Melody Anne's Billionaire Universe: Roadside Assistance (Kindle Worlds Novella) (11 page)

“Nothing. Look, do you mind if we stop and see my dad now? We’re close to the rehab facility.”

He let it go for now, but one way or another he would banish that seed of self-doubt that Conroy had planted with his tantrum. “Let’s do it, Jack.”

They pulled into Stony Hollow less than ten minutes later. Lathan took her hand, and walked her inside. Nerves skittered through his system. He’d never met someone with Alzheimer’s before. Not knowing what to expect, he watched for cues from Jack and held onto her.

They checked in at the nurses’ station. “Hi Fran, how is he today?”

Fran, a round woman with rosy cheeks, smiled. “He’s having a good day so far. No outbursts and the occasional smile. Why don’t you go on in.”

He expected the smell of antiseptic and illness, but didn’t find it; if anything, the air smelled of a hint of vanilla. Live plants hung in the windows, where sunlight filtered through gauzy curtains.

Jack led him all the way down the hall where she pushed open the door. A husky man with curly red hair and a thick red mustache and beard sat in an easy chair, looking out the window.

“Hi, Daddy.”

Her father didn’t speak, but he reached out his arms to her. “Does he know who you are?” Lathan whispered.

“Not usually, no,” she said as she let go of Lathan’s hand and hugged her father.

“Peanut,” he whispered into her hair.

Jack drew back and searched her dad’s eyes. “You know who I am?”

“Of course I do, girl. You’re my little sidekick. Such a handful you were.”

“He remembers,” she whispered. She gave Lathan a radiant smile before turning back to her father. “Daddy, I want you to meet someone. This is my fiancé, Lathan. Lathan, my father, Patrick.”

“It’s nice to meet you, sir,” Lathan said and shook the man’s hand. His rough grip was solid. A handshake Lathan could respect.

“Fiancé?”

“Yes, I’m getting married.”

“To a suit?” Patrick said.

She laughed and patted her father’s hand. “Yes, Daddy, to a suit.”

“I hope he knows what he’s getting into,” Patrick said with a snicker.

“I’ve got an idea, sir,” Lathan nodded and turned his smile on Jack.

“Brave man. I like him.”

Her father tired easily, and within fifteen minutes of arriving he started fading. When he looked at them with confusion, Lathan took that as a hint to get out while they could still call the visit a good one.

“How often is he lucid like that?”

“Last time I saw him lucid like that was at least a month ago.”

“So, today was a good day.”

“It was. Thank you for agreeing to stop. When I think that I might have missed that...”

He took her hand and rubbed his thumb over her skin. “Anything you want, Jack. Anytime. Just say the word.”

8

Jack and Jeremy’s house was hopping with friends and coworkers. Classic rock poured out from the speakers, and beer and wine were in large supply in the kitchen. Jeremy had called and asked Jack and Lathan to pick up barbecue and wings, creating quite the spread on the dining room table.

Lathan had been accosted by the guys and was currently getting his ass kicked in darts. The humiliation was nothing another beer wouldn’t fix. Jeremy, his main man, was on it, too. The minute he finished one, another cold one was in his hand. Jeremy was growing on him.

“So, Lathan, when are you marrying my sister?”

Kurt and Dave both stopped with the darts and looked at Lathan expectantly.

Ah, so this is how they were going to do it. On Jeremy’s turf, when he had people surrounding him to back him up. Not entirely surprising. “A week from Saturday.”

“Is your rich family going to stuff her into some poufy dress that’s nothing at all like her?” Jeremy gave him a hard look.

Okay, he was the big brother and filling in for their dad, so Lathan would let it slide. For now. His assuming Lathan was some kind of prick trying to change Jack grated on Lathan’s nerves.

Lathan had to remind himself that Jeremy hadn’t had the benefit of meeting his family, so all he knew was Lathan had a ton of money and that he’d proposed to his sister on the fly. “From what I understand, Jack told my mother and aunts exactly what she wants and they’re honoring her wishes.”

Jeremy snorted and Lathan had to fight of the irritation growing in him. Jeremy had been exuding attitude for most of the night. Lathan let it roll off at first, but he’d just about reached his breaking point.

“Like your rich family is going to give a crap about what Jack wants. They’re going to worry about appearances… I’m surprised they haven’t put the brakes on this whole charade.”

Lathan snapped and before he thought better of it, he had two fistfuls of Jeremy’s shirt in his hands and had pinned him against the wall. He wasn’t ordinarily a violent man, but now, twice in one day, he’d put his hands on someone.

“Hey, knock that shit off!” Jack pushed between them, shooting a glare at her brother. “What did you say to him?”

“What makes you think it was me?” Jeremy asked with his palms out and an incredulous look on his face.

Jack stuck a finger right in his sternum. “Because I know you, you push buttons. Lathan doesn’t just put his hands on people over nothing.”

“Aww, known him for under a week and already coming to his defense,” Jeremy said in a mocking tone.

“It was your sister you were talking shit about, so when it comes down to it, she’s coming to her own defense,” Lathan pointed out.

Jack whipped her head around and pushed Jeremy against the wall, rattling the dart case hanging on the wall when she did. “What were you saying about me?”

“I just don’t want this wedding to be about appearances and not about what you want.”

Jack took a step back. “Jeremy, they were nice about it and made notes about everything I wanted. I know you love me and want to protect me, but you need to trust me to do this.”

Jeremy tugged Jack’s ponytail and gave Jack a sad smile. “I don’t want them to change you.”

