Where You Can Find Me (7 page)

His eyebrows raised and eyes widened, not in fear, but definitely in a what-the-hell way.

“Crap.” I dropped my head, feeling the heat rising up my neck. “I’m sorry. That was dumb. I say stupid shit when I’m nervous and trying to be funny. I don’t expect you to marry me. Not to say it would never happen. I wouldn’t mind marrying you. Not that I thought about it. Not that I wouldn’t think about it. I mean .. we just met, so it would probably be a little—” Jack placed his fingers over my lips and pulled me to a stop, facing him. His crow’s feet were showing as his eyes squinted, trying to hold back his laughter.

“Shhh, Luella. It’s okay to be nervous. I promise it will be fine. Now stop rambling before I lose my shit and start uncontrollably laughing right here.” He smiled at my struggle. I lowered my eyebrows and pursed my lips, shamelessly pouting. “Damn, you’re cute.” He leaned down to give me a quick peck. “Now, let’s go before I give your giant brother a reason to beat the shit out of me for devouring you right here.” He gave me a wink and then started pulling me over to my brother with his arm around my waist.

I finally lifted my eyes to my brother.

Jameson.

Seeing him from Jack’s eyes I could see how he looked intimidating. He was dark. Dark hair, dark eyes, sneer curving his lips and just an overall dark, brooding attitude. He was six-foot-six and built like a Mack Truck, with broad shoulders and chest. To me, he looked like my usual over-protective brother being an asshole. I tried to remind myself of all the sacrifices he’d made for us as I felt my own annoyance bloom.

Jack gestured for me to take a seat on the bar stool standing behind me, waiting for the introductions to begin. I had to give it to him, he appeared relaxed and friendly. He chose not to pull his own manly act with my brother.
Good call, Jack.

“Hey, Jameson. This is my … my friend, Jack. Jack this is my brother Jameson. He owns the bar.” I gestured between the two, probably doing the worst introduction attempt ever, but I still managed to glare my brother down, sending death threats through my eyes to not embarrass me.

Jack moved to stand beside me and reached his hand out to shake Jameson’s. “Hey, man. Nice to meet you.” Jack winced as my brother squeezed his hand too tight. God, he was being such an asshole.

“Nice to meet you, too.” Jameson finally turned to look at me after some awkward, silent, manly stare down. I greeted him with pursed lips, a flared nose, and glare of my own. I wanted him to know I disapproved of him being a douche bag. “Friends, huh? You seemed a little bit more than friendly out there on the dance floor.” He said the last part only slightly under his breath, but really he wanted us to both hear it.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath through my nose and let it out of my mouth, trying to find my calm before I lost my shit.

Jack gave a small chuckle and responded before me, “Luella is cautious.” I raised my eyebrow curious as to where he was going with this. “We’ve been dating for almost a month now.”

The other eyebrow went up too.

Jack turned to me and smiled. His eyes held a challenge, daring me to say something different. I shrugged my shoulders and leaned in to him, eyeing Jameson with a cocky smirk, having proven a point. I had no freaking clue what that point was, but Jack said we were more than friends and I floated on a high. I was pretty sure I won all points that needed to be proven. Didn’t have to make sense.

Jameson didn’t seem impressed with my gloating. He just rolled his eyes and turned to talk to Jack again, leaning forward placing both hands on the bar. “Yeah, I know Lu is cautious. She has a lot of reasons to be reserved and cautious—”

“Jameson!” I placed both hands on the bar and leaned forward. I gave him a hard look demanding he shut his stupid freaking mouth. He turned his head to look at me and we continued our stare down with each other. I didn’t know why he wanted to be such an ass and butt into my life, but I barely held back from jumping over the bar and pummeling him. Jack saved him by striking up new conversation.

“Cool tattoo. Were you in the Army?”

