Chapter Fourteen

Linkin

I’ve been hard since she opened her front door and it hasn’t let up. I haven’t ridden with a hard-on since I was eighteen and took the head cheerleader for a ride in the country. And my bike wasn’t the only thing she rode.

Lexi heads to the back of the little dive restaurant, finding a booth beneath an old mismatched light. “This okay?” she asks.

“Perfect,” I answer, sliding into the bench across from her.

An older woman arrives at our booth a minute later and takes our drink order. I stick with a coke, while Lexi orders a sweet tea. The menu is an old plastic one-sheeter with bent and peeling corners.

“Have you ever eaten here?” she asks, glancing at the options on the menu.

“Nope. I’ve heard about this place a few times and always wanted to try it. This seemed like the perfect choice.”

“I haven’t been here in years. Chris didn’t like it. If it didn’t have cloth napkins and a wine list, he thought it was beneath him,” she mumbles, rolling her eyes as she keeps them focused on the menu in her hands.

“But this kinda place is right up your alley,” I state. It’s not a question. She’s given me glances of the real Lexi over the last couple of weeks, and she seems like the type of woman who likes messes and laughter and doesn’t mind dirty dishes in the sink.

She glances up at makes eye contact. “Yeah, it is. Sorry to bring him up. That’s not very good first date etiquette.”

“You’re fine. I want to get to know the real you, not the woman you had to become to please someone else.”

She stares at me intently, her green eyes searching my face, before nodding her head. “I love waffles with fresh strawberries, wearing no shoes in the yard, and comic books, though I haven’t read one in years.”

“Comic books, you say?” I lean in closer until my nose is close to hers, I whisper, “I once owned The Amazing Spider-Man number sixteen, signed by Stan Lee, graded 4.5.”

Her gasp goes straight to my groan. “September 1964. Not a widely popular version, but signed by the master would bump up the value.”

“I got six hundred bucks for it,” I tell her.

“Why did you sell it?” she questions, her green eyes searching mine.

I stumble on the words that I need to say, but I fight through it. “Needed the cash.”

Ain’t that the truth? When my mom found out I sold the one comic book I worked extra shifts at the garage in high school to buy, she was pissed. But I needed to fix the mess we were in more than I needed a signed Spider-Man comic book.

Lexi tsks. “That’s too bad.”

I just shrug my shoulders and lean back in the booth. My shoulders are tense, so I extend one arm across the back of the booth just to give off a casual appearance. The way her eyes study me, I wonder just how much of my demeanor my fiery little Lexi can read. She gives me a look like she knows I’m anything but relaxed, but thankfully, she doesn’t call me on it.

After we both order crab legs with shrimp scampi, I get comfy and just watch her. She’s messing with her paper napkin, curling the corners around her finger and then flattening it out again. She looks deep in thought, but there’s a hint of a smile playing on the corner of her lips.

“So tell me, have you always wanted to be a hairdresser?”

“Always. When I was a kid, I used to love fiddling with all of my sisters’ hair.”

“Same with me and the garage. I started tinkering around with car parts, engines and transmissions, at an early age. Gettin’ greasy just kinda called to me.”

“I like that about you,” she says quietly, her eyes locked on mine.

“That I’m a grease monkey?”

“That you don’t mind getting your hands dirty.”

I have a feeling it has a lot more to do with the fact that her ex received weekly manicures than anything else. The fact that I’m the polar opposite from the douche probably has a lot to do with it.

“Can I stop by sometime?” she asks.

“The shop?” I ask, arching my eyebrows in question.

“Yeah. It’s just…” she hesitates like she’s embarrassed. Needing to calm her nervousness, and also overcome by the need to touch her skin, I reach forward and grab her hand.

“What?” I hedge.

“It’s just…that I like the smell.” Her words are almost inaudible.

I might have almost missed her words, but I don’t miss the meaning.

And neither does my cock.

“The smell?” I ask, fighting a grin.

“Grease. Dirt. Gas. The smell of fresh rubber just laid on asphalt.”

“I think I just came in my pants,” I groan, deadpanned. That comment earns me an instant smile.

“Of course you did. You’re a total guy.”

“Yes, yes I am. But to answer your question, yes, you can come by the shop anytime. Just let me know when so I can make sure I’m extra greasy that day,” I quip with a wink.

