Unstable (Hooked Book 4)

by Charity Parkerson

  She patted his ass. “Go get…”

  “Eli,” Jimmy supplied.

  “Yes, him,” Annabelle said. “Get Eli and hurry back, so I can suss him out.”

  Jimmy pulled away and caught her gaze. “He’s shy,” Jimmy warned. “Most likely, he’ll be too uncomfortable to warm up to anyone right away.”

  Annabelle scoffed and shooed him away. “Just go get the boy. I won’t bite.”

  With a wink, Jimmy headed out to do as told.

  *

  Eli stared at his door, wondering what the hell was happening to it. It sounded as if someone was knocking, but he’d never had a visitor before. There wasn’t a peephole or window. He had to answer and hope for the best. Sexiness stood on the other side. The impact of Jimmy on Eli’s senses never lessened. His blue eyes were a tad bloodshot but were still amazing. The flannel shirt he wore strained against his muscles. Eli had never wanted anyone as badly.

  “Hi.” Yeah, he knew he sounded like a total dumbass, but it was all Eli had.

  “Hi,” Jimmy said, sounding every bit as pathetic and easing Eli’s mind. “You never called.”

  Eli held up the science fiction novel he was reading. “Been busy.”

  Jimmy eyed the worn library book. “I see that. Are you too busy for me?”

  At the question, Eli realized he’d made the man stand in the doorway as if he wasn’t welcome. Blood rushed to his cheeks as he took a step back. “Sorry about that. I’m not used to having visitors.”

  Instead of stepping inside at Eli’s silent offer, Jimmy snagged the front of Eli’s shirt, stopping him from getting away. With the slightest tug, he hauled Eli closer. It was ridiculous how easily Jimmy lured him in. He stood still as Jimmy lowered his head and touched his lips to Eli’s. Every time, it got better. There wasn’t a need for Jimmy to trick him into opening for him this time. Instead, Eli was the one who deepened their kiss. The taste of wintergreen gum and a hint of whiskey coated his taste buds. Eli’s fingers found Jimmy’s hair. The soft locks slid across his palm before Eli tightened his grip and pulled the man closer.

  The book fell from his numb fingers before his other hand joined the first. He couldn’t get close enough to Jimmy. Jimmy’s arms tightened around him. Their bodies collided. Eli moaned. He was turned on to the point of painful.

  “This isn’t why I came here,” Jimmy said as he changed directions and reclaimed Eli’s mouth. Eli didn’t know why the man had shown up, but he had plenty of reasons for him to stay. “Oh, God. Seriously,” Jimmy said, pulling away again, as if it pained him to do so. He looked at Eli like a man on the verge of tears. “Damn. I gave my word I’d be back by eight. Otherwise…” His gaze trailed down Eli’s body. He whimpered. Eli didn’t have a clue what Jimmy was talking about, but his body didn’t care.

  “Be back where?” his mouth asked as his body screamed he was a dumbass.

  “The party. We’re going to a party. An engagement party, to be more specific.”

  “A party,” Eli repeated. “I don’t want to go to a party.” Did he? Fuck. He didn’t know. All Eli knew was Jimmy was there and he was there. They were feet away from his bed, and the man looked at him as if he’d been starving for years. Eli ached for everything Jimmy’s stare promised.

  “I have to go. It’s for some of my closest friends. Well, maybe not my closest. I don’t know that I have close friends, but I like the people there. Fuck it. If I have to go, then you have to go.”

  “Why?” Eli could hear the confusion in his voice, but fuck it. He never had any clue what was going on when Jimmy was involved.

  “Because,” Jimmy said with a shrug, “I think there’s something between us. Annabelle—you’ll get to meet her later—asked if I was seeing anyone, and I told her I was dating you. So, you see, in my head, you’re already mine.”

  Eli blinked as his mind went blank. “I’ll get my shoes.” He turned, ready to do just that when Eli’s head cleared enough for other things to slip in. “Hold up.” He faced Jimmy once again. “You’re dating Jace.”

  Jimmy’s face screwed up in confusion. “No. I told you he dumped me.”

  Eli searched his mind, coming up blank. “I’m pretty sure you didn’t.”

  As Eli looked on, Jimmy’s gaze turned inward, as if running through their conversations in his head. “Huh.” Jimmy shrugged. “I honestly don’t remember, but yeah, he dumped me a while back. People do that. I’m not long-term material.”

  “Why?” Eli asked as he stamped into his shoes.

