“Jack, what are you doing here?”
He looked down at his tickets and then back up at me. “You’re in my seat.”
“Um…no, I’m in my seat.”
“Who are you here with?” he said angrily.
“Excuse me?” I asked, wondering what the hell he was inferring.
“Are you seeing someone? Who is he? Don’t tell me it’s the Plaid Wonder.”
“The who?”
“You know, Plaid Man.”
“Why don’t you call him Jake, since that’s his name?”
“Because Plaid Man suits him, and if you’re not careful, he’ll have you wearing plaid too!”
“Guess what, earlier this evening, I was wearing plaid pajamas!”
“Did he see you in them? Is that what this is about?”
“No!” I snapped. “This has nothing to do with him.”
“Then why were you wearing plaid?”
“Because I had—” I screamed in frustration. I was not seriously having an argument over plaid. This was insane. “You know what? I don’t even know why I’m having this argument with you. It’s a movie theater in town. It’s free territory, and I can come here if I want.”
“But you can’t sit in those seats because I have them.”
“Then why does it say they’re mine?” I asked, showing him my ticket.
He grabbed it and studied it. “This doesn’t make any sense.”
“Hey, look who’s here,” Carter grinned as he walked down the aisle. “Fancy meeting you here.”
“Wait, I’m here with Abby.”
“I thought you said Abby didn’t want to see this?” Jack said accusingly.
“Abby said you didn’t want to see this,” I said to Carter.
“Really? That doesn’t sound right.” He shoved the popcorn at Jack, then handed me the drinks. “This is all very awkward, considering that I only have two tickets and they both happen to be these two seats. Looks like I accidentally printed out two of the same ticket.”
“And you just happened to give one to Abby?” I asked, crossing my arms over my chest.
“No, that doesn’t sound like me at all.” He clapped his hands together and stepped back as the lights went completely dark. “Well, I guess since there’s only room for two, I’ll just leave you to it.”
He turned and walked out, leaving me with Jack. I stared at him, not sure what to do. He sighed and sat down.
“You’re staying?”
“We might as well. I mean, he did pay for the tickets and the food.”
I sat down beside him, not sure how I felt about this. “Did you know this was a romance?”
“Not until I saw the poster. I wouldn’t have agreed to come otherwise.”
The trailers started, so we sat back and shared some popcorn. I handed him the drink to sip from. It looked like we were sharing. And you couldn’t have popcorn without a drink. Once the movie started, I tried my best not to pay attention to Jack, but his leg kept brushing up against mine. I kept thinking back to that night in his house, how it felt to have his body crushing mine into the couch. I squirmed in my seat, wishing we were alone and I could maybe act on my feelings. What would it hurt? It was just one night. I would sleep with him and then we would find that we were no longer attracted to each other. Then all of this would end and I could move on with life.
The squeaking of wheels interrupted the movie. Someone was pushing a cart down the aisle, and stopped just outside of the aisle we were in. A man walked toward us with something, but I couldn’t make it out until he got closer.
“Chili Man?” Jack asked.
“Corduroy sends his apologies and this,” he said, holding out a bottle of champagne.
“Would you sit down?” someone hissed. “We’re trying to watch the movie!”
Chili Man ignored him and popped the cork on the bottle. What in the world was going on? He handed both of us a glass and then pulled out something else, handing it to Jack. He opened it up and swore.
“What?”
He handed over a note tucked inside. It was hard to read in the dark light, but then the screen lit up and the words were clear.
Payback’s a bitch, fucker.
“What does this mean?”
He handed me a box filled with chocolate covered strawberries. “I’ll explain later.”
“I hope you both enjoy your evening,” Chili Man said with a bow.
Jack shook his head with laughter.
“What does this mean?”
“It means that Carter took his chance to play matchmaker,” he muttered. “Well, we shouldn’t let this go to waste.”
He pulled out the box of chocolate covered strawberries and handed them over to me. “Strawberry?”
“Thank you.”
I took one, biting into it, and then washed it down with the champagne. I grimaced at the taste. “I see he didn’t go for the good stuff.”
“Not surprising,” Jack muttered. “Cheap bastard. I, at least, left him the good stuff.”
“What exactly did you do?” I whispered.
He glanced around and then leaned in, his breath washing over my skin. “I kidnapped him and Abby and then abandoned them at a cabin for the weekend so they could get their shit together. The fucker thought he had been kidnapped by the mafia,” he said, barely containing his laughter.
“And Abby?”
“I’m pretty sure she got exactly what she wanted.”
“Which was what?”
“Carter.” His eyes shone brightly in the darkness. I still remembered all those years ago, staring into his eyes and wishing he was thinking of me like he thought of Natalie. Finally, after all these years, he was looking at me the way I had always dreamed of, like he would lean in and kiss me. His lips would press against mine so softly and he would tell me he loved me.
And then he did lean forward. I thought it was part of my daydream, but when his soft lips pressed against mine and shocks rippled through me, I knew this wasn’t a dream. It wasn’t a gentle kiss like I thought, but hard and crushing. There was so much need wrapped up in just that one kiss. His tongue swept across my lips and he groaned slightly.
