Jack Read online

  I think she’s honestly blind to the way Dick was trying to undress her with his eyes. If he had stepped any closer to her, he’d have been leaning up against her. It’s a good thing the man was smart enough not to do that. He’d have a black eye and a broken jaw for violating her. I wouldn’t consider myself a violent man, but I protect those I care about, and I don’t put up with any shit. “I’m still walking you to your car, Teach. Like it or not.”

  3

  RENA

  I’d be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy watching Mr. Carlton squirm a little. He’s had a crush on me this whole year. Since his wife left him and he’s been all alone. I’ve heard way too much about it. But he’s the teacher across the hallway, and we have to cover for each other sometimes. It’s easier to pretend I don’t notice. He’s odd, but he hasn’t crossed any lines.

  “You always get like this with your teachers?” I tease when Jack and I are out in the parking lot.

  “Nope.” His answer lacks the jest my question had. He’s deadly serious. “I don’t like the way he looks at you, Rena.”

  At my car, I spin around. My hands fly to my hips. “And what gives you the right to care about that? I just met you.”

  He backs me up against my car, one arm going up at my side. He leaves the other arm down, allowing me freedom if I want it. But my traitorous body doesn’t want to escape. And that intense look in his eyes says he knows it too. “You feel it, Rena. I know you do.”

  “It’s not that simple.” My stupid eyes keep dropping to his stupid lips. I want to kiss them again. I want them on my skin. I want them on my cunt. I swallow and drop my gaze, but it lands on the bulge in his jeans. Fuck me. I’m going to be a hot, horny mess all night. I want this man so bad it makes my insides scream to resist him.

  “Have dinner with me.”

  “No.” I slip free before I lose my nerve. “I don’t date anyone who works with my brother. It’s a rule.”

  “Rules are meant to be broken sometimes, Teach.”

  “Not this one.” If only my best friend had never tangled with the wrong guy, I wouldn’t have any reason to have put this rule in place. Not a good one, anyway. “I’m sorry, we can’t do this.”

  “Are you worried what your brother will think?”

  I shake my head. “No.” Truth is, Braxton has never told me not to date someone. But he doesn’t think beyond now. He doesn’t think how a relationship like this gone bad could impact his work situation. He and Jack work together for twenty-four hours at a time. They have lives to save. What they do is too important.

  “Rena, I’m picking you up for dinner tonight.”

  “No, you’re not. I already have plans.” That isn’t a lie. My best friend Alyssa is meeting me for tacos and margaritas. It’s our Tuesday tradition. It’s a timely save, because I’m about to cave. “I’ll see you later, Jack. Thank you for giving the kids such a great demonstration today.” I fall into my car and shut the door.

  I can’t let him know how close I am to breaking my resolve. I’m way too close to the edge.

  JACK

  I talk my buddy—and fellow firefighter—Felix into going out for Taco Tuesday. We still have tomorrow off, and a couple of margaritas might cool me off.

  I’d started off on first shift with the Stryker County Fire Department, Walker Stone as my captain. But an opening came up in another shift, and they desperately needed another firefighter. Since our shift had an extra, and I was still considered the new guy, I didn’t want it to seem like I wasn’t willing to be a team player. So, I volunteered to be moved.

  Which is how I met Felix.

  “You seem agitated,” Felix says to me across the high-top table.

  “I’m fine.” But my answer comes out in something close to a growl.

  I’m sure Rena has a good reason for her rule. I know Braxton would be okay with me dating his sister if he knew my intentions were good. And they are. She’s not some notch on a bedpost. She’s the woman who’s going to have my babies.

  It’s fast, I know. I’ve known her less than a day. But they say when you know, you know. And I have never been more certain of anything in my life. Rena is the one for me.

  “How did that school thing go today?”

  “Good.”

  “If I’d have known you were going to be so chatty, I would’ve stayed home.” Felix is trying to rile me up, and it’s almost working.

  “Sorry, man. I’m distracted.”

  “A woman?”

