Wrong (Breaking the Rules) (10 page)

“Fuck, Pepper!” he snapped, bringing his hand to his eye to inspect the damage.

I burst into tears because my hand fucking hurt. Nobody tells you that it hurts just as badly to be the one doing the punching. He dropped his hand and pulled me into an embrace. I dissolved unwillingly into it.

“Shhh, babe.” He spoke softly and rubbed my back. The gentle move made me cry harder.

Why am I having a breakdown here in the hallway in front of Jordan?

“Let’s get you inside, Pepper.” He scooped up the keys from the floor and let us into the empty apartment. Andi was with Jackson, and Olive was working.

He led me to the sofa and I sat down. When I looked up, I realized he’d gone into the kitchen and was rummaging around for something. He came back grinning that annoying smile of his and set two wine glasses in front of me. After he poured some into each a glass—mine a little fuller—he sat down beside me.

“Pepper, I’m sorry I deceived you. When I did it, I wasn’t really thinking about that. I just knew I wanted to see you and was willing to do whatever I could to make that happen.”

I sighed and shakily took a sip of my wine. My tears had subsided, and now I just felt embarrassed for my meltdown.

“Babe, why won’t you let me in?” His voice cracked a bit, making me look up at him. The emotion on his face made my heart flutter.

Jordan really was a good guy. I didn’t know why I had to give him such a hard time. It was just ingrained in me at this point in my life. Even Daddy would like him.

“Because I don’t know how. I don’t know how to let anyone in. Andi and Olive only see what I want them to see and they’re my best friends.” My chin quivered, but this time I didn’t stop it. He reached over and grabbed my hand.

“Pepper, I want to be that person you confide in. Please let me be that guy.”

I smiled because he was one hundred percent genuine. “I’ll do my best.” That was my concession. It was small, but by the smile that lit up his face, you’d have thought I’d promised much more.

“Drink up, Pepper. We’re going to loosen you up. Let’s play a game. It will be fun. We can make assumptions about each other. If the assumption is correct, you say ‘correct’ and the turn goes to the other person. No harm, no foul. If the assumption is wrong, you have to say ‘wrong’ and the person doing the assuming will have to take a drink. Shit, we’re going to need something better than wine.”

I laughed at his silly game he’d made up on a whim. He jumped up and ran back into the kitchen. This time, he came back with a big bottle of tequila and two shot glasses.

“Jordan, this could get bad really fast.”

He was doing a good job of distracting me from my prior meltdown. His playfulness was something that attracted me to him. It wasn’t the only thing though. His tight shirt stretched across his muscles and his biceps flexed every time he moved. Those were attractive too.

“That’s the point, Pep.” He winked at me, making my insides ache for him. “Okay, since I made up the game, I’ll start.”

He filled both of the shot glasses so we’d be ready.

“You’re a daddy’s girl.”

I rolled my eyes. This was common knowledge. “You bet your ass I am,” I confirmed. He smirked at me. “Okay, my turn. You’re a momma’s boy,” I retorted back at him. He laughed because I was mocking him.

“You bet your ass I am,” he teased. We both laughed. “You moonlight as a Victoria’s Secret model,” he pronounced, wagging his eyebrows. I rolled my eyes at him again. Someone just wanted to take a shot.

“Wrong. Take your shot,” I ordered.

He knocked back the shot, chasing it with some wine.

“Your dentist makes you model your amazing smile in all of his commercials,” I declared, teasing him and knowing it would garner me a shot, which I desperately wanted.

“Wrong. He doesn’t make me. He pays me. Take your shot, woman,” he winked at me.

I sucked down the shot and winced as it burned my throat.

“You loved the roses I sent yesterday even though you never thanked me for them,” he said, smiling shyly.

I flinched. Then the answer was out of my mouth before I had a chance to filter it. “Wrong. I actually hated them. They reminded me of a time I wanted to forget. Take your shot,” I spat out a little more harshly than I’d intended on.

He looked hurt by my words, and I instantly regretted them. I should have just told him thank you.

“I’m sorry. That was mean…” I trailed off.

He just shook his head at me and refilled our glasses. Tossing back his shot, he prepared for my next assumption.

“Um, you like basketball?” It was more of a question, but I figured I was safe with sports.

“Wrong. I like football,” he answered softly.

I cringed when he said football. For reasons only known to me, I hated football. His eyes flicked to mine because he’d seen it. This man saw right through me, and it scared the hell out of me. I quickly drank down my shot.

“You like me but are afraid to admit it,” he practically whispered. My eyes found his. When I didn’t speak, my silence validated his statement. The corner of his mouth curved up into a half smile.

“The only reason you like me is because I’m different than all the bimbos you’re used to dating,” I snidely said to him.

“Wrong. That’s one of the reasons. Not the only reason,” he corrected. I smiled as I took the shot.

My body was really starting to warm up. Needing to cool off, I removed my long-sleeved t-shirt since I had a tank top underneath. Jordan’s eyes fell to my tight shirt and hungrily looked over the swell of my breasts underneath.

“You took your shirt off to distract me from the game,” he stated simply.

“Wrong! I took it off because I was hot,” I told him honestly.

He drained his glass, never taking his eyes from me.

“You sleep around a lot,” I uttered to him.

“Wrong. Not since college. I’ve only had a handful of girlfriends since then, and I don’t do one-night stands,” he affirmed, and my heart pounded wildly at his words.

I knocked back another shot. My skin burned, but not just from the alcohol. The way he watched me made me want to jump him.

