The Heartbreaker Series: Books 1-3 (7 page)

I decide to change the subject. “So, I thought you weren’t supposed to come back from your shoot until tomorrow.” He gives me a look that, of course, means he knows what I’m doing.

He shakes his head at me. “One of the models flaked on us so we only had the guy to shoot. He’s hot and single, by the way, and may come to see me next weekend.”

Of course he’s got another guy on the line already. I never heard the whole story about what happened between Jordan and his first love, Tim. All I know is that one minute, Jordan was all about the happily ever afters, and then, out of nowhere, he became a male slut.

Jordan hangs out with me for only a bit longer before he leaves to go hang out with his gym buddies. The ibuprofen made me sleepy, so I lock up and crawl in my bed. I groan because I can smell him all over my sheets.

“What’s wrong with me?” I whine. Once I stop smelling my sheets, I settle into my bed and drift off to sleep.

***

A buzzing pulls me out of my slumber. It takes me a second to realize that it’s my phone vibrating. I reach over and pick it up. I rub the sleep from my eyes so I can see the display. I have four missed calls. I check the time. “Oh, shit!”

It’s already nine o’clock. I slept all day. I can’t remember the last time I wasted a whole day sleeping. My phone starts ringing again. It’s Gabe. My cheeks immediately heat up. I take a deep breath and answer the phone.

“Hello.”

“Hi, darlin’. What are you doing?” His deep voice rumbles through the phone.

“I actually just woke up from a nap. Someone didn’t let me get much sleep last night.” His chuckle echoes through the phone and causes goose bumps to pop up all over my skin.

“Sorry, baby. Next time, I’ll make sure that you get enough sleep.” My insides turn to goo. He’s a smooth talker, that’s for sure.

We only talk for a few more minutes before I hear voices in the background. One of them is distinctly female. I admit that I immediately get a little jealous and maybe a tad insecure. I know the man is gorgeous and women probably flock to him. Hell, he probably has a harem all over the country.

I try not to let it bother me because I have no claim on the man. We’ve had one night of great sex and that’s it. He didn’t make any sort of commitment to me, so why does my stomach ache thinking about him being with someone else?

The woman’s laugh echoes through the phone and I don’t need to hear anymore. “You sound busy, so I’ll just talk to you some other time. Have a good time tonight.”

I hang up before he can answer and immediately feel like an idiot. I have trust issues, I know, but again, he never promised shit to me. I send him a quick text.

Sorry I hung up so quick. My brother just showed up. Have a good night.

I sit my phone down and grab a takeout menu so I can order dinner. Once I make the call, I see I have a text message. I’m apprehensive about opening it. What if he thinks I’m a fool? What if this, whatever it is, is over before it even really started?

I take a deep breath and pick up my phone.

No worries babe. I’ll try to call you tomorrow.

While I wait for my food, I lie on the couch and stare at the ceiling. I’m such a dope sometimes. The guy can do what he wants. So he fucked me twice? Big deal. I can be all about casual sex. If he calls, cool. If not, oh well.

After I finish eating, I watch TV until bed. I know how to rock a Friday night. I catch up on episodes of
Chopped
while I eat. I love to bake and my cooking skills are pretty good. Every Sunday, from the time I could, I used to help my grandma and my mom cook and bake. Grandpa would take Jordan fishing and it would be just us girls singing, dancing, and being silly. I still try to cook every Sunday, but often it’s just me, so I don’t bother.              

Maybe that’s what I’ll do this Sunday. I grab my notebook and start making a list. My grandma made the best lasagna, so that’s what I’ll make. I write down all of the ingredients for that and my ‘famous’ Caesar salad with homemade dressing.

Once that’s done, I get into bed. I settle in and stare at the ceiling. I wonder what my new job is going to be like. I know a lot of Jill’s and soon-to-be-mine co-workers, so I won’t have to worry about learning names. I just want to do a good job so they don’t regret giving me a chance.

