RIDE: The Complete Delancey Brothers Trilogy (10 page)

But you had to be in a relationship to be unfaithful. We weren't together. He'd been very specific about what he wanted. Just sex. So what did I have to feel guilty about?

Nothing!

Still, it didn't stop the strange, uneasy feeling in my gut. I forced myself to shake it off. I had no choice but to go through with the date now. I'd be polite but not encourage Pete one bit.

As for Jackson, well, I could always text him back and say I'd considered his offer.

And accept it.

It was crazy, but I was seriously considering having casual sex with the man. He was arrogant, pushy and thick-headed. But I wanted him all the same.

There, I said it.

I wanted him.

The man had started sending me suggestive texts a few days ago. I'd ignored them, not writing back to even one. Or at least I'd
tried
to ignore them.

Each note had gotten more specific about what he wanted to do to me. He'd described in detail how he was going to take my clothes off, where he would touch me, how long he would spend making me squirm before he screwed my brains out.

I was surprised to say, the man had a way with words.

The truth was, he was getting to me.

I stepped out of the bathroom and smiled half-heartedly at Casey. She was sketching in the living room. It was starting to really come together nicely. We'd painted the fireplace white. The first thing I'd done when we moved in was close the flue and seal up the front. We had our sectional couch from New York and a colorful cotton rug along with two easy chairs and ottomans. Nothing too fancy but we liked it.

Now, the room was cheerful, bright and soot-free for my sister's sake.

I took one look at her and stopped short.

She was scowling. I teased her, trying to lighten her mood. Maybe I shouldn't go out tonight after all...

"Case? Do I look that bad?"

She glared at me and shrugged. Then she went back to her sketching.

"What's wrong? Do I have a third eye or something?"

"You look fine. Have fun on your
date.
"

Great. Even Casey was depressed about my date for some reason. I watched in surprise as she sullenly wheeled herself out of the living room.

"Elle will be here soon. I won't be gone long sweetheart I promise."

"What do I care!"

"You are the one who wanted me to date!"

"Yes but
NOT HIM!
"

She slammed the door to the kitchen, making me stare after her in shock. Casey never got angry. I had no idea what had gotten into her.

I shook it off and grabbed a light jacket. I'd have to talk to her later. Explain that I was just trying to make her happy. She'd calm down and we would have a good laugh about the whole thing.

I was waiting by the door when Elle came in.

"She's in the kitchen. She's mad at me."

Elle's eyebrows shot up.

"Why?"

"I have a date."

"So?"

"Apparently it's with the wrong man."

Elle smiled at me knowingly.

"Yes, so I heard. Where are you going to?"

"Some local rib place. I don't know why I'm even going."

"Don't you?"

I shook my head.

"Well if you wanted to drive Jackson out of his mind with jealousy, it worked."

"Wait, what?"

I heard Pete's truck pull in out front but all I could do was stare at Elle.

"Elle, what do you mean?!"

"I mean he's on a tear. Drinking. Cursing up a storm. I've never seen him like this before."

I must have looked terrified because she touched my shoulder softly.

"You don't have to be afraid of Jackson. He can be stern, but he's the most loyal man I've ever met. All three of them are."

"It's not that-"

"He would never hurt a woman. Those three loved their mother more than most. She brought them up right. He's just untamed."

I snorted at that description of Jackson. Untamed was exactly right.

"More like not housebroken."

She laughed and winked at me.

"The best ones always are."

Elle laughed and gave me a quick hug.

"Have fun on your date. But not... too much fun."

I nodded.

"I have no intention of having too much fun with anyone. That's the problem. That's all Jackson is after anyway."

Her smiled widened.

"We'll see."

I went outside as Pete was unloading my supplies from his shiny new pickup truck. He stacked everything neatly on the far side by the cellar door. I smiled at his consideration. That way everything would be out of sight from the front of the house. He smiled at me and opened the door to his truck for me.

