Chapter Seventeen
Skylar’s phone vibrated in the pocket of her apron, and she looked at the screen before shuffling away from the customers she’d just served.
“I’m taking my ten,” Skylar yelled over to Cat, who nodded and continued taking her order. It was a slow day, so answering Jamie’s phone call shouldn’t affect the flow too much.
“Hey, Jamie, what’s up?” Skylar untied the apron and sat in the computer chair in Dee’s office.
“Hey,” his voice rang through the speaker, a sound that always sent a flood of awareness to her body. The rumble and grit beneath smooth molasses. “Are you and Em doing anything tonight?”
“No, why?” Skylar leaned the computer chair back and stared at the ceiling, spinning around slowly.
“Because I’m taking you two on a date!” He sounded so happy, Skylar couldn’t help the laugh that bubbled up.
“A date? For both of us?”
“Well, yeah. You wanted to see some fun things in Big Bear. I’ll show you one tonight.”
It seemed so long ago since that night at the bar. A rush of happiness from his remembering caused her to smile. “What is it?” she said.
“It’s a surprise. Make sure you dress comfy and wear socks. I’ll pick you up at six thirty.”
After she agreed, Jamie claimed he had to go—bad guys to catch and all that. She laughed even as she ended the phone call. Twirling her ponytail around one finger, Skylar sighed. She felt content. For the first time in her whole life, her world felt like it was stilling. Becoming calm under the comfort of Jamie’s presence, under the safety of the pack. A week ago when Jamie had found out about the baby on top of all the other revelations, it had felt like a weight had been lifted. Nobody, not even Emery, knew about the baby. Now it was her and Jamie’s secret, and she trusted him with it. Because when he had held her that night, comforting her, kissing her, showing her how he felt, he had given her what she had desired. Warmth. Comfort. Love.
Even though he didn’t say the words, she saw them in his eyes, felt them in his touch.
So that night she got ready for the date, pulling on a pair of jeans and a loose olive-green blouse with its sleeves rolled to her elbows. She had just buttoned the last button when she heard his voice from the living room. She walked out to see Jamie standing there, his hands tucked into a pair of loose jeans. His orange flannel was unbuttoned to reveal the white shirt beneath. Her mouth watered at the sight of him. Emery waited there next to him, her denim shirt tucked into white jeans, red hair braided off to the side. She was casual, relaxed, leaning against the back of the couch. And Skylar felt complete, staring at the two people who had become the world to her.
“Jamie won’t tell me where we’re going,” Emery complained, punching Jamie’s arm.
“That’s what a surprise is for, Emery. To surprise you.” Jamie laughed, rubbing the spot she’d hit.
Skylar slipped her feet into a pair of shoes and grabbed her purse from the dining table. “Ready?”
“Always.”
Jamie’s eyes glittered above his smile, and Skylar’s breath caught when he entwined his fingers with hers. She stared at the tangled digits for a second, unsure what they meant. The last week had been different, for both of them. He’d become even more affectionate, making little gestures that meant so much to her. But she had to wonder, what did they mean to him? Sure, she knew he loved her. But sometimes, women could just tell these things. The problem was did he?
They drove to the Mexican place he’d mentioned before and pigged out on carne asada tacos. They filled up on both food and laughter, until Emery rubbed her stomach and said she was so full she wouldn’t eat for another week. His first promise fulfilled, Jamie pushed them back into the truck.
They pulled up in front of a huge red barn-like building, complete with white trim and small details. Like that random square with a huge white X in the middle of it that seemed to be common on barns. Skylar gasped when the big block letters came into view.
“Bowling?” The joy behind the simple word was apparent in Emery’s voice.
“Yep. But not just bowling. Glow bowling.” Jamie beamed, winking at Emery in the rearview mirror.
“Oh, my God!” She squealed, and Skylar looked back at her. Her cheeks hurt from smiling; her heart hurt from the joy.
He parked his truck, and they all got out to make their way toward the humongous building. The parking lot was full on Friday night, and they weaved between cars. Jamie grasped her hand again, but this time he tugged her underneath his arm.
“You ready to get owned, sweetheart?”
Owned. Wrecked. She would take it if it meant she could be this happy, see the overwhelming bliss on Emery.
“Bring it on, cowboy,” she joked, shoving her shoulder into his side. But as they walked she couldn’t help resting her head on his chest, wrapping her arm around his waist. Inhaling Jamie like he was a feast to her senses.
It was no wonder it was called glow bowling. The place wasn’t lit with blinding white lights. They had all been turned off, replaced by luminescent black lights. Neon colors shouted from across the bowling alleys. TVs hung down from the ceiling and played music videos she’d never seen before. Emery practically skipped into the place, her braid bouncing with every step. But then she looked around and paused, waiting for them to catch up.
