Five
Raven
“Whoa, Rave, that’s the one. Get that one.” Eve points to the coral-colored string bikini. “That color will compliment your skin and make your eyes totally pop.”
I’m grateful to have Eve with me on this last minute shopping trip. Jonah’s barbeque is today. After his impromptu invite that left me grinning like an idiot, he told me to bring a bathing suit. I thought, and Eve agreed, that the possibility of swimming at a celebrity’s house called for a new suit.
I pay the swanky boutique’s cashier and figure I’ll have to get Dog generic cat food for the next six months to make up for the money I just spent. He lives in a dumpster. He won’t mind the cheap stuff.
We pop into a little coffee shop to grab a latte when my cell phone rings. I check the caller ID. Butterflies stir in my belly.
“Oh my gosh, Eve, it’s him.” I hold my phone out to her, thinking that she might answer it for me.
I’ve been working for Jonah all week, and he’s never called me. How does he know my number? He gave me his number the day he came to the garage, and I programmed it in my phone in case I couldn’t find his house. And why am I so nervous? Sweat slicks my palms, making me almost lose the hold on my phone. Or maybe that’s the shaking.
Eve leans away from me, shooing the phone to my ear with a few quick flicks of her wrist. “Uh-uh, girl, we’re not in grade school. Now answer your damn phone.”
I step out of the ordering line and head to a table at the back of the coffee shop. I can’t sit as nervous energy keeps me pacing.
With a finger pressed to my ear to drown out the chatter, I drop my head. “Hello?”
“Raven, what’s up? It’s Jonah.”
“I know . . . I mean I have your number in my phone, you know, from that first day, and it came up on the—”
Eve elbows me in the ribs and shakes her head. And thank God. Who knows how long I would have rambled.
His low chuckle vibrates the phone against my ear, sending goose bumps down that side of my body. He’s even sexy through the telephone. “Right. Where are you?”
“My girlfriend Eve and I are having coffee at . . .” I stare at the coffeehouse sign. My face heats immediately and Eve giggles. “The Bump and Grind.”
He laughs again, just as low and sexy as the first, but louder. “Only in Vegas, huh?”
“Yeah, God forbid there be a Starbucks around.” I roll my eyes, even though he can’t see me.
“I wanted to touch base and make sure you were coming by this afternoon.”
“Of course, four o’clock, right?”
“That’s it. And, Raven?”
“Mm-hm?”
“Bring Eve along.”
My eyes dart to Eve who is standing nearby hanging on my every word. I smile at her. “Bring Eve? Okay, sure.” Her face splits into a smile, and she fist pumps the air.
“Great. See you in a few.”
The phone disconnects, and Eve and I stare at each other for a few wordless seconds.
“We’re going back to the boutique.” Eve grabs my arm and pulls me out the door. “I need a new suit too if I’m going to meet ‘The Assassin.’”
I stop walking. “Please, whatever you do, do not call him ‘The Assassin’ to his face. That would be so embarrassing.”
She lifts one side of her glossed lips like I just gave her a fantastic idea. Oh, great.
“You know, there’ll probably be a few single guys there tonight.” I ask the silent question with my eyes.
Eve is gorgeous, and she gets plenty of attention from guys, but her taste is selective. She only dates complete jerks.
“We’ll see.” She shrugs. “It would take someone pretty special to turn my head at this point.” A sly smile spreads across her face.
Eve has a secret. I look around before pulling her from the sidewalk to a bench.
“Who is he?” Excitement must show in my expression and Eve’s face lights up.
“Oh, Rave! He’s amazing. I met him at work. He came into the restaurant for dinner, and he was so sweet.” She has a dreamy look that I don’t see often on my cynical friend. “He asked me out and I said yes,” she squeals.
“That’s great. When’s the date?”
“Oh, it was two weeks ago.” Guilt laces her voice. “We’ve been hanging out almost every night since.”
My brows drop low. I try to justify why my best friend has been dating a guy for two weeks and this is the first I’ve heard about it. We tell each other everything. Just last week Eve called me at midnight to tell me that Donny Osmond came into her restaurant and told her she had great bone structure. And for two weeks she’s been keeping her mystery boyfriend from me?
This can’t be good. History proves that she attracts the meanest most abusive guys Vegas has to offer: usually verbally, sometimes physically, and always emotionally. I tell myself that she doesn’t know better. Growing up in that environment, she obviously sways toward her idea of normal. But surely she doesn’t want the life her mom had.
I’ve been running in the opposite direction of my mom’s life since I knew she was a prostitute. I’m a mechanic and a virgin. Can’t get more opposite than that.
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. He’s really . . . um . . . private. He told me he wasn’t ready for anyone to know about us. Things are getting pretty serious though, so I’m sure you’ll meet him soon.”
“I’m really happy for you, Eve.” The hurt in my voice contradicts my words.
Her smile turns sad. “Hey, I’m sorry.”
“It’s fine, really.”
