CHAPTER EIGHT

Eight Days to Deadline

 

 

“Knock, knock.”

Papers fisted in both hands, I’m elated to see Nola at the office door. “Hey, girl!”

“You look confused.”

“You have no idea. What language do y’all speak on this construction site?”

She laughs and crosses over to take a gander at what I’m sifting and sorting through. “Oh, yes, I recognize it. A cross between ancient Greek and Texas jackass.”

I drop the pages and slap a hand to my forehead. “That explains it! I’m fluent in Texas jackass—I have two older brothers, after all—but that other stuff! It doesn’t even look human…and then there’s the numbers.”

“Oh, the numbers. Don’t get me started.” She scrunches up her nose like a skunk just wandered in and took up residence. “No civilized person speaks Number anymore. Let the machines do it.”

I hadn’t realized how stressed I am about inputting data for Jack’s reports. It feels normal to laugh with a girlfriend for a change. “It’s good to see you.”

Her olive complexion rosies up. “How about a break? Have you had dinner yet?”

I hesitate, because I’ve been waiting for Jack to come back and conduct the daily meeting. But it’s already a half hour past midnight, and I’m hungry. “Sure. Sounds good.”

Coaxing the mess into piles I can dig into when we get back, I leave the desk, grab my sack from the fridge, and we walk outside. My tired shoulders and neck thank me with every step away from the computer.

She power walks me over to the building where I make copies. Turns out there’s a cafeteria in there. It doesn’t dole out hot food during the night, but we can use the tables and chairs, and the vending machines work just fine. Best of all, we can use the bathroom.

“How’s it been going?” she asks, emptying her lunch pail onto the table.

I swallow the mouthful of hoagie I’d bitten off and chewed. Not bad-tasting for a deli sandwich picked up at the grocery store on the way to work. Gotta remember to grab mustard packets when I buy tomorrow’s sandwich. “Yesterday had me questioning the will to live, but today’s been fine.”

“Damn! Don’t say things like that when I’m taking a drink—I almost snorted soda out my nose.” Nola dabs with a paper napkin. “So, they’re keeping ya busy?”

“Oh, yeah. Between all that Mr. DePaul has me doing, and the interviews I manage to grab whenever there’s a workman around, the time passes pretty quickly.”

“That’s good. The night shift can drag if you don’t have enough to do.”

“And I guess putting your head down for some shuteye isn’t allowed, huh.”

She chuckles. “I kinda doubt it. Hear you made a run into Corpus last night?”

“Yeah. Felix and I drove over to replace some stuff that’s gone missing. Have you had any trouble with that in your area?”

“Some. A couple of the tarps are ripped where they weren’t before, and one has gone missing. Plus, more of our brushes are torn up. A couple of Scrunchies I use to hold my hair back are gone, too. Nothing serious, but irritating. And it slows things down as people stop and look for stuff. They’ve started arguing about the missing things, too.”

“Arguing? What do you mean?” The stress of the upcoming deadline must be riding people hard if they’re arguing over work gloves and paint brushes.

“Like maybe there’s sabotage going on. Rio-Tex day shift screwing with AI crew, trying to make them look bad.”

My hand halts on its way to my mouth with a pretzel. “Why in the world would they want to do that?”

“Competition.” She washes down another bite. “Rumblings that AI crew isn’t any better that the Rio-Tex crew, and they shouldn’t be getting paid so much more than we are.”

“Is that what you think, too?”

“Naw. If I could, I’d try to get on with AI. The way they work together is amazing. It’s like an assembly line or something. While Rio-Tex guys stand around with their dicks in their hands, AI guys do one task and move on to the next. It’s impressive to me, but intimidating to some others, I guess.”

“Have you talked to Mr. DePaul about hiring on?”

She shakes her head. “Can’t. I’m a single parent.”

“Wow, Nola, I had no idea. How old is he? She?”

Her face shines, and her eyes glow. “Jamie’s just turned three. He’s the best thing that ever happened to me.”

A baby. A child. I can’t even decide what to be when I grow up, much less think about helping a kid grow up, too. And Nola’s a couple of years younger than I am. “How do you work all night like this, and then go home to a child?”

“It’s hard. But his abuela lives with us, so he’s got somebody with him. He doesn’t have to go to daycare. I feel good about that.”

“Oh, it’s nice that your mom’s available and willing to help out.”

A pang stabs my heart. If I ever have kids, they’ll never know my mom. At least not the way I knew her. She suffered brain damage from an allergic reaction to anesthesia a couple of years ago when her gall bladder had to be removed, and she’s been under the care of the live-in nurse ever since. I’m not sure my mom even recognizes any of us anymore. I miss her every day.

“It’s my late husband’s mother, actually.”

“He’s dead? What happened?” Maybe I’m getting too personal. “You don’t have to answer that.”

She looks down at the table, shaking her head. “It’s fine. Hector was in the Army. He died in Afghanistan about two years ago.”

“Oh, no. That’s awful. I’m so sorry.”

