Chapter 11
11
I have Collin’s blessing.
That litany had followed him the rest of the day until he’d found himself here…
Laverty’s.
As usual, it was loud, and crowded, and he was probably wasting his time. Collin might have thought his mom was coming here tonight, but that was no guarantee. None at all. But he figured it wouldn’t hurt to take a look around as he made his way through groups of people congregated here and there. If she wasn’t here, he’d have a beer and…
"There she is," he whispered, as he found his steps quickening toward her. And her friends had noticed him. He couldn’t hear what they were saying, of course, but the interesting expressions on their faces as he drew closer told their own story.
"What are you guys?—"
"Hello, Jo."
A heavy silence—a strange thing with all the other sounds hitting him from every angle—had him regretting the impulse to seek her out.
Almost.
"Hello, Hank ," the redhead finally said, a toothy smile on her face.
From that smile and the knowing looks directed straight his way, he had the distinct suspicion he’d been the topic of conversation. How much had she told them?
"Hello, um…"
"Colleen," she said, then indicated the blond. "And this is Faith."
Faith gave him a slight wave.
"Colleen, Faith…" He gave them the smile he’d perfected in high school—the one he’d reserved for a girl’s parents when he first met them. It usually worked to set their minds at ease that he wasn’t going to ravish their daughter. "Nice to meet you… Officially. Good to see you again, Magdalena," he said to the woman frowning at Jo and mouthing, turn around.
Jo shook her head as Magdalena lifted her gaze to his. "Hi, Hank." Then she pressed her lips together and cast her gaze around the table, before focusing back on him. "You know what," she said, "you have great timing."
"I do?" He didn’t know this woman, but if she was friends with Jo, there was no telling what she was up to. And she was definitely up to something.
"Absolutely." She gave Jo a smirky kind of smile, her eyes never leaving her friend as she said, "Jo was just saying she needs a way to get home."
"I what ?"
"Oh, yes, she does," Faith chimed in, nodding her head furiously, while Colleen added, her tone serious, "She’s desperate to leave, but we want to stay."
"I told you, you should have driven," Magdalena added, quite matter of fact, while her other friends voiced their agreement.
"Have you guys lost your minds?" Jo groused.
"Nope." Magdalena stood—was she pregnant—and grabbed Jo’s hand and tugged her from her seat. "Now, you have a ride," she said, spinning Jo around and shoving her into his arms. He caught Jo easily and smiled over head at the table of women. If he had them and her son on his side, that might be half the battle.
"Get your answer," Magdalena said.
"Remember," Faith said, "you deserve it."
"Rawr," Colleen added, and did some kind of clawing motion with her hand that might have been a little disturbing.
"Should I?—"
"No, don’t ask," Jo grumbled, pushing against his chest until he loosened his hold, but not by much. Meaning, he gave her just enough room to tilt her head up at him. Aggravation shown from her hazel gaze. "My friends are obviously getting back at me for…" She ______ "Well several things by trying to throw us together."
"They’ve succeeded." Her response was to give him a pretty decent glower that softened before she grimaced and turned in his arms.
"Do not encourage them." If she was truly irritated, she could have tried sounding more convincing. "And don’t look so innocent," she groused at her friends.
"Oh, I plan on doing nothing else but encourage them." He couldn’t help but smile down at the top of her curly head, and at the fact she hadn’t stepped out of his hold. "At every opportunity."
"I like him," Faith piped up.
"Me too," Colleen added. "Can we keep him?"
"I think we should," Mags finally said, nodding at Colleen and Faith.
"And I don’t need you guys encouraging him ." She let out a loud huff, while her friends smirked at her. He could only assume she was giving them a glower too. "If I go with him, will that make all of you happy?"
"Absolutely…"
"Yes…"
"Of course…"
"Fine." She huffed again. And did she just stomp her foot? "Let’s go."
With that, she grabbed his hand and led him away, weaving through the crowd. Of course, he followed after her. What else would he do?
