The doorbell rings, shaking me from my fantasy. She’s here. I adjust my board shorts before I throw open the door to the object of my obsession. My smile falls.
Owen pushes past me with bags of what I assume is food. “Good to see you too.”
“Hey, Nik.” I kiss Owen’s wife on the cheek.
“Jonah, how are you?” She gives me a quick hug. “Owen baby, just throw that stuff in the kitchen.”
Nikki is the resident chef at all our barbeques. She knows her way around my kitchen, so I leave her to it.
Owen drops the bags then walks straight to the backyard bar. He angles his barstool to face the sixty-inch flat screen and turns on Sportscenter.
I join him outside, grab a beer, and settle in. Halfway through my first beer, Caleb and Rex show up. The guys argue whether the San Diego Padres will go to the World Series. Owen says it’ll be the A’s. I’m sure it’ll be the Yankees, but I stay out of the conversation. Nikki’s voice, along with a couple other female voices, cuts through the conversation.
“Jonah, your guests are here,” she calls from the sliding glass door.
Her announcement silences the baseball talk as everyone turns to see who it is.
Holy f**king shit.
It’s Raven.
And she’s wearing a dress.
Thankful for my sunglasses, I let my eyes roam her body freely. Her dark hair is braided to the side, the thick chocolate rope lying against the swell of her breast. My gaze lingers on her cl**vage, the dress accentuating her already perfect form. The flowing fabric ends well above her knees, exposing her long, toned legs.
I vaguely notice the blonde at her side. That must be Eve.
As they walk toward the bar, I can’t take my eyes off Raven. She glides across the yard in that unconsciously sexy way of hers. A deep moan from one of the guys at the bar has me turning my head. They have their greedy f**king eyes locked on my girl and her friend.
My girl?
Possession flares, having me step away from the bar to meet them, effectively cutting the girls off from the ogling, lecherous dicks behind me.
“Is this a joke?”
“Didn’t see this coming.”
I hear the mumbled comments from the numb-nut gallery, and ball my fists to keep from flipping them off.
“Ladies, glad you could make it.” I’m impressed that my voice didn’t crack under the pressure.
“Hey, Jonah.” Raven tilts her head, motioning to her friend. “This is my friend, Eve. Eve, this is Jonah.”
“Hi, Jonah.” Eve shakes my hand and peruses the backyard. “Nice digs.”
“Thanks. Come on. I’ll introduce you to the guys.”
I direct the girls to walk ahead of me with the idea that I can place my hand on the small of Raven’s back. It’s a gentle way of claiming her in front of the guys. It’s either that or plunge my tongue down her throat in front of everyone, and something tells me she’s not quite ready for that.
She brushes past. Her delicate pear fragrance fills my lungs. I bite my lip and lust saturates my brain. My fingers burn to bury themselves in her hair and pull her to me.
I place my hand where the slope of her spine flows to her ass and nearly stumble over my feet. There, on the backdrop of her perfect olive skin, is the tattoo that has been taunting me for days. A flock of blackbirds serpentine from her shoulder, dipping below the fabric of her dress. From the scale of the tattoo, I’d say the birds start at her hip.
The view evokes images of her laid out nak*d before me. Running my tongue along my lip, I imagine what it would taste like to kiss her from one end of her tattoo to the other. To feel her skin, warm, soft and sweet against my lips. I’m already hard as a rock, and I haven’t even seen her in her bikini yet. I go over baseball stats, trying to ease my raging need.
“This is my friend Owen.” Raven rakes her sunglasses up on her head. “The pierced one is Rex, and the one who looks like he just jumped off a tractor in Idaho is Caleb.” She nods through the introductions. “Guys, this is Raven and her friend, Eve.”
I watch closely as my friends size up the girls. It’s not wasted on me that they seem to find the two women attractive. But they linger a little too long on Raven’s eyes.
“Damn, girl. You got some wicked peepers.” Owen’s observation has the rest of the guys agreeing in grumbled affirmations.
A familiar blush lights her cheeks. “Thank you. It’s nice to finally meet you guys.”
“Finally?” Rex’s shit-eating grin tugs at his lip ring. “How long have you and Jonah been hanging out?”
Raven’s attention slides to me, her eyes wide. “Oh, we’re not hanging out . . . er . . . we work—”
“What would you girls like to drink?” I redirect the conversation and smile at the relief I catch in Raven’s expression. Why does it feel as if we’re hiding some deep, dark secret?
“Water would be great,” Raven answers and Eve nods.
“You girls up for baseball?” Most girls wouldn’t be interested in the game, but, then again, most girls aren’t car mechanics.
“Baseball?” Raven scrunches up her nose and shakes her head. So damn cute.
I motion to the loungers set up poolside. “Would you rather get some sun?”
She studies the double lounger and looks at Eve. They both smile big. “Yes, please.”
I set them up with towels and a lounger, placing them close enough so that I can admire Raven, and go back and forth from them to the game easily.
