Takin' the Reins (The Sterling Brothers #2) (4 page)

Chapter Six

The next day

“You sure you don’t want me to take you to work?” Lexi’s father asked as he sat on the couch in her living room. He’d stopped by this morning on his way to work to drop off some casseroles her mother made for her.

“I’ll be fine. Jace offered to take me and pick me up from work.” She tried to keep her voice even, but she’d be lying if she didn’t admit seeing Jace so much this next week wasn’t exciting.

“I still think you should have called the insurance.” Her father’s deep voice sounded annoyed.

“Dad, my insurance would have gone up even though it wasn’t my fault. I can’t afford that, especially not with the new place. I’m just trying to get ahead of my finances.”

He grumbled. “Staying with us would have helped in that, Lexi.”

She looked over at her dad. He appeared relaxed, his big body sprawled out on the couch, his stained overalls showing what a hard worker he was. “Dad, I’m too old to be staying with you guys. You and Mom need your own space.” He didn’t speak, but grumbled again, and she couldn’t help but smile.

The sound of Jace’s truck pulling into the driveway had her heart speeding up. Her father was off the couch and looking out the window faster than she could even comprehend. Lexi exhaled, knowing that although Jace was here to help¸ nothing more, her father would put on the concerned parent act.

“Dad, please don’t embarrass me,” she said, but was searching for her purse. She faced her father again, only then realizing he’d already opened the door.
Great, this should be interesting.

****

Jace noticed the massive man standing in the doorway as soon as he climbed out of the driver’s side. The man, who he knew was Lexi’s father, looked ready to beat ass. Lexi was biracial, and although he’d heard rumors back in the day that Braxton and his wife had moved to Granite because of the racial issues they’d faced in their previous town, they never faced that here. Granite was accepting of everyone, no matter their race, background, or financial standing. It didn’t matter who the person was, or who they loved, as long as they were decent and were genuine with everyone around them. Braxton and his wife were that way.

Jace made his way up to the front door. “Sir,” Jace said and nodded, but the stern look on Braxton’s face made Jace feel like he was a teenager again bringing his date home late. Braxton eyed him up and down, and although Jace assumed fathers did this kind of thing, Jace didn’t particularly care to be examined like he was about to defile Lexi.

Even if I want to.

“So, you’re the one that rammed into my baby girl’s car?” Braxton said, and crossed his arms over his chest.

“Yes, sir. But I’m getting it taken care of.”

“Hmm,” Braxton said.

“Daddy, please,” Lexi said, coming up to stand beside her father. She gave Jace a sympathetic look. “Okay, I have to get going,” Lexi said, clearly trying to cut this encounter short. “Thanks for the casseroles, and tell Mom I said the same.” Braxton gave her a kiss on the top of the head, but he kept his focus on Jace, his eyes narrowed.

“Be careful driving my baby girl to work,” Braxton said, the threat clear.

“God, Dad,” Lexi said, sounding embarrassed but also exaggerated. “Come on, Jace.” She shut the door, and they walked to his truck. Braxton was already in his truck and driving away before Jace even cranked the engine.

“I am so sorry about that,” Lexi said, turned in her seat so she could look at him. “My dad has always been that way about guys in my life.” She glanced away, looking embarrassed. “I—I mean, not that you’re
in
my life, but just that … well, God,” she said on a breath.

He started chuckling. “No worries, and I know what you mean.” Although, if he were being honest with himself he liked the idea of being in her life, and not just because he’d screwed up her car. She’d been on his mind for longer than he cared to admit, and the seeming obsession he had for her was only growing by the day. “And dads are like that. I’d be worried if he wasn’t concerned who was spending time with you, especially of the male population.” Her glanced over at her, and smiled. Jace wondered what she thought about, and this male side of him, the alpha part, hoped she was feeling flustered because of him and what she felt.

He knew a woman’s body like an artist knew their paintbrush and canvas, but that didn’t mean he knew what in the hell a woman was thinking or feeling. But with Lexi he could look on her face and see she felt something for him, even if it was just lust.

“I hate to ask, but if you’re going to be in town for a while after I get off work, can you take me to the store? I have like no food in my house, and eating takeout, especially with the limited places in town, is kind of getting old.”

