Burning Desire (8 page)

“Actually, I think Chase wouldn’t mind any of the outfits.” Nicole said matter of factly- with a huge smile on her face as I turned to see if she was going to blow my cover.

“Ha! Chase would. He wouldn’t know what to do with all of this.” She grabbed her own ass, and jiggled it. I bit my lip, holding in my laugh. What a fucking tease.
 

“Well, he obviously has a thing for your lingerie strip teases.” Nicole smirked over at me.

“Oh really? Well, you should have seen what went down at his house.” She bent over grabbing a pair of thigh high boots, throwing them over her shoulder onto her bed. I leaned on the door jam.

“Wait, what?” Nicole was interested now, as was I.

“Oh yeah, he could barely keep his hands off me, until he had some hoe blowing up his phone and he tried to play it off. Never again will I let him get that close. And you know the worst part?”

“Hmm?” Nicole raised her eyebrows at me, hands went straight to the hips.

“He told Jeremy I meant nothing…,” she trailed off. Roxy took a deep breath and looked at the ceiling in her closet. “I was just a fucking idiot, to ever think Chase would be as into me as I am with him. If he opened his eyes he would realize that I’ve only been in lo-” I cut her off there. I cleared my throat, and she spun on her heels.

“Chase! Get out! What the fuck? You can’t just creep around like that. I am a 25 year old woman and I don’t need you to babysit me, okay?” She was pissed. She zipped up a tight black hoodie- showing off every curve underneath.

“I can see you’re a woman, there is no mistaking that. I’m doing my fucking job. Fall back, Rox- you have no say in this shit, okay?” I mocked her attitude. I walked to her bathroom.

“Um, excuse you…” she followed me and stood in the doorway while I glanced under the sink, behind her shower curtain and in her vanity mirror. I bit my tongue as I spotted her birth control. Motherfucker.
 

“Here, you definitely don’t want to forget these.” I tossed them to her and slammed her mirror shut. She barely caught them, but blushed a sweet shade of pink, holding them to her chest.

“Are you done going through my shit?” Her hip popped out on the side and she ran her hand through her long ponytail.
 

“Why don’t you just pack and I’ll finish up here.”

“You have one minute, DeLuca.”

I walked to her dresser; just to piss her off- I opened the top drawer. Jackpot! It was filled to the brim with lace, satin, leather panties and bras, and all that other chick shit. It was like a holy grail for men.

“I doubt they stowed a camera in my panty drawer, you perv.” She grabbed her garter belt out of my hand and stuffed it back in the drawer and slammed it shut. Nicole busted out laughing.

“You never know, Rox.” I laughed at her and looked at the mirror on her dresser. It was lined with photos. A couple of her and her mom, Jeremy on our graduation, her and Nicole dressed to kill, her and Jake with him holding her from behind, all possessive over her. She looked happy. Lastly, she had a photo of us from a couple of months before our first bike ride together. I had my arm around her shoulder, and she hugged me around my waist, she was smiling at the camera as I was smiling down at her. I got that damn ache in my chest. My phone rang, it was Moretti.
 

“All looks good here, Sir. The girls are getting ready to go to Jeremy’s now. Okay, bye.” I hung up with him and turned to her and Nicole. “You got your shit ready?”

“Yes. If I don’t stop her now, she will pack everything.” Nicole giggled and handed me Rox’s last bag.

CHAPTER 12

~ Roxy ~

We arrived at Jeremy’s house. Nicole and I made ourselves at home in his guest rooms.
 

“I’m taking a shower, girl. I need to get ready for tonight’s class.” Nicole headed to the main bathroom with her towel and toiletries in hand.

“Okay, I think Chase is bringing up the last of it.”

I took a deep breath and fell back onto the plush queen bed. I stared at the ceiling, getting lost in thought. I jumped as I heard Chase dropping the remainder of my bags on the floor at the foot of the bed.

I propped myself up on my elbows and watched him unhook his arms from the straps of my bag. His shirt rode up and I could see his toned back, and that dip in his spine at the top of his boxer briefs. I bit my lip, and breathed deep.
 

“See something you like?” He chuckled, straightening his back.
 

“Ha, you wish. Don’t you have something else to do other than harass me?”

“Yes, in fact- thank you for reminding me that I have to return Monica’s call.”

My heart sank into my stomach. “Have fun.” I gave him my best smile.

“You know I will.” He smirked and left my room, pulling his cell phone from his pocket.

Ugh, the fucking nerve of him. Nicole poked her head in my room. “Shower’s open. Go get ready.” She closed my door and headed down the hallway.
 

~ Nicole ~

I shook my head as I closed the door, laughing to myself, knowing Roxy was in over her head. Spinning on my heel, I ran right into a broad hard chest, and jumped.

“Oh shit, sorry, Nic.” Jeremy smiled down at me, holding my upper arms, his eyes drifting over my hand holding my silk robe closed at my breasts. I tightened the belt at my small waist.

“Christ, Jeremy, you scared the shit out of me.” I felt my cheeks burn. His large hands still lingered on my arms, they were running up over my small shoulders, and his thumbs drew small circles. I broke out in goose bumps. His gray eyes bore into mine.

“I didn’t mean to sneak up on you there,” he said just above a whisper. I zeroed my focus on his lips.
 

“Jeremy?” I looked up at him through my lashes, licking my bottom lip.

“Yeah?” He took a step closer to me, his hands pushing back my wet hair from my neck and shoulders.
 

“I think I have my balance back. You can let go now.” I gave him a knowing smile.