  Jimmy shrugged again. “Logan says it’s because I’m a drunkard.”

  “And Logan is…”

  “Definitely a close friend,” Jimmy answered without missing a beat. “He also manages the bar here in town for me. You’ll meet him tonight too.”

  “So you do have close friends after all?”

  Jimmy seemed to think that one over before answering. “At least one.”

  Eli shoved his arms into his jacket. “You’ll regret taking me to this. I’m not good with people.”

  “I don’t want you to be good. Where’s the fun in that?”

  Blood rushed to Eli’s face. He ducked his head and focused on his shoes, trying to hide his blush. Jimmy’s low and sexy-sounding chuckle let Eli know he hadn’t missed it. Instead of dwelling on his embarrassment, Eli headed for the door. Jimmy blocked his path, forcing Eli’s gaze his way. The man’s blue eyes always stole Eli’s breath. He couldn’t look away.

  “I don’t think you mentioned your apartment is a studio.”

  Eli had to swallow past his rapidly drying throat to respond. “I can’t imagine why it would’ve come up.”

  Jimmy’s mouth lifted in one corner. Damn. The man’s smirk was so fucking sexy. It almost physically hurt Eli to look at him. “There’s a bed right there,” Jimmy said, nodding toward it, as if Eli didn’t know exactly where he slept each night. “We could skip this. Annabelle would forgive me.”

  “Would she?”

  Jimmy shook his head. A sad smile touched his lips. “Probably not.”

  To busy himself, Eli scooped his book from the floor and tossed it onto the bed before grabbing his keys and heading for the door once more. “Then we’d better go before you talk yourself into being in trouble.”

  “I guess you’re right,” Jimmy said, allowing himself to be led outside. After locking up, Eli fell into step next to Jimmy as they descended the stairs on the side of the building. His gaze landed on the truck sitting in the parking lot as his feet hit the pavement. Realization struck.

  “Wait. Did you drive here?”

  Jimmy blinked at him, as if Eli spoke a foreign language. “Well, I’m here. My truck is here. How do you think I got here?”

  “Oh my God. Give me your keys. I’ll drive.”

  Jimmy passed them over. “Can you drive?”

  Eli rolled his eyes as he climbed behind the wheel. “Enough to get my license and a hell of a lot better than some drunk guy.”

  “I’m not just some drunk guy,” Jimmy said, sounding petulant and pulling a hurt face as he buckled his seat belt. “I’m your drunk guy.”

  Eli pretended Jimmy’s claim didn’t warm his heart as he continued his lecture. “I cannot believe you drove in this state. You might not care if you kill us, but I’ll never forgive you if you die.”

  “But you’ll forgive me if you die?”

  Eli ignored him. The more he talked, the hotter his blood boiled. “Goddamn, Jimmy. What if you’d killed someone’s child?”

  “This side of you is mega hot.”

  “Damn it, I’m not joking,” Eli said, still bitching as he shifted the truck into drive. “Don’t drive again after you’ve been drinking, okay?”

  “This is important to you, isn’t it?”

  An exasperated sigh escaped Eli. “It’s important to almost everyone. Actions have consequences.”

  A long, loud sigh escaped Jimmy. “Would it make you feel better if I swore never to drink and drive again.”

/>   “It would,” Eli said without hesitating, even though he knew any such vow would be a lie on Jimmy’s part.

  “Fine. I, Jimmy Hale, promise to never drink and drive again. Okay?”

  In spite of himself, Eli laughed. Jimmy sounded so sincere—like stating a real declaration. He doubted the man would stick to it, but it made Eli happy to think he might. “Okay. Where are we headed? I’m really driving around town like I know where I’m going.”

  “I’ll get you there,” Jimmy said. His words had a definite sexual tint to them. Eli found himself hoping, in spite of all the odds against him, that Jimmy would do just that.

  Chapter 4

  “This is Eli.” Even to Jimmy’s ears, he sounded proud to have Eli on his arm. Based on the smiles of everyone surrounding them, they heard the pride in his voice as well.

  “Hi, Eli,” Logan said, speaking up first. “I’m Logan. In case Jimmy hasn’t told you, I manage the local Jimmy’s location.”

  Eli quickly shook Logan’s hand. “He’s mentioned you. It’s nice to meet you.”

