Jillian met AJ’s gaze and although his lips were set in a hard line, she swore his eyes sparkled with a glimmer of amusement.
She continued, “People who drive ice cream trucks. I mean come on, parents tell their kids not to talk to strangers or take food from strangers, yet they send them down the street with a five dollar bill in hand chasing some old truck that probably has three kids gagged and bound in the back already. It’s like they’re saying ‘Hey, here’s five bucks, take my kid.’ And don’t even get me started on people whose second toe is longer than their big toe.”
That’s when it happened. As hard as he tried, AJ couldn’t stifle his laugh any longer. Jillian took advantage of the moment by climbing onto his lap. He had a smile that was boyish yet handsome. She rested her hands on his broad shoulders and pecked at the grin that lingered on his lips. He tensed when she drew his bottom lip into her mouth, trapping it gently between her teeth. Then she released it and kissed him with a patience that threatened to drain her last bit of control.
Making someone bleed just to prove a point is not control. Luke’s words calmed her urge.
Jillian pulled back even as AJ’s mouth continued to reach for hers. “Take me out on a real date.”
She felt his heart thumping against her chest, his arousal between her legs, and his quick breaths against her face.
“No.” He claimed her lips once more with demanding force. His tongue as desperate as his lips. Before Jillian could bring the moment into focus, his hands slid up her shirt and he moaned when he discovered she wasn’t wearing a bra. He pushed her shirt up and released her lips. Jillian hissed in a breath as he sucked her nipple into his mouth. Closing his eyes, he took pleasure in her body.
The woman in her, the Jillian in her, wanted to let go and feel her own pleasure, but she couldn’t. The recent rebirth of her life had left her lost in self-discovery. Passion wasn’t love and love wasn’t passion. Her physical urges felt like emotional needs, yet she knew that wasn’t possible. She’d been several pieces away from solving a puzzle, and then some bully came along and wiped all five thousand pieces onto the floor like the ruins of a small town after an EF-5 tornado.
“Enough,” Jillian said, swallowing hard.
AJ continued.
“E-nough!” Jillian raised onto her knees until her right one was applying firm pressure to his crotch.
“Dammit!” AJ jerked his head back and grabbed her waist to lift her off him. “What is your deal?”
Jillian walked into the kitchen and jotted down her phone number on a piece of paper. “Here.” She handed it to him. “Congratulations for not being messed-up from your past, but I kind of am. So when you’re ready to treat me with respect give me a call.”
AJ stared at it then stood. “That won’t be happening.” He tossed the piece of paper on the table and walked out the door.
Jillian laughed to herself. She didn’t think it was possible to find someone functioning in society that was as messed-up as she was. Wrong!
*
Five days passed before Jillian saw AJ again. The complete lack of activity next door led her to believe he had disappeared like Cage said he did on occasion. She kept busy with two lucrative Lascivio parties, keeping the yards looking trim, and her favorite job: watching Lilith.
“Jesus, Dodge! What the hell happened?” Jillian winced, looking at the stitched-up gouge between his two black eyes.
“Nasty leg cramp in the middle of the night on Sunday. Fell out of bed and the corner of the nightstand high-fived my head before the rest of my body hit the ground. Stan had to take me to the emergency room at two o’clock in the morning. But don’t worry, it looks worse than it feels.”
“I don’t doubt that because I’m going to be honest with you, Dodge, it couldn’t look much worse.”
“Just as well, young lady. At least now you won’t be flirting with me so much and making the missus jealous.”
Jillian looked over at Lilith, who was enraptured with a grin on her face while reading what must have been a good book. “Yeah, I’m sure that’s been a real issue.”
Dodge looked down at his phone. “Stan should be picking me up soon. You two ladies have fun.”
“Where you off to today?”
“Lumberyard. Stan’s going to get some boards and stain them to match my headboard. Then he’s going to build a railing for the side of my bed that locks in at night to prevent future injuries.”
Jillian grinned. “Like a baby crib.”
“No! Like … like … uh … well, like a hospital bed.”
“Okay, whatever makes you feel better.”