Denver: A Bad Boy Romance (FMX Bros Book 3) (4 page)

BOOK: Denver: A Bad Boy Romance (FMX Bros Book 3)
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Chapter 8

Jami

Denver’s white t-shirt stretched across the muscles on his back as he worked on the shower valve. I leaned against the doorframe and watched him, unabashedly. I even threw in a  shrill whistle when he lifted the hem of his shirt to wipe the water drips off his face.

“I’m rather enjoying this role reversal,” I said. “The girl ogling and teasing the construction worker. Hey, baby, want some shake with those fries?”

Denver’s deep laugh echoed off the shower tile as he peered back at me over his shoulder. “I think you mean some fries with that shake.”

“Oops. Guess I’ve still got a lot to learn. Still, it’s incredibly intoxicating watching a strong, intelligent man work with his hands. You should have one of those home improvement shows. Women would be tuning in just to watch you work.” My phone buzzed. I reluctantly pulled it from my pocket and walked out of the bathroom. “Harold, I told Mom that for the next five weeks you can only call me if there is a true emergency.”

“This is an emergency.”

“What’s wrong? Is Mom all right?”

“She’s fine. You need to cut this trip down to three weeks. We need you back here. You’ve been booked for a performance in London at the end of the month.”

“Well
unbook
me because I’m not going. We agreed that I could take this time off. You have no right filling my calendar without my approval.”

“The royal family will be in attendance. You need to be there.”

I walked into my room and sat on the edge of the bed. “Not happening.”

“Damnit, Jami, you are the most stubborn, pigheaded, ungrateful—”

“Thanks. Coming from you I consider that a compliment. Now cancel the booking. We agreed on five weeks, and I’m not taking a day less.”

“Look, we can fly you to London. The performance is two consecutive nights. Then you can go back to your silly little ‘finding myself’ bullshit trip.”

I blinked back tears. Harold was the one person in the world who could make me lose my cool, and I wasn’t going to be goaded into it this time. “Harold, just fuck off,” I said with as much hatred in my voice as I could muster. “I’m not doing the show.” I hung up and threw my phone. It smacked right into Denver’s chest as he stepped into the doorway. He caught it before it fell to the floor.

He stared down at the phone on his palm. “Was it something I said?” he asked.

I forced a smile. “Sorry, you just happened to step into the path of my phone throwing tantrum. But it’s over.” I hopped off the bed. I realized that my mood had lightened just at the sight of Denver. He had that kind of presence.

“Bad news?” he asked. “You look a little less sunshiney than usual.”

I shook my head. “Too many people fighting over my puppet strings. All I want to do is rip the strings and become a real girl.”

He reached up and tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. “If there’s anything I can do to help with that, I’m your man. No job too big or too small.”

I stepped closer to him. Even his scent, soap and man, made me lightheaded. “Just standing here with you already makes me feel more real and alive than I’ve felt in a long time.” My words silenced him for a second, and I hoped I hadn’t scared him off.

“Shower is all fixed. Not sure if that’s a good or bad thing because I’ll sort of miss the distressed damsel wrapped only in a bath towel phone call.”

“I’m sure I can find other reasons to call you up here when I’m clad in just a towel. Or maybe no towel at all.” I had five weeks, and I was going to live every damn minute of them. I reached up and wiped a bead of water from his neck. “Do you have plans tonight?”

“Yeah, I do,” he said.

I nodded in disappointment.

His hand went around my waist, and he pulled me against him. “I’ve got a beach date with a large blanket, a bottle of wine and an incredible girl who seems to think she’s not real. Yet, she feels all too real in my arms.” His mouth covered mine and he kissed away all the dreary feelings, all the grim realities and the greedy people hanging from my heels. 

Chapter 9

Denver

“You could not have planned a better first date.” Jami sighed as she leaned back on her elbows and stared up at the night sky. There was just enough moon to add a warm glow to the beach and just enough lack of it to let the stars shine brightly. Other than a cat walking along the wall of the bike path, we were the only signs of life on the entire stretch of sand. “Guess I expected no less from you. Even your wine choice was perfect. Feeling just enough tingle everywhere.”

