Sweet Obsession (Men of Whiskey Row Book 1) (25 page)

“Ms. Noelle, I’d like you to meet another childhood friend of mine and Jack’s, Holton Brammer. You can call him Holt.” Guy swiped up a sausage patty and bit into it as he gave his friend a contemplative look before nodding and turning back to Noelle. “Or Thor. Yep, Thor will do also.”

Noelle rolled her eyes at him, but secretly admitted that Holt did resemble Chris Hemsworth as the Marvel Comic character. She smiled and held out her hand. “It’s very nice to meet you, Holt.”

“The pleasure is all mine. Congratulations on the weddin’.” Holt’s southern voice was deep, and his handshake was firm. “Please pay no attention to my demented friend. I’m not sure exactly how many times he was dropped as a baby, but I’m pretty sure it was more than ten.”

They all laughed, and Noelle gestured for them to have a seat at the table. “Breakfast is just about done. Have a seat, fellas. I’m about to make some coffee, or would you prefer cappuccinos?”

Guy said yes to coffee with a shot of espresso, and Holt opted for a cappuccino. Jack came downstairs as Noelle was making his cup. He greeted his friends before coming to kiss Noelle’s cheek. “Smells delicious. What are we eatin’?”

“Baked French toast casserole with fried apples, cheese grits, and sausage,” Noelle said, resisting the urge to press her hand to her cheek where she could still feel his ice cold lips. So his shower had been a cold one. This morning, she’d found herself laying on top of him with a raging hard on pressing into her belly and his hand on her butt to hold her in place. Holding her breath, Noelle slowly raised her head to sneak a peek at him, only to find him looking at her with a sexy, heavy- lidded gaze. His black curls sticking up around his head and the beard growing in were fast becoming her favorite look on him; and Noelle hadn’t been able to resist lifting her hand and rubbing it across his coarse cheeks. The heat in his hazel eyes intensified as he grabbed her hand and kissed the center of her palm.

“Don’t start somethin’ you can’t finish, baby.” His voice was low and gravelly from sleep. Jack placed her thumb to his lips and slowly licked it before giving it a gentle nip, causing spikes of pleasure in her nether region. She smiled and rubbed his lips with her thumb.

With a quickness that was dizzying, Noelle found herself beneath him with his face nuzzled in her neck and his groin grinding into her core. His lips trailed kisses down her neck as his hands slid up her torso to palm each breast. Noelle’s breathing was ragged in his ear as she tightly gripped his head to her neck and frantically rubbed herself against his long hardness.

“Noelle. God, Noelle I need you so bad,” he groaned; his fingers teasingly plucked her rock hard nipples through her cami, and he bit her shoulder as his hips thrust his erection against her core. “Feel what you do to me.”

Jack could feel her wetness through her boy shorts and knew it would be so easy to nudge them aside while freeing his cock through the hole of his boxers and “accidentally” slide into her. The way she was working her hips was driving him crazy, but he wouldn’t do that to her. Couldn’t do that to her, no matter how bad he wanted inside of her delectable body. It still had to be her choice.

“Shit!” he groaned in frustration, pressing his face into the mattress next to her face and beating his fist into its softness. She froze beneath him as he struggled for control. Suddenly he lifted himself off of her completely and left the bed walking out of the room, mumbling over his shoulder, “I need a cold ass shower.”

Jack grabbed cups for the orange juice and brought them to the table as he sat down with his friends to talk. When Noelle brought the tray of coffee over, they all stood up and Jack quickly pulled her chair out as they waited for her to sit down before returning to their seats.
Man, I love a southern gentleman,
she thought to herself with a pleased smile.

“To what do I owe the pleasure so early this morning, fellas?” Jack asked before taking a long sip of his chicory coffee. Damn, Noelle could make a great cup of coffee.

Holt and Guy glanced at Noelle before Guy said nonchalantly, “We wanted to know if you could give us your feedback on two new applicants that are applying for office management. Any chance you could sit in on some interviews this afternoon? Got two lined up for twelve and one.”

