Jodi_ByTheLight (9 page)

“Penny for your thoughts.” Jayden grinned like the idiot he was.

“Fuck off.” Damon growled and quickened his steps.

He could have Ava in his thoughts; he just needed to make sure they didn’t turn into actions.

***

Damon shook his head as Jayden sped down the highway in his Mustang. After several complaints from Ava in the back seat, telling him he was driving like a maniac, Jayden finally relented and slowed his speed.

While they were on the Harley, Ava didn’t complain once about his driving and he’d been doing way over the speed limit. That thought alone amused him.

Thirty minutes later they were pulling into Granny’s gravel driveway. As Ava climbed out of the Mustang, Damon took the opportunity to scan the familiar area. Granny’s ranch-style white house looked exactly the same as when he was here so many years ago. Faded yard gnomes were hidden in the flower beds while ceramic woodland creatures dotted the lawn. It looked like Walmart’s lawn and garden section had thrown up on the front yard. Granny had always been a bit of a hoarder. Oddly enough, the clutter had always made him feel at home.

Jayden bounded up the front steps, taking them two at a time. He rapped a couple of times before opening the screen door. “Granny?”

Ava stopped half way across the yard and turned, meeting his gaze.

When he didn’t move, she walked toward him.

“You’re not going to make me go in there by myself, are you?” She propped her hands on her hips and nodded toward the house.

“No.” His heart warmed. She might be pissed but she still wanted his presence. With his hand on the small of her back, he escorted her inside the house he’d once called home.

“Damon!” Granny’s gaze widened, smoothing the deep wrinkles around her eyes. Her gray hair was in desperate need of a perm and several errant strands stuck out in all different directions. Her signature outfit, an oversized Muumuu in bright pink and orange, swallowed her petite frame.

“Hi, Granny.” Damon ducked his head, unable to hold her gaze. Guilt tugged at his heart. He should have visited her sooner. He’d been so intent on forgetting the bad parts of his life that he’d forgotten the good along with it.

“You know Granny?” Ava asked.

“Of course, he knows me.” Granny pulled Damon into a tight hug. She held onto him, squeezing hard as if making sure he was real. When he finally pulled away, he turned toward Ava.

“Granny, this is Ava Renfroe.”

“Nice to meet you.” Ava stuck out her hand and smiled.

“Well, bless my heart, you’ve actually done it.” Granny’s mouth dropped open.

“Done what?” Ava looked from Granny back to him.

“Damon found his mate.” The old woman’s face broke into a wide smile. She pulled Ava into a hug.

Ava shook her head. “I’m not his mate.” He didn’t miss the sidelong glance she shot him while she pulled out of Granny’s hug.

Damon shoved his hands in his pockets as everyone’s eyes landed on him. Granny was the biggest gossip in Louisiana. The second they left, she’d be on the phone with all her old biddies to try to set Ava up with every single werewolf in town. That could not happen.

“We’re not mated, yet. Just dating,” he lied.

“Dating?” Granny raised an eyebrow. Jayden snickered.

Damon shot Jayden a warning look to keep his big mouth closed. Wolves didn’t date. Once they smelled out their mates they both instantly knew they belonged together. They usually had sex within hours of meeting.

Ava stiffened as he wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her close.

“Yes, dating.” He cleared his dry throat.

“Why?” Granny leveled her gaze at him, as suspicion flared in her scrunched brows.

“Yes, honey bear, why don’t you explain why we are dating.” Ava looked up at him with a beautiful smile and a flash of anger in her emerald eyes.

Honey bear? Couldn’t she at least come up with a manlier nickname? Like anaconda?

Granny pursed her lips. “I don’t believe it. You mean to tell me you two aren’t mated?”

“We’ve not had sex.”

“Yes, I can confirm there has been no sex going on.” Ava stepped back from him and cut him with a glance.

Jayden snorted.

Granny narrowed her shrewd eyes. “How odd. I could have sworn you two were a match.” She shook her head and shrugged. “Young people these days. They think they know it all.” She shook her head again. “Come along and I’ll fix you all some lunch.”

Damon stepped into the dated 1950’s kitchen decorated in black-and-white tile and smiled. Exactly as he remembered, just a few more dust catchers to take up room on the kitchen counter. There was even the creepy, black-and-white cat clock hanging on the wall that he hated so much. The tail swished back and forth in time as its eyes lolled side to side. He hated cats.

“Y’all have a seat.” Granny pointed toward the vintage gray Formica kitchen table.

“We aren’t going to sit in the dining room? There’s more room.” Jayden eased his big frame onto a small kitchen chair.

“Not today. I’ve got a little party tonight and my stuff is already set up in there.” Granny opened the refrigerator and pulled out plastic containers of deli meat.

“Are you having another Tupperware party?” Jayden popped the top on his soda that he’d snagged from the refrigerator and took a long drink.

“Not exactly. But there are a lot of products made of rubber.”

Jayden choked on his soda. “Oh, hell, Granny. You’re not having one of
those
parties, are you?”

“I sure am.” Granny straightened her proud shoulders.

“What kind of party is it?” Ava looked at Granny.

“The kind you need to stay for. Especially if you and Damon are only dating.” Granny winked.

What did that mean? Curiosity got the better of him and he sauntered to the dining room. He opened the door and froze as a fresh horror washed over him.

Dildos and vibrators in every shape, size and color littered the lace-covered table. It looked like an obscene adult store.

Jayden’s eyes widened. “Granny, how many times have I told you that you can’t have sex parties like this? Word gets around and they’ll kick you out of the church.”

“Who do you think is buying this stuff?” Granny huffed as she waved a dismissive hand in the air.

Damon cringed. He did not want that image locked in the recesses of his brain.