“Of course.”

“And, if you’re up to it, maybe I can make you dinner?” Her voice sounded tense, and she seemed a little nervous.

“You want to cook for me?”

God, that gets me hard.

You’re a fucking creep.

“I mean, if you’d like that? I would just like to show you that I appreciate your help, and making a home cooked meal for you can be my way?”

“I was the one that fucked up, Lexi. You don’t have to repay me, although I’ll admit a home cooked meal sounds damn good.” He grinned and glanced at her, the embarrassment and pleasure both clear on her face. Maybe she was thinking of the filthy things they could do aside from eating dinner?

He sure as fuck was.

“I’d like to cook for you. Even though you hit my car, you’re still helping me out. A lot of people wouldn’t have bothered, Jace.”

Damn, he liked the way she said his name.

“Then I’d love to have you cook for me.”

She smiled, and he swore it lit up the entire space.

The more time he spent with her the better. Damn, he was really starting to fall for this girl, and he didn’t know shit about her.

You can change that.

Yeah, he could, but would
she
even want to?

Chapter Seven

“Shit,” Lexi cursed under her breath and looked down at her finger. The digit was red, but wasn’t burned too badly. It still hurt like a bitch, though. Jace was due to arrive in the next twenty minutes, and she felt like she was running around like a chicken with its head cut off.

Looking at the table to make sure it was the way it should be, she noticed the bottle of wine was missing and rushed over to the fridge. Once she had it and it was set on the table, she went back to the stove and opened the oven. She was a decent cook, and she just hoped Jace enjoyed it.

Fried chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, buttered corn, and even homemade biscuits fresh out of the oven were all ready and waiting. It had been a long time since she actually cooked something this grand, but she was proud, and so damn nervous. Rubbing her hands on her apron because her palms were sweaty from her nerves, she felt like her pulse was beating in her throat, suffocating her and making her feel lightheaded all in the same breath.

“Get a damn grip.” The truth was this wasn’t just about making Jace dinner because he was helping her out. This was also about her feelings for him, and how they’d never actually diminished over the years. Now that she would be seeing him more, even if for only a short time, she felt her latent feelings for him rise up, washing through her like she had when she was younger. But this wasn’t just schoolgirl emotions—a crush because Jace was older, bigger, attractive, and so strong. No, these emotions were different because she was a woman now and knew what she wanted.

Pushing all those thoughts aside, she took the apron off and went into the bathroom to get cleaned up. Staring at her reflection in the mirror, she wiped away the little bit of flour she had on her cheek, and attempted to tame her wavy, wild hair. Her hair was long, and she didn’t take after her father with the strands being curly and coarse, but it was thick and impossible to tame most of the time. Still, Lexi always kept it long, loving the look of it even if it got more tangles than she cared to correct.

“What do you think you’re doing?” she whispered to her reflection. “This is more for you wanting him than anything else.”

She was setting herself up for a fall, a hard one, because she knew there couldn’t be anything with Jace. There just couldn’t. But of course that didn’t stop her from hoping there would be.

Twenty minutes later and there was a knock on her front door. Everything Lexi stilled, but then sped up. She was so nervous, but she knew there was no need to be.

It’s just dinner.

Is it, though?

She shook her head.

Not for you it isn’t.

Taking a deep breath and telling herself this was no different from any other time she saw him was a hell of a lot easier said than done. But she walked to the front door, opened it, and prayed she looked cool and collected even though she felt like she was a wreck inside.

And then there he was, standing on the other side of the door looking like some kind of cowboy that moonlighted as a model. His jeans were faded, broken in, but they were clean and they fit his body to perfection. His plaid shirt was tucked in, and the first few buttons were undone at the collar, showing off the white t-shirt he wore underneath it. The material didn’t obstruct his big, bulging biceps and flat, most definitely chiseled stomach, and she felt her erogenous zones become alive at the thought of what he looked like naked. And then she lifted her gaze to his face, saw the cowboy hat he sported, the slight darkness of scruff along his cheeks, and she braced a hand on the doorframe. Hell, Lexi didn’t even care at the moment if it was painfully obvious she’d been checking him out, because looking at his face showed her he was eyeing her body, as well.

