Baby Did a Bad Bad Thing (Hautboy Series Book 3) (21 page)

“Oh, really?” I said, somewhat sharply.  “Do you approve of who she chose?”  As if Mattie needed his approval.  I hadn’t even met his sister and I was indignant for her.

“That’s moot, too.  He wants to ‘do right’ by her.  She’s made it clear that whatever she decides, it’s none of my business.”

Oh, dear God.  “She’s pregnant.”

“A few months along, just past the point of termination.”

“Wow.”  That had to be a blow for someone who’d turned his life around so that he’d be the proper role model for his little sister.  “Sorry.”

“I’m disappointed.  Not in her;
for
her.  She hasn’t graduated, let alone start her career.  She hasn’t seen the world.  She hasn’t truly lived.  Having a kid will definitely set her back.”

“It hasn’t slowed Coop down.  If she has the determination and the support she needs, she’ll be fine.”

“It’s not just that.  I want her to be happy.  I don’t want her marrying this guy just because she thinks it’s the right thing to do.  God forbid it doesn’t work out between them, she’ll have to deal with divorce and custody.”

“You need to stop with the ‘what ifs.’  What’s going to happen is going to happen.  The only thing you can do is be there for her.  Although, I have to say if she’s anything like you, the father’s the one that’s going to need the shoulder to cry on.”

Jake’s eyes narrowed.  “Shaw…”  He left his threat hang in the air.

Smirking, my fingers danced over the piano keys, playing a line from The Entertainer.  Which, in turn, caused Jake to arch his eyebrows at me.

“You play.”

“Played.”  I waved it off, and spun on the bench to face him.  “Elementary through high school.  Haven’t touched one in a few years.  In fact, if I thought about that song too hard, I probably would’ve botched it up entirely.”

“How did I not know this?”

“It never came up until now.”  I stood.  Jake had made his way over and stopped in front of me, looking down over his cheekbones with curiosity.  “What should I have said, Jake—Hi, I’m Paisley Shaw.  I play the piano.  You play the piano.  We must be destined to be together?”

Laughing, Jake scrubbed his jaw.  “Did you choose me over the others because I played the piano?”

“No!”

“Tell the truth.  You know how I feel about liars.”

“Maybe.  Yes!  Damn it!”  Hiding a smile behind my hand, I let the full truth come out.  “I might’ve had posters of you hanging above my bed, too.”

“Of
me
?”

“Well, they were of the band.”  Embarrassed, I hastily backtracked.  “You don’t understand!  I didn’t have walls.  I shared a room with my sisters.  The only way to have my own space was to make my own canopy bed.  Anything on the inside of that curtain was mine.  So I hung my posters on the ceiling.  Otherwise my sisters drew mustaches and glasses on everyone, and made you all look like Groucho Marx!”

“TMI, Shaw, you just ruined my pipe dream.  I was imagining something much sexier than that.”

“I was sixteen!  By the time I was seventeen, I had taken them down and hung cheat sheets of lab values and intermuscular injection sites.”

Crushing me against his chest, he continued to shake in silent laughter.  “Replaced so easily.  With lab values… and injection sites…”

“Hey, if I didn’t go into nursing, we wouldn’t have met.”

“True.”  Threading his hands into my hair, he tilted my head back to look me in the eyes.  His were glittering with humor.  “So, was I everything you imagined?”

“No, not at all.”

“No?” he objected, aggrieved.

“You’re so much better.”

♪♫♪♫

“Bastard!” I hissed, waking yet again, frustrated and left hanging.  “Son of a bitch!”  As the pull of sleep faded away, I rubbed my eyes and groaned.  The slide of sheets against my nipples had them pebbling.  That was nothing compared to the ache between my thighs.  “What the fuck.”  It simply wasn’t fair.  The man was mine.  So why was he still torturing me like this in my dreams?

“I didn’t believe ‘em.”

As my eyes adjusted to the light, I turned my head.  Jake was stretched out beside me, his head resting on his elbow.  He was staring in fascination.  “What?”

“When you said you dreamt about me, I thought you were pulling my leg.”

“You said
them
.”

“I said
it
.  I didn’t believe
it
.”  Lifting his hand, he cupped my breast and stroked his thumb across my nipple.  Purely out of reaction, I knocked his hand away.

“Please—don’t do that.”

“What’s the matter?”

