CHAPTER FIVE Danny
CHAPTER FIVE
Danny
Mr. Sexy Chest insisted on getting my stuff for me after he tossed some chicken and potatoes in the oven.
I shamelessly watched from the window as he picked up every single dildo, vibrator, plug, and massager, giving each one a little inspection before he roughly shoved it back into the ruined bag.
I was trying so hard not to laugh that I would have sworn I strained something.
He literally picked up all of my stuff and dragged it inside. I repeatedly thanked him, even if he constantly grumbled under his breath as he made a pile in the corner so it was… out of the way as much as could be in the tiny space. Wow, had I really brought that much stuff?
He went as far as to put my groceries away in his kitchen and storage freezer out in the back room.
Which could make one think it was a silent invitation for me to stay awhile. But one look at Mr. Open The Door Half Naked’s tight shoulders and jerky movements, I knew it wasn’t. And that meant I had to figure a way out of this and somewhere to go with nearly zero bucks in my bank account.
I would have had more, but it seemed that in a breakup, one party is entitled to claim shit that wasn’t theirs and take off with it.
Insert hard eye roll here and a dash of needing to hit someone in the face.
Fuck my ex!
But not in the fun way.
I still couldn’t believe he’d done that to me.
Broke up with me and took off before I even knew I was missing shit that was mine.
Like all the money in my savings account and most of what was in my bank account.
Not to mention how he left me sitting with all the damn bills.
I’d been killing myself the last three months trying to earn extra income to cover everything and pay off some of the overdue things that I had no idea were fucking overdue.
I’d like to say that was the last time I’d trusted someone like that, but look at the pickle I was currently in. I didn’t realize I trusted too blindly, but I suppose that was something else for the list of things to fix or whatever.
I tried to shake it off as my new roommate—haha, kidding—set down a plate in front of me with the most basic, bland-looking food I’d ever seen. Not that I was complaining. I was so hungry, I didn’t care what it looked or tasted like.
So, yeah… dinner was awkward. Go figure. Just two strangers sitting at a tiny table shoved up against the wall with no window to look out as a distraction.
I glanced around the cabin’s interior to have something to do, so maybe it wouldn’t feel so awkward. Oh wow. There wasn’t much to hold my attention.
“Your place is cute,” I said, trying to make some kind of conversation.
He paused, fork speared through a chunk of potato. He looked around as if he was either seeing his cabin for the first time or trying to figure out exactly what I was seeing. Somehow, I got the impression we didn’t see the same thing.
“Okay,” he grunted before tucking back into his food.
And that was the entirety of the conversation.
I offered to wash the dishes after, and he asked for my phone.
I unlocked it and handed it over without a second thought.
As soon as he closed the door to the little back room, I realized what a huge mistake I might have just made.
Shit! There I went again, just blindly trusting. Everything was on that phone!
Panic tightened around my insides as he pulled out his phone and made a call. His lips were moving, but I couldn’t hear what he was saying. Who was he calling? Or more likely, who was he giving my information to?
His brows furrowed as he spoke. He tapped on my phone screen, almost seeming like he was following directions.
It seemed like it was too late to stop him. To snatch my phone away and keep my shit safe from the life-ruining thief on the other end of that call.
I realized I was being a bit absurd, but with my ex, and now this debacle with the cabin, who could really blame me?
I tried to focus on washing the dishes instead of spiraling into all the ways handing my phone over to a stranger could go wrong.
Maybe I shouldn’t think the worst of him. Things were up in the air, and I’d been screwed over, but none of that was his fault.
A long sigh left me as I dried my hands.
After hanging the towel from the handle of the stove, I looked around the cabin for something else to keep my mind occupied.
Seeing my coat still draped over the couch, I headed for it.
I picked it up almost on autopilot and then headed over to the row of hooks on the wall next to the front door.
I didn’t think anything of it as I made a place hang it.
My gaze caught on something leather hanging on the first hook.
I released my coat to give the garment my attention.
