Gaining Gibbs (Marco's MMA Boys #4) (4 page)

CHAPTER 7

GIBBS

An Hour Earlier…

“Are you fucking serious right now?!” Gia screeches.

“Look, Gia, you said it the other day at the hospital. We both said when we decided it was enough that we’d call it quits. I’m calling it quits. I think you’re getting more involved than you want to admit and I’m not ready for that,” I try to explain calmly.

“No, you aren’t ready for that with me!” she says, pointing at herself. “I’m not your precious fucking Firecracker! I’m just the girl who has been stupidly pity fucking you for the past three years because she dropped you for bigger and better things. I was dumb enough to think you’d actually want me one day.”

I shake my head knowing that she’s just trying to get a rise out of me. “Fine, say what you want to say, think whatever you want, Gia, but I’m not running over to her house after you leave here. I’m going to get a shower and go to fucking bed. I have a job in the morning that I need to go to.”

“Oh and I don’t. I know you don’t think school’s a job.”

“It’s not that but you should be concentrating on school. Not guys like me. You are fucking smart, Gia, so fucking smart, you just aren’t acting like it right now with me.” I walk her to the door. “Go make something of yourself. Date someone your age. Find a medical student and marry him. You deserve the world, so go get it.”

“You know what I do! So fuck you, Gibbs! I hate you, you’re a piece of shit and I can’t stand to look at you. I’m fucking better off without you anyway.”

Man, she is all over the fucking place. “Gia, you think what you have to about me, but that’s what this is about - me, no one else. So just go.”

She screams before she slaps me across the face and runs to her car.

Grabbing my phone, I text Huck.

ME:
I broke off things with Gia. You may want to check on her. She didn’t take it so well.

HUCK: Okay man. I’ll see what I can do.

ME: I tried to be nice about it, but she acted just like what you were describing the other day.

HUCK: SHIT I was hoping that wouldn’t be the case but okay. I’ll let you know how it goes.

ME: Thanks man.

I really hate dragging Huck into this but I’m starting to worry about what she’s going to do. I’ve heard stories about their mom and even witnessed it once, I just hope that’s not what’s in store for Gia. She really is a good person and I know I really shouldn’t be shitting where I eat,
or however that saying goes
, but we were just having fun. Or so I thought.

~*~*~

I hear my damn doorbell ringing. I know that has to be what that fucking noise is that’s waking me up because I don’t hear it that often.

“Just a fucking minute!” I yell while grabbing a pair of gym shorts to slide on so I’m not naked. It better not be fucking Gia. If it is, I’m calling one of her damn brothers to come and get her.

Once I get to the door and look through the peep hole, I sigh. Opening the door, I stare at the girl leaning in my doorway. Wavy red hair all over the place, grinning from ear to ear. Like the wet dream I’ve been having for years.

“Firecracker, what are you doing here?”

She gives me a drunken smile. “I just thought I’d stop by and chat. You know, see what’s up.” She grins, looking up and down my chest like a lioness waiting to claw her way all over it. She’s always loved my chest piece.

I push the door open further so she can come in. “So where have you been tonight?”

She leans against the doorway to my kitchen. “Well, after the shit-tastic day I had, my sister called for girls’ night out. Then your ‘apparently’ ex piece of ass shows up and goes off like a fucking bottle rocket. Once I put her in her damn place, we did a couple of shots together.”

I have to laugh at her. “Just a couple of shots? Are you sure about the count?”

“Well, maybe I had a few before she got there and then a few after she got there.” She sways, almost falling. “I have to have alcohol to deal with her crazy ass. That bitch is straight up crazy-town.”

I grab her arm before she falls. She looks up at me with glossy eyes. “You know, you’re still fucking hot as hell, Clay Gibbs.”

“Oh yeah?”

She nods. “Yep!” She pulls away from me and starts walking for my bedroom, stripping her clothes as she goes.

She spins around once she gets to the door, bracing herself on both sides of the door frame and I see her in all of her naked glory. “You coming? Because I’d like to be coming real soon.”

I shake my head. “Get in bed, Firecracker. I’ll be there in a second.” I go to the bathroom and take care of this situation, because as bad as I want to fuck her right now, I’m not going to. The next time I have her, she’ll be sober. I know she’ll pass out as soon as she gets in the bed and then she’s going to do some explaining in the morning.

