The Heartbreaker Series: Books 1-3 (4 page)

“So, what is it you needed to tell me? You met Jill’s brother today, right?”

I take a deep breath and tell Jordan everything that happened already between Gabe and me. When I get to the part about Gabe telling me we aren’t finished yet, I swear my asshole brother starts fanning himself. I know what he’s going to say. A part of me doesn’t want to hear it because I know he’s right, but I just can’t. My life is too crazy and I need to focus. I need to be available for my mom if she needs me. Jordan’s always been the carefree one. One of us has to be the responsible one. I don’t mind it. In fact, I love it because I’m always there when my mom or brother needs me.

Jordan is silent when I finish talking and I’m dying to know what he thinks.

“Why in the hell would you say no to him? He’s gorgeous. Plus, he’s Jill’s brother, so you know he’s got to be a good guy.”

“I just can’t. I start my job in a couple of weeks and I need to prepare. I also have those photo shoots coming up. I just don’t have time.” Jordan grabs my pint of ice cream and shoves a spoonful in his mouth. “Hey, that’s mine.” I watch the asshole hold it up over his head and chuckle while I jump up and try to snatch it back.

We play this stupid game for a couple of minutes until I give him a purple nurple. The bastard drops it quick and then covers his nipples. “What the fuck! I hate when you do that.”

“Well then, don’t take my ice cream.” I take a bite and hop up onto the counter. “I just don’t think I can. He scares me.”

“What do you mean he scares you? Did he do something?” Jordan’s demeanor changes immediately. His ears are red, so I know he’s pissed off. He’s always been my protector or at least tried to be, when I’d let him.

“No, not like that. He’s just very intense and I don’t know if I can handle him.” I take a deep breath and lower my head. I have always played it safe because it was just that—safe. Maybe I could go out with him once, just to see what he’s like.

“Oh, I think you’d be just fine. Quit being a chicken shit. What could it hurt?”

Only my heart, but I don’t tell him that. Gabe seems like the type who could chew someone up and spit them out, so I don’t know what I’m going to do. Hell, maybe he took the hint and won’t try to ask me out anyway.

My brother leaves a short time later and I get ready for bed after I lock up. I climb into bed and stare at the ceiling. I close my eyes and my thoughts go to him and the feel of his body against mine. I growl under my breath and think about groceries, bills, pap smears, anything to keep from masturbating and feeling embarrassed afterward. I feel relief when sleep pulls me under and gives me a reprieve from thoughts of him.

***

It’s been two days since I last saw him. I’ve been thinking about him constantly. I feel like some sort of addict. I’ve had a little taste and now I want more. I knock my head on my steering wheel in a pointless effort to drive him out of my head.

I’m sitting in my car in the parking lot by the studio, where I’m doing a shoot for a lingerie store. Lingerie shoots are my absolute favorite kind of shoot to do, especially since I usually get to keep the pieces I wear. By the time I reach the studio doors, I feel like I’m soaked in sweat. Thank God for hair and makeup people. I hear music pumping from upstairs. Roger, the photographer, loves listening to all the current pop hits at full volume when he takes pictures. I trudge up the stairs and find my brother waiting for me.

“Hey, girl. Jesus, sweat much?”

“What do you expect? It’s sweltering out there already. I think when I’m done here, I may go down to the pool.” I’m referring to the community pool, which is often crowded with screaming kids, but it’s my only option—or at least the nearest option.

“Sweet. Maybe I’ll join you.” I kiss his cheek and make my way to the chair, where my hairstylist and makeup artist are waiting.

I sit in the chair for over an hour as they curl, tease, and flip my hair and paint my face in makeup that makes me feel sexy. My hair looks like after-sex hair. Big, messy curls frame my face and hang down my back. I thank them and make my way over to wardrobe. They take me behind a screen.

In minutes, I’m in a white lace bustier and hip hugging, white lace panties. I slip on a pair of white, strappy-heeled sandals. They spray me with a mixture of baby oil and some other solution that makes my skin shine. When they’re done, they help me slip on my robe and I walk out to the set. My brother is testing the angle and the light as Roger fiddles with his camera.