“They never tried, not even once.” Lathan kept his mouth shut as Jack hugged her brother. Her brother held on tight, the look on his worried face deflating the last of Lathan’s anger. Jeremy was scared for his sister. The more time Lathan spent with Jack, in her house, with her friends, the more he worried about her, too. His family wouldn’t try to change her, but would she compromise pieces of her life to accommodate his? He didn’t want that for her, and as soon as he had an opportunity they were going to discuss it.

“Shit. Lathan, I’m sorry. I’m being a prick,” Jeremy said with his arm slung around Jack’s shoulder.

“Forget it. You’re being an older brother. I imagine if I had a little sister, I would do the same.”

Jeremy hooked his arm around Lathan. “Come on, let’s grab another beer.”

Jack shook her head and peeled Jeremy’s arm off Lathan. “Oh, no. I think you need a break. I’m going to take Lathan for a walk. We’ll be back.”

The air grew crisp as the sun started to go down. They grabbed their jackets and stepped out for a walk. “Thank you for today,” Jack said.

Lathan laughed. “For what, having an employee make you feel like gutter trash or for grabbing your brother?”

“For being offended for me, being kind to my father, and for not letting my brother get away with mouthing off.”

“It’s been a day for shit storms hasn’t it?”

“A little bit, but I’m focusing on the good. My dad recognized me and he was able to meet you. I didn’t expect that and I’m grateful for it. It makes the other not so important.”

She took a seat on the wooden bench next to the body shop and patted the bench next to her.

Lathan cupped her chin and kissed her lips. “The other isn’t important. My family loves you. I—”

“You made me a promise. Anything I want. I’m ready to collect,” Jack interrupted.

Jack’s heart thundered in her chest. Afraid he was going to say three little words she couldn’t stand to hear, she scrambled for something, anything to distract him. Easy affection, protection, and kind words had added a few more dents in her armor today. Protecting herself had become crucial.

He brushed a wisp of hair under her knit hat and kissed her forehead. No, no, no, not the forehead. There was no defense for that.

“Whatever you want…”

“Come on.” She practically dragged him into the shop and past the F350 and the Jeep, to his car on the end. “Jeremy said there’s just one part and it will be here first thing in the morning. You’ll be able to return to Brentwood with it.” She slid her hand over the hood and leaned back on it and winked at him. “Before you take it away, we should make a memory on it.”

“You, Jack, are trouble.” Deft fingers parted her leather jacket, exposing her collar bone.

She closed her eyes as his lips roamed her sensitive skin. She would miss this after a year. Had she ever felt that way before? No, she hadn’t. Men had come and gone with not much more than a ripple. She had never had a broken heart, never longed for anyone, never had a man touch her in a way that left a permanent mark on her soul. Not until now. Not until Lathan.

One year. She would let herself have him for one year and then she would walk away and build that armor right back up again and, hopefully, one day, he would find someone who fit in with his life, someone able to support him and devote her time to him.

Just the idea of another woman loving him, touching him, having a life with him, brought swift punch of pain, because, as much as she hated to admit it, she had already fallen.

Letting him see it would only make her vulnerable, so she masked it. “Lathan, shut up and get on this damned hood.”

He walked his hands over the hood on either side of her. “Yes, ma’am.”

She kicked off her shoes and shimmied out of her pants while he nibbled at her neck. He pulled back and whisked way her shirt, bra, and underwear with deft fingers and quick movements, leaving her stripped bare to his hungry gaze.

He lifted her, sliding her higher on the hood and planting her feet wide, on each side, just above the headlights. She’d never been so exposed, but the way his eyes had gone stormy and his breathing grew ragged told her that he loved the view.

He never took his eyes from her as he removed his clothes, revealing inch after inch of perfectly tan skin, muscled torso, lean hips, and God those thighs. Her nipples tightened. Her sense of touch became heightened. Her palms tingled with the slide of smooth, waxed paint beneath her hands. Sliding back, the cool hood startled her, against her naked ass. Gliding her feet over the hood tickled.

If he didn’t make a move soon she was going to lose it. Or kill him. She hadn’t decided.

“Lathan?”

“Yeah.”

“You want to hurry it up?”

“I want to take this nice and slow.” He picked up her foot and grazed the inside of her ankle with his lips. By the time he got to the inside of her knee, he had added his tongue, making her whimper.

“Someone likes that.”

“Who? Your mother?”

Lathan yanked his head back. “Gross, Jesus.”

Jack couldn’t help it. She laughed until her eyes burned with tears. “That’s what you get. Don’t gloat. It’s not attractive.”

“Lesson learned.”

Lathan tugged her leg back to his eager mouth. Lips and teeth worked her inner thigh, going higher and higher, finally landing in the center of her, banishing all laughter. Crying out, she locked her hands in his hair and held him to her. Bless him, he took the hint and in just minutes, with her shaking legs over his shoulders, she screamed her release.

He lifted his head and gave her satisfied smile. “You showing up to tow my car was the best thing that ever happened to me.”

Crinkles formed around those baby blues and, shit, she would swear her heart sighed. “Get up here and show me.”

He crawled up, first one knee, then the other. Settling in, right at the center of her, he locked his fingers over the edge of the hood where it met the windshield and slid in hard. “Shit!”

“What?” she said on a gasp. He was stretching her, hitting all of her sensitive spots, making it almost impossible to speak.

“My knees just sank into the hood.”

“It’s okay; we have a body shop, too. I know the owner, he’s the best.”

He lifted a knee as if he intended to climb down. “Damn it!”

She grabbed the back of his hair with her fist. “Lathan, don’t you dare stop this. You owe me. You can’t change what happened, so keep your damn knees planted in those dents and finish what you started.”

She pulled him in, kissed him hard and, smart man that he was, he did exactly as she told him.