I sighed as he drove me into town. He was very nice. He deserved better than to be used. And that's exactly what I was doing.

I decided to stop lying to myself. I was doing this to make Jackson jealous. It wasn't my proudest moment, but Elle said that it was working. Did that mean he wasn't giving up on me?

It was crazy, but that's exactly what I was hoping for.

The restaurant was nice, though they didn't have a lot of vegetarian options. Pete was very attentive. I cringed at the way he hung on my every word. He obviously had a crush on me. I did my best to keep the conversation light and impersonal.

I was sipping on an iced tea when I felt a funny tickling on the back of my neck. I looked up and froze.

Jackson Delancey was sitting at the bar.

He stared at me with a cold look on his face. I inhaled sharply, feeling butterflies in my stomach. He smiled at me then. But it wasn't a friendly smile.

Oh no. It was the kind of smile a wolf gave a deer, right before they tore into it.

"You alright?"

I swallowed my tea and coughed.

"Yes. I just- excuse me a moment."

I practically ran for the ladies room.

Chapter Thirteen

Jackson

I stood in the hallway outside the ladies room, cooling my heels. My whole body was tense from watching Pete fawn all over Angelina since they'd walked into the place. It took every ounce of my will not to walk across the room and punch his stupid face.

Just for looking at her.

Just for thinking he even had a chance in hell of touching her.

Just for
breathing.

If he laid so much as a finger on her, I was going to have to break it.

She was mine dammit.

I felt like a jackass, truth be told.

The door opened and I grabbed it, pushing my way inside. Angelina looked shocked. She was about to get a whole lot more surprised in three... two... one...

I locked the door and spun her, pressing her up against it. I held her still with one hand on her hip. I grabbed her other hands and held them above her head.

There. Now she was good and stuck. She was going to hear me out, once and for all.

Her eyes were wide and her breath was coming in short bursts.

And I hadn't even gotten started.

"What the hell are you doing Jackson?!?"

"Protecting what's mine!"

"And what is that exactly?"

"You are woman! And now I'm going to prove it."

I realized I was shouting at the same moment that I realized that Angie wasn't pissed. She looked... intrigued. She wasn't even listening to me.

She was too busy staring at my lips.

I groaned and let myself kiss her. Finally. It felt like a cold drink after a long ride on a hot day. She didn't pull away, or try to, considering I had her pressed up against the door.

She wasn't going anywhere. Not on my watch. But she wasn't fighting me, like I'd come to expect from her.

No, she leaned into me, arching her back so that her tits smashed into my chest. I grunted and reached for her tits, pushing her shirt up and out of the way. I let go of her hands in the process but it didn't matter.
 

She was mewling like a sweet little kitten who wanted her belly rubbed.

I tugged her bra cups down and moaned as her gorgeous breasts came into view. I sucked on her nipples until she was making those soft, sexy sounds that drove me crazy. I lifted my head to kiss her and pulled one thigh up so I could get my cock as close to her as possible.

It wasn't enough. It wasn't nearly enough.

"Angie."

"Hmmm hmmm?"

She was staring at me in a daze, her arms wrapped around my shoulders. She was going to let me do whatever I wanted with her. She wasn't going to stop me this time.

I hoped.

"Angie we got to go."

"Okay."

I stared at her, not sure she was getting my meaning. She was being far too agreeable. I grabbed her chin, forcing her to meet my eyes. She smiled at me, looking like she was drugged.

"We need to find a bed. Now. After you tell Pete you won't be going out with him again."

She nodded and I sighed in relief. She did understand. And for whatever reason, she'd decided to stop fighting me. Just in the nick of time.

It was a good thing too. I didn't want to screw her in a bathroom, but I'd been getting real damn close to not caring.

I grabbed her hand and pulled her back into the restaurant. Everyone stared at us when we passed. I tightened my grip on her possessively. No one who saw us would have the slightest doubt that Angie was mine.

Pete stood up as we approached but I gestured him to sit back down.