“Yeah, I think I can swing it. Me and the missus got plans to go into town anyway, and then hiking. That all right with you, baby?” Jack asked casually, as he took the last sausage and cut it down the middle. Taking one half he put it on Noelle’s plate. She smiled at him brightly, and he felt it in his soul among other places as he discreetly adjusted his lower half under the table.

“This right here is serious business,” Guy said through a mouthful of food as he waved his fork at his plate. The other two men nodded in agreement as they concentrated on their own plates. “Screw Wheaties, this is the real breakfast of champions.”

“Thanks, guys. I’m glad you like it. Guy, what are you doing?” Noelle asked as he made a big show of checking the time and programming his phone. He shrugged and smiled sweetly at her, before grabbing his fork and devouring the rest of his food.

Jack narrowed his eyes at him. “Pippy, I swear to goodness if you set an alarm to be here in time to eat breakfast, it ain’t happenin’.”

Holt turned to give Guy a frown of disapproval. “Is that what you were doin’?”

“Maybe,” Guy said noncommittally and looked at the last of his casserole with sadness. Holt too, looked down at his own empty plate and empty cappuccino mug remorsefully.

“Damn. Why didn’t I think of that? Pick me up on your way in, okay?” he asked, causing Noelle to giggle at their silliness. “Do you take requests, Ms. Noelle?”

Jack shook his head in exasperation. “Y’all need Jesus in the fastest way.”

“You’re more than welcome to stop by,” Noelle said sweetly, ignoring Jack’s scowl. With business increasing, she didn’t get to cook as often as she’d like, so the more the merrier to her.

***

Whiskey Row was her kind of place
, Noelle thought as she walked back to the barbershop. Her first impression when she accepted Jack’s invitation to come here was that it would be a mix of a couple of southern reality shows with no color at all, but so far it was nothing like that. There was a melting pot of cultures; she’d encountered Ethiopian, Ghanaian, Chinese, Japanese, Spanish, Indian, and Native and African Americans in her walk down Main Street. She also saw a lot of BMW’s, Benz’s, and Lexus’s mixed in among Toyota’s, Nissan’s, and Chevy’s in the various parking lots.

Noelle stopped in a men’s store called
Homme
and instinctively knew Jack would love anything she got him from there. It was all things manly and had everything from plaid shirts to jeans to three piece suits. There was tobacco chew display along with cologne, survival kits with lotions and candles, and ties and suspenders artfully displayed with hunting knives. There were Converses, mixed with lumberjack boots and dress shoes. The walls were white, covered with black and white pictures of nude women in tasteful poses.

Noelle couldn’t resist picking out a cardigan sweater and two ties for Jack. She also picked up a lotion that the sales associate said was a best seller. At a little toy boutique called
The Rabbit Hole,
she bought her nieces and nephews t-shirts and toys. As she was strolling back to the barbershop, Noelle heard someone call her name. Turning around, she saw Katerina in four-inch heels, strutting down the sidewalk towards her as if on a catwalk. Trailing behind her was the security guard, Mikhail, from the guard gate. Noelle waited patiently for him to catch up to her.

“Hi Kat, nice to see you again,” Noelle said warmly, leaning down to give the tiny woman a hug. She waved at the burly guard who inclined his head politely and surveyed the street.

“You too, babe. How’s married life going?” Kat asked giggling with delight as Noelle blushed furiously. “That good huh?”

“Mmmmm,” she murmured noncommittally. “Where are you off to?”

“Actually, I was on my way to have lunch with my best friend Autumn,” Kat pointed at the tattoo parlor. “She owns the Ink Stain. We’re going to Miguel’s Cantina. Care to join us?”

Noelle smiled regretfully. “I would love to, but Jack and I already have plans to go to Hooligans after he’s done with his cut. He’s going to help Guy and Holt with their interview process, and then we’re going for a hike.”

“Oh well, another time then,” Kat suggested hopefully with a sweet smile, and Noelle smiled in agreement. Katerina Romankov was a total sweetheart that made her think of Avery.

“Yes, definitely,” Noelle said.

