Текст книги "Falling Away"

Автор книги: Penelope Douglas

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I stared at her. “What are you doing?”

She inched past the chair toward the entryway, smirking with her hand still on her chest. “Without a party buddy, I might do something moronic,” she teased, still moving away, “like take a mysterious drink laced with GHB from a tattooed ex-con who wants to take me upstairs to introduce me to his buddies!” She opened the door as I scrambled off the floor. “Bye,” she yelled.

And then she bolted out the front door, slamming it shut.

“Shane!” I growled, scurrying after her.

Damn, damn, damn! I pulled open the door, darted out to the porch, and … shit! Spinning around, I dived back into the house and shoved my feet into my black flip-flops that were lying in the entryway.

Yanking open the door again, I ran outside, leaping over all the steps on the porch and landing on the brick walkway.

Ugh, that girl!

She was gone. Twisting left and then right, I didn’t see her sparkly white top anywhere. She was already at the party, and I sucked in breath after breath, trying to calm the tornado in my stomach.

Eighteen. Without a buddy. And the closest person I’d had to real family in a long time. All good reasons to go get her.

I looked down at my outfit. Sloppy and disheveled, in clothes that hung on me, hair kinky with the natural wave that I hadn’t straightened out after my shower and barely any makeup on.

Well, the good thing was I’d push off any unwanted attention. That was for sure.

I stomped across the lawn, feeling the sharp blades of grass poke my ankles. The sun had set an hour ago, but the wet heat still hung in the air, and my back suddenly cooled with the light layer of sweat already coating it.

The long driveway was packed with cars—two rows, five deep—and the street was a damn parking lot. I recognized most of the cars I’d seen earlier. Different makes and models, some with loud paint and design work, others calm, clean, and sleek-looking. There were even cars parked in the middle of Fall Away Lane, as if the neighborhood residents wouldn’t need their own street to drive on tonight.

I noticed that the garage—which sat on the other side of the house—had been extended from a two-car to a three-car, and the house had been refreshed with new white paint, although the shutters had been changed from navy blue to black.

My ears perked up when a new song started, and I actually recognized it. “Heaven Knows” by the Pretty Reckless. Nik had listened to it a lot at school.

Partygoers were scattered about as I walked onto the porch and stepped through the open doorway, trying not to think about the last time I was here.

But then I couldn’t think about anything as I immediately deflated and gawked at the inside of the house.

Oh, my God. Wow.

More than the exterior had been upgraded. My eyes darted up, down, and all around as I took in new, bold paint making the house so much more inviting, and the carpet in the living room that had been torn away to reveal shiny hardwood floors. Everything in the rooms that I could get a glimpse of was made to accommodate a bachelor and his parties.

Three huge flat-screens lined the wall in the family room where the pool table still sat. The furniture in the living room had been replaced with deep leather couches and more flat-screens, and as I peered to the back of the house, I could see glimpses of a renovated kitchen as well.

“A lot’s changed, Juliet.” Shane’s voice came back to me. Yeah, so it would seem.

Katherine Trent—or Katherine Caruthers now—had kept a nice house before, but this was … well, I didn’t know how to describe it.

Loaded? Indulgent? Hot. Definitely hot.

I liked the red walls in the living room, the midnight blue walls in the family room, and the cappuccino-colored walls in the foyer. I liked the black-framed prints of Native Americans wearing various headdresses and jewelry on the walls leading up to the second floor, and even though black leather couches usually creeped me out, the ones in the living room weren’t cheap. They were deep and lush, and expensive looking. Everything looked so well kept and clean.

“K.C.?”

I spun around, coming face-to-face with Liam.

And I swallowed my fucking gum.

I winced, not even trying to hide the look. The sight of his blue doe eyes and polite expression gave me a sudden urge to breathe fire in his stupid, fat face. Was this seriously happening to me right now?

He stood in the doorway, holding hands with the very same redhead I’d caught him with at the club last week. She had on a black, strapless dress, and her hair was full of volume and looking sexy as it fell around her.

Great. And I picked today to get rebellious with my appearance. I shook my head at the irony.

