Spencer yanked the glass out of his hands, rinsed it and placed it next to his own. “I didn’t say fall to her feet and start blubbering like a fool. But I know you, Jake. You’ll try to give her space. You’ll let her make the next move because you won’t want to pressure her.” He paused and added, “Don’t wait for her to make the next move.”
Jake stuck his hand in his pocket and drew out the scrap of paper with Roni’s number. “She’s already invited me to a cookout next weekend.”
“And you’re content to go all week without a little taste of her? You’ve got more restraint than me, bro.”
Not by a long shot. Jake couldn’t imagine going the next twenty-four hours without feeling Roni’s sweet curves nestled up close, much less a week. “I could go to her office after work tomorrow. Help her with her perv problem.”
Spencer stood up straighter, a gleam of pride in his gaze. “I knew you’d think of something.”
Jake shook his head and clutched the phone number in a tight fist. “You don’t know Roni. There’s something holding her back. I don’t think she does relationships.”
Spencer moved toward the garage door. “Then you’ll just have to change her mind, won’t you?”
“Yeah, because the alternative sucks.”
“Damn straight. Now, get your head out of your ass and help me fix Lisa’s car.”
He followed his brother through the door and cringed at the sight that greeted him. “I’ll be lucky to make it home by nightfall. How’d I let you talk me into this?”
Spencer picked up a socket, read the size and tossed it back down and continued riffling through his tools. “Think of it this way. When it’s fixed, we won’t have to worry about Lisa stranded in the middle of nowhere.”
“You need to get her out here,” Jake said as he glared at the car. “If she sees what a pain in the ass this heap is, she’ll change her mind about wanting to keep it.”
Spencer cursed. “Now you sound like Tara.”
Jake leaned against the fender and crossed his arms over his chest. “Tara’s right. You should listen to the woman more often.”
Spencer rounded on him. “You’re saying I’m too damn soft with Lisa, aren’t you?”
Jake let his silence speak for him. Lisa needed a firm hand. That was the bottom line.
“I hope like hell you and Roni get married. When you do I’m going to pray you have a little girl. Then you’ll see.”
Spencer’s head disappeared under the hood, forcing Jake to move to the front of the car if he wanted to be heard. “And what will I see exactly? Besides an indulgent father, that is.”
Spencer smiled as he looked over at him. “You’ll see that everything you ever thought you knew about life goes out the window when you hear your little girl call you daddy for the first time. It changes a man, Jake.”
Jake didn’t say anything else. The love on his brother’s face said it all.
9
It’d been a long day. Normally Roni enjoyed her work. Helping people slay their inner demons gave her a sense of pride. She had a purpose in life. By the time she could read and write she’d known she’d be a doctor. She liked helping people. Today, she’d had to struggle to stay focused. Her mind kept going back to Jake and the weekend they’d spent together. How could one man deliver so much pleasure? Her body still tingled in places she’d forgotten even existed.
The lovers she’d had over the years couldn’t hold a candle to Jake and that just pissed her off. The men at Kinks, the men who bowed to her commands and gave her their total surrender, were the sorts of men she craved. They cherished her special brand of loving. She could give them what they needed and vice versa. Like addicts, they ached for that forbidden sexual gratification that could be had only in a place like Kinks. The doctor hat came off when she walked through those doors. There she was mistress and her pets enjoyed catering to her. Strong, virile men who knelt and begged to be spanked. Proud, intelligent, wealthy businessmen, and hard, rough construction workers alike. Their profession didn’t matter, not at Kinks. They were all there to be teased, fondled and enjoyed. They used their tongues to clean her boots, while their hands worshiped her body. Their engorged cocks dripped with the need to be touched and stroked by their mistress.
A single evening in Jake’s arms and all the nights spent at Kinks seemed shallow and unsatisfying. He’d taken her to places she would’ve sworn she didn’t need, nor want, to go. She’d loved every second of it. After he’d left, she’d spent the rest of her Sunday wondering how one date could rock her world so completely. It’d been a humbling experience for a woman who thought she knew all about pleasures of the flesh.
The little bell on the front door jiggled, signaling she had company. Her last client had already gone though and she’d sent Melissa home for the day. Roni stood and started to go out to the waiting area when Lydia and Jeannette peeked their heads through the doorway.
“You done for the day?” Lydia asked as she crossed the room to stand at the side of her desk.
She was still in her work clothes, Roni noticed. Jeannette held up a large, steaming latte and grinned. “I brought your favorite, vanilla.”
Roni hummed in satisfaction and took the proffered drink with relish. She took a sip and moaned. Jeannette made the best lattes ever. “You’re a goddess, darling. Thank you.” Roni put the cup on the desk. “What’re you two up to?”
“Jeanette needs some encouragement.”
Roni sat back and crossed her arms over her chest. “Mr. Motorcycle Man I presume?”