He was asking about the tattoo on my brother’s upper right bicep. It had the Army Special Forces symbol with a R.I.P. ribbon above it. The R.I.P. was hidden under the sleeve of his black t-shirt. My eyes pleaded with him to not say anything I wasn’t ready to talk about.

Without looking away from me he responded, “No, but I knew someone who was.”

Jack, God love him, tried to keep a conversation going despite my brother’s foul attitude. “That’s cool. I was in the Army for ten years before finally getting out. It was either go for retirement or get out then.” Jameson’s eyes widened at that information. Shocked that I would be okay with someone who was in the military. Even if he wasn’t anymore, I could still see the concern and shock rolling across his face before he finally turned to look at Jack. “My family wanted me out before something went wrong and my buddy was getting out. I figured I would follow him and start a new adventure while appeasing my mom.” Jack ended on a small chuckle.

He had no idea the bombs he was dropping around him. I moved my eyes to the wooden bar top, unable to see how my brother would reply. “That was probably a good idea, man. Better safe than sorry.” He reached his hand out to Jack to shake it again. “I appreciate the service and sacrifices I’m sure you had to make. I know it must have been hard to get out after so long, but it’s just as admirable to know when it’s time to stop.”

They shook hands and had a manly understanding. I sat there both happy and a little uncomfortable with their male bonding moment. They continued to shoot the shit for another twenty minutes, talking sports, how Jameson came about owning the bar, and other manly talk that bored me a lot.

I yawned and stretched, being over the top and dramatic. It was time to take this show on the road. I placed my hand on Jack’s shoulder and leaned over to talk to him. “Hey, I’m going to use the restroom and then do you think you’ll be ready to go? As much as I love you and my brother gabbing like a bunch of girls, it’s getting late.” I tried to be subtle with my suggestion we leave so we could continue where we left off on the dance floor, but my brother’s sound of disgust proved to me I hadn’t been successful.

“Sure. I’ll be waiting.”

In the restroom, I touched up my lipstick and tousled my hair a bit to give it the full effect. I wanted to look my best when we left so maybe we could get back to the where we were before my brother interrupted us. As I walked back out, my steps slowed down as I noticed Jack and my brother in a deep conversation. Jack’s eyebrows pulled together and his lips turned down in a small frown. He looked tense along his shoulders as he listened to whatever my brother was saying. Jameson stood to his full height and seemed to be having the big brother talk with Jack, sharing secrets that weren’t his to share, while I stepped away. It was what he always did when he was
trying
to protect me.

I felt my heart drop out of my chest and my lungs constrict. A fierce heat crept up into my cheeks as I imagined what he could be sharing. Tears pricked the backs of my eyes as an embarrassment I tried hard to forget crept through my body. I swallowed, trying to get moisture back in my mouth. I took three slow but deep breaths in through my nose and out my mouth. The past was the past and I was a strong woman who had overcome struggles. It shouldn’t matter what Jameson shared. I was me now and that was all that mattered. It was all that should matter.

I tried to keep those thoughts in my head, but when Jack noticed me getting closer, he looked at me and smiled. But I saw the worry in his eyes, touched with pity.

Fuck it. I slapped a smile on my face and acted as though I had no idea what could possibly be going on. I smiled seductively, letting him know I hadn’t forgotten everything he’d mentioned over the past twenty-four hours.

He promised me a faster pace.

His touch promised me pleasure.

And I was ready to collect.

A
s we left the bar
, I made sure to make eye contact with Jameson, letting him know that I knew what he had done and I would be back to rip him a new one. But all that slipped from my mind as Jack grabbed my hand in the truck and we drove back to my place. Our hands rested on my thigh and his thumb stroked against my leg making me wish his hand would move higher. A smirk danced across his mouth every time I inched our hands closer to my core. When we pulled into the driveway I turned and looked at him as he shut the truck off. We sat in the quiet, enjoying the tension as I bit my lip. I knew I wanted him to come in but I struggled to get the words out knowing that when I did there would be no turning back.

