Expose, p.11
Expose, page 11
One hand held mine. The other that had snaked around the sofa was now tangled in my hair. He pulled me closer and onto his lap.
Startled, I spilled the open bottle of water all over his shirt and pants.
He shrieked from the cold, and I leaped off his body like I’d just mutilated him.
My hand rested over my heart, realizing what happened. “You’re going to give me a heart attack.”
“Well, at least you don’t look like you came in your pants.”
I snickered under my breath. While I tried not to grin, it seemed an impossible task. “You could have peed yourself?”
“Right, because that is so much better.”
“Snarky is not your color,” I said.
He grabbed a hand towel from the kitchen and patted down his pants to dry them off in a lame attempt.
“Do you need a hand?” I sat on the sofa, watching him, waiting for him to settle down.
He kept blotting at his soaking wet crotch, his shirt damp forgotten.
That didn’t seem to bother him.
“No one’s going to see. It’s just you and me up here.” I reminded him we were alone. “There’s probably a dryer around here. You can take off your clothes and shove them in the dryer. Turn it on for a few minutes.”
“You would like that, wouldn’t you? Was that your plan all along?” He removed his shirt first, balling it up and throwing it at me on the sofa.
His hands went to the button on his jeans, unclasping it before sliding the zipper down.
Time stood still as I held my breath, waiting for him to finish undressing.
“Yes, you caught me. I wanted to get you naked in Lincoln’s house,” I said and covered my enormous smile that seemed impossible to hide.
Jaxson slid his jeans down and tossed the denim at me.
“Are you expecting me to do your laundry? In case you haven’t realized, this isn’t the 1950s.” I couldn’t take my eyes off of him.
Shirtless, he had an impressive body. He didn’t need a tan to show off his muscles.
My eyes fell over his body, examining every inch that I could see, his boxers getting in the way of anything more exciting.
“Lucky for you,” Jaxson said. He stalked toward me, leaning forward, half-naked.
I exhaled a heavy breath.
My body responded in kind, wanting to touch him, taste him, and explore everything he had to offer. I struggled to keep my eyes open, his body hovering, teasing me.
I shifted closer as he leaned in, wanting a kiss, a taste of what he offered. One kiss hadn’t been enough earlier in the bar.
I craved more.
Being around him, half-naked, was stirring my insides and making me restless beneath him. He hovered above me, his eyes boring into mine.
Jaxson snatched his wet clothes from my grasp, leaving me breathless and panting.
“Such a tease,” I muttered under my breath.
A voice by the door cleared his throat, albeit rather loudly, to get our attention.
Jaxson took a step back, wet clothes in hand, as he spun around to see who had come inside the apartment.
“You two couldn’t make it back to Jaxson’s place?” Lincoln asked. He shut the door behind himself and stalked into the kitchen, his footsteps heavy against the floor.
It wasn’t a rhetorical question.
“Please do me a favor and don’t do anything on that sofa. I like it and would hate to have to throw it out or burn it after Jaxson’s ass gets all over the leather.”
Lincoln had a sense of humor. I laughed and covered my lips. “We were just coming up here to rest.” It was a lame excuse, but I didn’t want to tell him the real reason and face his pity.
“Of course, you were.” He glanced at Jaxson as he stood in nothing but his boxers and a smile.
“Believe it or not, she spilled water on me, and I was just about to put my clothes in your dryer,” Jaxson said.
“That’s a new excuse, and I don’t buy it,” Lincoln said.
Jaxson stared at me, waiting for my input. “Give me a hand here.”
I took another sip of the near-empty water bottle. “You’re doing just fine.”
It was fun to see him flustered and being teased by his friend.
Lincoln didn’t appear mad, and while he probably wasn’t thrilled to walk in on guests in his home, he wasn’t kicking us out yet, either.
Lincoln pointed at Jaxson. “Is this guy trying to take advantage of you, because if he is, I’ll kick his ass?” He approached Jaxson, holding out his hand for the wet clothes.
Was he checking to see if I’d spilled water on him?
“He’s quite the gentleman,” I said.
Lincoln grunted under his breath, satisfied with the wet clothes. “I’ll throw this into the dryer. You can borrow something of mine from the dresser. I’d rather not have you half-naked in my living room.”
“Aw,” I whined in protest. “I was enjoying the show.”
Lincoln thudded with heavy footsteps down the hall, wet clothes in hand. “Well, I wasn’t, and I live here.”
“Fair enough.” I finished the last of my water, already feeling much better. Perhaps it was the banter, the fact both men had taken my mind off everything else that had been bothering me.
I hadn’t realized Jaxson had disappeared down the hall until he returned to the living room wearing a pair of gray sweats and a black t-shirt.
“Now, where were we?” Jaxson asked, approaching the sofa. He stood in front of me, hovered above as I stared up at him. His legs straddled mine, teasing me without so much as touching me.
I whimpered in protest. Being in his proximity, having seen him half-undressed moments earlier, had made me crave him even more.
As if the kiss hadn’t been my initial undoing.
“You were just about to tell me why you don’t have a girlfriend,” I said.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Jaxson
“I can answer that,” Lincoln interrupted as he stomped back into the living room.