There were patches on it. I couldn’t stop myself as I pushed the leather vest flat against the wall.
I gasped as I took a step back.
There was a huge patch on the back indicating he was part of some motorcycle club. Blinking rapidly, I tried to convince myself I wasn’t seeing what I was seeing.
But there it was, clear as day. Steel Paragons. The armored-looking motorcycle was a dead giveaway that it was a biker group insignia.
The curved patch at the bottom read Nomad.
I had no idea what that meant. Honestly, I didn’t really have the first clue about any of this other than the brief things I’d picked up here and there from TV.
I hadn’t watched the shows because they weren’t my kind of thing.
I wasn’t into violence, fighting, and illegal acts.
Which, okay, that last one might surprise some people, given my profession as a camboy.
Though camming was legal and legit, some people would prefer it not to be.
Besides, I wasn’t talking about petty illegal acts.
I meant the ones that hurt people or led to the destruction of someone’s life.
I was all for weed being legal, even though I didn’t partake, and for prostitution to be a regulated job, so it was safer.
I twisted the leather piece and turned it, eventually able to see the patches on the front.
Killjoy.
One could only guess that was his biker name or club calling card or whatever, and I couldn’t stop the snort that slipped out. Funny enough, it seemed very fitting for the man who was currently scowling at me through the window on the door.
I sent him an apologetic smile as I released the smooth leather. And when he turned back away from me, I definitely didn’t bury my nose in the leather vest and take a deep inhale. That would have been weird and creepy.
Sue me, I loved the scent of leather. Even better when it was mixed with the musky, raw scent of man.
Oh, and I wasn’t talking about a sitting pretty, pampered kind of man.
What drove me wild was when I smelled the hard work and strength.
When it made me picture rough hands, sweat, and undiluted animal power.
With a name like Killjoy, I could only imagine he had a lot of pent-up sexual energy that needed to be released. He probably didn’t even know what it was to let go and fuck with wild abandon.
I bit my bottom lip just thinking about it.
How I’d love to be the one he released it on.
The one he threw around while he uncapped the bottle and set free all of that sexual tension.
I would love to be the ass he came all over because he couldn’t stop himself from marking his territory.
From staking his claim. Even if it was temporary.
I jumped out of my skin when the door forcefully cracked open.
“You’re ringing,” he said, brows pulled together in confusion as he held my phone out to me while still keeping his phone against his ear. Could he read my lusty thoughts on my face?
“Oh!” I rushed to grab it. I glanced down, and my lips instantly curled into a small smile seeing the obscenely naked picture of Jayden and me, laughing while we were covered in each other’s cum.
I almost let out a silly little giggle when I glanced back at him, and he raised his brow, revealing so many unspoken questions.
I answered the call as he ducked back into the room. “Hey.”
“Wow, you sound out of breath. Did I mess up a shoot?”
“Um, no. I was just…” Having crazy thoughts about the random stranger, who happens to own the house I almost broke into.
It took me a long moment to snap out of it, then another few seconds to realize that he had called me.
No one called anymore unless it was an emergency, and even then, most people would just send a quick text. “Are you okay?”
“Oh, yeah. I’m fine,” he said, and I could just picture him fluidly waving his hand in the air. “But listen, I kinda need a little favor.” His Alabama accent was front and center, and I could hear his tone dripping with that Southern charm he pulled out when he wanted to get his way.
“Okay…” I drew the word out, waiting for more.
Talking faster than I thought humanly possible, he went into an explanation about sexy toy Christmas advertising that his boyfriend’s toy company was doing, and how someone ended up falling through.
I was trying to figure out if this was a call where he needed me to comfort and calm him down, or if it was something else.
“Do you have that Proud Pinkie I sent you to try out?” he asked.
I distinctly remember tossing the unopened gift into my giant bag of toys…
and that made me think about what had happened to said giant bag of toys.
A laugh bubbled up inside of me, but I pushed it down.
