Baby Did a Bad Bad Thing (Hautboy Series Book 3) (9 page)

“Jerk.”  With a scowl, I brushed my hair back in place.  Brothers sucked.  They loved to make my life miserable.  Mildly satisfied with my hair’s compliance, I folded my arms across my chest.  “You didn't have to come here.”

“Actually, I did.  I was told to do whatever it took to get you to take the job.”

“I'm not taking the job.”  Especially now.

“Will you at least consider it?”

“Look, they're your friends.  I'm not going to make you hide while I'm in their house because you're trying to avoid me.”

“I wasn't hiding behind the ficus tree.”

“I didn't say anything about a ficus tree.”

Jake averted his gaze, focusing on the atrocity of my mother’s mint green formal living room.  He’d just ratted himself out.  Until now, it was only a suspicion that he was hiding behind that tree.  My eyes narrowed as my annoyance peaked.

“You know, that's what pisses me off.  I never expected you to call.  We had sex.  That's it.  I’m not disillusioned that it was something more than it was.  I wasn’t hoping to get a foot in the door so that I could see you again.  Not every girl is as puerile as you'd like to believe.  I wasn’t pining over you.  I needed a job.  That’s the only reason I was there.  So get over yourself already.”

Shifting his weight, Jake leaned closer to me, and lowered his voice, as if anyone could hear over the noise in the other room.  “Shaw, just take fucking the job.”

“That’s real persuasive.”

Behind me, my mother cleared her throat.  I took a step back, suddenly aware of how close Jake and I were standing together.  “I came to see who was at the door.”

“Nobody.  He was just leaving.”

“Don't be rude, Paisley.  Invite your guest to sit down for dinner.”

“He doesn—”

“I would love to,” Jake interjected.

My mouth dropped.  I fumbled for something to say.  “What about your sister?  Aren't you spending the holiday with her?”

“She's spending it with her boyfriend’s family.”

“What about your friends?”

“The band?  I spend twenty-four seven with them when we’re on the road.  Some new faces will suit me fine.”

Mom’s eyes brightened.  “Great!  I’ll set another place at the table.”  She hurried out of the room as if Jake was some respectable suitor intent on asking for my hand in marriage, instead of the man who fucked me six ways till Sunday and then never called.

“What do you think you're doing?” I hissed.

“Are you taking the job?”

“What difference does it make?”

“Because Tate will take it out on me if Coop’s not happy, and he’s insisting you're perfect for this job.  If anyone’s going to make my life hell, I’d rather it be you.”

I flinched over his rebuttal.  It was one thing to suspect he didn’t want me around, but it was another thing to hear the words come out of his mouth.

“Please go.”  My lip trembled.  A fucking traitor in my war for dignity.  I bit back the urge to cry.  I refused to shed tears in front of him.  I’d used him the same as he’d used me.  He was nobody.  He was inconsequential.  I didn't like him.  I didn't even
know
him.  Except I wasn’t ever supposed to see him again.  And it wasn’t the first time he made me cry.

I could only imagine what he thought of me.  He probably thought I was some spoiled little girl with angst because my mommy made me do chores growing up.  Well fuck him.  I knew what I was about.  I didn’t need his approval.

“Don’t fucking do it,” Jake warned, drawing me up short.  His words were a remedy to my emotional upheaval.  They staunched my tears with bitter indifference.  “Don't you dare fucking cry.”

“I'm not!”

Taking a step closer, he stole back the distance between us.  I gritted my teeth, looking up at him.  “Tate was right; I have rules.  I don’t sleep with sisters of friends or employees.”

“That won’t be a problem.”

“Because you’re too stubborn to take the job?”  He actually sounded disappointed by that.  I really didn’t understand him.

“Because I’m not interested in you.”

“That’s just mean, Shaw, and a lie if I ever heard one.”  He lifted his hand and pinched a tendril of hair along my temple.  I slapped his hand away.  Faster than I could react, he grasped my nape, clutching a handful of hair in his fist.  He tugged my head back and pressed his lips to mine.