There’s a queen-sized bed covered in white sheets in front of a brick wall. Lights surround the bed. In the other corner is a black leather couch, which is also surrounded by lights. Jordan notices me and greets me.

“You look beautiful. We’ve got some great shots lined up to do with you today. We’ve got two other wardrobe changes. You saw the leather couch, right? We’re shooting you there too.” He steps away from me. “Let’s get started, everyone.”

It’s still weird to see Jordan all authoritative. When he’s not working, he’s always Mr. Good Time guy.

“Jazzy, let me see you,” Roger says by way of greeting. I open my robe and slip it off of my shoulders, giving him a little twirl. He smiles wide as he gives me a wolf whistle. I’ve been working with him since I began modeling and he’s always been professional and fun to work with. “Doll, you look gorg. I’ve got some great shots planned today.” He turns to the crew. “Okay, kids, let’s do this.”

I climb onto the bed and get situated in the middle. It feels like I’ve done these kinds of shoots hundreds of times, so I don’t need much direction. I get ready to pose when Roger comes to the bed with a long strand of pearls. He loops it around my neck twice but it still hangs down to my navel. He winks at me before grabbing his camera.

Three hours have passed. During that time, I changed lingerie three times, my makeup was touched up twice, and my hair changed once. I love doing this, though. Yes, to some it’d be weird having their picture taken while they’re dressed in lingerie in front of their brother, but it’s his job and he’s always professional during shoots. Occasionally, I get a thumbs-up or smile, but it’s rare. Most of the time, he’s my biggest critic when he looks at the pictures as they pop up on Roger’s laptop.

Right now, I’m lying on my back on the leather sofa, wearing a silk nightie that shows off a lot of cleavage and a smidge of butt cheek.

Roger shouts out over a song by Drake playing over the speakers, “I want you on your knees facing away from us. Help her get her hair out of the way. I want to show off the back.” They fiddle with my hair and the nightie. “Okay, sweetheart. Let’s get your profile, and I want a soft smile on those lips.”

As I get into position, I catch movement out of the corner of my eye. I stiffen when I see it’s Gabe. My brother goes to him and I watch Gabe whisper in his ear. They both turn and look at me.

“Jazzy, you need to fucking focus, girl,” Roger shouts.

“I’m sorry.”

I cringe on the inside. Since I can feel Gabe’s stare on me, I decide to play it up a bit for him. My eyes are on his as the camera clicks behind me. I arch my back and hear Roger give his approval. Gabe moves closer and I can see the hunger in his eyes. Ugh! Why do I even care? It doesn’t stop me from giving him a demure smile. I suck my lower lip into my mouth and bite it. I imagine him in front of me with his cock hard, and I arch my back a bit more as I stare at him from across the room.

Ten minutes later, I’m finally done. They tell me I get to keep the lingerie, which is good because, embarrassingly enough, my panties are a little damp. This man has some sort of sexual power that takes control of my body.

I stand up, shake out my limbs, and blush when I realize that Gabe is still watching me. Before I can find out why he’s here, Jordan steps in front of me with my robe in his hands.

“Sister, dear, your man is here. Fucking Christ, he’s better looking close up and smells so manly.” Jordan leans in toward me. “He watches you like he’s going to devour you. If you don’t go out with that man and let him fuck you, I will never forgive you.”

He slips my robe on and up over my shoulders. I don’t answer him. I just tug it closed, turn and walk back to the changing screen, slip out of the nightie, and throw on the bra that matches the panties I’m wearing. I slip on my tank top and short knit shorts that I wore to the photo shoot and then slide my feet into my flip-flops.

After I grab my bag, I walk out and find Gabe leaning against the wall. His gaze travels from my feet all the way to the top of my head. “You looked gorgeous, babe. You’re a natural in front of the camera.”

“Th-Thank you. What are you doing here? How did you know where to find me?” If he says he followed me, I’m definitely going to run as fast as I can away from him. Hot or not, I don’t need or want someone who’s going to follow me around.