A few minutes later, I walk into the bedroom and to my surprise, she’s still awake. “Thought you were coming right in here?”

“I had some business to take care of first. As gorgeous as your naked body is and as bad as I want you, you’re drunk and I’m not going to.”

“Oh,” she says quietly. “I could’ve done that for you. You know?”

I try to ignore the fact that my dick is already starting to get hard again. Lying back on the bed beside her, I ask, “Firecracker, how did you get here? If you tell me you drove, I’m going to spank your ass.”

“As much as I’d like for you to spank my ass, I took a cab after my sister dropped me off at home,” she mumbles.

“Good girl.”

“Don’t talk to me like I’m a dog. He always did that.”

“Who?”

“Brett.” I hate the mention of that guy’s name. “You know Tampa Bay signed him, right? He’s going to be in my backyard playing fucking baseball.”

“Okay, I promise not to say that again. But you know Tampa Bay isn’t really your backyard, babe. Besides, I doubt he has the balls to come here.” I love lying here talking to her in the dark. Although I would rather be talking about something different.

She sighs, “Maybe you’re right.” She rolls on her side, facing me. “Can we have sex now?”

“No, you’re drunk. Do you have to work tomorrow?”

“Nope. I gotta go by the college to drop off my very last paper,” she snaps. “Then I finish school in a month, take my state boards and I’m a full-fledged pharmacist.” She giggles. “I deal drugs legally.”

I shake my head, laughing at drunk Jade. I roll to face her now. “I’ll tell you what. You wake up sober in the morning and still want me, you’ve got me. Deal?”

She kisses me softly. “Deal.” She touches my shoulder. “But Clay, the problem has never been me not wanting you. Just thought you should know.”

Rolling onto my back, I know as soon as she passes out, I’ll be taking a fucking cold ass shower since jacking off obviously didn’t work for long.

As my alarm starts blaring, I roll over and feel for Jade but she’s not there. Her side of the bed is cold, so I know she’s been gone a while.

I shut my alarm off, cussing the little angel on my shoulder who kept me from taking her up on her offer last night. Going to the bathroom, I take a piss and see a note taped to the mirror.

Clay,

Sorry I showed up like I did last night. I was really drunk. That’s not really an excuse, but thanks for letting me sleep it off.

Jade

Fuck! That girl confuses me more than fucking trigonometry.

CHAPTER 8

JADE

Waking up naked in Clay’s bed isn’t exactly what I had planned last night. I’m pretty sure we didn’t have sex, judging by the fact that I don’t feel sore in all of the delicious places, which I normally would be after an encounter with Clay.

I hated sneaking out on him like some two dollar whore, but I couldn’t face him. I don’t know what all exactly I said to him last night but I’m pretty sure I’d be embarrassed.

The worst part is I’m so conflicted. Part of me wishes we would have had sex last night. The rest of me knows that would be a huge fucking catastrophe.

Sex…I haven’t had sex with anyone other than B.O.B. in so damn long. I long to feel someone’s touch, the caress of their hands on my body. I miss the intimacy that goes with sex.

I hear my ringtone for my sister. Grabbing my phone from my bag, I swipe the screen to answer. “Hey, sister.”

“Hey,” she says, sounding out of breath.

“Are you okay? You sound winded.”

“Yeah, I’m fine. Krista just decided to run through the house naked. I chased her for like a second, but now I’m wiped out. She can just run around nude until her daddy gets home. This pregnancy crap sucks.”

I have to laugh at my sister’s words. This isn’t what she was like when she was pregnant with Krista. “I think you’re just tired. You drove my drunk ass home last night. I’m finished here at school, just turned in my last paper. Why don’t I come get her and you can get some rest?” I feel like I owe my sister a lot. She practically helped Mom raise me and she was there when I needed her the most.

“That’s not what I was calling for, but that sounds great.” She chuckles.

Unlocking her car, I smile. “So what did you call me for?” I say, sitting down in the seat. I’m so glad she was able to let me borrow her car until mine is fixed.

“I just wanted to say it was great hanging out with you last night. I saw some of that old spark in you.” She giggles. “And you facing off with Gia for a hot minute was priceless. You could tell she thought the soulless ginger was about to take her ass out.”