They both turned towards the Ink Stain as the saloon-style doors opened and a slender woman, wearing a short-sleeve, fitted, white fitted t-shirt, frayed denim cutoffs, and black utility boots stepped out. Her curly hair was short, shaved close on the sides with longer curls on top, tumbling over one eye. It was dyed the color of a sunset and complimented her flawless, golden complexion perfectly. Behind large, square-framed clear glasses, her big, round, dark eyes shone with friendly curiosity; and her full, plump, pink lips gave her an innocent expression despite the delicate tattoos visible on her arms and sides of her neck.

“Oh, you’re right on time. Autumn, this is Noelle, my new sister-in-law; and Noelle, this is my bestie Autumn Brady,” Kat said. Both ladies shared friendly greetings, and Autumn shook her head giving a playful whistle.

“You so know hearts are breakin’ all over ‘The Row’ now that a Sullivan brother has been taken off the market! I bet it’s got Darby and Casey quakin’ in their boots knowing the women in this town must be comin’ up with new strategies to reel them in.” Autumn laughed delightedly, causing the other two ladies to join in. They chatted for a few minutes more with a promise to get together before going their separate ways.

As Noelle stepped into
The Gentleman’s Club
, a sense of nostalgia swept over her. Instinctively she knew this was the kind of place that her Uncle Harvey would have loved. It was old fashioned and designed in reclaimed wood with a black and white tiled floor. Divided into several sections, there was the main barber shop, a shaving area, a shoe shining station, and game tables that were occupied with customers playing poker, spades, and dominoes, etc.

She walked up to Jack who was conversing with the owner Antonio Ladeaux, a dark- skinned Adonis that greatly resembled Idris Elba. Noelle could tell they had a good relationship when they were introduced, and he slyly teased Jack about going over to the dark side. Jack just laughed, taking it in stride.

“Hey, pretty girl. Whatcha got there?” Jack asked reaching his hand out to her. She took it and curled hers around his much larger one, reveling in what his touch alone could do to her. As she took in the details of his haircut and facial trim, the shorter cut really emphasized his curls and the intensity of his hazel eyes. The whiskers around the lower half of his face were now cleaned up and framed his sensual lips and square jaw.

“Nothin’ just a lil sumptin’, sumptin’,” she teased, loving the way his eyes darkened as they traveled down her body clad in a pilot style light denim jumpsuit and nude heels. Noelle’s straightened hair lay in sleek layers down her back.

Jack smiled as his eyes traveled over his wife’s radiant beauty. He’d instantly been aware of her presence when she walked in, and the easy going atmosphere inside of the shop turned into a predatory one as the men took notice of her. He pulled her in close enough to slide his arm around her waist and whisper hotly into her ear. “Oh yeah? You gonna show me a lil’ sumptin’ sumptin’ when we get home?”

He laughed quietly, loving the way her cheeks flushed, and Antonio chuckled. “And on that note, my brother, I will bid you
adieu
. Mrs. Sullivan, it was a pleasure to meet you.”

“It’s Noelle, and likewise. You’re so bad,” she whispered to Jack as they walked away, hoping no one noticed how her nipples were pressing through her bra as arousal coursed through her body.

“Don’t act like you don’t know, darlin’,’” Jack returned with a roguish grin that turned into a laugh at her open-mouthed, wide-eyed look.

Chapter Twenty

Avery had been staring blankly at her computer screen for the last ten minutes, even though she had far more important things to do than waste her time in this manner. She still had to make sure her flower vendor had the product she requested for Tarik’s party, and that it would arrive on time; or maybe go down to the venue with her checklist and ensure things were progressing smoothly. She also needed to interview the backup deejay in case Sidra couldn’t spin that night. Instead, she was wondering what to wear tomorrow night for her first meeting with Pierce’s mother.

Ever since she’d finally snapped and gave him a piece of her mind, Pierce had been falling all over himself to get back into her good graces. Avery was getting flowers every other day, baskets of fruit, and poems.
Poems for God’s sake!
He was calling her three to four times a day, and tomorrow he was finally bringing her to meet his mama.
His mama.
In all the months of dating, Avery had inquired about meeting Pierce’s parents on numerous occasions since he’d already met hers, but he always said when the time was right. Apparently, her being on the verge of breaking up with him was the perfect time to meet his mama.