  Jimmy appreciated Logan not pointing out that Jimmy had not ever mentioned Eli. Instead, Logan turned to the man standing on his left. “This is my husband, Malik.” Eli shifted closer to Jimmy. It was a subtle move, but Jimmy felt it happen. He pressed his palm to the small of Eli’s back, letting Eli know he’d keep him safe. Eli shook hands with Malik before Logan motioned Ryan’s way. “This is our partner, Ryan.”

  In spite of his best efforts, Jimmy couldn’t stop himself from watching Eli’s reaction to the introduction. If Eli was surprised, he didn’t show it. He smiled kindly as he shook everyone’s hand without an ounce of judgment marring his features. The pride in Jimmy’s chest grew with each passing second.

  When Sam stepped forward, Jimmy expected Eli to scoot even closer. As the World’s Strongest Man, Sam was huge, to say the least. He hovered over everyone, taking up more than his fair share of space.

  Eli surprised Jimmy. His smile brightened. “Congratulations on your engagement. Your fiancé has amazing eyes. You’re very lucky.”

  Sam blushed and beamed beneath Eli’s praise. Annabelle tugged on Jimmy’s sleeve, pulling him away from the crowd. With one final glance Eli’s way, he ensured the man would be fine before allowing her to completely drag him away.

  “Oh my gosh, Jimmy,” she hissed the moment they were out of earshot. “He’s so gorgeous. I want to put him in my pocket.” Jimmy wanted Eli in his pocket too, but he didn’t think it was for the same reason as Annabelle. “Can we keep him?”

  A low chuckle escaped Jimmy. “You know he’s a real person, right? You can’t just decide to keep him.”

  Annabelle scoffed. “You know what I mean. Now that we’ve met this one, you can’t find someone new. We want Eli.”

  Even as Jimmy laughed, a pain sliced through his gut. No one in their right mind stayed with him for long. Eli would get sick of him. Probably sooner rather than later. “I’m doing my best,” Jimmy said for lack of anything more. He glanced Eli’s way. Everyone except Sam had wandered away. Sam seemed surprisingly animated with Eli hanging on his every word. As if he felt Jimmy’s stare, Eli turned his head. Their gazes met. Eli winked.

  Annabelle sighed. “I don’t even know what it is exactly,” she said as if admitting a dirty secret. “It’s like he’s almost angelic or something.”

  Jimmy got what she was saying. Eli was pretty and innocence bled from his pores. Three years ago, when he’d pulled Eli from the dumpster, he’d been nothing more than a dirty kid who called on some long forgotten sympathy inside Jimmy. Three weeks ago, he’d challenged Jimmy and they’d kissed. Something inside Jimmy shifted. Even he wasn’t sure what happened. All Jimmy knew was he couldn’t let Eli get away without taking a closer look.

  An image of that stuffed and worn envelope passed through Jimmy’s mind. It couldn’t have been more apparent Eli had scraped and saved for years to repay that money. He could’ve disappeared. Chances were good they never would’ve crossed paths again. Still, Eli hadn’t given up trying to do right by Jimmy.

  “He is an angel,” Jimmy said without thought. “One I don’t deserve.”

  Annabelle hugged his arm. “Darling, if anyone deserves someone amazing, it’s you.”

  Before he could argue, she stepped away and called everyone to the table. It seemed it was time for Sam and Holden to open their presents. It was also the perfect time for Jimmy to reclaim Eli. He didn’t know why Annabelle thought he deserved anything good at all, but Jimmy planned to earn Eli.

  *

  Jimmy’s friends were nice. Eli was still uncomfortable as fuck, but that was true of everywhere he went. The longer the night went on, the thinner his nerves stretched. Eli found himself focusing on smaller groups to calm himself. There was some cop there. Eli hadn’t caught his name. At least, he didn’t think he had. Eli searched his mind, coming up empty. The man standing next to him was definitely named Chance. Eli remembered because he’d thought the name odd. Giving up trying to remember, his gaze strayed toward the threesome in the corner. Even if Logan hadn’t introduced his men the way he had, they wouldn’t have been able to hide their relationship.

  Eli couldn’t lie and say he hadn’t been shocked. He also couldn’t say he wasn’t intrigued. As someone who loved a good story, he studied their every move. On the surface, it seemed as if Logan was the centerpiece the other men clung to, but Eli saw deeper. All three men loved one another equally. They took turns eyeing one another when the others weren’t looking. There was so much hunger and heat in their gazes, Eli could feel it all the way across the room. They were different in a lot of ways. Malik was big and dark while Logan was small and blond. Ryan was the sexy ginger of men’s fantasies. Together, they were fucking hot.