Chapter Six

Jasmine

I place the lasagna in the oven and set the timer. While I clean the kitchen, I inhale the aroma of spaghetti sauce and Italian sausage as it begins to cook. When I’m done prepping everything, I change my clothes and brush out my hair. Jill and Jordan are both coming over and I don’t want to make Jill uncomfortable if she sees her brother’s markings on my neck, so I leave my hair down to hide them. Since it’s just the two of them, I leave my face free of makeup and wear a pair of jogging shorts, a t-shirt, and my favorite flip-flops.

I check on the lasagna and see it’s starting to bubble. I look at the clock and decide to call my mom before Jordan and Jill get here. I dial the number to the group home she lives in.

“Rose Square. This is Rebecca.” She’s one of the support staff who works there.

“Hi, Rebecca. It’s Jasmine. Is my mom free?” They have been so good to my mom. They let her live independently, but they’re there if she needs something or to make sure she doesn’t forget to shut stuff off.

“Yeah, hon. She’s in the community room watching a
Modern Family
marathon. I’ll get her.”

Rebecca calls her name and tells her that I’m on the phone.

“Jazzy! What are you doing?” I love how excited she gets when I call.

“Hi, Mommy. I’m just making Grandma’s lasagna and was remembering all the fun we used to have cooking with her. I miss her.” I whisper that last part.

“I do too, Jazzy, but we still have each other.”

“That’s very true. Did you go to church today?” I hear a knock on the door.

“Yep, and then Rebecca took us out for lunch.”

I reach the door. “That’s great. Someone’s here. Hold on a second.” I open the door and am struck speechless. “What are you doing here?”

Gabe stands in front of me in dress pants and a white button-down shirt. He looks unbelievably sexy.

“Mom, I have to let you go. I’ll call you tomorrow. I love you.”

I hang up and step back so Gabe can come in. “I just got in twenty minutes ago and I wanted to see you.”

That causes my stomach to flutter happily. He wraps me up in his arms and kisses my lips sweetly. I missed the feel of his lips against mine. I pull back from him and smile. “How was your trip?”

“It went good, babe. Thanks.” He tips his head back and sniffs. “What’s that amazing smell?”

“My grandma’s famous lasagna. Would you like to stay? My brother and your sister are coming over. There’s going to be plenty.”

I set the phone down and start to head into the kitchen, but he stops me. He wraps my hand around his hand and pulls my head back. “I’d love to stay.”

His lips descend on mine and he ravishes my mouth. There’s no other way to describe it. He thrusts his tongue into my mouth and grabs my lower lip with his teeth, sucking it gently into his mouth. His tongue eases the sting. His touch is gentle, yet urgent.

The kiss goes on and on. He seems to have missed me, and the very thought that he missed me warms something inside of me. His hair is in a man bun, so I grab the leather strap and pull it out of his hair. My fingers sift through the soft strands.

“I hate to interrupt the show, but gross!” I freeze at the sound of my brother’s voice. I pull back and turn toward my brother. Jordan stands by the front door with a big, stupid grin on his face.

I bite my lip and bury my head in Gabe’s neck. “Gabe, this is my twin brother, Jordan. Jordan, this is Jill’s brother, Gabe.”

Gabe wraps one of his arms around my back and shakes my brother’s hand with the other. Jordan stares at him with goo-goo eyes. I smack Jordan in the back of the head and tell them to go sit in the living room. I give both of them a beer. Then I enter the kitchen and grab my phone. I have a text message from Jill.

Hey girlie, I’m not going to make it. I feel ill.

Oh no! Do you need me to come over after Jordan leaves?

No, I’ll be okay. I’m just going to lie down and see if I feel better.

Okay, well I love you and I will call u in the am. Xoxoxo

The lasagna only has a bit longer, so I grab a bottle of water and join Gabe on the couch. He and my brother are discussing football factoids. I don’t follow sports, so I just sit and listen to the two of them. My brother has never had a problem talking to people he doesn’t know. Gabe doesn’t seem to have that problem either.