I leaned back to join her. “Tingle everywhere. That was my goal. But I think you’re propping me up on too high of a pedestal. When I do make a misstep, which you can pretty much count on with me, the fall is going to be fast and hard.”

“Humility, another likable trait. The list keeps growing.” She lowered her head to the blanket.

“This coming from a musical prodigy who told me she played ‘a little’.” I rolled onto my side and stared at her. Her tiny nose had just the slightest up turn. I reached across and pushed my hand under her shirt to caress the silky skin of her stomach. “Can’t imagine what it must have been like for you growing up.”

She continued to gaze up at the sky. Nature’s night light cast a glow across her flawless skin. “I was young and so much of those first years still float around in my dreams as if they were all just part of a storybook, a fuzzy, kind of crazy storybook. My grandpa had given me a kiddie piano and guitar for my birthday. I loved them. They were my favorite toys. I’d plunk around on them and make up my own tunes. One night grandpa had come for dinner. He heard me in my bedroom playing one of my self-made concerts.” She turned her face to me for a second. “Let me just say there is no better and less judgmental audience than stuffed animals. My stuffed polar bear was always particularly complimentary.” She turned back to face the sky. “I’ll never forget the look on Grandpa’s face when I glanced up from my piano and found him standing in the hallway listening. The next day he came over with a real violin, a kid sized version, one that fit my small hands and arms. After that, he came over every day to work with me. I couldn’t wait to get home from school so we could practice. My dad was still alive at that time, and he would sit and listen and the two of them would exchange these looks of disbelief. I truly hadn’t realized I was doing anything special. All I knew was that I loved to play. Then my dad died and my grandfather ended up suffering a stroke. My life kind of went to shit after that. By the way, your touch on my skin is making those wine produced tingles even more intense.”

She reached down and took hold of my wrist and removed my hand from under her shirt. She brought my palm to her mouth and kissed it. Her thumb brushed over the ugly, thick scar running alongside my wrist. She lifted my hand  to get a closer look at the scar. “Holy moly. Shark? Pit bull? Fight with a garbage disposal?”

“Compound fracture of the wrist. Sometimes defying gravity comes with a few broken bones and trips to the emergency room. That was a particularly gnarly trip. I fell a good twenty feet from the air and somehow, during that drop to earth, I decided my left hand would stop my entire body from slamming the ground. It didn’t. I slammed the ground but not until after my wrist had snapped in two. Took me a second to figure out just what the hell was jutting out of my arm.”

“Was your doctor blindfolded when he sewed you up?”

“Wonder that myself sometimes. It’s ugly, I know.”

She brought my hand to her mouth again and pressed her lips against the scar. I could feel the heat of the kiss all the way through my body. “I rather like it,” she said.

“Yeah? Then I’m sorry I don’t have more than the wrist scar and one on the inside of my thigh—a fence climbing mishap, not a motorcycle crash. Most guys in my sport have a scar on every limb and shoulder. Rodeo claims that I have less because when I’m about to wreck, I plan out exactly how I’m going to fall so that I can avoid too much damage. My wrist accident obviously did not line up with his theory. But I do tend to get ridiculously logical when I’m flying through the air.”

She laughed. “That is so cute. Most people close their eyes tight and wait for impact, but you’re heading toward solid ground having a mind debate about which way to fall. Guess you could be called a smart crasher.”

She sat up, and I sat up next to her. We grabbed the corners of the blanket and brought them up around our shoulders. It wasn’t actually cold out, but it was a great excuse to get closer. Not that we needed it. I had a hard time not touching her when she was near me.

“When will I get to see you ride your motorcycle through the air? Although, I will be watching like this.” She lifted her hand to her face and spread her fingers out like someone trying to avoid the gore in a horror movie.

“I’m going to Cole’s house tomorrow to practice if you want to come along.”

“I do. And I’ll try not to be too big of a sissy.”

“So, you were telling me about your surreal childhood.”

“After my dad died, my mom took up with Harold, a man who started as my agent and quickly became my wicked stepfather. I was no longer Jami. I was a commodity to be used and sold and rented. I had little say in my life. Playing the violin was the only bright spot, but even that became an ugly chore when I was told what, when and where to perform. The most ironic part of all was that they controlled every aspect of my professional career, setting boundaries for me at every turn. Yet, they set no parameters on my social life. They were so busy counting their money, they had no interest in actually parenting. I had private tutors for most of my school years, and I was thrown into the adult world long before my eighteenth birthday.”