Fucker.

The second his tongue brushed my lower lip, my willpower dissolved.  I hated myself for it, opening to him with little to no resistance.  His tongue swept inside with a slow stroke.  My knees went weak, all but forgetting that I was supposed to be indifferent to his attention.

Fuck.  Fuck.  Fuck.  Wrong choice of maledictions.  Just the word evoked memories better left in the past.  The slide of satin against my wrists.  The bite of leather against my ass.  Goosebumps rose across my skin, every nerve ending roused and attentive.  Fuck.

Hanging onto the tiniest thread of salvation, I reached down and grasped his balls, meaning to give them a firm squeeze to discourage his advances.  Instead, I paused over the length of his cock against my forearm.  I raised my hand a little, palming him.  He was fully erect.

Breaking the kiss, Jake captured my wrist.  His breath burst against my lips in a whisper.  “You’re the sweetest kind of hell, Shaw.”

At his words, realization came slowly.  I was going to make his life hell because he was attracted to me.  He was attracted, but couldn’t have me because he didn’t date sisters of friends or employees.

“Stop looking at me like that.”

“Like what?”

“Smug.”

I bit back the smile that wanted to form on my lips, but inside, my pride was jumping for joy.  “You
want
me.”

“What I want is irrelevant.  I shouldn’t have gotten involved with you the other night.  I broke rules.  My friends wouldn’t be pissed off, and you wouldn’t hesitate to take a job you need.  Why didn’t you tell me you’d gotten fired?”

“Because it wasn’t and isn’t any of your business.”

“I’m going to tan your ass the next time you say that to me.”

“You can’t.  We’re not involved.”

“I thought we were past the evasiveness.”

“It’s not a secret anymore, is it?”

“Take the job, Shaw.”

“Maybe I will.”

“Are you serious or are you shitting me?”

“Can you take it?” I asked, using his own words, and then added, “With me being the epitome of Eve, are you sure you can resist temptation?”  I had the satisfaction of watching his eyes narrow.  His gaze dropped, travelled down to my cleavage, and lower.  When the very corner of his bottom lip pulled between his teeth, I knew the answer was no.

“One of us has to behave,” he insisted.  “I guess if you haven’t learned your lesson after losing your job, it has to be me.”

“Cause you’re all about control.”

“I won’t deny it.”

“Good.”  I was going to enjoy the shit out of making him lose it.  Sliding from his arms, I walked to the door and pulled it open.  Fucker comes to my house and thinks he’s going to intimidate me.  He had another thing coming.

Jake followed me part way, then paused.  “What’s that supposed to mean?” he asked, glancing toward the kitchen.

“What’s
what
supposed to mean?”

“Good?”

“Oh, did I say that out loud?”

“Yeah.”

“Sorry, that was supposed to be an internal thought.”

“Shaw.”  His tone was thick with warning.

“I didn’t say it was none of your business.”  I smiled at my own ingenuity.  Take that, prick.

“That's all semantics.  The implied meaning’s the same.”

“Like I said, we’re not involved.”

“That's temporary.”

“Shut up.”

Jake arched one brow, as if to say, “Excuse me?”

“Don’t toy with me.  If you can set me aside so easily, you obviously don’t like me as much as you’d like me to believe.”

“Your logic is a little warped.”

“Really?  It’s been two weeks.  You never called.”  I hadn’t forgotten.

“I told you—it’s complicated.”

“It’s ok,” I lied.  “Like I said, I wasn’t expecting your call.”  That didn’t mean I wasn’t hoping for it or that I wasn’t disappointed when it didn’t come.

“Shaw.”  There it was, that word of warning again.

“Since you’re not going to take no for an answer, I’ll take the job.”  I pushed the storm door open.  “Let Tate and Cooper know I’ll see them first thing Tuesday morning.”

“Why are you acting like this?”