When he’d cheated on me in high school, I’d taken him back. Stupidly. I felt as if I’d done something wrong—something to push him away—and he’d honestly seemed sorry for what he’d done. After seeing how Jared had treated Tate through most of high school, I was actually grateful to have a boyfriend who brought me flowers when I was sick and who put up with my mother’s attitude.

When I caught him cheating again a couple of weeks ago, I was done.

“Liam.” I sighed, trying to look bored. “Doesn’t Jax hate you? Why are you here?”

His face fell, and it was the first time I’d been glad for Jax’s contempt toward Liam. Although I was also insinuating that Jax was fine with me being here, which might not be true, either.

“Everyone’s here, K.C.” Liam stuck his other hand in his pocket. “This is Megan, by the way.”

“I’ll let you know when I give a shit,” I mumbled.

He continued, ignoring me. “I brought her home to meet my parents.” Don’t care. “We’re moving in together, K.C.”

My knees damn near buckled, and I let out a shocked laugh. “You’re kidding, right?”

Megan arched an eyebrow, looking dissatisfied that she had to tolerate my presence, and Liam hooded his eyes, totally not laughing with me.

I immediately straightened. “Wow, I’m sorry.”

“Excuse me?” Megan snipped.

“I mean, I’m sorry in advance. For when he cheats on you,” I explained. “Do you really think that he won’t?”

She smiled, looking smug, as if she knew something I didn’t, and I locked my hands behind my back, fingering my scar.

“Men who are unsatisfied cheat,” she taunted me. “And from what I hear, you were very unsatisfying.”

And I stared dumbfounded as she pretended to take a dick into her mouth and start gagging.

I barely saw Liam give her a dirty look. All I could hear was my heart pounding in my ears while her pompous smirk leveled me. She was imitating me. Liam had told her …

No.

The room was too crowded, and I rubbed my upper arms, trying to erase the chill even though embarrassment warmed my cheeks. They just stood there, staring at me, and it was my turn to act, but I locked my mouth shut, searching my blank mental arsenal for what I should do next.

But I had nothing. I was unsatisfying. I was pathetic to him. What was I supposed to do now? What was I supposed to say?

Tate. She would know what to do.

“You couldn’t even give a decent blow job, huh?” Megan baited me.

Say something!

Goose bumps broke out over my arms, I was so cold, and I blinked long and hard. So cold.

But then a rush of heat hit my back, and I gasped, my eyelids fluttering with the sudden warm relief.

“Liam,” Jax’s voice greeted him as he wrapped his arms around my waist and engulfed me in the soothing furnace of his skin.

“Jax,” Liam muttered, his voice unfriendly. I opened my eyes to see his gaze shooting between me and the man behind me, probably wondering what the hell was going on.

Hell if I knew.

Glancing down, I saw Jax’s same beautiful hands and long fingers, smeared with grease, locked in front of my waist. I brought up my hands and clasped his forearms, much thicker than they were last time I’d seen him.

I didn’t know why he did it. All I knew was that I wasn’t hurting right now, and I wasn’t alone and feeling stupid.

He took my movement as an invitation and pulled me closer into his chest.

“How’s it going?” he asked Liam.

“Fine,” Liam answered, still looking between Jax and me suspiciously. “You?” he asked back.

I noticed Megan staring over my head at Jax, the hint of a smile on her lips.

“Fine,” Jax answered in a flat tone. “But your new girlfriend is acting like a bitch, and it’s pissing me off. If she upsets K.C. again, she’s out.”

A breathless laugh escaped my chest, and I clamped my hand over my mouth. Oh, my God!

Megan’s eyes flared, and Liam just stared at Jax, shaking his head as though he wanted to lunge for him.

But he knew better. This was Jax’s house, Jax’s party, and Liam knew if it came to a fight, no one here would be on his side.

Heat spread across my face, and I dropped my eyes, knowing damn well they looked too pleased at what was happening. I wasn’t supposed to like a guy throwing his weight around for me. I shouldn’t want Jax to protect me. I should do this myself. But what the hell?

Liam looked between us and then grabbed Megan’s hand, twisting around and leaving.

