Chapter 7
7
COLE
I grab Jo’s petite hand and pull her into the backseat with me. Jayden drives. I know he needs some feeling of control. He always gets like this when he’s stressed—controlling and quiet. I hoped I’d never see that again once we got Jo back.
“Where are we going?” Jo tries to pull away from me, and I yank her back, putting her hand over my crotch. As she struggles to get away, it makes my dick harden immediately.
Jo’s angry eyes fly to mine in the darkness. I pull her forward and kiss those little pursed lips.
Jo makes a cry of surprise, and I lean into her further, licking her soft mouth and nearly groaning at her taste. She tastes sweet and addictive, and I just can’t get enough. I prod past her lips and swoop my tongue in.
Jo leans in and tries to bite me.
I pull back, chuckling. “If you bite me, I’ll fuck you right here for anyone to see.”
Jo lets loose another delicious gasp. Fucking hell, I’m hard as stone. I didn’t think it was possible, after all the fucking we did, but this woman does something to me.
Jo’s hand squeezes on my dick, and she digs her fingers in. A sharp bite of pain shoots up my body, and I moan, bucking my hips into her.
“Oh, you like that?” Jo grips again, harder.
I groan. Yes. Yes, I fucking like that.
Jo leans into my ear. “Well, if you want me to touch you again, you’ll tell me where we’re going.”
Her hand squeezes just right, but not enough.
Fucking hell, I love this bossy side of her. “I don’t know, little one.”
Jo makes a sound of disgust and pulls away.
“Wait.” I snap my hand out to grab her chin, making her face me. “I really don’t know. We can’t go back to the cabin. Cops are crawling all over it.”
I meet Jo’s gaze until she stops fighting me. Her eyes soften a bit. “Oh.”
I know what we have to do. I have to grovel to my mom. And I’d rather do anything but that. I already know she won’t pick up the phone if I call her.
I kiss Jo again, just to see her reaction. She frowns, and it makes me smile. Fuck, I missed her.
Jayden pulls into a rest stop.
“We already out of gas?” I look over his shoulder at the fuel gauge.
“Need to swap the plates out,” Jayden says. “Look for a car that’s the same make and model.”
I scan the lot as he drives, but I want to look at Jo. Soak her in until she’s imprinted in my vision, and all I see is her.
Jayden growls, “Gonna call your mom?”
I lean back, spreading my legs out and clasping my hands behind my head. “Gonna stop acting like an asshole?”
Jayden glares at me.
I shrug. “I’ll take that as a no.”
He narrows his eyes. “Make the call.”
He sees right through my act. He always does.
“Cole,” Jayden says.
I clench my jaw. “I can’t, Jayden. Because she married Ralph. Is that what you want to hear?”
Jayden immediately tenses. We’re driving past the rows of cars on another lap, and the whole car is silent.
Jayden lets out a long breath. Ralph was Pat’s friend. Longtime friend and full-time weirdo. He’s a pastor for a mega church in our old area. Even thinking about him reminds me of Pat. It throws me into memories I try so hard to forget. Which is part of the reason I refuse to talk to my mother.
Fuck. My hands start to sweat.
Jo’s stomach growls. I snap my gaze at her. Even in the low light from the rising sun, I see her pale cheeks.
Of course she’s hungry. We forgot to fucking feed her.
A horrible feeling cramps through my stomach. How could we forget that?
I motion to the fast food place attached to the gas station. “Jay, swing in there, and let’s get some food.”
Jayden glances back at us. I see the inner debate in his mind: a stolen car, warrants, a missing woman, witnesses.
“I’m fine,” Jo grumbles.
“No, you’re not.” I glare at Jayden. “Go, Jay.”
He glances between us again.
“Fuck man, we have to eat sometime.” There’s venom in my voice. We don’t have much food in the car. We hadn’t planned on running. This whole thing is so fucked up.
Jayden relents, and we pull in line.
“What do you want?” I ask Jo.
“Ten-piece chicken nuggets with a Sprite,” Jayden rattles off.
The car gets silent. That’s the last order she gave us in the hospital before she ran. Jayden rehearsed every detail after she got away. As if that would somehow bring her back.
Jo glances at us, suddenly looking shy. “Uh, yeah.”
I nod. “What else? That’s not enough.”
She pauses. “Uh, I guess a burger?”
I say, “Make it two. And fries. And a milkshake.”
Jayden nods. As he pulls up to grab our order, I pull Jo to me and smother her in a kiss. Both to hide her face and keep her from doing something stupid. She fights me, but I don’t let her up until we’re past that window. When we get our food, we drive to a part of the lot where we’re out of sight of the cameras and Jayden parks.
Jo is still sputtering, but she tries to grab a bag of food.
“No,” I lightly smack it away. “I’m going to feed you.”
Jo pulls back with a horrified look on her face. “What?”
I chuckle. “I’m. Going. To. Feed. You.” I open the box of nuggets. “Now be a good girl and open up.”
Jo leans back further, a flush on her cheeks. “That’s stupid, I can feed myself.”
