Baseball and Other Lessons (Devil's Ranch Book 2) (6 page)

Somewhere along the way, though, Jenn had grown up and was no longer that gangly little girl he remembered teasing.

Finding an unexpected camaraderie, however, did not explain the pressure in his chest or the erection he’d been sporting for the past three hours. He kept reminding himself that this was Jenn—his little brother’s best friend and not a woman he particularly wanted to screw over. Screw, yes. Screw over? Nope.

Determined to ignore the urge to stay all night in this hotel room with her (preferably naked), Matt stood up and yawned. “I need to get back to my room. Curfew’s come and went already.”

He didn’t miss how her eyes traveled up and down the length of his body as he stretched, or how her gaze caught just below his waist and held a few beats longer than necessary before her cheeks turned pink and she glanced away.

He’d never expected leaving this room to be so damned hard.

She stood, too, and they awkwardly stared at each other. Where was this awkwardness coming from? He was never awkward with women.

Disgusted with himself, Matt stepped towards Jenn. “It was great seeing you. I had fun tonight.”

Jenn smiled. “I did, too. Shockingly.”

He laughed. Awkwardly. “Well, good night.”

“Good night, Matt.”

He didn’t move. She didn’t move. Why was this so weird and awkward? Any other woman he would hug her, or kiss her good night, or bend her over the bed.

He wanted to do all of that with Jenn, he just wasn’t sure if he should.

Jenn shook her head and sighed. “This is awkward. Why is this so awkward? We’ve known each other forever, so why the awkward all of a sudden?”

He was so glad he wasn’t the only one feeling all the awkward. Instead of saying that, though, he just shrugged and said, “I don’t know.”

He did know. She knew. They both knew the other knew, considering the tension was so thick you could cut it with a rusted butter knife.

And yet they stood there, staring at each other like they didn’t know where all the awkward was coming from or what they wanted to do about all the awkward.

Determined to shut off his brain and not think about what he was doing—or what this awkward thing was between them—he stepped forward and pulled her into a hug. Her body was warm and almost vibrating with all the…awkward…floating in the air between them and fuck it, he was going to kiss her because he couldn’t
not
kiss her.

He pressed his lips against hers and she froze.

He froze.

Like ice sculptures in the Arctic, they froze.

Well that’s really awkward
.

He pulled away slightly, his thoughts a muddled jumble in his head thanks to beer, the couple of miniature bottles of tequila he’d had earlier, and Jenn. She drew in a shaky breath and then nervously wet her lips with her tongue.

It was like the sun came out, melting away all the ice. Their gazes met and held, and then he was moving and she was moving, their mouths colliding almost violently. Without his usual finesse, he claimed her mouth with his own, a primal need pulsing through his body, demanding that he claim this woman
now
.

She moaned, her hands tugging and pulling his hair. Her body squirmed against his, and he backed her up two steps until her back hit the wall. She wrapped her legs around his waist—who knew Jenn was so flexible?—and he could feel her wet heat through their clothes.

He was harder than he could ever remember being in his life, and all that mattered was getting inside of her. Right. Fucking. Now.

Matt grabbed the hem of Jenn’s shirt and quickly pulled it off her body and over her head, threw it somewhere behind him. Her hands were under his shirt, frantically working it up his torso. He grabbed the back of it, drew it off and threw it in the general direction of hers.

She ground against him, and he ground right back. She gasped. He undid the front clasp of her bra with one hand, pushed the cups aside and captured a nipple with his mouth. Her breasts were tiny and perfect, her nipples light pink. He nipped at her breasts, the swell of each and the nipples, making Jenn cry out and moan in that slightly husky voice of hers.

“I have to have you. Now.”

She moaned in response and pressed her pelvis against his.

Matt reached down and unbuttoned her pants, slid the zipper down before pushing the denim to her ankles, taking her panties with them. She kicked them off and stood before him, naked and ready.

He’d never seen anything more beautiful in his life.

Her skin was flushed, her fair coloring and freckles like peaches and cream.

He had to taste.

He dropped to his knees, pushed her legs wide open and buried his face between her legs. Jenn automatically tilted her hips for a better angle, and he lifted one of her legs, bracing it on one of his shoulders before spearing her with his tongue. Her hips rolled as he tasted her, her movements and breathy moans picking up their pace.

He found her center with one finger, working her with it and his tongue. She clenched around him and her breath caught as her entire body tightened and then relaxed. He slowed his movements, lapping at her until the last of the tremors had passed through her body.

Matt looked up at Jenn. A secretive smile played with her lips, and she pulled him back up to his feet before kissing him. He knew she would be able to taste herself on his lips and tongue, and the thought had his dick twitching behind his zipper.

Speaking of…he quickly divested himself of his jeans, threw them off to the side and walked Jenn back to the bed. They tumbled onto the sheets together, laughing with the ease of two people who have known each other for forever and who suddenly no longer felt awkward with one another. He moved to hover over her, but before he could roll her underneath him, Jenn pushed up and managed to maneuver him onto his back.

Okay, so he hadn’t exactly fought her.

She flashed that secret smile again and kissed him. His hands gripped her hips, and she slid down until he was pressing up and in to her wet heat.

He gripped her hips harder, and held her in place. “Condom,” he gasped out.

He never forgot protection. Ever.

“I’m on the pill.”

“I’m clean.” He felt like that was something he needed to tell her, something she would find important.

She sent him another one of those secret smiles and said, “Good” before sliding all the way home.

And just liked that, he was wrecked.

#

Present Day, Del Rio, Texas

Jenn had to escape.

She’d thought she could do this—sit here on the Fourth of July at Chase’s house and hang out with Matt and Bo and Sarah. But she couldn’t.

