JACKSON Page 7

  I climb out of the car, removing Nessa’s small weekend bag from the back, before opening the door for her. It sucks she has to work for a few hours tomorrow. I tried bribing her boss, but he was having none of it. The best he could do was cut her hours, so at least, she doesn’t have to be up early in the morning.

  “Another thing. They bicker like an old married couple. I’ve learned to tune them out, but they’ll probably irritate you to no end. You might need to self-medicate.”

  “I’m a strictly drug-free zone these days, so I’ll take my chances.”

  Dumping her bag, I haul her into my arms. “I’m proud of you, you know.”

  Her brows climb to her hairline. “You are?” The disbelief in her tone is something I’ve heard before. Vanessa has quite low self-esteem. I never realized until I started hanging out with her. If I allow myself to be honest for a second, I hate that she does, because she is a sweet girl with a good heart.

  Which is why this is becoming complicated for me.

  I thought I could do this because she’d annoy the fuck out of me and I wouldn’t catch feelings. But she’s nothing like I expected. She’s genuinely sweet, and I like hanging out with her, and I’m fighting my burgeoning feelings.

  I should walk away now, but I can’t. I’m in this too deep, and my thirst for revenge outweighs my concerns.

  I searched every inch of Vanessa’s apartment the night she fell asleep in my arms, and I found jack shit. No cards or letters or messages or hidden phones. If Christian has reached out to her, he’s being extra careful.

  And that’s why I’ve got to last the distance.

  “Jackson?” Her worried gaze meets mine.

  I kiss her softly. “Sorry, I zoned out for a minute. I’m proud of you for battling your demons and coming out the other side. I know from personal experience how hard it is, and you’ve done it all alone.” I cup her gorgeous face, trying not to drown in those mesmerizing baby blues.

  “Thank you, Jackson.” Her eyes turn glassy, and panic bubbles up my throat. Not tears. I abso-fucking-lutely cannot handle female tears. “And I’m proud of you too.” She wipes moisture from her eye. “I’m proud of us.”

  I both love and hate the sound of that.

  _______________

  “It’s exquisite,” Vanessa says ten minutes later after I’ve given her the grand tour of the penthouse. I haven’t taken her up to the roof yet because Grumpy and Happy are on their way up in the elevator, so I’m waiting to make introductions first. She strides to the window. “This view is to die for.”

  I walk toward her, caging her in from behind. “I couldn’t agree more,” I say, tipping her face back and staring at her so she gets my meaning.

  “I think I’ll start calling you Casanova,” she quips, arching her back into me.

  My cock jerks in my jeans when I press my body against her. I don’t know when I’ve ever exercised this much restraint. I have the worst case of blue balls known to man. I am dying, and I mean literally dying, to sink inside her, but I’ve held back for the perfect moment, and it’s fast approaching because I’ve used up most of my patience reserves by now.

  Vanessa gets me so hot.

  When she sucked me off the first time, fireworks exploded behind my eyes. I thought I was having an out-of-body experience.

  It was that good.

  Girl’s got mad skills, and after we fuck, I already know I’ll have problems keeping my hands off her and my dick out of her pussy.

  I need to bring this show to a speedy climax before I end up hurting myself in the process.

  “Ahem.” A throat clearing behind us brings me back into the moment.

  “Don’t all rush me at once,” Xavier says, and I hear the grin in his tone.

  “Ready, babe?” I whisper into her ear.

  She nods, smiling, and I push off the window, taking her hand and turning us around. “You disappoint me, dude. I was looking forward to the Batman leathers.”

  “No point bringing the Harley to the city, and I’m wearing Superman boxer briefs. I’d show you, but it’d be rude in front of the pretty lady.” He winks at Vanessa.

  “Since when has that ever stopped you?” Hunt retorts, already poking and prodding.

  “Oh well then. If you insist.” Before any of us can stop him, Xavier has dropped his shorts, confirming that he is, indeed, wearing teeny-tiny blue briefs with Superman’s head superimposed on them.

  Vanessa bursts out laughing, and, in typical Daniels’ fashion, the ice is broken.

  “You are one crazy motherfucker.” I walk toward him, shaking my head as he pulls up his shorts.