“You taste amazing, baby.”
I made some sort of desperate noise, unsure of what to say. He called me baby. A slight smile tilted my lips. What was I doing? I was falling hard for this man. I was letting him past my defenses when I swore I would be strong.
21
Jack
“Baby,” I murmured against her lips. My hand slid up her thigh as I pressed my lips to hers again. How had I missed this all those years ago? How had I not seen how good we would be together? Sliding my hand behind her neck, I pulled her closer to me. Our glasses tumbled to the floor, but didn’t break. Thank God, Carter had the forethought to use plastic champagne glasses.
She tasted of strawberries and chocolate, but that was the last thing on my mind at the moment. I wanted to get her out of here, to get her home where I could do this right without an audience. I was already hard for her, needing her more than anything in my life. And just when I was about to suggest we get out of there, the music changed on the screen to something sensual.
Her eyes flicked to the movie, watching as Dwayne slowly stripped the clothes off his love interest. Her breath hitched as her hand gripped my thigh. I bit my lip, trying to hold back the need to grab her and haul her out of the theater. Slowly, she turned and faced me, her eyes filled with desire. Our breaths mingled as she leaned in and hovered just centimeters from my lips.
I ran my fingers down her cheek, just taking in her beauty. Christy had always been my best friend, but now I wanted her as more, as my lover. My fingers drifted slowly down her neck, skimming over her breast. Her breath hitched and her eyes slipped closed. She started panting hard as I cupped her breast. My cock pressed hard against my pants. I needed to get her out of here.
Leaning in, I whispered, “Let me take you home.”
With her eyes still pressed
tightly shut, she nodded slightly. Abandoning everything we brought into the theater, I grabbed her hand and dragged her down the aisle, ignoring the few other patrons that were angry at us disrupting the film. Hurrying through the dark, up the ramp, we pushed out the side exit into the darkness.
Turning around, I pressed her up against the side of the building, my body flush up against hers. With every kiss, I coaxed her mouth open, building the sexual tension between us. Her arms slipped around my neck as she pulled me closer. Panting hard, I pressed my erection against her, kissing her harder when she started moaning in my ear. I nuzzled her neck, licking and sucking at the delicate flesh just above her collarbone.
Tearing myself away from her, I kissed her hard again. “I need you,” I whispered. “Tell me I can take you home.”
She nodded quickly, leaning in to kiss me again. At this rate we would never get home. Swinging her up into my arms, I stalked to my truck and set her in the passenger seat, then ran around to the driver’s seat. As I put the truck in drive, I glanced over at her, my eyes desperately taking in every inch of her, from the way her breasts rose with every breath and her lips were swollen from my kisses.
My fists clenched the steering wheel as I took the shortcut to her house and pulled in just minutes later. I didn’t even have time to get out before she was hopping out of my truck. My hand immediately slipped into her hand, gripping it tight. As she fumbled for her keys, I took a calming breath.
Fuck, I needed to slow things down. This was Christy. I couldn’t take things fast with her and screw this up. I needed to take her upstairs and seduce her properly. But when she flung the door open and spun around, grabbing me by the neck, I lost all control. I gripped her ass, hauling her up against me as I walked in and kicked the door closed behind me. I attempted to get her upstairs, but we stumbled further into the house, until we were just inches from her dining room table. Carrying her over to the table, I flung the dishes off the table, not caring that they crashed to the floor. I laid her down, kissing my way down her body, biting at her skin as I tore open the front of her shirt. Gripping her hair in my fist, I circled my tongue over her bra before biting at her nipples. She gasped, making me jerk forward. My cock pressed against her heat, needing to be inside her.
I barely thought of anything besides getting inside her tight, wet pussy. I quickly undid my pants and shoved them down as she did the same. As I stared at her laid out for me like a wet dream, I couldn’t imagine being with anyone else. She was it. Bending over, I pressed my lips to hers as I slid inside her. But years of not having sex were torture on my body. I thrust hard into her, fucking her like a madman. I knew this wasn’t the way it was supposed to go. I was supposed to take this slow and make this good for her, but my body told me to go full force.
Her cries of pleasure only made it harder to hold on. And when she creamed around my cock, I lost all control and fucked her hard until I came inside her. My whole body was pressed against hers as my harsh breaths slid across her skin. I slowly stood, but as I did, it all felt wrong.
She was laid out on the table, still dressed. Her jeans were around her ankles, but she still had a shirt on. I hadn’t even taken her bra off. And I wasn’t any better. I still had my shirt on and my pants around my ankles. I hadn’t cherished her. I hadn’t made this right for her. I fucked her hard like a whore instead of the woman I was falling hard for.
Stepping back, I ran my hand through my hair, shaking my head slightly. “Fuck, that wasn’t…”
She sat up, uncertainty crossing her face. “That wasn’t what?”
“Christy…that wasn’t supposed to happen…” The words died in my throat as I stared at her, wishing I could go back and do it all differently.
“What?” she whispered.
“Christy, I’m so sorry. This was a mistake…”
Her eyes glistened with unshed tears as she stared at me. I opened my mouth to say something, but before I got the chance, she quickly jerked her shirt closed and jumped off the table.