Our food arrives a few moments later and we continue to engage in small talk. I’ve discovered that she’s very close to her family. Even though I met them all at lunch the other day and witnessed it firsthand, listening to her talk about her sisters over dinner just reinforces the fact that they’re tight.

“I can’t believe I’m telling you all this,” she says, setting her napkin down on her empty plate and pushing it away.

“Uh, your Grandma has had her hands all over my ass. I’m pretty sure that skyrockets me to the front of the line where personal information is concerned.”

“True. God, I’m so sorry about that. All of it,” she whispers, her face blushing slightly.

“Believe it or not, you don’t work at a bar without having a hand or two grope you, though I’d add your grandma is definitely the oldest set of hands on my body.”

“Poor Linkin. All the women wanting to touch your ass,” she sasses.

“It’s a nice ass,” I reiterate.

“Ehhhh,” she replies with a shrug as if it’s no big deal. But I see through her casual front. I don’t miss the way her eyes dilate and she nibbles on the corner of her bottom lip. Lexi’s looking at me like I’m dessert and she’s suddenly famished.

When the check comes, I take care of paying for it, leave a generous tip, and lead her towards my bike. It’s probably the last time I’ll be able to ride it until spring, though the cold doesn’t scare me any. But I don’t want Lexi catching a cold because I’ve got her out on my bike in December.

The ride back to town takes a little extra time, since I actually drive the speed limit the entire way. I don’t want this ride to end any sooner than it has to. Besides, I’m totally digging having Lexi wrapped around my back, her body pressed firmly against mine. It’s a sensation I could definitely get used to.

I pull the bike into the shed, and swear I hear her sigh in sadness. My little firecracker definitely has a wild streak in her. I knew taking my bike tonight would be right up her alley, and the twinkle I saw in her eyes and the excitement I heard doesn’t disappoint. It’s been a great first date.

One that would only end even better with a kiss.

Holding the bike steady, Lexi hops off and works on the chinstrap. “Here,” I say, pulling my gloves off and tossing them onto the seat. Smiling, I release the little leather strap and let my fingers linger just a few extra seconds.

“I could have gotten it. Why are you grinning like a fool?” she asks, pulling the helmet from her head. My wayward cock takes notice of the way her hair is all tousled and looks like she just crawled out of bed. After sex. With me.

“I know you could have gotten it,” I say, sliding my fingers down the chilled skin of her throat and leaning forward until I can feel her breath against my lips. “But I like putting my hands on you,” I whisper with a wink.

Her hand slips easily within my big mitt as I gather up the helmets and lock up the shed. We’re both quiet as we head into the apartment building and wait for the elevator. It’s not uncomfortable, not like I would think, and a big part of that is who I’m with. Everything just seems easy when we’re together.

The closer we get to our floor, the quicker my heart starts to beat. Not surprising, I don’t want the date to end. Can you believe that? My first date in I don’t really recall how long and I’m wishing I could turn back the clock and start our evening all over again, just so I can spend more time with her.

The subtle ding of the elevator alerts me that we’ve reached our destination. As the door opens, I finally find my voice. “I had a great time.”

Those stunning eyes gaze up at me, sparkling as best as they can beneath the dim fluorescent lighting in the hallway. “Me too.”

“Are you surprised?” I ask, stepping out into the hallway, her hand still firmly in my own.

“Not really,” she says with a smile and I swear to all things holy my chest tightens painfully. My heart is going to burst through my chest. We’re both staring at each other smiling like lunatics.

Finally, I pull my attention away from her and towards her door. “Did you order flowers?” I ask, stopping in my tracks.

Lexi bumps into my arm. “Shit,” she mumbles, her small hand gripping my much bigger one.

“Friend of yours?” I ask, as we slowly make our way towards the bouquet as if it were a bomb.

“Chris,” she whispers, the edge very evident in her voice.

“Ahhh. Should have known.”

“I hate them,” she grumbles, releasing my hand. I feel the loss instantly.

Lexi holds the large grouping of red roses like they’re going to scare her. I’ll give it to the douchey fucker, it’s an over-the-top display that women generally fawn over. The sweet fragrance fills the entire hallway, and if I had to wager a guess, based on the size of the vase that looks like a bucket, I’d say there’s easily four dozen here. But Lexi isn’t fawning. No, she looks like she wants to chuck them at the wall, and I’d be lying if I said that didn’t make me just a wee bit happy.

