Jace: The Pride of the Double Deuce (5 page)

He was going to kidnap her, she knew it, and for the life of her, she wasn’t in the least bit concerned that he’d hurt her. She knew…just knew…that he was going to, and she was going to enjoy it. He opened the driver’s side door of the truck and shoved her up on the seat, and she nearly cried out when he put his hands up under her clothing and lifted her skirt up to her waist.

“Don’t,” was all she managed before he lifted the elastic around her thigh and bit her there. When he slid his tongue between her nether lips and sucked hard on her clit, she nearly screamed. But he paused enough to let her gain control before he started anew.

He ate her. Christ, he devoured her. Every time she thought she was going to come, each time she was close enough to touch it, he’d pull back, his mouth lingering to her hip or her thigh until she was nearly ready to beg him for something. When he lifted his head, his mouth covered in her cream, she wanted to pull his mouth to hers and kiss it, taste her on him.

“I’m going to allow you to come this time because I want to drink from you.” She nodded, watching his mouth as it moved. “Holly, I like my sex rough. I want to tie you up and hurt you. Not badly, but enough to pleasure you in ways you’re never going to know with another man.”

“I want you.” He nodded and ran his tongue inside her navel. “Please, Jace. I need to come. I really need to come now.”

“Remember what I said. You can come this time because I want it too.” She nodded, anything to have the climax he was promising. His mouth lowered to her again and then he lifted it up. Jace pulled her to the edge of the seat and she watched as he freed his cock. Christ, he was huge. “I want to fuck you. I’m sorry, baby, but I need to mark you.”

Nodding, she spread her legs wider for him. She even went so far as to rub her foot over his cock and then slide her toes around him. He rocked forward twice, fucking her foot while he held it to her until he pulled her forward once more and filled her.

Her climax took her breath away. She lay back on the seat, sure she had come apart, when he pulled her forward and slammed her against the truck bed. He fucked her hard, pounding her harder than anyone ever had before. As her second, then third climax took her, she felt his hand at her bare breast and wondered when he’d done that, bared her breast for anyone to see. Then his mouth was there, biting hard enough on her breast that she cried out with the pain/pleasure of it.

As Jace fucked her, took her to yet another incredible climax, he pulled her mouth to his neck and told her to bite him. There was no other thought in her head but to do as he commanded. Licking the path from his collar bone to his hot, pounding pulse, she felt him doing the same to her own throat. And when he told her now, Holly sank her teeth into him hard enough to taste blood. It was hot, like the man between her thighs, spicy like the sex he told her about. But most importantly, he tasted just as she thought he would. And he was all hers.

The taste of it, the hot liquid filling her mouth and throat, brought her again. Even as his own bite hurt her, Holly suckled at his wound until she was dizzy from it. When he came, roaring out her name, Holly let her body go and fell over the edge with him. Christ, she thought, she’d never have sex again that would top this.

Someone was shaking her. Holly tried to pull away from the insistent hand, but there didn’t seem to be very much room in her bed. When he spoke, his voice hard and unforgiving, Holly opened her eyes and sat up. Jace did not look like a man who was to be fucked with.

“Get dressed.” Her blouse was still over her shoulders and she pulled it closed in front of her. His tone, his actions were making her embarrassed. “I have to leave here and you’re in my truck.”

“We fucked.” He nodded and tucked his shirt into his jeans. With his head bent like it was and his hat covering his face she couldn’t see him, so she flipped his hat off. His anger didn’t even match hers. “I didn’t start this. You did. Why are you taking this out on me?”

“I didn’t want to fuck you at all.” Well that hurt, but she didn’t say anything. Never got the chance really. “I was leaving. You followed me out here. You touched me. And none of this is my fault.”

“You fucker.” She leapt from the truck, only just realizing how far from the ground it was. When he reached for her after pulling his hat back on, she nearly fell again trying to avoid him touching her. “You motherfucking cocksucking asshole.”

“I’ve been called worse.” Her hand connected with his face before she could think what a terrible idea it was. But the second time she hit him, this time drawing blood from his lip, he took a step back as he spoke. “Hitting me make you feel better, Princess? Or do you want another go at me? I’m willing. You’re very hot when you let your hair down.”

