Hyde and Seek (25 page)

“I would’ve guessed with the tattoos and rocker thing you’re workin’ that you would. Kind of refreshing that you don’t, actually,” he lied, obviously ticked off. “I’m Blake Green.”

That explains the off the charts reading on my Douche Radar.

Blake Green was the lead singer of Static in the Sun, a popular rock band, though I wasn’t a fan. They were constantly on the verge of breaking up.

The weight of the egos alone must weigh down the tour bus.

“Nice to meet you.” I turned to walk away.

Blake grabbed my wrist and twisted me back facing him. “Oh, gorgeous, don’t go breakin’ my heart by leaving me with these bores.” He rudely tilted his head towards the people who’d been talking to him. “Are you here with someone?”

“Yes.”

“Who?”

“Jake Hyde.” Though it wasn’t any of his business, I hoped dropping Jake’s name would be enough to get him to back off.

“Sweet young thing like you? You aren’t anywhere near his type.”

Huh, seems like carrying around that giant, egotistical head of his means there’s no room left for some common sense.

“Well, you know what they say about variety. Enjoy your night.” I fake smiled, trying, and failing, to pull my arm from him without making a scene.

Jake had been working hard to make this evening a success and I didn’t want to do anything to ruin it.

That said, I had a limit and it was quickly approaching.

“Stay,” he said, talking to me like I was a dog. “Chat. I’ll tell you what it’s like being a world famous rock star. Ever spend time with a rock star?”

“Here and there. I really should get back.”

“Little girl, Jake won’t even notice you’re missing. More than once he’s left his date here and left with someone else. Usually someone else’s date.”

“I’ll take my chances with that.” I attempted to shift again, this time managing to move an inch before his grip tightened.

Reaching out, he sifted my hair through his fingers. “Trust me, little girl,” he said, pausing to watch the strands fall through. “You wouldn’t have to worry about that with me.”

I jumped as an arm wrapped tightly around my waist. “Not gonna happen, Green,” Jake snarled, pulling me back against him.

“Since when do you care about your dates, Hyde?” Blake sneered, proving he was a moron. Even so, he had the sense to finally release my wrist.

“Back the fuck off.”

“Wow, Hyde, never thought I’d see you get all possessive over a piece.” I fought back a skeeved out shudder as his eyes slowly trailed my body. “Makes me wanna get a taste of what must be a very,
very
sweet cunt.”

Before I knew what was happening, I was behind Jake and Blake was on the floor. Someone else’s hands held my shoulders, steadying me before pulling me back.

“Let’s go, Pipe,” Kase whispered in my ear. “He’ll be good, but he’ll be fuckin’ pissed at me if I don’t get you outta here.”

I glanced over my shoulder and saw the other guys were positioned to block the scene. I knew they had Jake’s back, which meant letting him handle things his way and keeping everyone out of his path while he did it.

The air went wired as Jake leaned down. “Get up, fucker,” he growled. His voice was barely above a whisper, yet it felt like he was yelling.

“Go fuck yourself. The great Jake Hyde really is pussy-whipped, huh? Gonna get all bent outta shape about some piece? She really must be honey,” Blake taunted unwisely, blood dripping from his nose.

Jake pulled him back up before his fist viciously connected again. The gruesome sound of flesh hitting flesh was audible over the noises of the party. Blake fell back on his ass, blood beading from a tear on his lip.

Luckily, almost everyone was either at the bar, on the dance floor, or looking at the auction items. Only a few people in the immediate area were aware of what was happening, though no one jumped to Blake’s defense.

“I said get the fuck up, motherfucker. We’ll head outside, I’ll show you how bent outta shape I can get.”

“How about we finish here?” Blake asked, standing up and brushing himself off. “You know, that way I can take your piece outside and bend her.”

When Jake stepped forward, Blake swung hard and fast. Jake was faster, though, dodging the punch and using Blake’s momentum against him. Jake brought his fist up, slamming it into Blake’s jaw with a sickening thud and sending him back down on his ass.

Before things could get any more out of control, I pulled free of Kase and got in front of Jake. “Enough. It’s done, let’s just go enjoy our night.”

“Gotta know I’m not lettin’ that slide, Piper,” Jake rumbled, not taking his eyes from Blake.

“Jake,” I whispered, putting my hands on his chest and getting up on my tiptoes. “You’ve been working hard on tonight. Don’t let him take away from that.”

“I don’t give a fuck. No one says that shit about you.”

“I know, baby, I know.” I rubbed my fingertips over the stubble on his jaw. “But I do care. I’m thirsty, let’s go get a drink, okay?”

Jake finally pulled his eyes from Blake to look down at me. “You thirsty, sweets?” Bringing his hand to the side of my neck, he rubbed his thumb along my jaw.

I closed my eyes for a second, his touch tender and calming. “Yeah.”

“Get his ass outta here,” he grunted, jerking his head towards Blake. “I’ll be back.”

Jake slid his hand to the back of my neck and guided me towards the bar. When we reached it, his steps didn’t slow and we walked past it. He kept going, turning and walking us down a long hall.

“Jake, what’re we doing?”

My question went unanswered. Anger rolled off of Jake in waves, and it finally hit me that he wasn’t just pissed at Blake Green.

But that’s just crazy. Well… okay, I didn’t exactly listen to his Mr. Bossy Pants order, but why would I? And, yeah, he ended up kicking ass at his meticulously planned party because of it. But how was I supposed to know that would happen?

I braced when he stopped us near the end of the hall, boxes and miscellaneous buildup around us.

“I asked you to stay with the guys,” Jake growled.

I shuffled backwards as he advanced. When my back hit the wall, his hands went to the wall on either side of my head.