“I was having lunch with my sister and I asked about you and where I could find you. I wanted to see if you’d have dinner with me tonight.” He reaches out and grabs my hand. My insides turn to mush as he brings it to his lips, kissing it ever so gently.

Before I can think better of it, I whisper, “Yes.” He looks completely happy by my answer, which makes me smile.

He hands me his phone. “Put your number in there.” I do and then he takes it and calls me. “Save it and text me your address. I’ll pick you up at seven.” He leans forward and kisses my cheek. “Wear something that shows off those gorgeous legs of yours.” Then he’s gone.

I stand there in stunned silence, wondering what the hell I just got myself into. I shake it off and walk to my brother and Roger. They’re both looking at the pictures. I love seeing the pictures before they’re edited. The ones that catch my eye the most are the ones on the couch, when I was playing it up for Gabe. I look sexy, yet almost innocent, which cracks me up since all of my thoughts are running toward the X-rated direction.

“Jazzy, these are some of your best pictures,” Roger says, not even turning to look at me.

Jordan turns to me. “Roger’s right. You were definitely on your game today. They are absolutely gorgeous.” I try to keep myself composed, but I really want to squeal and dance around in circles. Instead, I stand still and let a small smile grace my lips.

“Thank you, guys. I’m heading to the pool.”

I make my way back outside. It’s even hotter than it was earlier. I get in my car. While I let the car cool down, I check my phone and see I missed a call from Jill. I almost don’t want to call her back. I know she’s going to want to know why her brother asked about me. To be honest, I don’t know how I would answer that. Yes, there is a strong physical attraction and yes, there is a sexual one too, but I don’t know if I can handle someone like him. I’ve always been in control of every aspect of my life. I’m always the caretaker—the one who sees to everyone else and not herself. Gabe looks like he’d overpower me in a second.

I dial Jill, and she answers on the second ring. “Hey, Jill. Sorry I missed your call. What’s up?”

“Has something happened between you and Gabe? He seems awfully interested in you.” I don’t know what to say to that. What if she gets mad at me?

“Um…well. I met him the night of my graduation. He was at the club Jordan took me to.” I’m not telling her what we did. “I left and didn’t see him until I went with you to his house and we talked a little bit. Are you mad at me?”

“Oh God, no. I’m not at all. I just want to make sure you know that he’s a lot older than you. He can be pretty intense.” If she only knew.

“I know he is. I did—I did agree to have dinner with him tonight.” I’m met with silence. “Jill?”

I hear a weird noise and then her clearing her throat. “Sorry, Jazz. I just threw up. I don’t know what is wrong with me. Probably that sandwich I ate. So, dinner, huh? I think that’s great.”

“You do?” I’m kind of floored by that. “W-Wait, did you just say you threw up? I’m cancelling. Do you need me to come get you?”

“No, not at all. I actually feel better now. Honey, I think he’d be good for you. He can get you to have a little fun.” Between Jill and Jordan, I don’t know who makes me feel like a bigger stick in the mud.

Maybe I’m just going to show them all that I can have fun. We say goodbye shortly after that and I head toward the pool while giving myself a mental pep talk for tonight.

***

I’m just putting the finishing touches on my makeup when there’s a knock on my door. I take a deep breath and stare at myself in the mirror.
You can do this,
I whisper over and over in my head. I push away from the counter and make my way, on shaky legs, to the door. Knowing that the man on the other side has the power to destroy my heart scares the hell out of me. Dramatic? Maybe, but I can’t deny the pull I feel toward him.

When I open the door, I freeze. His hair is down and hangs a little longer than his chin. It’s pushed back so I have a clear view of his masculine face. I never noticed it before, but his eyebrows go up at almost a point in the middle. He’s wearing a black button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled up. His pants are a dark gray that shows off his muscular legs and if he turned around, I’m sure I’d find a fine ass.

“Hi,” I say lamely. I step back to let him in. When he brushes past me, I’m hit by his intoxicating scent. I just want to bury my head in his shirt and take a big whiff. “I need to get dressed. Can I get you a beer while you wait?” He nods his head while glancing around my apartment.