“You made it.” She winced internally at the fact she’d said that out loud. Of course he’d made it. He’d told her what time he’d be here. Stepping aside and looking away because her face felt like it was on fire, she was pleasantly assaulted by the scent of the cologne he wore. It was wild and woodsy, but clean and crisp all in the same breath.

The arousal she felt for Jace wasn’t just on her end, not by the way she saw him looking at her, and the fact she’d seen him sporting a semi hard-on a couple of times. But even if he did want her physically, that didn’t mean he’d want anything else from her, and Lexi wasn’t the one-night stand kind of girl.

But with Jace? I’m sure I’d make an exception.

“No way I would have missed it.” He gave her a half smile that looked damn too tempting and sexy.

She glanced up at him. This tingle traveled through her body, and she shut the door a lot slower than was probably normal.

“Something smells amazing,” he said and faced her fully.

She felt her cheeks heat, felt her pleasure that he seemed pleased wash through her, and she knew there was never going to be a man that made her feel like Jace. He didn’t even have to look her way for her to feel like she was weak-kneed. This was how it had always been, and she knew that no amount of time would change that. Lexi came to understand she’d always have a “thing” for Jace, but she did a really good job of keeping it hidden.

Until now.

“Thank you. I hope you like it.” She moved past him, feeling like she was some kind of awkward teenager who couldn’t look at the much older, extremely attractive man without becoming a stuttering, nervous mess. “Have a seat and I’ll serve you.” The air seemed to change after she spoke, and the little hairs on the back of her neck stood on end.

Now standing in the kitchen and facing the stove, Lexi turned and stared at Jace. There he stood, in the doorway, his head slightly downcast, but lifted just enough that she could see his eyes under the brim of his hat. He looked dangerous, like he was a predator and she was a juicy looking piece of meat.

Doesn’t sound so bad to be devoured by a man like him.

Those words played through her head repeatedly, and she felt her face heat once again, knowing her embarrassment was getting out of control, but also knowing there was no trying to stop it. She’d always been this way, and now with Jace standing in her kitchen that anxiousness was kicked up to the nth degree. But Jace still kept his cool, didn’t show any emotions, and she felt like that was the most intense, attractive thing she’d ever seen on a man.

Licking her lips, she reached behind her and grabbed onto the kitchen counter to steady herself. “What would you like to drink?” Lexi was surprised she could even speak, let alone sound normal given how she felt.

“Whatever you have I’ll gladly take.” His voice was deep, thick, and sexy, and the way he looked at her, the step he took toward her, told Lexi there was this underlying meaning behind them. It was then that she realized tonight she might not be able to control herself where Jace was concerned.

Chapter Eight

They’d finished eating half an hour ago, and for that time they’d been drinking coffee and talking. It was nice, comfortable.

“I didn’t think it was supposed to rain tonight,” she said, her head turned toward the window as she watched the rain fall.

Jace could stare at her all day, could get lost in her blue eyes, in the way she bit her bottom lip when she was nervous, pulling at the flesh with her straight white teeth until blood rushed just right below the surface.

His cock was hard, and he felt like a fucking pervert because of it, because of the images in his head and the needs inside him. Shifting on the seat and trying to alleviate the pressure, what he really wanted to do was clear off the table with a sweep of his hand, stand and go over to Lexi, and toss her luscious, glorious ass on the smooth wood. He’d strip her clothes from her, not caring that he tore the material from her body, and in fact growing even more frenzied because of it.

“I love the rain,” she said, her voice soft, her fingers wrapped around a long strand of her hair. Jace wanted to wrap his hand around those strands, wanted to tug at her waves, baring her throat, making her cry out because it felt good but hurt just a little, too.

He didn’t realize the deep sound he heard was actually coming from him, not until Lexi looked over at him, her eyes wide, her mouth slightly parted. He wanted her, and it was like something in him had switched, like his control was slipping away and laughing its ass off as it flipped him off before disappearing.

“Jace?”

The way she said his name had his cock jerking in pleasure.

“Are you okay?” She was breathing heavier, her chest rising, her cleavage showing over the low collar of her shirt.

He glanced down, felt his balls draw up tight, and knew, just fucking knew, he could get off from the sight of her alone. He hadn’t said anything yet, and he was starting to feel like a damn pervert for the fact he couldn’t stop staring at her, couldn’t stop thinking of her. She was just so gorgeous.

