“Mom stopped by yesterday. She knows. Oh my god, Locke, she knows.” She makes the decision for me, going so far as to moving out of my arms. I watch as she paces back and forth while continuing the one-sided conversation, “What are we going to do? We have this damn pact that our family has no secrets, that we communicate and love unconditionally, but why do I feel like the guilt is eating me alive? Then Jace has to pull out the nice older brother act and apologize to me tonight. He never says sorry, not even when he put a frog in my nightstand drawer all those years ago.” She pulls her hair out of the ponytail and tosses the tie on the counter, then goes about taking her shoes off, nudging them off with her toes at the heel. I think maybe this is going to lead into a striptease, until she picks them up.
“Sugar,” I try to interrupt her tirade.
“He did agree to butt out of the car issue. And don’t get me started on the wingman comment. I don’t like the thought that my man is out with my very single brother while Jace is picking up his flavor of the month. Actually, I don’t know if it’s monthly, weekly, or daily. And you know what, I don’t want to know.” I watch as Jade places her shoes on the rack near the door, takes off her socks, and throws them near the laundry room.
“It’s weekly, at least when he drags me around. I keep it to a two-drink maximum and stay for an hour, keeping my eyes diverted from whatever woman he’s looking at, and he knows better than to push whatever woman has a friend with him onme.” He did that a time or two throughout the years, and I’m no pity fuck. Besides, I don’t want anyone else except the beautiful mess walking around my house. When she heads toward the laundry room, I move, because damn if I’m going to miss a single moment. I walk around the corner and bite my tongue. I’m not interrupting her again.
Jade’s back is to me. Her shirt is already off, so is her bra. I swear I only lost track of her for a second. That’s how fast she’s working to slip out of her clothes. The good news is I’m in for a treat when she shimmies her hips, pulling the painted-on denim jeans and underwear off.
“Fuck me.” She looks over her shoulder. I’m given a hot-as-fuck view, ass for days, hourglass figure, a soft swell of her abdomen that I’ll do my best to keep her well-fed, so she doesn’t lose it. And that’s not all. Her tits and ass are what have my whole attention. The swell of her breast comes in to view, pebbled nipple, and I could swear I see wetness between her thighs.
“Oh, that’s going to happen because I’ll never shut my brain off at this rate.” She turns around completely, puts her hands on her hips, and just as I thought, she’s wet. The insides of her thighs glimmer with each movement.
“I’m at your service, Jade. You know that, but why the fuck are you standing all the way over there?” We’re back at this same conversation. Not exactly sure why she felt the need to move to the laundry room, either. I’d have picked up her clothes later. It probably has something to do with the house being cleaned so well, the damn thing is spotless.
“Why the hell aren’t you in front of me?” she volleys back, making perfectly logical sense. I move, yanking down my boxers along the way. We won’t be making it to the bedroom for this round.
“Good fucking question.” My hand travels down her arms, lifting them up to wrap around my neck, crouching down so we’re at eye level. “We’ll tell Jace this weekend, yeah? No more secrets. Whatever happens, happens. We’re in this together, and nothing will keep me away from you, sugar.” I grab the cheeks of her ass to lift her up, and her legs wrap around my waist, opening her up for me to play with. I do exactly that, though I take a few steps until her back meets the wall.
“Locke.” Jade’s emerald eyes zero in on mine. She’s yet to respond to the words I just delivered, probably has something to do with my hardware gliding up and down her wet slit.
“Did you hear me? Nothing is ever going to come between you and me.” I move in closer, until my chest smashes against hers, and I let her ride out the sensation I’m delivering before I take her with my cock.
“Yes, you and me, nobody else. We talk to Jace this weekend.” The tip of my cock hits her clit, and I feel her body quiver.
“That’s fucking right.” I pull my hips away from her wet cunt, pissed I’m losing her for even a second. The regret comes as fast as it goes as I slam my cock to the hilt inside my woman, relishing every whimper, every time she breathes my name, and every time her pussy pulses around my cock.