“Someone hurt you. That’s why you are so closed off from people,” he expressed sadly. My eyes filled with tears, my silence once again validating his assumption. Fury crossed his features, and he snatched up my hand, kissing the back of it.

“Who fucking hurt you Pepper?”

“Cole. A guy named Cole in high school.”

Jordan glared at me, waiting for more of an explanation. Squeezing my hand, he urged me to go on.

“I was a little nerdy in high school. Since I was shy, I didn’t make friends. Like, at all. One day, the school’s football hero asked me to tutor him. Of course I obliged. He came over that afternoon. Things were going great. When my mother left to run to the store, we were alone. He gave me my first kiss. Well, things got hot and heavy. Next thing I knew, he was on top of me on the couch. Things were progressing a little faster than I’d expected. He was being a little rough, and it pulled me out of the passionate moment. When I asked him to stop, he got pissed. It was then that he attempted to forcefully have sex with me. If it weren’t for Daddy coming in from work and yanking him from me, he would have succeeded.”

Jordan’s jaw was furiously clenching and unclenching. He reached over and poured us each another shot. We drank them down because it was clear we both needed one to calm down.

“I’ve always been obsessed with peppermint gum. That day, he’d even taken my gum from me when we kissed. When I finally made it back to school, he’d spread all of these terrible rumors about me. Everyone thought I was some psycho trying to ruin his life. They called me ‘Peppermint Pussy’ because he told them if he actually had managed to have sex with me his dick would have frozen and fallen off. It was the stupidest thing ever, but all those half-witted people chose his side. The would-be rapist’s side.” My eyes filled with tears once again. I could feel his anger rolling off of him beside me.

“When I went to college, I vowed to be a stronger version of myself. One that was untouchable. When my new dorm mate Andi arrived and asked me my name, I told her it was Pepper. Short for ‘Peppermint Pussy.’”

“What the fuck, Pe…whoever you are? I’ve been calling you Pepper, the nickname that asshole gave you. No wonder you hated the fucking roses! What is your real fucking name?” I could tell he was beyond pissed at me by the way he was scowling.

“It’s Elizabeth. Andi knows my real name, but I won’t let her call me that.”

He rubbed his hands through his hair and looked back up at me. “What do I call you?” His voice was shaky, and the look on his face was sad.

“I’m Pepper now. At this point, if you called me Elizabeth, I probably wouldn’t answer.” My body was feeling really numb, and the unusually angry look on Jordan’s face was turning me on. I reached up and touched his face. His features immediately softened. He leaned forward without hesitation and captured my lips with his.

It started out sweet, but we quickly couldn’t seem to get enough of each other. Pulling away from him, still panting, I made a request.

“Make love to me, Jordan.” I reached down and pulled off my tank top. Now he had a nice view of my taut stomach and my cleavage, which was spilling out of my lacy bra. He groaned as he drank in the sight. His hand gingerly stroked my skin, sending shivers down my spine.

“Not here,” he growled.

I yelped when he scooped me up in his arms and strode towards the bedrooms. I pointed to mine and he flew in there, kicking the door shut behind him. He gently set me on the edge of the bed. Reaching behind me, he unclasped my bra and pulled it away. My heavy breasts bounced out. He guided me down on the bed and leaned over me. As he sucked a nipple into his mouth, I moaned at the touch.

He paid attention to my breasts for several minutes, kissing, sucking, and nibbling until I was nearly crazy from desire. My pelvic area ached like it always did when he touched me. His kisses slowly made their way down my stomach, and I gasped when his tongue dipped into my belly button. His laugh rumbled through my belly, making me throb for him.

Sitting up, he slowly unbuttoned the top button of my jeans and unzipped them. His gaze was hungry with a look that made me feel so desired. He slid my jeans down over my bottom and down my legs. Grabbing my shoes, he yanked each one off and slipped the jeans the rest of the way off. He knelt down in front of me on the floor and dragged me by my hips so that my ass was at the edge of the bed. Spreading my legs, he brought his face between my thighs and I rested them on his shoulders. His breath tickled my core through the lace of my panties. Nervous butterflies danced in my belly. I had no idea what to expect from this, but I one hundred percent wanted to find out.

He leaned forward and placed a small kiss on my clit through my panties. The simple touch sent a jolt of electricity through my body and I bucked against him. His hands found the tops of my panties and slid them off of my body. I was completely nude, giving myself to this man.

When his tongue licked between my folds, I bit down on my lip to stifle a scream. It was a slow, deliberate lick, and it almost made me insane. Deciding to skip the slow route, he began furiously licking and sucking my most tender area. I gasped and wriggled as he made my body shiver deliciously. His large hands gripped my hips, holding me in place.

The burn of something wonderful tore from my pelvic area up throughout my body, causing me to shudder wildly.

“Oh my God! Jordan! What the fuck was that?” My body continued to pulse and shake as I rode out the most wonderful feeling I’d ever experienced.

“That, love, was an orgasm.”

Hmm. So Andi did know what she was talking about. The bitch really hadn’t been lying when she said that they were the most amazing things in the world. I’d laughed when she bought me a vibrator one year for Christmas and tossed it in the back of the closet. I’d be digging that thing out later. That’s for damn sure.

“Pepper, are you a virgin?” he asked softly as he stood up. His heated look was replaced with one of concern. I could feel my cheeks burning with embarrassment.

“That obvious, huh?”

“Yeah, kind of. Your first time is going to hurt, you know. Are you sure you’re ready?” he asked. His gentleness about the whole thing made my heart soar.

“Yes, I trust you. You won’t hurt me intentionally.”