Holly wanted to hit him again, but the look in his eyes told her that if she did, she’d regret it. Not that he’d hurt her. She had no idea why she knew that, but Holly knew that he’d never hurt her with the intentions of causing her hurt. Pain, yes. He’d told her that, but not to hurt her. Gathering her things—shoes and her panties—she shoved past him and to the house. She was nearly there when she heard him laugh. Turning, she stared at him.

The man was simply too sexy. Gorgeous too, as a matter of fact. He was leaning over the hood of his beat-up truck with his hands in front of him and his fucking hat, that sexy fucking hat, tilted back far enough that she could see his entire face. And she nearly whimpered when he smiled at her.

“You’re all undone there, Princess. Not to mention your lips are all swollen, and I’m sure that your breasts, lovely as they are, have some pretty nice bruises on them. If you come on back here, I’ll see what I can do to make them all better.” She didn’t answer him but turned on her heel and made her way into the house.

If she encountered anyone on the way to her room, she couldn’t remember. What she could remember, however, was never being this pissed off in her life. And to top it all off, what really made her see red was the fact that she wanted to go right back out there and ask him…no, beg him…to do it to her again.

“But that’s not going to happen.” She went to her bathroom, dropping what was left of her clothing on the floor as she went. They’d be in the trash can as soon as she was clean, and she’d never think of him or them again. But standing in front of the mirror, looking at the marks he’d made on her, Holly felt her pussy soak again. Christ, the man had made her feel things she’d never felt before.

Leaning into the mirror to look at her bruises and swollen lip, she stared at the place where there had been a cut from the bank. Not only was it healed, but there wasn’t a scar either. No mark at all that she could see. Closing her eyes to what she was seeing, Holly stepped into the shower and turned the water to cold.

Cooling off her body but not her mind made her feel a little better. Turning the water to a warmer temperature, she scrubbed her body four times to try and get his scent off her. Holly was washing her hair when she realized that they’d not used any protection. Her entire body warmed at the thought of carrying his child.

“That’s the stupidest thing you’ve ever thought of.” Instead of looking down at her flat belly again, she washed herself a fifth time. “Having a child of his would be just what the prick would want. Then he’d be married to a rich woman.”

But even as the words spilled from her mouth, she knew that they weren’t true. He might be a lot of things in her mind, even a prick for making her feel so dirty after what had happened in his truck. But he’d never ever do something like that. And for whatever reason, Holly knew that if he did father a child with her, he’d be better with the child than he’d ever be with her.

Holly was depressed when she finished dressing. The clothing that she’d had on in the yard was now in the trash. The entire thing, all of it, was not going to be front and center to her life again. But after she made her way to the kitchen for a much needed cup of coffee, she sat in the chair and stared out at nothing. Miss James touching her shoulder brought her out of her thoughts of the big cowboy.

“You all right, miss?” Nodding, Holly asked for a cup of tea. “No coffee? I thought you was a coffee girl like your daddy.”

“No. I want some tea.” She did too. A good strong cup of it. “Do you have any of those cookies from last week? I’m suddenly famished.”

After finishing off six of the iced pumpkin cookies, Holly felt better. Not great but a good deal better. Going to her office at the house, she made some progress on the file that
the man,
as she’d decided to call Jace, had left, and she was nearly finished with the fourth page when something caught her eye. One company’s name was on the list of companies that they had outstanding bills to, but no company receipts were in the file that she’d been given by Jace.

Picking up the phone, she called her dad. “Do you have anything on the books for a group by the name of Steller and Steller? Like maybe a feed company or a vet consortium?”

“Doesn’t ring a bell. But let me have someone here look into this. I can ask Mason, he’s here in my office right now going over some of the finer details about the contract with his aunt. Wonderful job by the way. I’m very impressed with this.”

“Thanks.” She felt her face heat up when she thought about the other Douglas man. She wanted to have her dad ask Mason if Jace had said anything, but it felt so high school that she didn’t. “I have an amount being paid to the company for over fifteen thousand dollars for miscellaneous, but it’s not in the file I have on the Double Deuce. In fact, there are several bills here from them. I’ve run into the name before, on one of the other farms I’m helping.”

He told her to hang on and she could hear the men talking. Then suddenly she was talking to Mason. His voice, not nearly as sexy as his brother’s, seemed to make her want to sit up straighter in her chair.

