Keeping You: KJ Elite Inc. (11 page)

“Heat pack!” I enunciated clearly as I passed him and entered the kitchen. Hitting him would be easy, but I just didn’t get that touchy with people.

Unless of course their name was Noah Kane. Not to say I haven’t touched Matt or other people for that matter but where I was constantly staying vigilant not to have any physical contact with others, I was finding excuses to touch Noah. 

“Taylor took the heating
pad
. If you need heat just grab a water bottle, fill it with hot water and throw a dishtowel over it.”

“How very MacGyver.” I mumbled.

“Calm down with the name dropping. I forgot how hip you were to the t.v. scene these days.”

“Have you decided to stop agenting and become a stand-up comedian?” I quipped.

“Agenting, huh? Millions of dollars, a stellar education and from what you’ve mentioned an English Nazi of a foster mother, all to bring me, ‘agenting’.”

“Don’t make me go Brooklyn on your booty.”

“I cannot take you seriously when you refuse to use any curse words. Say it with me, James. ‘Ass!’”

“Eat dirt.” I narrowed my eyes at him and hauled the makeshift heating pack back upstairs.

Matt’s raucous laughter followed me all the way to my room where Noah was standing perfectly once again.

“Sorry, sug. I didn’t mean for you to go fashion me a heating pack. All better now.” He held up his hands and waved, smiling at me. Megas of watts, Batman.

“Are you sure?” I set the bottle on a small table wedged between the chairs in the corner, noticing that Luke and Diesel were gone.

“Positive.” He took the two steps to me and with his hands still in the air, smacked a kiss on my lips.

It was the most forward any man had been with me - aside from dear old dad’s “friends”. My signature icy attitude had a way of keeping men at more than an arm’s length distance.

“What was that for?” I stuttered, fingering my lips.

“For caring? For being you? Just because? Take your pick, sugar.”

I had never cared much nor participated in spending all of something on one thing – hopes, dreams, wishes, money – but, Noah made me want to put all of it on him; could he be it for me? Could he be the light at the end of my very dark tunnel? Life had never seemed so bright or sweet when he was around. Did it matter that I only knew him for about two weeks? Had it even been two weeks? Life was one big jumble for the past seven months. No matter how long I had known him, Noah was a balm that while there was no cure for my kind of ruined, he could temporarily heal me and that was priceless to me. How long was someone supposed to be acquainted before it was acceptable to say you loved them and wanted to be with them, anyway? I mean, shoot,
do
I love him? Ironically, one of my favorite quotes was “Only time will tell.”

I had waited this long, I could wait a while longer; if this was it, he’d still be here in four months, six months, a year, whatever. They say love never dies if it’s true.

In my life, I had to be sure. Not because of my career – other players in the game expect me to have a few divorces under my belt already. No, I needed to be certain because of my past. Other people were open books while I’m more like a post it note that reads:

“Caution – severely damaged – irreparable.”

This time, Noah placed his hands delicately on my cheeks. His long fingers splayed and the tips dipped into my hair. I sucked in a breath and my eyes drifted shut as he leaned in and laid his lips on mine. A rush of lust induced waves had me flying high at his touch. The combination of his nearness and his scent had me reeling.

I tilted my head minutely to fit better against him, my hands went to his waist. His two day old beard makings tickled my smooth face, only adding to the intense desire coursing through my veins. If this is how my space heater felt when she shot the cocaine into her veins, I would never question her again. Noah was my drug and I was hooked. If there was a cure, I didn’t want it. Our bodies were clamped together and I suddenly felt my backside bump up against the door. He had me pinned and I wasn’t fighting him.

Is this what I had been missing my whole life as a social pariah? Who gives a flying french stick; I have it now.

After what seemed like far too short a time, Noah pulled back and rested his forehead against mine.

“Is this how you kiss all your women?” I whispered.

How stupid could I be?

Noah’s face soured but he recovered quickly and pecked my lips before answering.

“Never. You’ll see, sugar.”

His words exhilarate me and light my soul on fire.

He pulled away but kept hold to one of my hands, leading me to the bathroom.

“Do what you have to do, I’ll pack for you and we’ll head over to my place. Maybe we’ll stop in and have lunch with ma. Sound good?”

I just nodded, nibbling my bottom lip.

“Good.” He kissed me again, lightly pulling my lip out of my teeth with his own then smacked my rear. “Get movin’, sugar.”

I’d never showered so fast in my life. Though the prospect of going to Noah’s house and staying there, with him, had me debating on using the shower head in ways I’d only read about.

* * *

Packing and rolling out under the threat of unknowns wasn’t something new to me. As I threw clothes into a suitcase and duffle bag, I realized this was the first time I’d ever felt bad that I was possibly ruining designer clothes of the woman I was madly in…something with.

In the military, we are accustomed to a much faster paced way of living; faster paced way of everything honestly. If this was love, I would accept that. Military knew how anything and fucking everything could change in the blink of an eye. Not just one of my buddies met their wives and were married within one to five months; all of them were still going strong, some with little ones running around raising hell. I never said I didn’t want love, I just figured the whole white picket fence, love, two point five kids and all that wasn’t in my stars. If it was, I’d wait another fifty years if I had to. If it was with Jamie, I was grabbing on to her and holding tight with everything I had. Fuck it, I’ve got Jamie now and I’m not letting go. Screw fate and destiny if this wasn’t what was planned for me. Jamie is mine.

Whenever she’s ready, all she has to do is say “go”. I’ve pulled the trigger for her before and I’d do it again, no matter what context it was in.

I’m only afraid that she’s pure sugar that’ll melt in my hand if I hold her too tight.

