“Shit, I know that had to burn. Kara’s put me in my place a time or two, but not that bad. Then again, she lived at home for a long time.” Kara underwent a hell of a lot of surgeries, finally concluded the last one a while ago, which meant she was done living at home. Her new next-door neighbor happens to now beher man, Dean. He comes with a rowdy hound dog who adores Kara and Colt’s daughter, spends time in the shop, and wins over customers when they get hit with a bill nobody wants to pay.
“Yeah, Jade’s been icing him out.” She has for the most part; won’t answer his calls but will instead text him, keeping it short and sweet. I’ve been tempted to wade in, and depending on how Jade handles this next task, I either will or won’t.
“From what Kara says, it’s ice cold, too.”
“You have no idea. I thought you didn’t want any part of what’s been going on between Jade and me?” Colt has said multiple times in the past couple of weeks that he doesn’t want to know dick.
“Still don’t. Let me know when you’re picking up her wheels.” Glad for this conversation to be shelved myself.
“Will do. Thanks again, man.” I’m on the road, having already dropped off the last vehicle to where it needed to go, which means I’m on my way back home.
“No problem.” I toss the phone into the cupholder, and it immediately starts going off again. I glance at the display on the screen. The downside of owning the only tow truck company in Whispering Oaks is that you’re always busy. The plus side of being the only tow truck company in Whispering Oaks is that you’re always busy.
I love money as much as the next person. Damn, a weekend off wouldn’t kill me about this time. Especially when my woman is at my home, hopefully back in nothing but the shirt I left her in.
“Locke and Key Towing, this is Locke, how can I help you?” The number isn’t saved in my phone. I’d rather be done for the day yet as I answer the call that thought goes up in smoke.
“Hi, this is Valerie from Platinum Auto Insurance. Do you happen to offer roadside assistance for changing tires, runningout of gas, or locksmith services?” I breathe a sigh of relief; I’d much rather get a call like this than one for another hookup.
“Unfortunately, I do not.”
“Oh, okay. Thank you. Have a great day.” I’ve received a few calls like this before, most of the time not on the weekends. They must be hurting for contractors something fierce. And since Mom usually handles these calls, she must be out and about, forwarding the calls to me.
“You too.” I hit the end button, turn up the radio, roll down the window, and press down on the gas pedal. I’ve got a woman to get home to, one I can’t get to fast enough.
4
Jade
The whirring noise of the motor for the gate has me closing the lid to my laptop. I’ve been looking at my bank account, investment portfolios, and used vehicles. Needless to say, I’m ready to pull my hair out, close my eyes, and bury my head in the sand.
I stand up, lift my arms up and over my head, and move from side to side, stretching out the kinks from sitting at the dining room table hunched over longer than I should have. Once I hear the gate close, the beeping of Locke’s backup sensors disappearing lets me know he’s parked his rig and will be making his way inside in a moment.
One thing about Locke is, he does not fuck around when it comes to getting inside and wrapping me in his arms.
I walk to the door, open it, and watch as he climbs out of his truck. I prop myself up on the doorjamb, and when he notices me standing here, he really notices me.
He lets out a low wolf whistle, eyes roaming my body from top to bottom, landing on my legs that are on full display in the shirt I put back on once I got back. I’m not completely bare beneath. I’d tossed the bra on the dirty pile of clothes growing with every passing day, and my shorts are right along with it, as well as the tank top I wore to Barlow’s. That left me in onlymy bikini-style cotton panties. I tugged on Locke’s shirt I had on earlier, and that’s what has his eyes molten-lava hot.
“Fuck, it’s good to come home to you, sugar.” He ambles his way toward me. His house is set up at his tow yard, too, making it nice and secluded, away from prying eyes.
“I’m glad you’re home, honey.” His gray eyes turn soft, his tongue moistens his lips, and his arms wrap around my middle. The palms of his hands cup my ass, and no doubt about it, he’s feeling what I have on beneath his shirt.
“Like this greeting. A man could get used to it. You in my shirt, it’s hot as fuck. Though, you could lose what you have on beneath it.” His mouth presses firmly against mine, and when his tongue skates across my lips, the slightest moan leaves my lungs. He swoops in, pulling me up until my legs wrap around his thick waist, feeling his hard cock beneath his jeans.
We’re a tangle of limbs, though the only thing I’m doing is slowly rocking my hips back and forth. Locke is doing the majority of the work; alright, all of it. He’s walking while kissing me like he’s been lost at sea and hasn’t been home in months.
“Locke,” I purr in rapture when we’re inside the house, his foot slams the door shut, and my back meets the wall.
“Need to shower. Want you in there with me.”
“Okay.” His nose slides along mine, eyes hazy from our kiss, lips swollen. In this moment, I’d do anything he asked. He continues walking through the house. Our kiss might have ended, but it’s clear as day that he’s reading me like an open book.
“I’ll put you on the counter. We’ve gotta talk.” My ass is planted on the cool granite, and I lose his warmth when he turns on the shower, his second of the day, but I know him enough by now that when he’s on the road, hooking up a car, he sometimes rolls around in dirt, oil, or glass. I’m actually surprised he pickedme up and carried me. Usually, he’ll drop a kiss, tell me he’ll be right back, or strip us both, and we shower together.
“That’s not ominous or anything.” He pulls his shirt off with one hand, tugging it in a way that makes his lats ripple, causing me to have a full-body shiver. He bends down to unlace his work boots, kicking them off one by one, then doing the same with his sock. When it’s all said and done, he’s down to nothing but his jeans. The clanking of the belt, the pulling on the button, and the rasp of the zipper have me breathing fast and heavy.
“Sugar, you and me, we’re rock solid. We’ll have to pay the Pied Piper when the time comes, and the grudge you’re holding against Jace isn’t doing us any favors for when that time comes. You keep icing him out, he’s liable to do the same to you. I’ll deal with whatever he throws my way. What I don’t want is him doing the same to you.” I hate it when he makes sense. I’ve yet to reach out to my brother on my own. When he calls, I’ll answer, but the communication will be short and sweet. What he hasn’t done is apologize to me for being cuckoo about my location and coming in screaming hot on his motorcycle, creating a scene.