“I’m calling Jace now. He’s in the barn, so he might not be able to hear me. But I was wondering if he showed up at your place today.” She told him that he had, but they’d argued and he’d left. “I see. I’ll get on his butt about coming to you, and—”

“No.” She took a deep breath when she realized she’d nearly screamed. “No, that’s fine. I’ll get what I need from the file he gave me.” His chuckle did nothing for her state of mind. “Look, buddy. I tried to reason with him, but I guess there is no reasoning with idiots. And then he went and blamed me for having sex with him. And if touching him is grounds for him to get laid, then perhaps he should stay in a hole somewhere.” She put her hand over her mouth when she realized what she’d said. And she hoped, stupidly she supposed, that Mason would be a gentleman and not mention it. But his words to her chilled her to the bone.

“I see. This changes everything. And there is little either of you can do about it now.”

Then the phone went dead. Holly laid it back in the cradle and sat there shaking for ten minutes. She had no clue what he meant, but whatever it was, it was going to be bad on her end, and she just knew it.

Chapter 5

Jeff walked back to his apartment. What he’d seen…well, what he thought he’d seen…was more than a man should see when it came to someone he was planning to marry. They’d fought for sure, but then…he had a feeling that they’d made up quickly. And no matter how hard he’d tried to get a better view of what was going on between them in the truck, he just couldn’t get that close.

“Not that it matters really. I’ve had sex before too, and that doesn’t mean anything.” He nodded, thinking that so long as she was not messing around with the hired help when they wed, he could overlook what happened today. “Hell, I might even go and find me a little pussy to have myself.”

He wouldn’t and he knew that as soon as the words were out of his mouth. First of all, he could barely afford anything after sending money to his mom every month; and secondly, there were few women that would have sex with him for cash. And what few there were…well, he’d rather not stick his dick in them, thank you very much.

He’d written down the plate number on the truck, and he’d gotten a good description of it as well. The next time he saw it, either in town or at the Snow estate, he’d try to figure out who it was. More than likely some hand that trimmed trees and looked like he’d been beaten by an ugly stick. There was a saying about men and their big trucks. This man would be no different.

But he’d been big looking when he’d come out of the house. Like monstrous big. But then it was late in the day and the sun had nearly been shining in his face. For all he knew, the man could be shorter than him and fat. Jeff nodded to himself again. Not that it mattered, he told himself again. A fling was okay before they wed.

As soon as he was in his tiny apartment he called into work. He’d been told that the place was shut down for a few days to have all the carpets replaced, but he wanted to make sure that no one was getting the jump on him. When Mr. Snow answered the phone, Jeff felt his anger surge forward.

“I was told that no one was working today. What are you doing there?” There was silence and he tried to think how to reword his question. “I mean, you can’t be in there all alone, sir. What if you needed something?”

“I’m quite able to care for myself, Hardgrave. I’ve been doing it a very long time.” Jeff knew the man was pissed. Why he was, Jeff wasn’t sure. “When or if I need someone, I will call them in.”

“Yes, sir.” Jeff clenched and unclenched his fist, trying his best not to let his own temper get the best of him. “I tried to call about Holly and I can’t seem to get through to her. Is she doing much better?”

“She’s fine. She’s dating someone.” Jeff sat down. “And they’ll more than likely be getting married soon. The reason I’m telling you this is because I was made aware by Sharon that you called her this morning and got short with her. I cannot allow you to upset my staff, Hardgrave, not even those that work with my daughter.”

“I assure you, sir, that I was only inquiring about her health.” Snow said nothing, and Jeff felt the need to continue to explain. Lie, really. “Maybe Miss Guest took my inquiries the wrong way. I care a great deal for Holly and…well, sir, I don’t think Miss Guest likes me overly much.”

“Be that as it may, don’t call her again. Or my daughter. As I’ve said, she’s getting married and you need to back off now. Holly said you were becoming a nuisance anyway. If it continues, I will have to terminate your services. I’ve not been overly happy with other reports I’m getting about you either.”

“Reports?” Jeff wanted to go to the man’s office and demand that he give him a list of the complainers. “Sir, I have no idea what sort of complaints you might be hearing, but I assure you that I am your most loyal employee.”

