Chapter 4
Jagger
I didn’t know what made me claim Jackie, not only in front of the two assholes harassing her but in front of a brother. By saying she was club property in front of Phantom, I basically said no other Sinner could touch her. And the more I thought about that, the more I was okay with the decision. Being alone was something I’d grown used to, but there was something about her that drew me in like a moth to a flame.
And if I fucked this up royally, like I believed I probably would, I’d catch blowback from Roughstock and his ol’ lady. Jackie was SRMC family by her connection to Cheyenne, and the last thing I wanted to do was cause turmoil within the club. We’d had too much of that already.
So, on the drive out to the ranch, where I knew she was staying this week, I debated what my next move should be. I could tell Phantom the comment was made to protect her from the drunk cowboys and let it slide. Or I could take a leap and pray that I didn’t fuck this up.
Jackie had a spirit inside her that was like a wild stallion running free on the range. She was fierce, loyal, compassionate, and beautiful beyond measure. Her flawless skin begged to be touched, her haunting green eyes chased me in my dreams, and her silky black hair made me want to wrap it around my fist and pull while I was riding her.
But that was probably a long way down the road, if ever.
When she turned her head and stared out the window, I worried she was berating herself over the evening’s events, and on impulse, I reached over and placed my hand on top of hers. She flinched slightly before she looked over at me, and from the dash lights, I could see the blush spread across her face. She bit her plump lip, and all I wanted to do was lean over and kiss her breathless.
As I turned onto the long driveway leading to the ranch house, I decided to throw caution to the wind. After pulling off the road and making sure I was just inside the driveway, I pushed the brake and put the truck in park. She gave me a curious look, and just as she was about to speak, I leaned over the console and gripped the back of her neck, pulling her closer to me.
The moment my lips pressed against hers, something in my brain clicked, and for the first time in my life, I felt like everything was right. Jackie was right, and I’d been an asshole to keep walking away from her. When she parted her lips and I could snake my tongue into her mouth, I heard her groan. The sound was euphoric, and I felt my dick twitch in my jeans.
I wouldn’t let this get too far too fast, but feeling her push closer to the console, I gripped the back of her head a little tighter before slowing the kiss to its conclusion. We were both panting as the explosive heat from our connection filled the cab of the truck.
“I should get you to the house before someone comes out to see who’s parked in the driveway,” I admitted, and she gave me a wordless nod as she looked into my eyes. “We’ll finish this later, my beautiful warrior.”
She smiled as I turned and put the truck into gear before pulling down the driveway. The lights to the bunkhouse next to the main house were on and there was a gathering outside. As I pulled the truck up to the front, Roughstock and Cheyenne walked over from the little party going on.
When Jackie went to open the door, I looked over and said, “Let me get that, darlin’.”
She smiled, and I got out and walked around the back of the truck as Roughstock and Cheyenne approached the front. After opening the door, I lifted my hand up and assisted Jackie down from the cab. When I closed the door, she tried to release my hand, only for me to keep a hold of it.
Cheyenne looked at the connection and gave Jackie a sly smile as Roughstock spoke. “Nick called and said there was some trouble at the VIP lounge tonight. Are you okay, Jackie?”
She nodded as Cheyenne looked worriedly at her. “Some drunks thought buying me a drink gave them access to my pants, but luckily, Jagger and Phantom were there and helped diffuse the situation.”
“Thank you, Lincoln,” Cheyenne said to me, and I gave her a nod.
It wasn’t often any of the brothers or ol’ ladies called me Lincoln, and when Jackie heard the name, she looked up at me and said, “I didn’t know Lincoln was your first name.”
“Yep. Lincoln Michael Philips.”
“Hmm,” she said without expounding.
“Do you want to join the guys at the bunkhouse? Since the herd is already moved, they have the morning off, so I bought a bunch of meat and alcohol to celebrate,” Roughstock explained.
I looked down at Jackie, but she didn’t seem eager to join the gathering as she reasoned, “I think I’m going to take a shower and settle in with my book.”