“I’ve never been to a place like this before,” Emery said, her jaw slack with shock as her eyes feasted on the glowing decoration. The loud crash of balls as they hit the pins echoed in Skylar’s ears, but she had a feeling the noise would be worth it.
“You guys have never been bowling?” Jamie said in her ear as he steered her toward a large counter. A teenager stood behind the register, spraying down a hideous pair of brown, red, and black shoes.
Skylar shook her head and glanced down at the patterned carpet. “We pretty much stayed in our small town, and it didn’t have a bowling alley.”
“Jamie!” a voice shouted from a barstool outside the alleys. A man with short black hair and a mustache smiled at them, waving.
“Hey, Jackson!” Jamie shouted and waved in return but continued toward the counter. “He’s another cop at the station with me.”
Skylar nodded, too entranced by the liveliness of the place. The bar Jamie and Skylar met at had been full of drunks and kids just trying to get laid. The bowling alley practically throbbed with excitement. Kids ran up and down the carpet, squealing as they found a small room full of arcade games. Two young couples leaned over a pool table, laughing as someone missed the pocket. Music blared over the speakers, and some people crashed their pints of beer together in a toast. Big Bear might be a small town, but it was full of life and love.
A shiver ran up her spine as a sense of awareness washed over her. Someone was watching her. She turned slowly, scanning the building, looking for anybody showing too much attention to the three of them. Nothing stood out, but with it being so packed she doubted she would be able to find someone dead-set on hiding.
Jamie tapped on her shoulder, and she looked up at him. He raised his eyebrow like she should be answering him.
“I’m sorry, what?”
“Your size? For the shoes.”
Skylar glanced down at her feet as if they would give her the answers and instantly felt stupid. “Right. A seven.” She could slap herself, really. Did she have to look like such a noob?
They each grabbed their shoes, and Jamie showed them the different bowling balls. Skylar grabbed a light one and carried it to an area Jamie led them to. A small fabric couch sat next to the little ball rack thing, which she happily set the ball into. Jamie fiddled with a computer while they put on their shoes, and Skylar watched in fascination as their names came up on the screen. He gestured them over, and both she and Emery watched, enraptured, as he showed them what to do.
“Basically, you want to knock all those pins down. Doing it all at once gives you more points, but if you only knock down some of them, you get another chance to try to get the rest.” He picked up his own glowing bowling ball and bounced it in his hands. “I’ll go first so you can see. Most important things: don’t throw into someone else’s lane, and don’t put your foot on the actual lane. You’ll regret it.”
Skylar nodded like she knew what he meant, sat down, and watched his very sexy jeans-clad butt stride to the lane. He sort of jog-hopped across, stopping only as he swung his arm back, then forward. He released the ball, and it rolled down the lane, knocking eight of the ten pins down. He let out a loud whoop and smiled back at them.
“See, it’s not that hard.”
His ball spit back up out of the machine next to them, and he grabbed it again. He attempted to hit the two pins left at the farthest right of the lane and groaned when his ball fell into the slot to the side.
“What does it mean when you get it in there?” Skylar asked, watching the rack pick up the remaining pins and drop a new set of ten down.
“That’s a gutter ball. You get no points when that happens.” He grabbed a pink fluorescent ball and handed it to Emery. “Your turn, squirt.”
Emery fixed her fingers into the ball, and Jamie shifted them until she gripped it correctly. She walked to the lane, her body emanating nervous excitement from each bouncy step. She tried to copy whatever move it was Jamie had done, but right when the ball released from her hand, something happened. Her foot slid forward like she’d hit an oil spill, and she sprawled midair until her rear slammed into the wooden floor. Jamie let out a loud laugh, slapping his hand against his thigh.
“I told you not to put your foot into the lane,” he shouted at her over the music, his voice vibrating with humor.
Emery glared back at them, and Skylar tried to muffle the laughter behind her palm. But her shaking shoulders and watery eyes probably gave her away. Emery stood up and looked at the remaining six pins in frustration. She brushed her hands over her glowing white pants, now a shade of blue under the black lights. And then she stalked back over to grab her returning ball.
Jamie smiled down at Skylar from where he stood. She smiled back, which seemed to encourage him to lean over and brace his arms on the back of the couch. He caged her between his muscular forearms.
“You better be careful not to fall on there. It hurts, and I wouldn’t want you to bruise that beautiful rear.”
