As soon as he’d pulled me on to the porch he started laughing. “God Thalia, I’m sorry. Eating in there was a nightmare and Jack. I’ve no idea what was wrong with him. He’s usually okay when someone else is around.”
“It doesn’t matter. Just promise me we don’t have to eat in there every day?” I was on the next plane to Texas if he answered in the positive.
Liam ran his hand through his hair as he perched on the porch railing. “No, we don’t have to eat in there everyday, maybe once a week, on Sundays.”
“Okay, I can handle that.” I was sitting opposite him, hoping he suggested going to bed, because I needed to lie down after all that food. I wasn’t used to eating so much in one sitting. Oh, I could eat junk food constantly throughout the day, but sitting down to a large meal was just too much.
“What do you want to do now?”
I smiled. “I was just thinking I could do with lying down. I’m really full and I guess I’m still tired.”
“Okay we’ll do something tomorrow. Maybe go to the lake or in town.”
“I’d like that. Goodnight, Liam.” I stood and walked through the house upstairs to my room. Opening the door I stopped dead in my tracks.
Jack was in my room leaning against the door to the bathroom.
Closing the door behind me, I met his eyes. “What are you doing in here?” I demanded, moving closer.
How the hell could one look from him make my panties wet. I’d never reacted to anyone like I reacted to him. We’d only just met as well. Damn it!
“I’m sorry about dinner.” His angry gaze sliced through me, making me feel like the apology was my fault. “I never apologize, but I’m never usually rude to a guest either.”
Standing in front of him, I rested my hands on my hips. Anger flushed my cheeks and I fought the urge to...to...I wasn’t sure if I wanted to hit him or kiss him. “Why were you mad at me?” Undisguised hurt made my voice crack.
“You’re my brother’s girlfriend, and I’m engaged.”
“I don’t understand.” The anger drained out of me as I moved closer to him.
“I know you don’t, but you need to stay away from me, because I’m not sure I have the strength to stay away from you. There’s something about you....” He reached out and caressed my face.
A lightening heat spread through my body and I thought my knees would buckle.
“Thalia,” he whispered holding my stare then he turned, and walked back into his room. I heard the lock engage.
What the hell had just happened?
For some reason I just wanted to wrap him up in my arms and never let go. That was so bad.
Chapter 12
Jack
––––––––
I’d needed to leave the house for a while after being so close to Thalia, and that was how I found myself standing outside Kix, undecided as to whether I wanted to enter or not.
While I contemplated what I was going to do, I stood there glaring at the sign Ryder had put up on the building the other day. It said Kix, in a camouflage design. It looked pretty good and I wouldn’t have minded hearing the full story behind the name. Ryder had mentioned it was named after a friend of his who didn’t make it back to the states, but that was as much as he said.
“You planning on admiring the sign all night?” Ryder asked, standing about four feet away.
“Just might.” I grinned, following him around the back.
“Your ‘boys’ are making use of the storeroom again. I should slap a sign on the door, ‘Fuck Room’.”
Roaring with laughter, I made a mental note to stay away from there. With how wound up I was, thanks to Thalia, I didn’t trust myself not to use a more ‘hands on’ approach if I joined them.
“Do you know who they’re with?” I couldn’t resist asking.
“Same one as the other night.”
That brought me up short. They never did the same girl twice, just in case she got ideas into her head.
“She’s only visiting, and flies home tomorrow,” Ryder answered. “Your face gave you away.” He laughed, handing me a longneck.
Taking a long draw, I leaned against the bar, looking around the place.
Before Ryder had taken it over it had been a real dump, now the floors shined after being stripped and re-varnished and the walls had been painted. Pictures of baseball players and rockers had gone up on the walls. He’d burned the old tables, replacing them with circular, four-person ones as well as new chairs. The small stage had been rebuilt and just fit our gear on nicely. The guys liked being close to the ‘fans’. According to Reece, it made it easier for them to pick up company. I’d shaken my head as I’d walked off, but I’d missed the trysts we’d participated in; we’d had some fucking hot women.
The other night had felt odd. Oh yeah, I’d gotten my rocks off watching, which had happened a few times, but it had left me feeling slightly embarrassed. Standing in back watching your two best friends with their jeans around their thighs, flashing their naked butt’s and hard dicks wasn’t something that made me comfortable. Yeah, the three of us had done the same woman at the same time before, but that had been different.
“Hey, I need to get in the storeroom. Go tell them to get the fuck out,” Ryder asked.