“You hate them?” I ask, glancing down at the arrangement.

“Hate,” she says with venom, shoving the vase into my hands. Shit, this is heavier than it looks. “I even told him that once, but does he listen? Nope. He thinks every woman loves red roses, so I must love them,” she says, digging her key out of her pocket with a little force. “Well, I do not love them. I never did. Every time he sent them, I wanted to send them back.”

Lexi glances over at me, her eyes wide as her irritation transforms into embarrassment. “Oh my God, I’m so sorry.”

“Why?” I ask.

“I can’t believe I just went off like that. We’re on a date.” Her green eyes fall to the floor.

“You don’t like these?” I confirm, holding them out as I wait for confirmation. She shakes her head and my feet start to move.

I’m down across from my door before I can even stop myself. I knock and wait. Mrs. Lehman opens the door in her little ol’ lady pajamas and robe. “Hey, Mrs. L. These were delivered by mistake to my neighbor’s place. She’s allergic so she can’t bring them into her place. Mind taking them off our hands?”

“Really?” the elderly neighbor says, her eyes lighting up behind crooked wire-rimmed glasses.

“Absolutely. These beauties are all yours,” I encourage, nodding towards her table. She steps aside and watches me set the grossly large display in the middle of her table.

“Thank you, dear.”

“You’re welcome, Mrs. L. Have a great evening.” Throwing her a little wave, I make my way back to Lexi in the hallway. “There,” I say, throwing her a smile, hoping to soothe the look of uneasiness on her face.

“That was…really nice of you.”

“You were just going to throw them away, right?”

“Yeah,” she confirms, biting her lip.

“Well, now you’ve brightened the night of our elderly neighbor. Plus, you don’t have to stare at douchey Chris’s cheesy flowers.”

Lexi gazes up at me, the corner of her lip turning upward. “They are totally cheesy, aren’t they?”

“Totally.”

She rewards me with another one of her smiles that hits me like a bolt of lightning below the belt. My hand instantly goes to her face, my finger tracing the delicate curve of her jaw. “What’s your favorite flower?” I whisper, our eyes locked.

“Lilies. I love the white ones.”

“Gorgeous. Just like you.”

That sexy little tongue of hers slips out of her mouth and licks her bottom lip. My entire body is alive with want, a live wire of electricity coursing through my blood. It takes every ounce of control I can grab the hell onto to keep from throwing her over my shoulder and carrying her off to my lair, where I’ll do all sorts of pleasurable and dirty things to her.

Over and over and over again.

Preferably on her kitchen table.

Or maybe against the wall.

“Would you like to come inside?” she asks, breaking the dirty scene I was working on in my head.

“For a minute,” I reply. Even though I’d love to pound weeks’ worth of Lexi-induced sexual frustration out on her sweet little body, it won’t happen tonight. I promised her a proper date and that doesn’t include her bouncing on my cock like a pogo stick.

Lexi opens her apartment door and slips inside ahead of me. After setting her keys on the counter, she turns those hypnotic green eyes my way and my heart skips a beat. “I’ve been thinking,” she starts hesitantly.

“That’s never good when a woman starts off a conversation with I’ve been thinking,” I reply lightly with a grin, even though my heart is suddenly jackhammering in my chest. I’m nervous. Fucking nervous of what she’s about to say.

“I want to get divorced first. I can’t have this mess with Chris hanging over my head while I move forward with my plans for a baby.”

“But there are still plans for a baby?” I ask, hopefully sounding light and casual.

“Yes,” she confirms with a nod. “I still want a baby, but I need my divorce finalized first. In order to move on to the next chapter in my life, I need to close the book on my relationship with him forever.”

Stepping forward, I invade her personal space and stroke the soft skin where her neck meets her jaw. “Divorce first. Sperm donation after.”

“Yes,” she whispers harshly, a rush of breath hitting me in the chin.

“What about kissing? Can there be kissing?”

“Kissing is good,” she adds quickly, that sexy little tongue of hers snaking out to wet her lips expectantly.

“Then we wait to put the next phase of your life into motion,” I say as I slide my arms around her back and bring her body against mine. “But we don’t wait for the kissing,” I confirm.

“No, we don’t wait.”