As they both disappeared out the front door, Jax dropped his arms slowly, his hands running down my bare arms before his touch disappeared altogether. I couldn’t help feeling disappointment.

I was cold again.

Turning around, I folded my arms over my chest, putting on my game face. And forced down the sudden golf ball lodged in my damn throat.

Shit.

My eyes used to meet his neck, but now I stared at the wall of his chest. His strong-looking pecs and wide shoulders made me feel very, very small. No wonder I’d felt so warm a minute ago. His body would be like a blanket on mine.

And then my stomach flip-flopped, seeing that his nipples were pierced.

Well, that was definitely new.

He sported two barbells, one on each pec, and I suddenly felt as if I were on a roller coaster.

I scowled, wondering why I couldn’t take my eyes off them. I didn’t like nipple piercings, so what the hell?

Then I forced my eyes into a convincing—I hoped—little scowl and finally looked up.

Blue Hell arched an eyebrow at me, and I deflated. Not a damn thing had changed. And yet everything had changed.

While I was away, Jaxon Trent had become a man.

CHAPTER 3

K.C.

Only his hair was the same. Still as dark as black coffee but with a gorgeous shine. His face was still smooth and clean-shaven, but now it was more angular with chiseled cheekbones, a straight, narrow nose, and full, sculpted lips.

And his straight black eyebrows only emphasized the bluest eyes ever born to a human being. You could see those jewels from fifty yards away.

I knew that for a fact.

He was bare-chested, of course, and the cuts and dips of his abs and slim waist were hard to look away from. But I’d look away, scowl, glance back real quickly, and then look away again. His arms were a lot bigger than the last time I’d seen them.

He was huge.

And nineteen.

And a troublemaker.

And scary.

I dug in my eyebrows as deep as I could manage and met his gaze again.

His lips were tilted in a smile. “Don’t worry. I know.” He sighed, cutting me off before I could speak. “You’re an independent woman who can fight her own battles, blah, blah, blah, and et cetera. Just say thank you.”

Oh.

He thought I was mad about the Liam episode. That worked. I arched an angry eyebrow for extra effect, not saying thank you.

He smiled, probably amused by my defiance. “You looking for your cousin?” he asked.

I nodded.

“Come on.” He took my hand.

The car grime on his hand rubbed into mine, and I held him firmly, a smile that I wouldn’t set free tickling the corners of my mouth.

I liked how it felt. Sandy, gritty, alive.

Everything had always been clean for me. Every moment of my life had been manicured, pedicured, and scrubbed. My clothes always matched, my fingernails were always clean, and my biggest decision was whether I should buy the silver ballet flats or the black ones.

Now Jaxon Trent’s dirty hands fused with my sweaty palms, and I wondered how good his dirt would feel everywhere else on my skin.

I glanced around me, noticing people noticing us. Their eyes visibly taking in the sight of Jax holding my hand behind him, at which point a confused look would appear on their faces. A couple of people seemed surprised, and a few others—women, mostly—scrunched up their noses or looked away, annoyed.

I squeezed his hand one last time—hard—because I never wanted to let it go, and then I yanked my hand quickly away. Jax only looked back for a second, probably to make sure I hadn’t run off.

“This is ridiculous,” I grumbled as I followed him through the kitchen. “Isn’t there a maximum capacity in a house like they have for restaurants and elevators?”

Jax ignored me as if I’d asked a rhetorical question. We slithered through the crowd, stepping aside as three young men crashed through the back doorway.

“Shane comes around quite a bit,” he said. “But don’t worry. No one messes with her.”

“Not even you?” I ventured, following him into the backyard.

Please say that you haven’t screwed my cousin. Please, please, please.

He kept walking, turning his head only slightly. “Especially not me.”

I exhaled, trying to keep my cool and my thoughts together. Until I took a look around. The backyard was insane, and I couldn’t help gawking.

“Uh, I …” Was that a Jacuzzi? “I just came to take Shane home. Back to Tate’s, I mean.”

“I figured.”

I couldn’t see his face, but I knew he was nodding. His ponytail rose and fell on his spine. “See?” He turned and gestured through the gate. “She’s fine.”

But I barely registered my cousin sitting in a lawn chair, talking closely with another girl.

