Edge of Glory (Friendship, Texas Book 1) (14 page)

I pondered over the note card, while everyone else turned theirs in way too quickly.

I wanted to pick ours, but I couldn’t just vote for myself. I found it unethical, so I picked some of the random other barbecues and handed my card back to the woman.

When she had all of the cards, she went back to the judges table.

“I think we’re going for a trifecta,” Jay whispered, squeezing my knee.

“Getting very cocky about your cooking, Jay.”

“There’s a fine line between cockiness and confidence.”

I raised an eyebrow. “And what’s the line?”

“Cockiness is when you show off. Confidence is when you know it’s in the bag and everyone else does. No need to tell the world, they’ll see it.”

The woman stood in front of the head table and called out, “Contestants, please line up for awards.”

We all got up from the table and stood in a line, with our chef to the side of us. The woman held up one little gold trophy that looked like a cornucopia. “This is the first time, in all of the years and classes that we’ve had, that a couple has won all three categories.”

She smiled, turning toward Jay and I. “Jay Morningstar. Rosalia Conti. With Chef McCoy’s help, your migas were a hit!”

Jay smiled, taking my hand as everyone else smiled and clapped politely while we walked up to the woman and took our trophy.

I’d never won anything in my life and I felt my entire face light on fire. “Awesome job, babe,” Jay said, kissing my cheek.

Chef McCoy squeezed both of our shoulders. “Good job, Swimmer. Chef Girl. Can I expect you two to come back and win again?”

Jay looked at me and I smiled. “I think we might be able to do that.”

***

When we finally left the restaurant, Jay's hands continued to roam, up my leg, my thighs and even briefly grazing my core through my jeans.

"Jay, if you keep doing that and not focus on the road, you're going to end up in an accident."

He smiled and put his hand on my knee, squeezing it. "You're probably right..."

Turning on his signal, he took an exit toward Garland and one of the many parks on the water.

It was a full moon and the lake was completely lit up in beautiful shades of blue along the wave-less water.

Jay parked his car in the empty lot, shaded by a few weeping willows.

"Are we going for a walk?" I asked, my lip trembling.

Jay put his hand on my chin, turning me toward him before he ran his thumb along my bottom lip. "Do you have any idea how beautiful you are?"

I bit my bottom lip to keep it from shaking.

Slowly he put his free arm around my waist and pulled me toward him, putting his lips to mine. His kisses were urgent. Full of passion and longing. I sighed into his lips, which caused a moan low in his throat.

Needing to be closer, to feel his touch, I sucked in a breath and took a chance, sliding over the seat and straddling his lap.

He grinned, putting his hands on my butt and leaning his seat back. "Now this is a view," he whispered.

I smiled, leaning over and kissing him again as his hands roamed freely over me. I was lost in the moment. So lost that I didn't notice where my body was and my ass rammed into the steering wheel.

Not only did it hurt like hell, but also the horn sounded very loudly.

I sat up and scrambled over to my seat, fixing my hair.

Jay laughed, shaking his head. "As much as I want to keep going, I don’t want our first time to be us half naked in the backseat. I’d rather take my time and get to know every curve of your body.”

Holy hell that may have been one of the hottest things a guy had ever said to me. My bottom lip trembled and Jay pushed a strand of hair behind my ear, a lazy smile crossing his face.

I wanted to say something equally as amazing, but the only thing that was coming to my mind was that I was falling completely and hopelessly in love with this guy. That I wanted to give all of myself to him.

I opened my mouth, trying to figure out something to say, but shut it as soon as my eyes caught the reflection of a local squad car circling the parking lot.

"I guess I'd better get you home," Jay muttered before he adjusted himself and turned the car on, backing out of his spot and waving to the officer.

I didn't know if I was saddened or relieved, but one thing I knew for sure, Jay Morningstar was dangerous for my body and my heart.

The only times I ever flew were with my family to Sicily. I'd never been on a plane without my parents, especially not a private, chartered plane.

"So...it’s just us on here?" I looked around the small interior of the plane. There was a white leather sofa at one end with two, plush white chairs facing each other across from it.

Another set of chairs were on each side of the plane, next to the door to the cockpit. They had small tables in front of them that matched the black chevron floor. It looked like something a celebrity would take to some glamorous location, not for some waitress from Friendship, Texas.

Jay nodded, tossing his bag on one of the chairs. "Just us and the pilots. My dad's company does a lot of private security for companies in So Cal. Internet security and all that. His clients prefer to fly private and I guess that's what Dad started to like as well. It's the only way I've really ever flown and I have to say, I like it."

He plopped down on the couch and patted the seat next to him. "We have an almost three hour flight ahead of us, so relax. There won't be any pretzels handed out, but I can make you a drink if you're nervous to fly."

"Uh...." The last time I drank was at my brother's wedding and I ended up puking red wine all night. That, and with Jay's DUI and other problems, I didn't think it was a good idea for either of us.

