“Think about it,” Jett kissed my forehead. “I’ll understand if you say no, but please, just consider it.”
How could I not when he asked me so sweetly? When he looked at me with those deep blue eyes, begging me to let him take care of me?
“Thank you,” I whispered, curling into the man who controlled my heart. “Thank you for wanting to take care of me. I haven’t felt this safe in a very long time.”
“I would do anything for you, Little One. I hope you know that.”
“I do, without a doubt in my mind, Jett.”
We sat in silence and just held each other. Jett ran his hands through my hair, as I brushed my fingers along his chest, memorizing every sculpted line.
Life was changing quickly. What I once thought was normal, what I relied on, was now turning into something completely different. The Lafayette Club was shutting down…it was still hard to believe.
“How did the girls take the news?” I asked, worried about their futures.
“They took it well and have been working together to try to figure out what classes they want to offer. Babs will be in and out, now that she is about to start her own make-up line, but she is still very much dedicated to the effort. Francy and Tootse would like to head up a day care, so parents can drop their kids off to gain a better education. Pepper will be offering dance classes to keep our youth active and cultured. They all have a place at the center.”
“What about Lyla?” I asked, worried about my best friend.
Jett quirked his lips and shook his head. “She’s not so quick to jump on board. I have a meeting with her and Kace tomorrow to go over some things. I don’t know why she is so stubborn when it comes to changing her life.”
“You can’t fix everyone,” I told Jett. “Some people just don’t want to change.”
“But her life could be so much better.”
“Maybe she’s happy with the way things are going in her life. Believe me, I’ve tried; you can’t force her to do anything. She’s more stubborn than me.”
“That’s hard to believe,” Jett said with laughter in his voice.
“Watch it,” I warned, as my fingers hovered over his nipple.
“Don’t you fucking dare.”
“I’m not afraid,” I said with a smile.
“You should be.”
With that, Jett was on top of me, straddling my body and taking off his briefs.
Insatiable man.
31
“Steal My Girl”
Goldie
“When will you be back?” Jett asked, as he stood in the doorway of my bedroom, freshly showered and wearing a pair of black pants and a white button-up shirt that was unbuttoned on the top. His sleeves were rolled up, showing off his forearms…tease. He was handsome, couldn’t argue that.
“Why do you care?” I teased, as I finished tying my shoe.
“I don’t like you going out on the streets by yourself.”
I walked up to him and grabbed ahold of his hands. “Do you fail to realize I’m a grown woman and can handle myself? Oh, and there is no more threat. Time to let go, Jett.”
“I still don’t like it,” he complained, acting slightly like a child, a side of Jett Colby I hadn’t seen.
“Well, deal with it,” I smiled and patted his cheek.
His hand caught my wrist and pulled me flush against his chest, making my pulse pick up a notch.
“Careful, Little One. I still have no problem punishing you for misbehavior.”
“Something to look forward to later,” I stated, while giving him a kiss…one that he turned into something deeper as his hands ran up my back to my neck and straight into my hair.
I sighed into him as his hands messed up the ponytail I just fixed my hair in. He turned us so I was pressed against the doorframe, and he used his body to hold me in place as his hands explored me.
The feel of his hard body pressed against mine had me thinking I’d had the wrong idea in going out for a jog.
Just as his hand started to run up the back of my shirt, I realized what he was doing, and I pressed my palms on his chest, pushing him away slightly.
“Don’t even think about distracting me; you have a meeting to get to, and I have a grave to visit.”
“You’re going to the cemetery?” Jett asked, his swollen-kissed lips staring down at me.
Shaking the naughty thoughts out of my head, I nodded. “Yes, I need to talk some things out.”
“Things, as in me?”
“Maybe,” I responded, while fixing my hair back in the ponytail.
“Trying to decide if I’m worth it?”
“Oh, I know you’re worth it,” I said, kissing his lips one last time before I took off. “I just need to think some things through. Don’t worry, I promise I’ll be back.”
“Okay,” he said a little skeptically.
“I love you, Jett.”
His unease vanished at my words, and a sexy grin popped up in replacement.
“I love you, Little One.”
One last kiss…I snuck one in before pulling myself away and making a note to take advantage of that sexy grin later tonight.
“Be careful,” he called over his shoulder.
“Always am,” I responded, while I put my phone in the holster that was strapped to my upper arm.
I walked down the front staircase of the Lafayette Club for the first time without my Jett Girl gear on. I almost felt naked, sans mask and heels, but a little invigorated, like I was starting a new chapter in my life.
I ran out the front door of the club and out the gates that I once thought were intimidating. To think, when I first came to the club, I was naïve, desperate, and in the need of a helping hand. I never thought I would end up finding the man I would spend the rest of my life with, nor did I think I would form some of the most important relationships of my life.
The Jett Girls and Kace were my family now; they meant the world to me, and I would do anything for them.
I lightly started to jog through the tree-covered streets of the Garden District, my absolute favorite part of New Orleans. The houses were gorgeous, painted in pastel colors with shutters gracing every window, evoking an old southern charm. The sidewalks were rough, uprooted by trees and cracking all over, but they added character to the historic part of town. The humid heat of Louisiana hit me hard in my first couple minutes of running, but I soon found my stride, while listening to Britney Spears pump through my ear buds. The woman was a goddess, and she knew how to motivate.
I turned the corner to make my way toward the cemetery when I ran into a still body. My earbuds fell out of my ears as I tried to recover from smacking into someone.
When I looked up, I saw Mercy standing in front of me, looking like she was just walked over by a Mardi Gras parade. Her eyes were sunken in, her hair was strange and un-brushed, and her clothes were disheveled.
“Mercy, oh my God, is that you?”
Slowly, her eyes worked their way up to mine, and the minute we made eye contact, a deep chill ran up my spine and goosebumps spread over my body. I was not getting a friendly vibe from her.
“Goldie,” she said without emotion in her voice.
Backing up a bit, I asked, “Um, how are you?”
She didn’t respond; she just stared at me as her hands twitched behind her back. I wanted to ask her what she was hiding behind her, but was too afraid to ask. Visions of the demonic woman stabbing me repeatedly ran through my mind as a light sheen of sweat started to pour over my skin.
I was about to ask her what she was up to, when she sidestepped me and said, “Excuse me.”
She started walking away, and when I saw that she was holding a shirt behind her, I had to know what was going on.
“Mercy, wait, are you okay?”
Turning around, she brought the shirt up to her face and rubbed the fabric against her cheek…all the while maintaining eye contact with me.
“I see that you have your man back,” she said, not looking like the same woman I once knew.