So everything was going great…. except for their sex life. It seemed that he still couldn’t cross that hurdle and bring himself to be physical with her. While Avery was not one to base her relationships on what happened between the sheets, she did have needs— needs that had her overworking her B.O.B. and ordering one with more stamina and girth, which she found herself using on a more than regular basis.

The only problem with that was every time she closed her eyes and tried to imagine Pierce, a certain charming redheaded rascal always popped into her mind to assist in stimulating the best orgasms Avery had ever had as he whispered all the dirty, filthy things he wanted to do to her.

The phone rang, shaking her out of her reverie; and she answered it without checking, since it was probably Pierce with his
third
call of the day.

“Hello?” she said morosely and was surprised to hear a deeper voice than Pierce’s on the other end. It was a voice with a southern drawl that made her stomach dance with butterflies.

“Good afternoon, Ms. Avery. It’s Darby Sullivan. I didn’t catch you at a bad time did I?” he asked smoothly. Goosebumps appeared on her arms. His accent had her feeling some kind of way for sure. Plus, he wasn’t hard on the eyes either.

“Uh..no..uh..hi,” she stammered weakly and then slapped her forehead. His laugh was low and seductive, almost as if he knew she dreamed about him. “You weren’t interrupting me, Darby. How have you been?”

“Oh, I can’t complain. I was calling to make sure that you were still coming down to Tennessee at the end of the week; getting all the flights coordinated so that only one trip is needed to pick everyone up in Knoxville. You gonna be able to make it?” Avery closed her eyes as she listened to his drawl. It sounded exactly the same in her dreams. Especially the one where he said things like,
“Spread your legs wider. I’m gonna make you feel real good, Ms. Avery.”

“Ms. Avery, are you still with me?” Darby asked sounding concerned and startling her once again out of her reverie.

“Yes, I’m still here!” she squeaked. “I was just looking through my schedule to make sure I get everything done before Thursday. Looks like I’ll be okay. How about I email you the flight details after I talk to Sidra? What’s your email address?”

“It’s [email protected],” he drawled, making her laugh. Of course he was a Johnny Cash fan.

“I love that song! It’s so real; love songs just aren’t what they used to be,” she said with a sigh of regret.

“A girl after my own heart. Music nowadays just talks about what someone’s gonna do to someone else when they get them alone. No heart, just the physical,” Darby said with such disgust it made Avery laugh again. “Especially R & B. Old school stuff had you ready to wife somebody, but this new crap gives you specific plans on how to cheat and not get caught.”

“Exactly! Some people like music because of the beat, but I listen to the words. If the beat’s great on top of good lyrics, then it’s a plus to me,” she replied.

“Amen to that. Listen, when you ladies get down here you, should come check out my bar that I co-own with a buddy of mine,” Darby suggested. “After you get settled in, of course. It gets a little wild at times, but there’s always a good time to be had at
Hooligans
.”

“
Hooligans
?” Avery repeated dubiously. Although she was down to try it out, the name made her question the type of establishment he owed.

“Yep, when I was growing up, Sister Mary McCloud used to scold me and call me a little hooligan; saying that if I didn’t apply myself, I would never amount to anything,” Darby replied; and Avery could picture his cocky smile clear as day. “She’s long since retired and wouldn’t ya know, she’s my best customer? Shows up faithfully to participate in the wet t-shirt contest first Saturday of each month to a full house.”

Avery burst into full-fledged laughter, and he joined in with his booming laughter. Talking to Darby was really nice; and despite her kinky dreams, she couldn’t believe how at ease she felt with him.

Before she could respond, a woman’s voice could be heard screeching in the background, “Darby, bring your fine as hell, sorry ass out here! You sexy son of a bitch! How dare you try to sneak back into town and not call me?!”

What the hell was she thinking?? Avery sat up coming out of her Darby daze. She had someone, and apparently he did too; a very pissed off someone from the sounds of it. “Well it sounds like you need to go. I’ll email you that information as soon as I discuss it with Sidra. Bye, Darby,” Avery said hurriedly and hung up before he could respond. Groaning, she put her head on her desk. She was a fool. A complete and utter fool.