Jake shakes his head, stepping inside and closing my front door behind him. “Nope, just came from the club where Nathan told me face to face.”
I manage to set the bottle down, glad that Hannah and I have a table next to our front door, before I let out a squeal of happiness and jump into Jake’s arms, kissing him hungrily. “You amazing, wonderful fucking man! You did this for me!”
Jake kisses me back. His tongue is hot in my mouth as we stumble toward the couch. I can hear Mr. Felix run out. I guess he knows what’s going to happen, but I don’t care. Jake picks me up in his arms, and I wrap my legs around his waist.
“No, you did this all yourself,” he says as his hand cups my ass and squeezes. His fingers slide lower, and I can feel the tip of his middle finger sliding lower and lower. “You have the talent and the heart. I only gave you the canvas to paint your masterpiece on.”
“You’re a poet yourself,” I smirk, gasping when his finger comes to rest on the edge of my pussy. “Mmm . . . and your canvas is my body.”
“My Angel,” Jake growls, sitting down on the couch, letting me straddle his lap. I can feel the bulge of his cock pressing into me through his suit pants, and I can’t take it anymore.
“I fucking want you,” I snarl, yanking his tie down and ripping his shirt open. “Now!”
I’m torn between trying to get his pants open and the hungry, passionate kisses we’re exchanging, but my body is burning, needing him. I don’t know where the fuck Hannah went, but right now, I don’t care if she walks in while I’m impaled on Jake’s cock!
“Come on,” I growl in frustration, fumbling with his belt buckle. “Get them the fuck off!”
Jake chuckles, grabbing my wrists before I rip his pants open. “Damn, you’re acting even more cock hungry than the night we first met.”
I growl demonically, staring into his eyes. “You ain’t seen nothing yet. Your Angel’s gone. Just a cock hungry devilslut is left.”
“Bring it the fuck on!” Jake moans into my lips, his hands getting his belt open and his pants undone. I can see it in his eyes. Tonight, I’m going to get exactly what I want, when I want it, and oh, my God, what I need is—
Bang! The front door to the apartment flies open just as I wrap my fingers around Jake’s cock through his boxers, about to pull it out.
“Good lord, I ain't seen something like that since Johnny came back from Vietnam and we got to get down and busy for the first time in a year,” a familiar voice says. I jerk my head up to see my grandmother, Ivy Jo, smirking. “You could club a baby seal with that thing!”
I feel like I’ve been punched in the chest. I can hear Mindy’s unmistakable voice calling out, “Grandma, cover your eyes!”
Jake jumps off the couch and pulls his pants up. I rise to my feet in shock, my eyes going wide with recognition at the women in front of me and the barking dog at their feet.
“Mama?” I whisper in horror. “What are you doing here?”
“Layla and Rita couldn't be here,” Mom says, sitting on the couch and gesturing at me, “but they send their regards.”
I nod, still half numb. I'm not thrilled that my cousin and aunt didn’t come, especially Aunt Rita, but I’ll live. If I can live through my grandmother seeing me about to yank my boyfriend’s boxers off, Rita not being here is small potatoes.
I'm just glad to see Brianna, Mom, Mindy, and Grandma all in the same place. All four women are seated on the couch wearing pleasant expressions with the exception of grandma, who is scowling murderously at Bertha, my mom’s dog. She takes her everywhere, it seems. “That’s okay, I’m sure I’ll see them,” I begin to say when furious barking and yowling interrupts me. “Shit.”
“Why the hell did we bring that furball with us, Mary Jo?” Grandma complains to my mom while Bertha chases Mr. Felix around the room. Hannah is doing her best to separate the two, but she’s giving Bertha looks that says she agrees. “We didn’t even bring the grandbabies out of the hotel room, but you bring the dog.” She rises to her feet, brandishing her wooden cane as a weapon. “I swear, I’m gonna crucify that ball of fur!”
“I’ve already told you a million times,” Mom says pleadingly. “Leah needed her sleep and the sitter didn’t want Bertha to disturb her and Rafe.”
“That’s why you should have left her at home!” Grandma growls. Instantly, her expression changes like someone flipped a switch. “Bah gawd, that cat’s beautiful. What’s his name? Reminds me of my precious Esmeralda.”
“Mr. Felix,” Hannah supplies before I can answer. She suspiciously had come back with my family and is now standing off to the side watching us, having given up trying to chase Felix and Bertha around. Felix has had enough of the canine, and he turns on her, giving her one good swipe before he jumps on top of his play tower. Grandma is entertained, at least. “Go on, Mr. Felix, box that hoe!”
“Grandma” I say with a gasp, shocked by her words. “Where’d you learn to talk like that?”
Grandma doesn’t turn her head away from the soon to emerge Animal Planet smackdown, but she at least gives me an answer. “I’m on Instagram.”
“Which reminds me,” Mindy says wryly, keeping her voice low enough that Grandma can’t hear. “I need to take her phone from her. She’s been putting up pictures she has no idea that she’s putting on there. I’m scared she’s gonna end up with a picture of her bags. And not the grocery store kind either.” Dressed in shorts and a floral shirt, Mindy looks like she’s ready to step onto a plane for summer vacation in Hawaii, but most of all, she looks happy.
“Get ‘em, Mr. Felix!” Grandma crows, cheering them on with her cane in her hand. “WORLDSTAR! WORLDSTAR!”
“Worldstar? What the hell?” I ask.
Mindy facepalms. “Oh, God, yes. She’s on YouTube watching those damn videos, too.”
“Damn, she’s like a ninja with that cane,” Jake remarks with a chuckle, and I have to give him an apologetic sorry, my family is crazy look. He gives me a small shake of his head, and I feel myself relax just a fraction. After what they walked in on, maybe we needed this to ease the tension.
“Mama, sit down!” Mom pleads. “You’re embarrassing Roxy in front of her friends!”
“Oh, don’t stop on my account,” Hannah says with a laugh. “This is the most fun I’ve had in weeks. And it explains so much about Roxy.”
Mr. Felix lets loose a yowl that comes from the depths of his saber-toothed ancestors, and Bertha whines a little, backing up. “Hannah, please get him! I don’t want to have Bertha going to the vet.”
Muttering under her breath, Hannah walks over and grabs Mr. Felix and disappears down the hall. I hear the door shut, and Hannah comes back out, minus Felix.
Now that the commotion has died down, Grandma’s eyes fall on Jake. “So who’s this handsome young man?”
“Ladies, this is Jake Stone,” I say, blushing but still proud. “My boyfriend.” It feels good to be able to call him that. Glancing at Jake, I can see he feels the same way. “Jake, this is my mom, Mary Jo, my sister, Mindy, her best friend, Brianna, and my Grandmother, Ivy Jo.”
“It’s a pleasure,” Jake says. Getting up, he crosses over and shakes hands with each of them, giving Grandma one of his heart-melting smiles. “I see where Roxy gets both her sassiness and her beauty from. Did she get her voice from you too?”
“My daughters sure know how to pick ‘em,” Mom says proudly as Grandma giggles, of all things. “Handsome and a bit of roguish charm too.”
“So Jake, what do you do?” Brianna asks. Like Mindy, she’s added some weight, but it looks good on her also. I’ve only met her a few times, but she and my sister are practically inseparable these days.
“I’m the Regional President at Franklin Consolidated,” Jake says. “The corporation I work for absorbed it.”
“He’s Roxy’s boss,” Hannah adds.
“Hannah!” I protest, but Hannah gives me a look that says suck it up, buttercup. She’s right.