The timer goes off and I excuse myself to get things ready. I pull the lasagna out first and smile because it looks exactly like Grandma’s used to. I let it cool while I mix the salad and the garlic bread heats up. I’m putting the finishing touches on the salad when I feel Gabe wrap his arm around my waist. He kisses my neck and whispers, “If you want me to, I’ll go so you and your brother can spend time together.”

It’s really sweet of him to offer. “No, stay. I want you to.” He turns me around and pulls me against his body. His kisses are sweet and gentle. This man certainly knows how to woo. I pull back and smile. “Go sit and I’ll let you guys know when it’s ready.”

***

My brother moans as he shoves a forkful of lasagna into his mouth. “This is the shit, Jazzy. You’re sending some home with me, right?”

Dinner has been going surprisingly well. I learned that Jordan already knew who Gabe was and that when Gabe played for Chicago, they called him The Hammer because he hit so hard when he tackled someone. When I’m alone, I’m going to have to Google him and see what I can find.

Now I’m sitting at the table, watching them both shovel the lasagna in. It’s amazing how quiet men get while they’re eating. Jordan and Gabe occasionally groan or grunt. They both act like they have never eaten before.

I excuse myself and scoop the remaining lasagna into containers for Jordan, my mom, and Gabe, if he wants it. I wrap up the garlic bread into two servings. While the sink fills with soapy water, I check on the boys and see that they’re both finished. I grab their plates and rinse them off before sticking them into the soapy water. Jordan joins me and takes the sponge out of my hand.

“Let me get the dishes. You go sit with your man.” He kisses my cheek and starts washing the dishes.

I walk back into the living room and find Gabe standing on my balcony, smoking a cigar. “You’re a helluva cook, babe. That was great.”

The compliment makes me blush as I stand next to him. I love the smell of his cigar and take a big whiff of it. It almost smells a little sweet.

“Thank you. I’m glad you enjoyed it.”

I snatch his cigar out of his hand and take a puff. Sure enough, it has a little sweetness to it. I hand it back and wink at him. He laughs and shakes his head. Why do I feel so comfortable with this man? For all I know, he’s got women in every city. A part of me wants to ask him, but a part of me doesn’t want to know the truth.

I’m starting to give myself whiplash with all of this back and forth inside my head. My balcony faces a cute little park and my eyes drift in that direction. Kids run to and fro. They squeal and laugh while their parents watch them or join in. I start thinking about my dad and the fact that he didn’t want us at all. My eyes sting.

Our lives would’ve been so different had he been involved. I would’ve been okay with him divorcing my mom, but he could’ve stuck around to make sure we were okay. For all he knows, we could be dead. How many times have I seen a man who looked like Jordan and thought that it was our dad? Too many times to count and too many that I’ll never admit to.

A hand strokes my hair. I turn to Gabe and see him watching me. “Where’d you go?”

“Sorry, I’m just worried about Jill,” I lie, or partially lie. “She’s been sick a lot lately. She says she’s okay, but I don’t know if I believe that.”

“Yeah, I noticed that too. I’ll make her go to the doctor. She works too hard and I think she’s burning herself out.” I watch him pull his phone out of his pocket and type something. “I just sent her a text that I’m coming over tomorrow to talk. I’ll make sure she gets checked out.”

I open my mouth to speak, but Jordan steps outside. “The dishes are done and I wiped down the tables and counter. I’ve got to get going, but thanks for dinner.” Jordan sticks out his hand to shake Gabe’s. “It was nice meeting you. Make her have some fun.”

I roll my eyes. “I’m going to walk him out. I’ll be right back.”

Gabe nods his head as I walk past him and follow my brother to the door. I step into the hall and Jordan gives me a look. I know he’s prepared some sort of pep talk, but I don’t know if I want to hear it. It’s always the same: “have fun,” “get out there and meet people,” “why do you insist on sitting home on a Friday night?” I swear, sometimes I feel like I’m an old maid, but I’ve been acting the role of caretaker for so long, it’s hard to break those habits.