She hops to her feet and grabs my hand. “Come on. Let’s go get me that suit. Just because I’m officially off the market doesn’t mean I’m not going to enjoy the view tonight. These guys work hard for their bodies.” I stand and she links her arm in mine. “I intend on showing my appreciation.”
A couple more hours of shopping and we head back to my house to freshen up. At three forty-five on the dot, we leave for Jonah’s. I toss my backpack into Eve’s car just as Guy calls to me from the open bay doors of the garage.
I pop my head in the car door. “Give me a minute? I’ll go see what he wants.”
I jog to Guy who’s standing with Leo and Cane, two other mechanics in the shop. “Hey, guys. What’s up?”
Their eyes travel from my neck to my toes and back again. They don’t look happy about what they see.
“Where’re you going dressed like that, Ray?” Guy motions to my halter dress bathing suit cover up.
“I’m going to a barbeque pool party thing.” I hook the string of my bikini top with my thumb and hold it out. I mean, isn’t it obvious. And why are they looking at me like I’m wearing raw meat?
“There gonna be dudes at this party?” Leo’s protective tone isn’t the least bit surprising. He’s got three daughters and five granddaughters.
“Yes. There will be guys there.”
Cane, the newest mechanic at the shop, laughs hard, making his big belly shake. Guy and Leo aren’t laughing.
“Whose party is it? And please, don’t tell me it’s at one of them titty pools all the casinos are opening,” Leo says, sending Cane into another fit of laughter.
“You guys, it’s fine. I’m going to Jonah’s.”
No one is laughing. Not only are they not laughing but they’re frozen. Completely still. Oh no, this can’t be good.
Guy breaks the silence. “Ray, don’t be a dumb shit.”
“I’m not.” Falling for a guy who will most likely break my heart? Maybe I am. “Er . . . I’ll try not to be a dumb . . . um . . . what you said.”
The man, who has been like a father to me, must read my face. “You’re wearing a dress.” He makes a tsking sound and shakes his head. “Known you since you were fourteen. Ain’t never seen you in a dress.” Guy’s probably right about that.
He was my shop teacher in high school, and I never wore dresses to school.
Oh, wait.
“What about graduation?” I put my hands on my hips to force some attitude into my declaration. “I wore a dress to graduation.”
“That was a graduation gown.”
Darn, that’s right.
“Whatever. This isn’t a dress anyway, it’s a cover up.” I smooth the soft fabric over my stomach. “It’s new. Now, if you guys will excuse me—”
“You seriously gonna let her go?” Leo’s question is directed at Guy.
“She’s a grown woman.”
“And he’s nailed more women in Vegas than Barry Manilow.”
“Ray’s a smart girl. I trust her not to fuck up.” Guy’s eyes swing to mine. “Right, Ray?” His question reeks of warning.
I nod.
“You call us if you need anything. Don’t drink booze. Say no to drugs. And whatever you do, do not take a drink from a stranger or leave your drink unattended. You gotta piss, you take your cup in the john with you.” Leo’s instructions are given with a firm point to my face with each one.
“Got it. Can I go now?”
They shake their heads and turn back into the garage grumbling. I practically skip back to the car with a cheek-cramping smile plastered across my face.
~*~
Jonah
I’m antsy as hell. I hit the gym, went for a run, worked on the Impala, and nothing seemed to help. Needing to hear her voice, I finally broke down and called her. She seemed nervous on the phone, which was something I haven’t seen from her in a while. In the garage, she works with the cool confidence of a seasoned mechanic, but outside of the garage, she’s shy and nervous. And both are hot as hell.
Raven is nothing like the girls I’m used to. She’s not arrogant or overly aggressive. She doesn’t try to mind-fuck you into submission. With her, you get what you see. No twisted facades or acts of desperation. She doesn’t expect anything from me. It’s refreshing. And because of that, I’m completely at ease around her.
I’ve known her for a week, and I’m spilling my guts about my dad like a pigtailed girl at a sleepover. The words I’d been holding in for years just poured out, and rather than making me feel weak for my admission, she gave right back.
I miss her when she’s not around. I never miss women. Hell, I go months without seeing my mom and sister. Never bothers me. Raven’s been away from me for twenty-four hours, and I’m going nuts, as if something valuable were missing.
When she was here yesterday, I was shocked at how quickly I gave in to the urge to touch her. We stood so close at one point our eyes locked in a lusty stare down. I was ready to explode. Then she had to go and lick her lips. I would have kissed her if I thought I’d be able to stop there. The way I was feeling, I would have taken her on the hood of the car. Mental images assault my brain, eliciting a groan from deep in my chest. She’ll be here soon, and here I’m mentally fucking her on my car.
The doorbell rings, shaking me from my fantasy. She’s here. I adjust my board shorts before I throw open the door to the object of my obsession. My smile falls.
Owen pushes past me with bags of what I assume is food. “Good to see you too.”
“Hey, Nik.” I kiss Owen’s wife on the cheek.