“I’m seventy years old and I can do whatever I want. Besides, there’s a lot of money to be made at these parties.” Granny stuck out her chin. “Why, last month I cleared five thousand dollars and that was just to my Bible study friends.”

“Five thousand dollars?” Jayden’s eyes narrowed.

“Yep. Tonight, friends from my book club are coming. They’re not as uptight as the church group, so I expect to make a killing.”

“What, exactly, is a sex party?” Ava ventured further into the room as her smirk grew across her face.

“It’s a party with products guaranteed to enhance intimacy between couples. Or, if you’re single, enhance your own pleasure without going through the hassle of having a man.” Granny smiled.

“Please tell me that’s not the company’s official tag line.” Damon rubbed his eyes while wishing he’d never opened the door.

“It sure is hon. In fact…”

The phone trilled in the other room, saving him from whatever else Granny was about to say. He loved that woman, but having to hear her talk about sex toys was beyond crossing the line.

“Let me grab that. Might be a customer.” Granny hurried to answer it. Jayden was right on her heels ticking off reasons why her career choice was going make him the laughingstock of Shreveport.

“What is this?” Ava picked up a purple dildo with an extra head.

His cock twitched as she ran her finger along the length of the sex toy. He wished she were holding him instead of that piece of plastic.

“It’s a dildo.”

She gave him a droll look. “I know it’s a dildo. What the hell is this extra horn? Where exactly does it go?”

His nostrils flared. His grabbed the obscene sex toy and tossed it on the table where it landed with a thud. He leaned in, crowding her, as every muscle in his body tensed. “I’d rather show you where it goes.”

“I think that would be very hard for you to do, seeing how repulsive I am to you. Or would you see it as part of your job?” Anger flashed behind her eyes as she jabbed her finger in his chest.

Lust raged through his body and his mind clouded with her scent.
Move away from her.
Wrapping his hands around her waist, he pulled her against him, forcing her to meet his gaze. “Fucking is never part of the job. Let’s get that straight right now.” Her lips parted as her warm breath glided against his mouth. He should let her go. He shouldn’t even be touching her. She was part of his job and nothing else.

In the end, animal instinct won out.

His mouth slammed down on hers, hard, hot and possessive. First they were arguing about sex toys, and in the next breath they were kissing and clawing at each other’s clothes.

He clasped the back of her head, holding her still as his tongue licked inside her mouth, her taste tattooing its way into his soul.

Her scent of arousal wrapped around him until he couldn’t let her go as his fingers threaded through her silken hair. He was fighting a battle he feared he could not win.

She was going to be the end of him

***

Ava wrapped her arms around Damon’s waist and melted, boneless, against his body, sinking into his warmth.

Her hands moved around his broad back, muscles rippling under her touch. The man’s body was like honed steel, hard and unyielding, no weakness anywhere.

His lips trailed kisses from her mouth to her neck and she panted as desire swept through her body and pooled between her legs. She wanted him with a desperation that shook her.

“Fuck,” he whispered. “We shouldn’t be doing this.”

For a second she thought he was going to push her away, like he always did. Instead, he pulled her tighter as he covered her mouth, stealing her breath with his kiss.

She sighed. His scent was driving her insane as she contemplated shoving him down on the table, pulling his pants down and riding him until they were both coming.

She’d never wanted a man as much as she wanted Damon.

“See what I mean?” Granny’s voice startled them. They jerked away from each other.

“One minute alone with my toys is enough to stir the flames of passion.” Granny nodded proudly.

Ava’s face heated.

“Jesus, do you have to keep saying that kind of shit? Flames of passion?” Jayden grimaced.

Granny slapped him on the back of the head. “Don’t use the Lord’s name in the same sentence with profanity.”

“Why?” Jayden asked as he rubbed his head. “Was it grammatically incorrect?”

“Jayden Alistair Parker!” Granny scowled.

“Alistair? Your name is Alistair?” Damon didn’t bother hiding his smirk.

“Shut up, asshole.”

“Granny, why don’t I help you in the kitchen?” Ava figured distraction was the best plan right now. If she stayed in the same room with Damon and all those dildos, she wouldn’t care who was watching. She was going to jump him.

“You have such nice manners, Ava.” Granny wrapped her arm around her and the two of them headed toward the kitchen, leaving the men behind. When they were out of earshot, Granny patted her hand and whispered, “Don’t worry, honey. He may be saying he’s not interested in you, but I see the truth.”

“What truth?” She held her breath as she looked at the old woman.

Granny chuckled. “Damon is just afraid of getting hurt again.”

“Again?” Ava frowned.

“Yes. His last relationship ended badly.”

“What ended badly?” Damon sauntered into the kitchen with Jayden at his side. He arched a brow and looked from her to Granny.

Granny didn’t miss a beat. “That movie I was watching on Lifetime ended badly. Do you want to hear about it?” Granny gave him a hopeful smile.

“No.” Damon and Jayden answered in unison.

***

The drive back to the casino had been tense to say the least. Ava had wanted to ride around and see the city, but Damon shot that idea down immediately. He knew the less visible they were the better. This was not a vacation but a mission. He’d rather have her mad and safe, than happy and in danger.

Damon dropped Jayden off in the lobby before heading upstairs with Ava. As the elevator doors closed, he glanced over at her and tried his best not to notice how pretty she was when she was mad.

“Are you going to pout all day?”

“I don’t pout.” She kept her gaze straight ahead, arms folded.

“Ava, I told you why we couldn’t stay out any longer. It’s just not safe.”

“I know. But riding around in a car is not as visible as riding around on the back of a motorcycle.”

Touché.

The doors opened and Ava stepped off the elevator and headed for their room, not stopping until she got there.