Skylar scowled at him, which pulled a laugh from him. His lips dropped to hers. Nothing hot or sexy about it, just a quick peck, but Skylar felt it to her toes, like a small vibration that echoed through her whole body. Heat flooded between her legs, and she closed her eyes against the sudden feeling. When she opened them again, Jamie had pulled back with a knowing look on his face.
“Come on, sweetheart. It’s your turn.”
He continued the teasing throughout the night. Every time Emery’s turn came, Jamie would sit with Skylar. He would brush his hand against her shoulder, across her thigh, accidentally across her breast.
Jamie ended up winning. Big surprise there. They had stayed until closing time and exited with the small group of remaining people. Back in the car, Skylar sighed, resting her head against the seat and closing her eyes. Emery chatted excitedly from the back, reminiscing on each move she’d made that night. Skylar zoned out at the sound of their voices humming in the background until they reached the house.
Emery went straight to her room, eyes drooping with exhaustion. Jamie stood by the stairs, hands tucked in his jeans. Skylar slipped her shoes off and dropped her purse on the table. He watched the closed door of Emery’s room with a questioning expression. He was thinking about whether or not Emery would be able to hear them. Or at least that was the thought flashing through Skylar’s mind at that moment. She hummed with sexual tension from the attention all evening. When he dragged his gaze to hers, she tilted her head toward her bedroom door, knowing he could see the gesture in the dim lighting.
“I should let you go to sleep. We had a big night.” Weak, Jamie. He didn’t even sound convinced that it was the right thing to do.
She didn’t want to say anything. Didn’t want Emery’s sensitive ears to hear the dirty words filtering through her mind. So Skylar stepped backward slowly and plucked the top button of her shirt open. It gaped across her cleavage, the baggy material falling with every movement toward the door. Jamie’s gaze dropped to her exposed flesh, and he swallowed before looking back up at her face. She lifted a brow.
Really, Jamie… She plucked the next button open, revealing the black lace beneath. It spurred him into movement. Slow, seductive movement as he stalked toward her as if she were prey. He took a step forward, and she took one backward, until she passed over the threshold into her bedroom. By the time he reached her, she was panting in excitement and her shirt flapped open. The door whispered closed behind him, barely a click audible beyond their heavy breathing. He scanned her face as if hungry for her but scared to take the first bite.
Skylar lifted a hand to push through his blond curls, and then the other, until she gripped both sides of his head. When he still didn’t make a move, she leaned up on her tiptoes until her breath mingled with his. She kept her eyes open even as she touched their lips together, the barest ghost of a kiss. He exhaled a sigh against her, and Skylar nipped at his bottom lip. His eyes fluttered closed, and his hands ran hot beneath her shirt to grip her waist.
“Skylar.” He whispered her name reverently and dropped his lips to hers, finally giving her the kiss she needed.
They were quiet, trying to keep it between them. No need to scar Emery’s teen years with hearing her sister’s sex life. But Jamie… God, he made it so hard. He backed her to the bed until finally he knelt over her, his knees outside her hips. He slowly, luxuriously trailed his hands over her whole body until she squirmed. Each article of clothing slid off her like smooth silk, followed by the heat of his tongue. He tasted every single crevice of her body until Skylar writhed in pleasure.
Only he did this to her. Consumed her. Ravished her. Brought her to the precipice only to slow her back down until she felt like she would explode if she didn’t reach the end. He paused only to slide the condom on. His naked body burned against hers when he slid back up, his eyes melting, like green lava. He brushed his lips against hers, and she vaguely felt herself whisper, “Please.” She begged him, her hands gripping the taut muscles of his ass, trying to pull him into her.
He groaned in her ear and thrust inside, filling her to capacity. She gasped, her thighs trembling against his hips. His hands grasped her head and held her in place, kissing her, eating every sigh and gasp of pleasure that escaped her mouth. His tongue delved into her with each long, hard thrust, and she was so thirsty for his taste. Needed to be with him in every way. She kissed him back as she climbed, her body reaching, begging for escape from the taut muscles and pain that throbbed within her. Her clit pulsed with each ripple of her walls. She clenched him and arched her back as the waves of her orgasm bombarded her senses. Her gasps were covered by his lips, but it wasn’t just hers he was trying to hide. He rode her harder, pushing against her insides with ferocity as he reached the edge. He made a small noise in his throat. Like relief had come along with his orgasm.
They fell into each other’s arms, wrapped naked and blissful in simultaneous warmth. Jamie only left for the second it took to discard the condom, but joined her again to pull her back in.
Skylar burrowed into his chest, inhaled his scent, and fell just a little harder for the impossible, stubborn Shifter beneath her.