“Get the fuck out!”
“Christy—”
“Don’t you dare, Jack.”
“Let me explain,” I begged.
She scoffed, not giving me a chance to go on. “I was a mistake?”
“That’s not what I was saying,” I pleaded, but she didn’t want to hear it.
“You’re such a fucking asshole! How could you do this to me?” she shouted.
“Christy, I didn’t want this for you. I wanted—”
“I know exactly what you wanted,” she screamed as tears fell down her face. “You wanted a quick fuck and you got it!”
“No!”
“Get the fuck out! I don’t want to see you ever again!”
“Christy,” I tried again, but she shot me a glare that had me withering on the spot.
“I loved you!” she shouted, effectively shutting me up. The whole world stopped as I stared at her in astonishment. I didn’t know what to say. “For years, I loved you, I pined over you and did everything possible to make you want me, but you never did! And then you fell in love with Natalie and left me behind. I was never anything to you, and now that I’m back, you made me think you wanted more, but all you wanted was a quick fuck to get back in the game!”
She swiped angrily at her eyes as I continued to stand there like a dumbass. How had I not seen this?
“You loved me?” I whispered.
“All my fucking life, Jack! Why do you think I left? I hated the thought of coming home, of having to see the man that tore my heart out! Why do you think I didn’t want to spend time with you?”
I shook my head in confusion. “But you never said anything…”
“I tried to stay away from you,” she whispered. “I knew you would only break my heart.”
“Christy—”
“Get the fuck out!” She was breathing so hard that I thought she might be having a panic attack. “Please,” she whispered brokenly, standing there with her shirt wrapped tightly around her, like she was ashamed. “If you were ever my friend, you’ll walk away and leave me alone.”
“But you don’t understand,” I tried again.
“I can’t take any more from you, Jack.” She shook her head as the tears fell. “I need you to leave. Just go and leave me alone. It’s enough for one night.”
I swallowed hard, not wanting to leave her, but what else could I do? My mind was spinning out of control and I needed to think about what she told me. I couldn’t make another move without seriously thinking about what I wanted. She was right, I had hurt her enough, whether I knew it or not, and I couldn’t take another step in her direction without figuring out what I wanted.
My fingers itched to touch her, to go to her and hold her, but I knew I couldn’t do that. I took a step back, watching her tear-stained face as I finally made the decision to leave. Whether she needed me or not, she didn’t want me here and I had to respect that. Finding my keys on the ground, I snatched them up and headed for the door.
As I opened it, I tried to think of something to say to her, anything that could comfort her, but there was nothing I could say without possibly hurting her further. Closing the door behind me, I headed to my truck and got in. I thought of sitting on the curb all night, but she would only be pissed if she saw me. No, it was better that I go home and think about what she just admitted to me, because I had some decisions to make in my life.
22
Christy
Standing in the darkness with my pants around my ankles, I let the tears fall hard. How could I have been so stupid? He didn’t want me back then. Why did I assume that he wanted me now? I was convenient, someone he knew he would have fun with. That’s all I ever was to him.
Sniffling, I pulled up my pants, feeling his cum drip down my legs. I was so fucking stupid. I hadn’t even made sure he wore a condom. I was so caught up in him that I hadn’t protected myself. Screaming in frustration, I shoved the hair out of my face and plopped down in my seat just as the soun
d of breaking glass filled the room. I barely registered something hitting me until I fell to the floor, staring at the rock just a few feet from my head. Laying there for a few moments I tried to process what had just happened. I heard the roar of an engine as I stared dazedly in front of me.
The broken glass from the dishes was scattered on the floor. It reminded me of the night I walked in on Caleb and his mom. And that’s when I saw the blood seeping out in front of me. I ran my fingers through it, then rubbed them together. It was a strange out of body experience. Finally realizing that someone had thrown something through my window, I sat up and shuffled back, pressing myself against the wall out of sight of anyone. Despite hearing an engine roar off in the distance, I couldn’t be sure that I was truly alone.
Pulling out my phone, I tried to figure out who to call. I didn’t want to call 9-1-1, but I couldn’t call Jack either. That was completely out of the question. I searched the town Facebook page for any information on the sheriff’s department. Finally finding Carter’s number, I dialed it with shaky fingers and waited for him to answer.
“This is Carter.”
“C-Carter,” I said shakily, my whole body starting to go into meltdown mode, but I wasn’t sure if it was because of the rock or because of Jack using me so callously. “It’s Christy.”
“Is everything okay?”
“Um…someone threw a rock through my window,” I said, trying my best to not let my voice shake.
“Where’s Jack?”
“Don’t call him,” I said quickly, my voice catching in my throat. “Just…don’t tell him.”
“Christy, he would want to know.”
“No! Please…just…never mind. I’m fine. I just…” I stared around the dining room, wondering what the hell I was going to do now. I couldn’t have Jack coming over here. I would fall apart all over again. The last thing I needed tonight was for Jack to come rushing back over here. “I can call my parents.”
Four Horsemen: A Small Town Romance (A Good Run Of Bad Luck Book 5) Page 18