“Lucky son of a bitch,” Bud said.
He snapped his head up. The tap stood in front of him bent over. She had no underwear on, so not only did he have a clear view of her ass but her pussy, too.
Bile rose in the back of his throat. “Fuckin’ shit.” His gaze gravitated to Allie. Her eyes were wide, a mask of hurt marring her ashen face.
Fuck.
He hurt her. It hadn’t been his fault. He hadn’t asked the skank to bend over in his face, but she had, and it hurt his beautiful Allie.
He bolted off the couch, throwing his beer against the wall. It shattered and fell to the floor. The voices around him deadened. The tap straightened and turned to face him.
“Get you want me to fuck you ’cause you’ve fucked every one of my brothers, but I’m not fuckin’ interested. Thought I’d made it clear last time.”
She flinched, her face paling.
He felt the heat of his brothers’ eyes on him. Beyond livid, he didn’t care. “Apparently I didn’t, so I’ll fuckin’ repeat. Don’t want to fuck you. Don’t want you bending over in my fuckin’ face. Don’t want you lookin’ at me. Not fuckin’ interested, so don’t fuckin’ come near me again.”
“Fuck, bro, that was fuckin’ harsh.”
His gaze shot to Rake. He glared. “I’m sure she’d be down for you making it up to her.”
Blaze stepped in front of him. “Brother, chill.”
“You fuckin’ chill. You wanna fuckin’ tap chasing you when you aren’t fuckin’ interested?” Blaze’s absent response was response enough. “Didn’t fuckin’ think so.”
With those last words, he walked out of the room and into the kitchen, not sparing a glance in Allie’s direction.
“Brother, you okay?”
Army. In a mood, no one else would follow.
He wasn’t okay. He was fucking pissed at that fuckin’ tap, livid with himself for even suggesting he and Allie meet here.
This was torture. Seeing her and not being able to hold her, touch her in any way, having her fucking ignore him, and then she’d seen the tap bend over, and he’d seen the look on her face.
Guilt for hurting her choking him, he lied, “Fine.”
“Trig, don’t know what the fuck’s wrong with you, man, but you gotta see what you said was fucked. You humiliated her in front of the club and the women.”
He turned and met Army’s gaze. “She humiliated herself by bending over in my face. She humiliates herself every fuckin’ night when she’s fuckin’ one of us.”
“Brother, there’s nothing wrong with that. She’s a woman, and there’s fucked double standards, but if she were a man would it fuckin’ matter?”
No, it wouldn’t, not to him. He’d just used it as an excuse to explain why he’d lashed out without saying the truth.
“Get you been burned by a tap before, but it was a long time ago, and that woman out there had nothing to do with it, so what you did was fucked.”
It was much more than being burned by a tap before. His woman had been sitting across the room watching. He’d seen Allie’s face blanch, seen that deep pain shine through her eyes. He had a point to make, not only to the tap, but to Allie too. The point was he didn’t want a tap. He wanted Allie, only Allie.
Allie walked into the kitchen. Holding his breath, his gaze shot to hers.
“Ty?”
Army turned. “Yeah?”
“I’m going to call a cab.”
“What? Why?”
“Mia and Lynn are busy with their men and well, I’d like to sleep in my own bed. I’ll be fine.”
Army shook his head. “No, I’ll take you home, stay there for the night. Gotta keep an eye on you.”
“I’ll take her home. Don’t mind,” he volunteered.
Army faced him. “Appreciate it, man, but can’t let you. You watched her the whole week—”
“I gotta get up early and pick up Della anyway. Don’t mind. You stay here. You been gone all week. Deserve to get drunk and relax.”
Army quirked a brow. “I’d say you need it more than me.”
God, if he only knew. To relax, he needed Allie. With her, he was a different man, one who smiled, laughed, and enjoyed life. “Like I said, don’t mind, gotta wake up early and get Della.”
Army smiled. “If you insist.” He then turned to Allie. “I’ll be at your place early.”
She smiled. “Or you can sleep in. I wouldn’t mind spending some time with Della.”
Army’s gaze hit his.
He shrugged, playing it off like he didn’t care either way. “Fine by me.”
“Right then, I’ll call you when I get up tomorrow.” Army kissed Allie on the cheek, then walked away.
He looked to her, but she didn’t meet his gaze.