  I nod. It’s the most I’m going to let this conversation turn to feelings. Felix is single, and unless there are tacos involved, he’s pretty much a homebody. Girls throw themselves at him all the time. I think it’s the glasses. But he doesn’t seem interested. “I’ll know her when I see her,” he once told me.

  Those words have stuck with me. I now know the power of their meaning.

  I’m about to hand over my man card and ask Felix more about this when I see her. Rena walks in the door with a girlfriend, all smiles. They’re holding onto each other’s arms and talking quietly and giggling.

  My ego apparently needs stroked, because I wonder if they’re talking about me. It’s not the only thing that needs stroked though, as the dick twitching in my jeans reminds me.

  “That’s her, huh?” Felix nods toward Rena, not even having to guess which woman I’m hung up on. Fuck, I got it bad.

  “Yeah.”

  “Braxton’s sister, huh?”

  They’ve met. It spurs jealousy in me, even though it’s completely irrational. Felix isn’t interested in her. That much is clear.

  The waitress delivers our towering plates of tacos—the only way to do Taco Tuesday according to Felix—and tries her best to flirt with both of us. But it’s a lost cause. Neither one of us is interested. She’s nice, but she’s too skinny for my tastes. Rena’s curvy body is a wonderland this waitress has nothing on.

  “You going to just sit here, or you gonna talk to her?”

  I’ve been thinking about what to say since the moment she drove away. I don’t want her to feel like I’m forcing anything. I know she wants this too. I’ve sensed it in every touch and every flicker of her eyes when they lock with mine.

  “She has some rule about dating firefighters, I guess.”

  Felix just laughs and empties his margarita glass. “When has that ever stopped you?”

  He’s right.

  And I’m up off my stool before I can talk myself out of it. I strut to the high-top at the opposite end of the restaurant. Rena catches a glimpse of my approach and tries to look away so I don’t see her. But it’s futile. I can see the smile she’s trying to hide.

  “Jack, what are you doing here?”

  I nod back toward Felix so she doesn’t think I’m stalking her. I wouldn’t go to such lengths. But it occurs to me Dick might, and it makes me scan the room. Unsurprisingly I spot him at the bar, tucked in the shadows. What a slime ball. “Taco Tuesday. It’s my buddy’s favorite thing. Practically a holiday.”

  “I’m Alyssa,” pipes up her friend. “Rena’s best friend.” The red head has her eyes narrowed in a teasing way at Rena. “She’s too distracted to introduce me.”

  “Alyssa!”

  “What, it’s true.”

  The pinkish tint to Rena’s cheeks makes my heart race. It’s the cutest damn thing. It makes me want to drag her out of here and back to my place to finish what we started in the supply closet. But it occurs to me that what happened in that room worked. The slow torture that left her begging for more. It’s the winning strategy.

  “I just wanted to say hello, Teach.” I reach out and tuck a curl of golden hair behind Rena’s ear, allowing my fingertips to ever so softly graze her skin. She shivers, and licks her lips. I bet she’s remembering the supply closet. “I’ll see you later.”

  What she doesn’t know is that I’ll be paying her another visit tomorrow during recess.

  4

  RENA

  The kids are at recess, and
I’m relieved for a break. They’re still talking up a storm about the fire truck, and the sirens, and Jack. They loved him. It’s the reason for today’s art project. Half the kids painted fire trucks. It’s a creative outlet for them.

  But I haven’t found an outlet for me.

  I want Jack. Badly.

  I dreamt about him all night.

  I can still feel the graze of his lips on my skin, like a flame is being held up against those spots he touched.

  He sure knows how to torture a girl.

  I’m doubly relieved that Mr. Carlton is on recess duty this week. I saw him at the restaurant last night, just watching me and Alyssa from the bar. He didn’t approach us, but it’s still a little unsettling. I’m starting to see what Jack was talking about.

  A knock at my classroom door has me spinning around. I wasn’t expecting anyone, but Jack stands there with a vase full of bright flowers.

