Chapter Eleven
Jordan
When I get to the place Jay texted me, I see there’s a crowd already forming near the bar.
“I’m going to the bar,” McCoy says, walking around me and making a beeline for it.
“Grab me one,” I say and he throws his hand up and signals he heard me.
I scan the place, and it takes only a second before I spot my chestnut beauty toward the back. She’s surrounded by several people I know by face, but not because I’ve met them. I probably know more about their lives than any of them would like, but it’s the nature of the beast.
“Hey.” She pops up from her seat, all smiles and red cheeks. “This is everybody. Everybody, this is Jordan.” She waves around to the group of women, who all look at me with knowing smiles.
I wonder for a second what she’s been telling them, but then the one to her right fills me in. “Yes, we know all about you. I’m Skyler.” She holds up her drink in toast before she smiles at me.
“Nice to meet you,” I say, walking around and taking Jay’s hand. I’ve seen Skyler a few times, and I appreciate that she’s direct. She gives off a cold vibe, but that’s definitely not a bad thing.
“Mallory,” I say, nodding to her as she sips her water.
“Hey, Jordan. Is he outside?” she asks, looking over her shoulder.
“Right by the door. Don’t worry. Paige and Captain are keeping him company.”
I got to know Mallory a little when I was assigned to her security detail. But I’m not normally her protection and am usually a last resort. The whole team is trained in combat, and we all know how to use a gun, but I’m usually the one behind the computer when it comes down to it.
“It’s fine. I think I’m ready to go.” She winks at Skyler before placing her empty plates on the table and standing up. She tells everyone bye, and before she can make it halfway to the exit, Miles is by her side. She shakes her head, but I see the look they give one another.
“They’re kind of cute in a gross way,” Skyler says and then leans over to talk to the woman on the other side of her.
“I think they’re sweet,” Jay says, and I lean over to be closer to her.
“I think you’re sweeter.” I kiss her below her ear and savor her shiver under my lips.
“Guess I’ll take this empty seat,” McCoy says, and hands me my beer.
He plops down between two women who work in marketing and starts chatting them up. The redhead on his left is Lori. She’s recently divorced, and her supervisor is waiting to make his move. He’s over by the bar, pretending not to stare at her as she flirts with McCoy. The woman on the right is Corey. She works weekends at a strip club to help support her younger brother and sick mom.
“What are you thinking about?” Jay asks me as she holds my hand and sips her wine.
“Just how I know so much about these people, but none of them know me.”
She frowns. “Do you think I know you?”
“Better than anyone. Probably as much as my pop.”
“Are we still going to see him on Sunday?” She brightens when she asks, like she’s genuinely excited.
“There’s no way you’re getting out of it. I called him this morning and he’s beside himself.”
I called him on the way to work, and he sounded like he’d been waiting for this call. He told me he’d make a special dinner and not to be late. I knew he was excited because he didn’t remind me to bring his scratch-off.
“Maybe I’ll make something to bring. Does he like cake?” she asks, leaning into my side.
I wrap my arm around her, and for anyone looking at us, it’s clear we’re together. There’s no hiding the look on her face and the one I’m pretty sure is on mine.
“Little bird, every man likes cake made by a beautiful woman.”
She beams at my compliment, and I vow to give her more of them.
I look over to see the redhead McCoy is talking to flipping her hair and touching his arm. He doesn’t look to be enjoying it, but she doesn’t stop. In the distance, I see the supervisor getting worked up at the blatant flirtation. For a second I think she might not notice, but then I see her glance ever so slightly out of the corner of her eye at her boss.
“Maybe we should get out of here,” I whisper to Jay.
“Why?” A look of disappointment crosses her face, but before I have a chance to explain, all hell breaks loose.
The boss must have had one too many drinks in him, because he clearly doesn’t see the size difference between him and McCoy as he lunges for him. McCoy reacts instinctively and blocks him, tossing him into the middle of our group, sending him crashing down on the table.