“I’m not ready for tonight be over.” The words barely came out as a whisper but the flare of heat in Jack’s eyes let me know I might as well have screamed them in the silence of the truck cab. “Do you want to come in for a drink?” We both knew it to be a hollow excuse for him to come inside with me.

“Sure. I would love to.”

He walked me to my door and I tried to keep my cool while I unlocked it, but my hands were wrought with nerves and the key shook in the lock anyway. I opened the door and flicked on the light. The room was separated into two sections on each side of the entrance. It used to be two separate rooms divided by a narrow hallway but after the renovations it became a wide, open room with dark, hardwood floors. On the right, sat my television, coffee table, and sectional couch. The left held a fireplace on the far wall with two overstuffed sitting chairs placed on the edge of a large area rug. I had a large eight by eight foot bookshelf on the opposite wall and a wine bar set up on the wall with the front door. It was one of my favorite areas of the house; a place where I could relax and read by a fire in the winter. Straight across from us was a doorway that led to the stairs to the second floor and the kitchen a little bit after that. If you walked in further you would find the dining room on the right, off of the kitchen, with glass french doors that led to the backyard and patio. The upstairs held a long hallway that led to three bedrooms: mine, an office, and a guest bedroom.

I loved my house. I had worked hard on it and I knew it didn’t really matter, but I wanted him to like it, too. “You can take a seat. Can I get you a drink?” I motioned over toward the sectional while I moved to the wine bar.

“Do you have any whiskey?” I nodded yes. He sat down still looking around. “Your home is beautiful, Luella.”

I could hear the honesty in his voice and it made me smile. I poured a glass of wine and a couple fingers of whiskey for him, moving to sit beside him on the couch. I didn’t want to keep beating around the bush so I sat close enough for our legs to brush. “Thank you. I’ve worked hard to make it what it is.”

He took his glass and raised it for a toast. “To a great night out with a beautiful woman and to doing things right this time.” He said the last part with a wink.

“Thank you. I can drink to that.” We clinked glasses and each took a drink.

“So your brother…” He left it hanging with a small laugh..

“Ugh! Don’t remind me. He is such a cliche big brother and can be really embarrassing.” I rolled my eyes and threw my hand in the air in frustration.

Jack grabbed it and held it tight in his, sending warmth all through my body. “It wasn’t that bad. He loves you and is protective. I am the same way with my sister. I choose to believe she secretly loves it. Deep, deep … deep down.” His voice rumbled with restrained laughter. His eyes shined with a warmth when he mentioned his sister. It made me want to know about someone who could bring that look to his face.

“So tell me about this sister of yours. You seem to care about her a lot. And if you’re anything like my brother, then maybe we will need to band together against big brothers in the future.”

We both paused at the future comment, but let it slide. “Ah, my sister. Juliana. As I mentioned she is younger and just graduated college. Oh, and you’ll love this. She majored in science.”

A dramatic gasp left my lips as I held my hand to my chest. “Be still my heart. I love her already.”

“I figured you would. She recently decided she wanted to go get her Masters so she can teach at a college and still do research.”

“Seriously, I might leave you and go be with your sister. We could sit around and discuss the wonders found in a lab.” His laugh warmed me even more than the wine was.

“She’s a good kid. You would like her. And yes, she puts up with me. More so now than when she was in high school. I made all the boys scared of touching my baby sister when I pulled my rifle out to clean. Man, she hated me when I came home for visits.”

I couldn’t help it, my lips curled up at his humor. It didn’t make it better that I became weak and senseless when he held my hand. The lazy circles he drew with his thumb were not helping either. I looked down trying to hide my smile. “You’re a funny man, Jack.”

“Thank you.” After a small pause he continued, “You’re an exquisite woman, Luella.”

I looked up meeting his eyes. His lids were heavy as he waited for my response to his comment. He delivered it in such a deep sexy voice that I felt it in the pit of my stomach. We sat there just staring at each other, trying to decipher what the next move should have been. Jack leaned over to set his glass on the table and took mine to do the same.