“They’re sensitive.  I just might have to cut you if you touch them.”

“What exactly was I doing to them in this dream?”

If he thought I was going to be sidetracked, he had another thing coming.  He said
them
.  And I wasn’t talking about my nipples.  “Do you really want to know?”

“In fucking detail.”  Abandoning my breasts, he parted my thighs and slid between them.  I let him have that much before I named my price.

“Then talk.”

Jake fell still, staring down from above me.  “Coop might’ve heard a thing or two when you stayed over the house.”

“Heard what, exactly?”

“You talk in your sleep.  Not so much talk as other stuff.  You can’t tell her I know, though.  She told Tate and Tate told me.  You know how that goes.  He’ll be up shit creek.”

“Of course not.”  I flattened my palms against his chest when he lowered his head to nibble at my throat.  “What exactly did you witness just now?”

A slow grin spread across his face.  “You make these noises.  These throaty little moans and sexy fucking sighs.  Christ, my cock is rock fucking hard right now.”  He pivoted his hips, stroking his length between my thighs.  “Let me in, Shaw.  We both need it right now.”  Pivoting his hips again, he began nudging himself into me, inching in, back out, and farther in.

Moaning, I angled my hips until he slid firmly inside.  His breadth was welcome, satiating the need my dreams had engendered.  My nails bit into his shoulders, a silent praise of thanks.

“Just fucking like that,” Jake gritted out.  “God, I love those noises.”

“More!  I need more!”  Sliding my hand between my thighs, I found my clit and began to circle it with my fingertips.  “Fucking hard!”

Dropping his head, Jake grasped my leg and raised it over his shoulder.  He began pistoning his hips, answering my demand.  He was a fucking sexual paragon, giving himself over entirely to my need.  Taking my own pleasure, I perused him from head to toe.  From his defined abs to his sculpted arms and striking features, he really was my opinion of perfection.

That’s why I knew we wouldn’t last.

This attraction, this desire, this encompassing emotion that I refused to name would be my ultimate downfall.  I was a hypocrite in the biggest sense, preaching to Jake about focusing on the ‘what ifs’ when I was equally at guilt.  Although, for me they weren’t possibilities.  Our eventual disaffiliation was inevitable.  It wasn’t a matter of
if
, it was a matter of
when
.  I’d just been too tired to fight it anymore.  Jake was a weakness that I couldn’t resist.  But in the end, he would leave me.  Whatever his reason, he would think he had my best interest at heart.

My peak came quickly.  My dreams already had me half strung.  It only took a few tweaks of the thread to unravel me completely.  My body locked up, riding out the tremors of pleasure.

Quickly, Jake withdrew.  He abandoned the cradle of my thighs and flipped me to my stomach.  Sliding his knees between mine, he parted them, and settled in between.  I began to rise up on my knees, but he placed his palm against my back and pushed me back down.

“No.  I want you there.”  Reaching into the nightstand, he pulled out a bottle of lube.  Surmising his intentions, I grasped the sheets, fisting them in my hands.  “I’m not going to hurt you, Paisley.  Relax.  Trust me.”  Slowly, he entered me again, at the same time pushing into my ass with his thumb.  He used the same technique as earlier, easing me into his touch.  Gradually, my hands began to loosen from the sheets.  “Does that feel good?”

“Yes,” I moaned, biting the bullet.  I thought that was obvious by the motion of my hips.

“Just remember to relax.”  Gently, he withdrew, leaving me bereft.  And then he was easing into me, his entrance aided with a superfluous amount of lubrication.  Still, my hands tightened around the sheets, and I sucked a sharp breath through my teeth.  Jake pressed his weight down on me, stilling my retreat.  “Don’t move.  Fuck.  Don’t move.”

I was in complete agreement with not moving.

Lifting one hand from my waist, he covered my hand and interlocked his fingers between mine.  The gesture was stirring, begetting emotions better off set aside.  He liked me a lot.  He was comforting me, not professing his love.

“Breathe, Shaw.”

“I am.”

“I need to touch you.”  Letting go of my hand, he pressed a kiss against my shoulder, and slid his hand between my thighs.  His fingers began circling, reviving a measure of arousal.  I moaned, gravitating toward his hand.  “That’s my girl.  We’ll take it at your pace.”