Drinks and food go flying, and Skyler is on her feet, cursing a streak that would make a sailor blush. Lori covers her mouth, but I can see her shoulders shaking. She’s trying to cover her laugh as she goes to help the poor guy who just got laid out with an arm drag. McCoy always did love wrestling.
Corey shakes her head and pulls out some bills for the drinks when McCoy stops her. They exchange some words, and she takes off, leaving him there with his mouth open.
I look down and see Jay is in my lap and I’ve got her turned away from the wreckage. Without even thinking, I wrapped her up and protected her, and she came straight into my arms.
“Ready to go?” I ask, tucking her closer to me.
“I am now.”
I stand her up on her feet as people from the restaurant come over and help clean up the mess. Lori and her boss are arguing in hushed voices, while McCoy has his eyes glued on the door Corey exited.
“You okay to handle this?” I look around at the mess, and he finally snaps out of his trance.
“Yeah, yeah. We’re good.”
I nod to him as I tug Jay’s hand behind me, helping her out of the bar. I hear her say her goodbyes over her shoulder to a steamed Skyler and the group she was with.
“I just don’t get it,” she says. “Why didn’t she just tell that guy how she felt instead of creating a scene?”
“You caught all that?” I ask, feeling pride at how she paid attention to her surroundings.
“Oh, I see more than most people give me credit for. It’s the reason I’m so good at my job. I can sit in a meeting and afterwards tell Miles about a hundred things he didn’t catch. And it’s how I’m able to get what I want from most people.”
“And what do I want?” I bring our joined hands up to my mouth and kiss hers.
She bites her lip as she takes her hand from mine and waves for a taxi. “I think you want to come back to my place.”
“I think you’re on to something.”
As soon as we’re in the back of the cab, she’s on me. She climbs on my lap, straddling my legs, and I give her the kiss she’s after. It’s burning hot, and when she tastes my tongue, I grip her hips tighter.
“Fuck,” I grit against her lips, rubbing my hands over every part of her.
Her hands are in my hair, and she moans just as the cab driver is beating on the glass and yelling at us to sit in our seats.
I pull her off of me—I don’t want an audience for this—and sit her beside me, not touching.
“You stay on your side and behave,” I say, trying to catch my breath.
Jesus, that was like a tornado. One second I was sitting in a cab and the next I was about to fuck Jay to within an inch of her life in the middle of Times Square.
“I’ll be good if you stop being hot.” Her smile turns into a laugh, and I reach out, touching her cheek. “Hey. No touching,” she chides, pointing a finger at me.
“Fine.” I cross my arms, and she glares at me.
“Okay. Maybe a little touching.” She places her hand on the seat, palm up, ready for me to hold it.
I’m not strong enough to deny her, and so I place my hand in hers. Then after a moment of hesitation, I bring it to my mouth and start to kiss her knuckles.
“I can’t help it,” I say when she gives me a look. “I like having my mouth on you.” I run the tip of my tongue between two of her fingers, and I feel the pulse on her wrist quicken. “I can’t wait to see what you taste like everywhere.”
The cab comes to a stop right outside Jay’s apartment, and I throw some money at him as we jump out.
“Quick, let’s get inside,” she says, nearly running into her building.
“What’s wrong?” I’m confused, looking around for potential danger.
“Are you kidding me? I’m just waiting for something to go wrong. Hurry up!”
I scoop her up in my arms, and she squeals with laughter. I carry her to the elevator, and she puts in her key and enters a code to go to her floor.
“I like the safety you’ve got here.”
“I thought you might. Too bad there’s not a doorman twenty-four/seven. He’s only here from lunchtime until ten. Anything after and we’ve got to trust the automatic locks.”
“Hmm,” I say, wondering if I can look into that for her. I’m already thinking about the next time I’ll be here. Or better yet, I could just get her to come to my place. And stay. Forever.