  “Jack, what is—” But I don’t even know what to ask. He brought me flowers?

  “I came for the extra credit.” He steps into the room, closing the door behind him, and sets the flowers on my desk.

  “They’re beautiful.” I inhale their scent, letting my eyes fall closed, and I swear I hear a low growl. Good. He tortured me last night. It’s my turn to return the favor. “Thank you.” I roll slowly back up to a standing position, all too aware that this neckline gives a peek down my dress when bent over like I am.

  “Beautiful, just like you.”

  “Jack, I can’t do this. I told you—”

  His hand wraps around my wrist and gently tugs me toward the supply closet. I don’t think he has any intention of listening to what I have to say. He lifts me onto a filing cabinet with such ease I’m amazed. As if I was light as a feather.

  “Jack—”

  “This is my assignment. You can tell me my grade when I’m finished.” He closes the door.

  “Well, you have about seventeen minutes before that bell rings.” It’s the last words I get out, because seconds later, his hands slide up my legs. I want to complain that they didn’t move my dress up, but I’m too busy panting with anticipation. Nothing this man does is fast, and everything is a surprise.

  “Don’t you worry. I plan to use each and every one of those seventeen minutes.” His hands slide back down to my knees, and I brace myself on his broad shoulders. My body tingles as if it were catching fire. Finally, his hands push my dress up.

  He kisses the inside of my thighs as if he we have all the time in the world. “You smell so fucking sweet, Teach.” Firm hands grip my hips and pull me forward on the cabinet. From up here, my feet couldn’t touch the ground if my life depended on it. But it’s the perfect height for what I think he has in mind.

  “Spread your legs for me.”

  I straddle them over the sides of the filing cabinet, all too aware that at any moment, someone might come looking for me. But I don’t care. I spent all night fantasizing about this. I need this.

  His teeth scrape the silk of my panties, tugging on the edge. A pocket of air sweeps in, making me feel exposed. But I like it. Fuck, I like it too much. I shudder with pleasure, and the man hasn’t even touched my pussy yet. I might burst into flames when that finally happens.

  “Jack,” I pant. “Please touch me.”

  A deep laugh vibrates against my thighs, causing me to throw my head back. My eyelids fall shut. “I’m getting there, Teach. I’m going to earn an A. I promise you that.”

  Hot breath hovers over my center through the silk seconds before his lips connect. His tongue strokes my swollen nub through the fabric as his hands hold my thighs down. I’m so sensitive to his touch right now I can hardly sit still.

  Just as I think I might come from this erotic experience, Jack pulls back.

  I whimper from the loss of him.

  “Time to lose the panties, Teach.” He shimmies them down, sliding them down my legs like the bell won’t ring in less than ten minutes. He stuffs them in his pocket. “For safe keeping.” Then he presses his hands on the inside of my thighs, spreading me wider.

  “What a fucking cute pussy.” His eyes are drenched with desire as they meet mine. “I can’t wait to taste you.” He dips his head between my legs, his mouth covers my exposed cunt. His tongue traces slow, agonizing circles around my clit.

  My hands grip his shirt, digging into his shoulders. Fuck this feels so good. It’s all I can do to keep quiet. “Don’t stop,” I pant in a whisper. I know this damn bell will ring soon. I need him to take me over the edge before that happens. I probably won’t have time to recover, so the kids are getting another movie today.

  Jack gradually increases his speed, sucking, licking, teasing. His hands grip my ass, pulling my cunt into his face. How can he breathe? I want to keep my head rolled back, but I want to watch him more. Seeing him between my legs like this is the fucking hottest thing I’ve ever witnessed. It turns me on in ways I didn’t even know were possible.

  My world begins to erupt in a low rumble. Like the beginning of an earthquake that’s just shook the ground. My fingers claw into his shoulders as the sensation intensifies. If this orgasm really were an earthquake, it would break a world record.

  “I’m coming.” The words escape second before the bell rings. I’m too dizzy to fully panic. My body shudders as my climax hits. I can’t breathe.

