Jake
“Dude, get off my site. We’re done, you got me? Fucking done.”
My biceps flexed under my thermal shirt, ready for a rumble. This ass was testing my patience. He’d defaulted on every item in our deal, and Lane wasn’t here to negotiate or sweet-talk him off the property, so I was handling shit the way I normally did. With brawn and a few threatening dirty looks.
My soon-to-be ex-contractor glared at me. “That’s bullshit. Fuck you. I’m building your muscle house as fast as I can, dude.”
“Not fast enough.”
When I puffed out my chest and got up in his face, he shoved me backward. Good thing that my new foreman, Jax, was standing behind me. He caught my aggressive ass and held me in a lockdown.
“You’re through,” I told the piece-of-crap contractor, and kicked some dirt up with my foot to emphasize my point.
“I should call the cops,” he shouted as a little spittle ran down the side of his mouth.
“But you won’t,” I tossed back. “You got a record a mile long, so get the hell out.”
Lucky guess. Took one tough guy to know another. I watched the loser kick the door of his truck before climbing in, and then he tore out of the parking lot, kicking up gravel as he did.
Jax and I had visited the site the night before and he was up-to-date with what I needed, so I headed out and left him to it. I had another project to attend to; I was a regular businessman now.
The thought made me laugh to myself as I rumbled down the highway in my Hummer. The Bimmer was gone, and I was now the proud owner of a new venture. Another step toward ridding myself of the heavy burden on my back that I was chipping away at bit by bit. I didn’t deserve full forgiveness, but at least I could salvage a small piece of my heart.
My phone rang, interrupting my pride fest.
“Yo, Bess, what’s up? All good?”
Without even a hello, she went right for the jugular. “I told you not to get involved with her, didn’t I?”
I was an idiot. Rather than punching the dash and veering my car into oncoming traffic, I slapped my hand against the steering wheel. I should have known Camper would go to Bess and play the poor victim. I was so damn angry with myself for ever starting with the bitch, and of course my sister-in-law was right to say I told you so.
“Bess, babe, she’s cray—the crazy kind of cray—and she knew what she was getting into. I’m not a commitment man like my brother.”
She laughed. “He wasn’t a commitment man either, if I recall. All it takes is the right girl. But Camper wants it all on a silver platter, and I told both of you to let it be.”
“Well, it’s not within Camper to listen. That girl can be so freaking fake. You don’t even know the half of it. She’s pissed at you now too, by the way.”
“I know. She called me with her pity-party-for-one, wanting to know how I ended up happy and she didn’t.”
“Because she’s always trying to trade up, looking for an edge. You need to cool it with her. She’s not a good friend, Bess.” I flicked on my turn signal and took the next exit, veering right toward my destination.
“I hear you, Jake. But you didn’t listen either. I’ve got your best interests at heart, not because you’re my brother-in-law but because I love ya. Who rescued me when everything went south with AJ? And who got Lane and me to see clearly? You.”
“Bess, don’t get all mushy on me,” I said while sitting at a stoplight.
“Seriously, what about you? You doing okay? Lane said you’re still in therapy. Are you feeling any better?”
“I’m good. Better than ever. Honestly. In fact, I gotta go because I got something new going on.”
“Come visit soon?”
“Yeah,” I said before ending the call.
As far as sisters-in-law went, Bess could be nosy, but her heart was in the right place. At the very least, it wasn’t covered in muck like mine.
At a few minutes before seven, I pulled my Hummer up to the curb in front of Alyson’s building and hopped out. Running my hands through my wet hair, I ran up the steps and threw open the door to find my date leaning against the banister at the back of the hallway.
“Hey, Aly,” I called out, feeling like Rocky Balboa when he yelled, “Hey, Adrian!” He was a stupid jock, his only asset his strength, and she was a gorgeous, classy specimen of a woman.
I loved the way Alyson’s nickname rolled off my tongue like an ultra-smooth Scotch after a long day at work. It coursed through my body with the satisfaction of sliding deep inside a woman splayed out on silk sheets.