“I know you can, you stubborn woman.” I arch an eyebrow. “Let me do this.”
Jo clamps her lips shut.
“This isn’t a choice.” I raise an eyebrow. Am I going to have to force her to let me take care of her?
My dick twitches at the idea. Yeah, I think I’d like that.
“Is anything a choice with you guys?” Jo’s pretty blue eyes look between me and the food.
“No.” I grin.
Jo’s face twists in a pretty little snarl. However, her stomach growls again. Loudly.
She huffs and crosses her arms. “Fine.”
I grin wider. “Open that pretty little mouth.”
Jo hesitates, then does – partially. Like she’s embarrassed or unsure of how far to open it.
I wink at her and slide the nugget in. “Bite.”
She does, pulling back immediately and glancing down.
Her submission goes straight to my dick, and I harden fully. Fucking hell, this woman affects me by barely doing anything.
I’m fucking ruined for her.
Jo takes the next bite more willingly, taking the rest of the nugget. I see the hunger in her face now.
I chuckle. “See? No reason to fight me at every turn, Jo.”
Jo’s gaze immediately hardens. “I’m only doing it because you wouldn’t let me eat otherwise.”
“Shhhh.” I put another bite in her mouth. “That’s a good girl. You’re catching on quickly.”
When she’s swallowed, she goes to say something else, but I push some more fries in her mouth instead. Jo lets loose a little moan, and her eyes roll back in her head. My dick pulses.
“Jesus,” comes softly from the front seat. Jayden’s eyes are fixed in the mirror, watching us.
I grab the drink and give it to Jo. She wraps her lips around the straw eagerly and sucks it down. Fuck, what I wouldn’t do to have her lips around me that enthusiastically.
When Jo’s done with her drink, she glances at the bags of food. “More.”
I chuckle and continue feeding her. I put my fingers close enough to the edge of the food, so her lips brush them every time she takes a bite.
Precum leaks into my pants, and every shift sends a thrill through me. The woman who fights us at every turn is letting me take care of her. I know it’s because she’s starving, but for a second, I let myself imagine it’s because she trusts me.
I want her to trust me.
Jo leans back, rubbing her stomach. “Fuck, I’m stuffed.”
“Not done.” I reach for the milkshake. We fucked her all night, and she has our initials carved into her arm. She needs more. The pill I gave her should be helping with the pain, but she needs energy to heal.
“Too much,” Jo tries to wave me off.
“No,” I level my glare at her. “At least a few bites.”
Jo groans but opens for my spoonful. I watch her lips close over the spoon, pulling every last bit away. I watch her delicate neck bob as she swallows.
Jayden shifts in the front seat, adjusting himself.
I smirk at him. “Eyes on the cars, loverboy. We’re looking for a plate, remember?”
Jayden shoots me a dark glare, then turns back to face the front, muttering, “I found her first; just remember that.”
I arch an eyebrow. “Oh wow, how very second grade of you.” I turn to Jo, a devious thought filling my mind. “Who would you pick if you had to pick one of us?”
Jo tries to grab the milkshake in my hand. “Neither. Give me that.”
I laugh, pulling it back out of her reach. “Pick!”
“Fucking hell!” Jo slumps back into her seat. “You’re both insufferable assholes who kidnapped me…twice.”
I shrug. “Okay, grumpy. We can revisit this argument after you’ve had some sleep.” I wink at her. “But I know it’s me.”
Jo shakes her head, and I put the milkshake within her reach. I don’t really care who she’d pick. She doesn’t have a choice to pick anyone but the two of us. But still, I like getting a rise out of both of them.
Leaning back into the trunk, I rustle through my bag. When I find what I’m looking for, I turn back around. “Close your eyes and open your mouth.”
Jo snorts. “Fuck no.”
I chuckle. “While I’d highly recommend you not do that if Jayden asks you to, you’re safe with me.”
Jayden shoots me a dangerous look.
Jo’s gaze bounces between my eyes. “What is it?”
“It’s a treat. You’ll like it.”
For the longest time, I don’t think she’ll trust me, and my heart squeezes. She doesn’t trust me.
I try to reason with myself. Try to talk back the murderous anger that fills me. Just as I’m about to force her jaw open, Jo relents, looking exhausted. She closes her eyes and opens her mouth.
Fucking hell. If that isn’t the prettiest sight. I drop the treat in. Instantly, Jo opens her eyes again, sucking on it. “What…it’s…a lemon drop?”
I wink at her. The tiniest crack of a smile reaches Jo’s eyes before she covers it again. She’s well-fed and tired. I’m feeling it myself, too.
“Come here.” I reach for Jo, pulling her into me so she can rest on me and sleep.
As I expected, she tries to pull away.
“Shhh,” I stroke her arm, keeping her pinned to my side. “Rest.”
Jo continues trying to fight for a bit, but I don’t let her get anywhere. Finally, she huffs and relaxes against me.
She won’t submit to me willingly. Right now. But I’m a patient man.
I’ll break her down.
She should probably keep trying to hide from me. Because once I have her heart, I’ll never give it back.
Even if she begs.