Free Pass (Free Will Book 1) (7 page)

Chapter Eighteen
 

I tapped on the door to Laney's room just shy of eleven. She let me in and I kicked my shoes off at the door. Tears filled her eyes and she flung herself at me.

"So, uh...what's the update?" I was nervous to ask, but the last news I'd been given was last night.

She filled me in on her granny's condition and I let out a relieved breath when she said things were better than initially thought. She led me toward the bed. I stripped down to boxers and a T-shirt before climbing beneath the comforter.

She slid right over against me and I wrapped my arms around her. With a sob, she started to cry. My T-shirt clung damply to my chest before she'd cleansed herself of the emotional backlog. I rubbed her back and murmured reassurances. When she stopped crying, I tugged the drenched shirt off, wiped her eyes with a dry spot and pulled her back to me. She fell asleep still sniffling against my side.

The light streamed in the open curtains when I woke. Laney was trying to ease away from me and I groaned at the loss of her warmth.

"I'm just going to get a shower." She brushed her lips against my cheek. The slight smile on her face didn't quite reach her tear-swollen eyes. I watched her walk into the bathroom. When the water turned on, I closed my eyes and pulled the comforter back over me.

The door slammed open. I rolled that direction and Laney's dad jumped through the open doorway.

"AAAHHHH!" he shouted, baseball bat raised high above his head. "Jake? What in the hell are you doing here?"

"Jimmy, why do you have a bat?" I murmured, my voice still scratchy from sleep. The comforter bunched around my waist as I rose up on my elbows to look at Laney's dad.
I must have dozed back off...

"Sheila usually bunks with Laney. She brought her luggage up and came down squealing there was a man in Laney's bed. I didn't know you were here. Why are you here?"

"I told Laney I'd come over after work. It was late when I got here."

Jimmy held the bat in a defensive position. "I still don't get why you are in my daughter's bed."

Damn, he wasn't going to whoop my ass over staying with Laney, was he?
"Jimmy, can you put the bat down?"

"I don't like you being in Laney's bed half-dressed." He lowered the bat but didn't put it down entirely.

I rubbed a hand over my eyes, but didn't respond. What the hell could I say? I couldn't argue that. Them not fussing at us about dating was the best we could hope for. I certainly didn't expect them to be happy about it at this point.

Susie came in behind Jimmy and started laughing. Some chick in a slutty dress followed behind her. Must be the Sheila who caused all this damn drama. She licked her lips and stared at me like I was a hot fudge sundae.

"Had I known the man in the bed was that yummy, I wouldn't have been so afraid, Uncle Jimmy. I'd have just curled up next to him." She batted her giant fake eyelashes at me.

Laney stomped out of the bathroom and over to the bed. She looked like she wanted to smack that look of hunger off Sheila's face.

Was it a crime to rip someone's fake lashes off? Was that still considered assault? I had a feeling we would be finding out if Sheila kept batting her lashes at me. Laney sat on the edge of the bed and kissed me. Her kiss was sensual—a marking of territory in front of her slutty cousin.

"She's not my type, Laney," I whispered.

I glanced over at Sheila, who adjusted her cleavage to make her already big boobs look bigger.
Bitch
. "Sheila, was it?" I addressed her as I sat up and stretched. She nodded and smiled, trying to act all sweet and innocent... It didn't work. She just looked like a stupid whore. "I'm taken. So, you can stop flapping those wings at me, I'm not interested."

That earned me a kiss. Laney seemed to like the idea of me belonging to her. Jimmy and Susie burst out laughing. Sheila put her hand on her hip and looked like she was about to say something else.

"Well, why don't you two get dressed and come downstairs," Susie said from the doorway. Laney's parents left, but Sheila just stared.

"What?" She was getting on my damn nerves!

"Just wondering what happened to Austin? And how'd you get your mom and dad to not flip out about you having a half-naked man in your bed? My mom still won't let me have guys over and I'm twenty-three."