  “I’m not sure my eyes will ever recover,” Hunt drawls, and the look of disgust in his eyes cannot be faked.

  These two are fucking priceless.

  “You’ve seen a lot worse,” Xavier replies, drilling him with a smug look. It’s obviously some private joke.

  “Smutty bedroom jokes are off the table this weekend,” I say, pulling Vanessa in front of me. “We have a lady in our presence, and I’d rather you didn’t scare her away.”

  I have already warned Hunt not to breathe a word to Xavier about me fake-dating Nessa. Xavier can’t keep anything secret from Abby, and the last thing I need is this getting back to Anderson.

  I make introductions. “Xavier, meet Vanessa.”

  “It’s lovely to meet you,” Nessa says. “Jackson has told me all about you.”

  “Well, that’s not scary.” Xavier winks, darting in to kiss her cheek. “Don’t believe a word of it. It’s all lies.”

  “Even the part where he said you were loyal as fuck, highly fucking intelligent, and very entertaining company?” she asks, clasping my arms.

  Xavier grins, looking pleased. “Those parts are all true. It’s everything else that’s a lie.”

  We head up to the rooftop garden where we spend a pleasant night chatting over takeout and beer. Vanessa sticks to water, and I contain myself to two beers. While I haven’t completely cut booze out like she has, I know my limits, and I try to stick to them.

  I need a clear head to take that bastard Montgomery down.

  “How did you two meet?” Xavier asks, casually throwing his arm over Hunt’s shoulder. They are sitting on the couch across from us. Vanessa giggles when Hunt shoves Xavier’s arm off, and she snuggles in closer to me. I curl my arm more protectively around her shoulder, deflecting yet another invisible dagger Hunt throws my way.

  “We go way back,” I explain. “We all spent family vacations at The Hamptons.”

  “I lost my virginity to Van,” Hunt blurts, and I want to smack him upside the head.

  Nessa squirms, a blush dotting her cheeks, and I glare at my best friend.

  “Well, that was awkward.” Xavier slams his hand down on Hunt’s thigh. “And extremely rude. If it was for my benefit, it was also unnecessary.”

  “Not everything is about you,” Hunt says. “In fact, most things aren’t.”

  “Ouch.” Xavier withdraws his hand. “I’m beginning to wonder why you bothered inviting me for the weekend.”

  “I didn’t,” Hunt hisses, and Xavier turns to him with a frown.

  “I stole his cell and sent you the text,” I admit. “Because his cranky ass needs to get laid.”

  Xavier’s legendary smile drops away. “Asshole move, Lauder.”

  “Was it?” I glance at Hunt. “He’s had all week to call it off, but he didn’t. Maybe, ask him about that.” I stand, pulling Nessa with me. “We’re heading to bed. Enjoy the rest of your night.”

  “What the hell was all that about?” Nessa asks as soon as we’re out of earshot of the others.

  “I’ve no idea,” I lie. “Hunt’s been a bit of an ass lately. I thought having Xavier here might help. Maybe, I was wrong.”

  We step into the kitchen, and I grab two bottles of water from the refrigerator.

  “Does he regret it?” Nessa asks when we enter my bedroom.

  I close and lock the door. “R
egret what?” I kick my Vans off and they fly across the room.

  Vanessa sits on the edge of the freshly made bed. Our cleaning lady, Florentina, was here today, so the place is immaculate and perfect for entertaining my girlfriend.

  “Losing his virginity to me.” She looks like someone just kicked her puppy.

  I kneel in front of her. “I’m sure he doesn’t. This wasn’t about you. It was about me.”

  “He doesn’t want us to be together?”

  I run my hands up her smooth, bare legs. “He’s just nervous because we’re both new to this whole relationship shit.” I’m fudging the truth on purpose, concentrating on the feel of her under my hands. Her skin is like silk to the touch. My hand slips under the hem of her dress, but her fingers curl around my wrist, stopping me. “What? You don’t want me to touch you?”

