“Yeah well, I’m not a game player. I prefer blunt and honest.”
His smile grew wider then. “See, already something else to like about you. Come on, just think of it as a business arrangement. I’ll even enter into a verbal pact with you, with both our club’s prime members as witnesses, that I won’t lay claim to any of the business when our time is up.”
I stood there, having exited the cab just after his spiel, and stared at him. “Okay, well what about appearances?”
His confusion was evident as he asked, “what do you mean?”
“I mean, we live in a small town. If you’re out banging women left and right, or I’m hooking up with someone, word would spread, and…”
His jaw clenched tightly as I spoke. I could see the tick in it as he ground his teeth together. “Obviously, we have some things to work through. Details need to be discussed, but I’d hope neither of us would purposely do anything to make the other look bad.” When he finished grinding out the words he looked away, and appeared to be trying to implement some sort of breathing technique.
“Yeah, obviously.” I damn near snorted.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“I don’t know you!” My words came out panicked, almost a shout. “You’re getting bent out of shape, but the only thing I know about you is that up until we were in that tattoo shop, you’ve been nothing but mean to me. You threatened to buy out my garage from my asshole brother, you insinuated to all of our friends that Tash and I were both frigid bitches. Then you told the cabbie basically the same thing about me, and now you’re angry because you’re proposing a business transaction of a wedding and I want to know if, and how, you plan on humiliating me again.” I sucked in a deep breath and let it out slowly. “If it were just about me, I could let it all roll off, but when those actions would have a direct impact on my business, I’d be a fool not to question everything.”
His shoulders went from stiff to drooping in a nanosecond as I spoke. “You’re right. I’m sorry. I did say we each had our own baggage. I have my own shit to learn to deal with. We can play the whole thing out however you want. If you want to make a real serious, monogamous relationship, fine. If you want to have a discrete understanding, we’ll work it out. If for some reason you want to play nun and monk for five years, I’ll try really hard to accommodate that.”
“What do you get out of this deal that you’re willing to offer up a no-sex clause for five years?” I ask, not able to hide the shock in my voice.
“I told you, garage space.”
“Bullshit,” I countered. “The guys would build you a space if you needed it that bad. I thought we were being honest with one another? No games, remember?”
“Fine. It gives me a place to hide while I lick my wounds and figure out what I want out of life.” When I simply quirked my eyebrow up in question, waiting for what exactly he’d be hiding from, Steel just breathed out. “My baggage is heavy, JoJo. I just need to store it for now. I promise I’ll tell you all about it soon, if we agree to do this.” This great big man before me suddenly seemed to have the weight of the world riding his shoulders. He also wore a somewhat defeated look that had me ease back a bit.
“If I agree to this business deal of a marriage, um,” indecision rolled through me at the same time the realization dawned that this was probably my best, if not my only, shot at keeping my garage. “How do we go about doing this?”
“That’s the easy part. We can round everyone up, if you like, and go to a chapel or just the two of us.”
“I’d rather just the two of us,” I started to say as I watched his shoulders drop again. “But,” I continued. “The girls would kill me if they were this close and I didn’t invite them to my wedding. No matter how crazy it is, or that it's just a business venture. It’s still my first, and hell likely my only one.”
“Okay, so should I text Sweet and Quickshot, or no?”
“I can’t believe I’m about to do this,” I managed to choke out.
“Me either. I definitely didn’t see this happening when I left the Dakotas.”
“Go ahead and let them know.” I pointed just beyond his shoulder. “Let them know there’s a chapel in the hotel. We can meet them there.”
Steel glanced back over his shoulder. “Well, that’s convenient,” he mumbled as his thumbs flew over his cell phone. I snapped out of my shocked stupor long enough to shoot off a group text to Angel Girl, Keys, and Tash.
JoJo – I’m getting married. Meet us in chapel of our hotel.
Tash – LOL
Keys – OMG! Are you serious?
Keys – Wait! You’re marrying Mr. Clean?