"Don’t get any ideas," she said over her shoulder as they exited the bar.
"I can’t guarantee that." Ideas had already started forming. The most prevalent being how to have a repeat of the last time they’d walked out of the bar together.
"The only thing happening in your truck, is you driving me home."
"If you say so."
"Are you even going the speed limit?"
In Hank’s side vision, Jo strained against her seatbelt to lean over the middle console.
"Yes." He glanced at the speedometer. "Thirty-five."
"You could go a little faster," she grumbled, sitting back and crossing her arms.
"No, I can’t." He held in a grin. "Safety first."
"Safety first," she muttered under her breath.
"I like your friends, by the way." He gave her a quick glance, then focused back on the road.
"I’m sure you do," she said. "They’re incorrigible. Like you."
"I don’t believe I’ve ever been called incorrigible." He grinned at her. "I was the oldest of five and always the good kid." He side-eyed her. "How about you?"
"Only child."
"I can see that."
She sat up straighter and twisted in her seat. Good, he’d gotten a reaction.
"What’s that supposed to mean?"
"You’re very independent." It was one of the qualities he liked best about her.
"Oh, well, yes, I am." She settled back into her seat.
"So, you’re a paralegal."
Silence met his question, until she twisted toward him in her seat again.
"This is not a date."
"It could be," he said, glancing again at her again just as her eyes widened on him. "I tell you something about myself, you tell me something about yourself." He shrugged as he completely focused on the straight road that was about to turn into some curves. "It’s how people who are attracted to each other get to know each other."
"I’m not attracted to you."
"Jo…" He side-eyed her again.
"Okay," she groused, throwing her hands up in the air, then back into her lap. "I’m attracted to you. I’ve proven that now. Twice ."
"You don’t have to sound so happy about it." He attempted a grimace, but he was having too much fun at the moment.
"Are you truly happy about it?" she asked fully turning toward him.
"No."
"Oh." Had she sounded disappointed. He thought she had. But she covered it well with a definitive, "See."
"I’m ecstatic."
"Why?" He could she her shaking her head. "There are too many things to list as to why this can’t work."
"Every couple has their ups and downs to go through."
"That’s the thing," she said, leaning over the console. "We’re not a couple."
"We could be," he said glancing at her as the road went straight again and he turned onto her street.
"You’re impossible." With that, she flounced back into her seat and crossed her arms again.
"No, what’s impossible is the fact that I’m sitting with a woman who tells me she wants nothing to do with me, and all I want to do is kiss her." A little gasp left her. "That actually makes it improbable ."
"If it were improbable, that would mean there’s a possibility it could happen," she said as he turned into her driveway.
"And you’re saying it couldn’t?" He pulled right up to her garage and cut the engine. "Why is you garage door is open?"
"Collin’s home," she said, unbuckling her seatbelt. "So, I need to?—"
"I’m walking you to the door." He unbuckled his own and turned toward her. "And you can roll your eyes all you want to, I’m doing it."
"I’m going through the garage." She waved her hand in front of her. "There."
"Then I’ll walk you into your garage."
"The door into the house is right there," she said, pointing to what he could see was, yes, a doorway." I can see it from here. Which means you can see it too."
"Never in my life, have a left a woman to walk to her door by herself—date or not." She might as well understand she wasn’t getting her way on this.
" Fine ," she said, opening her door. "Like I said, impossible." Then basically jumped out and slammed the door shut.
Hank scrambled from his truck and went after. She hadn’t gotten far, not really, but for someone with such short legs, she’d almost gotten away from him. As it was, he barely caught up with her beside where she’d parked her sedan.
"Hold up," he said, taking her upper arm and pulling her to a stop and moving in front of her to block her way.
"Now do you feel better? You’ve walked me into the garage." She indicated with her head and said, "There’s the door."
"No, actually, I didn’t. And, no I really don’t feel better." He stared down into her defiant gaze. "And I don’t think you do either."