It was just all so awkward.

“I’m gonna go grab a drink. Anyone need anything?”

Owen asked for another beer, so Jenn retreated inside to the less awkward environment of Chase’s kitchen.

Only to stumble upon Chase and Jo making out next to the island.

Awkward
.

Her two best friends jumped apart from each other, Jo blushing mightily, and Jenn smiled. She couldn’t help it—Jo and Chase were meant for each other.

“Well then,” she said, teasingly.

“Looks like we’ve been found out,” Chase said to Jo.

Jenn’s laugh filled the kitchen. “I knew it!”

“Knew what?” Jo asked.

“That y’all had hooked up last night! Headache my right pinky toe.” Yeah, she’d totally been right about those fireworks last night.

“Um…”

Jenn walked over and hugged them both. “I’m so happy for you guys.” And she really and truly was. If any two people in this world deserved happiness——especially happiness with each other—it was Jo and Chase.

“Thanks,” Jo mumbled.

Jenn pulled away, almost bouncing on her toes. “I love you guys, and I’m so glad y’all finally admitted you love each other.”

Jo looked anywhere but at Chase and Jenn. The floor. The ceiling. Chase’s dog Winchester’s dog crate. Chase cleared his throat, and Jenn could feel the awkwardness in the room. She was really getting tired of feeling so freaking awkward today. “Oh hell. I just stuck my big foot in my big mouth, didn’t I?”

Jo opened her mouth to respond, but before she could say whatever she’d been about to say Chase said, “It’s okay, Jenn. No harm, no foul.”

No harm, no foul? Judging by the look on Jo’s face, Jenn was so going to have to have a talk with Chase about appropriate responses when one’s caught making out with one’s……what exactly were Jo and Chase?

Jenn could feel herself blushing anyway. “Sorry, guys. Didn’t mean to embarrass you. So. Um. Yay. How ‘bout them Cowboys?”

How 'bout them Cowboys? Jesus, Jenn, could you be any weirder?

Jo laughed. “It’s okay. We’re just…um……yeah.”

Chase choked back a laugh and Jo elbowed him in the ribs. “Ow! What was that for?”

“For laughing at me. Isn’t this awkward for you, too?”

He shrugged. “Maybe. A little. But not really. I mean, we’re all adults here.”

Jo turned and faced him. “It doesn’t make you feel awkward that we got caught making out like a couple of high school kids, or that the person who caught us happens to be our mutual best friend who mistakenly assumed we’re in love with each other?”

Jenn could barely keep the grin off her face as she watched the two of them.

“Well, when you put it that way…” he paused, as if thinking about it. “No, not really. Why do you feel awkward?”

“Because, ah…” she stammered, “we…um……we don’t…ah…know what we’re doing here?”

Chase wiggled his eyebrows. “Oh, I think we know what we’re doing, Jo.”

“As fascinating as this is, I think we might be venturing into TMI territory here,” Jenn said, beginning to feel slightly uncomfortable. She really didn’t want to think about Chase naked. That would just be weird.

“Sorry, Jenn.” Chase grinned and didn’t look sorry at all.

Jenn’s blush had finally faded, at least. “No problem. Normally I would ask Jo for all of the down and dirty details anyway.”

Chase raised an eyebrow.

“But I don’t think I’ll ask her this time. It would be like asking my brother about his sex life. Eww.”

“Not that I would tell you anyway. Because, yeah. Awkward. And stuff.” Jo said.

The back door opened again, and Owen stepped through this time. “Nobody told me the party had moved in here.”

“We were just about to go outside,” Jo said.

“After they finished making out,” Jenn couldn’t resist adding.

Owen wiggled his eyebrows and raised his hand for a high five, which Chase did not return. “Too soon?”

Chase shook his head, Jo snorted, and Jenn grabbed a couple of beers from the fridge. At least things were going well for
someone
today.

#

Matt barely glanced up from his phone as the patio door opened and Jenn and Owen stepped outside.

Just because he barely glanced up, though, didn’t mean he wasn’t completely aware of her.

Dammit.

And then Chase was pulling Jo outside. She looked slightly panicked.

This could get interesting.

His parents stood up and greeted Jo like a long lost daughter. Granted, they’d always treated her like a daughter anyway, so their joy at seeing her really wasn’t a huge surprise.

They’ve always treated Jenn like a daughter, too.

One of the many reasons why he never wanted his parents to find out what had happened between him and Jenn all those years ago.

Both of his parents hugged Jo and murmured things he couldn’t hear to her. The faint sheen of tears glistened in her eyes, but she held it together. Something told him that wasn’t the first time she’d held her shit together.

Water softly splashed behind him. He darted a quick glance towards the pool and barely stifled a groan. Jenn in a bathing suit with all that glorious skin on display? Kill him now.

“Penny for your thoughts,” he heard Chase whisper to Jo.

“This is one hell of a view, Chase Roberts.”

“It is, isn’t it?”

Jesus, his brother was kind of corny.

“You two really need to get a room,” Matt muttered under his breath, never once looking up from his iPhone.

Chase kicked him in the leg, causing Matt to look up and glare before rolling his eyes and turning his attention back to his phone. He’d barely managed to get the words of Darrin’s text message into focus when Sarah reached out and took the phone from Matt’s hands.

“Mom!”

“Matthew Tyler Roberts, you’re putting this damned phone away right now and speaking to your friends and family rather than ignoring us.”

Matt schooled his features so that his expression was flat, but barely leashed tension that vibrated through his body.

From the pool, Jenn snickered and said, “Matthew Tyler Roberts, huh? Somebody’s in trouble.”