  They were also hiding in the shadows, kissing. Eli couldn’t look away. He’d never seen a three-way kiss in real life. Everyone else was too far into their cups to notice. Eli needed to drive Jimmy home. That thought led to another. Where would he stay? Jimmy couldn’t drive. They were in his truck. Wow. He hadn’t thought this through. As Jimmy had pointed out, his apartment was a studio. There was no living room or couch where Jimmy could crash. Damn…

  Malik’s fingers curled into the back of Ryan’s t-shirt, balling the material into his fists. He pulled, squishing Logan between them. Eli couldn’t breathe on the man’s behalf. Either that, or watching the three of them had Eli half aroused. He’d given up trying to decide.

  “You’re staring.”

  “I can’t stop,” Eli said, going with the truth.

  With a low chuckle, Jimmy stepped between Eli and the three men in the corner, saving Eli from himself.

  Even though he could no longer see them, Eli’s gaze continued to stray in that direction. “They’re beautiful.”

  “They are.” Jimmy’s agreement stole Eli’s focus. As he met Jimmy’s gaze, a smile lit Jimmy’s face. “They have nothing on you.”

  Heat filled Eli’s cheeks. Jimmy’s smile fell. “Come home with me.”

  Eli didn’t hesitate. “Okay.”

  “I want to get to know you,” Jimmy added, causing disappointment to pour through him.

  “Okay.” Eli had no idea why he couldn’t think of anything more intelligent to say.

  “Then I want to learn everything there is to know about your body.”

  Eli’s stomach muscles tensed. “We should tell everyone goodnight.”

  “Do you still have my keys?”

  At Eli’s nod, Jimmy linked his fingers through Eli’s and tugged him toward where Annabelle, Karl, Sam, and Holden sat eating cake. Everyone looked in their direction at their approach. Under normal circumstances, Eli would’ve hated having so many eyes upon him. At the moment, all he could focus upon was the way Jimmy’s palm felt against his.

  “Are you leaving us?” Annabelle asked as soon as they were within earshot.

  “We are,” Jimmy said, sparing Eli from answering. “We appreciate the invite. Everything
was amazing. Congrats again, guys,” Jimmy said as he switched his attention Sam and Holden’s way. “You’re perfect for each other.”

  The men beamed. Eli’s pride swelled. As usual, no one paid any attention to him, but Jimmy’s thumb brushed back and forth across Eli’s in an absent motion. If anyone had ever held Eli’s hand, he couldn’t remember it. Jimmy’s touch was amazing.

  Annabelle focused on him. “It was nice meeting you, Eli,” Annabelle said, coming to her feet. Before he could guess at her intentions, she hugged him. Eli flinched but forced himself to stay still. Even once it passed, she didn’t completely let go. She held his arms as her gaze moved over his face. His skin burned from the contact. “I can’t stop looking at your eyes. They’re beautiful. Jimmy is incredibly lucky.” With a final pat, she dropped her hands. “Now that you know where to find us, don’t stay away.”

  “I won’t,” Eli said, even though he wasn’t sure if it was the truth. After a few uncomfortable goodbyes, they finally climbed inside Jimmy’s truck. Eli didn’t realize until they were alone how tense his shoulders had been. He drew a deep breath. His muscles relaxed. Jimmy reached across the space between them and massaged Eli’s shoulder.

  “Hey, are you okay?”

  Eli nodded as he pushed the air from his lungs. He started the truck before Jimmy could ask any more questions. “I need directions.”

  “Don’t worry. I’ll get you there.” Jimmy ran his hand up Eli’s thigh as he made the claim. He nodded straight ahead. “Go to the light and turn right.” As Eli did as bade, he could feel Jimmy’s stare upon him, scorching his skin. “What’s your favorite color?”

  A chuckle rose in Eli’s throat at the unexpected question. “I’ve never thought about it.”

  “How could you not think about it?”

  Eli shrugged. “What’s yours, then?”

  “Take a left up here by the gas station and then turn right at the next light,” Jimmy said before answering Eli’s question. “It’s green. Every shade. It’s a peaceful color—like your eyes.”

  That final point reminded Eli of the one time he’d paid attention to any color. “I guess I like blue. The night you pulled me from the dumpster, as soon as you stepped into the light and I caught a glimpse of your eyes, comparisons ran through my head. That’s never happened to me before. So, yeah, I like blue.”