Jay grinned, grabbing my hand and pulling me down on the sofa next to him. "You don't have to have a drink, but you do have to at least breathe."

"I am breathing."

He leaned back, sprawling his long, lean body across the sofa as he propped one arm under his head. "If you're going to lie to me, I'm just going to take a nap and ignore you for the next three hours."

I smacked his side lightly, not that it would have hurt him anyway. The guy had a rock hard body and I think my hand was throbbing more than any part of him was in pain. "Stop it."

He smiled, looping his arm around my waist and pulling me down to him. I yelped, falling onto him with a big oof.

"Jay?"

I gasped, looking behind me to see the captain standing in the doorway. "We're about to take off. I just wanted to let you know."

"Aye, aye," Jay said.

I watched the captain shut the door, leaving Jay and I alone in the cabin.

"Now where were we..." Jay's hands tiptoed down my back.

"Um...I...Uh..."

Jay smiled and rolled me to my side so that half of me was on top of him and the other half was on the couch next to him. "Why don't we try to relax?"

He reached into his pocket and I sucked in a breath. Was he going to pull out a joint? Even worse, what if it was a condom?

But he pulled out his phone and some ear buds.

"Um, are we going to listen to a motivational podcast or something? Can you even get Wi-Fi on a plane? Maybe on a private plane, I guess."

He laughed, his whole body vibrating underneath me.

"Just listen," he said and handed me one of the ear buds, putting the other in his ear.

Pressing some buttons on his phone, he moved too quickly for me to see what he pulled up. Then music filled my ear. A beat I recognized. Something I didn't expect.

I glanced over at Jay and raised an eyebrow. "Is this Lady Gaga?"

He laughed. "Yes. I listen to it before I get in the pool and sing it to myself whenever I'm swimming. Lame, I know, but there's something about “The Edge of Glory” that completely gets me in the zone."

"I would have expected maybe some old school punk, hell, maybe even classical."

He smiled, wrapping his arm tightly around my waist and drumming his fingers on my stomach. "I'm glad I can surprise you."

I closed my eyes and tried not to focus on the plane taking off and just listen to the music, but my body was very aware of Jay's fingers slowly sliding against my bare skin where my shirt didn't meet my jeans.

Sucking in a deep breath, I tried not to think and just feel.

Slowly he unbuttoned my jeans, but stopped there, still running his finger along my panty line and leaving goose bumps everywhere his finger touched.

One breath in.

One breath out.

He paused his movements, his fingers hovering just above my open jeans as if he was asking permission to continue.

I bit my bottom lip, unsure of what the answer was to even give him. I wasn't the best at body language, but he took that as the go-ahead.

His hand slid underneath my panties and I was thanking God that I actually shaved. I'd never had anyone this close to me, especially not down there.  There was something about a man's hands, or maybe just Jay's hands, that were so different from my own. They were rough and chapped from hours in the chlorinated pool, yet smooth at the same time as every part of his hand swept over my sensitive flesh.

His long fingers delicately slowly ran over my mound and I shivered. A mixture of wanting and pleasure trailed through me before he even really touched me.

The chorus picked up, blaring through the ear buds as Jay hooked a single finger inside of me and I gasped, a warm feeling going all the way from my nose to the tip of my toes.

Lady Gaga may have been on the edge of glory but I was definitely on the edge of something.

I couldn't say exactly what he was doing with his hands but every movement of his fingers had me seeing stars and my entire body heating up. An intense wave of pleasure started low in my core. I bit my lip hard to keep from crying out as my body erupted and I saw fireworks and felt them through every part of me.

Jay leaned over and kissed me, his tongue meeting mine as another soft moan escaped my mouth and my toes curled in pleasure. I didn't even know when the song ended or if the plane was still flying, because I was soaring. Above the clouds. Above the stars. This was the closest to heaven that I'd ever been and I never wanted to come down.

"Jay, Lia, this is your captain speaking. We are going to hit some turbulence going over the mountains, so I'm going to suggest that you two get into the seats and buckle up.

I whimpered as Jay pulled his fingers out of me, already missing the feel of him. He placed his hand on my stomach and broke our kiss. "I guess this means we have to move?"

I sighed and opened my eyes, not wanting to ever move. Not sure if I could even move with my legs that felt like jelly. "Yeah. I guess."

He kissed the tip of my nose and whispered, "Don't worry. We have plenty of time at the hotel before we have to be anywhere."

***

When the plane landed, I was still coming down from the greatest high I ever felt.

I couldn't concentrate on the California sunshine or the scenery. All I could think about was Jay's hand holding on to mine and where that hand had been and possibly would be again soon.

A private car took us to a hotel downtown Los Angeles. I should have expected there to be a herd of people outside with cameras, but it still took me by surprise when we pulled up.