“What the hell?” I burst out, my eyes burning from not blinking.

No wonder it felt as if Tate’s house was shaking! The party next door had spilled over into her backyard.

“K.C.!” Shane smiled with eyes full of mischief as she sat cross-legged on the lawn chair. I noticed that she had a Solo cup in her hand, but to be honest, my head was elsewhere now.

The old wooden fence that had separated Jared’s and Tate’s backyards was now gone.

It had been replaced with an awesome-looking wall of aged red bricks, pierced to leave small empty spaces for looking through. Each three-foot section of the brick wall was interrupted by a brick column, a lamppost sitting on top of each one. Where you would have to hop the old dowdy wooden fence before, you could now simply walk through a solid wooden gate to venture into the next backyard. Thus making two spaces into one.

Apparently Jax was using both yards for his party tonight. How had I not noticed the new fence when I got here? And how had I not noticed the party practically on top of me when I was inside Tate’s house working? And how was Jax, who was only nineteen years old, getting all this liquor? And how the hell was he paying for all this stuff!

Shane had resumed her conversation with the girl she’d been talking to, so I let her sit tight as I followed Jax into Tate’s backyard to the array of car parts spread out on a folding table. Several men sat looking over the machinery, inspecting, taking things apart, whatever.

I shook my head, in a daze. “Jax, what the hell do you have going on here?” I asked quietly.

It wasn’t my intention to sound uptight or accusing, but I was concerned. All this took money. Lots of it.

I knew Jax was skilled and smart, especially with computers, so I’d never doubted that he’d do well for himself. I’d overheard him saying once that a person’s entire life was online. You could control it or be vulnerable to it.

And you didn’t have to know Jax well to know he liked control.

But to have all this? So young?

He picked up a tool and looked to be continuing work that he’d been in the middle of. “How do you mean?” he asked.

He was caging.

Jax had never confided in me. I’d never given him reason to think I cared, but I did know that his dad was in jail for abusing him, his mom wasn’t in the picture, and he had spent much of his life in the system. Until, that is, his half brother, Jared, had started taking an active role in his life.

Shortly after, Jared’s mom assumed custody of Jax, and they’d all been a family ever since.

But now she’d remarried, moved out of town, and from the looks of it, Jax was surviving very well on his own.

Noticing lots of people sitting close by in lawn chairs, I approached the table and spoke quietly. “This house has been renovated. You have a ton of expensive electronics in there, and you have to have close to a half million dollars’ worth of cars sitting out on the street. Who the hell are all these people?”

His brother’s parties used to boast only half as many guests. It had certainly been less impressive but a lot more comfortable than this chaos.

Jax threw down a tool, picking up a Phillips-head. “They’re my friends’ cars, not mine.”

I stood there, studying him.

He looked up and locked eyes with me, letting out an annoyed sigh. “Okay, I’ll slow down, K.C. First, a friend is someone you enjoy sharing time with. Someone you’re nice to that you trust—”

“Screw you,” I said, sneering, folding my arms over my chest again.

“She gets arrested,” a girl off to the side laughed, “and she still thinks she’s so superior.”

What the hell?

I lost my breath, hearing snickers and snorts go off around the area as everyone reacted to what she’d said.

Everyone knew?

“We got a noise complaint!”

I jumped, twisting around to see two uniformed police officers standing in the open gate.

Chatter stopped, and everyone popped their heads up, eyeing the two officers dressed in black.

I swallowed the lump in my throat and felt the sweat on my forehead. Shane and I were underage at a party with alcohol. My mother would disown me if there was another call from the police.

Or maybe they’d just shut down the party. Hmm … that’d work for me. Shane safe, and me away from trouble.

“Hey,” Jax greeted, and then turned back to his work.

I narrowed my eyes, watching his long fingers work.

“Okay, you can go back to your partying now.” One of the cops waved everyone off, chuckling at his own joke, and others followed suit, laughing and beginning their conversations again.

“Hey, man.” The same cop who had just spoken came up to the table and shook Jax’s hand. “I brought Tim by to see the Evo.” He jerked his thumb to the young-looking officer behind him.