"Hank, you?—"
"Listen," he said, pulling her into his body, then wrapping his arms around her. Which was probably a mistake since there was no way she couldn’t feel what she was doing to him. "You can’t tell me you don’t want to know where this thing between us can go."
Jo didn’t say a word, but her body had something to tell him. She pressed herself into him and her lips parted on a gasp, while her eyes lifted to his.
"No, I can’t," she whispered as she lifted her face toward his.
That was all it took.
Jo’s taste flooded his parched mouth. He hadn’t even realized how thirsty he had been for her, not until her kiss quenched it.
He gathered her in his arms and lifted her, needing to feel all of her against him. But it wasn’t enough. The closest available surface was the side of her car, so he turned and used that to mold her against him, then groaned when she wrapped her legs around him.
Their mouths devoured each other while their bodies moved and strained, needing to be even closer. It was her whimper of need as she ground against him that finally had him moving to where he could lay her out. And if truth be told, he was close to whimpering too with how badly he wanted her.
With their mouths still fused and her body wrapped around his, he went to the front of the sedan, then set her on her feet, which set off a rapid whirlwind of hands and panting breaths.
Hank tore off his jacket and laid it across the hood before fumbling in his back pocket for his wallet that he set beside his jacket. None of that was an easy task, not with Jo busy undoing his jeans, then shoving them down his legs.
Then everything slowed down.
"God, Hank," she murmured as he swallowed and dropped his head, watching where her small hand had taken hold of him and stroked. But that wasn’t all she had in mind. He gritted his teeth when she dropped to her knees and took him in her mouth.
"Ah, sweetness," he growled, taking hold of the back of her head, then slowly moving in and out of all that wet heat. And her tongue . He wasn’t going to last and only had enough willpower to take a few more passes before he was in danger of exploding.
"I’m coming."
"Mmm-hmm," she hummed around his cock.
"But not like this," he said, pulling himself away from her mouth that didn’t want to let go, but finally did with a distinct pop.
"Hank," she complained, then licked her lips. "I want you to?—"
"Oh, I will be," he ground out, lifting her to her feet. "But when I do, it’ll be in your body." They could explore other things later. Like him tasting that sweet pussy of hers.
But first things first.
He took her mouth again, and worked her jeans loose, then pushed them as far as he could down her thighs before letting her mouth go and turning her around to face the car.
"What are?—"
"I need you to trust me again," he said, before taking hold of her waist, lifting, and placing her on the hood.
"Oh," she whispered, spreading her arms out while he worked her jeans all the way off and left them at his feet.
"Oh, is right," he said on a low breath, while his hands took hold of her ass cheeks and spread them wide to reveal her dark star and glistening bare pussy.
"Hank?" She squirmed in his hold as he licked his lips, ready to make a feast of her. "Please. I need you inside me. Now ." She said the last on a husky, needy moan as she spread her legs wide.
"Just so you know," he said, his voice gruff as he snatched up his wallet and pulled out the condom. "As soon as I can get you laid out on a bed, I will be eating that pussy." Her body visibly shuddered and pussy clenched, as he covered himself. "But until then…"
He grabbed hold of her ass, blanketed her body, and slid home.
"Yes," she groaned, as he began to move. "Harder."
He didn’t need to be asked twice. So, he drove into her over and over, fucking her as if his life depended on it—and maybe it did—while she buried her face in his jacket and made incoherent sounds of pleasure.
And dammit if he wasn’t about to come. But he needed her with him, so he reached around and found her clit with his fingers and worked it fast.
"Ahh…" Her muffled scream came as her walls clenched around him and she pushed back onto him almost as hard as he pushed into her. And then she was coming, her body shaking and fist twisted in his jacket arm beating against the hood.
Then he finally allowed himself to let go, his body tensing and mouth shut tight as he emptied himself into the condom. Maybe one day?—
" Mom? "
"Oh, no." Jo’s body tensed and pussy clenched again, nearly making his eyes cross. "Get off me."
"It’s gonna be okay," he said, pulling out of her and then helping her down to her feet.