Chapter Twenty-Four
The ride home was silent, partly her fault. Allie didn’t know what to say or how to feel.
Seeing that woman bend over in front of Jace felt like someone had ripped her heart right out of her chest. He’d freaking lost it and said those horrible things. He had a point. No man wanted a woman chasing him, especially not a woman he didn’t want, but he could’ve gone about it another way.
At first, she’d been relieved, but after, it got her thinking. Maybe when he was tired of her, he’d treat her the same. She began questioning the real reason he wanted to keep them a secret. So when he tired of her, he could get rid of her and no one would be the wiser?
After how much he claimed to care, it didn’t make sense, but it wouldn’t be the first time a man lied to her. She hated it, but she couldn’t help her mind often drifted to the worst-case scenario. Her mood took a turn, and then she’d just wanted to go home.
As soon as he parked, she hopped off his SUV, headed up the stairs, unlocked her door, and entered. Still, she avoided looking at him but heard when he closed the door and locked it.
“Allie?”
She had no choice but to meet his gaze. Damn, in that moment, she hated how much she wanted to throw caution to the wind and kiss him, have him take her right there on the floor in her living room. She wanted to forget that one day she, too, could be at the end of his public, nasty, pain-filled remarks.
“Want to share why you aren’t talking to me or lookin’ at me?”
She swallowed, garnering the strength to ask what she had to. “I…”
His brows furrowed. “Allie?”
She folded her hands into each other. “Will you treat me like that when you’re done with me?”
His eyes widened, his jaw clenched. He was silent for a long moment, holding her gaze. “I won’t ever be done with you.” His voice rough and filled with emotion.
The breath rushed out of her. He’d said and done so many things to show her he cared, but she couldn’t wrap her mind around what he’d said then. It implied more than dating, implied long term and commitment. It was too soon for that. It had been a week since they’d first had sex, six days since they began dating.
She looked away from him, her mind scrambling.
“Allie?”
Her gaze shot to his.
“Now, you think I can do what I’ve wanted to do since you set foot at the compound?”
She hesitated, then finally nodded. Not a moment later, he pressed her against him, buried his fingers in her hair, slammed his lips to hers, and invaded her mouth.
How she’d missed it—his mouth, his hands, his warmth, all of him, and it hadn’t even been a day.
Then and there, she knew. If she wasn’t gone already, she was falling hard and fast. Maybe it was a mistake, but it was a mistake worth making, a mistake she wouldn’t regret. No man, except her brother, had ever made her feel important, wanted, needed, and treasured, and Jace did that for her. Of course, he did it differently. Making her feel desired too, and he did it seemingly unknowing.
“Fuckin’ missed you so much, baby,” he whispered against her lips.
The words pierced through her chest. She shivered.
Totally a mistake worth making.
Delving into her mouth, he cupped her butt and lifted her off the floor. She wrapped her legs around his waist. He reached for her jeans, unbuckled, and unzipped them, then dug his fingers in under her thong until he touched her heat. He ran his fingers along the length of her. She moaned, her legs tightening around him.
“Always fuckin’ ready for me. Always fuckin’ wet.” He growled and yanked her blouse down exposing her breasts. He dipped his head and swirled his tongue around her nipple, then sucked. His finger found her clit and rubbed.
She was so close already. “Please…” She moaned, digging her fingers into his back.
He chuckled, pressing himself against her, the length of his erection touching her. Not a moment later, he released her. Gasping for breath, her feet hit the floor. She wobbled.
A breath away from her, he demanded, “Pants off.”
That one word, that one demand. A shudder ran through her. She removed her pants quickly.
His hooded eyes on her, he shook his head. “Thong too, Allie.”
She removed her thong. Her body trembling, she held her breath, waiting.
“Couch.”
On trembling knees, she walked to the couch and sat. Her eyes lifted to his.
He stood feet away, looking so damn sexy fully clothed. Desire clear in his eyes, he raked her from top to bottom. “Open your legs.”
She parted her legs.
“Wider, Allie.” His tone harsh.
He clenched his jaw then slowly strode to her, each step purposeful. Kneeling in front of her, he placed his hands on her thighs and spread her legs wider. He dove his tongue in her flesh.
She screamed, arching her back off the couch.
He didn’t stop. He dove deeper, harder, faster. Then he sunk his fingers in her, and the world melted away.
