Chapter 50
We ate dessert. Then J.D. walked me around the area with his arm wrapped around my shoulders. Mine was hooked on his side, and I didn't give a damn about the people throwing glares at us. Shit, let them try something. The two of us could fuck up a whole pack of idiots.
And among all of that, we talked.
J.D. told me about the farm he wanted. I admitted I'd never thought I'd be able to afford one.
Cody was wrapped up in both of our daydreams, but it was nice.
The simple fact that we could go on a date like this and talk about both us and her?
To me, it said we'd finally figured out how to get love in the Pbr to actually work.
When the pauses got a little too long and the looks were shared were much too hot, I told him to take me home. I toyed with his fingers while he drove, not even ashamed to be entranced with the calluses on his riding hand. But when we got out of the truck, we both kept our distance.
The walk through the lobby felt like it took too long. When we reached the elevator, someone else joined us. I shifted to the back of the car and stood with my hands in my pockets. J.D. shifted so his arm brushed my elbow, and we waited for everyone else to leave.
It was the twenty-second floor before we were finally alone. With eleven more to go, I dared to glance over. Yeah, he was watching me, and that hungry look had the blood running south. Just to make sure he suffered the same way, I dropped my eyes down his body, taking my time about the inspection.
"You keep that up and I'm not gonna be real good," he warned just as the car stopped on our floor.
So I stepped out, then turned to wait for him. "Pretty sure the only people on this floor are the ones who won't know us or won't care," I said.
He stepped out of the elevator like a wildfire, caught me by the arms, and pressed me up against the wall for one hell of a kiss. Yeah, he was feeling it too. This? It was as crazy as the first night we got together, but better.
Sweeter.
"You keep that up," I warned, lifting my chin so he could kiss down my neck, "and I'll end up bending you over the couch."
"Tease," he whispered against my skin - and then stepped back.
So I turned him toward our room, pushing him ahead of me. "Oh, I promise I'm not."
He was already digging in his pocket for the door key. As soon as we were close enough, he shoved that into the lock. I waited for the click, then pushed him into the room and to the side. The door clanged shut behind us, but this time I had him exactly where I wanted.
My hand found J.D.'s throat as I turned his face up so I could kiss him the way he deserved. Nipping at his beard, I kept pushing him back until he hit the wall, and then I found his mouth. We kissed so fucking hard, our bodies pressed up against each other.
And he moaned.
"That's what I wanted," I breathed before yanking his jacket open and halfway down his arms.
But someone pointedly cleared his throat.
Immediately, J.D. and I whipped our heads over to see Jake sitting on one of the couches with a clear view of all of that. His feet were kicked up on the coffee table, there was a plate beside them, and a bottle of water in his hand.
"The fuck?" J.D. demanded, standing up just to brace up.
"Cody's drunk," Jake explained as he rocked to his feet and reached for the empty plate. "I may have raided your fridge. Never mind that you have a fridge." And he headed toward the kitchen to put the shit away. "I also figured out that neither of you realized I was here."
"And killing my mood," I mumbled.
Which made him chuckle. "Yeah, sorry about that. Have to admit, I figured J.D. would be throwing you against the wall, Tanner. Not the other way around."
"Got a problem with it?" J.D. demanded, shifting so he was staying in front of me.
"Nope," Jake said. "You know I don't, J.D. And once the blood is above your waist, you'll remember that." He set the plate on the counter, then sighed. "And I was kinda hoping you were in a good mood."
"Why?" I demanded, clasping J.D.'s shoulder to hold him back.
Jake sighed again, but this time he looked down. "Um, Cody had a lot to drink."
"And?" J.D. demanded.
"She may have kissed me," he said softly.
"And?!" J.D. growled this time.
"And she's here," I said, trying to calm him down.
"Alone," Jake clarified. "But she kissed me on the dance floor, where everyone could see. I would like to make it clear that I did not kiss her back. I also gave her a ride home, but she did her best to strip in front of me. Getting undressed, I mean. For bed!" he hurried to add.
"How drunk?" I asked, pulling J.D. behind me.
Jake stayed where he was, keeping plenty of space between us. "At least four shots of whiskey, a glass of it, a margarita, and I'm sure there was more. Every bull rider there tonight was buying her a drink as a bribe to dance with him, and she wasn't taking her time about downing them."
"That's my girl," J.D. purred proudly.
Which made Jake chuckle once. "Yeah. She also said something on the way home - er, here - about how their acceptance made her so happy."
"She deserves it," I agreed. "But yeah, she's been ready for everyone to hate her, not befriend her."
"But they did see her kiss me," Jake said again. "Jackson told me to tell you, Tanner, before someone else did, because I had a better chance of surviving."
"Shit," J.D. said, dragging the word out.
But I waved him down. "And?"
"And what?" Jake asked.
"Cody kissed you," I said. "So far you've explained how it was an accident, and didn't mean anything, and wasn't like that. The one thing you haven't said is what you think about it."
He slung his head to the side, then scrubbed at the back of his neck.
"Um..." He swallowed visibly, then lowered his hand and looked right at me.
"That woman is amazing, Tanner. She's brilliant, and driven, and yes, she's beautiful.
She's also someone I consider a friend, and she's a whole hell of a lot more than a piece of ass. Is that what you want to hear?"
"Closer," J.D. said, caressing my shoulder before heading into the living room.
"Just a friend?" I asked.
Jake hummed thoughtfully. "What do you want me to say, Tanner?
That not kissing her back was the hardest thing I've ever tried?
Yes! That Ty was right and she has a way of getting under a man's skin?