"No, it’s not," she said, searching the floor. "Where are my…" She reached down and grabbed her jeans, then yanked them on. "Garbage can is over there. And hurry ."
He managed to get the condom off without making too much of a mess and threw it away, before pulling up his own jeans and righting his clothes.
"I’m a terrible mother." Her hands shook as she ran them down the front of her jeans.
" Are you in the garage? "
"You’re not a terrible mother," he said, trying to take her in his arms, but she was having none of it and pulled away.
"My kid could have caught us."
"But he didn’t."
" Is that Dr. Lawton’s truck? "
"I…" She gave him one last, stricken look, then rushed to the door, only managing a quick, "Bye," as she escaped inside.
"Hey, baby," he heard, right before the door slammed shut.
It might as well have been his heart.
This is Jo. Come to my house. We need to talk.
Hank stared at the text again, then back at the house, before his gaze wandered to the closed garage door. After last night, they still hadn’t discussed anything like exchanging phone numbers. She’d bolted too soon. Again. So, how did she get his cell?
He’d have to ask.
Tearing his gaze away from the garage wasn’t easy, and neither was quashing the disappointment he still felt after she’d panicked and fled into the house. Frankly, the idea they’d had another kind of car sex—maybe one day they’d make it to a bed—where Collin had almost caught them should’ve freaked him out too. But Collin hadn’t caught them, so it wasn’t something he’d felt the need to worry about.
But she obviously had what he’d heard called mom guilt over it, so, yeah, he understood. Sort of.
It didn’t mean he was happy about it.
"She wants to talk," he murmured, while getting out of his truck. This could be a good thing or a bad thing. Since she was inviting him to the house, he wanted to believe the former. If it were bad, he’d probably have received some kind of Dear John text instead.
He made his way to the front door and knocked. Seconds later, it opened. But it wasn’t Jo.
"Hey, Collin."
"Oh, hi, Dr. Lawton. Can I help you?"
"Well…" What was he supposed to tell the kid? "Your mom wanted to talk to me about basketball concessions." They might discuss that. And if he brought it up in their conversation, then it would kind of be the truth.
"Oh…" A strange kind of smile started to bloom on Collin’s mouth that he quickly pulled in. "Well, she’s in the basement."
"The basement?" Maybe she wanted a lot of privacy for their talk.
"Yeah, I accidentally left the water running in the utility sink." He scrubbed his sneaker toe on the floor. "I kinda flooded the basement."
"I bet that didn’t make her happy." Hank frowned when another of his students walked into the room. "Hello, Willow."
"Hi, Dr. Lawton." Her smile was just as cagey as the one Collin was trying to hide.
"How bad is it?" Hank asked, instead of grilling them on what else might be going on. With teenagers and hormones, there was no telling.
"Pretty bad. Mom made me leave so she could cuss."
Hank wanted to laugh at that, because, yeah, he could see her having quite a colorful conversation with herself while she cleaned up the mess.
"I’ll see if I can help her," he said, moving further into the comfortable living room. It was nice, with an open floor plan that led through a dining room, and then beyond that the kitchen.
"That’d be great. The basement door is this way," Collin said, leading him through the house. "Oh," he said stopping in front of a door leading from the kitchen. "Can I borrow your phone for a minute?"
"Sure. I guess," he said, pulling it from his jacket pocket. "But why?"
"I lost mine in the house somewhere, and Willow didn’t bring hers." There went that same, strange, cagey look again. "And I think mom has hers with her. I just want to call it so I can find it."
"Sure," he said, handing it to him. "I’ll get it when I come back up."
"Okay," he said, opening the door to a set of steps leading down, where somewhere below, colorful curse words flowed to the top.
"Jo," he yelled, going down the steps. "Do you need help?" Above him, the sound of the door closing wasn’t a surprise. Collin would know Jo wouldn’t want him to hear her on a rant.