Laney rolled her eyes and turned back to me. I smiled and asked if she wanted me to tell her. She snuggled into my embrace and let me tell Sheila about Austin cheating.

"Well, cheating is what guys do. 'Specially young, hot guys like Austin."

"Well, Sheila, not all men are like that. How 'bout you head out of here so we can get dressed?"

"Well, she's... um... interesting." I laughed as Sheila flounced out the door.

"Interesting? You think she's interesting?" Laney poked me in the ribs.

"Not nearly as interesting as you." I pulled her under the comforter with me. Our lips met. I yanked the belt to her robe and it fell open. My arms slipped inside and bare skin met bare skin. One of us moaned, I'm not sure which. It might have been both. I moved closer and she wrapped one leg around my hip. Raising a knee, my bare thigh came up between her thighs. The moan that time was hers.

Only the thin cotton of my boxers separated us. They needed to go. My hands moved to the waistband and nudged them down my hips. I wriggled free of them, quick to move back over her. My beard scratched the soft skin of her throat, my teeth nipping, tongue soothing, as I made my way down her body. She shoved me up to shrug free of the robe.

The knock on the door caused us both to cuss. Her dad called through the door for us to hurry, so we could head to the hospital. Laney said something, but I'm not sure it was intelligible. I laughed and rolled away to stare in frustration at the ceiling.

"I'm going to get dressed now before we get started again and Mom comes up. She won't knock like Daddy did," she whispered.

I sat up and riffled through the sheets for my boxers. I watched Laney pull the robe around her, my eyes taking in every luscious inch of her perfect skin.

"I gotta get a shower. A cold one," I muttered. When I stood, boxers in hand, hard as a rock, Laney's self-control seemed to vanish. She stepped over to me, unbelted her robe, and pressed her naked body against mine.

I kissed her. Hard. Rough. And cussing myself for the stupidity, I shoved her away and stepped back.

"You are going to drive me crazy."

Chapter Nineteen
 

Heat rose in me. Not embarrassment this time. No, this time, the heat was pure desire. I wanted to lock that door and throw my robe on the floor. I wanted to roll around in the sheets with Jake. Getting sweaty, getting satisfied. Oh God, did I want to be satisfied. By Jake.

He clearly had more self-control than me. He hurried into the bathroom and slammed the door. My heart raced as I faced the closed door. I still wanted him more than anything.

The shower cut off and I jerked out of my stupor. Grabbing the first decent outfit I laid hands on in the closet, I hurried to dress. I didn't want to be naked when he walked in. Being naked when Jake came out of the bathroom would mean we'd end up back in the bed. Okay, so I
did
want to be naked. But we needed to get to the hospital to see Granny.

We had a quick breakfast and when we finally made it to the hospital, my aunts and cousin had commandeered a corner of the waiting room. My aunts had cleaning supplies in hand and were scrubbing every hard surface. Only my family would clean a public place...

When Jake and I walked in, Aunt Lisa wrapped her arms around me and nearly broke my back. She told me my parents were back visiting with Granny. I guess they were still only allowing two people back.

So, I sat down on one of the uncomfortable little couches to talk to my aunt. Jake set up his laptop next to me and started on a project for work. He shot me an apologetic glance when he pulled the laptop out, but it didn't bother me he was working.

We
had
only been seeing each other a few days. It wouldn't have upset me if he had stayed back in the city. It meant more to me than he would understand that he hadn't. But I would have understood.

My mom and dad came out and said Granny was feisty this morning. And she wanted to see me and
'my young gentleman'
. Granny feeling feisty set us all on edge on a good day...

And now she wanted to talk to Jake.

Crap.

Was I ready for that? Ready to know if he wanted more than just sex. It's easy for a guy to pretend he cared. What if he didn't?

My heart started breaking already.

Jake took the news about meeting my grandmother calmly. When he heard she insisted they meet, he saved his work and closed his laptop. He followed me back to the ICU.

Granny's eyes were sharp as razors when she looked Jake over. "Why are you here?"

