“Yes, and I’m pretty sure I made you pay for that when I kneed you in your—um, well—your manhood.” It was adorable the way her cheeks darkened with her blush at the mention of his “manhood.” He couldn’t help but cup her face in his hands, gently rubbing her cheekbone with his thumb. She closed her eyes and leaned into his body, and he nearly lost all cognitive ability.
“Tell me not to do this, Justice. Tell me to take my hands off you and to walk away. And for fuck’s sake, tell me not to kiss you.” Justice didn’t open her eyes. She just shook her head, as if denying everything he just asked.
“I can’t, Jagger—I won’t,” she whispered. He hesitated for just a moment, trying to decide if any of this made sense. It didn’t.
“Fuck,” he growled and pulled her into his arms, sealing his mouth over hers. Justice wrapped her arms around his neck, not missing a beat, and opened for him, allowing his tongue to stroke into her mouth, to find hers. Justice moaned, and he felt every last ounce of his common sense melt away. He wanted Justice—it was that simple.
After Sarah walked away from him, Jagger spent so much time denying his needs. He threw himself into whatever jobs he could find and tried to figure out a way forward. But kissing Justice now showed him just how stagnant his life had become. She opened the blinds, he closed around his heart, and let in the bright sunshine that was missing. Jagger pulled back from Justice, enjoying the little pout she gave him.
“Sorry, princess, but we have an audience.” He turned her to face Dean, who was standing on his front porch watching them. Jagger knew his friend was there the whole time watching them, but he wanted to lay claim to Justice so that Dean would know the deal. Jagger wanted her, and he was done denying himself.
“Jagger, you knew he was standing there and you kissed me?” Justice whispered.
He couldn’t help his chuckle, “Sorry, honey. I couldn’t help myself.” Justice smiled up at him, taking his hand.
“Do you have stuff for breakfast?” she asked, sounding hopeful. He nodded, trying to remember everything that was in his pantry.
“I’m pretty sure we do,” he said, leading the way back to his cabin.
“Good. I’ll make us something to eat, and you fill Dean in on everything.” She watched him as if hoping he’d agree. He nodded, and she gave him her shy smile.
“Great, and then maybe we can try that whole kissing thing again when we don’t have an audience,” she asked, again sounding hopeful. He couldn’t help his laugh, once again nodding. She didn’t need to ask—he’d kiss her any time, any place, and in front of just about anyone. He hoped they didn’t just cross a line that he would later regret, but keeping his hands to himself around Justice was going to be nearly impossible for him.
CHAPTER FIVE
Justice tried to listen in as the guys discussed how to get Jules back, but she found herself daydreaming about the kiss she and Jagger shared. Every time Jagger looked at her, she could feel her cheeks heat like she was a teen girl being noticed by the popular boy for the first time. She knew she was acting like a fool, but she just couldn’t help herself. This was all so new for her; she felt completely out of her element.
“So, let me get this straight. You kidnapped Justice and dragged her out here?” Dean almost shouted. Jagger sighed and dramatically hung his head.
“Yes,” he groaned. “But, in my defense, I did it to save Jules, and I’ve let Justice go.” Dean looked over to where Justice was flipping pancakes in the kitchen and barked out his laugh.
“Yeah, yet she’s still here making pancakes in your kitchen, and your sister is still being held captive by Justice’s asshole father,” Dean growled. Justice stopped mid-flip to shoot Dean a look, not sure how she felt about his assessment.
He held up his hands as if in defense. “Sorry, sweetheart, I’m just calling it as I see it.”
Justice shrugged. “I get it, my father is an asshole, but I’m not here because Jagger is holding me against my will. I’m here to help him get his sister back.” Dean smirked at her as if he knew the other reason she was sticking around. But saying out loud that she was attracted to Jagger wasn’t something Justice was ready to do. Maybe a small part of her was sticking around because of her unexplainable draw to Jagger’s bad-boy image. Hell, maybe she had Stockholm Syndrome, and she was just one step closer to robbing a bank with him. She laughed and returned her attention to flipping pancakes.
“So, let’s go over what we know here. Hobbs has Jules and some bogus proof that she was involved in illegal dealings, and all he wants in exchange is his daughter back so he can marry her off to some other asshole,” Dean said. He and Jagger looked over to where Justice was setting the plates on his kitchen table. She didn’t miss the flare of anger in Jagger’s eyes when Dean mentioned handing her over to marry Wolf.
“He’s not fucking getting his hands on Justice,” Jagger growled.
Dean chuckled, “Yeah, I got that from the little display you two put on out front. You’re not willing to give up the girl, and honestly, who could blame you? But I know you, Jag—you won’t just leave Jules in the hands of a crazy man. What’s the plan?” Jagger sat down at the table next to Justice and piled pancakes on his plate and then hers.
“I don’t have a fucking plan, man. If I did, we wouldn’t be here with you trying to figure this shit out. I’d be at Hobbs’ front door getting my sister back.” Jagger drowned his pancakes in maple syrup, and Justice wondered how he could look the way he did and eat like that. She handed the plate of pancakes that Jagger piled high for her to Dean. Honestly, she was too anxious to eat, settling for a glass of orange juice instead.
“Justice, you need to eat,” Jagger growled, shoving an empty plate at her. Since leaving her father’s house, she didn’t have men in her life telling her what to do, and she wasn’t about to start that up again now. She liked being an independent woman, and while she appreciated Jagger wanting to watch out for her well-being, she wasn’t ready to take orders being barked at her. She pasted the sweetest smile on her face and shoved the plate back to Jagger.
“I’m fine, thank you,” she said. He just shook his head and shoved another forkful of pancakes into his mouth.
“Yeah, you two are going to be fun to watch,” Dean laughed to himself. Jagger pointed his empty fork across the table at his friend.
“What the fuck does that mean?” he asked around a mouthful of food.
“Never mind,” Dean grunted. Justice was fascinated by their dynamics. The two seemed to be almost as close as brothers, and for a moment, she missed her friends back in Harvest Ridge. She always admired the way their wayward group seemed so close-knit. They all seemed to have each other’s backs, and she sometimes wondered if that included her. Sure, Sunny and Aaron’s little family adopted her as their own and made her feel like part of the family. But the rest of the group treated her like a kid sister they allowed to tag along. She wondered what it would be like to have a group of friends who were there through thick and thin, always having her back.
Justice never had that growing up—her father made sure her friends weren’t allowed to get too close. A part of her now knew that was his way of keeping her under his thumb. If she didn’t have any friends to help her out, she would have nowhere to run to when she wanted to escape from him. Maybe that was what had her father so frazzled now. His plans were ruined by her friends back in Harvest Ridge, and knowing they wereconcerned for her safety gave her a new fire to fight for herself, even if she had to go it alone.
Dean finished off his breakfast and washed his dishes. “What happens if you refuse to marry this clown, Wolf?” He asked. Justice thought about it for a minute. She never considered she had a choice in the matter—or any matter that concerned her father’s business decisions. A part of her knew exactly what would happen, though, and she couldn’t let her father hurt the people she came to call her family.
