Willow (16 page)

He had to grin. This reflection was much different than the one he’d first seen in the mirror after making love to her. This man looked happy, thrilled, and in love. After he disposed of the condom and cleaned up, he went back to the bed. She immediately wrapped around him.

Jared was going to tell her in the morning about who he was. His conversation with his father had told him a great deal about the woman in his arms. And there was something she needed to be made aware of. Things with Talbor had gotten out of hand.

The charges against the man stemming from the beating to death of a nineteen-year-old girl were just one of many. The police were also looking at him in a couple of other things as well. Jared didn’t want Willow alone anymore. If Talbor was as nuts as the reports were saying, then he’d let nothing stand in his way to get to Willow.

Drifting asleep, he was pleased when she stayed wrapped around him. Sleeping with Willow and waking up next to her could become a very nice habit.

The noise in the hall woke him. It was still dark in the room, but he could see well enough to see the door. He reached for Willow and really wasn’t surprised when her side of the bed was empty. Cursing, he got up and went to the door. The first thing he heard were the nails of the dogs clicking on the floor, next were voices.

Opening the door just a crack, he saw Willow and a man standing outside the other door down the hall. They were both coming out and she pulled something out of her pocket and he assumed, locked the door. They both went down the stairs with the dogs fast on their heels. He closed the door.

She was meeting a man? Why? He knew the man hadn’t been her lover…not before now anyway. Leaning back against the door, he tried to think. Then in a fit of jealously, he opened the door and walked down the hall. Yes, it was locked. Going back to the room, he got into bed. He couldn’t even figure out why he was so angry. He was going to wait for her to tell him.

When he woke the next time, the room was pink with the rising sun. Her side of the bed was still empty. He staggered to the shower and took a very quick one. It was just after seven and if he was going to get to work on time, he needed to hustle. He was slightly pissed about her not being there twice, but thought they were both getting used to sleeping together and maybe she’d been nervous. He walked into the kitchen and came to an abrupt halt. The man from the lot was standing in the kitchen with her. And they were both pissed.

“…
don’t give a good fuck what you want. I told you to not do it anymore. What the fuck is—” The man stopped when he saw Jared. “Who the fuck are you?”

Jared walked over to the counter and kissed Willow full on the mouth. He knew what it looked like. Like he was staking claim. Well, he was.

“
None of your business” Willow told him calmly. “I want you out of my house right now. I’ve had it up to my ass in people telling me what to do.”

The man looked over at Jared. “And he stays, I suppose? No, don’t think so. You need a fucking…are you sleeping with him?”

The man’s voice raised a few octaves when he’d asked. Jared wanted to hear what Willow told the man. And he wanted to know who he was. Marta shoved him and the man into a chair.

“
You know you ain’t gonna get no where’s telling her what she is to do.” The man started to rise. “Sit. Willow James, you introduce these two before they get blood all over my nice clean kitchen.”

Willow huffed. “Not that it’s any of either of your business, but Jared Robert, meet my asshole brother Alexander James. Alexander, meet my…met…”

“
Her lover,” Jared finished for her. Marta cackled behind them and set a huge platter of food on the table between them.

“
You know how to stir up the pot, don’t you, boy?” she told him with a wink. “Alexander, you eat now. You’re momma is gonna have your hide coming in here demanding things from your sister like you done. Might be your last meal.”

“
And what do you think she’s going to say when she finds out that her ‘lover’ is having breakfast here? You think she’ll be thrilled about that?” Alexander picked up the platter and took half the bacon, sausage, and ham off it and handed it to Jared. “And Dad. What do you think he’s going to say?”

Jared started to hand the platter to Willow, but she shook her head. Marta set an empty plate in front of her and Jared put some of the meat on the plate. Willow glared at him then turned on her brother.

“
Oh grow up. What are you going to do, tell him? If you do, so help me I will tell him every little secret I know about you, including the night with Shelly Markus.” Jared burst out laughing at the look on Alexander’s face.

“
You wouldn’t dare. You said you’d take that to your grave, Wills. You wound me. I never thought I’d—”

Willow snorted and leaned back when a platter of eggs was laid on the table. There had to have been over a dozen of them. Jared watched as Alexander took five and handed the platter to him again. Jared just looked at him.

“
You know you should serve women first, don’t you? Not take what you want then hand it to someone else.”

Now Alexander snorted as he dug into his breakfast. “If you hand the platter to her first, you might as well figure on being hungry. She can eat more than most men I know. Take what you want now and she can get more later. If you hang around her much, you’ll see what I mean.”

Willow murmured under her breath and Jared thought she said, “fucking prick,” but wasn’t sure. Whatever it had been, Marta apparently heard and smacked her on the hand with a spatula. Jared was thoroughly enjoying himself.

“
If you don’t mind my asking, what were you trying to get your sister to do that she won’t?” Jared watched as another platter of food was set on the table and a plate of rolls. This time, Willow beat her brother.

“
Ah come on, Wills. Give me at least one of them.” Alexander looked at him. “Best sticky buns in the world. I want her to go home. This thing with that Tal—fuck, that hurt, Wills.”

“
And I’ll kick you again if you don’t shut up. I’m not going home. This is my home.” She stood up and so did he. “I’m going to work. I’ll see you both later and I mean it, Alexander. Not. One. Word.”

She kissed him on the mouth and breezed out the door, taking the dogs out with her. He could hear them barking as they enjoyed the freedom.

Jared looked at Alexander. “You were saying?”

~o0o~

Willow heard the vehicles start to arrive. She was just getting the last of the invoices entered when the door opened. Conley came in first then Jared. She ignored them both, well, as much as she could. Both of them were big men. And neither of them looked happy.