Well, that was blunt. Granny never beat around the bush when she could jump right in.

"Jimmy and Susie said you wanted to meet me." Jake gestured for me to take the only chair, but I sat on the bed next to Granny and let him have the seat.

"No shit. I meant why are you at the hospital. You just started fooling around with my granddaughter a few days ago, a bit soon to be hanging around the hospital with her family."

He sighed and ran his hands through his hair. "She needed me."

"Did she now?" Her piercing glare never left Jake. He shifted a bit, looking uncomfortable with the scrutiny, but didn't bolt.

"She did." He smiled at me, adding, "And I'm not just fooling around with your granddaughter."

"Uh huh... Why should I believe that? You hardly know her. "

Shit.

Granny didn't like him. She'd kicked such a fuss with my cousins that she'd made them break up with boyfriends and girlfriends she didn't like before. I didn't want to lose Jake before I even knew what we really had.

Jake threw his head back and laughed. The idiot freaking laughed. "I'm crazy about Laney. And you can believe that, or not." His eyes met mine, and my heart skipped a beat at his intensity.

"Why?"

With confusion crinkling his eyes, he turned back to Granny. "Why what? Why do I like Laney? Or why should you believe me?"

Granny's eyes narrowed. She glared at him until he spoke. He didn't look at her when he answered. He looked right into my eyes, his hand holding mine.

"I'm crazy about Laney because she's everything I've ever wanted. She's funny. She looks like an angel, but kisses like the devil. She makes my heart race just by smiling at me."

I couldn't breathe.

He turned his gaze back to her then. "And I don't care if you believe me or not. As long as Laney does, that's what matters."

Lord, she was going to kill him. No one
ever
spoke to Granny like that. Ever. A cackling laugh rang out and I hunted for the source. No one was there but us and Granny...

Wait.
What just happened?

My jaw dropped and I gaped at them both. Maybe aliens abducted my Granny, and this was just a Granny look-alike. Yeah, that had to be it. There's no way he told her off and she laughed about it. Jake smiled at her and brought my hand up to his lips. I pulled my hand away from him and pinched myself. Hard. This had to be a dream. No other explanation made sense.

"Would I be correct in saying that you do
not
find my granddaughter defective in any way then, young man?" Granny questioned him again. Like a dog with a bone, she wouldn't give up until she's gnawed it beyond recognition.

"Defective?" His eyes searched mine. "Why would I find Laney defective?"

My eyes filled with tears. "Because Austin did. I wasn't enough. My boobs weren't enough. Our sex life wasn't enough."

"Oh, honey." He reached for me. Pulling me into his lap in that lone chair, he kissed me. Soft warm lips met mine. His tongue coaxed my mouth open so that he could deepen the kiss.

"My brother is a damn fool." He cupped my cheek in his hand and brushed his lips against mine.

"Your boobs are perfect." He trailed his fingertips ever so lightly over my chest. He skimmed down my body to squeeze my ass. "Your ass is beyond perfect," he said with an appreciative growl. "And I know damn well our sex life will be fucking perfect when we get to that point too."

I buried my face in his neck. My tears soaked the collar of his shirt. The insecure voice in my head screamed guys would say anything to a girl they want to get with. My heart wanted to believe him though, and pounded out that he's the one. That he was the man I had secretly dreamed of.

He held me close. The gentle touch of his hand on my hair comforted me. His warm breath against my cheek soothed as he whispered endearments to me. When he told me how beautiful I was to him, I realized I was falling for Jake. And falling hard.

"While I am glad you don't find Laney inferior in any way, I don't need to see you on her like a buzzard on road kill."

Jake snickered at that, but moved his hand to a more neutral spot. I wiggled until I could sit up on his knee rather than sprawl across his entire lap. His arms tightened, pinning me to his chest. His head rested on my shoulder.

Granny smiled at us. She actually smiled at us. After he felt me up in front of her and he'd just told her off.

"Granny, are you sure you are feeling okay?"

