Huffing, I stood and looked down at him. “I’m so glad I could amuse you. I’m just trying to protect myself. After being hurt so many times, it’s hard not to question everything.”
All traces of laughter gone, he stood and walked toward me. He was only a little taller than me, probably six feet tall, so I didn’t have to tilt my head that far back to look into his eyes. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have laughed. And if you want to know the truth, that list is from my personal chef. She does the grocery shopping and cooks for me when I need her.”
“Let me guess, she’s young and hot?” I asked, picturing a sultry blonde parading around his kitchen while he watched. My ex had a personal chef and she did a lot more than just cook. What made me sick was finding out that I ate dinner on the table they’d had sex on.
He stifled a laugh and shook his head. “More like sixty years old, and short and round. She’s been working for me for years now, and trust me, there are no attractions there whatsoever.”
I held up my hands. “Hey, you can’t blame me for asking. My ex loved to taste more than what his chef was cooking.”
Sighing, he closed his eyes and lowered his head. “Fuck, I’m sorry. If I’d have known it was a sore subject with you, I never would’ve teased you about it.”
I shrugged. “It’s okay. He was a stupid football player who thought he could get any woman he wanted. Unfortunately, I didn’t find that out until much later.”
His head snapped up. “What was his name?”
“Mark Whitmore. He used to play for Dallas until he was traded to Arizona.”
He nodded. “I know who he is. What a fucking douche.”
Time seemed to stand still. I didn’t know what to say after that, and neither did Jack. I couldn’t believe I’d let that information slip out so easily. Usually, I didn’t like telling people about my past—especially men, because I knew in their minds they probably thought the reason I was cheated on was because I was boring in bed.
Jack stared at the floor like there was clearly something on his mind. He was probably thinking the same thing, that he was wasting his time on me. “I should probably go,” I blurted out. “I think I’ve talked a little too much.”
Jack shook his head and lifted his gaze to mine. “You haven’t talked enough. I look forward to seeing you tomorrow.”
“Likewise,” I said, not knowing what else to say. I was nervous being around him, almost like a schoolgirl being around her crush.
What the hell was wrong with me? I had told him more in the hour I’d been with him than I had any other man in the past year. The problem was, I didn’t know if I could trust him. Unfortunately, the only way to find out was to give him a chance. He opened the door and I stepped out, but then an idea came to mind.
“Hey, do you mind letting me take a couple of your sketches? I want to do something with them.”
He lifted his brows. “You’re not going to sell them, are you?”
“No!” I insisted. “No one will see them but me, I promise.” He stared at me for a second, and I could tell it was hard for him to part with his work. I couldn’t blame him. It would be hard for me to let go of it too. Turning on his heel, he walked into the living room and grabbed the entire portfolio.
“Take them all,” he said, handing them to me.
“Oh no, you don’t have to do that.”
He waved me off and I reluctantly took all of his drawings. “I trust you, Bristol. Besides, I know where to find you if you fuck me over.” I could only imagine the shit storm that would ensue if anyone ever did try to steal his ideas.
“Thank you for trusting me with them. I’ll keep them safe.” He watched me get into my car and drive away. Tomorrow I’d be with him again, and I had to make sure to keep my wits about me.
Chapter 9
Jaxon
All through the night, I dreamt about Bristol, and I woke up with a raging hard-on. That girl was going to be the death of me. Before she showed up at my house, I spent hours searching through each and every room, hiding all of my football trophies and awards. I knew I was going to have to tell her my real name, but I didn’t want her to know I was on Ryan’s team. However, I didn’t actually lie when I told her my name was Jack. It was what my parents called me when I was young.
The way she analyzed me and stood her ground made me want her even more, and not because she was Delaney’s sister. At first, I thought I wanted her out of revenge, but now I knew that wasn’t it at all. I wanted her for myself. Delaney was the last thing on my mind when Bristol was around; I couldn’t care less about that cocksucker now. I had my own agenda…and it didn’t involve Delaney. There was something different about Bristol and I couldn’t put my finger on it. I didn’t want to just have sex with her, even though that would be nice right about now. She wasn’t superficial and just after my money like every other girl I’d messed around with. She was deep.
My dick felt like it was going to explode, so I hopped in the shower and stroked it hard, envisioning Bristol’s body as I sucked her nipples and pounded into her. I wanted her so fucking bad. Once my release came, it only helped relieve a minor portion of my tension. All I needed was to have her beneath me to get my thirst quenched. However, I knew one time wasn’t going to be enough.
I got out of the shower and my phone beeped. I immediately recognized the alert and groaned. I had my phone set up to send me alerts every time a new story or headline was published with my name. I dreaded reading the shit people said about me, even if it was true. My indiscretions were common in the papers, but I hadn’t done anything recently that would warrant a new article. Or had I?
After quickly dressing, I grabbed my phone and clicked on the link. Once it loaded, all I could see was red when I got a glimpse of the headline: Reed’s Secret Love Affair.