“I’d rather you didn’t,” I shot out, hoping he would mind his own business.
I glared at Lincoln, warning him to shut the hell up.
He had no trouble finding dates with the ladies. He’d always been able to pick up any girl he wanted in a bar and bring her home. It didn’t hurt that the restaurant he worked and owned had a bar and a bedroom upstairs.
I didn’t want to think about all the women he’d had on the couch where Ariella sat.
She stared up at me with dark, soulful eyes, her cheeks still red but not as flushed as she’d been earlier when I brought her upstairs to rest. “Don’t you have meals to make and guests to tend to?” I asked.
“I came upstairs to find out why you weren’t manning the bar. Imagine my surprise when I found you and Ariella up in my place, already undressed.”
“It really was because I spilled water on him,” Ariella said, her voice soft and timid. Was she afraid of Lincoln? He was a big guy, same as I was, same as the rest of our band of brothers who served.
“Just don’t leave a stain on the couch. I don’t want to have to replace that sofa,” he quipped before retreating out the door and back down the stairs.
“I hope I didn’t get you into any trouble,” Ariella said as her eyes fell toward her lap.
I reached down, my thumb guiding her chin up to face me. I wanted to stare into her eyes, see the truth, know what she was thinking.
It was dangerous, investing my time and energy into a woman who might never want to commit. That was the easy part.
She’d lied to me, and I still couldn’t let that go, the nagging suspicion that there might still have been more she wasn’t telling me.
My body had betrayed me, kissing her on the dance floor, and while I usually kept a level head, I couldn’t seem to do that around her.
I released my grip on her chin, unable to tear my gaze away from her, transfixed.
“You never answered my question,” Ariella whispered, staring up at me.
I let out a heavy sigh, unsure how to answer. It was far more complicated than just not having a girlfriend. She knew about Izzie. “Isabella is a lifelong commitment. Let’s just say not everyone feels the same way.”
“I don’t believe that,” Ariella whispered. She reached for my hand and nodded beside her at the empty seat on the sofa.
I collapsed onto the leather, the material sinking around my body comfortable after a long day. “I don’t want to waste my time with a woman who isn’t interested in being around for the long run.”
“What about Emma?” she asked. “Why aren’t you with her?”
I ran a hand through my hair, ruffling it. She sure knew how to ask the hard questions. “I don’t love her.”
Could the answer be as simple as that?
It was the truth.
We hadn’t ever been in love.
“Oh,” Ariella said, her voice soft as her mouth formed a little “o” shape.
“She came to town a few years ago for a family vacation with her sister and her kids. While they went snowboarding, she came to the bar for drinks. That’s how we met. We both got trashed and ended up at my place.”
It was literally as simple as it sounded. I left out the part where I had gotten hammered after my sister had come for a visit and just left. The house was quiet, empty, and I needed to dull my heart from her nagging and blaming me for our father’s death.
“Well, it’s obvious to me that she wants you back.” She shifted on the sofa, pulling slightly away, dragging her legs up onto the leather and to the side, tucking them under herself.
I’d seen how Emma had acted today, and I couldn’t say I was surprised.
I’d been shocked when I discovered she had moved to Breckenridge for a job.
After the initial anger, the disgust had worn off. She had a right to live wherever she wanted, but that didn’t mean I had to give her custody or let her see Isabella. That wasn’t a conversation I needed to have with Ariella.
“Wanting someone back implies they were theirs to have originally. That was never the case. We were never friends or lovers. We had one drunken afternoon together, and it had been a poor lapse in judgment.” It had been the only time I’d engaged in a one-night stand and look where it got me.
“She didn’t tell me that.”
I wouldn’t have expected her to. While I didn’t know Emma incredibly well, I also didn’t think she would be forthright with information, even if she and Ariella were friends.
“I’m not surprised. It didn’t work to her advantage. She thinks we’re more than we are, especially after Izzie.”
I didn’t want Emma.
I wasn’t sure I even wanted to risk my heart with Ariella, but I would regret not trying. There was something about her that captivated me.
“What about you? Any more secrets that I should know about?” I asked.
She pursed her lips, her eyes tightening. “I’m literally an open book on the internet. Search my name, and you can find every detail of my life.”
Was it that simple? “Is that why you didn’t tell me your real name?” I asked.
Was she worried I couldn’t handle knowing who she was? It hadn’t been my best day, learning that her ex-husband had been responsible for stealing investors' money.
I no longer blamed her for any involvement. She’d been prosecuted and acquitted. While I hadn’t followed her case as closely as I’d followed her ex-husband’s, I had done a little research after I’d discovered that she’d lied to me.
“I wanted a second chance to start over. There had been threats made against my life when I was married to that scum-sucking bastard. Bricks were thrown through our windows, and someone sprayed graffiti on the siding and doors. For months, I had been afraid to go home, sleeping in my car where I worked. That didn’t last. I got fired, and while I had been acquitted, it wasn’t like they were offering me my job back. They told me I was bad publicity and too much of a risk.”
I could sense her frustration.