With a fresh beer in hand, I relax against the bar and settle in for the game. So far so good. I have a girl, a date, over at my house. The guys are being semi-respectful. The girls are laughing and talking comfortably. What could possibly go wrong?
“Let’s get this party started, motherfuckers!”
Oh, shit. Blake.
Six
Jonah
My glare sharpens toward the sound of his voice, and it takes everything I have not to punch something.
“Fuck me,” I whisper to the floor.
Blake isn’t alone. He has three girls with him. Two of them I’ve seen before. One is the red-headed stripper, and the other is the blond stripper I slept with a week ago.
Girls I’ve slept with don’t come over. Ever. What the hell is Blake thinking?
I drop my head into my hand. Dammit. Blake doesn’t know I slept with her. He was too busy inspecting the tonsils of that redhead when I left the club.
“Jonah.” Blake saunters up, a girl under each arm. “You remember Selena.” He motions with his chin to the girl with unnaturally bright red hair. “And Candy.” He motions to the blonde.
Her name is Candy. Typical.
“And this lovely lady here is Fiona.” He motions to the dark-haired girl with gigantic br**sts shoved into a tiny top. Won’t have to worry about her sinking in the pool.
Candy slides out from under Blake’s arm and steps into my space. Too close. I straighten from my leaning stance at the bar to gain some distance.
“Nice to see you again, Jonah.” Her very white teeth dig into her plump lower lip. She finger walks her hand up my chest to wrap it around the back of my neck. Her other hand lies flat against my stomach.
“Candy, get your hands off me.” I command in a low voice to avoid making a scene in front of Raven.
I’m grateful to see her engaged in conversation with Eve and Nikki who joined them by the pool.
Candy follows my gaze and sneers in Raven’s direction. “Oh, I get it.” She looks back at me and pulls her hand from my neck, making sure to drag her long fingernails against my skin. “Fresh meat.” She looks back to Raven before spinning on her high heel. Her short, tight skirt looks more like a belt as she swings her ass. “You’ll be back. Can’t live on SPAM forever.”
Her sidekicks squeal with laughter, and I glare at Blake. He shakes his head and throws his hands in the air mouthing, “I didn’t know.”
I’m not familiar with the sick feeling that gnaws at my insides. From the hateful look Candy gave Raven, there’s no way she’ll keep her mouth shut about our night together. My reputation is no secret, but having it confirmed is unsettling.
It shouldn’t matter because I slept with Candy before I knew Raven, but the thought of Raven knowing the intimate details of my sexual history makes me insecure. I want her to see me as worthy. And sleeping around, especially to the daughter of a prostitute, doesn’t say ideal boyfriend material.
Is that what I want? To be her boyfriend?
It’s on this eye-bulging thought that Nikki walks up with Raven and Eve flanking her.
“Blake, I see you’ve brought the entertainment.” Nikki’s smile is the farthest thing from friendly.
“Oh, come on, Nik. Don’t hate the player; hate the game.” Blake laughs and the tension rippling off Nikki intensifies.
Raven and Eve, eyes wide as saucers, look back and forth between the two.
Owen stands from his barstool and grabs his wife by the hand. “Nik, baby. Inside. Now.”
She allows herself to be led away, but maintains a death glare on the strippers until she’s out of sight.
Blake’s eyes follow Nikki into the house before he sets his sights on Raven and Eve. He pushes past his dates. “And who do we have here?” His cocky-ass smile has the girls giggling.
Fucking Blake.
I give a quick growled introduction.
“It’s nice to finally meet you.” Raven extends her hand graciously. She motions to me with the hand that Blake is still holding. “Jonah mentioned you the other day.”
My eyes burn at their connection. I try to figure out a way to get him to let her go without breaking her hand in the process.
“Raven. Why haven’t I met you before?” Blake’s gaze leaves Raven to narrow on me.
Raven shifts at my side. I spear Blake with a glare. He gets the message and lets her go. Smart man.
“Raven’s helping me with my Impala.”
Blake throws his head back, roaring with laughter. Raven stiffens at my side. I drape my arm over her shoulder, and she presses softly into my hold. Her body feels so small and delicate under my arm. The intimacy of her bare shoulder against my shirtless torso has me gathering her deeper into my side. Her mild fruity scent combined with the comfort of her body calms my nerves. I resist the urge to bury my face in her hair.
“Dude, you have a smokin’ hot mechanic. What the hell?” He’s back to looking at Raven, and as his eyes dance up and down her body, I thank God she’s still in her cover up. “Gives a whole new meaning to the term body shop.” His eyes settle on her legs. “Nice legs, what time do they open?”
“Watch your fuckin’ mouth.” My jaw locks down. A warm, familiar buzz stirs in my head. My hand squeezes Raven’s shoulder on reflex.
Silence hangs thick in the air as everyone stares between Blake and me. Even the Stripper Sisters have ceased their obnoxious babbling.
Blake focuses on me, his eyebrows low and questioning.
A soft giggle breaks the silence. In unison, all eyes move to Raven.
“Thanks for the compliment, Blake.” Raven rolls her lips between her teeth, her face red with withheld laughter.