"I will be, honey child. I already told you that. Why don't you take this boy and get him some food. He looks like he could use a good meal."

"I can still see him?"

She just raised her eyebrow at me. Well, she hadn't told me I couldn't. So, of course, I could. She'd have made it clear if she felt otherwise. Granny could say all that with the lift of a single eyebrow.

I hugged her goodbye, kissing her cheek. She patted me and mock whispered, "I like him. Better than that sorry ass Austin." She'd never told me she didn't like Austin. She'd told Sheila, and my cousin Matt, plain as day, that she didn't like people they were dating.

He kissed her on the cheek before we left the ICU. If he wanted brownie points with me, getting in good with Granny gave him a good start. His thumb brushed teasingly over the back of my hand as we walked back. Martha and Austin surprised me by being in the waiting room, talking to my Mom and cousin Sheila.

Jake dropped my hand and hurried over to snatch a notebook from Austin's hands. "What the hell, man? Stay out of my stuff."

"Dude, how many drawings have you made of Laney?"

Flipping the leather cover over the white sheets of paper, Jake shot me an embarrassed smile. He grabbed his bag and moved to stuff the notebook inside.

He drew me?

"Can I see?"

He sighed. The snail's pace he moved at when he carried the notebook over made me almost regret asking. He avoided eye contact. When I had the sketchpad in hand, he sat down, opened his laptop, and focused his attention on the screen, clearly embarrassed.

The first pages were of random things—a building, a dog, and some characters from a television series. Then, I got to the drawings of me and understood Austin's wonder.

A dozen sketches of me filled the remaining pages. A rough sketch of me in his dad's office was first, a lone tear streaking down my penciled face. I turned the page and my drawing-self stared back at me from the bench on my parents' porch. Kiss-swollen lips and mussed hair on the stairs came next. He chronicled every poignant moment in our relationship.

The final page was the one that took my breath away. I lay in my bed with the sheets bunched under my arms. Lust-filled eyes and an outstretched hand beckoned for someone to join me. For
Jake
to join me.

I looked beautiful.

I mean, it was me. But like me with all my flaws minimized. Super-duper Photo-shopped looking me. Just in sketch form. My lips turned up.

Was this how Jake saw me?

"He messed you up. You don't really look like that."

Austin interrupted my euphoric moment. I glared and wished he would burst into flames
. Damn him.

"I'm not that pretty, I know." My soft admission slipped out. I looked down at the sketch and traced a finger across it longingly. For Jake to truly see me like that meant more than I could say. But Austin's words pulled my doubts to the forefront of my mind.

Mom and Martha came over to see. Martha agreed with Austin that the drawing wasn't quite right. Jake quit pretending he wasn't listening and defended his work. "How's it wrong? Tell me."

"Well, Laney has more freckles than that," Martha pointed out.

Then Austin started in with his opinion. "Laney's lips are thinner than you drew. Her eyelashes aren't nearly that long. Her cheeks are a little chubbier. Her hair's not that, uh, fluffy."

Shit.
Why did he ever ask me out if there was that much wrong with me? He listed off my every flaw.

Jake took the notebook from my hands, looked down at it, and back up to me. "I don't see the problem. Looks right to me."

These drawings confirmed for me that Jake truly found me attractive. Knowing he saw me like that... My face hurt, I smiled so hard. My smile must have been contagious because Jake grinned down at me. He pulled me up against him. His hot lips covered mine. Our teeth clicked together as he pressed into me, but I didn't mind. The corner of the notebook he held dug into my back, but I just moved closer to him. His growl when I wrapped my arms around his neck made me tremble.
Oh my, did I want this man.

The snickers and embarrassed coughs around us reminded me where we were. And, while reluctant, I managed to remove my lips from his. I sighed and buried my face in his throat, inhaling deeply. Willing my heart to slow down, I savored the spicy aroma of his skin.

He nuzzled his face into my hair and whispered, "Let's get out of here for a while. What do you say?"