CHAPTER TEN
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LIZ
THE NIGHT I kicked Jake and Angela out of our house I didn’t attend the party at the club. I wanted to lie low and avoid Jake as much as possible. Thankfully, two days later, Monday, I got a call back from the manager who had interviewed me. I’d been offered the RN job at Nashville Medical Center.
After a week on the job, I was already exhausted, but loving every minute of it. The best part is, it kept my mind off Jake. As much as I didn’t want to admit it, thoughts of him filled my mind way too often. There’d been something there between us, more than just an intense attraction, moments of something deeper which wasn’t easy to forget.
When the next Friday rolled around, I was sprawled out on the couch in a t-shirt and sweatpants with a tub of popcorn and a good Netflix movie I’d been anxiously waiting to come available. Nix came down the steps dressed in his usual black boots, worn jeans, and his Club colors.
“You guys having a party tonight?”
“Yeah, you should come.”
“I’d rather not.”
“Guess who asked about you yesterday?” Nix picked up my feet, sat under them, then placed them on his lap.
“Dillon?”
“Jake.” Nix let out an amused laugh. “He had the nerve to ask me how you’re doing.”
Affection kindled then sparked in my gut. I immediately doused that feeling and kept watching the screen. “That’s nice. Did ya tell him to fuck off?”
“Sure did. Then he asked if Angela could stay at the Clubhouse.”
“She’s been staying with him all week?” My stomach did a loop-de-loop, and I swallowed down the lump that came up my throat.
“Must have been.”
I stared at the screen, but I had no idea what preview was showing on it. My mind was thinking of Angela being at Jake’s house all week and all the possibilities for their sexual relationship to spring back to life.
“Liz?”
“Hmm?” I turned my head to face him.
“Your phone is ringing.” Nix pointed to it on the end table.
I glanced at the screen. “It’s Jenna. I’ll call her back.”
“She probably wants you to come to the party with her.”
“How’s she know about it?”
“I told her about it.”
“When did you tell her?” I eyed him with my sisterly suspicion, a smile creeping along my lips, swelling my cheeks.
“I invited her to it when she came last Saturday night.”
“Hmm, guess you wanted to hang out with her again?”
Nix grinned. “She’s all right.”
I kicked my feet at his leg and smiled. “She’s more than all right if you’re inviting her to your party.”
Nix patted my ankles before standing to get away from the conversation about feelings. “You should come hang out. You’ve been working hard all week. You deserve a night off.”
“I’ll think about it.”
He headed to the door.
“Nix?”
“Yeah?”
“Did you let Angela stay at the club?”
“No. The moment Jake decided to stick his dick in her, she became his problem and no longer mine.”
That was my brother, cold and hard on the outside because inside was a sensitive core he had to protect. He never showed emotion about anything except for when it came to me. I was my brother’s weakness. It went back to when our mother had run off and our father told Nix he was going to have to become a man. Dad told him it was his job to help protect me. After Dad passed away, Nix took our father’s words to heart and protected me like his life depended on it. He beat the shit out of any bully in school who laid a hand on me and threatened every boy who liked me.
When our Uncle Dallas took us in that protectiveness grew. No one was allowed to tell me what to do except Nix. By the time I was fourteen, he was no longer just my brother, but also my parent. Eventually, when Nix saw how much Dallas loved me, he softened and took a backseat as a parent and started enjoying his young adult life. After Dallas passed away, his parental instincts kicked right back in. He was the one who made sure I got an education after graduating high school and fixed up Dallas’ Camaro for me to drive. Angela didn’t deserve a man like my brother, but Jenna sure did. I picked up my cell and called her back.
“Sorry I missed your call. Nix and I were talking. What are you up to?”
“I was hoping you’d come to the club with me tonight. Ashley can’t make it. She has to work and I don’t want to go by myself. Pleeeease go with me.”
“Yeah, I’ll go. I can tell Nix is looking forward to you coming. I can be ready in forty minutes.”
I rushed upstairs to get ready and was coming down the steps in a black, fitted, off-the-shoulder shirt, skinny jeans, and black knee-high boots when Jenna knocked on the door.
“Come in.”