My head is so fucked, Freud would blow a gasket.

I smell her before I hear her moving towards me. I’ve got her all packed up and am just waiting on Luke to get here with my truck.

We’ve all got a truck in the garage. What’re you gonna do – we’re all country boys.

When I hear him honk the horn, I hightail it downstairs before I do something Jamie regrets.

She’s got to be absolutely, one hundred and twenty percent sure before I touch her the way I want to. The way I crave to.

Hell, I may just break her.

Or she’ll break me.

After a nice dinner with ma and Luke, we get Jamie set up at the house. I don’t quite have any other spare rooms set up yet so she’s camping out in my bedroom. It’s exactly where I plan on keeping her, but I’ve got the honest excuse that no other bedrooms are prepared for guests right now, so I’m using it.

Because that doesn’t have ‘HORRIBLE IDEA’ written all over it in permanent marker then surrounded by giant blinking arrows and runway lights.

What can I say, I’m an original fucking Einstein.

Jamie takes in my room, surveying it from top to bottom and inventorying every piece. It’s done up in tan, reds and dark blue. My furniture is all dark and my bed an oversized King four poster. Around the four poster lays a thick canopy tied to each post; where my headboard should be high, there’s instead a long sheet of layered fabric with strings of lights giving a soft glow. Beside the bed, she coos at my little buddies before asking if she can draw a bath.

Like I needed that image filling my mind on top of all the others. At this rate, my dick is going to be so hard it just snaps off.

“Make yourself at home. Honestly.” I say before closing the door and smacking my forehead into the hallway wall.

I have nothing to hide, not where she would ever find it at least, and I want her to be comfortable here. I’m never going to be able to look at that tub the same way.

I have a large square Jacuzzi tub that is more Jacuzzi than conventional tub. It is tall with built in seats halfway up; one wall connected to the shower that is all matching stone ¾ of the way up where it was glass up to the ceiling. The only wall of the shower not made of stone is the door that swung open and locked for steaming. It has a built in stone bench and shelves for the soap and various million other products women store in the shower. I, personally, am as simple as they come; gimme a bar or bottle of Irish Spring and I’m set. It covers the face, the hair and the body; all the essentials.

Of course I also keep a couple bottles of the chick stuff Taylor uses, here in the house. We’ve always been close and if she ever leaves Tommy, she can come over here. It seems weird, but Tommy insisted. Usually I don’t even listen to him jabber when it comes to Tay, I just nod and plan what I’m going to eat for supper.

This Italian chick tried to teach me to cook once and I lit her bungalow on fire. I’ve never even thought about cooking since.

The things I can do with various weapons will astound you but cooking is not in my repertoire of impressive skill sets.

For about ten seconds I ponder just leaning forward and allowing gravity to work on getting me down the stairs but Luke appears at my side, slapping me on the back before jogging down so I

follow suit.

Matt is sitting at my bar, sipping a glass of orange juice and eating a plate of Meatloaf. Seriously, a whole plate. He didn’t even bother to cut himself a piece, just grabbed the dish ma sent over and started eating.

“Manners, dick.”

“What?” He asked facetiously with a mouthful.

“What are you doing here?” I ask, smacking his feet off my counter.

“Tommy told me to keep my eyes on you and make sure you keep your mitts to yourself. Said Luke would look the other way and neither of you were to be trusted.”

“Such disrespect in my own home.” Luke shouted overdramatically.

“Still my house, Lulu.” Luke reared back as if I’d bitch slapped him and Matt snorted, clapping the bar-top.

“Both of you, get out.” I point to the back door.

“Fine, but I’m taking your meatloaf and OJ with me. Oh, and Tay is pissed at you so watch your back.”

I decide not to tell him how I was drinking that orange juice out of the carton only last night. Come on, Karma.

“I’m only going because I have work to do.”

Luke makes way for the front door and as if they had timed it, both doors slam simultaneously.

Little women, the both of em’.

T.V. is my best bet at pretending to fool myself that Jamie is not soaking wet, bare ass naked, just above me in my own bathroom.

Sweet fuck, I’m doomed. A ticking time bomb.

Diesel and I get comfortable in our recliners – well, okay, my recliner and his dog bed made of old recycled couch cushions – before flipping through every channel known to man.

At some point we settle on an old western before we both start snoring away.

My dreams are full of caramel skin and honey eyes, delicious lips that capture me between them, milking me. I thrust my hips and groan at how fucking perfect I fit in her mouth. Nails claw into my skin as I tug her hair to make her look up at me.

“I want to see you.” I tell her before thrusting into her mouth again. She picks up the pace before I feel the fire lick at my balls, pulling in and rising up.

“Noah?” Jamie lightly shakes my shoulder before I meet my sweet release in her mouth. I can still feel her lips around my cock and I need to get away from her before I shove her down to her knees.

“I, uh, I’m good. I have to go check-” I don’t even try to finish the sentence before I lunge out of the recliner in record timing, hauling ass down the hallway and disappearing into my office.

What.the.fuck.Am I going to do?

Whose brilliant idea was it to have her come here, to my house? We all know I’m batshit crazy and can’t be trusted around her. Okay, maybe only I know that (and Tommy…and Tay), but fuck!

“Noah, is everything alright?” She asks through the door.

“Yeah, sug. Sorry, I just needed to check something.” I lie. For good measure I smack Luke’s keyboard a few times, waking the screen up and moving my computer chair around on the wooden floor.

“Oh. Okay.”

She leaves and I let out the breath I didn’t know I was holding.

Jamie Wright is going to murder me and she won’t even know it.

Also, Its official, I’ve grown a vagina.