Chapter 12
Chapter Twelve
Laurel replayed Jake’s words the entire drive home. He’d been so confident she’d invite him into her bedroom. It bordered on arrogance, really. She’d never dealt with someone who was so cocky and self-assured. Yet, despite how much she probably should be offended by a statement like that, she was also flattered someone like him wanted to sleep with her.
Maybe he wants to sleep with every girl he meets.
That was a distinct possibility, she realized with a frown. She unlocked the door to her apartment and went inside. Truly, how many women would turn him down? Not many, if any at all. Heck, even she’d basically—okay, literally—begged him to kiss her.
Groaning, she tossed her purse onto the table in her small kitchen. Why had she done that? She’d never imagined herself capable of doing something so brazen. Yet, one touch of his lips, and her common sense had flown out the window.
Ugh. She needed to be careful. Jake seemed capable of lowering her inhibitions faster than three shots of tequila.
Pulling her phone out of her purse, she powered it up. She’d turned it off before the date because she felt it was disrespectful to text or take calls when you should be concentrating on the person you were with instead.
Not three seconds passed before a barrage of chimes rang out, signaling multiple texts. Before she even looked, she knew who they were from.
Britt
Yay! You went inside! clapping emoji
Britt
Is he as hot as I remembered? fire emoji
Britt
Make sure to kiss him goodnight! kiss emoji
Laurel’s entire body flushed at the memory of exactly how thoroughly she’d been kissed.
Britt
Call me when you get home. phone emoji
Wow. She’d never realized what an over-emoji user Britt was before, until she’d seen her messages back-to-back. The girl needed a twelve-step program.
Skye
Britt told me you almost chickened out. You know I would’ve smacked you, right?
Britt
Are you home yet? house emoji
Skye
Call me when you get home.
Britt
You’d better not go to sleep before you call me! mad emoji
Skye
Are you going to your house or going home with him?
Oh, my heck!
Britt
Go home with him! fire emoji eggplant emoji donut emoji
“Really?” Laurel left her phone on the table and walked to the refrigerator to get a bottle of water. Skye was delusional. “Like I’d go home with him on the first date.” Right?
Laurel’s phone rang, making her jump. It had to be one of those two, so she let it go to voicemail.
Two seconds later, it rang again.
“Not answering you.” She took a drink of water, screwed the cap back on, and headed toward the bathroom. She hadn’t even made it to the door before the phone rang a third time.
Laurel flopped her head back with a groan. If she didn’t answer it, they’d literally call her all night. She stomped back to her phone and snatched it up. “I’m kind of busy.”
“Are you home?” Skye demanded.
“How was the date?” Britt asked at practically the same time.
Great. Conference call. Just what I need.
“Give me a second, Jake,” Laurel told her empty apartment. “I’ll be right there after I get rid of my annoying friends.”
“What?” Britt gasped.
“Are you guys gonna do sex?” Skye asked.
“Yes!” Britt shouted.
“Really?” Laurel scoffed. “Are you kidding me right now?”
“Knew you wouldn’t do it,” Skye said.
“And how exactly would I do it?” Laurel asked. “He’s not even here.”
“I’d do it!” Britt said. “Do him, I mean.”
“Don’t think you need to clarify, Britt,” Skye told her. “Any girl with a pulse would do him, except possibly Lau?—”
“Oh, for the love of fudge, stop!” Laurel exclaimed. “No one ‘did’ anyone!”
“Told ya.”
“Shut up, Skye,” Laurel ordered.
“Jeez, cranky much?” Skye asked.
“No sex,” Britt declared. “Always makes me cranky.”
“Guys, I need to go to the bathroom,” Laurel told them. She’d never wanted out of a conversation more.
“Hold it,” Skye ordered, “and spill.”
“Take us with,” Britt suggested.
Laurel let out a frustrated growl. “I’m not taking you with me into the bathroom! I’ll fill you in on everything tomorrow.”
“No!” Britt sounded so pathetic, it was laughable.
“Good night,” Laurel said.
“Laur, don’t you da?—”
Laurel disconnected the call in the middle of Skye’s threat. She quickly shut off her phone before they called back… which they would.
“Lockwood, how was your date?” Logan asked, leaning in the entranceway of the station’s rec area.
Jake was on the couch with Spot on his lap, staring blankly at the television screen while petting the goat who thought he was a lap dog. He didn’t have a clue what was on. All he’d been thinking about was last night and the look on Laurel’s face when he’d told her she’d invite him into her bedroom. It’d been a ballsy move, and the jury was still out as to whether or not it would bite him in the ass. He shouldn’t have said it, but, damn, he wanted her.
He’d half expected her to slap him, but she hadn’t. She’d simply sat there in stunned silence, perfectly kissable mouth ajar on a silent gasp. And even though her cheeks had turned the sexiest shade of pink, there’d been a spark of heat in her eyes. It’d been enough to make him hard, and if he hadn’t closed the door and stepped back, he probably would’ve reclined her seat and made her scream his name right then and there.
Fuck.
He was losing it. He’d never guessed sweet would do it for him, but it did. She did. Unfortunately, she was too damned innocent for the likes of him. He didn’t do relationships, and she had commitment written all over her in permanent marker.
He raked a hand through his hair, prompting Spot to bleat in annoyance. God forbid he stop petting the little shit.