He lifted his hand to my cheek and brushed his thumb along my cheekbone. “Your eyes have to be the most beautiful and diverse green I’ve ever seen. Did you know they change colors?” I shook my head, unable to speak for fear of breaking the moment. “They are mostly this brilliant green, but when you get turned on, they change to this deep mossy green. Yet, somehow they never dull. They still remain bright. That doesn’t make sense, right? A bright mossy green? I don’t think anything could dull the brightness.” He paused, his words whispering over my skin. “They’re beautiful.”

My lips parted. I couldn’t do anything but sit there, frozen. Soaking up the words he spoke to me. No one had ever talked to me like that before and my brain fumbled to keep up. My heart raced, pounding so hard, I was sure he could see my chest shake with the beat.

He moved his thumb down to my lips, brushing back and forth. “And these lips. You wore red lipstick the first night I laid eyes on you. I can’t even pretend that I didn’t have the dirtiest thoughts racing through my head when I saw these full lips, stained bright red made to attract my attention. Made to make me imagine them on my lips.” His voice lowered. “On me.”

My pulse picked up. I wanted nothing more to know what his dirty thoughts were. I wanted nothing more than to do everything he ever thought about me with him. When his thumb did another pass across I slipped my tongue out just enough to brush against him. He pushed his thumb in just a little and I took the initiative to lean forward and suck it into my mouth. I rolled my tongue around him, hoping to spike his interest.

He pulled his thumb out with a pop and crashed his lips onto mine. He pushed his tongue into my mouth and without question, I opened for him. I didn’t want slow and steady, I didn’t need the buildup. I needed
him
.
Now.

Our tongues brushed against each other’s, the mixed flavors of whiskey and wine making me drunk on desire, yearning for more. He wrapped his arms around my back and I moved to straddle his lap. As much as I wanted more, I rocked myself on his lap feeling content with his hands roaming up and down my back, only pausing to squeeze the cheeks of my ass and pull me tighter to him; I was content with making out with him for an endless amount of time.

I had messed around with guys before and had an infrequent dating life, but I couldn’t remember the last time I had felt this rush, this desire, this
need
coursing through me. And in the moments leading up to this I knew it was more. More than a random hook-up in a club bathroom. More than me just seeing where this went. At some point, it stopped being “go with the flow” and I began pushing it in a direction that made it more permanent.

I knew it when I felt my breath catch every time he smiled at me. I knew it when goose bumps broke out across my body with each touch he gave me. I knew it when I looked for his messages every night before I went to bed and every morning first thing after waking up. I knew there was more between us. And hearing him claim more between us to my brother pushed me a step closer to accepting it.

“God, you’re beautiful,” Jack said deeply. I could feel the vibrations of his words against my breasts making my nipples pebble. He pulled back and placed his hands on each side of my face, making me look at him. “I couldn’t be happier for each event that led me here to you. Although it was far from perfect in theory, it was perfect for you and me. I regret nothing.” His eyes were a deep blue, darkening with desire and sincerity. I felt, in that moment, I could have cried with the overwhelming feeling his words were bringing out in me. “I hope like hell that you know this isn’t a “see where it goes” thing anymore. I know where this is going from here on out. I’ve known for a while but I need you to know, too. I need you to know that our paths are together.
We’re
together.”

A small smile touched my lips realizing his thoughts were so in tune with mine. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes, trying to process the depth of emotions rushing through me. Dropping my head, I nodded and quickly peered up at him, hoping he could see the joy his words brought to me. They left me speechless so I decided to show him what his words were doing to me.

My eyes remained locked on his as I leaned forward to kiss the corner of his mouth, only closing at the last second. I lightly brushed my lips up his cheek with soft kisses leading to his ear. I nibbled his ear and flicked my tongue to soothe the bite. I whispered, “Make love to me, Jack. Take me upstairs and show me.”