“Loyal or not, I will not have you harassing the rest of the staff that works for me.” Jeff nodded but said nothing. It would do him no good to lose his temper now. He might not be able to marry his daughter just yet, but things could go badly for the young man. “And you’re to stay away from Holly and Jace. They’re going to be happy and you shouldn’t think to interfere.”

“Yes, sir.” After he hung up the phone, Jeff sat there for several moments before he picked up the lumpy pillow and covered his face with it. Screaming out his frustrations didn’t help that much, but it was a start. He couldn’t do any more damage to the apartment or he’d lose that as well.

Jace somebody was going to have to be taken care of. Not that he would kill him. No, he’d never take someone’s life, but he had to do something…like get him into trouble with Holly. But how? He didn’t even know the jerk’s last name or what he looked like. Unless it was the hick from that afternoon. That could be it, he supposed. The guy probably had some dirt on Snow, and he used it to get to the money.

Jeff wished now that he’d thought of that. It was a brilliant plan. But he really didn’t know anything bad about Snow. The man was nice, he paid well, and he took care of his business like it was family, something that Jeff had been surprised to find out. The man was saintly, it seemed.

Jeff lay back on his sofa and tried to think. He’d have to be extra careful at work from now on. One false move and he’d be out on his ass, and that just would not do. He’d done a lot of research on Snow before coming to work with him and he’d not let that go to waste. Then there were the things he’d had to do to get his foot in the door. That had not made him feel very good about himself, but then it had been justified when he’d gotten his first interview, and then eventually the job.

He pulled out his little notebook and began reading over the list of things he’d done so far that he’d written there. Jeff was quite proud of himself up until the last five entries. Date Holly had been the last thing he’d been able to check off.

“
Bed her.
Then
wed her
.” He stared at those two entries for a long time before he moved to the third thing he’d not marked off. He knew they were in the wrong order, but he just couldn’t bring himself to wed someone without at least trying them out. What if they were just not compatible in the bed? Jeff thought they’d have to be really bad if he was willing to give up the billions that Snow had, but he would be married to her for a long time. “
Have insurance put in my name. All of it.
Well, that will do me no good without the other two, now will it?”

The last two were much the same.
Get her pregnant
, which was chancy in and of itself. The child would inherit a great deal from the Snow foundation, but then Jeff wasn’t planning to die any time soon. And the last thing on the list, the one that bothered him a great deal, was
kill Holly if she proves to be a nag
.

Jeff had toyed with adding another entry to the list for a long time, and now that there was someone else in the picture, he decided that it would have to go on a brand new list. Turning into the book a few pages, he started his new list. It was called
Getting Holly back
.

He worked on his list for over two hours. It was just a rough draft by the time he realized he was hungry, but he worked on it while he fixed him some noodles and butter. He was low on funds again and had to wait until payday to be able to purchase some food stuff. Jeff decided to call his mom and tell her that she’d be a little short this week, as he had things come up.

He dreaded talking to her almost as much as he did anyone. His mother could be biting at times when she felt he was slighting her in some way. He picked up the phone to call her just after he finished cleaning up his dinner mess.

“You say you had something come up? I told you over and over to plan for these things, Jeffery. Over and over.” He told her he was sorry. “Well, it’s a good thing that one of us plans ahead. If I didn’t, then where would I be when you shorted your poor old mother a little pocket money?”

“I’m sure you can manage for two weeks.” He wanted to ask her how she’d been saving for a rainy day, but didn’t. She more than likely wouldn’t tell him, and if she did, it would be a lie. “I’ll see if I can send you a little extra next time.”

“You do that. You do that.” She was quiet for a little while, and he wondered if she’d fallen asleep. He was nearly ready to hang up when she spoke again. “You find you a rich wife yet? That one you’ve been bragging to me about? I’m looking forward to meeting her, Jeffery. To see you married will be the best thing for me. When you bringing her down?”

“Soon.” She laughed a little, and he wondered if she was making fun of him or just happy about meeting Holly. “You haven’t told anyone, have you? About my girlfriend?”