  She leans down, kissing me. “You know I love how you touch me, but I want to take care of you.” She pulls me to my feet, staring up at me through hooded eyes as she unzips my shorts. She pushes my shorts and boxers down my legs, freeing my cock. I’m already sporting a semi, and as soon as she wraps those delicate fingers around the base of my shaft, I harden like magic. “Wow. Zero to sixty in less than a second. Impressive.” She grins.

  I chuckle, delving my hands in her hair. “Your touch is impressive, and my cock loves you.”

  She slowly pumps my dick, looking up at me with a devilish glint in her eye.

  How can a girl look so innocent and so wicked at the same time?

  “What would you like me to do?” she asks in a breathy voice that has my cock jerking in her hand.

  “I want to fuck your mouth,” I admit without pause. “And I need to feel your tits.”

  She slides her dress down to her waist, exposing her bare chest. My hands glide down her body, cupping both tits. “These are so fucking perfect.” It’s the truth. They are a perfect handful, round and soft, with small, neat rosy tips.

  Every inch of her is perfect.

  She is flawless with delicate curves in all the right places, and her body is so responsive to me, which is another huge turn-on. I squeeze her tits, and her nipples harden instantly. I pluck at them with more force than usual, anger still lingering in my veins thanks to Sawyer fucking Hunt.

  When she takes me in her lush mouth, I lose all control, rocking my hips back and forth while I grope her tits. She widens her mouth, taking me all in, skillfully moving her lips up and down my shaft. The look in her eyes assures me she is enjoying this as much as I am.

  I want to rip my cock from her mouth and bury it deep in her pussy, so deep we both forget who we are and that this is all a means to an end.

  Guilt slaps me in the face, and in this moment, I pretty much hate myself.

  Shuttering my eyes, I swallow back bile as that thought competes with the tingle zipping up my spine, and I concentrate on the way Nessa is sucking me off, blanking my mind of everything else, until I blow in her mouth, shooting salty cum directly down her throat.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  Vanessa

  I SMILE AS I listen to Jackson singing to himself in the shower. Putting the hairdryer down, I stretch my arms up over my head, thinking back to last night, my smile expanding as I remember curling up in bed against Jackson after we pleasured one another, falling into the sort of deep, contented sleep that usually eludes me.

  If I’m honest, there’s a tinge of disappointment we didn’t sleep together, but he was in a bit of a funny mood after that altercation on the rooftop, so I didn’t push the agenda.

  Besides, there’s always tonight.

  I’m still grinning as I stand, grab my brush, and walk to his dresser to fix my hair for work. I’ll have to wrench myself away today even if it’s only for a few hours. I’m lucky Jackson managed to sweet talk Paul into letting me start late. It means my shift will go extra fast, and I’ll be back here before I know it.

  I’m smoothing my hair into a ponytail when my eyes flit to the pretty card on his dresser. I glance quickly at the en suite bathroom, chewing on the corner of my lip. The sound of water hitting tiles mingles with Jackson’s deep singing voice, confirming he is still showering. My gaze returns to the card, curiosity lighting a fire in my veins. I shouldn’t snoop, but it’s not like it’s hidden away. If he didn’t want me to see it, he wouldn’t have left it out in plain sight.

  I open the card and read. It’s an invitation to Kaiden and Abby’s wedding in Alabama. I read online they got married in New York last Christmas, so I’ve no idea why they are having a second ceremony.

  It’s so weird to think of him as Kaiden, because I’ve only ever known him as Camden or Cam. But that’s a story for another day.

  The water stops the same time the singing does, and I hurriedly place the card back in the same spot.

  I have never visited Alabama, and I’m sure it’s beautiful in August. The invitation includes a plus one, so he must be going to ask me, right?

  Excitement bubbles up my throat, and I wonder if I should mention it. I contemplate it quickly. I don’t want to jump to conclusions or force him to ask me before he’s ready, so I hurriedly step away from the dresser before he catches me, deciding to wait for him to bring it up.

  _______________

  Work flies by in a blur of orders and customers, and before I know it, Jackson is waiting outside to escort me to his place.

  “Missed you,” he says the second I exit the diner, reeling me into his arms and kissing me deeply.

  “Goodnight, love birds,” Chloe calls out as she leaves.

  We break our kiss, and I wave at her as she walks off.

