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  Needing a distraction, I’d gone along with Liam’s peace offering and let him lead me to the river for the picnic, which we’d planned, but I’d felt like our conversation was strained. In the end I couldn’t wait to get back to the house so I could hide in my room for a while.

  I’d lounged on my bed thinking of Jack. To me, Jack seemed like a decent guy, more so than his idiot brother. I was starting to have second thoughts about acting as Liam’s girlfriend.

  Since we’d arrived he’d been acting all cocky when we were around others, apart from his parents, then he would be the ‘well behaved’ son. Seeing those two sides of him bothered me more than I wanted to think about. It had only been a day so hopefully he’d calmed down a bit; at least I hoped he had.

  I was sitting on the back porch with my first coffee of the day watching the sunrise. It was so quiet at this time, and it probably would be for another couple of hours.

  Callie and I would sit on the porch at her house to watch the morning arrive. It truly was the most beautiful time of day. Back in Texas we'd go back to bed for a few hours afterwards, but I didn't think I'd be able to sleep with my thoughts so full of Jack.

  "Thalia."

  Jack made me jump when he said my name; I met his gaze. I was so in trouble. He looked as though he'd just climbed out of the shower with his hair still damp. His jeans were only half fastened and the long sleeved t-shirt he had on fitted him like a glove in a pale green color. He was...wow.

  Finally, I found my tongue. "I didn't know anyone else would be up yet." I hoped I wasn't blushing.

  "Couldn't sleep," he grumbled.

  He took a gulp of his coffee then walked towards me, looking damn hot. "Move over."

  I should go to my room, I chided myself but instead, I moved over so he could sit beside me on the small porch swing. Once he was sitting, there wasn't an inch between our thighs.

  It took all my will power not to squirm to try and ease the ache between my legs. My breasts felt swollen and ached for his touch. Jack was so close, all I had to do was lean over slightly and they'd be against his arm. I ignored him and carried on watching the sun.

  "Thalia, please look at me."

  "I can't," I whispered, shaking my head.

  He sighed and put his coffee on the floor then stood moving to sit on the coffee table in front of me. "This thing between us isn't going to just disappear."

  "There isn't anything between us," I quickly replied, my gaze darting away from his face as I tried to avoid looking at him.

  He reached out and took hold of my hand. I felt like I'd been hit with a bolt of electricity and my gaze flew back to his face; my eyes widened in shock.

  I couldn’t hide my reaction.

  "Tell me now there isn't anything between us."

  Holding his gaze I didn’t want to move, but I knew I couldn't stay out here with him. Standing up, he stood with me. "I need to go. This is wrong. I shouldn't feel like this when I'm with you. We only met forty-eight hours ago."

  I turned to leave, but he grasped my arm, his fingers digging into my skin, but it didn’t hurt.

  "Don't go. Please, just sit out here with me."

  How could I resist him? Could we get away with sitting out here together without anyone catching us?

  "I feel it too, Thalia. I know what my future holds, but for once, I want something for me that doesn't involve my family. I want something that’s just for me, and what I want right now is to be with you."

  I melted. There were no other words for what he did to me.

  Sitting back on the swing, he sat with me and slid his arm around my shoulders causing shivers to run through me.

  If this was the only chance I would ever have of being close to this guy, I was going to enjoy it. Give myself a memory I could cherish forever.

  Before I could change my mind, I leaned in and snuggled into him, sliding my hand over his stomach, which quivered and let it rest on his chest. After a brief pause, he wrapped his other arm around me and held me tight, as I curled my feet under me.

  I sighed and closed my eyes. Heaven.

  Chapter 21

  Jack

  Holding her tight, I used my other hand and laced my fingers with Thalia’s on my chest as we both snuggled on the porch swing. She felt real good against me, as though she’d been made for me. Like she’d said, we’d only met less than two days ago, but I felt like I’d known her for a lot longer.