Seeing stars, she didn’t notice when he undressed. The next moment, he sank on the couch beside her, wrapped his arm under her, flipped her over him, and buried himself inside her.
“Ride me, Allie. Make yourself come again, baby.”
With her hands on his chest, she rode him hard and fast. He helped her, each hand on her hip, pulling her up and down against his shaft.
“Fuckin’ beautiful. Gonna come so fuckin’ good, baby.”
She was close again, so close. Every word out of his mouth got her hotter, fever-pitch hot.
“Now, baby, now. Come now. Come with me.”
She came, threw her head back, and moaned. He grasped her by the back of the neck and pulled her face to his until her gaze met his. Then and there, staring into his eyes, hearing his rapid breaths, feeling him inside her after that mind blowing orgasm, she knew. She wasn’t falling fast and hard.
She’d already fallen.
“Shit.”
His arms snaked around her back. He hauled her against him, claiming her lips in a searing kiss. “Fuckin’ amazing. Missed you so fuckin’ much.”
She buried her face in his neck and forced herself to ignore the pang in her chest, convincing herself she couldn’t possibly love him. It had been only a week.
“Why me?” She didn’t realize she said the words aloud until his body jerked. Even then, she wasn’t sure if he understood her question.
Pulling her slightly away from him so his eyes captured hers, he cupped her face, tightened his other arm around her waist. “’Cause you’re beautiful, smart, and sweet. You drink beer and drive a Camaro. You can cook. You keep a clean house, and you don’t mind I don’t. ’Cause I fuckin’ love your eyes. They change color in the sun. It’s all that you are, and it’s the way you make me feel. I’m not fuckin’ pissed at the world when I’m with you. I’m just fuckin’ happy. It’s not something I’ve ever been, Allie, not like this.”
Shit. Fuck. Totally warranted. It felt like her heart melted inside her chest, and that pang became a full-blown ache. A good kind of ache, like when you realized maybe the someone you loved could love you back.
Jace pulled her against him. She went willingly, resting her face against the crook of his neck. He shifted, still buried inside her. Her back on the couch, he hovered over her, staring into her eyes. “It fuckin’ killed when I saw you walk in today and ignored me.”
“Um…I…I thought you were angry with me.”
He lifted a brow. “Why?”
“You looked angry.”
He shrugged and ran his fingers down her cheek. “Kinda was. I wanted to kiss you, but I couldn’t.”
She stilled. Maybe Mia was right. Maybe he was falling for her. She was already gone for him, and it happened so fast. “Jace,” she whispered, her throat clogging.
His fingers slid over her lips. His gaze lingered there. “Yeah, baby?”
“I…I’m pretty tired. Can we go to bed?” It hadn’t been what she’d been so close to admitting, but she was glad. She needed time to think. She couldn’t grasp how she could possibly love him knowing so little about him.
He smiled. “Yeah, baby. We can go to bed.”
****
The blaring alarm clock woke him. He blinked several times. Allie sprawled on top of him. Her head on his chest, her legs tangled in his. He smiled, shifted her until her head lay on the pillow and turned off the alarm. Snuggling beside her, he feathered kisses over her face. She stirred briefly but didn’t wake. He trailed his lips down her neck and chest then lapped his tongue around her nipple. She arched her back, moaning softly, and whispered his name.
He grinned against her flesh, loving the game. The same game he played with her every morning for the past six days. She hadn’t lied when she said she was a heavy sleeper.
He kissed her lips. She kissed him back. Finally, her eyes drifted open. A smile spread across her lips.
“Mornin’, baby,” he whispered.
“Morning, honey.”
Every time she called him that, a warmth settled deep in the center of his chest. It replayed in his mind until that warmth spread to his gut.
They rode in his car to get Della and took her to the park, then ate lunch at Allie’s. Since Army hadn’t called her, they decided to head to a movie. After the movie, he drove them to his house.
In the same neighborhood as Army’s house, his had more land, was fenced off, and isolated. It had been a wreck when he bought it. He’d since put a lot of hours, labor, and money into making it a home. It was worth it. He loved the piece of land. Pulling up the drive, he hit the remote to open the gate.
Allie turned to him. “Where are we?”
“J’s house,” Della responded.
Her eyes widened, briefly.
“J has a very pretty house. It’s big. I stay here some times, so I have my own room,” Della continued. “He wanted Mommy and me to live with him, but Mommy said no.”