Steadily, he increased the pressure of his fingers.  All sentiments dropped away, immaterial in our carnal endeavors.  This was purely physical.

Little by little, I began to rock against him, growing accustomed to his breadth.  The discomfort soon faded.  Jake began joining the efforts, meeting my thrusts with small ones of his own.  His fingers sped in progression.

Before long, his hips were clapping against my ass.  His fingers bit into my hips, bruising them with pressure.  His other hand worked me into a feverish peak.  Once again, my body seized, riding out the spasms.  I cried out his name.  A homage.  A curse.  A plea.

Jake followed shortly after.  Through his teeth, he gritted out a few imprecations, mixed between my own.  His hands tightened on my hips, his thrusts growing unbearably stronger.  I had to brace myself on the headboard to save from falling against the thing.  As he gave one final thrust, I fell limply onto the bed, save for my hips which were suspended in his clutch.

A moment or two later, Jake dropped beside me, panting heavily.  He placed his palm on my back.  Perhaps he was checking for life, or possibly offering comfort.  Whatever his motive, I muttered a succinct, “I might be in love with you, Jake, but just so that we’re clear, that’s never, ever happening again.”  Despite my roiling emotions and my growing awareness of discomfort, I managed to laugh.  Joining me, Jake looped my waist and guided me against his chest, spooning against me.

Chapter 17
 

P
ark right there.”  I pointed to the space beside the entry doors to my apartment.  Any curb appeal had faded with the summer sun, leaving behind a patch of brittle grass, burned by the constant fall of precipitation and rock salt application to the sidewalks.

Jake coasted between the white lines and shifted the truck into park.  Twisting the keys in the ignition, the engine died.  “Should I wait here?”

“Do you want to come in?”

“Sure.”  Pulling the keys from the ignition, he twirled them in his hand as he climbed out of the cab.  I watched, speechless as he rounded the truck and waited on the sidewalk.

I really hadn’t expected him to accept.

Grinning roguishly, Jake glanced at me, my front door, and back at me.  I quickly dug my keys from my purse as he stepped off the sidewalk and opened the door for me.  “I’ll warn you, it’s not at all what you’re imagining.”

“What isn’t?”

“My apartment.  It’s…minimalist.”

“That’s intriguing in itself.”

Sliding from the cab, I separated my house key from the rest of the clutter on my keychain.  It was mostly discount cards and novelty pendants.  “I like to travel, so I budget accordingly.”

“I’d think you would’ve splurged after having to share a room with your sisters, and your assets being sequestered to the ceiling above your bed.”

“Exactly the opposite.  I learned how much I could live without.  If you haven’t possessed something in the first place, you usually don’t miss it.”

“That’s amazingly precautious.”  Jake opened the entry door and stepped back, holding the door for me.  I couldn’t fathom why my pits were sweating when just hours ago, he’d fucked me six ways from Sunday.

As I pushed the key into the lock, I glanced over my shoulder, searching for Peter’s car in the parking lot.  Relieved when I didn’t find it, I turned the key and pushed the door open.  “That’s not to say I don’t have my vices.”

It was comical, almost.  Jake entered the apartment and his gaze drew upward, as if browsing the ceiling for my belongings.  Stifling a giggle, I made a beeline for the bedroom.

I’d showered at his place, so I only needed a change of clothes.  Hastily, I skimmed over the room for stray undergarments or anything equally embarrassing.  It wasn’t normal to leave them laying around, because Peter dropped in unannounced, but I couldn’t be sure.

“Ah the vices,” Jake said, perusing my wall of clothing racks.  They were steel numbers with wheels.  I’d gotten them for free when a local department store was demolished.  I had three of them.  One with shirts, a second with slacks and dresses, and a third full of shoes.

“They’re great, aren’t they?”

“It’s very industrial.”  Stopping beside the bed, Jake turned, perusing the bare walls.  “You weren’t kidding when you said minimalist.”

“Less to dust.  I’m at the hospital a lot.  When I’m off, it’s the last thing I feel like doing.”  Grabbing a fresh set of clothing, I tucked them under my arm and headed for the bathroom.  On the way, I dropped my keys on the console.  Atop, there was a folded sheet of paper.  I lifted it in my hand.  It was from Peter. 
Been calling you
, it read in his messy scrawl. 
Call me
. 
It’s important
. 
Good news
. 
Great news
.