Tash – LOL
Tash – Mr. Clean?
Keys – You know, the cleaning product commercial guy. Bald head. Muscles.
Tash – LOL You guys are ridiculous tonight.
Keys – I thought it would be Eddie.
JoJo – Eddie’s girlfriend is about to give birth. That would be wrong on too many levels.
Keys – Wait! So, how the hell did you decide on Mr. Clean?
JoJo – He offered.
Keys – Quick says he’s not entirely surprised by that.
JoJo – Well, that makes one of us. Just get here, quick, please.
“Quick says they’re en route back to the hotel now. Less than 15 minutes. No response from Sweet though. I don’t think they’re all together.”
“Okay, well, Angel didn’t respond either.” I shrugged. “They’re probably doing a second honeymoon thing themselves. We’ll have three witnesses with Tash, Quick, and Keys though so that will do. Should we go in and get the ball rolling?” I ask, suddenly feeling like a bowling ball was weighing my stomach down.
“Thought we were waiting for them?”
“I’m assuming we have some sort of paperwork to get done. We could get started while we wait.” He tipped his head up and down once and then turned and placed his hand on my lower back in order to guide me to the door. “This is crazy,” became my mantra on repeat through my head as we walked. Just outside the chapel Steel stopped and spun me to look at him.
“It’s no crazier than strangers who do this, or those poor saps who believe in love at first sight. Arranged marriages have been going on for ages to benefit families, and in some way, what we’re doing is at least something we are both agreeing to. We’re not going in completely blind.” Well, damn. He made sense while I blushed because I hadn’t realized I’d actually been mumbling my crazy mantra out loud. “Are you ready?” He asked as he held the door open for me.
“I could use a drink, or five, but we might as well get this show on the road now, and get drunk after,” I admitted.
“At least this way, your brother can’t protest the marriage on grounds that we were intoxicated.”
I blanched then. “I hadn’t thought of that. Could he do something like that?”
“Desperate people will try anything. Maybe we should opt for the video of the ceremony. Then we have proof beyond paperwork.” Steel and I walked up to the desk where a bubbly blond, who seemed to be all tits and legs, stood to greet us. Actually, I think she stood up only so that she could eye-fuck Steel that much harder.
“Well, hello there!” She called out to him flirtatiously. “My, but you are one huge man. Are you here for the Parker ceremony? If so, you’re really early.”
Steel narrowed his eyes on the woman as I took in the fact that brunette roots were showing. “We,” he pointed between himself and me, “want to get married.” The woman looked down her nose at me, then up to Steel, then back at me again before she spoke.
“Are you sure?” She cooed to him.
“Jenna!” A man’s sharp voice rang out. “Get in back. I’ll handle the customers.” The man, who was probably the woman’s dad, smiled broadly at us. “Sorry about that. Jenna’s new here. How can I help the two of you?”
“We’d like to get married, and we’ll take the video option too.” Steel told him as he pull
ed out his wallet.
“When would you like to…” the man didn’t even finish before Steel answered.
“Now.” Steel’s no-nonsense tone made the man flinch before he looked down at me.
“I’ll need some ID from both of you. Also, will you be needing witnesses, or?” The door opened and our boisterous friends trailed through cat-calling to us as they got closer. “So, you brought your own then,” the man guessed as I offered him a tight lipped smile in response. Once everything was filled out, we followed the man to an altar in a tiny little chapel area with a floral arbor for the backdrop. It took about ten minutes to get through the vows and then Reverend Ryan Davis pronounced us husband and wife and told Steel, whose real name was apparently Romeo Briggs, that he could kiss the bride.
I gasped in response as Steel picked me up, forcing me to wrap my legs around his hips for balance before he laid the most exhilarating kiss I’d ever had in my life on my lips. At first it was just the two of us in this fiery, passionate embrace, and then the hoots and hollers from our friends began to register. As we pulled away, Steel cleared his throat and whispered into my ear.