“Of course I haven’t. You told me to keep it to myself because of her connections, and I don’t blab. I only told Mary Ann and that Quinten woman, Sally. They were going on and on about their grandkids and I had nothing to share. They won’t tell anyone. I asked them not to.” Jeff closed his eyes. The entire state would know by now. “You bring her on down here and let me meet her. I’m looking forward to it.”

Jeff hung up the phone a few minutes later and thought about how bad his day was going. First, the Holly incident, then the call to her dad. Now his mom. Looking around, he added that his room was fucked up, and he might be out of a job if he didn’t behave at work.

“Just great. Just fucking great.” Jeff buried his face in his hands and sat there. Nothing had been this bad since he’d left college…been asked to leave college…all those years ago.

~~~

“If you’re going to ask me what happened, I’m not going to answer you.” Jace glared at his brother as he nodded and sat down. “I mean it, Darin. I’m in no mood to fuck around. I have to get this milker fixed today.”

“The parts came in just now.” The box was tossed at him, and Jace pulled out his pocket knife and cut the tape. He was installing the new part onto the old hose line when Darin spoke again. “She’s your mate now. You know that, don’t you?”

“I know a great many things. Like whether or not I have a mate is my business. And not yours or Mason’s.” Darin laughed, and Jace looked at him over the wrench he was currently holding. “What did you hear from him? I’m sure he just enjoyed the fuck out of telling everyone that she and I bonded.”

“All he said was you were in a shitty mood, too shitty of a mood to have just gotten laid.” Jace wanted to get up and pound his brother’s head in, but they really needed to get this fixed today. Milkers could not go long without having their teats milked. “I wanted to talk to you about something else anyway. What do you know about an outstanding bill to Stellar and Stellar?”

“Who?” Jace was about half paying attention to Darin when he asked him who. Really, he didn’t care right now. When the suction started to make the right sounds, he sat back on his ass and looked at his older brother. “I don’t think I’ve heard of them. Unless they’re one of those subsidiaries from somewhere else we use. How much they saying we owe them?”

“Total?” Jace nodded. “Fifty-seven thousand and some change. It seems all the failing farms owe them a good deal of money. Holly said that she found that the Carters owe them nearly ninety thousand, and the Mitchells owe about that much too.”

“I think I’d remember a lot more about a company that we owe that much too.” Darin tossed him several sheets of paper. All of them had a name on them…Jason Douglas. “This isn’t me. You know that. Yeah, Jace is short for Jason, but I’m not a Jason. Mom did that on purpose.”

“Yeah, I know.” Darin leaned against the wall as he studied the floor in front of him. Jace loved Darin. He supposed if asked, he would admit that Darin was the one he was closest to as well. “This woman you’re mated to, what do you know about her?”

“Nothing.” He flushed when he remembered how he’d treated her after having sex with her. He’d been crude and nasty to her, and he was hating himself for it more by the hour. “I don’t even know her name—middle anyway—or a thing about what she does all day.”

Darin nodded before speaking. “She’s smart, I’ll tell you that. I’ve been looking over the records that she’s asked me to and I’m finding all kinds of things that I hadn’t noticed before.” He asked him like what. “Double billing at the vets. And then there is the outstanding bill we have at the tavern.”

“We don’t drink.” Darin looked at him, and Jace could see the anger there boiling just under the surface of his skin. “You think we’re being had for some reason? That the town is out to get us?”

“Not the town, but the banker. Did you know about the land deal that the county has with him? And the back taxes?” Jace shook his head. Fuck, this was bigger than they’d thought if the entire town was in on it. “I found out through a friend of mine that the banker, Rogers—not the bank—holds the note on seven other farms. Ours was bought up by the Snows, as were the Carter’s and Mitchell’s. The rest of them have…they’ve been moving out faster than we can keep up with them. And the houses and barns are sitting there empty. You know why?”

“I’m assuming that someone wants it all and that Rogers is buying cheap and selling high.” Darin said bingo. “So we’re all fucked unless we can figure out how to stop him. Do you suppose he’s got something on the rest of the places, like the mill and the grocery?”

“Rogers has the note on Bill’s Tavern and Brew. Also there is rumor that he’s got the deed all locked up on the mill, as well as the library.” Jace tried to wrap his mind around one man wanting to close up a town like it seemed the man was doing. “You know something else? I want you to think about where this farm lays with the rest of them.”