“Okay, let’s hear it,” I tell him.

“You know me so well. Jazz, he seems like a nice guy. He’s also hot as fuck and I really wish he was into men.” He laughs. “I think he’s really into you. Give him a chance.” He doesn’t let me answer him before he jogs down the stairs and out the door.

I shake my head and then head back inside. Gabe is standing in my living room. He looks so large in here. I shut the door behind me.

“Do you want to watch a movie? We could get something on pay-per-view.”

I don’t know why I’m nervous all of a sudden. I mean, seriously. I’ve had sex with the man and now I feel like this is an awkward first date. He shakes his head as he starts stalking toward me. He’s like a jungle cat—all grace and sexy swagger. He looks like he wants to devour me and, on instinct, I back away from him until my back comes in contact with the wall.

Gabe reaches me and cages me in with his muscular arms. My breathing sounds loud in my ears as I stare up at him. He trails a path from my neck and down between my breasts, ending at my shorts. He doesn’t take his eyes off of mine as he shoves his hand in my shorts. Of course, I’m soaked. I seem to be in this state whenever we’re in the same room together.

I moan as he rubs my clit. Then he slides down to my opening. His fingers swirl around in my juices. I tip my head forward to watch his hand, but he stops me.

His other hand grabs my hair at the nape of my neck and pulls my head back. He seems to like holding me immobile, but to be honest, I like it too. I’m not a small girl and this man makes me feel tiny. I groan as first one finger, then another enters me. He slowly pumps them in and out of me.

I can feel my orgasm building. My hips pump in time with his fingers. He turns them inside of me and hits my G-spot. My body convulses and I feel myself get a lot wetter. His palm rubs my clit as he tickles that spot deep inside me. He leans forward and bites me where my neck and shoulder meets and I explode.

I cry out and he swallows my cries with his mouth. Before I even stop coming, he’s picking me up. I wrap my legs around his waist as he moves through my apartment.

When my back hits the bed, I reach for his shirt and wrench it open. I hear the tiny
ting
as buttons hit the walls. I struggle to get his shirt off, so he takes over. I grab his pants and undo his belt. While I undo the buttons, he reaches in his back pocket and tosses his wallet on my bed. He stands up and takes his pants off. Then he pulls me up and pulls my shirt and bra off.

He settles his hard body on top of mine. Gabe brings his face close to mine. “I missed you,” he whispers. “You’re under my skin. I’ve never had this reaction to someone so quickly before.” Gabe punctuates each word with a kiss to my lips.

“I feel the same way.”

I stare up into his dark chocolate eyes. I shouldn’t be admitting this to him. It gives him too much power over me. He starts kissing down my body. He reaches my nipple and sucks the bud into his mouth. I’ve always had sensitive nipples and the way he sucks and nips them shoots waves of pleasure straight down to my pussy. He switches to the other and gives it the same treatment.

He continues his path down my stomach and bites the tender skin between my belly button and pussy. I’m tingling all over, my moans filling my bedroom. I grab his hair as he keeps moving farther down. He nibbles on my inner thigh and finally reaches my aching pussy.

At the first touch of his tongue against my sensitive flesh, I cry out. He licks me from top to bottom, leaving no skin untouched. When he reaches my clit, he sucks it into his mouth and pulls on it like he pulled on my nipples. He shoves a finger inside of me and I arch up, off the bed. While rubbing my sweet spot, he softly nips my clit. I bear down as I come hard. I grip his hair and grind my pussy into his face.

He slowly brings me down and starts kissing his way back up my body. “You taste like the sweetest honey,” he whispers against my neck.

Gabe grabs his wallet and pulls out two condoms. He opens one and I watch him roll it slowly over his glorious cock. One of these days, I want his cock in my mouth. I look up into his eyes and see a smirk on his face.