As much as I would have loved to share the moment with him, and I knew he would have appreciated it all the same, he was in crisis mode and didn’t need any distractions.
“Yes, I have it,” I told him.
“Oh! My. Gosh-golly!” he exclaimed dramatically! “I totally forgot. Did you make it to the vacation house?”
I snorted at his use of terminology. I’d never once referred to it as that. He was giving me an upgrade in his mind. Which, maybe, wasn’t such a bad thing now that I was in the reality of it.
Actually, the cabin wasn’t that bad. A little smaller than what I’d hoped for, and a lot less empty than I’d been promised, but it was cute, in that rustic sort of way, and I might get to stay a night or two.
“Yeah,” I said, holding back a sigh. “I’m here. The fire is going, and outside is nothing but miles of white powder.”
“Sounds dreamy,” he said wistfully.
Sure, I could tell him about everything that has gone wrong, but why would I try to override his panic situation with mine? I could always talk about my stuff later.
“It is,” I said. “So, what about Proud Pinkie, and why do you need to know if I have it?”
“Right!” I could picture his wide eyes blinking as he got himself back on track. “Will you do it?”
This happened a lot. Somehow, his adorable ADHD brain would have part of the conversation without actually having it. Which left me lost sometimes.
And despite the confusion, I was smiling. How could you not love him?
“Jayden, I have no idea what you need from me,” I stated calmly.
Thirty seconds ticked on, and I knew he was replaying what actually happened.
“Oops,” he said in a cute high-pitched voice. “I did the thing again. Sorry. Okay, someone canceled. I have a hole that needs to be filled.” We both snickered. “Will you shoot a promo for me? Pretty please, with all the ball-shaped cherries on top. I’ll love you forever.”
“You’d love me forever, anyway,” I point out.
“True, but I’d extra love you.”
“Is that Prince I hear grumbling in the background?” I asked, still smiling.
“Sure is,” he said, and I could hear the smile in his voice. He loved to push his boyfriend’s buttons.
“Fine,” I gave in, dragging the word out.
“Thank you!”
“Can I ask who backed out?” I felt like I was pressing my luck. I didn’t really care, I was just curious who I’d be replacing.
When the silence stretched out an uncomfortable amount, my stomach flopped, and I had an idea of who it was.
“It was him, wasn’t it?” I asked, even knowing the answer, and was met with more silence. Ugh, it was like no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t get away from the demon ghost of my ex, haunting me—no, tormenting me—even though the asshole was still alive. “Fucking really?”
Bitterness ran through me. I couldn’t hate Jayden and his boyfriend. I knew it was business, and you couldn’t always run a business on friendship and favors. I got it. But that wasn’t to say that I didn’t feel the sting of it.
“Come on. Do it. It’ll really show him,” Jayden said.
“Show him what?” I rolled my eyes. “That I’m sloppy seconds. Yeah, that will really get him.”
Oh, I hated the feeling that was coursing through me.
I didn’t like to be bitter. I didn’t like to be angry or jealous or any of that.
But those feelings kept creeping in, no matter how hard I did my best to internally swat them away.
I couldn’t shake the nasty sides that were coming out, and that was likely the reason this breakup was hitting me so hard.
I realized it all stemmed from being hurt. Still, knowing the root of it only made me aware… it didn’t magically give me a cure to fix it.
“Show him that your face looks better on our website than his.” The light tinkle in his voice had me busting out in a fit of laughter.
One thing I loved about Jayden was that he always knew how to help me turn my frown upside down. Though those moments were rare.
And that was how Mr. Sexy Biker Man found me when he came back into the room. With a huge smile on my face and lightness in my tone.
We locked eyes. I felt the crackle in the air. His brow furrowed as he dropped his gaze to my wide smile, which was mostly teeth.
You know what, maybe Jayden was right. Or maybe I just didn’t even need to care about showing up my stupid face ex.
Maybe… the whole caring about showing my ex that I’m fine shouldn’t even matter, and I needed to do with just for me alone.
“I’ll do it,” I told Jayden.