Her tone had grown louder, more determined as she spoke. She sat up straighter and pushed a strand of her dark hair behind her ear.
“I thought no publicity was bad publicity,” I said. I guess that wasn’t true.
“That’s a lie,” Ariella said.
I tried to keep a level head, remain calm.
Hearing her life had been in danger worried me. I’d dealt with some unhinged people in my line of work. “Have the threats stopped since moving here?” I asked. She’d tell me if she was in danger, wouldn’t she?
Slowly, she nodded. “No one seems to know who I am. As long as that continues, I should be fine. I just keep hoping that with time it’ll all blow over.” She twirled the edge of her long dark hair. “I’m not sure if you know this, but I was blonde when it all happened—the trial, the threats, the news media. Having long dark hair has made it so no one recognizes me.”
I liked her hair.
Hell, I liked almost everything about her.
I wasn’t too happy about her past, but I accepted it. Letting out a soft breath, my fingers tangling in her curls.
I leaned forward. I wanted to kiss her, to take away her pain and the difficulty of her past. “I like your dark hair. I think it looks sexy,” I whispered.
Everything about her was sexy, from her pouty bottom lip to the bounce in her step.
Her eyes slowly closed, and she leaned forward, our lips colliding as I pulled her closer. As I brought her onto my lap, the kiss deepened.
She shifted against my hips, making my insides roar to life with the sweet sounds she made of a soft moan from the back of her throat.
I wanted to devour her and taste every inch of her body, but we couldn’t do it here, not in Lincoln’s place above the bar.
I pulled back with all the strength I had, and my forehead pressed against hers. Listening to the soft, heavy gasps for air as she caught her breath, I stole one more kiss. “I should get you home and to bed,” I whispered.
“I’d like that very much.”
I led Ariella downstairs and quickly dropped off her car key with Lincoln.
He agreed to drive her car and drop it off later with Declan following and giving him a ride back home.
We scooted out the side door for privacy.
I kept her close, with one hand at her lower back, keeping her at my side in the darkness. I’d always had decent night vision, adjusting quicker than most.
I opened the passenger side door and helped her into the truck. I waited for her to buckle before I shut the door and came around to my side.
I wanted to follow her inside, take her home and ravish every ounce of her skin.
Would she invite me inside? I didn’t want to be forceful or take advantage of the situation.
She had two drinks, but that had been quite a while ago. While she could have probably driven herself home, I didn’t want to lose the opportunity to take care of her.
The ride was short and quick. I pulled up out front and hustled to the passenger door. Leading her to the dark cabin, I wanted to make sure she got inside safely, especially without a porch light.
“You should install solar lights outside,” I said. I doubted she’d do much until the spring thaw. It was too cold to dig up the yard.
“I’ll add that to my to-do list,” Ariella said. She stood outside, keys in hand, fidgeting with them but not making any attempt to unlock the door.
I had no intention of leaving until she went inside. I shoved my hands into my coat pocket to keep warm and shuffled my feet. “I hope you’re feeling better.”
“I am. Thank you for that tonight. Do you want to come in? I can offer you coffee, a drink, or something else?” She chewed her bottom lip.
Ariella looked nervous.
I couldn’t tell if she was hesitant or just worried I’d turn her down.
“I’d love that something else,” I said, teasing her.
Her cheeks reddened, and I waited for her to unlock the door before I followed her inside. After a minute, she turned on the lantern and lit a few candles. It made for a nice, ambient glow.
“Can I get you something to drink?” Ariella offered. She removed her coat and boots. I did the same, keeping mine by the door.
“I’ll have whatever you’re having,” I said as I approached the wood-burning stove.
I bent down and grabbed the handle to open the door. The hinge squeaked in protest. I made a mental note to fix that the next time I came over.
“I’m going to throw some wood on the fire.” While I looked forward to climbing under the covers with Ariella, I also didn’t want the cabin to be frigid.
However, it would give me an excuse to cuddle up against her and make her hot and sweaty.
Stoking the fire, bringing it roaring back to life, I tossed in a piece of wood and then another. Her gaze never left me. “See something you like?”
“Actually, yes,” she said and sauntered over toward me.
With two bottles of beer in hand, she put them down on the coffee table and tugged on her bottom lip, pulling it between her teeth.
Was it a nervous habit or something else? I hadn’t been around her enough to take note.
“What’s that?” I asked, cocking a grin at her.
She gestured at my clothes. “You have too much on. I liked what I saw earlier tonight. Too bad Lincoln walked in.”
“It was too bad, wasn’t it?” I’d have to get my clothes tomorrow and return Lincoln’s sweats.
I stalked toward her and pulled her into my arms, her body nestled tight against mine, a perfect fit. “Seems only fair, though, to see you in nothing but your underwear.”
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Ariella
I swallowed the lump that formed in my throat.
Did he want to see me in my underwear?
Of course, he did, I had invited him into my house. I didn’t think he only wanted a drink, did I?
“You first,” I said, my lips almost touching his.
His body pressed tight against mine, his fingers caressed my lower back, just as he had earlier, inching my shirt up. His warm hands stroked my bare skin, but he didn’t remove my shirt, just teased me.