“Hey, Shaw?” Jake called.  I glanced down the hall to where he stood, staring at the bed.  “Come back here for a sec.  I have a question for you.”

Without a word, I dropped the note back onto the console and stepped into the bathroom.  Jake was coming toward me as I closed the door.

“It’ll only take a few minutes!”

“I’m not going to Tate’s house with freshly fucked hair and smelling like sex.  It might’ve been what we were doing all night, but I don’t have to look the part.”

“You can be on top.  I promise not to touch your hair.”

“No.”

“Fine—fine—I’ll just wait out here, then.”  His voice trailed off as he moved away from the door.  From the other room came the rustle of clothing, followed by two solid thumps.

“Jake, I said no.”

“I’m not doing anything!”

Sure.  And my hair was naturally violet.

Quickly, I clasped my bra and pulled my shirt over my head.  I was still buttoning my jeans as I snuck out of the bathroom.  I looked up and down the hall before I turned the corner.  Jake was nowhere to be found.  Quietly, I tiptoed to the left, toward the front door.  As soon as I turned the corner, I found him leaning against the door.

He was buck naked, with his hand wrapped around his cock.

♪♫♪♫

Well over an hour later, I locked the door to my apartment, freshly showered and dressed.  Jake looked like he always did, deliciously bed rumpled and sexy.  But he could get away with that.  It made him look glamorous.  It made me look like a dirty skank.

“What do you think your brother wanted?”

“Probably to tell me that he found a box of Boo Berry at the grocery store.  He gets excited over stuff like that.”

Jake laughed, and followed me down the stairs.  “You think you should call him?”

“I tried while I was getting dressed.  His phone must be dead.  He didn’t answer.  I’ll call him again tonight when I get home.”

I pushed through the front door and followed the sidewalk to Jake’s truck.  The weather was beautiful, with the sun high overhead, but I couldn’t shake the sense of foreboding.

“You worried about him?”

Climbing into the truck, I dropped onto the seat.  Jake placed his hand on my knee, noting my distraction.  “No.  He said it was good news.”

“Then what’s bothering you?”

I wasn’t sure, in all honesty.  “Can we just go?” I said instead.  “I’m really not looking forward to the ration of shit I’m going to hear.  I’d like to get it over with.”

Carter's gibes were definitely something to fear.

“They’re not going to—ok, they probably are.  Consider it acceptance.  They like you.  You can hold your own.”

“Wow, I feel so much better.”  Not.

Holding back a smile, Jake patted my knee.  “See that?  You’re stronger than you think you are.”  Rounding the truck, he climbed behind the wheel and turned the ignition.

“That’s the same thing my mother used to tell my sisters about boys.  ‘They pull your hair because they like you, Piper.’  What a sick and twisted logic.”

“But true.”

“What would I know?  Liam never pulled my hair.”

“Then Liam wasn't doing it right.”  Glancing askance, I found Jake laughing.  My mouth popped open.

“I can't believe you just said that.”  Absently, I swatted at him, but he caught my hand, and he didn't let it go.  My heart fluttered in my chest.  It was the first display of nonsexual affection he'd shown.  I felt like a kid again, blushing and bashful.

“The guy's an asshole, Shaw.”

“He is not.  He's funny.”

“He was only flirting with you to annoy me.”

“I told you already—he asked if we were together.  I told him no.”

“Fine, then he was only flirting with you to get back at Peter.”

“Wow, thanks.”  So much for the pitter patter of my heart.  I tried to pull my hand from his grasp, but he tightened his fingers around mine.  “Heaven forbid someone flirt with me because they
like
me.”

“I like you.”  Lifting my hand, he pressed a kiss against my fingers.  And there it was again; my heart fluttered in my chest returned.  God, I was such a sucker.

We were almost to Tate's house when Jake spoke again.  “You
are
going to block him from texting you again, right?”

Biting back a smile, I turned my head and stared out the window.  He liked me more than he wanted to admit.

“Shaw…?”

“He’s just a friend.”

Jake’s hand tightened around mine, though I doubt he was aware.  “The guy wants to get in your freakin’ pants!  He’s not
just
a friend!”

My mouth popped open as his fingers continued to tighten.  I gasped and squeaked.  “My hand!  You’re crushing my hand!”  I tried to pull it from his grasp.  He was definitely aware of what he was doing.  The jerk was laughing.