“That will look good for the video.” I hid my face in the crook between his neck and shoulder momentarily. Holy hell, the man had my panties drenched with that kiss and he’d staged it to look good for the video?
“Can you put me down now?” I finally asked.
“I can’t believe you just did that!” Keys was damn near shouting in her excitement as she pulled me in for a hug.
“That makes two of us,” I offered in a shaky voice.
“What was up with that kiss?” Her whispered question was almost a punch to the gut when I answered a little bitterly.
“Video proof that our wedding really happened, and we were excited about it.”
“Oh.” She hissed the word out as she pulled away giving me a knowing look. There was no way to hide how rattled I was from my best friend. She knew me too well. “We need to go get drunk and celebrate!” She finally shouted to distract everyone while I pulled myself together.
“Could I get two of you to sign as witnesses before you head out?” Reverend Ryan called out. Keys and Quickshot stepped forward and signed our marriage certificate. Tash came over and gave me a hug.
“Sorry that Angel wasn’t here. I tried to call and text, but you know, she’s with Sweet. They’re probably in bed with the phones off.” I just smiled. It wasn’t like this was a planned wedding about two people being in love. It was more like a contractual obligation. My biggest disappointment of the night wasn’t the fact that Angel never showed. It was that the incredible kiss I’d just had with my new husband damn near wrecked me, and it was all for show. Either way, I was now a married woman.
“Come on princess,” I do believe you required a drink, or five, right?” Steel’s voice gripped me in a way it hadn’t before the kiss. I wasn’t sure what to do about it. He grabbed my small hand, engulfing it with his much larger one, and tugged me along behind him. Steel also had a black and white bag in his other hand that proclaimed, “Just Married,” across its front. I assumed it contained our marriage certificate and video evidence.
Chapter 4
I awoke with a blazing inferno of heat at my back and a strong arm locked around my waist and snaking upwards, leading to the hand that was cupping my left breast completely. Sharp, throbbing pain at my temples hammered away at my skull every time I attempted to open my eyes.
“Go back to sleep, babe.” Steel’s voice penetrated my hangover fog. The usual depth to his voice was accompanied by a slight gravelly quality thanks to his sleepiness. I continued to lie there and just breathe as I took in my situation. I was married, so it was okay that I was twined up with the man in my bed. Naked. Right? Nothing to freak out over. At least I knew what happened.
We all got drunk in the casino bar and finally made our way back to our suite where we drank some more before everyone started coupling up and moving to bedrooms. Tash and the man she’d picked up in the casino bar downstairs were the first to take off. They simply left the suite, and went to his. I assumed Sweet and Angel may have rented another room for more privacy. None of us knew, because they never showed last night. They weren’t there for the wedding, and not for the celebration we’d had in the bar downstairs either. When it was only Steel and me left in the common area of the suite, I laughed and positioned myself in front of him. “I guess we are required to consummate the marriage, huh?”
He smiled down at me then while wrapping an arm around my waist. “If that’s what the lady wants,” was his growled out response before he used the arm around my hips to haul my ass up onto the countertop we’d been standing in front of. “Don’t think you have to do this. I’m game if you want it though.” I leaned in and kissed him, which was answer enough about what I wanted. Since Tash had left with her hook-up for the night that left our bedroom free, so that’s where we headed together.
We barely made it through the bedroom door before his shirt was up and over his head, falling to the floor. Mine quickly followed it thanks to his insistent hands. As it drifted to the floor Steel’s gaze likewise drifted down. He took in the red lace bra I’d been wearing under my top. Thank goodness the girls had taken me lingerie shopping before our quick jaunt to Vegas. “Just in case I met someone there,” they’d all said to me. I don’t think anyone imagined it would be my wedding night attire though.
