She woke up the next morning to the brightest sun of the summer, and the urge to go on an adventure. She picked up her cell phone and looked at the screen with delight as she saw that Tank had texted her.

All night, she had tossed and turned and thought about what had happened between them. Their conversation had been so charged and raw, and when he had come closer to her and taken hold of her, she had never wanted anything more. He was one hell of a man, and she knew he could teach her things she could only dream of.

She held the phone in her palm and tortured herself by waiting a little bit longer before she opened the message, but when she did, she wasn’t disappointed.

 

T: Good Morning, Jessica…If you’re still open to the role of cook, cleaner and superwoman, then please let me know before Monday. T x (08:34am)

T: Oh who the hell am I kidding, I’ve been thinking about you all night… I want to see you. (09:01am)

 

She grinned and started to type a reply.

 

J: I’m more than open to that role, like I said, I’m happy to help wherever I can. And I’ve been thinking about you too. J x

T: What are you doing this weekend? X

J: Being good ?? What about you? X

T: Hopefully being bad… x

J: No, no, no… Good is the way forward x

T: You’ll have to teach me all about that then. I look forward to the lessons x

 

Jess smiled and put the phone down. He was a killer flirt, and it was turning her on but also making her nervous. She didn’t know how she would handle a man like him. All she had ever been used to was silly boys her own age that acted like complete jerks. None of them were so cool, aloof and as in control as Tank was.

“He’s going to tear you apart,” she whispered with a little smile to herself.

But the truth of the matter was, she didn’t mind one bit.

 

As Monday rolled around, Jess found herself wandering about on top of the clouds. She had spent the whole weekend in a bit of a daze, moving from one task to another. Tidying her home and doing a spring clean, throwing out old clothes that she knew she was never going to wear again, texting and chatting with Kiara and filling her in all about Tank and of what she thought she should do.

“He sounds hot as fuck,” Kiara had said down the phone breathlessly. “I am so insanely jealous; you have no idea.”

“It’s so complicated, though,” Jess had replied. “I mean the age gap, the children, the fact that he works for my father.”

“The fact he’s an outlaw,” Kiara had laughed. “Screw it. Who cares? When you have a connection with someone, you have a connection. You can’t fight that kind of thing.”

And even though Jess knew she was right, she still wanted to keep her feet on the ground and she didn’t want to build anything up.

Ella and Jacob had to come first. They were her priority. Not her own feelings and not his. She was going to have to be selfless to ensure this situation didn’t escalate in all the wrong ways.

On Monday morning, she rose like she always did, got ready, and headed downstairs to the kitchen where she drank coffee, ate fresh fruit and turned on her laptop to start her working day.

The big boss had already emailed and had sent her a small list of things to do, he had wished her a good day and told her he was heading off to Boston the following morning. Jess typed a hasty reply and reassured him that she would have everything done, and then she went back for her second cup of coffee for the day and started to work her way down his list.

By the time it hit noon, she was done with work, and she was pacing the house from one end to the other. All she could think about was Tank, and she had nervously waited for him to contact her all weekend.

She could feel the way they were both dancing around each other, and she knew they maybe both had the same concerns. There was a lot between them that would mean them hooking up could spell disaster, but at the same time, the way they were clearly drawn to each other was too big to ignore.

She remembered back to the first day they had met and the way her heart had almost stopped when he had appeared around the doorway in the car shop. He had stared at her with a look she had thought was disgust, but now when she thought about it she knew it wasn’t. He had been as startled as she was, and he had felt something that same way she had.

And it had disarmed him.

He hadn’t been expecting it, and it had shaken him to his core, just like it had shaken her.

The following day in the diner, he had done his best to avoid her.

But this wasn’t because he didn’t like her or he didn’t know who she was. It was because everything was the complete opposite. He knew he could potentially like her too much, and he didn’t want to be involved with a woman who had the power to break his heart.

He had been damaged in the past.

