Hang Tough (22 page)

“You're thoughtful to offer, T, but I'll be fine. Kyle can help me once I get home.” She smiled at Jade. “Nice to meet you.”

“Same here.” Then Jade waved at Brianna. “
Adios.
”

She grinned ear to ear. “
Adios
.”

Tobin stole a kiss as soon as they'd walked away. “Let's get this done so we don't miss Miz G's conference call.”

Jade put her hand on his chest. “Back up. We got sidetracked.”

“From?”

“From you telling me how you know all the items on GG's week one grocery list.”

He lifted his cowboy hat and ran his hand over his hair. “Here's a little-known fact about me. I have a photographic memory.”

“For real?”

He nodded. “It's not something I talk about because people either think I'm lying or they act as if they have the right to test me. Like I'm some kind of lab monkey that should be happy to perform on demand.”

Jade stared at him.

“What?”

“I don't know if I've ever been so jealous of a person in my entire life. Do you know how handy that would've come in for me? When I had to
memorize a Shostakovich piece and twenty pages of a Kabalevsky concerto in the same week?”

Relief crossed his face. “It came in pretty handy for mapping genomes and DNA sequences. It still does for the genetics work I'm doin' on the side.”

She poked him in the sternum. “See? That's another thing I didn't know about you that Riss mentioned last night.”

“I'll make you a deal. I'll bore you with my genetics research for a short time if you'll play your violin for me.”

“You sure we'll even have time for that with this ‘sex-fest' plan of yours?” she teased.

“My research will make for great pillow talk after we've rocked the mattress because it'll definitely put you to sleep.” He ran his knuckles down her jawline. “Your musical selection will be foreplay because I'll want to jump you after you're finished.”

Jade smirked. She had a tango to play him that was pure sex on strings. “You have yourself a deal.”

Since Tobin refused to let her pay for any groceries, she informed him she'd stop at the drugstore and stock up on sex-fest supplies. And it was really cute when he blushed and wrote down the brand of condoms that fit him.

By the time she arrived at GG's house, he'd already hauled everything inside.

They were each lost in their own thoughts as they put away the groceries.

Jade's phone rang first at the appointed time. “Morning, GG.”

“Hang on, sweetheart, I've gotta loop Tobin into the conference call. Dadgummit. If I remember how to do this.”

“Tobin is right here. I'll put you on speaker.” Jade pointed at him.

“Mornin', Miz G.”

“Can you hear me now?”

Jade rolled her eyes.

“Yes, ma'am, I can hear you fine. Can you hear us?”

“Jade,” GG said. “Say something. Something nice,” she warned. “None of that bickering crap. I don't have time for it.”

Nervous, with no clue what to say, she broke out into the chorus of “Wannabe” by the Spice Girls.

“Stop!” GG said, way too loudly. “I get it. You can hear me.”

Tobin scrawled out
WAY TO BE DISCREET
in Sharpie across the newspaper that had been lying on the table.

Jade snatched it out of his hand and smacked him with it.

His grin promised retaliation.

“Okay, kiddos, listen up. Me'n Pearl are in Denver waiting to board a plane to take us to Fort Lauderdale.”

“What? Why?”

“She got one of them last-minute cruise deals. And we made a pact that if this one ever came up again, we'd drop everything and go.”

“Go where?” Jade demanded.

“The Panama Canal.”

“When did this come up?” Tobin asked.

“First part of the week. Pearl didn't know if there'd be cancellations until yesterday. She found out last night. Since neither one of you two were home, I just packed my stuff and we left at five a.m.”

“GG, are you sure this is safe? And it's not a scam?”

“Oh pooh, girlie. I've been around the block a time or two. This is a once-in-a-lifetime trip for two old-timers like me'n Pearl. Might be our only chance to do it.”

“How long will you be gone?”

“Three weeks. We're both too cheap to spring for international phone service, so we'll be out of touch until we're back in Los Angeles.”
She cleared her throat. “But my trip don't change nothin' for either of you, you hear me? Tobin, I don't trust that son of mine not to see this as a golden opportunity to get me packed up and moved out, so I still need you there, keeping an eye on Jade so she's not pulling any funny business while I'm gone.”

Jade's gaze connected with Tobin's when he said, “Trust me, Miz G, I will keep a very close eye on your granddaughter.”

“Thank you, sonny. Now, Jade doll, you still there?”

“I don't know, GG. Maybe I'm up to my elbows in all sorts of funny business.”