  “Just in time.” Jack stands back, a satisfied smirk on his lips.

  “The kids—” I can hear the chorus of them coming down the hall.

  “Let me help you.” He lifts me off the filing cabinet and carefully sets me on the ground, not letting me go when my legs fail to work on their first attempt. My breasts are pushed up against his chest. They’re craving their own attention too. “Careful there.”

  I’m flushed and out of breath. My legs are like Jello. “Wow.” It’s the only word I can manage.

  “Did I get an A, Teach?”

  “A plus.”

  The classroom door bursts open, and the kids fill in. My eyes widen in panic. “You go out there first, then I’ll follow.”

  “But—”

  “Trust me, please” He glances down to the bulge in his jeans, and I understand.

  “I do.” I’m surprised to realize I mean those words. I trust this man I just met more than I’ve ever trusted anyone.

  He squeezes my hand before I can make my escape. “Have dinner with me tonight.”

  “I can’t.”

  “Can’t or won’t?”

  “Does it matter?” I slip out into the classroom before he can answer. What just happened in that closet still feels like some wet dream. That orgasm… I’ve never had one like it. I’m still feeling the aftershocks. I hold onto the edge of my desk for stability.

  The kids file into their seats, and only a couple of them require stern looks to sit down. I’m about to ask them who wants to watch another movie, but they see the flowers. They’re smart kids, and it doesn’t take more than three seconds for someone to ask.

  “Where did those come from Ms. Michaels?”

  “From me.” Jack appears in the corner, like a magic trick by the looks on their faces. They’re curious kids, but right now, they’re more excited that he appeared than where he came from. Unbelievable.

  “Are you going to marry Ms. Michaels?” a boy asks.

  Before I can swoop in and save him, Jack answers, “Yes.” His answer is so confident and final. Like he’s made up his mind, and that’s it. “But first I have to convince her to have dinner with me.”

  A couple of kids make eww noises at the back of the room. But most are smiling and intrigued. I feel a sabotage coming on.

  “Who here thinks Ms. Michaels should go to dinner with me tonight?”

  Every hand shoots up. Every. Single. One. I can’t exactly explain to a room of third graders why I’m not supposed to date their new super hero.

  “What do you say, Ms. Michaels?” Jack looks at me, wearing that devious smile. The smile that says he already won.
He steps closer to me, and whispers in my ear, “If you want more extra credit, it’ll cost you dinner first. Otherwise, I’m done turning in my homework.” He backs up with a wink.

  “Do it!” one boy says. Before long, another chimes in. Soon, the room is chanting.

  “Okay, fine!” I finally relent. “I’ll go to dinner with you.”

  “I’m keeping your panties,” he growls against my ear.

  5

  JACK

  The kids came through. Maybe it was a dirty trick, plotting them against Rena. But how else was I going to convince her to have dinner with me?

  I pull into her driveway, and it occurs to me that I’m nervous. I’ve never been more sure of anything than I am of her being the one. But it makes my palms sweat. I don’t want to screw this up. I took a gamble on the dinner arrangements, and I hope she’ll be up for the unconventional idea I have planned.

  “You’re early,” she says at the door, twirling around in a circle so I can see the black dress spin with her.

  “You look amazing, Rena.” I want nothing more than to get her out of that dress. The way it hugs her curves makes me jealous of the fabric. I’m losing the ability to take things so slow. My dick has been half hard since I left the school, and nothing will calm it down until it gets its release deep inside Rena.

  “I hope I’m not overdressed.”

  “Not possible.” I cup her cheek with my hands and pull her in for a kiss. I keep it tender, but deepen it. I hope she understands the promise I’m giving her in this kiss. It’s a promise of forever. “You ready?”

  She nods, and I walk her to the passenger side of the truck. I know she could get in on her own, but I want an excuse to touch her. And she doesn’t try to argue when I stand beside her. She reaches for the handle, and I help lift her into the seat.

  “You just wanted to touch my ass,” she says with a flirty smile, one corner of her lip lifted.