Definitely! But J.D. said this is a thing with the three of you, and I can respect that and respect her. I'm not trying to steal your girl, ok?"
But those were the wrong words to say. J.D. launched up from the chair he'd just found like an explosion.
"She's not a fucking thing! She's her girl, dammit!
I don't fucking own her, and neither does Tanner!
Ain't no one making her decisions for her but her, but you're sitting here sayin' you didn't kiss her because of us?
Because she's fucking ours?" He slowly stepped around the couch so there was nothing but space between him and Jake.
"Don't you fuckin' disrespect my rookie like that, get me? "
"J.D.!" I snapped.
And his rant stopped hard so he could look at me. Fuck, but it was like I'd just flipped a switch. I'd seen that happen with Cody, but having him do it with me? It made me pause for a little too long.
"I ain't gonna hit him," J.D. muttered, looking a little ashamed.
"No," I agreed, "you're not. Now sit down and stop scaring him."
"Sorry," he said, reclaiming his chair.
I stretched out my arm, inviting Jake to take another. "He only bites if he has no other choice. Promise."
"He's not a dog," Jake reminded me, but he did head that way.
"Aw, now that's where you're wrong," J.D. told him. "I'm a fuckin' pit bull. A guard dog. I'm also trained real good, but ain't no one disrespecting my rookie."
"Your rookie?" Jake asked. "Not your girl, but your rookie?"
"Mhm," J.D. said. "Because she's got shit to learn, and I'm gonna make sure she gets the chance. Don't matter if that's Pbr, or managing the shit-tons of money she's gonna make - or men. If that girl wants it, Tanner and I are gonna make sure she can get it."
"And you're not helping," I told him as I sat down on the opposite corner from Jake. Same couch, but not too close. "Look, Jake, this is an open relationship. All we asked from her is that she doesn't hide things from us."
"I just didn't want her to mess this up," he tried to explain. "I also know you'll hear about it, Tanner. I mean, to most of the Pbr, she is your girl. They expect you'll leave me high and dry out there for a few seconds."
"Won't happen," I assured him. "First, because you didn't kiss back."
"She was drunk." But he said that like he was explaining it to his toes. Like he was ashamed of it.
Which made J.D. huff out a laugh. "Jake, that girl?
She don't do so good with men. They shit on her until she got here.
Yeah, here, with all the bullshit we've watched her push through.
Austin beating her up, and Merrill fucking with her, and all these boys sneering at her for having a damned pussy instead of a dick.
But she thinks this is nice, Jake. Not shitty. Nice."
"Seriously?" Jake asked, looking at me for confirmation.
I nodded. "Yep. Kinda why she was so happy about the acceptance tonight. Never mind the shit Ty pulled."
"What shit?" he asked.
"Acting like he fuckin' owned her," J.D. growled. "Sayin' he was protecting her to keep other men far, far away. Forgetting she's here to ride - and is damned good at it - not get ridden any time he needed a little attention."
Jake ducked his head and groaned. "Ok, that makes a lot more sense. Also explains why you're a bit rabid about her independence."
"Mhm," J.D. said, somehow making that sound like a warning.
"And she's going to be embarrassed about this tomorrow," I told him.
"Shit, she already is," he explained. "She said something about how kissing her should be ok - "
J.D. growled again. "I knew Ty was full of shit!"
"What?" I asked.
"Tulsa!" he said. "He told me nothing happened. He said he kept his hands off her, but clearly he didn't keep his mouth so far as that."
I waved him down again. "And he paid for it," I said.
"He's also doing his best to pull his head out of his ass," Jake told us. "But I didn't intend to ruin your date."
"Was a pretty good date," I reminded J.D.
"Night's not over," J.D. pointed out.
Which made Jake laugh. "Yeah. So I'll get out of here."
"Wait." J.D. said as Jake stood. "Tell me one thing?"
"Ok?"
"Why do you like her, Jake?"
He eased himself back down. "Because she's the toughest bull rider I've ever met, the softest woman I've spent time with in a very long time, and fucking hot."
"You good with him?" J.D. asked next, but this time he was looking at me.
"Does it matter?" I shot back.
"Yep," J.D. said. "Because if you don't like him, she won't. That's how she works, and she don't wanna mess us up."
"I may have said something earlier about thinking he was cute. I mean, before she distracted me - and you."
"He is cute," J.D. agreed.
Beside me, Jake used both hands to scrub at his face. "Cute?"
"Cute," I told him. "As in the sort of attractive that isn't dangerous. The type a woman can relax into. So yeah, cute."
"Ok, I can get behind your definition of cute," Jake told me. "Usually it means not ugly, but not hot. You know, the fallback plan."
"Cody don't need no fallback plan," J.D. countered. "She could have her pick of the Pbr. She just ain't realized that yet."
Which made Jake groan. "Shit. She said something about it being the first time she tried."
"Tried what?" I asked.
Which made him push out a heavy breath. "Well, I'm starting to think she means to kiss someone first. To make a move, you know?"
"That's my rookie," J.D. muttered proudly.
But I was nodding at him. "Well, she might not try it again, so if you want to get that kiss she started, you'd best decide if you can handle all of this. I'm not going away, Jake. Neither is J.D, but he's right. We don't own her. We don't want to own her, but we will throw down for her."
"So will I," he said as he stood again. "I'm also not going to be the reason you two don't have a good night." He stepped back. "She wouldn't forgive me for that. Night, boys. Try not to hurt your teeth when you bite the pillows, J.D."
"Not more than once," J.D. said with a very devious - and sexy - little smirk.