  “We’re going out tonight,” Jackson says, frowning a little as he watches Chloe disappear in the opposite direction. He rests his arm around my shoulder. “You need to grab anything from your apartment?”

  “Where are we going, and how dressy will it be?”

  “Dinner at a Michelin-starred Mexican restaurant that also serves the best fucking steaks on the planet. Then, drinks at Glitter,” he confirms.

  “Okay, let me grab an outfit real quick.”

  Jackson walks across the road to his SUV to wait for me.

  I glance briefly at the familiar silver Honda Accord, parked in front of him. I have noticed it a couple times before. The windows are tinted, so I can’t make out the person sitting behind the wheel.

  “Get a move on, babe,” Jackson hollers through cupped hands.

  I blow him a kiss before racing upstairs to my apartment. I rummage quickly through my closet, grabbing a sexy pink mini dress and those black Jimmy Choos. Who knows, maybe my fantasy will become reality tonight.

  _______________

  “Van.” Xavier yanks me into a bone-squeezing hug the second I arrive at the penthouse. “Thank fuck, you’re back. We need some estrogen to balance out the overpowering testosterone.”

  “And which category are you putting yourself in?” Jackson asks.

  Xavier rolls his eyes. “I’m pumped full of testosterone, dude.” He grabs his junk, waggling his brows. “Because I’m gay, not female,” he adds, tut-tutting at Jackson as he tucks me in under his arm. He smiles at me. “Ready to par-tay?”

  “Lemme grab a shower, and I’m there.”

  “Sweet.” He kisses my cheek. “Make sure you wear your dancing shoes.”

  “Release my girl.” Jackson tugs on my hand. “And keep your paws to yourself.”

  Xavier beams. “Jealousy is a good look on you, Lauder.”

  Jackson flips him the bird, threading his fingers through mine and leading me out to the bedrooms. “Close your eyes,” he says, placing his hands over my eyes when we reach his bedroom door.

  “Why?”

  “I have a surprise for you.”

  My heart jumps in my chest as he walks me into his room. Jackson keeps one hand over my eyes as he removes the strap from my shoulder, dumping the bag with my dress and shoes on the ground. “You can open your eyes now.”

  A gorgeous black mini dre
ss hangs on a mobile rail in front of me. The dress is strapless black satin with layers of ruffles that uncurl at the front. It’s cinched at the waist with a thick gold and black sash, and it’s one of the most gorgeous dresses I’ve ever seen.

  “It’s Alexander McQueen. Do you like it?” he asks, and I’m surprised at the hint of anxiety underscoring his tone.

  “I love it,” I whisper, walking toward it as if in a trance. On the odd occasion, I have missed having a limitless budget to spend as I desire. But mostly, I haven’t missed money. Freedom from that bastard is the only currency I need. Provided I have a roof over my head, and food in my belly, I’m good.

  I had far too many clothes and possessions anyway. It was obscene. However, I can’t deny the buzzing in my veins at the prospect of wearing such an exquisite gown tonight. Getting glammed up for a night out with my boyfriend and his friends is the most fun I’ve had in ages.

  “You sure?” Jackson asks, watching me trail my fingers along the satiny material.

  “You bought this for me?” I choke out, keeping my fingers on the dress while I turn to look at him.

  “Yep.”

  “Why?”

  He walks right up to me, gently cupping the back of my head. “Because a beautiful woman deserves a beautiful dress, and I want to spoil you. You’re my girl. I want you to want for nothing.”

  My heart swells to the point I’m afraid it might explode. Words loiter at the tip of my tongue, and I want to tell him how I feel, but I am scared I’ll chase him off. Instead, I fling my arms around his neck, clinging to him. “You’re so good to me, Jackson. I love it so much. Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome.” He swats my ass as he pecks my lips. “We’re leaving in an hour, so get your tempting ass in the shower. We’ll be up on the roof. Come join us when you’re ready.”

  I’m floating on cloud nine as I get ready. I blow-dry my hair straight, adding some serum so it hangs in perfect, sleek sheets down my back. I go smoky with my eyes, adding lashings of mascara while keeping my lips nude and dusting peach blush over my cheeks.