“Oh yeah, right.” Before he could step back, Roxy’s door swung open- right in the middle of our moment. Shit.

~ Roxy ~

“Uh, whoa.” I halted in the doorway, watching my best friend and my brother looking like two deer caught in headlights. They immediately broke apart from each other and tried to go different ways down the hall, bumping into each other as they went to step around each other- but on the same side.
 

“Sorry,” Nicole giggled, and went for the other side of the hallway- as Jeremy did the same.
 

“Uh.” He let out a nervous chuckle. Jeremy, nervous? What the hell is going on here?

Jeremy finally held onto her shoulders, keeping Nicole stationary as he walked around her. “Sorry again,” he said over his shoulder as he ran down the steps.

“I’m not even going to ask.” I laughed, as I looked at Nicole’s frozen over look. I believe that was the first time I’ve seen her with that face.
 

“Don’t.” Nicole laughed shaking her head and walked to her room.

I took a long hot shower, trying not to think about Chase and what’s her face. I had my face under the water, and then I felt the cool breeze. I froze under the showerhead, my senses were heightened. “Nic?” No answer. “Jer?” No answer again. I poked my head out of the shower and there was no one, but the window was open- which I could have sworn was shut when I got in here. What the fuck? I quickly shut off the valve and ran out of the bathroom, calling Jeremy’s name as I flew down the flight of stairs.

“Jer!!”

“What? What’s wrong?” He came rushing out of the kitchen.

“Were you in the bathroom?”

“What? When?”

“Just now. While I was in there?”

“Not me, I think Nic is still drying her hair or something. Why?”

“The window, that shit was closed when I was in there and all of a sudden it was opened while I was in the shower.”

“What?!” he yelled, getting on his phone while running up the steps, taking two at a time. “Chase, get the fuck back here.” He hung up as he reached the top of the steps. He busted into Nicole’s room and she yelped. She was blowing out her hair in her bra and panties.
 

“Christ, Jeremy, it’s called knocking.” She turned off the dryer and stared him down as he gawked at her body. She was so confident in her own skin, she didn’t even move to cover herself up.

“Did you hear anyone up here?”

“What? When?” Oh my God, they are too much alike.

“Just now, while Rox was in the shower?” I heard the front door open and slam shut, heavy footsteps rushing up the staircase.

“Brother, where you at?” I heard Chase’s deep voice yell down the hallway.

“Nicole’s room,” he yelled back, grabbing Nicole’s robe and tossing it to her to put on.

“What’s going…..on?” Chase’s sentence drifted off, when he realized I was standing there in a towel that was just barely covering my ass and my hair-dripping wet all over the floor.

“Someone was in the house- the bathroom when Rox was in there.”

“What?” His voice rose and he clenched his fists, and his hard eyes darted back to Jeremy.

“I don’t know if someone was in there. Just the window opened when I was in there.” I went to follow Chase and Jeremy into the hallway.

Chase stopped in the doorway, causing me to bump right into him, my body being completely flush with his. “You stay,” he said as he turned around, a mere inch from my face.

“No, I’m coming with you guys.”

“Not dressed like that. Stay in here until we clear the house.” He didn’t even give me time to protest as he locked the door handle from the inside and shut the door.

CHAPTER 13

~ Chase ~

Just hearing that someone was in the same room as her, without her knowing it made me furious- and the fact that she was naked and vulnerable made my blood boil. If they want to live, they better not be in this house. I took the upstairs and Jeremy took the downstairs. I was in the bathroom- it smelled of Rox’s strawberry shampoo. Nothing looked out of place. Then the mirror caught my eye. I breathed onto the mirror and steamed it up, and the message appeared. “You can’t hide.” I read out loud. Who the fuck?
 

Jeremy said the bush below the bathroom window was crushed- someone was here, and they wanted us to know. What the hell did she do that someone would be after her?
 

Jeremy put in a call to his Dad.
 

“Where’s Jake?” he overheard Moretti on the phone.

“I have no fucking clue. Chase is here- he came back. I have to escort Nicole to work- she’s got her class. Then I’ll be back here- I’m picking up security cameras from the club. We’ve sealed everything here. See if you can get in touch with Jake- he’s going to have to spend the night here. The more eyes we have on her the better. Alright, bye.” Jeremy ran his hand through his hair as he walked down the hall, talking to his Dad.

“What did he say?”

“Dad’s pissed, but he agrees-the more eyes we have the better. Jake will be here and spend the night too.”

“Shit.” I ran my hand down my face and rubbed the stubble on my chin. “Where the fuck has he been all day anyway?”

“Who the hell knows?” Jeremy shook his head. “Nic, you decent?” We stepped outside her door.

“Yeah, come on in,” she yelled back. Jeremy opened the door, and there was Nicole with her back facing us, fixing her hair in the mirror. She wore black leather booty shorts, a matching black leather halter crop top and some killer heels.
 

“Damn,” I chuckled as she looked back at us in the mirror.
 

“What the fuck, Nic? I asked if you were decent!” Jeremy gave me that look. I put my hands up and left the room.

“This is decent – it’s work clothes, Jer. Get used to it if I’m going to be staying here, if not- I got no problem going back home. It’s just an ass and tits. You have seen them before, haven’t you?” Their conversation was cut off by the bedroom door slamming shut, with them inside. I walked down the hall shaking my head. I looked at Roxy’s door as I walked past it.
 

I walked downstairs, grabbed a beer and set up my post in the den. A couple moments later, I heard a door slam, and Jeremy came down the stairs.