Everyone in the wedding party was arriving and the whole thing was going to be a part of some reality TV special I guess, so every entertainment reporter in the area camped out in front of the hotel.

"Just keep your head down and you don't have to talk to them," Jay whispered, squeezing my hand.

"Yeah. I can totally do that. Let's just hope I don't trip over anything or do something else equally embarrassing."

Jay smiled and kissed my forehead. "If you do, I'll be there to catch you when you fall."

Another warm sensation went through me. This time it wasn't the turned on kind, but the feels kind. The one that had me thinking that if this guy didn't catch me, I was sure to break.

Jay opened the door and a sea of people approached the car, barely parting for us to even stand up.

Cameras and camera phones waved in our faces and Jay just smiled and waved as everyone threw out questions.

"Jay, are you ready for your sister's wedding?"

"Jay, have you and the other groomsmen took bets on how long the marriage will last?"

"Jay, is this the waitress you were seen with in Texas? Sweetheart, can we get your name?"

That one took me by surprise.

I looked up and saw a very bubbly looking blonde, holding up a recorder. "Can we get a name? A quote? Anything?"

I just stared, blinking, unsure of what I should do next.

Jay put his arm around me and looked straight at the reporter. "Her name is Lia Conti and she's my girlfriend."

With that, another slew of questions came out of different reporters’ mouths and cameras flashed, but Jay turned me around and we walked into the grand hotel lobby.

We didn't even have to stop at the front desk, a man came to us with a plastic card, and Jay took it, without missing a beat, then breezed past him to the large elevator.

As soon as we got in and the doors shut behind us, Jay slid his key into a slot above the buttons. Then he turned, cupping my face in his hands before putting his lips on mine. Ravishing me. Tasting me. Making me feel like the luckiest girl in the world.

I didn't even want the elevator ride to end, but when the doors dinged, Jay broke our kiss with an eager grin on his face. He took my hand and pulled me out of the elevator.

With one fell swoop, he had the key out of the elevator door and into another door.

Holy. Balls.

This wasn't a hotel room. This was like a freaking apartment.

Floor-to-ceiling windows faced us and looked out onto the skyline of the city. In front of those windows was a large seating area with plush furniture and off that was a large, formal dining room.

I barely had time to look over everything because Jay was pulling me toward another door that led to a large bedroom with an even better view than the living room and a king-size bed.

Jay sat down on the bed and pulled me down with him, his lips back on mine, and his hands exploring every part of my body as he rolled over so that he was on top of me.

This was the first time I'd ever felt so wanted and even sexier than seeing myself in lingerie.

"I’ve been thinking about having you in this bed since I first heard your little moans on the plane and felt you come on me," he murmured between covering my neck with kisses.

I stiffened. I'd never had a man want me this much or been this close to sex.

Jay stopped kissing me and sat up, hovering over me. "Babe, if you don't want to do this, say the word. I'll understand. I may need some alone time in the bathroom, but I'll understand."

I mustered up all of the courage I could and sucked in a deep breath before I sat up slightly and pulled my t-shirt over my head.

This was it. This was the moment I was going to give all of myself to a man I had fantasized about before I'd ever met him and now that I'd gotten to know him, I was falling head over heels for.

Jay swallowed hard, his Adam's apple bobbing as his eyes roamed over my body before his hands slid underneath my bra, his thumb gently caressing the curve of my breasts.

With one fell swoop, his other hand was at the back of my bra, unclasping it and throwing it to the ground. My nipples perked, hitting the cold air, but then they were immediately covered by Jay's hands then his mouth.

His tongue swirled around each little bud and I leaned back, my body shaking and so close to the brink of eruption from every new sensation.

Jay's mouth moved down to my stomach, leaving small kisses down to my belly button before he sat up and peeled his shirt off.

Damn the man has an impressive body. Every ridge and tightened muscled. I couldn't help but lean forward and run my tongue along that eight-pack, which unleashed his own shivers.

I moved back, meeting those crystal blue eyes of his and that brilliant smile.

He licked his lips before pulling my legs out so I fell on my back and he quickly unzipped my pants, tugging them off with my shoes and socks.

There I was spread out for him to see. Nothing between us but his jeans and my underwear.

He leaned over and lightly kissed each one of my thighs then a trail to my center, before he tugged off my panties and threw them to the ground next to us.

This was it. This was the moment I was going to lose my virginity.

Jay stood at the end of the bed and spread my legs, his finger tracing a line down my ankle to my center. I was so ready for that finger to be somewhere else, but he stopped and put my legs together.

"Um, Lia?"

Shit. He knew I was a virgin and didn't want to be with me.

"Is everything okay? Am I doing something wrong?" I tried to sound confident, but my voice broke with each word.

He shook his head slightly. "No, it's just, you're bleeding."

I sighed. "Okay, I guess this is probably the time to tell you that I'm a virgin. I haven't had anything inside of me from the opposite sex. That time on the plane was my first time for...anything..."