam talking to Mary. Standing to the side of our table, I noticed she’d started to blush.
Reece elbowed me in the side. “As Jack’s lost his manners, I’m Reece.” He held his hand out to her. Instead of shaking it, he kissed her palm.
“I’m Thalia. It’s nice to meet you, Reece.”
“I’m Donovan, take a seat.” She did, beside him.
“Nice to meet you too, Donovan.”
Reece sitting back in his seat, just stared at her with a smile on his face, the smile he used on the ladies. I kicked him under the table, which turned his smile into a scowl.
“So, Thalia, Jack’s been telling us about you. He kind of left out what a babe you are.”
Thanks Donovan.
She laughed. “Well thanks – I think.” She passed a quick glance at me then focused her attention back to Donovan.
“Oh definitely,” he replied.
She chuckled.
My heart thumped. “What’s Liam up to?” I practically growled at her. I was acting like a jealous idiot.
“He’s getting some food together for a picnic by the river at your house. There wasn’t really any picnic food in the kitchen.”
I wished I’d never asked.
“Thalia, you ready?”
She gave Liam a quizzical look. Probably wondering why he was ignoring everyone, me included.
“Ah, I guess.” She stood. “I hope to see you all again.”
“You sure will little darlin’.”
Liam moved in and put his arm around her shoulders. She quickly glanced to me. “I’ll see you later, Jack.”
“Yeah.”
Liam scowled at me then pulled Thalia towards the door, without a backward glance, from Liam that was, Thalia looked back at me from the car.
“That girl wants you. What you going to do about it?” Donovan asked.
“If you knew she
wanted me, what was ‘you sure will little darlin’?”
He grinned at me. “Someone’s jealous.”
“Okay, that’s enough.” They knew I was serious. “It doesn’t matter. I need to leave. I’ll meet you both at the river.” I stood and walked out of there, climbed into my car and drove to the river, knowing they’d leave me alone for an hour to get my head together.
I’d known Thalia, not twenty-four hours and already she’d gotten into my head. I couldn’t get her out, and out she needed to be in order for me to carry on with the life everyone had planned out for me. For the first time in twelve months, I’d started to look at my life and I didn’t like what I saw.
I’d stayed true to Mia in the twelve months we’d been together. So, basically I hadn’t been with anyone in that time. Something had died in me, when I was told to marry Mia or lose everything. I wish I’d walked away then, but I hadn’t. Thalia came along, and all my desires had risen – literally.
Chapter 20
Thalia
Before yesterday I’d already been having trouble keeping him out of my head, but after being held tight in his arms, he was even more difficult to get out. I sighed – Jack, the object of my obsession.
Every time I shut my eyes, I saw him. The image I had since yesterday was the one of him watching me leave the café with his brother, to head towards the river. He’d never taken his eyes from me. And yeah, Liam noticed and did nothing but mumble all the way back to his house.
I’d also noticed Liam’s reaction in the café to Jack and his friends. His excuse when I’d asked him about it had been that they were a bad influence on Jack and he wished Jack had never become friends with them. He’d sounded jealous if truth-be-told.
Donovan had been full of life and energy. Everything about him hummed with excitement from the way his blue eyes danced over my features to the broad shoulders that tensed beneath his tight, black t-shirt. His taut abs were perfectly silhouetted by the cool cotton shirt and I wasn’t the only woman in the room stealing glances at him.
He was definitely someone worth getting to know, but it wasn’t just his amazing physique or the way his black hair fell over his eyes casting shadows over his chiseled cheekbones and plush lips; it was the deep voice that sent shivers down my back. He had spent most of the time flirting with everyone: me, the waitress, the cute girl sitting at the table beside them. There was no doubt that Donovan had gathered plenty of admirers and broken a few hearts.
Jack’s other friend, Reece, was as interesting as Donovan, but he looked like a player – a panty wetting bad boy. His crooked grin had spoken volumes as he’d sat back and watched me. I fought the urge to shift as I’d stood there with Reece’s blue gaze smoldering a trail down my body – his smile growing before it became a scowl. A slight movement from Jack made me wonder if he’d kicked Reece.
As Reece took me in, I did the same to him. At first glance, he seemed dangerous, but as I looked closer, there seemed to be a sadness in his eyes. His straight nose was set perfectly over straight white teeth and his high cheekbones would be the envy of anyone. The deep blue bandanna wrapped around this baldhead, was enticing me to stroke his silky smooth skin, but I resisted.
He was also dressed in a tight t-shirt and the dark cotton clung to his sculpted abs and chest. A few tattoos had peeked out of the short sleeves of his shirt, which made me wonder what else covered his body.
They were gorgeous. All three of them looked like they’d stepped out of some woman’s fantasy and by the looks from the women in the cafe, I was positive that I wasn’t the only one who thought so. But it had been Jack who had drawn my gaze back to him again and again. Jack that had my mouth go dry as I tried to ignore the thrum of anticipation. The other two may have been nice eye candy, but it was Jack that I ached to touch.
Needing a distraction, I’d gone along with Liam’s peace offering and let him lead me to the river for the picnic, which we’d planned, but I’d felt like our conversation was strained. In the end I couldn’t wait to get back to the house so I could hide in my room for a while.