  With everyone else, I managed to keep them at a distance, apart from Reece and Donovan, but from the get go, with Thalia, I’d been different.

  My days during the summer were spent as a run-around at my dad’s law firm. The same law firm my dad expected me to become a partner in, once I graduated. It was so not going to happen, because my interest lay in criminal law and the justice system – a lot more going on. Family law would bore the shit out of me within a week. My ambition was the reason I’d been thrown together with Mia. Actually, blackmailed would be a more apt description.

  Every time I thought about the wedding, I broke out in a sweat. I kept telling myself that we could marry, live separately and then once I’d graduated we could divorce, but I didn’t think it was going to work out like that.

  The biggest hurdle was my family. At the end of the day they were family and you only got the one. Did I have the balls to stand up to them once and for all by cancelling the wedding? Would my father really hold my tuition fees back if I did?

  With a heavy sigh, I looked at Thalia who was watching me silently.

  “Why do you look so sad?”

  “Just thinking,” I replied, bringing our joined hands to my lips where I placed a kiss on her knuckles and wrist.

  “Jack, you need to stop,” she said, shivering.

  With my eyes closed, I took a deep breath. When I opened them again her eyes were still focused on mine. “I know. I forget about everything when you look at me.” I let go of her hand and brushed some hair from her face, which had fallen loose from her ponytail.

  “Tell me about Jack; about growing up here.”

  I laughed. “You sure you want to know, you might not like me afterwards.”

  “How I feel won’t change with the telling of your past. I promise.” She said then kissed my stomach. Any lower and she’d have discovered just how much I didn’t want to talk.

  “I had a fairly normal childhood. Constantly getting in trouble for not doing chores, forgetting I was supposed to be keeping an eye on Liam, kissing girls in the barn, you know that kind of thing.”

  I could feel her laughing against my stomach.

  “I can believe all that. What else?”

  No one had ever asked about my past before, not even in college.

  “I love being outdoors and take every opportunity to be out in the fields, or fishing with one of the guys. I still find enjoyment from being out on my bike, even though I seem to use that to let out my frustration these days. I love using the tractor on the field and the love of my life to date is my horse, Trigger.”

  “Trigger?”

  Smiling at the memory, I continued, “Yeah, when I was a kid I used to watch these black and white movies with my granddad about the Lone Ranger and his horse Trigger. My grandfather died two days before Trigger was born so…”

  “So you named the horse in your grandfather’s memory. That was a lovely thing to do, Jack.”

  “Yeah.” I felt all choked up. Coughing and sitting further up in the chair I unsettled Thalia. She pulled away, sitting upright, avoiding eye contact with me. Was she embarrassed after being cuddled up next to me?

  Reaching out, I took hold of her chin, bringing her face back around to mine. “Don’t be shy with me, not me.”

  Smoothing my thumb around her chin and lower lip she inhaled and stuck her tongue out, licking the tip of my thumb.

  I couldn’t do this to her. Yes, I wanted her more than anyone or anything I’d ever wanted, but I couldn’t carry on like I was with her while I still had a fiancée and weddi
ng hanging over my head, it wouldn’t be fair. Shit, I was also forgetting that she was supposed to be Liam’s girl.

  Her eyes fell when I moved away. “I can’t cross this line with you while I still have everything going on in my life, plus you’re my brother’s girl. Goddamn, I shouldn’t have even been holding you out here. I forgot all about Liam.”

  “So did I,” she whispered.

  “I’m not going to be around much. I need to keep my distance from you, because if I don’t, we’re both going to get hurt.”

  Fuck, she looked upset.

  “You’re right, Jack. I better go inside and get dressed.”

  We both stood so I took her hand back into mine and squeezed, not wanting to let go. I didn’t release her hand until she disappeared inside.

  Sitting down abruptly, I buried my face in my hands wanting to go after her. I wanted to keep her for myself.

  I’d never been jealous of Liam before, even when I was taking everything that Mom and Dad threw at me to save him, I’d never been jealous of him…until now.