She tossed off the blanket and hopped up to her feet. “I just realized that the shoreline isn’t visible from most of the sand.”

I stood up next to her and stared down toward the water. It wasn’t summer yet and a hazy fog was coasting inland. The first five to ten feet of water was hidden behind a hill of sand. “That’s pretty normal for any beach. The tide erodes the sand and produces that shelf of dry sand. It makes for a natural barrier between dry and wet land.” As I finished my nerdy explanation, I caught a sparkle of light in her eyes that hadn’t been there just a second before. “Guess you weren’t really looking for an explanation.”

“I wasn’t, but that scientific, brainy thing makes you extra hot. Which brings me to my original reason for bringing up the hidden shoreline.” She glanced around. We were still the only people on the beach. It was well past ten, and most everyone had gone in for the night.

Jami kicked off her shoes and started running toward the water. “Let’s go for a swim,” she called back to me.

“The water’s really cold.”

She stopped, spun around and yanked off her shirt. “Suit yourself but I’m going in.”

Chapter 10

Jami

I’d stripped down to my panties and bra long before I’d actually stuck my first toe in the water. It was cold enough to shock the breath out of me, but I was half naked and I’d been the one to come up with the brilliant notion of taking a dip. I had no choice but to clench my teeth and jump into the waves.

My reluctant moon-bathing partner stood with a slightly agape mouth as he watched me. It was rare for Denver to be anything but smooth, but when he saw me standing in the water in nothing but my flimsy wet panties and bra, he jumped into action. In his urgency to yank of his shoes and jeans, he lost his balance and fell back onto his butt.

I was holding back a grin, but he saw right through my pathetic attempt.

“That was humiliating,” he muttered as his feet hit the water. “Shit that’s cold.” He sucked in a sharp breath as he waded toward me in nothing but his boxer briefs. He was so finely carved and built, I refused to blink. I didn’t want to miss a second of watching him.

I was standing waist deep in the water, and my chin had already started to tremble with the cold. “I’m beginning to think this wasn’t the best idea.”

“Too late.” Denver reached me. I laughed as he swept me up in his arms. My legs floated up as I wrapped my arm around his shoulders. He carried me farther out and then stooped down beneath the surface. “It’s actually warmer under the water than being wet in the night air. Having an extremely hot body in my arms helps too.”

“I’m feeling anything but hot right now.” I peered up at him and he lowered his mouth to mine for a kiss. We floated up as a small wave rolled beneath us. “I’m definitely shivering less now that you’re holding me. And I’m definitely not thinking about all the ugly, toothy creatures lurking around out here in the dark water.”

“Same ugly, toothy creatures that lurk here in the day. They just seem less menacing in the sunlight.” He gazed down at my nearly naked body. “I have to say, I’m not thinking about the cold at all.” He lowered his mouth to the swells of my breasts and kissed each one. Then he slipped the strap off my shoulder, exposing my already taut nipple to the cool night air. His mouth warmed it instantly. I relaxed my head back, resting it against the surface of the water. I arched my back to press my breasts harder against his mouth. The stars smeared into a glittery blur as his tongue teased me.

Cold water splashed over me, startling me out of the sensual moment of bliss. Denver lifted his face and grinned down at me. “I’m thinking this whole seduction thing would go a lot smoother if we weren’t standing in the icy Pacific.”

“Couldn’t agree more. It was a noble idea, but all I can think about now is a hot shower. Or something equivalent, if you catch my meaning.”

“Oh, I catch it and I second it.”

Reluctantly, I pulled my legs from his arms and lowered my feet to the sandy bottom below. We waded back toward the shore. The ocean breeze blew against us as we hurried to our clothes. Wet, cold skin made getting dressed a chore. I pulled on my shirt as he worked at sliding on his jeans.

I snatched up my pants. “It’s too cold and I’m too wet. I’m making a run for the blanket.” Numb legs and muscles made for a slow-motion journey but I reached the blanket, gave it a shake and threw it around my shoulders.