"Hank?" she called out just as he hit the bottom steps. Jo stood in the middle of the damp floor with a few puddles here and there, kind of disheveled, wiping her brow. "What’re you doing here?"
"Well, for one, I’m going to try to give you a hand." However much water had covered the floor before, most of it seemed to be gone. But he could help with the rest. "And second, you asked me here."
"When?" She frowned and set the mop inside a nearby bucket.
"About fifteen minutes ago."
"I didn’t call you to come over." She came toward him. "Fifteen minutes ago, I was down here sopping up Noah’s flood."
Those cagey looks from Collin and Willow were starting to concern him.
"No, you texted me."
"I didn’t text you either."
"Well, check your phone, because I got a text from someone saying they were you."
"My phone’s in the charging stand in the kitchen." She frowned and held out her hand. "Let me see the number it came from."
"Collin has my phone."
Her hand dropped as she looked toward the stairs, then back at him.
"Why?"
"He said he needed to use it to find his."
"He never doesn’t have…" Her head snapped toward the stairs again. "Oh, I don’t like this," she said, rushing past him and up the steps.
Hank followed after Jo, but a little slower. But he quickened his pace and took the stairs two at a time when she began pulling and wiggling on the handle and banging on the door.
"Collin Ashton Webster," she hollered through the space between the frame and the door. "This is your mother, and I’m telling you right now to unlock this door." He listened for any sounds coming from the kitchen, while Jo stomped her foot and hollered again, "And I mean right now."
"Mom," came a muffled reply. "You and Dr. Lawton like each other."
"A lot," came from Willow, while Jo’s shoulder’s tensed.
"Collin, I?—"
"I want you to think about yourself for once," her son interrupted. "I want you to be happy."
"Son, I am happy."
"But you could be happier. And I think Dr. Lawton can make that happen." Another silence followed. "We’ll be back at three o’clock."
" Three o’clock? That’s…" She lifted her wrist like she was expecting to find a watch.
"It’s a couple of hours."
A glare shot his way as she dropped her wrist, before she huffed and faced the door again, then slapped her hand hard on it several times. "Collin?" Nothing. " Collin …" Still no response.
"I don’t think he’s there."
His comment garnered him another, decidedly dirty, narrow-eyed glare over her shoulder, before she once more faced the door and slammed her fists on her hips.
"I can’t believe my own son did this to me."
"I can."
And there went that glare over her shoulder again. He was three for three.
"What’s that supposed to mean?" she asked, slowly turning in place, before staring down at him from the upper steps with what you might call a stink eye.
"He’s your son." Was he digging at her on purpose. At this point, absolutely. Because, seriously, it was pretty damned funny.
"Yes." A dark blond eyebrow raised. "And I’ll ask again, what’s that supposed to mean?"
"He’s like you in a lot of ways. Smart, resourceful, astute, speaks his own mind."
The beginnings of a smile touched her lips.
"Yeah, I guess he?—"
"Less prickly, though." Definitely digging. And he was loving it.
"I beg your pardon?"
"No need to apologize."
"I wasn’t apol?—"
"And if you wanted your way on something," he told her leaning forward to get closer to her. "I would never doubt you would come up with a way to get it done. Even if you had to use a little trickery."
"I have no idea what you’re talking about." She couldn’t pull off the affronted attitude. The woman knew her talents.
"Right." But he let her get away with it anyhow. "So, what do you propose we do now?" He knew exactly what he’d like to do, but that wasn’t on the table. Although he had spied one in the corner that’d work quite nicely. He held in a groan at his own thoughts.
Now she has me making up cheesy lines in my head.
And those didn’t work. Not on the woman currently brushing past him and heading back down the stairs to stand in the middle of the floor.
"First," she said, reaching for the mop handle, "you’re going to help me get the rest of this water up."
"Okay," he said, shrugging out of his jacket and laying it across the stair rail. "I can do that."
"Good. Thank you," she said, her tone clipped and professional. And wasn’t that cute?
"You’re welcome," he said, rolling up his sleeves. "But then, we talk."