Her eyes widened at the sight of me. “Damn girl. You look smokin’. Trying to get a date tonight?”
I shrugged my shoulders. “I wanted to look good.”
“Good? You look like you should come with a label called bottled sex. Every guy is going to want to have a drink of that,” she pointed her finger at me and motioned up and back down.
A smile spread my lips. “You look good too! Love the straight hair. How long did that take?”
“Too long. You ready?”
“Yeah.” I grabbed my keys and motioned her out the door.
When we arrived at the Clubhouse, I could tell it was already an active night. The music was loud and the parking lot was packed with bikes. We walked in and I couldn’t help scanning the place for Jake. He was at one of the pool tables with his back to me. I turned the opposite direction and started looking for Nix and my Aunt May, but I hadn’t moved fast enough. Trevor pointed my direction and Jake turned his head to look at me. His eyes locked on mine from several tables away, and yet, I still felt the heat of them on my body. I quickly avoided his gaze and followed Jenna through the crowd.
My Aunt May was at the same table as Nix. I kissed her cheek, taking the seat next to her. Nix pulled up a chair from another table and made room for Jenna to join us. When he put the chair next to him I gave Jenna a wink. She tried to contain her grin.
Aunt May patted my leg. “Nix says you got the job at NMC.”
“Yeah. I love it.”
“You must.” She raised her bottle of beer and paused before drinking. “It’s been keeping you busy. We haven’t seen you all week.”
“Work isn’t the only thing that’s been keeping me away.”
“I heard,” Aunt May frowned.
“What did you hear?”
“That Nix’s ex decided to show her face again, but this time she’s after Jake. She came with him tonight.” Aunt May nodded her head toward Angela who was walking toward Jake with a beer bottle in hand. Jake took it, and she whispered something in his ear, then placed her hand on his ass and squeezed.
My gut wrenched at the sight of it. “I’ll catch up with you later. I’m gonna get a drink.” At the bar, I made small talk with Jeff and swallowed down a shot before I chased it with a beer. Dillon slid into the stool next to me and winked. His kind smile was refreshing even though he had ditched me the last time I saw him.
“I’m sorry I ran out on you last time. You seemed like you didn’t want company, so I got out of there before it got uncomfortable.”
I gave him a reassuring smile. “You were right, I didn’t want company, but tonight I do.”
“Good.” His hand went to my knee. “You up for rescheduling dinner?”
“I am, yeah. Let’s not do Italian though. Why don’t you take me somewhere you like?”
“I know just the place.”
“I’m off on Tuesday if that works for you.”
“It’s perfect.” Dillon’s smile widened. He ordered us both another beer and we spent a while chatting about how he ended up in Nashville, a little about his bike, my new job, and his sexy accent.
An hour later my legs were between his and his hand was farther up my thigh. I wiggled out of his warm hand to use the bathroom and glanced back at him, knowing he was watching my ass. He gave an unashamed grin and went back to chugging on his beer. I came out of the bathroom to find Dillon waiting for me in the hallway. He moved me against the wall and set his eyes on mine.
“I’ve wanted to kiss you for some time now.” The palm of his hand took hold of my chin and lifted my lips to his. His lips were soft, skilled, and affectionate. He was a good kisser, but he didn’t excite me. I was disappointed; I barely felt anything with his kiss. His lips were suddenly torn from mine. I opened my eyes to Jake slamming Dillon into the opposite wall.
“You fucking touch her like that again, and I will beat the shit out of you, brother or not.”
“What the hell’s gotten into you, Jake? Your girl’s right out there.” Dillon pointed toward the front room.
“Jake, you need to leave.”
Jake’s dark, brown eyes settled on me. He grabbed a hold of my hand and pulled me down the hall with him. His grip didn’t loosen.
There was no way he was going to let me go even if I tried. He turned at the intersection and led me toward the offices and courtroom where the club members held their meetings. He opened the courtroom door and shut it behind us. My back was put up to the closest wall, his towering frame pinning me.
With one look in his hungry eyes, my frustration and desire instantly went to war. “What are you doing, Jake?”