Denver came up behind with his jeans still slung open and his shirt and shoes in hand. I opened the blanket up like a cape, and he stepped into it. I pressed my body against his. The skin on his chest was cold and smooth. “Just so you know, I don’t invite just anyone under my blanket.”

“Is that right?” He peered down at me through clumps of dark, wet lashes as he wrapped his arms around me. “I just figured you were trying to mooch some of my body heat.”

I folded myself into his arms and suddenly became very aware of the erection straining against his underwear. I reached forward and brushed my hand along the line of dark hair leading down into his jeans. He sucked in his hard stomach muscles at the feel of my cold fingers on his skin. I let my hand travel farther and rubbed my thumb against the tip of his cock as it pushed against the cotton fabric.

Denver pulled in a deep breath before grabbing hold of my arms. This time his kiss was more urgent with just the right amount of punishment as his mouth devoured mine.

“Let’s get out of here,” he muttered without lifting his mouth from mine.

We grabbed up our things and managed to make short work of the two block distance back to the house. Denver grabbed the keys from his pocket and fumbled with them for a second before managing to unlock the door. He ushered me inside.

I dropped my shoes, jeans and the blanket on the floor. I heard the door shut a little harder than necessary behind me and turned around just as Denver reached for me. He twirled me so that my back was against the door. I was sandwiched between the door and his hard body, a perfectly acceptable predicament with the way I was feeling.

One strong hand held me while the other braced against the door. “God, you’re something, Holliday,” he growled against my mouth as his hand slid up beneath my shirt, smoothing along my bare back. He paused the kiss just long enough to yank off my shirt.

I smoothed my palm over the hard muscles of his shoulders and chest. He had several strategically placed tattoos, just enough black ink to work with the rest of him, cool, calm and confident. “Earlier, I told myself, take it easy, Jami. This is the type of guy to savor, slow and easy and tantalizing. That’s what I told myself.” I reached for his jeans and pushed them down to his thighs.

My head dropped back against the door as he lowered his mouth to my breasts. His fingers hooked around the bra straps and he pulled them down as his tongue and mouth caressed me. “But I don’t have that kind of self-control,” I said on a whisper. “You’re like one big, delicious chocolate truffle. No savoring. Just pop the whole damn thing and enjoy.”

He stopped and smiled up at my analogy. “I like your way of thinking.”

I dropped my gaze down to the erection that was nearly bursting out of the briefs. “And
I
like the way you look in this underwear. I think I could be having the worst damn day in my life, and if you stepped into the room wearing just this pair of briefs, my whole day would turn around.”

“Should I keep them on?” he asked with a crooked smile.

“Hell no.” I reached down to his waistband and tugged them down. They dropped to his feet. “Oh shit, you’re perfect. Head to toe and the stuff in between.” I swallowed hard. Looking at him was like looking at art. “Now I feel completely self conscious.”

“Are you fucking kidding?” He picked me up in his arms and carried me to the couch. “I can’t get enough of you, of looking at you, of listening to you, of touching you.” He lowered me onto the couch and knelt down on the ground next to it. His gaze brushed over me in such a way that it felt as if he was dragging his fingertips over my skin. Then he lifted his hand and placed it on my belly, letting it linger there for a few seconds, almost as if he was waiting for me to say no.

Little chance of that. I parted my thighs in invitation, and he slid his fingers beneath my panties. He curled his fingers into the dark hair on my pussy. Then, with much more urgency, he removed his hand and pushed my panties down to my ankles. I kicked them off and stretched my arms above my head to give him full access to all of me. I wanted badly for him to touch me, to kiss me. He obliged.

He leaned up over me and kissed my naked skin as his hand slid between my legs. He hesitated and gazed up at my face.

“I want this, Denver, please.”

Warm moisture pooled in my pussy as his fingers slid down into the intimate folds and along the tight bud of my clit. The intense sensation made me writhe against his hand. He was strong and confident in everything he did, and most especially now.

His fingers pushed inside of me, all the while making sure the heel of his hand stayed pressed against my clit. He knew exactly what he was doing, and I was quickly losing control of my senses. The light in the room splintered into glittering sparks and even though his hand was tucked between my legs, every nerve in my body reacted to his touch.