“Jagger, are you still staying here, or have you changed your mind?” Cheyenne asked, barely able to contain her smile.
Again, I looked at the beautiful woman whose hand was firmly in mine and raised my eyebrows. I wasn’t aware she was staying at the ranch when Roughstock had invited me to stay. It was just supposed to be a place to crash and shower between auctions and the rodeo. The last thing I wanted to do was make her think I was expecting anything from her.
When she smiled up at me and gave my hand a squeeze, I looked back at Cheyenne. “I’ll stay here since we have an early start tomorrow, if that’s still okay with you.”
“You’re always welcome here. I’ve got you set up in the bedroom at the top of the stairs, and Jackie has the room next to it. You two will have to share the connecting bathroom, which I hope won’t be a problem.”
“We’ll be out with the ranch hands for a little while if you two change your mind about joining us. There’s plenty of food and drinks for everyone,” Roughstock replied as he guided a smiling Cheyenne back to the bunkhouse.
Jackie yawned but tried to cover it with her hand. I lifted our connected hands up to my mouth and placed a kiss onto the back. “Let’s get you cleaned up and into bed so you can curl up with that book.”
“Okay,” she simply said, and I turned and guided us up the stairs and into the house.
For the first time in months, I wasn’t worried about looking at the information the Callahan brothers sent me in my search for Blur. I wasn’t worried about the ranch hands or the club brothers. I was only worried about getting Jackie inside and settled in for the night.
As we walked inside, I could see exhaustion on Jackie’s face, and when she started to climb the stairs, I made yet another impulsive decision. Placing one hand under her knees and one on her back, I hoisted her light frame into my arms, and she was wide-eyed as I carried her up the stairs like a bride.
When we got to the top, I placed her on her feet and took her hand back in mine as I walked her down the small hallway to the room she was staying in. She looked up at me and tucked a chunk of her thick hair behind her ear, only for it to fall back across her cheek.
“Thank you again for tonight. I . . . I don’t know how things would’ve turned out if you hadn’t been there. And don’t worry, I won’t hold you to your claim,” she said as she cast her eyes down slightly.
“Please look at me, beautiful.” She slowly lifted her eyes, and I could see uncertainty looking back at me. “Why would you say I don’t have to honor what I said?”
“I know you only said that so those guys would leave me alone.” Her eyes darted to the side as she mumbled, “I understand why you did it.”
Not wanting her to think I was the kind of man who said things I didn’t mean, the painful tone of her voice was causing a pain in my chest. Pushing closer, I backed her up until she was against the wall between our rooms, and when she opened her mouth, I leaned over and kissed her again.
It was brief but powerful, and when I pulled back, I looked at her and said, “I meant what I said, so if you’re having doubts, now’s the time to speak up, because once I kiss you again, I won’t be able to walk away.” Tucking some hair behind her ear, I declared, “You’re mine now.”
“Yours?”
I nodded silently and watched the brilliant smile push up on her cheeks. She pushed up onto her toes, wrapped her arms around me, and pressed her lips to mine. I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her closer, allowing us to get a little heated.
But tonight wasn’t the night to share ourselves, and certainly not in my President’s house. So, with slow pecks on her lips, I released my hold on her and whispered, “You need to get some sleep. We’ve got a long day tomorrow.”
“Okay,” she whispered. With great reluctance, I stepped back and watched as she opened the door to the room she was using. Just before she stepped inside, she turned and looked back at me before saying, “Good night, Jagger.”
“Good night, my beautiful warrior.”
I watched the closed door for longer than I should have, and when I heard her begin to move around the shared bathroom, I turned and walked into the room I used whenever I crashed here. Flopping onto the bed, I smiled up at the ceiling as I heard the shower turn on behind the closed bathroom door.
Whatever fate’s plan was for me, I hoped Jackie was a part of it. And deep down, I hoped she understood when I made stupid mistakes and fucked things up, because it was going to happen . . . probably sooner than later.