“Yeah. It was bad for a while. Widowed, with a baby. His mother, Delina, had nothing. He’d been taking care of her since he was sixteen. But I got a decent widow’s settlement from the government. That allowed me to buy a little house, and Delina moved in with us. We’re making it work.”

I reach over and pat her hand. It can’t begin to convey how moved I am by her situation. What she went through, the responsibility she’s had. While I was away at college, partying and skipping as many classes as I could and still graduate. “I’m glad you have each other. And a good job. I had no idea. Wow.”

She waves her hands back and forth. “Enough sad stuff. Tell me about your trip with Felix. Did he mention me?” Her mouth curves up in a coy smile, and she her eyelashes flutter. I bet men fall at her feet when she turns on that brand of charm. “Why aren’t  you on a first-name basis with your sexy boss yet?”

I laugh and hold up a finger to slow her down. “Give me some time to shift gears! I’m still adjusting to you being a mom.”

“Come on, talk.”

“I use Mr. DePaul at work. He ordered me to, actually.” I grin, remembering one of last night’s battles. “He’s DePaul other times. And, sorry, but there’s nothing to tell about my trip to Corpus with Felix. We got tools and tacos and never talked about anything in particular.”

I’m not about to tell her what Felix said about Jack’s project. I’m not sure Felix should have been telling me in the first place. The whole thing seems sort of private, almost sacred or something. And with Felix planting the idea that maybe it shouldn’t be happening at all, it’s probably best if I just keep the info to myself.

Nola’s face collapses. She lifts the bread off her sandwich and rearranges the lettuce. “Well, that’s disappointing. Maybe I could splatter paint on him and rush to help rub it off. That might make him notice me.”

“I imagine he would! That clever trick might get you noticed right into the unemployment line.” I wad up my sandwich wrapping and stuff it back in the sack.

“That wouldn’t be good.” She says it like a statement, but her eyes are asking a question.

“No, that wouldn’t be good. Come on, we’re two sexy, savvy chicas. We’ll think of something so good, he won’t know what hit him.”

 

 

Jack’s boots sound on the linoleum as he nears the office. I get a little rush, anticipating, and my fingers jerk over the laptop keys. When he walks through the office door, though, his brows beetle.

“It’s after nine. Why aren’t you at the hotel asleep?”

“Well, hello. Nice to see you, too.” Disappointment slithers through me. What did I expect? We had two meals together. That’s all. Just because my heart beats faster when he’s around, doesn’t mean he’s affected by me in any way. Except maybe irritation. He usually seems irritated to see me.

Trouble is, I’ve been attracted to him from the first. Nothing’s changed that feeling. In fact, the more I’m around him, the more attractive he becomes. I thought a couple of times last night he felt it, too.

He almost kissed me at the pumphouse pond. I hadn’t expected it. Didn’t even know I was still yearning for it. Until we were interrupted. Then I was glad we hadn’t crossed that line. But Felix’s information had been like pouring gasoline on the blaze burning through my body, firing up every nerve ending.

Who knows what might have happened if the intercom hadn’t called his name?

Who knows what might have happened if I hadn’t fallen asleep on the guy after breakfast…

But here he is, barking at me again about how I should be at home, asleep in my lonely bed, like a good little girl.

“If I wanted a lecture, DePaul, I have a dad who’d be only too happy to oblige.”

He pulls off his hard hat and runs a hand through his hair. “It’s not just that. I pay double-time for every hour you work over eight.”

“You sayin’ I’m not worth it?”

His jaw flexes. With a glance over his shoulder at me, he stalks to the timeclock and pulls out my card, ready to punch me out for the day. “You timed out at six.”

“Yep.”

“Shit.” He studies the timecard in his hand, then slips it back in its storage slot. “Okay, so why are you still here?”

I roll my eyes. “Good grief, Jack-ass, for your sweet personality, what else?”

Propping himself against his desk, long legs crossed at the ankle, the toe of his shoe is suddenly as fascinating as a girlie magazine, the way his eyes are glued to it. He chuckles under his breath. “Yeah, I figured.”

It’s almost an apology, I guess. Or as close to it as the men I know get. “I used the extra time interviewing a couple of people on the day shift.”

He lets that soak in before he pushes off the desk. “Good thinking.”

“That’s the idea.”

“You hungry?”

“Starved.”

“Didn’t you eat dinner?”

“Are you being my dad again?”

“Answer me.”

“Are you gonna spank me if I don’t?”

 

 

I just might.

Shit, ever since last night, putting her in bed but not following her right into it, I’ve been battling with myself and my no-fraternization rule. Here I thought it would be such a good idea to hire her, put us into a work situation where I’ve never had trouble controlling myself before. It’s so much worse, seeing her every day, being around her, having the guys flock to her, reminding me how desirable she is. The harder I try to shove her out of my mind, the more I end up thinking about her.

There’s only so much a man can take.

I avoided temptation all day, even though it meant holding my crew meeting somewhere other than the pumphouse. But here she is, practically offering up that sweet ass. The palms of my hands fairly itch to slide over those rounded cheeks. It sets my teeth on edge, I want her so bad.