The girl was too good for me, but Jesus Christ, I couldn’t help but want her anyway. I had brute strength and power, but I didn’t have a heart worthy of giving to a girl like her. I’d have to settle for doing something worthwhile for the lady, and if we ended up with a little time between the sheets, who was I to say no?
I took a glance around and said, “Let’s blow this joint.” Her apartment building was even seedier on the inside than on the outside. I needed to get the hell out of there quickly because if we stayed there one more second, I was going to throw the chick over my shoulder and never bring her back.
“Okay,” she said softly. The tough lawyer from jail was gone, leaving behind a woman who looked extremely nervous. If I had to guess, this lady was married to her career. Dating took a backseat—the way-back row—to the initials after her name.
I held the door open and Legs walked through, her dewy scent tickling my nose as I took in her curves, and just like that my cock joined the party. Down, boy, I instructed, but it seemed as though my dick had a mind of his own. Before joining Aly outside, I turned back toward the building and adjusted myself, pretending to be careful not to slam the door closed.
“How do you feel about sushi?” I asked, my words tumbling out faster than I wanted as I ran past her down the steps to open the truck door for her. My grandmother taught me that move.
“I like it,” she said with a small smile. “I’m not as adventurous as most, but I can make my way through a few rolls.” She slid her legs into the Hummer, barely needing any help to hop inside, and I leaned over to buckle her in. “I can do it myself,” she said as she batted my hand away, and her feistiness made me smile.
I walked around the front of the vehicle and hopped inside, threw the transmission into DRIVE, and asked, “All set?”
My heart was beating faster than during any workout. After all, I’d never been much of a “dater.” I was more into friends with benefits and one-night stands, but Alyson wasn’t that type, and I didn’t want her to be.
“All good. New vehicle?” she asked, stroking a finger along the leather interior.
“Nah, this is my regular ride. In fact, I unloaded the other one this week.”
I pulled away from the curb and headed back toward town, thinking the sushi bar at one of the local luxury hotels would be both romantic and fun. What the fuck did I know about dating?
“Oh,” she said, then looked out the window without saying anything more.
There was a brief silence, and I needed a filler. It was too soon to toss out what I planned to say later in the evening, so I went for plan B.
“I got a little surprise for you.” I hit the touchscreen for the radio and hit CD. The disc dropped into place and skipped to track three. The drumbeat kicked in and the lyrics followed behind.
“I’ve lost my mind on what I’d find, and all the pressure left behind on Allison Road,” blared through the interior of the truck.
I caught Alyson pursing her lips out of the corner of my eye, and at first I felt as if I’d fucked up, but then she burst out giggling.
“I thought you hated this song?” she said, mocking me with a raised eyebrow.
“It’s my new favorite,” I teased back, and soon there was no more awkward silence.
“Turn it off,” she said with a dramatic, yet good-natured grimace. “What do you normally listen to?”
“Rock, some hip-hop, and Miley Cyrus.”
“Stop!” She let out a belly laugh, clutching her stomach.
Her smile was wide, and her glossy lips tempted me. If her laughter didn’t sound so fucking great, I would have shut her up with my own lips. It had been a long time since I’d heard honest-to-God real laughter.
“Go ahead,” I told her. “Put on whatever you like.”
Her finger trembled a little as she pushed the button for XM station twenty-five, and “Beast of Burden” by the Rolling Stones filled the truck.
“Good choice.” I nodded in approval.
“What did you do with your car?”
Her question caught me off guard. Not yet. It still wasn’t time to explain.
“I made a better investment. And you, where do you park your car back at your place?” I asked, looking for a quick change of subject.
“I don’t have a car. I can drive . . . I mean, I know how and have a license, but no car. It’s part of the reason why I continue to live in Oakland. I usually take the bus. I used to borrow my mom’s car up until a couple of years ago.”
I glanced at her to find she was staring at her lap as she spoke, as if she were ashamed of her own words.
“That’s cool,” I said. “Probably better for the environment than this big hunk of junk, but lots of neighborhoods are on the bus line.”
“Yeah, I know. Someday soon, I’m going to move. I have some expenses I can’t control right now.”