  Yeah, Thalia had made me want something I never thought I’d have, but no matter what happened with her, I needed to talk to Mia to try and put a stop to everything. I should have done this a long time ago before everything started to get out of hand. I sure as hell wasn’t looking forward to it though. Mia could be rather dramatic when the occasion called for it, but, the fact was, I didn’t think the marriage was what Mia really wanted either.

  Until everything was sorted, and maybe after for a short while, I would bunk with Donovan, because there was no way I could be so close to Thalia without searching her out.

  Chapter 22

  Thalia

  “Will you stop,” Liam practically shouted beside me sounding frustrated.

  “Stop what?”

  “You know damn well what. For the past two weeks since Jack moved in with Donovan, we can’t go anywhere without you looking around for him. We’ve been out to dinner a few times and you looked for him. Whenever we’ve been shopping, you looked for him. Thalia, it has to stop. Jack is marrying Mia in about four week’s time. Hell!”

  He stomped off into the coffee shop while I perched on the window ledge outside, not having a clue how to reply to his outburst. What he said was true though. I wished that I could deny what he’d said, but I couldn’t. I’d missed Jack these past couple of weeks, since our early morning together on the porch.

  I knew he was staying away from me because of his engagement and because he thought I was Liam’s girl. Part of me wished that I’d corrected him, but that wouldn’t have solved the engagement issue. It made me so jealous, thinking about Jack with Mia and what they were getting up to.

  Liam had kept me busy by showing me the tourist things and the different towns we’d driven through had been great and helped to pass the time. He’d been good company and had stopped being a jerk after the first couple of days, much to my relief.

  “Here.” Liam thrust my vanilla latte at me, apparently still in a huff.

  “Look, I’m sorry okay. I didn’t know what I was doing until you pointed it out. I’ll stop doing it, if you’ll stop sulking.” I looked at him and watched a smile appear.

  “I’ve stopped sulking, but I don’t think it will be as easy for you to stop looking for my brother.”

  I frowned. Realistically I didn’t either.

  “Thalia, I’m only thinking about you. You know that right? Yeah, I got pissed because when you’re with me, a guy, you can’t stop looking for him.”

  “Liam…”

  “I know there’s nothing happening between us like that, but it’s still hard on the male ego you know.”

  He was so serious that I burst out laughing and, thank God, so did Liam.

  He walked over sitting down beside me, nudging me with his shoulder. “I know he moved out because of you.”

  I quickly met his eyes.

  “He didn’t say anything. In fact, it was in passing. He just said he needed space before he did something he shouldn’t and I got the feeling he was referring to you.”

  “I can’t explain my attraction to him. It’s more than lust.” I let out a sigh.

  He choked. “I’d rather not know any details.”

  “I feel drawn to him – a connection. Oh God, I sound like an idiot, right?”

  “No. No you don’t. Just be careful, okay,” he answered.

  “I will. Thank you for caring.”

  “Come on, let’s walk to the lake, it’s not far from here.”

  Liam took hold of my hand and pulled me up from the ledge. We quickly crossed the road and were walking down the sidewalk when Mia came barreling out from a boutique with another girl.

  “Liam and, oh you,” Mia said as though I was an insect on the floor.

  “Yes me,” I replied and felt Liam tighten his hold on my hand.

  Obviously remembering her manners, she turned to her friend. “Rebecca, this is Liam’s little friend, Thalia. Thalia, this is my best friend, Rebecca.”

  I wanted to scream. The bitch had the guy that I couldn’t get out of my head and she was also one of the rudest people I’d ever met.

  “Thalia, that’s me. If you’ll excuse us, we were just about to go and find a secluded spot in the forest to make out.”

  With that comment, I dragged Liam in the direction we were already heading, leaving Mia and Rebecca on the sidewalk in shock. I grinned, because that had felt damn good.