“I had to use the bathroom.”

“You should’ve had one of them go with you.”

“I can’t go to the bathroom alone? What, worried I’ll get lost?” My voice dripped with sarcasm.

Don’t poke the bear, Piper.

“No, I don’t want you talkin’ to anyone.”

“God, Jake, I wasn’t gonna embarrass you. I don’t need a sitter, especially not to go to the freakin’ bathroom.”

“Is that what you thought this was?”

“Isn’t it?”

“No. Actually, fuck no.”

“Then why?”

Jake ignored my question. “Who was that first guy you were talkin’ to?”

“James. You met him at my house before.”

“Why were you talkin’ to him?”

“He stopped me to say hi. Why?”

“He touched you.”

“He tucked my hair behind my ear. It isn’t like it was obscene.”

“Not like what Green wanted to do to you. Why the fuck were you talkin’ to him?” His jaw clenched as his body tensed further.

“He stopped me. I was politely excusing myself and trying to get away from him.”

“That didn’t seem to be workin’, did it? You like what he was sayin’ to you, babe? Like hearin’ him talk about your sweet cunt? Were you thinkin’ about how it would be?” Jake asked crudely, his voice low and rough.

“No, what? How what would be?”

“Fuckin’ a rock star. Slummin’ it with the lowly mechanic not doin’ it for you anymore?”

I stared up at him in wide-eyed disbelief.

Fuck it.

Poke the bear.

I glared at him, my temper rising. “Why are you being a jerk? I’m here with you.”

“Oh, so if I wasn’t around? I could leave if that’d make it easier for you to work the room.” He lowered his hands and stepped back. His shoulders were tight as his fists clenched by his sides.

“You’re being an ass. Come find me when you calm down.” I shifted to leave but Jake moved back into my space.

“James,” he sneered, “tucked your hair behind your ear. Do you know how intimate that is? How it felt to watch that? And Blake? I can’t even go there again. You stood there and let them touch you, Piper. Why?” His hands slammed back on the wall, punctuating the word as his body pressed close to mine.

“Jake, I didn’t—”

“You don’t care when we don’t see each other. I called you yesterday, fuckin’ hatin’ that I had to cancel, but you were totally fine with it. Christ, you couldn’t even call yourself my woman on the way here. Obviously, you’re still free and available to do what you want.”

Oh yeah, poke the bossy bear with a sharp fuckin’ stick.

“Are you serious? No, are you
fuckin’
serious? You’ve never said you were my boyfriend or anything, either,” I pointed out.

“I told you it was only you for me.”

“What? When?”

“Before the first time. I said it was only you and asked if you knew what I was sayin’.”

“I thought that meant you were only gonna be having sex with me.”

“No. It’s
only
you.”

“I’m not a mind reader, Jake. How was I supposed to know that?”

“I showed you—”

“Wait! Was that what all that shit was last night? You’re more than a replaceable dick to me. I missed
you
, not just hungry and energetic. But you’re busy, and I get that. I’m not gonna bug out on you about your job. That’s not cool.”

“You’re—”

“We are… well,
were
awesome. I didn’t need a title to make it official because I was already there. You wanna put labels on us, we’ll put labels on us. I’ll buy a freakin’ label maker and label the hell out of us. But you know I’m yours. I’ve told you that over and over.”

“When?”

“During sex.”

“Yeah, exactly. While my dick’s in you and I’m makin’ you come. Even then I’m promptin’ you to say it. Not once have you said it on your own. And then you wonder why I’d think I was a replaceable dick to you. I’m not a mind reader either.”

As much as I hated to admit it, he had a point. Just because he seemed to know all my secrets didn’t mean he actually did.

My shoulders slumped as I lost some of my anger. “Oh.”

“Yeah. Oh.”

“You’re right. I guess I just thought you knew how I felt. That you’d figured it out because of… well, everything.”

Just like that, I could feel the tension leave his body. His eyes went warm and soft, though no less intense. “You’re my woman?”

I stayed silent, staring beyond him, unseeing, as I worked through my anger and hurt at what he’d said.

Blowing out his breath, he ran his palm down his face before bringing it up to rub the back of his neck. “Shit. I really fucked up. Let my temper get to me. I’m sorry.”

“You’re an ass.”

“Yeah,” he agreed. “I’d never be embarrassed by you. The way I see other guys lookin’ at you? Them talking to you as soon as I walk away? That’s why I wanted you to stick close to the guys.”

Who knew a badass could be so vulnerable.

Because Jake was so experienced in other ways, it was easy to forget that a lot of the relationship stuff was as new to him as it was to me. We needed to learn to communicate better so things didn’t build up and explode.

“No one else has me. You do.”

“You’re my woman?”

I nodded.

“Say it.”

“I’m your woman, Jacoby.”

He didn’t like anyone else calling him by his full name and it was rare that even I used it. Each time felt like a gift and I savored it.

Watching his eyes close slowly, I knew he felt the same way.

“Fuck yeah, you are. Pull your dress up.”

I brought the skirt up enough that, when Jake’s hand on my ass lifted me, my legs were able to wrap around him.

Shifting me higher, he reached under my ass to free his cock from his jeans. Pushing my panties to the side, he ran his fingers through my growing wetness.

“Fuck. Soaked.”

“Always.” I bit my lip to muffle my moan when he lowered me onto his cock.

“I gotta be inside you. Need you, Piper, more than I’ve ever needed anything. More than I need my next fuckin’ breath.” Fisting his hand in my hair, he tugged my head back and kissed me hard.

There was no thought to the hundreds of people a short distance away. In that moment, as the slow burn built, the world fell away. It was only Jake and me. With my back against the wall, his cock gliding slowly in and out, it was sweet torture.