With a deep groan he stood from the couch with me in his arms and made his way to the stairs. He stopped before reaching the entryway leading to the stairs and pressed me against the wall crashing his lips onto mine. A sound rumbled in his chest vibrating against mine. I needed my thick sweater off so I could be a layer closer to him. I struggled to get my arms free of the oversized top when Jack stopped kissing me just long enough to pull it over my head.

Before leaning in to kiss me he looked down eyeing my black, lace and satin bra. It was mostly see through and barely covering anything. He rolled his eyes heavenward and leaned in to bury his face in my neck while returning to his pursuit up the stairs. As he walked I rubbed every part of myself I could against him. My body burned and throbbed and I needed relief. With one less layer between us, I brushed my breasts back and forth causing a moan to escape my lips. Once we made it to the top of the stairs I directed Jack into the bedroom.

Jack moved down to my chest and began sucking on the top of my breasts. I knew I would have a mark and I didn’t care. I loved the idea of being marked by him. Of carrying a reminder of him with me. He pushed the door open and I reached out to flick the switch for the lamp by my bed that provided just enough light to see each other without ruining the mood. Jack slowly lowered my feet to the floor while I made sure to drag myself down him. I felt his arousal against my stomach and it pushed me further to know he was just as excited as me.

I reached out to slowly lift his shirt over his head, my eyes following its ascent, scanning each piece of flesh as I revealed it. He had beautiful abs and a sexy as sin chest attached to muscular arms. For a second, self doubt creeped in, making me wonder if I was good enough to have this; to be with him. I lifted my eyes to his and saw all the confirmation I needed. His eyes mirrored the same desire I felt for him. I saw the same heat and the same want.

I reached my hands out to run them along his chest, but before I could he grabbed me by the wrists halting my progress. “Take your clothes off. Go lie on the bed.” His deep, demanding voice washed over me, urging me to obey.

As much as I wanted to be affronted and tell him to take my clothes off for me, I wasn’t. Instead I felt a rush of heat drop down my abdomen and settle in my groin. I ran my tongue along my bottom lip, biting it. I took a step back and without taking my eyes off of his reached behind and unclasped my bra letting it fall from my arms to the ground. His eyes dropped to my chest and his nostrils flared with a deep breath. Good.

I felt that familiar surge of power return from so long ago.

I slipped my boots off as I hooked my thumbs into my pants dropping my eyes from his as I lowered them to the ground. The powerful swell of emotions hit a low point as I struggled to remain sexy while pulling off liquid leggings, but I managed. Standing up in front of him in only my black lace panties I pushed my shoulders back trying to appear more confident than I actually was. He told me to get naked and lie on the bed, but I didn’t want to be a complete pushover. I wanted to see what he would do when I shoved back a little. With a lift of my eyebrow I turned toward the bed and climbed up on all fours. I gently rolled over and leaned back on my elbows, one leg stretched out while the other was bent, my foot resting on the bed. I lifted my lips into a small smile. “You want me naked.” I paused for effect. “Then come make me.”

He growled deep in his chest and stalked toward me dropping his pants along the way. Grabbing my ankle, he dragged me to the edge of the bed and pushed his hips between my legs leaning over to look me in the eyes. “You make me so hard when you’re sassy like that.” He wrapped his hands around the sides of my underwear. “I will happily
take
these from you.” With a sharp tug, he ripped them off and tossed them aside.

Jack leaned down and pressed his lips to the base of my neck. “Now that I have you how I want you.” He left it at that while he made his way to my breasts leaving a trail of kisses along the way until he finally came to my nipple. “I haven’t stopped thinking about how sweet these cotton candy nipples taste or how responsive they are.” He flicked his tongue across my hardened nipple causing a gasp to escape my lips while I arched my back chasing his retreating tongue. He leaned down and latched onto my tip and began sucking, flicking, and biting.