That’s all I need to hear before my mouth descends on hers. The kiss starts slow, savoring and oh so fucking perfect, but that only lasts a few seconds. As soon as her tongue meets mine, all bets are off. It’s like a punch of need hits me square in the gut as all thoughts are consumed with her.

My hands come up to frame her face, which allows me to angle her slightly to deepen the kiss. Our tongues clash and lips devour in what is probably the best fucking kiss of my life. And when her hands grip my back, her nails biting into my flesh. Christ, it takes every ounce of control I possess to not throw her over my shoulder and find the nearest bed.

But I don’t.

Instead, I gently slow the kiss down, nipping and licking at her plump lips until we’re both breathless. “Oh, there will definitely be more kissing,” I mumble against her lips.

“Definitely.”

With Herculean strength, I break the connection of our mouths and just stare down at this incredibly beautiful woman. This gorgeous woman who, for some amazing fucking reason, decided she likes me. Me. The dirty mechanic from the wrong side of the tracks, who doesn’t trust people very easily because he’s been shit on by too many to count. The bartender who’s working extra shifts to pay off a debt that isn’t his own. The loner who found hope in the prospect of starting a family of his own with a woman who steals his breath every time he sees her.

It’s hard to believe it, but she picked me. We’re in this together.

“I’m going to head home,” I tell her, running the pad of my thumb along her lower lip.

“Okay,” she whispers. “Thank you for tonight. I had a great time.”

“Me too,” I confirm. “I have to work all weekend between Stapleton’s and Lucky’s, but I’ll swing by when I can,” I add, taking a step towards the door.

“I’d like that.”

She gazes up at me with big, trusting eyes, and suddenly, I can’t remember why I should leave. I want to stay and hear her laugh and do some more of that kissing. But I know I shouldn’t. We don’t have the week deadline anymore, so there’s no need to rush this. Our plans to give her a child will move forward, even if they’re delayed slightly. Slow and steady is the way to go here.

Except…

My feet move before I can stop them and she’s in my arms once again. Lexi wraps her arms around my neck and braces for impact. Instead of allowing my greedy lips to devour her, I keep the kiss soft and gentle. I savor the taste and feel of her, I commit the scent of her to memory so that I have something to keep me company until I can see her again.

She mewls against me, a sound that goes straight to my cock, and I know it’s time to end the night. If I don’t, it’s bound to end up exactly where I want it to: bed.

Placing one last sweet kiss against her lips, I pull away and head towards the door. When I turn back around, her eyes are closed and a soft smile spreads on the lips she’s touching with shaky fingers. She opens her eyes and gazes my way, a look that lets me know that she’s just as affected by the kiss as I am. I mentally throw my fists in the air victoriously.

“Night, Lexi.”

“Good night, Linkin,” she whispers.

My body is charged as I slip into the hallway and head towards my door. A cold shower is on the agenda for tonight, that’s for sure, but something tells me it still won’t help alleviate the throbbing in my pants. Nothing is going to help after that kiss.

I let myself into my apartment with a smile on my face and hope in my chest. I have big plans for Miss Lexi Summer.

But first, I need to have a little chat with douchey Chris.

 

* * *

 

I use my lunch hour to run over to the office building where Chris Jacobson works. It’s on the main drag, only a few blocks away from the flower place Lexi’s oldest sister runs. Parking my old Blazer on the street, I’m hit with Christmas music piping from speakers beneath the awning of the gift shop as soon as I set foot on the sidewalk.

A bell dings as I step inside the brightly lit office with a tabletop Christmas tree displayed and garland hanging from the ceiling. An old desk is situated in the center of the room and is currently unoccupied. Not waiting to find out where the receptionist is, I head down the hallway, looking for the douche’s office. I pass an empty conference room, a supply room with a copy machine, and a small kitchenette.

At the end of the hall, I come to a door that sits ajar and raise my hand to knock. Before my knuckles connect with wood, I hear voices from within the room.

“I’m asking you politely, boy, to reconsider. You’re making it worse,” an older gentleman says.

“I don’t want this.” This voice I recognize as Chris’s.

“But she does. And you dragging your feet is upsetting her.”

“I can fix this, I know it.”

“Not anymore, you can’t. It’s over.”

“But…”

“No more buts. She wants out. She deserves to be happy. The only thing standing in the way of that is you.” There’s a dramatic pause and I find myself holding my breath. “Let her go. Sign the papers.”