I nodded as if I understood, but I didn’t. Lane and I grew up middle-class and comfortable, and now he was a millionaire mogul who up until recently had bailed me out of all my mistakes.
Now I was doing well on my own, and wasn’t wanting for anything. Except maybe for love.
As of a few months ago, I didn’t even know I wanted that—someone to love me. But now there was this woman in the passenger seat, a woman I barely knew, and I’d made up my mind to grow up, not to let Lane cover for my sorry ass anymore. I wanted to be good—no, great—not just for myself but for Alyson. Prove myself worthy of managing my own life, and then maybe I could take care of her. Because from the look of things, she could use a little help.
Although I had no clue where this sudden inspiration was coming from, I was in for the whole ride. I’d never been one to back down from a dare or a bet, and I was betting it all on this lady.
The truth was, I wanted Alyson in every way. I wanted to slide my hands up and down her long limbs, run my calloused palms along her curves while I buried my face between her thighs.
Was she a natural redhead? God, my cock sprang to life again at the thought. What was it about redheads? It wasn’t just their fiery hair or famous tempers, but the creamy skin that usually came along with their vibrant coloring. Aly probably pinked up in a matter of seconds. I imagined a blush would spread all over her body as I sucked on her nipples or ran my tongue down her stomach, dipping into her belly button before grazing her clit, and the thought of it almost made me come in my pants. My breath stirred at the thought of my red handprint on her ass, and I had to force myself to think of the accounting reports on my desk at the gym.
But that’s not all I imagined. With this girl, I wanted something I’d never wanted before. To be a better man. For her. For me.
I wanted to get down on my hands and knees and pray to a God I didn’t believe in for forgiveness for my past transgressions. If need be, I would beg for a second chance to be deserving of some goodness, even if it only was for a short while.
The city slipped past our windows, and as the skyscrapers came into view, I veered right toward the hotel valet. A giant sign for the Fish House hung above us as we got out of the truck, the red and blue neon reflecting off Alyson’s faded jeans and beat-up leather jacket.
She looked stunning dressed casually tonight, so different from when I first saw her in the jail. The jacket covered a white T-shirt, and layered necklaces wrapped around her neck, mingling with her long hair that was loose and blowing in the breeze. She was so real, and I was such a shell of nothing. I wanted to warn her, tell her to run away fast, but I didn’t. Couldn’t.
Throwing caution to the wind, I slung my arm around her and guided her into the hotel, tossing the keys to the valet. I came here often, usually by myself, but now as I walked into the lobby with Aly by my side, I regretted the few times I’d brought other women.
Aly’s mouth dropped open as we entered the fancy lobby. “Wow.” The single word came out hushed and breathless.
“You’ve never been inside here?” I asked.
She shook her head. “It’s stunning.”
“I like it okay. Food’s good. Hotel’s a client of my brother’s, so they treat me right.”
Aly stopped walking and took a moment to take it all in, spinning around, her eyes wide and her expression enraptured. Glass ceilings soared high overhead, and a cascading waterfall trickled through the middle of the lobby.
Her reaction surprised me. “Where you been hiding, girl? You were this cocky, brazen lawyer in jail. Is that the only place you go?”
I regretted the words the minute they left my mouth, but I couldn’t help it. I didn’t understand. She’d sat across the table from me in jail, all formidable and full of herself, and now she was timid and intimidated, as if she’d never been anywhere before. What the fuck? I felt like shit. Obviously I was missing something.
Aly deflated in front of me, the awe she’d been enjoying now gone. “I grew up poor,” she said in a low voice, not meeting my eyes. “I assumed it was fairly obvious, and now that I have some money, I don’t really spend it.”
Relief flooded through me. This I could handle.
“Well, good thing I don’t believe in going dutch or ladies paying, so let’s go eat and enjoy, Aly Road.” Snatching her hand, I led her toward the sushi joint with a smile playing on my face for the first time in . . . a long time. I was already doing good for someone else.
Me, Jake Wrigley, who only had ever done wrong, was spreading a little happiness.