“Because you were right.  I should know better than mixing work with personal.  I wasn’t thinking.  I’m sorry.”

Glowering, Jake closed the distance between us and handed me the Easter basket he’d brought.  When he leaned in, I turned my head to avoid his lips.   “Your mother invited me to dinner, Shaw.  It would be rude if I left now.”

I blanched perceptibly.  “No!”

“Seeing that you like to keep secrets,” Jake smiled.  “I’m curious to see what I can learn about you.”

“This is totally against the rules!  You’re encroaching on my personal space!”

“The rules are evolving.  You haven’t started the job yet.”

“You can’t do that!”

“I make the rules, remember?”

“If you take one step toward that dining room, I’ll break your nose.”  I couldn’t break his nose if I tried.  I was admittedly a total girl.  You’d think I would’ve learned a thing or two living with ten brothers.

“You’re cute.”  I growled fractiously, my hands clenching into fists.  Jake’s eyes widened.  A smile spread across his face.  Despite his amusement, he raised his hands and took a step back.  “You’re serious, aren’t you?”

“No.”  I shook my head, collecting my composure.  “No, I’m not.”  But I might throw the motherlode of hissy fits.

“Then what’re you getting so worked up about?”

“You’re blurring the lines.”

“The lines are already blurred, Shaw.  Perhaps I’m trying to define them myself.  Have you considered that?”

That he might actually like me past physical attraction?  “No.”  I couldn't grasp the concept.  My mind was aflutter, plagued with scenarios and motives.  For all I knew, he was fucking with my head because he needed me to take the job.  Tate had tasked him to it.

“Paisley, we’re waiting to say grace!” Dad called.  Undoubtedly, he was in a rush to eat because he was missing some sports game.

I looked at Jake, hoping he would back out.  When he motioned me forward, I had to refrain from sighing.  This was no small event, not that he had any idea.  I’d never had a…
guest
over for dinner.  They were likely going to draw egregious conclusions about our relationship.

I could feel his smirk on the back of my head as I led him into the dining room where my family sat watching with eager eyes.  All but Parker, who’d been relegated to the children’s table to make room for Jake.  His frown matched the depth of my own.  I considered offering him my seat at the adult table in exchange for his.

Dad’s blue eyes met mine before moving to Jake.  They narrowed slightly, undoubtedly taking in his beaten appearance.  Despite his wariness, Dad managed a polite smile.  He stood from his chair and extended his hand.  “It’s a tight fit but welcome.

Jake shook Dad’s hand without hesitation.  “Thank you for making room on such short notice, sir.”

Dad snorted at Jake’s use of formality.  “Call me Michael.”

“Jake.”

“Have a seat.”  Dad gestured to the seat at his right, beside his place at the head of the table, and across from my mother.

I just wanted to die.  Just a little while.  Until this day was over.  Except this day was about to evolve into two weeks, possibly longer.  Jake Whalen was about to become part of my daily routine.  I wanted to throw up.  I wanted to go back to his apartment above Funk 49.

Before I could even reach for my chair, Jake took the Easter basket from my hand and placed it off to the side, and then pulled out my chair for me.  I sat, reluctant to make a scene.  Yes, I wanted to argue even that courteous gesture.  Somehow, I managed a “Thank you.”

His fingers brushed along my nape as he took his seat.  I could feel my face flush with a fresh burst of color.  That little caress was a reward for my compliance.  I wasn’t stupid.

Dad cleared his throat, and we all joined hands.  “O Lord, we thank you for the gifts of your bounty which we enjoy at this table. As you have provided for us in the past, so may you sustain us throughout our lives. While we enjoy your gifts, may we never forget the needy and those in want.  Amen.”

A reply of amen filled the room.  Silverware began clinking.  I grabbed Jake’s plate and began piling it with food before it disappeared.  When it was gone it was gone.  There were rarely second helpings at our table.

“So how did you two meet?” Mom asked.  And the interrogation began.