A woman had left him and their children to live a wild life on her own, and it must have cut him deep.

Now, more than anything, Jess wanted to prove to him that she wasn’t the same and she never would be. She was loyal and she was as protective as he was. She just wanted to feel loved and to be able to give out the love she had stored up inside her.

She stopped and she reached for her phone and scrolled down her contacts list until she found his name. She pressed dial and held it to her ear and waited with her heart in her mouth for him to answer.

When it had hit the third ring, she had convinced herself he wasn’t going to pick up, but suddenly, she heard the click, the roar of an engine in the background, and his familiar voice saying, “Jessica?”

“Hi, Tank,” she breathed as she tucked her free hand into the back pocket of her jeans and began to walk around again nervously.

“Hey,” he said. In the background, the noises were getting smaller and it sounded as if he was moving somewhere quieter so they could talk.

“Are you busy?” she asked.

“No,” he half laughed. “Well, yes, but I sense that this is important.”

“I just wanted to say…” she started to speak but as soon as she realized she was about to put herself all on the line and out there for him to do with as he pleased, she didn’t know whether she could go through with it. She reached up to her forehead and rubbed her temple and then she leaned in against the wall and stared down at the floor.

“Yes…?” he asked.

She could feel the tension coming from him, and she knew she wasn’t alone in this. He wanted her to continue, but she just didn’t have the guts.

“I… umm…” she thought fast. “I realized that I didn’t know what time you wanted me to collect Ella and Jacob from school today?” she said.

He stayed silent, as if he was disappointed that she hadn’t said more.

“Erm, yeah sure,” he finally spoke. “Well, Jacob has some activities after school until five, but Ella needs to go to her dance lesson at Angelica’s at three-thirty. I didn’t know if you still wanted to help out, that’s why I didn’t contact you.”

“Are you kidding?” she half laughed. “I told you…”

“I know, I know, but…” he trailed off.

She could sense he was the kind of person who would never push anyone. He liked them to come to him. Already, him texting her, was probably a big step for him and she knew it must have been damned hard for him to get close to anyone over the years. He clearly had his guard up thick and strong.

“I’ll be there to collect Ella at three fifteen,” she said. “And I’ll take her to Angelica’s, watch her dance, and then go and get Jacob. Deal?”

“Thank you, Jessica,” he said sternly but with warmth. “I know I keep saying it, but you really are helping me out here. I appreciate it.”

“And I keep telling you, it’s not a problem. I’ll see you later.”

She smiled to herself and then she hung up the phone. Her heart was beating fast and she felt as if she were about to explode with lust and desire, but she also knew she was going to have to keep good control and not get in over her head.

This was all going to have to be on him.

Tank was in control and she was going to wait for him to come and take her.

 

The elementary school was nestled between some of the planted woodland that had been landscaped back when Jessica had been a kid. She had watched the tress grow and the way that the people of the town had nurtured them to make sure they had the best possible chance of thriving out there in the desert. It was like a mini oasis in the middle of Slate Springs, and as the bell for the end of classes rang, Jess was momentarily transported back to her own time at the school all those years before. It seemed like several lifetimes ago, and she found it hard to believe that it was now her waiting at the gates ready to collect someone. A little girl who reminded her so much of herself.

“Jess! Jess!” Ella shouted as she came running out toward her and threw herself into Jessica’s arms. The two girls hugged, and then Jess took hold of her hand and started to walk with her away from the school and toward Main Street.

“I hoped you were coming today,” Ella said with a wide grin. “Daddy didn’t say so this morning, but I had a feeling.”

“I told you I wouldn’t let you down,” she smiled. “And your dad needs to work, so it makes sense for me to help out when I have nothing else planned.”

They wandered hand in hand and passed through the bustle of Main Street before they turned off down one of the side streets and made their way toward Angelica’s Dance Studio.

“Did you have a good weekend?” Jess asked.

Ella nodded her head and then she looked up at Jess with adoration in her eyes.