I’d lounged on my bed thinking of Jack. To me, Jack seemed like a decent guy, more so than his idiot brother. I was starting to have second thoughts about acting as Liam’s girlfriend.
Since we’d arrived he’d been acting all cocky when we were around others, apart from his parents, then he would be the ‘well behaved’ son. Seeing those two sides of him bothered me more than I wanted to think about. It had only been a day so hopefully he’d calmed down a bit; at least I hoped he had.
I was sitting on the back porch with my first coffee of the day watching the sunrise. It was so quiet at this time, and it probably would be for another couple of hours.
Callie and I would sit on the porch at her house to watch the morning arrive. It truly was the most beautiful time of day. Back in Texas we'd go back to bed for a few hours afterwards, but I didn't think I'd be able to sleep with my thoughts so full of Jack.
"Thalia."
Jack made me jump when he said my name; I met his gaze. I was so in trouble. He looked as though he'd just climbed out of the shower with his hair still damp. His jeans were only half fastened and the long sleeved t-shirt he had on fitted him like a glove in a pale green color. He was...wow.
Finally, I found my tongue. "I didn't know anyone else would be up yet." I hoped I wasn't blushing.
"Couldn't sleep," he grumbled.
He took a gulp of his coffee then walked towards me, looking damn hot. "Move over."
I should go to my room, I chided myself but instead, I moved over so he could sit beside me on the small porch swing. Once he was sitting, there wasn't an inch between our thighs.
It took all my will power not to squirm to try and ease the ache between my legs. My breasts felt swollen and ached for his touch. Jack was so close, all I had to do was lean over slightly and they'd be against his arm. I ignored him and carried on watching the sun.
"Thalia, please look at me."
"I can't," I whispered, shaking my head.
He sighed and put his coffee on the floor then stood moving to sit on the coffee table in front of me. "This thing between us isn't going to just disappear."
"There isn't anything between us," I quickly replied, my gaze darting away from his face as I tried to avoid looking at him.
He reached out and took hold of my hand. I felt like I'd been hit with a bolt of electricity and my gaze flew back to his face; my eyes widened in shock.
I couldn’t hide my reaction.
"Tell me now there isn't anything between us."
Holding his gaze I didn’t want to move, but I knew I couldn't stay out here with him. Standing up, he stood with me. "I need to go. This is wrong. I shouldn't feel like this when I'm with you. We only met forty-eight hours ago."
I turned to leave, but he grasped my arm, his fingers digging into my skin, but it didn’t hurt.
"Don't go. Please, just sit out here with me."
How could I resist him? Could we get away with sitting out here together without anyone catching us?
"I feel it too, Thalia. I know what my future holds, but for once, I want something for me that doesn't involve my family. I want something that’s just for me, and what I want right now is to be with you."
I melted. There were no other words for what he did to me.
Sitting back on the swing, he sat with me and slid his arm around my shoulders causing shivers to run through me.
If this was the only chance I would ever have of being close to this guy, I was going to enjoy it. Give myself a memory I could cherish forever.
Before I could change my mind, I leaned in and snuggled into him, sliding my hand over his stomach, which quivered and let it rest on his chest. After a brief pause, he wrapped his other arm around me and held me tight, as I curled my feet under me.
I sighed and closed my eyes. Heaven.
Chapter 21
Jack
Holding her tight, I used my other hand
and laced my fingers with Thalia’s on my chest as we both snuggled on the porch swing. She felt real good against me, as though she’d been made for me. Like she’d said, we’d only met less than two days ago, but I felt like I’d known her for a lot longer.
With everyone else, I managed to keep them at a distance, apart from Reece and Donovan, but from the get go, with Thalia, I’d been different.
My days during the summer were spent as a run-around at my dad’s law firm. The same law firm my dad expected me to become a partner in, once I graduated. It was so not going to happen, because my interest lay in criminal law and the justice system – a lot more going on. Family law would bore the shit out of me within a week. My ambition was the reason I’d been thrown together with Mia. Actually, blackmailed would be a more apt description.
Every time I thought about the wedding, I broke out in a sweat. I kept telling myself that we could marry, live separately and then once I’d graduated we could divorce, but I didn’t think it was going to work out like that.
The biggest hurdle was my family. At the end of the day they were family and you only got the one. Did I have the balls to stand up to them once and for all by cancelling the wedding? Would my father really hold my tuition fees back if I did?
With a heavy sigh, I looked at Thalia who was watching me silently.
“Why do you look so sad?”
“Just thinking,” I replied, bringing our joined hands to my lips where I placed a kiss on her knuckles and wrist.
“Jack, you need to stop,” she said, shivering.
With my eyes closed, I took a deep breath. When I opened them again her eyes were still focused on mine. “I know. I forget about everything when you look at me.” I let go of her hand and brushed some hair from her face, which had fallen loose from her ponytail.
“Tell me about Jack; about growing up here.”
I laughed. “You sure you want to know, you might not like me afterwards.”
“How I feel won’t change with the telling of your past. I promise.” She said then kissed my stomach. Any lower and she’d have discovered just how much I didn’t want to talk.
“I had a fairly normal childhood. Constantly getting in trouble for not doing chores, forgetting I was supposed to be keeping an eye on Liam, kissing girls in the barn, you know that kind of thing.”