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I looked down and fiddled with my dress. I looked up and felt tears burning in my eyes. It was such a simple question, but I felt like a bad person answering it honestly. But, finally, I did. “No.”
“Leave him,” he responded instantly. “Leave him, Sky. He doesn’t deserve you.”
Burying my face in my hands, I shook my head. “It’s not that simple.”
“But it is.” He brought his hand to my shoulder, palm to my bare skin and I lit up at his touch. “Sky.” As he stroked my hair, I leaned into him. Even the way he said my name was a caress. “You should be with someone who takes care of you. Makes you feel good.”
He made me feel so good. After all the worry and stress and guilt, it felt so good to stop, just stop and feel the heat of his fingers, his lips as he leaned down and kissed me. I reached for him, drawing him closer, shifting so I could get closer still. Kissing, twisting against him, panting, I couldn’t get enough. I could tell he felt the same way, clutching me, a rumble deep in his throat as he kissed and licked my neck.
His hand roamed down to my thighs, stroking, working its way up. I moaned, fisting his shirt. I wanted him to touch me so badly, right where I’d ached and throbbed for him for so long now. I brought my fingers down to his. Looking up into his eyes, I pressed his hand, showing him exactly where I wanted him to touch me and just how much I wanted it.
He growled with masculine satisfaction as he slid a finger along the silk of my panties. “So wet,” he murmured, reverent as he stroked me. I moaned at his touch, shamelessly opening my legs, desperately needing more. “I’ve wanted you so long,” he whispered, pushing my panties aside, stroking me where I was so slick for him and hot. “You feel so good,” he groaned, kissing my ear, my throat, my lips as he started working me in a rhythm.
“Jax.” I grabbed at his arms, his shoulders, digging my nails into his forearm. He crooked his finger inside me, pressing against my clit. I gasped, so close, so quick.
“I want you to cum for me, Sky. Cum on my fingers.” His voice alone, rough and deep, got me so fevered I cried out, about to do exactly as he said. But then I opened my eyes. A few spots away from us, a mom and her kid were getting out of their car. We were in a public parking lot, sunlight streaming down on us through the window of his truck.
“Wait, no.” I pushed him away, moving over to the far edge of the seat, pulling my dress down. I missed him the second I lost contact, but what the hell were we doing? We couldn’t get carried away. It would only lead to more heartache, more pain. “I can’t do this.”
“What?”
I didn’t answer, knowing how quickly I’d melt if I started to talk. Instead, I unlocked the door and climbed out. He came around, at my side in an instant.
“Sky—”
“I need to go.” I started walking toward the corner I knew had a bus stop. I’d wait until the next bus came and then I’d take it home, alone, safely away from Jax.
“Don’t push me away. I want to help.” He stayed by my side, walking with me, until I responded.
“If you want to help, then leave me alone.” I kept on walking, but he stopped. Behind me, I heard him curse in frustration. But he respected my request, leaving me alone. I should have felt relieved, but all I felt was empty.
8
Jax
I hated everything about standing and watching Sky walk to the bus stop. I hated not having her in my arms. I hated seeing the tension in her shoulders, the forced determination in her walk. And, most of all, I hated knowing that she was right.
I hadn’t intended to touch her when I’d waited to give her a ride. Of course I’d wanted to. I’d thought about not much else since the last moment I’d had her in my arms. But I knew there was a lot we needed to talk about, sort out. I didn’t want to be an adulterous dawg. I swore I didn’t.
But then the second we’d gotten into the cab of my truck, it was like a rising tide all around me, the desire to touch her, hold her, kiss her. It drowned out my other thoughts, overwhelmed my rational intentions. And then when she’d taken my hand and brought it right where she wanted it? That hadn’t exactly slowed me down.
She had the sweetest pussy I’d ever touched, so slick and hot. The way she moaned and twisted against me, I’d be replaying those moments over and over in my head on an endless loop. But I had to respect her wishes. She’d asked me to leave her alone.
Except Griller was a coldblooded bastard. She had to know that. And she’d admitted she didn’t love him.
I had Zeke just waiting to get tipped off. Next time Griller showed up at my bar, I could place a call. Then I could detain him, plying him with free drinks, keeping him happy, guard down, until Reapers showed up at the door. It would be so easy.
Personally, I wouldn’t even have a guilty conscience. Griller had been playing with fire for a long time. I’d heard stories that made even me feel a cold chill, the kind of stuff that let you know he didn’t just torture and kill with efficiency, he enjoyed it. He loved his work.
But when I’d asked Sky to leave him, she’d told me it wasn’t that easy. Maybe she still felt attached to him? Maybe she didn’t want a divorce? In a world filled with people leaving each other, passing in and out of each other’s lives regardless of promises and commitments as significant as children, was it possible Sky felt like she had an unbreakable bond?
But she could be talking about the logistics of leaving. Maybe she’d made up her mind that she wanted a divorce, but she had to figure out how to do it. Griller wasn’t the type of guy to walk away easy. Even though he’d now clearly shacked up with another woman, he likely viewed Sky as his possession. The man was a Neanderthal.
Not that I was exactly the most advanced man on the planet. I was neither a vegan astrophysics college professor nor a macrobiotic Nobel-prize winning author. I was a man, plain and simple, who liked cold beer, red meat and hot women. Only that plural term had narrowed down to one, just one woman for months now. And I had a serious caveman urge to carry her over my shoulder back to my cave and make her mine.
I had to find a way to talk to her. I would just have to tie my hands behind my back while I did it. That was the problem with getting too close. Now that I knew how good it felt to reach out, her silky skin, her soft lips, the need radiating out from her every movement, every sound, I didn’t
know how I could resist.
§
A week went by without seeing or hearing from her. I hated it, but she’d clearly told me what she wanted. So I held back. I knew we’d run into each other at Cavallo Canyon sooner or later. Until one week became two, then three. By my third visit with Ace, it was early September, and I was worried.
“Have you seen Sky lately?” I asked Ace, not caring any more if I sounded like I had a crush. I did, and I wanted to know where she was.
“I haven’t seen Sky at all.” He looked unhappy. “One of the other aides told me she quit. Without even saying goodbye!”
Out in the hallway, I stopped one of the nurses walking past. “Hey, do you know where Sky is? Sky Cabrillo?”
“She doesn’t work here anymore.” She walked away, not offering any more information. I stood there, stunned. When had Sky quit? Why had she done it? I felt like someone had sucker punched me, hard.
I’m ashamed to admit it, but one of my first thoughts was about my own loss. I’d never get to see her again while I visited Ace. Without the ability to make plans with her the way I wanted, I’d more than looked forward to those casual encounters. I’d depended on them. Now, nothing bound us together. I had no legitimate reason to get in touch with her. In fact, the last thing she’d said to me was “leave me alone.” Who knew when I’d ever see her again? Was it possible for someone who meant so much to me to simply disappear, to vanish from my life without a trace?
But then a much worse thought had occurred to me. Sky might be in trouble. Suddenly leaving her job wasn’t like her. I’d seen her at work enough to know she was a responsible person. She took her job seriously. It wasn’t like her to up and quit without saying a proper goodbye to all the residents who’d become so attached to her.
She’d only have quit if she were pressured to do it. I felt it in my bones. Had Griller forced her to leave her job? Had he hurt her?