“I wanted you to come over, but daddy said we shouldn’t ask too much of someone new.”

Jess affectionately and playfully rolled her eyes. That seemed like classic Tank to her. She smiled.

“I would have come if you had invited me, for sure,” Jess grinned. “You can tell your dad that later.”

She winked at Ella and then the two girls continued forward, the door to the dance studio looming up ahead of them.

“I haven’t been here in a very long time either,” Jess half laughed. “I’m looking forward to seeing you dance.”

“I can’t wait to show you!” Ella said as she bounced inside and started to make her way up the stairs. “When you get in the room, try and find a seat near the front mirrors.”

Jess made her way up slowly, and when she pushed the door open to the studio, all the memories of her own ballet days came flooding back. She saw the graceful and elegant Madam Angelica warming up at the front of the room, and Ella running over to her, pulling off her t-shirt and revealing her pink little leotard and matching tights.

Jess sat down at the side of the room and watched them all lining up and getting ready, and she was so entranced with them all, she didn’t even notice the door open again and another person come inside. When she heard the footsteps coming toward her, she knew it was him, but she barely dared move.

She waited until he was standing right beside her, and then he lowered himself into the seat next to her. Her heart was pounding and she was smiling. And she bit her lip and cast her glance finally in his direction.

“What are you doing here?” she asked mischievously.

“I heard there were two beautiful girls inside,” he said without missing a beat. “I thought I better come and check it out.”

Jess rolled her eyes and slapped him playfully on the arm.

“Daddy!” Ella called from the front of the room when she turned around and saw him, realizing he was sitting there too.

He waved back to her and blew her a kiss and then he crossed his arms over his chest and sank down in the seat so he could look at Jess from the corner of his eye.

“I thought you were supposed to be working?” she whispered as the music started up at the front of the room and Madam Angelica took her position.

“I was,” he smirked. “But I’ll make it up later. If you think I’m missing my daughter pirouette her way around town then you’ve gotta be crazy.”

“So you tricked me into coming?” Jess cocked her head to one side and flashed him a mischievous grin.  

“I wouldn’t call it outright trickery,” Tank mused. “But I just wanted to be sure I got to see you too.” He seemed to shift in his chair so that he was closer to her and Jess felt everything inside her clench. Being so close to him again was sending her hormones into overdrive, and all she could think about was diving on him and ripping his clothes off right there and then.

Have some self-control Jessica, she coached herself. Let him come to you…

“I got the feeling maybe you didn’t want to see me,” she said bravely as she thought back to what had happened when they had shared the hot and steamy kiss in the kitchen. Just remembering it made her body begin to quiver and her pussy ache.

God, did she want him badly.

“I wasn’t sure how you felt,” he whispered as the girls began to dance around at the front of the room and they both watched them while continuing their conversation. “You ran out on me so fast my head was in a spin.”

“You moved away,” she said, trying not to grin. “I thought you’d decided you’d made a mistake.”

“Never,” he said sternly as he reached down and took hold of her hand.

He gripped it so tight a little whimper escaped from her lips and she had to cross her legs the other way to stop herself from moaning. Each little touch he placed on her was awakening her body in a whole manner of new ways, and she was finding it hard to control herself.

She turned to look at him and he held her gaze. He was still holding her hand and she felt the passion and the power behind his eyes. They were telling her all she needed to know.

“I have waited a long time to feel something like this,” he whispered, his hand not leaving hers. “I didn’t think I wanted it. But then you walked into my life.”

Jess gasped and squeezed his hand back. She looked into his eyes and smiled and she knew something big was going to happen. She had felt it the moment they had met, and now she was feeling it all over again.

Tank pulled her back slightly and wrapped his arm around the back of her chair and they sat there together watching the girls dance. The two of them completely at ease with each other, and feeling things that neither ever had before.

Even the age difference between them clearly couldn’t break them apart or keep them away from one another.

Their minds had been made up.

This thing, it was very real indeed.