“When things get tough?” A sarcastic laugh escaped Jett’s mouth as he said, “This is already fucking tough. I have to have you stay with another man because I can’t keep you here. I have fear every day that something is going to happen to you, that I’m not doing my job of protecting you. That’s what’s tough, not some stupid conversation on the phone.”
Stupid? Was that what he really thought?
“It wasn’t stupid.”
“That’s not what I meant,” he said while pulling on his neck. “There are so many more important things to worry about—”
“No!” I shouted, interrupting him and shocking him a bit. “You’re not allowed to decide what’s important and what’s not important because right now, we don’t know very much about each other so when you go and say something like you were engaged, it’s important to me to learn about that because I want to know you, Jett. I want to know what makes you tick.” I stepped forward and got right in front of him so I could place my hands on his chest. “I don’t want to just know this body, I want to know the man too. If this has a chance of working out, I need you to not push me away and open up to me. Are you afraid I’m going to judge you?”
“Yes,” he said while holding his head high and not skipping a beat.
Trying not to be thrown off by his confession, I stood back and said, “Well, that kind of stings.”
“I don’t mean to hurt you.”
“Oh, so you were trying to make it feel like kittens were licking my cheeks when saying that?”
“Goldie…”
My pride got the best of me, like it always did and I stepped farther away. “You know what, save it, Jett. God, I’m so sick of this.” I threw my hands up and walked toward the door. “I come over here to talk to you, to open up with you and you don’t even fucking trust me to do so, so then what’s the point? Please tell me what the fucking point in all of this is. Do you only trust me because I signed a goddamn contract?”
He was silent as he looked at the floor.
“Unbelievable. Guess what, Jett, you can go fuck yourself. I’m done. I’m so sick of being thrown around as if I’m just a warm body to fill your nights with. Find another Jett Girl because I’m turning in my set. I’m through.”
I pushed open the door as Jett called out to me.
“Don’t you dare leave.”
I laughed and turned to face him. “Funny thing, Jett. When you’re no longer in charge of me, I can do whatever the fuck I want. I don’t have to listen to you. Good luck with Lot 17 and whatever other bullshit is going on.”
I turned my back and walked down the stairs to Kace’s room. With three hard pounds to his door, I waited for him to open the door. When he did, he was shirtless, wearing a pair of Nike shorts that rode very low on his waist and his hair was messed up. I looked over his shoulder and saw a bare leg poking out from his bed. He had company but I didn’t care.
“Can you take me to Diego’s?”
Without hesitation, he nodded his head and grabbed keys from his bedside table while tossing a shirt over his head. I wanted to make a snarky comment about how he didn’t need the shirt but I held my tongue. I wasn’t in the mood. I just wanted to leave the club.
We turned and walked down the hallway, in silence, it was the one time I was thankful for Kace’s inability to have a conversation. We were about to walk out the door when Kace stopped in his tracks. I looked up to see Jett barricading the door to the garage with his body.
“Goldie, our conversation isn’t over.”
“But it was over when you hung up on me?” I said over Kace’s shoulder, pinning him in the middle of us.
“Can we take this upstairs, please,” Jett said in a controlled voice.
“No, I said this was over. Kace, please just take me home.”
“Your home is here,” Jett spit out.
“No, it’s not! I’m living with Diego you…you…douche nugget.”
Kace’s shoulders visibly shook, I knew he was trying to hold in his laughter so I pinched his side, making him jump to the side.
“What the fuck?”
“Don’t laugh at me,” I scolded him.
He looked over at Jett who seemed like he was starting to foam at the mouth from anger and then back at me. He put his hands up in the air and said, “I don’t want to be a part of this. Sorry, Lo. You’re on your own.”
“Traitor,” I mumbled as he walked away, leaving me alone with Jett.
He looked me up and down and then came after me. He picked me up in his arms and carried me to my room, the whole time kicking and screaming.
“You act like I’m about to murder you,” Jett said into my ear as he dropped me down on my bed and then shut my door.
Moon beams filtered through my window and casted a glow on the delicious man standing in front of me. The contours of his muscles looked deeper from the way the light was bouncing off him as he walked toward me. He pressed his body against mine and pushed me against the bed. I wanted to kick and scream but the warmth of his body had me melting into the mattress.
“We’re so dysfunctional,” I said deflated.
He kissed my forehead and said, “I was engaged when I was young and the girl who I thought was supposed to care about me, to spend the rest of my life with me changed her mind and walked out on me, into someone else’s arms. Her reasoning was that I wasn’t man enough, I wasn’t good enough for her. Ever since then, I’ve put my heart on hold, not letting anyone get near it, until you.”
I was speechless. Who the hell would think that Jett Colby wasn’t good enough for them?
“Jesus Christ, was she the princess of a far off planet that has yet to be discovered? Who the hell is too good to be with you?”
Jett chuckled and shook his head. “Apparently her.”
“Well, she’s a dumb ass because you’re the best man I’ve ever met. You may have your quirks and your overbearing tendencies but you’re sweet and kind and care about others. You have a helping and serving heart and even though you don’t like to open up much, I can feel your emotions running through me, you’re an amazing man and that bitch’s bad decision is my good fucking fortune.”
He backed away from me for a second and gave me a questioning look. “You’re serious.”
“Of course I am.”
“So you don’t think less of me?”
“You’re high. Why would I think differently of you?”
“Because—” he shook his head as he steadied his breath, “—because she ran to another man.”
“Like I said, her loss, my gain.” I stroked his face and leaned in to press a kiss against his lips. “Thank you for sharing, Jett. No matter what you say to me, I will never judge you. You didn’t judge me for my past so why would I judge you?”
He looked visibly pained when he said, “I live in a different world than you, Goldie, where forgiveness isn’t handed out so easily. It’s going to take me a while but I trust you and I want to make this work so even when I’m an ass, you can’t give up on me. Please don’t give up on me.”
I took a deep breath as I closed my eyes and gathered strength.
“Then give me a chance. Don’t close me off so easily. Closing me off is only going to lead to me getting mad and my natural tendency is to run when things aren’t going my way. It’s all I know.”
He nodded and then a small smile spread across his face. “God, we really are dysfunctional.”
Laughing, I agreed.
His lips met mine and his body pressed against mine, before I was about to tell him I submitted so get down with business, he pulled away and his face grew serious.
“Before this goes any further, I need you to know that I’m serious when I say you’re not allowed to walk around by yourself right now. It’s only temporary, so please just honor this wish of mine.”
I nodded. “Okay.”
He looked stunned as he stared down at me.
“What?” I asked.
“I just wasn’t expecting you to agree so easily. You usually put up a fight.”
I shrugged my shoulders and said, “I still have some surprises up my sleeve.”