“
You know, I’m pretty sure that both of you have work to do. Why don’t you get to it?” She wasn’t surprised when they didn’t leave. “I’ll dock your wages if you don’t get out of here.”

The police were on their way and she didn’t want them in the office when they arrived. Talbor had killed a young girl and they wanted to come by and talk to her. She was nervous enough without these two being here. Jared sat down and Conley leaned against the cabinet.

“
Okay, but you have to leave soon. I have…someone is coming and I’m pretty sure that you two aren’t invited.” She tried to concentrate on her work, but they were driving her nuts.

Finally, at ten till eight, she went out the door and left them on their own. She had a lot to deal with today. And they were coming up on the finishing of a project. She was just starting to assign tasks when the police rolled up. No lights, but two men got out. And thankfully, Talbor wasn’t there.

“
I need a volunteer to get the glazing done in the main office and someone to do a plug check.” Sherman raised his hand. “Okay, I want a count on the ones that need changing and the total we have completed.”

The first officer walked toward her and Jared as suddenly in front of him. After what seemed an eternity, they both came toward her.

“
Hey, boss? You doing something we should know about?” someone asked from the group, and she laughed. The officer stepped up beside her while Jared went into the building with the other cop.

“
First of all, your foreman here isn’t in any trouble, but one of the men you work with might be. We want to know if any of you have any knowledge of the whereabouts of Shawn Talbor, Jr. He’s wanted for questioning.”

No one said a word and Willow wasn’t surprised. These men were a tight group and they wouldn’t say anything without more information. Willow stepped forward.

“
If any of you see him or talk to him, I need for you to let me know. At this point, from what I understand, the police just want to talk to him. Anything you guys know, please let the police know.”

No one had any information, but all of them promised to keep an eye out. When the police left, Willow went to the second floor and began priming the walls for paint.

She pulled out the Shop Vac and began sweeping the dust off the walls. The mask she wore and the vacuum kept her from hearing anything and that was fine with her. She had a lot to think about.

The vacuum had a bagger on it because the dust from the drywall had to be bagged according to HEPA regulations. Then she got out the sprayer to apply the fast drying PVA or polyvinyl acetate drywall primer. After that it was just a matter of going back and forth with the sprayer in slow, even strokes.

She was in love with Jared. That part didn’t bother her. It was the consequences that did. After this gig was up, she wouldn’t see him again and she knew that. Not that he’d ever said anything…other than the tat, but she wasn’t stupid.

Then there was the email she’d gotten from her parents. They were coming Friday. They said they were coming for an extended visit and that they wanted to talk to her about the hotelier job. And her mom had hinted that she would like to meet the man who they’d spoken of the other night and where they were in their relationship.

Relationship. Did they have one? Probably, she supposed, but not much of one. She knew nothing about him other than he worked hard and played harder. He made her laugh and he made her smile. Then there was the sex. Marta had been right; Jared did know his way around a body.

Thinking about last night, she shivered at what they had done, what he’d done to her and she to him. There wasn’t an inch on her bed that they hadn’t touched or used. When he’d said they were going to have fun, he hadn’t been kidding. Then they got to use the bottom of the bed.

She’d gotten up to use the bathroom and when she came back, he was standing at the end of her bed waiting. Her pussy gushed for him when he motioned for her to come to him. When he got there, he had her stand in front of him and he turned her toward the far wall. There was a mirror there and he’d turned it so that they could see each other.

“
See what you look like to me?” his hands cupped her breasts and he nipped her neck. “Watch us. I want you to see us together.”

As his darker hands traced over her pale skin, she could feel his cock in her back. When he shifted and his cock was between the cleft of her legs, she watched as his cock head would peak though every time he rocked. For every one of his thrusts against her, she would rock back toward him.

“
Jared, please, I want to come. I need to come.” His hand trailed down her belly and she knew he was going to touch her. Excitement made her shaky and she spread her legs wider for him.

“
That’s it, baby. Let me touch you. I want you to watch you come.” His fingers found her clit immediately and she rode his fingers. Over and over he pressed against her until she couldn’t stand it. Begging him, she nearly cried out when he pushed her head down on the bed.

“
Look, Willow. Look in the mirror when I fuck you.” She turned her head toward the mirror again and watched as he held his cock with one hand and gripped her hip with the other.

Slowly, he had entered an inch in and then out. She watched as his cock became slick with her juices. When he was seated in as deep as he could go, she felt his other hand grab her hip and he started to fuck her harder, then harder still. And they both watched every time his cock made her breasts bounce, every time his balls slapped against her ass.

Reaching around to her pussy, she felt him tug and press at her clit. The pressure was building and she knew it was just a matter of seconds before she shattered. His body leaning over hers, his weight bearing her down, she felt him bite her shoulder. It sent her into the stratosphere. When he pulled out of her and flipped her onto her back, she wasn’t sure what he was going to do, but when he lifted her legs and put them over his shoulders, she nearly cried out when he slammed into her again. She was tighter this way, his cock deeper.

“
Come, baby. Come now and tighten that delicious pussy over me. Fuck, Willow, I’m coming.”

Her legs suddenly spread and he was over her. His cock hit her clit with every stroke as he roared out his release. As soon as she came again, she felt him drop onto her and she knew that she was finished. Slipping into a deep sleep, Willow knew that this bed was the best thing she’d ever bought.

Someone pecking on her shoulder made her jerk around. She had been so caught up in the memory she’d completely forgotten what she’d been doing. Looking at the wall, she was happy to see that her mind was on her work at least. She took off the mask to look at Jared. He was grinning.