His hand took hold of the wall, keeping me from slipping out. His other hand slid between my thighs and rubbed me forwards and back. My breath left me and my body tilted toward him.
“Jake,” his name left my lips in a hot, needy breath, completely betraying me.
“This,” he stroked me harder, “is mine. Don’t let another man touch you, Peach. I’ll put him in the hospital and I don’t think you want that.”
“What about—”
“What about no one?” His lips rubbed along my ear, followed by nips then sucking. “I’ve thought of you and only you, all week, Peach. I’d lay in bed stroking my cock, thinking about how you came apart for me that night.”
Hearing those words ignited me. Like a scorching fire, my body was flaming with latent need for his touch. “I haven’t stopped thinking of you either.”
Searing kisses traveled down my neck to my collarbone. His hand took hold of my shirt and pulled it down from my arm and chest, exposing my breast. “Tell me what you want. I want to do it all to you.”
His hand unbuttoned my jeans as his kisses trickled down my chest and nipped at the top of my breast. Slipping his hand into my jeans, his fingers cupped my soaking panties and rubbed them against my clit before brushing them aside and sliding his fingers into me. The moment he touched me, my body welcomed him, instantly moving against his hand, desperate for more of him. With quick, eager swipes of his fingers, he rubbed me until my knees grew weak and breathy moans escaped my lips. Freeing my breast from my bra, his tongue ravaged my nipple as his rough hand kneaded it in his palm.
“You don’t know what you do to me,” his voice graveled.
As his fingers dove and stroked, his tongue nipped and sucked. My head tilted back against the wall. I was useless, completely back under this man’s control and I hated myself for how much I wanted him.
“Jake—”
“Say it, Peach. I want to hear the filthy words from your sweet mouth.”
“Make me come, Jake. I want you to make me come.”
“I love hearing those words from your lips.”
He withdrew his fingers from me, grabbed my hips and pulled my legs up around his waist. His erection pushed right into me, and I tightened my hips against him as his lips covered mine, invading my mouth, and pulling moans from me with each breath I took.
My back hit the courtroom table and his hands were quickly pawing at my jeans, sliding them off my hips. His mouth came down on my opening, and with one slick lick of his tongue, he started from the top, slowly licked down, then back up, before sliding his tongue in, working me into a gyrating, mewling mess.
“This has to be what Heaven feels like.”
“This isn’t Heaven, Peach. There’s no way a man like me would be allowed in.”
His fingers slid in and stroked me greedily while his other unbuttoned his pants. He stood and lowered his jeans over his hips. His erection sprung forward hard, tight, and long. I reached for him, stroking him in my hand. He put both hands on the table and kissed and sucked along my neck as he thrust himself into my hand.
“Tell me who you belong to.”
His words stopped me, freezing every part of my arousal like ice. I wanted to say I belonged to him, but did I? Or more importantly did he belong to me? Angela had to mean something to him, he’d had her at his house all week and brought her with him tonight. As much as my body was yearning to be claimed and devoured by Jake, I had to protect my heart. Irritated, I shoved him off me.
“I can’t belong to you. You seem to already have someone.” I stood and brought my jeans over my hips. “I think this was a mistake.”
“Peach, don’t leave.” He quickly pulled his jeans over his hips and buttoned them.
“Even if you wanted to take me home, Jake,” I turned back and set my eyes on his, “you can’t. There’s already a woman at your house. One you used to sleep with behind my brother’s back and probably have been sleeping with all week.”
“It only happened that one time, before I met you.” He moved between me and the door.
“Are you serious right now?”
“Listen to me.” He took hold of my arm and I yanked it from his grip. “I was drunk, Peach. I wasn’t thinking. We were at a party. She came onto me. I was too damn drunk to turn it down.”
“You… disgust me. Stay away from me.” I tried to move past him, but he adjusted his footing, blocking me still.
“You’re angry. You don’t mean that.”
“I mean it. My brother was right.” I could feel the hot tears stinging my eyes. “You’re an asshole. You don’t give a damn who you hurt.”
“Peach, don’t walk out.”
The door behind him opened. My gaze raked over the redhead behind him, then returned to him.
“Excuse me, Jake. Your girlfriend’s here.”