“Jonah, how are you?” She gives me a quick hug. “Owen baby, just throw that stuff in the kitchen.”
Nikki is the resident chef at all our barbeques. She knows her way around my kitchen, so I leave her to it.
Owen drops the bags then walks straight to the backyard bar. He angles his barstool to face the sixty-inch flat screen and turns on Sportscenter.
I join him outside, grab a beer, and settle in. Halfway through my first beer, Caleb and Rex show up. The guys argue whether the San Diego Padres will go to the World Series. Owen says it’ll be the A’s. I’m sure it’ll be the Yankees, but I stay out of the conversation. Nikki’s voice, along with a couple other female voices, cuts through the conversation.
“Jonah, your guests are here,” she calls from the sliding glass door.
Her announcement silences the baseball talk as everyone turns to see who it is.
Holy fucking shit.
It’s Raven.
And she’s wearing a dress.
Thankful for my sunglasses, I let my eyes roam her body freely. Her dark hair is braided to the side, the thick chocolate rope lying against the swell of her breast. My gaze lingers on her cleavage, the dress accentuating her already perfect form. The flowing fabric ends well above her knees, exposing her long, toned legs.
I vaguely notice the blonde at her side. That must be Eve.
As they walk toward the bar, I can’t take my eyes off Raven. She glides across the yard in that unconsciously sexy way of hers. A deep moan from one of the guys at the bar has me turning my head. They have their greedy fucking eyes locked on my girl and her friend.
My girl?
Possession flares, having me step away from the bar to meet them, effectively cutting the girls off from the ogling, lecherous dicks behind me.
“Is this a joke?”
“Didn’t see this coming.”
I hear the mumbled comments from the numb-nut gallery, and ball my fists to keep from flipping them off.
“Ladies, glad you could make it.” I’m impressed that my voice didn’t crack under the pressure.
“Hey, Jonah.” Raven tilts her head, motioning to her friend. “This is my friend, Eve. Eve, this is Jonah.”
“Hi, Jonah.” Eve shakes my hand and peruses the backyard. “Nice digs.”
“Thanks. Come on. I’ll introduce you to the guys.”
I direct the girls to walk ahead of me with the idea that I can place my hand on the small of Raven’s back. It’s a gentle way of claiming her in front of the guys. It’s either that or plunge my tongue down her throat in front of everyone, and something tells me she’s not quite ready for that.
She brushes past. Her delicate pear fragrance fills my lungs. I bite my lip and lust saturates my brain. My fingers burn to bury themselves in her hair and pull her to me.
I place my hand where the slope of her spine flows to her ass and nearly stumble over my feet. There, on the backdrop of her perfect olive skin, is the tattoo that has been taunting me for days. A flock of blackbirds serpentine from her shoulder, dipping below the fabric of her dress. From the scale of the tattoo, I’d say the birds start at her hip.
The view evokes images of her laid out naked before me. Running my tongue along my lip, I imagine what it would taste like to kiss her from one end of her tattoo to the other. To feel her skin, warm, soft and sweet against my lips. I’m already hard as a rock, and I haven’t even seen her in her bikini yet. I go over baseball stats, trying to ease my raging need.
“This is my friend Owen.” Raven rakes her sunglasses up on her head. “The pierced one is Rex, and the one who looks like he just jumped off a tractor in Idaho is Caleb.” She nods through the introductions. “Guys, this is Raven and her friend, Eve.”
I watch closely as my friends size up the girls. It’s not wasted on me that they seem to find the two women attractive. But they linger a little too long on Raven’s eyes.
“Damn, girl. You got some wicked peepers.” Owen’s observation has the rest of the guys agreeing in grumbled affirmations.
A familiar blush lights her cheeks. “Thank you. It’s nice to finally meet you guys.”
“Finally?” Rex’s shit-eating grin tugs at his lip ring. “How long have you and Jonah been hanging out?”
Raven’s attention slides to me, her eyes wide. “Oh, we’re not hanging out . . . er . . . we work—”
“What would you girls like to drink?” I redirect the conversation and smile at the relief I catch in Raven’s expression. Why does it feel as if we’re hiding some deep, dark secret?
“Water would be great,” Raven answers and Eve nods.
“You girls up for baseball?” Most girls wouldn’t be interested in the game, but, then again, most girls aren’t car mechanics.
“Baseball?” Raven scrunches up her nose and shakes her head. So damn cute.
I motion to the loungers set up poolside. “Would you rather get some sun?”
She studies the double lounger and looks at Eve. They both smile big. “Yes, please.”
I set them up with towels and a lounger, placing them close enough so that I can admire Raven, and go back and forth from them to the game easily.
With a fresh beer in hand, I relax against the bar and settle in for the game. So far so good. I have a girl, a date, over at my house. The guys are being semi-respectful. The girls are laughing and talking comfortably. What could possibly go wrong?
“Let’s get this party started, motherfuckers!”
Oh, shit. Blake.