Jax spoke lightly, gesturing with his chin. “In the garage. Go ahead.”

The cops walked out, acting oblivious of the underage drinking, the packed street that had to be a fire hazard, and the huge amount of party noise coming from the house.

I turned to Jax, completely and totally confused. “What the hell is going on?”

“A lot’s changed, Juliet.”

Yeah, no shit, I thought. Jared got a ticket or two for noise complaints for his parties. Why not Jax?

He stopped working and cocked his head, taking me in. His gaze dropped down my body, over my tight pink tank top and Tate’s shortish cutoffs. Suddenly feeling self-conscious, I tucked my hair behind my ear and then shoved my hands into my pockets, averting my eyes from his scrutinizing gaze.

But then I sucked in a breath as Jax reached over and pulled my hair back out from behind my ear.

“It was perfect before.” His voice sounded gravelly as if his mouth was dry.

He held my eyes, and I swear I felt high from his presence. I wished he wouldn’t look at me. I wished he hadn’t touched me. I wished he didn’t always knock me on my ass every time we were near each other.

Tossing down his tools, he spoke loudly. “Everyone clear out for a minute. Go get another drink.”

And I watched as all the guys dropped their toys, and others stood up from their chairs, scraping the legs against the brick-paved ground. Looking over, I saw Shane watching me as she walked out, her eyebrows raised and licking her lips to hide a smile.

What did that mean?

I turned to leave, too, but Jax caught my arm. “Stay.”

He let go and walked around, coming to stand in front of me and then leaning back on the table as he spoke.

“Do you remember when we met?” His soft voice reminded me of chocolate. “I told you that I was old enough to unravel you. Do you remember that?”

I swallowed and looked away. Yeah, I remembered. I’d played out that conversation so many times in my head.

How his eyes ate me up that night. How he wanted to give me a ride home. How I ignored Liam’s calls and fell asleep thinking of the new kid in town. My body warmed as I thought about it. It was the first time I’d ever slept naked.

He gave a gentle smile and looked down. “Man, I wanted to unravel you, K.C.,” he whispered, and then looked me straight in the eye. “I wanted inside you so badly.”

No.

I reared back, but he caught my hand, holding me.

Please don’t do this.

He caressed my fingers with his thumb, and my eyes fluttered at the tingles spreading up my arm. His soothing voice, his touch, his gentleness …

He barely whispered and my heart hurt, it was pounding so hard. “I wanted to make you come so hard that you’d lose that little sneer on your face forever,” he said softly. “I wanted to taste how wet you were for me. I wanted you underneath me, writhing and sweaty and begging.”

I closed my eyes, my chest tight. Writhing. Sweaty. That wasn’t me. I’d never please him.

He continued, standing up and moving flush with my chest. “I used to fantasize about pinning you against the lockers at school and running my hand up the inside of your thigh, hearing your whimpers.”

My knees shook, about to buckle, and I felt the warmth between my legs. He needed to stop.

“I wanted your mouth on mine,” he whispered, his breath tickling my forehead. “And your legs wrapped around my waist as you rode me.” Oh, my God. “Man, I wanted you, K.C. I wanted to undo you.” His lips were so close to my face I could feel the moistness of his breath as he whispered, “I wanted to dirty you up.”

And then he grabbed my wrist, and I gasped before clamping my mouth shut again. His hand was fire on my body, and my breath shook as he leaned in, almost touching my lips.

“But then I got to know you.” His voice grew hard and clipped and my wrist ached where he squeezed. “You’re gutless and helpless and I’ve never met anyone so desperate to get out of her own skin.”

And then he yanked my wrist in between us, turning up the inside to reveal my two-inch scar. Running his thumb over it, he scowled down at me, looking disgusted.

Tears burned my eyes.

He knew. How did he know?

Pressing my teeth together so hard it hurt, I glared at him, yanking my hand out of his grasp.

Backing away, I pushed away the tears and hardened my jaw, determined never to show him defeat.

And as I walked out, back through Jax’s house, I didn’t even break pace as I grabbed an abandoned drink off the kitchen table and threw it on an amplifier before I left. I vaguely heard it fizzle, white static filling the room, as I walked out.