12
Locke
Fuck, I hate like hell that I’m crawling out of bed after only a few hours of having Jade wrapped around me, sleeping so deeply, all the worries she had earlier are chased away. It’ll only be for the time being. The moment she wakes up, they’ll consume her once again.
It won’t be for long, though. My phone rang fifteen minutes ago, jarring me out of my sleep, and I had to be careful not jostle Jade too much, a not-so-easy task when she sleeps wrapped around me or I do similar with her. Tonight, I was on my back, and she was curled into my side, head on my chest, arm wrapped around my stomach and leg hiked over my hip.
I watched as she curled into my pillow before moving out of the bedroom with my phone in my hand.
It made it damn hard not to sayfuck it, hit the end call button on my phone, and slip back in bed with her. But my parents rarely take calls this late or this early, given whichever way you look at it.
When I answered the phone with a sleep-riddled voice to say hello, Dad was on the other end of the line and said he’s sorry, but there’s another pile-up on the interstate. They’re desperate, the money is too damn good to pass up, and since my truck has a flatbed and a hook, I can tow two vehicles at the same time, making Locke & Key more appealing. Mom piped in and told meto be careful; no amount of money is worth her boy getting hurt. I told her I’d do my best and said I’d be out the door in no time.
I got dressed, being as quiet as a mouse, in a shirt, boxers, socks, and jeans, doing it all in the walk-in closet with the door closed and the light off. From there, I completed the rest of my morning routine, including brushing my teeth, and every time I’d get a chance to look at Jade, I did.
Right now, I’m standing at the foot of the bed, needing to get on the road but struggling to do so. What Jade gave me last night, what I gave her, and I don’t mean in the physical sense, it’s only a matter of time till I give her the words, give her a ring, give her the wedding she wants, and a few babies along the way.
Christ, her mom is right, and while I agreed to wait till this weekend for us both to have a conversation with Jace about our relationship, that’s not gonna happen. Shit is gonna come to a head, he’s gonna say shit he doesn’t mean, and then he’ll make my woman cry. I’ll get mouthy, he’ll get cocky, and while I’ll let him get one solid lick in, that’ll be the only one he gets.
We’ll for sure have a brawl, and I don’t want or need Jade seeing that. This will be nothing like the ones we’ve had in our youth or in our twenties. There’s a hell of a lot more at stake. Back then, it was kid stuff, one of us outdoing the other, stupid quarrels, pissing each other off by beating the other at a game of pool. And then there was a time Jace got his panties in a bunch because the girl he had his eye on tried to go after me. It didn’t matter that I told her to back off or that my hands were in the air when he came barreling through the shared house we’d been renting together. His fist went flying, and mine went flying right back. I had a black eye, and he had a busted lip. The chick left, and we laughed about it afterwards.
That was our last big fight. We grew up, didn’t let shit bother us, and we talk shit out.
Jade, though, she’s a different story, and I’m not sure if he’ll ever forgive me or if our friendship will weather the storm, this storm that’s brewing fast and wild.
I shake the thought away. I need to focus on work. I’ve got a reason to come home, and she’s asleep in my bed, smelling like me and wrapped in my sheets. I make my way toward her. She’s moved, kicking the sheet down until it’s only covering her ass and legs. Jade is on her stomach, and if I had time, I’d slide the whisp of the fabric away from her, place her on her knees, and take her from behind. Since that’s off the table, I gently sweep her long dark hair away from her face and slide the tip of my finger along her jaw.
“Fuck.” She lets out a low sigh, burrowing deeper into her sleep and not shaking me off. I bend down, careful not put any weight on her or the bed, and place a kiss on her bare shoulder.
“Love you, sugar,” I say the words into the quiet room. She can’t hear, not yet. Soon, though, very fucking soon, she will. With one last kiss and one last look, I stand up. The tightening in my chest, the fire in my stomach, and everything in between are telling me to stay. Shit, this job isn’t for the weak, that’s for sure.