“If you don’t like it,” Jake told him, “get off.”
As if understanding what he’d said, Spot hopped off his lap and headed for the kitchen, undoubtedly intending to mooch food from someone. He was like a short, furry, bottomless garbage can.
Logan spun one of the folding chairs by the card table around and straddled it. “Did you fuck her?”
“Jesus, Nash! What kind of question is that?”
“The same kind of question I always ask after you’ve gone out with a chick. And, you usually say yes.”
Shit, he’s right. I’m a whore.
“Apparently, the non-answer means no,” Logan concluded with a smirk.
Jake wanted to punch that smug-ass grin off his face.
“I don’t fuck everyone I go on a first date with,” Jake snapped.
“Well, you sure as hell don’t fuck ’em on the second date cuz you never seem to have one of those.”
That comment hit closer to home than Jake would’ve liked. He never did go on a second date, did he? Not often, anyway. No one seemed to hold his interest long enough to warrant one.
His sister, Jessa, thought he deliberately avoided women who challenged him and went the superficial route, so he wouldn’t get close. Maybe she was right, but he knew from experience “close” was overrated. It had the potential to cut deep, and he wasn’t keen on going through that again. Still, there was something about Laurel that kept drawing him in.
Not like axe throwing would be a second date, he rationalized. It was a tutoring session that Emery had coerced Laurel into agreeing to, not an actual date. He’d be going to help her check off one of the items on her list, not add another notch to his belt.
It’s not a date.
Jake stood and headed toward the back door. Maybe some fresh air would help him clear his head.
“Where ya going, Lockwood?” Logan asked.
He ignored him.
“Going to call your girlfriend?”
“Fuck off,” Jake shot back on his way out. She wasn’t his girlfriend. He didn’t do girlfriends.
Logan snickered behind him.
Asshole.
Jake had barely made it outside when his phone rang. A quick look at the screen confirmed what he’d already guessed. It was Jessa. Honestly, he was surprised it’d taken her this long to call. Especially since there wasn’t a doubt in his mind she was calling for details about last night.
“Hey, Messa, what’s up?” He’d started calling his sister “Messa” ages ago because she was kind of a klutz. They’d always been close—Jessa was basically his best friend—but she was still his sister. And he was certain that as her older brother—hey, seventeen minutes still counted—it was his duty to harass her. Sibling protocol. At least, that’s how he looked at it. Besides, she gave as good as she got, so he didn’t feel the slightest bit guilty about having christened her with that nickname when they were little, or in continuing to use it.
“How’d it go?” Jessa asked.
Yep, she wanted dirt.
“Are you feeling okay?” Jake looked at his phone. “It’s twelve-forty.” Jess had always been a night owl. She’d perfected the art of sleeping in on Saturdays long ago. True, she was usually up by nine a.m., but, again, sibling protocol.
“How are you feeling?” she countered, not taking the bait. “I hear you’re going on a second date, so guess it must’ve gone well.”
“Don’t believe everything Em tells you.” It was obvious Jess had already talked to her. “It’s not a date. We’re going axe throwing.”
“During your date,” she insisted. “So, you must like her.”
What’s not to like?
“I’m helping her with a list.” He didn’t bother elaborating, certain Emery had already filled in the details.
“On your date. ”
He rolled his eyes even though she couldn’t see him.
“Answer the question,” Jess demanded. “You like her, don’t you?”
“She’s nice,” he evaded. And she was. Too nice for him.
“‘Nice’ like a polite way to say you’re not interested? Or ‘nice’ like you want to jump her bones? Em said you want to jump her bones.”
He did, but… “According to you and Em, I wanna jump everyone’s bones.”
That used to be true. It’d been a way to forget the past and avoid making the same mistake. No way to get too close if he kept it physical and steered clear of emotions. Problem was, the shine on that lifestyle was starting to tarnish. He didn’t want to end up in a rocking chair on the porch alone, but he wasn’t sure it was possible not to.
“Knew it!” Jess sounded giddy. “You like her.”
“Fine, I like her. I like lots of people. Sometimes, I even like Chase. Almost.”
He actually did like Chase. But when he’d started dating Jess—well, initially fake-dating that turned into real dating—Jake had worried about her getting her heart broken. He’d always been, and always would be protective of his sister. But it turned out, the guy was head over heels and treated her like gold. As long as he continued to do so, they were good.
“Did you kiss her?”
Jake let out a heavy sigh. Usually, he didn’t mind Jess asking stuff like that, but for some odd reason, it rubbed him the wrong way in regard to Laurel.
“No comment? So… yes.”
“Jessa.” The fact his voice held a slight undertone of warning shocked the hell out of him. He scrubbed a hand down his face.
What the fuck’s wrong with me?
“Ooo, my real name.” Jess didn’t sound the slightest bit threatened. “Okay, now I have to meet her. When’s your next date? I’ve always wanted to try axe throwing. ”
“You’re so full of shit right now.”
“Come on, you know it’s on my bucket list.”
He pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. “Is there some other reason you called, Mess? Other than trying to bust my balls?”
“Nope,” she confessed, popping the “P.” “Just to bust your balls.”
“Goodbye, Messa.”
“Bye. Love ya!”
“Love ya too. Even though you’re a pain in my ass,” he added for good measure.
“I try.”
With a puff of a laugh and a grin, he disconnected the call.