I opened my eyes just long enough to see his handsome face, smooth and serious, his eyes deep blue with the glaze of arousal, as he brought me closer to climax. I squeezed my thighs tight around his hand and rocked against the movements of his fingers, deep inside of me, strumming me along like an instrument being coaxed to play. My body tensed and a warm flush flowed over me, sending a surge of concentrated heat between my thighs as my pussy clenched in pulsating waves around his hand.

My shortened breaths finally slowed, and I opened my eyes.

His gaze was slightly unfocused. “Damn, you are gorgeous when you come.” His voice was tight and strained.

I turned on my side. “Make love to me, Denver, while I’m still aching for you.” I ran a long finger down his chest.

“Are you sure? I don’t want to rush you.”

“Oh no, I’ve pushed that perfection concept too far. You’ve already proved yourself in every way.” I sat up and patted the couch next to me. He sat down and I straddled his lap. I put my hands on his face and tilted it up. “Unless you don’t want to.”

A short laugh left his mouth. “Don’t want to? I’m about to splinter completely fucking apart with wanting you.” I could feel his cock pressing against me, wanting desperately to be brought to climax. “I just want you to be sure.”

“Uh, do you remember my earlier analogy about you being—”

“A truffle?”

I giggled and kissed his mouth. “That’s right. No time to savor. Time to enjoy.” I leaned my mouth close to his ear. “Do you have a condom?”

His chest heaved with deep, quick breaths. “Yes,” he uttered hoarsely.

I lowered my lips to his mouth and whispered. “Then put that sucker on, baby.”

I climbed off. He lunged toward the pants he’d left on the floor. He rolled on the condom and sat back down on the couch. Once again, I straddled him. He lifted his face to mine.

His eyes drifted shut as I slid down over his cock. He was big, and the thickness filled me, stretching me to capacity as I lowered myself down as far as I could go.

His hands clutched my hips as my mouth covered his. A deep groan rolled up from his chest as I rocked back and forth, sliding over him, gripping him with my pussy with each pass.

I straightened and braced my hands against the back of the couch. I took a deep breath as I gazed down at him. He was the type of man who made you come just thinking about his hands and mouth on you.

“I like it fast and hard. Please, Denver.”

“And you think
I’m
the perfect one? Fuck, Holliday, where the hell have you been all my life.” He cupped my ass with his hands and drove against me as I plunged down over him. I curled my fingers through his dark hair and held tightly onto him as he thrust inside of me, my pussy swallowing him with each movement.

His grip tightened, and I could feel his entire body tense in my grasp. “Fuck yeah, baby,” he grunted as he held me down over him.

His hold on me lightened and he moved his arms up and around my back. I softened against him, reveling in the strong, secure hold he had on me.

Denver kissed my shoulder. “I think I’ve had the completely wrong opinion of band geeks all this time.”

I lifted my face to look at him. “Why yes, I’m here to break that stereotypical nonsense, even though I wasn’t in school long enough to be one or hang with them.” I lifted my finger. “But make no mistake, I would have been proud to sit with the band geeks in the lunchroom.” I relaxed and rested my head on his shoulder.

His hand lovingly caressed my back. A low laugh rolled up from his chest. “That last damn slice of pizza,” he muttered.

I sat up with a start. “All right, the band geek reference was understandable, but did you just call me a slice of pizza?”

He laughed again. It was a sound I could grow used to. “No. But if you were a slice of pizza, you would be the best damn piece in the box. I was just thinking out loud. I used to live at Cole’s house. One night I left the bedroom and headed to the kitchen, buck naked, my first mistake. Although, at the time, it seemed like suitable attire for sneaking the last slice of pizza. Kensington and Sayler, the two women you saw at the street fair today, were sitting in the kitchen having a midnight snack of their own, including the now notorious slice of pizza.”

I covered my mouth to keep from laughing.

“Yep, buck naked with only the refrigerator for cover. Anyhow, if it hadn’t been for that pizza, I’d probably still be at Cole’s. I wouldn’t have found this beach house to rent, and I wouldn’t be living beneath the most amazing damn woman in the world.”

BOOK: Denver: A Bad Boy Romance (FMX Bros Book 3)
9.34Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
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