“I should go,” he said and stood, knowing she’d be able to see the monster hard-on he was sporting. But adjusting himself would bring it more to her attention. And then he saw her glance down, her eyes widening even further, and should have felt like a sick bastard instead of being even more turned on because of it.

“Um.” She stood, kept her hands in front of her, and he could see she was trying not to stare at his bulging erection. But her nipples were hard, poking through the material of her shirt, and he knew she was aroused. Hell, he swore he could smell how wet she was.

She’ll be soaked for me, so damn wet my dick will slide inside of her so fucking easily I’ll be in to the hilt before I know it.

“You’re sure you want to leave already?” She was twisting her hands in front of her, this nervous look on her face.

Jace felt like an asshole, like he couldn’t control himself so he had to just up and leave. But the truth was if he stayed he might try to kiss her … might try to do other things. He didn’t want to cross that line with her, not when she may not want that. Arousal and actually accepting those kinds of advances were two totally different things. He’d seen arousal on women, knew they found him attractive, but he also read their body language, and could see they wouldn’t have gone home with him if he’d asked.

“I think it would be best, Lexi.” He ran a hand over his hair, glanced out the window at the rain pelting the glass, and felt like a bigger ass just standing here. He grabbed his hat off the table, looked at her once more, and turned to leave the kitchen. Walking away was damn hard, but it was the right thing to do.

Is it?

He stopped at the front door, felt her presence behind him, and turned. “Thank you for the dinner. It was incredible.” He was telling the truth. Pearl made them meals on occasion, but the one Lexi made was different. Not because it was better, but maybe because he felt someone more than this lust for her.

That’s exactly why it’s so different with her, why I feel so fucking different when I just think about her.

“Jace, are you sure everything is okay?”

He cursed internally. He didn’t want her thinking she’d done something wrong, and he sure as fuck didn’t want her to think he was some unhinged asshole. But that’s how this situation was going.

She took a step closer to him, and the scent of lemons came from her, enveloping the air around them.

“If I don’t leave I might do something that you don’t want, Lexi. I don’t want to cross any lines with you.” Jace didn’t know if he’d meant to say those things out loud, but they’d escaped before he could stop himself. Now the words hung between them, the air thick, tense, and his entire body strung tight.

“Okay, but I hope you’re okay,” she said, her voice soft.

God, I just want to pull her in and kiss her until she can’t breathe.

He looked down at her mouth, and the fact her lips were slightly parted, full, pink, and ready for his kiss. Her breathing was rapid, her nipples still hard. Fuck, he needed to adjust himself because his cock was so damn stiff the fucker ached. And before he knew what in the hell he was doing, Jace reached out, wrapped his hand around the nape of her neck, and pulled her in close for a kiss.

Her lips were soft, and the scent of her made him feel drunk. Running his tongue along her bottom lip, he loved that she opened her mouth for him and moaned.

That’s it, sweetheart. Give it to me.

But the moment she touched her tongue with his he pulled away. His cock throbbed, his balls were drawn up tight, and he knew, fucking knew if he didn’t stop himself he’d want to fuck her right here. That was pushing it, even if she was clearly interested. Any other woman he would have taken the cue from her and just moved this along, and been inside of her before they even made it out of the foyer.

“Jace?”

The way she said his name had this deep groan almost spilling from him. Rubbing his hand over his mouth, the scruff along his face scraped his palm. “I’m sorry, sweetheart, but if I don’t leave now I will do something you may not be ready for.”

Yeah, like fuck you until you can’t walk straight the next day.

“Jace—”

He shook his head, stopping her from saying anything else. “I’m a selfish man most of the time, Lexi, especially when it comes to what I want.” He exhaled. “I don’t want to be that way with you. I don’t want to push things, to make you think you’re less than what you are, that I only want one thing.” He might have said too much, but he didn’t fucking care. He wanted her to know this. “Believe me, this is hard, just walking away. But I think it’s the honorable thing to do.” He leaned in and kissed her softly on her cheek. “I’ll be here in the morning to take you to work.” And then he turned and left her house, which was one of the hardest fucking things he’d ever done.