“So fuckin’ sexy,” Steel rasped out before running his large, tanned hand down my chest and further still, moving his fingers over my abs until he came to the waistband of my jeans and popped the button holding them closed. The zipper was next, going down because he willed it to. Okay, his fingers helped the process, but really the pressure they exerted against me as they slid the zipper down was taking all of my attention. Steel leaned in closer as he gripped both sides of my waistband and began tugging my jeans down my legs. “Mmm,” he moaned. “You smell so sweet, like a damn cupcake. What kind of perfume do you wear?”
“None. It’s probably just my body wash. Vanilla.” My explanation came out breathier than I’d ever sounded.
“Don’t ever change it. Jesus, I want to dive in and eat you up.”
My alcohol infused brain kicked up my flirty side a notch when I groaned out my response. “Be my guest!” Steel smiled down at me again then as he pulled my pants from each foot, one by one.
“Don’t mind if I do.” Then his face was buried in my red lace-covered crotch where he tugged at the flimsy material of the panties with his teeth. The hot breath he released with each subsequent, playful movement left me gasping, and simultaneously begging for more as my hips flexed forward.
“Steel!” His name came out on a sigh. “Please,” I begged.
As he stood before me, he latched onto my thighs, pulling me up into the air as he went. I cried out as he followed through with that movement by tossing me onto the bed. The smile he wore when I squeaked upon landing brightened his features, making him look younger. Whatever baggage he was carrying around about his ex made him look older than his 28 years. Hell, now, I was plotting ways to make him smile more often. At first, I watched as he pulled the motorcycle boots off his feet. When his hands moved to release the button of his jeans, I reached behind me to pop the clasps free on my bra. I let the material slide slowly down my front as his pants dropped. Steel’s gaze never wavered from what I was doing, even when he stepped out of his jeans and moved closer to the bed – to me – only wearing a pair of tight black boxer briefs that did nothing to hide the burgeoning size of his erection.
Steel moved like a predator. He was all slow, graceful, sinewy movement as he crawled up the bed towards me. My head was spinning. Whether from the alcohol I had consumed all night, or the fact that I was actually lust-drunk, I couldn’t be certain.
What I was sure of was the dilation in his pupils, the wanting that engulfed his features and made him appear both softer and harder all at once. This was not the same Steel who had blo
wn me off only days ago. This man was on a mission, and as he already had my panties pulled halfway down my legs before I knew what was happening, I was in for a wild ride with this version of Steel.
Maybe we could work with five years of marriage. We’d just have to stay buzzed and sexed up to like each other. Honestly, it didn’t sound like a bad plan, especially as he descended into the depths of me. Steel’s tongue ran up one thigh and then the other before swiping straight up my center where he stopped to suck my clit fully into his hungry mouth. “Oh my God!” I yelped out as white hot electric currents pulsed and zapped their way through my body.
He moaned into my sensitive flesh, causing more ripples of excitement to course through me with every vibration.
“So fuckin’ sweet, babe. Your smell. Your taste. Jesus.” His praise seemed to be wrenched from him almost involuntarily. Not that I was complaining as he ducked his head back down and latched onto me again, sucking, and lightly pulling at me with his teeth. Oh my sweet lord! I’ve had men go down on me before. Two to be exact, but they were both pale comparisons for what was happening between my legs. This man could, and should, teach classes to other, lesser, men. Every woman I know would gladly pay a year’s salary if they could get their man to eat pussy this well. I’m not sure what exactly he was doing, but I lost the ability to form any further coherent thoughts as his work culminated in a fiery bliss that wrapped around my center and exploded outward, tingling through every cell of my body, and leaving me breathless. Panting. Stars burst behind my eyes and I, in turn, became a pool of liquid bliss.
When I came back to myself, his weight was balanced over top of me as his eyes glimmered and shined down on me. “That,” I started, and swallowed thickly before being able to continue. “Best wedding present ever,” I joked. Steel laughed and leaned closer causing his erection, which was no longer covered by his missing boxer briefs, to poke into my thigh. In turn, I automatically spread my legs further apart like the little wanton slut he’d managed to turn me into with a few well-placed licks of his tongue.
JoJo (S.H.E Book 2) Page 4