  Liam had a frown on his face when I glanced at him. “That was a good one. I can’t remember the last time someone spoke to Mia like that,” he said, grinning.

  “It felt good. You’re going to have to carry on leading the way though, because I have no clue where we’re going.”

  “Head through the gap in the trees up ahead.”

  Once we started walking through the forest I let go of the death grip I had on Liam. “Sorry.”

  “I’m fine, but you do realize that she’s going to go and tell Jack what you said about making out in here.”

  Crap. I hadn’t given much thought to anything getting back to Jack. I chewed my lip wondering how he would react if he thought I’d been making out with his brother. I mean my thoughts had been running rampant these past couple of weeks imagining him with ‘her’. Perhaps he’d crack and come see me. I could dream.

  Chapter 23

  Jack

  It had been two weeks and ten hours since I’d been sitting on the porch with Thalia in my arms, and I’d missed her like crazy, which was totally insane considering I’d only known her for a short time.

  After she’d gone upstairs to dress, I’d hurried to my room and packed a bag. On my way out, I’d bumped into Liam and when I told him I was bunking with Donovan for a while, he’d shaken his head. He’d known the reason I was leaving, although it stayed unspoken between us.

  I’d thrown myself into work, which had given me headache after headache thanks to the couple who wanted a divorce one day and to live happily ever after the next. Then back to square one the following day. They had basically driven me crazy and my dad had told them not to enter his practice again until they were one hundred percent certain it was what they wanted.

  Donovan, Reece and our music had prevented me from going completely mad. Ryder had decided that we made the most money for him so he’d keep us for Wednesday and Saturday evenings, which suited us fine.

  A couple of days after I’d moved in with Donovan, Mia had come paying me a visit, wanting to know what was going on. Mia had looked – odd – and I still couldn’t put my finger on what had been wrong with her.

  It was nearly four weeks to the wedding and it was creeping closer and closer to d-day. I needed to put a stop to it once and for all, but yeah, I kept putting it off.

  Donovan had said I could stay with him for as long as I wanted too, so at least accommodation wasn’t a problem. If I was honest no matter how much I hated them occasionally, I didn’t want to lose my family. My mom wouldn’t be too bad,
but my dad would be pissed to hell and back and I wasn’t too sure he’d come round, and carry on paying my tuition.

  “I’ve been sitting in front of you now for about five minutes and not once have you acknowledged me.”

  I blinked in surprise, ran my hands through my hair and looked at Donovan. “My life is so fucking screwed up. Have you got any idea how bad Mia is going to react when I tell her the charade is over and the wedding is off? She’s going to be so pissed. I just pray my dad doesn’t react the way he said he would if I don’t go through with it.”

  Sitting back I looked out into the forest, spotting a squirrel, which I watched for a short time, munching on some berries.

  “Do you want some advice?” Donovan broke the silence.

  “Do I get a choice?”

  “Wear body armor,” Donovan suggested as we heard a car pull up outside the cabin.

  Neither of us moved, but hearing the beep from the lock engaging I knew it was Mia and by the look Donovan threw at me, so did he. She was the only one I knew who locked her car.

  “I’m inside if you need me. Get it over with before it’s too late.” With that he disappeared through the door.

  “Jack, what the hell are you doing living in this dump?” she asked marching up the steps.

  Why she always insisted on calling Donovan’s home a dump, I had no idea because it was always spotless. His parents had been killed in a car accident two years ago, and for some reason Donovan always had to keep the place neat as a pin, like his mom used to keep it.

  “Nice to see you too.” I tried to ignore her, but no such luck. She was standing with her back against the porch railing, after testing it to make sure it was secure.

  Yeah, I hid a smile.

  “We need to talk about the wedding and the fact that I don’t want, you know who, standing for you.”

  I gulped the rest of my beer down and slowly put the empty bottle on the floor at my feet while I watched her. “I need to talk to you about the wedding.”

  “I’m waiting.”

  Sighing, I asked, “Do you love me, Mia?”