“I’m heading for breakfast. You can join me if you want.”

“How can I resist such a charming invitation?”

Not my smoothest move. But desire is twisting me all up. Seems like hunger of one sort or another is all my body and brain’s registering right now.

Her stride matches mine as we stalk to the parking lot. We make the trek in record time. The look she throws me as she unlocks her car is triumphant. Like she showed me she can keep up with me. That she’s a match for me.

I hope so.

I bet she is.

I’m dying to find out.

Practically obsessed.

We zoom away from the plant, playing transportation leap frog all the way to the diner. I’m pulling into the parking space beside hers when Jilly steps out of her car, drapes herself over its roof, and snares me with a cocky smile.

She licks her bottom lip. “Still hungry?”

My cock stirs and growls. Surely she doesn’t mean what that sounds like. She can’t be challenging me, can she? “Depends.”

Her lids go half-mast. “You’re not going to say something cheesy like ‘what’s on the menu,’ are you?”

The woman should know better than to wave her coy, red cape in front of this bull. I lean back against my truck, arms splayed across the bed rails and stand, giving her a view of what’s happening below my belt. Her gasp, small as it is, quickens my blood. She arches her back like the little wildcat I know she is.

To hell with it.

I’ve got to have her. Now.

Stalking around the back of her car, I drag her into my arms. “I’m not askin’.”

Deliberately not thinking through the wisdom of the move, I close my mouth over hers, devouring, pouring hours and days of lust into every millimeter of contact. When she returns everything I’m giving her, gripping me hard around the neck, and gobbling me up with those luscious lips on mine, I’m a goner.

“Fuck breakfast.” My voice sounds rough as sandpaper.

“I’d rather you fuck me.”

Willpower evaporates. I rip open the driver door and practically shove her inside the car, crowding her into the passenger seat when I crawl into the behind her. At the last minute, I remember to lock up my bike and grab my helmet.

Thank my lucky stars that the hotel is nearby, because once I’m back in the car, her hands are all over me. If mine weren’t gripping the steering wheel, making sure we actually get to our destination, I’d have her stripped by now.

In fact, I have half her clothes unfastened before she gets her room door open and we fall inside. With about as much finesse as two armadillos, we get naked. Scooping her up, cradle-style, I rip back the covers and toss her onto the bed. When I cover her heated body with mine, the lust drives me hard. I’m a horny kid again, dying to get my rocks off inside my girl.

‘My girl’ echoes inside my head. “Are you safe?”

“Yes,” she pants. “Are you? God, you’re so hard. I need you inside me.”

Her plea surges through me along with an extra dose of testosterone. I’m going to need it, the way her hips are gyrating under me. She wants me as much as I want her.

I dip my head to suckle a tight, strawberry bud of her nipple and slide a hand between us. She’s slick with want. I can’t hold back. My girl needs me.

There it is again. My girl. Is that what Jilly Vickers is? The thought distracts me, slows me down.

But Jilly’s not having any part of that. She digs her wildcat claws into my backside, demanding action.

I fit myself against her opening, drink in her fevered mewl, and surge inside, burying myself to the hilt. She’s hot and she’s tight, and I’m gonna lose what little of my mind is still functioning.

Fuck, that feels good.

“Jack,” she sighs, clenching me with her inner muscles.

Feeling her adjusting to me, testing my size and strength, sampling what I have to give her, I’m a growling beast.

The urge to thrust is blinding me. I press deeper. Her legs lift to circle my waist, a welcome lariat, roping me in.

It’s like she’s put spurs to me. I thrust hard and fast, setting a relentless rhythm. She meets me, grinding against me every time I bottom out inside her.

“You’re getting bigger,” she whispers in my ear and licks my neck before tugging on the lobe with teeth just sharp enough to keep my beast ravenous.

“You feel even better than I dreamed you would.” I slide my arms around under her shoulders, and fold her tighter into me. It’s like we’re merging our whole bodies.

I want to live here forever. Die in just this position, feeling this close, this connected, this absorbed by someone else.

Something expands in my chest, and I squeeze her harder, trying to contain it. I’ve never felt this before. It’s…unnerving. My chest is about to explode into a thousand pieces, and I don’t want to stop it.

Her hands clutch at my backside, holding me in against her. “I’m close. I’m close.”

She’s strong. I feel the power building in her. I have her pinned to the bed, skewered, yet she’s taken charge, signaling me to still. She’s controlling us, working hard, reaching for her finish. Her walls begin to flutter around my hard length, and I have to move. A small, deep thrust, with a long, hard grind against her clit. Like she’s masturbating herself with my pelvis. She’s so tight around me, I can barely move.

Suddenly, she’s there, pulsing her orgasm. I bury my nose against her neck and ride it out with her, letting her use my body however she needs. My own climax hits while she’s still coming. She whimpers as I let loose inside her in bursts of welcome relief, emptying me while filling her.

The sensations roll through me like shock waves. We hold on to each other to the end, fused in the tumult.

I couldn’t let go of my girl right now if I wanted to.