“Gimme the phone, Shaw.”

“I don’t have it!  Cooper dropped it in her foot tub!  It got wet!”  Finally, he loosened his hold.  I yanked my hand from his grasp and rubbed the pain away.  “Asshole!”

“He is an asshole.  He sent you a dick pic.  Is that really the kind of guy you want to get involved with?”

“I meant you, asshole!  You hurt my hand!”  I elbowed him in the stomach.  Jake grunted and jerked on the wheel.  The truck swerved to the right and slightly into the next lane.

“You shouldn’t roughhouse while driving, Shaw.  You could cause an accident.  That’s not cool at all.”  Emphasizing his point, I heard the whoop whoop of a siren behind us.  Jake peered in the rearview mirror.  A flash of red and blue highlighted his eyes.  The smile melted from his face.  “Aw fuck. Not again.”

Again?  “Do you get pulled over often?”

“No, just today.”  Checking the side mirror, he switched on his turn signal and coasted to a stop along the shoulder of the road.  Passing traffic zoomed by with a whoosh, causing the truck to rock lightly.

“You got pulled over once already today?”

“Can the questions wait?” Jake objected.  Opening the console, he pulled out his wallet.  “Grab my insurance card and registration from the glove box, would you?”

I turned the lock.  The glove box fell open with a rattle.  All its contents spilled onto the floor.  Jake cursed under his breath.  The dildo was the first thing I noticed.  Then, two shiny, silver balls.  A smaller butt plug.  “Is that a collar?”  Reaching down, I picked it up.  A length of chain was attached, along with two small clamps.  “What the fucking fuck...?”

“Nipple clamps,” Jake explained.

“I know what they are.  Why is all of this in your glove box?”  Under the dildo was a fold of shiny black leather.  When I picked it up, the dildo rolled away and began vibrating between my feet, crawling across the floor of the truck.  “Oh my God.”  Lifting it between my thumb and index finger, I searched for the off switch, its reverberations climbing up my arm.

To my right, there was a tapping at the window.  Jake and I both looked up.  A police officer stood at the door, his expression unreadable behind his mirrored sunglasses.

♪♫♪♫

“He sent me a dick pic of his soccer team.  You have sexual paraphernalia in your glove box.  I mean, a stretch leather mask with a zipper mouth...  Who are you to judge?”  I laughed, amazed that we were still having this conversation.

“It was a prop from a video.”

“And you liked it so you snagged it when the filming was over.”

“I’m not ashamed.”

Picking it up off the seat, I held it up, and stared with distaste.  “Have you really worn this?  Ever?”

“In the music video.”

“Thank God.”  Relieved, I dropped it back onto the seat.  “That’s just creepy.”

“You were sleeping when I left,” Jake said in defense.  “I was going to wake you up and scare you.”

Grabbing a handful of the other items from the seat, I held them up.  “Because none of this is scary enough?”

“Not when I use it.”

“I wouldn't be so sure about that.”  Opening the glove box, I stuffed everything inside.  I didn't know how much his bandmates knew about his predilections, but it wasn't the type of toys you could leave out on the lawn for the neighbors to see.  “Why is it in your glove box anyhow?”

“I was in a rush, so I grabbed the whole bag.”

“And you decided this one wasn't worthy?” I held up the smaller egg-shaped butt plug.

“I wasn't sure I was going to get a second chance, so I went for the gold.”  He wasn't far off the mark.  He wasn't getting a second chance.  Shaking my head, I tossed it in the dash box with the other perversions.

Jake punched in the security code for the gate, and rolled through as I shoved the last of the stuff into the glove box.  He coasted to a stop a distance from the house.  Sitting up in my seat, I glanced out the window to see why he'd parked so far away.

“Driveway's full.”  Tate's driveway was always full.  Between Tate, Shane, Carter, and the security team, the place was always bustling.  However, Peter's car stuck out like a sore thumb.

“That's Peter's car,” I said, staring daggers at his SUV.  “What’s he doing here?”

“Looking for you, probably.”

“Maybe.”  But I doubted it.  Call it a gut feeling.

“Why don’t you go see what he wants.  I’ll be right behind you.”

Translation: He was worried about how Peter might react when seeing us together.  “I don’t care what he thinks.  It’s none of his business who I sleep with.”

“I know, but some things are better handled delicately.”