Suddenly, it all falls into place. Orval is in there with Chris doing, well, the same thing I came to do. But he’s doing it the proper way. I was planning on using harsh words and my fists, if necessary.

“I love her.” The man who used to belong to Lexi sounds so small, so defeated.

“I know. I do too, and that’s why I’m here. She needs this, Chris. Let her go. Set her free to live the life she wants.”

“I was giving her everything. We had a home, nice cars. Hell, I was planning a surprise vacation to Fiji. We had everything,” Chris says softly.

“Did you really?” There’s another pause. “Sign the papers, Chris. Please.”

I don’t hear anything for several tense seconds over the blood pounding in my ears. And to top it off, I’m probably going to be discovered lurking in the hallway because my own heart is as loud as a fucking snare drum.

“Thank you,” Orval says, followed by the scraping of a chair against the tile floor.

Instead of giving them the opportunity to find me, I quickly backtrack to the front door and slip out into the crisp December air. When I reach my truck, I lean against the passenger door, wishing I had a cigarette. And I don’t even smoke.

“How much did you hear?” My attention is pulled to the elderly man in front of me with a twinkle in his eye and a sly grin on his face.

“Not much,” I answer. “Did he see me?”

“Naw, I distracted him with talk about his latest award on the wall as you slipped out the door,” he says, nodding towards the sidewalk.

Without a word, I quickly stand up and fall in line beside him. Orval moves surprisingly fast for a man his age, which only reinforces the stories I’ve heard from his granddaughters. “I’m down here,” he says, nodding towards the new Buick up the block.

After a few moments of silence, he finally speaks again. “So, what brought you to the financial office of Chris Jacobson this afternoon?”

Deciding honesty is probably the best route with this man, I say, “Probably much of the same as you. But with more violence.”

That makes him snort. “Oh, believe me, son, I would have loved to have popped him in the mouth a few times over the years, but I learned a long time ago that not everything can be settled with your fists. Chris just needed someone to politely prod him along in this whole divorce mess, and since the happiness of each and every one of my granddaughters means more to me than anything, it was time to make the visit.”

“He sent her flowers. I was going to ask him to stop.”

“My Emmy got her hair done this morning and Lexi mentioned the flowers. She said Chris is dragging his feet still on signing the divorce papers, and I realized that he would just continue to do it until he got what he wanted.”

“And what’s that?” I ask, stopping in front of the car.

“Her.”

My throat tightens and suddenly it’s hard to breathe.

“Not that she would take him back. She wasn’t happy. I’m not one hundred percent sure what he did, but they’ve been on the fritz for a while now. Hell, it could have been a bunch of little things that all piled up. He never came with her to anything, never spent any time with her. The boy worked nonstop. It was sad.” I don’t tell him what Lexi confided in me that night she was drunk.

“But you, son, you make her happy. I see that sparkle in her eyes that had long dimmed, and for that, I thank you.”

I shift my weight from foot to foot, not really knowing what to say. I’ve never been on the receiving end of too many compliments; let alone what feels like approval from a family member of a girl I’m seeing. “It’s my pleasure to make her smile.”

Orval nods and walks around to the driver’s door. “Be sure that her smile never fades,” he says as he opens the door. I get ready to return to my truck when I hear, “Oh, and Linkin? Make sure you keep extra rubbers in your wallet. If she’s anything like her grandmother, I couldn’t keep enough of those puppies on hand. Ravenous, that woman is. Do you know that one time we actually got it on during a church picnic? Yes sir, the pastor was giving a tour of the new Bible study room when we snuck off to inspect the plumbing in the mechanical room. My Emmy convinced the pastor that we were praying hard in there, which is why the room was filled with her screams of ‘Oh God!’”

“Wow, that’s…something I probably could have lived without knowing,” I mumble, a little overwhelmed at the direction this talk has taken.

“All I’m saying is that when the lady wants it, it’s our duty to give it to her.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” I add, taking a retreating step towards my vehicle.

“Nice seeing you, son,” Orval hollers before sliding into his car.

I wave before returning to my truck, a little extra spring in my step. I can only hope Chris will actually take the advice of Lexi’s grandpa and quit stalling the divorce, because I’m afraid the next step is a conversation with me.

And I don’t think that one will end as friendly.