There’s Wild, Then There’s You (The Wild Ones #3)(38)
Author: M. Leighton

“I wish we’d met you a little sooner and you could’ve come. We’d have made Jet here bring you,” Laney says, winking at me.

“I doubt any force would’ve been necessary,” Jake says, sliding me a knowing look.

I grunt and put my hand on the small of Violet’s back, giving Jake a nod before I go. “Talk to you next week, man.”

Jake nods back before he gives his new wife his full attention. I’m glad he moved back to Greenfield. I missed that crazy, firefighting bastard and I’m pleased to see him happy.

When we get to the car and Violet climbs inside, she looks up at me from the passenger seat. “We could’ve stayed, Jet. Really. I didn’t mind.”

“I know,” I tell her, bending down to whisper to her, “but there’s something I have to tell you.”

I see her mouth drop open and her eyes get wide. I wonder if she thinks I’m about to confess my undying love or something. I wink at her, not yet putting her out of her misery. A laugh bubbles in my chest as I walk around the front of the car.

I slide in behind the wheel, but I don’t move to start the car yet. I turn to face Violet.

“I just got a call from Kick Records. They want to hear some of my songs.”

“What?” she asks, surprised but visibly excited. “Jet, are you serious? What did they say?”

“They’re interested in a couple of my songs. They want to hear more. Said they’re looking for something fresh and they want me to give them a private demo.”

“Oh my gosh! When? Where?”

“Well, they’re out of California, which would be a bitch of a trip, but they’re opening an office down in New Orleans, so they’re willing to meet me there.”

“When?”

“This weekend.”

Even if I couldn’t see the pleasure on her face, I could tell she’s enthused. I can hear it in the pitch of her voice. “I’m so, so happy for you. Oh my gosh!” she says again, cupping her hands over her mouth.

Then she surprises me. With a shrill squeak, she flings herself against me, wrapping her arms around my neck and squeezing.

I hug her back, careful not to put my hands on her too much. At this point, that could be dangerous. This isn’t the place.

When she leans back, her face is shining. It looks like she’s every bit as happy for me as I am.

I can’t stop my own smile. “I knew I couldn’t stay in there one minute longer. I was about to bust, and I don’t want anyone to know yet.”

“I won’t say a word,” she promises, zipping her lips and pretending to throw away the key.

“Don’t lock ’em down yet,” I say, unable to keep my eyes from taking in her lush lips and remembering the way they taste. “I need them for a little while longer.”

Her face is serious now. Serious and hot.

“You do?”

I grit my teeth. I do, but not for what she’s thinking. Damn it! At least, not tonight.

“I do. I need an answer.”

“To what?”

“Look, I know it’s short notice, but would you want to come with me? I could really use the support.”

My conscience needles me a little. That’s not the real reason I’m asking. Well, maybe a small, microscopic portion of it. It will be nice to have her there. But there’s so much more to it than something professional. No, I want Violet to go for a whole laundry list of personal reasons, the biggest one being that I just can’t wait any longer to get her alone. Really alone. And all to myself.

“I’d love to,” she says, her smile tentative. Her response is quiet and shy, which makes the blood rush to my dick. It’s that whole hot librarian thing again. If I closed my eyes, I could easily picture her standing in her panties and a pair of chaste glasses, biting her fingertip, looking up at me with those incredible eyes, pretending to be all innocent, coy. Sexy as hell.

I smile. “Good. Can you be ready to leave by six in the morning? That way, we’ll get there in enough time to clean up before I have to meet them at night.”

“I can be ready. Should I bring anything specific?”

“Something kinda hip and sexy maybe.” I give her my most lascivious grin. “But not for me. For these record execs. I figure bringing some eye candy can’t hurt my chances.”

“So I’m eye candy? Is that it?”

“Oh you’re eye candy, all right. But, to me, you’re mouthwatering in a lot of other ways, too.”

I see the color hit her cheeks. And I feel it, all the way to my groin where it’s making my pants tight.

“I’ll see what I can find,” she says, still holding my eyes.

“Then let me get you home. Tomorrow will be a long day. But I hope to make it up to you tomorrow night.”

Her smile says she’s down with that. I just wonder if she’d be as agreeable if she knew exactly what I have in mind.

TWENTY-NINE: Violet

I don’t know what I expected a long car ride with Jet to be like. Quiet. Brooding. Introspective. Whatever I imagined, I was wrong.

Although the trip did start a little more sedate, it quickly picked up after some breakfast and coffee on the go. Jet treated me to a musical montage of some of his favorite songs, as well as some of his songs, all of which show me what I already knew—Jet has some major talent.

I don’t ask and he doesn’t mention the song he sang last night. It gives me a little thrill, a little jitter in the pit of my stomach just to think about it. Even though I only heard it the one time, I can’t forget the words. I probably never will.

About halfway there, we stop for lunch.

“So tell me,” he begins, turning down the volume on the stereo, “what does a beautiful woman such as yourself like to eat? I know you must get hungry.”

He’s not looking at me, so I can’t tell if he’s taunting me or not. It sure feels like it, but that could just be my mind, my body, and my imagination, all working overtime.

“I like all sorts of things. Depends on what I’m in the mood for, what I’m craving.”

“And what are you craving today?”

An ache, one that’s becoming all too familiar, is forming in the lowest part of my belly, making my appetite for real food take a backseat to my desire for . . . something else.

“I’m open to suggestions. I’ll go along with whatever you want.”

Now Jet looks at me. And I see that it wasn’t just my imagination that took off in the wrong direction. Or maybe it’s the right direction.