He sat.

"Angelina has something to say to you Pete."

"Thank you for a loving evening."

I nudged her.

"Go on."

"I'm sorry but I can't see you again."

"Because..."

She was at a loss for words apparently. I grinned, certain that my skills had something to do with that. I took pity on her and took matters into my own hands.

"She's off the market."

Pete was trying to figure out what the hell to do. I knew he didn't want to get into a fight with me. The man wasn't an idiot for God's sake. But a woman like Angie was definitely worth the risk of getting pummeled by my superior Delancey fists.

I didn't want to give him enough time to think about that too deeply.

"I don't understand. Are you okay, Angie?"

"She's fine. She just forgot to tell you that she belongs to someone else."

I grinned at him, yanking her against my side.

"Me."

I tossed some money on the table and winked.

"Have a nice night Pete."

Angelina

"Well, that wasn't awkward at all."

I stood, watching Elle drive off through the living room window. Jackson was behind me, his hands all over me the instant the door had closed behind her. Casey was already in bed.

I was all alone with Jackson.

Basically I had let the big bad wolf into my house.

Stupid little piggy.

It didn't matter though. This little piggy was horny. And the big bad wolf was the only one who could satisfy me.

His lips were on my neck, tugging my shirt away so he could taste me. He was insatiable it seemed. I couldn't pretend anymore than he didn't affect me.

He did. Everything about him turned me on. His touch, his smell, the possessive way he looked at me most of all.

Jackson was doing things to me that defied comprehension. A simple touch, or kiss was magnified a hundred times. His lips felt like fire, but they didn't burn. I could feel his cock pressing against me through his jeans.

That
did burn.

I moaned and rocked backwards against him.

He grunted and the sound went straight to my center, filling me with liquid warmth. I knew I was soaking wet. When was the last time that had happened?

Oh yeah, the last time he had touched me.

I turned in his arms and he pounced on me, practically inhaling my lips and tongue with his own. He took my shirt off and threw it on the sofa. Then he started on my jeans.

"Jackson- wait-"

He shook his head vehemently.

"Can't wait."

"Jackson! Casey is just in the other room!"

He cursed and stopped undressing me. Then he took a deep breath and shook his head. The next thing I knew I was upside down, slung over his shoulder as he carried me up the stairs.

He took those steps two at a time. We practically flew to the second floor. In two shakes I was on my back and he was pulling my jeans off. I lay there in my bra and panties watching him get undressed.

It was like my own private peep show.

I decided to just enjoy having a caveman in my bed for the night.

The man was
stacked.

He had muscles upon muscles upon muscles. His stomach was flat, his arms thick and ropey, his legs thicker than a tree trunk. His shoulders were so wide that they would have looked ridiculous on a lesser man.

But Jackson Delancey was not a lesser man.

Especially not with the enormous pole sticking out of his boxers.

I'd noticed this of course. The last time he'd taken his clothes off in front of me. But I'd been to angry too fully appreciate it.

Now that I'd decided to go through with it, I could really enjoy what I was seeing. If he just wanted sex that was just fine with me.

That's what I wanted right now too. Sex. And he was just the man to give it to me. I licked my lips, eager for him to get on with it.

Jackson's face was hard as he stared down at me. I could tell he was exerting tremendous control over himself, just to keep from tearing his clothes off. He was moving quickly and carefully.

As he kicked off his pants, I did see him come close to toppling over.

I couldn't help it. I giggled. My timing was bad though, because he finally got his pants off and glared at me.

"Woman."

I giggled some more as he leaned down and grabbed my ankles.

"You won't be laughing for long."

I swallowed nervously as he pulled my legs apart and climbed up between them.

Chapter Fourteen

Jackson

I was utterly focused as I kissed my way up her thighs. I was not going to kiss her. I was not going to touch her.

I was going right for the gold.

I was the Goddammed pussy eating champ of the world and I was going to prove it.