“Please stop calling me a soulless ginger. Krista called me Ginger the other day.”

I hear my sister cackling. I sigh. “Glad my pain amuses you. I’m on my way. Do you need me to bring you anything?”

“Yes. Can you stop at Winn-Dixie and pick up some bananas, chunky monkey ice cream, a big jar of pickles and some caffeine free Coke?”

I laugh at my sister rattling off a grocery list. “Okay, anything else, ma’am?”

“No, that should do it.” She sighs.

“See you soon.” I end the call, laughing at her.

An hour later, I finally arrive at my sister’s. The grocery store was a madhouse since it’s the first of the month and she text me with another list. Her damn pregnancy cravings, I’ll never understand.

Letting myself in her house, I laugh at my niece still running around nude. “Krista bug, you need to go find some clothes or I’m not taking you to the park with me. They don’t let people bring naked little girls to the park.”

She squats down and giggles, covering her face like she’s embarrassed. I set all of the bags on the table.

Kara comes from the bathroom. “Hey.” She gives me a hug. “Thank you. This baby is really taking everything out of me. Krista wasn’t like this.”

“I’d blame Sly personally. That’s the biggest difference, you know,” I whisper. When my sister was knocked up by her abusive ex-boyfriend, Sly didn’t care. He loved her anyway and as far as the world is concerned, Krista is his. Those who are close to our family know the truth. Kara and Sly know that one day they’ll have to explain it to Krista but for now, though, she’s her daddy’s princess.

Kara laughs and pops me on the arm. “Good point.” She props herself on the counter as she starts devouring one of the ice cream sandwiches she had me pick up for her. “So, school’s almost over.”

I nod. “Yep. I’m ready.”

She moans as she licks the wrapper of the ice cream sandwich. “Are you going to get back out in the world now or are you just going to waste away in a hospital pharmacy hiding your feelings?”

“Wow, be blunt, sis.”

She shrugs as she puts the wrapper in the trash can. “Only way to be.” She grabs my hand from where I’m unpacking the groceries and pulls me to the table. “Jade, that light I saw last night in you made me so happy. I haven’t seen that light in a long time. That light burned out when you the lost the baby, I think. I’m so proud of you for finishing school and following your dreams, please don’t think I’m bashing that. I just want you to move forward.”

I hold my head in my hands, running my fingers over my scalp. “I know. Yesterday was so shitty. Then Clay had to be the one to come pick me up from the wreck. The shit with Gia at the bar.” I bury my face, knowing what I say next is going to get a reaction. “I woke up naked in Clay’s bed this morning.”

Her hand slaps the table. “How? I dropped you off at home last night.”

Shaking my head, I wish I could crawl under the table. “I don’t know what came over me. When I got home, I couldn’t just go to sleep. I had so much shit running through my mind. So I called a cab and showed up at his door.”

“Did you guys have sex?” she whispers.

“No!” I sigh, “Or at least I don’t think we did. I don’t
feel
like I did. Normally, after a night with him…I can feel it.”

She snorts. “Crap, you just made me pee a little.”

I roll my eyes. “You aren’t far enough along to be peeing yourself.”

“Um, after you have one kid and they sit on your bladder for a long time, C-section or not, your bladder is weaker. So is your control over it.”

I shake my head. “You’re crazy.”

“I WEADY!” Krista announces, running in the kitchen.

I look at my niece who is dressed in her Marco’s T-shirt, a red tulle tutu style skirt and red cowboy boots. Kara and I both laugh.

I smile at her. “You sure are.”

Kara laughs. “Wow, that’s some outfit you have on, Princess.”

Krista spins around and opens her arms up. “Tadah!”

I stand up from the table. “All right. We’re going to the park, are you sure you don’t want shorts on?”

She shakes her head. “Dot showts on.” She lifts her skirt and I see it has shorts attached under it.

I grab her hand and we start for the door. “Well, let’s not be lifting our skirt up for everyone.” I laugh lightly.

Kara comes and gives us both a hug. “Krista, you listen to Aunt Jade. No running off. Okay?”

She smiles and nods. I smile at my sister. “Why don’t you go get a nap while we’re gone?”

She stretches, yawning. “Yeah, I think I will.”

“Bye, Momma!” Krista yells as we go out the door.