“Now, sweetheart, don't be like that. I know you're only following your daddy's orders. That's why you cannot let on that I'm on vacation, okay? You just keep on keepin' on like I was there. And with all the stuff in my garden getting ripe, well, I'll need you to put up some beans, pickles and okra. Peppers too. Maybe some pear chutney.”

She froze. “Put up? What do you mean? Like bag them up?”

“No. I mean pick 'em, clean 'em, and can 'em.”

“What? I don't know how to do any of that stuff!”

A pause. “You don't?”

“No!”

“Well then, it's past time that you learned, doncha think?”

Jade's jaw dropped.

Tobin laughed.

“I put the rest of the Mud Lilies on notice that they're to come over and check on you once a day to make sure you haven't killed each other. Blood is damn hard to get off the walls. You gotta paint over it to get rid of it.”

Don't ask how she knows that, just let it go.

“Miz G, Jade and I are reasonable, responsible adults. We don't need your retired friends to babysit us. In fact . . .” Tobin sauntered forward and stopped right in front of her. He hooked his index finger beneath her
chin and swept his thumb across her bottom lip. “It'd be best if they steered clear and let us hash this out in our own way.”

Oh, that dangerous, sexy look in his eyes set her panties on fire.

“Shoot, we're starting the boarding process, so I gotta go. Be good the next three weeks. Both of you.”

Click.
She ended the call.

“Not a chance,” he rasped as he took the phone from Jade and chucked it on the counter.

“Not a chance . . . what?”

“Not a chance in hell that I'm gonna be good. I plan on bein' very, very bad. Starting right now.” Tobin put his mouth on her ear. “Take off your jeans and brace yourself against the counter.”

Her head fell back and she whimpered when he started nibbling on her neck. Her nipples, her belly, her thighs had already gone hot and tight with anticipation.

Tobin freed her hair and smoothed his hands over her head. “Jade. Darlin'. Jeans off. Now.”

“I can't think straight when you talk to me like that.”

“I'll get you started.” He popped the button on her jeans. Somehow those thick fingers got a hold of the zipper tab and pulled it down. Then he slid his hand down her abdomen, his fingers slipping beneath the denim and lace underwear, over her mound.

She gasped when his middle finger pressed against her clit.

“Fuck. You're already wet.”

“I've been wet since the grocery store.”

He groaned. “Don't tell me that.”

She turned her head and let her tongue taste the skin below his strong jawline. “You'd rather I . . . ?”

“Take your goddamned pants off so I can put my mouth on this pussy and test your wetness myself.”

Her sex clenched and of course he felt it.

“You like that.”

Blushing, she angled forward trying to dislodge his hand as she worked her jeans down her legs.

He backed off only when she needed to kick her jeans aside. Then he dropped to his knees.

Jade's belly rippled as she looked down at Tobin's head. His hair seemed to be ten different colors of brown with russet, blond and burnished gold highlights that made it difficult to classify. When his mouth touched her belly button, her stomach rippled again.

“I never would've pegged you as a lace thong type.” His rough-tipped fingers traced the band running from her hip bones to her lower back. “I figured you'd be either funky bikini bottoms or those sexy boy shorts.”

“Disappointed?”

“Nope.” Tobin wound the lacy band around and around his finger until it got uncomfortably tight on the right side of her hip and started to pull up between her legs. He tipped his head back and locked his gaze to hers. He said, “Are you?” and jerked hard so all she heard was
riiiiiip
, and then her thong dangled from his fingers.

“God, Tobin. Are you trying to see if you can make me come without you even putting your mouth on me?”

“You liked that too,” he murmured. “Take off your shirt so nothing blocks my view when I'm watching you come.”

Her shirt hit the floor.

Those big, callused hands skated up the outsides of her thighs. “Spread your legs and hold on to the counter.” As soon as he had her in the position he liked, he opened her sex up with his thumbs, exposing the sensitive inner tissues to his gaze, his soft, short exhalations and his tongue.

Oh. That tongue.

Just the very tip circled her clit, then he flattened it as he slid it down the contour of her mound until his searching mouth found the source of wetness and he started to lick her. Lap at her. Making greedy, hungry,
growling noises. Then he stopped and she could see his shoulders heaving. He turned his head and planted a soft smooch on the inside of her left thigh with warm, sticky lips.

Jade's fingers tightened around the edge of the counter as she watched him, her heart thudding in her throat and chest. Her pulse throbbed differently between her legs, almost in anticipation for the next touch of his tongue or whisper of his breath.

“Jade, baby, I can't.”

She swallowed hard. “You can't what? Go down on me?”

Tobin's head snapped back and he looked at her. “What? Wait. You think I don't want to . . . ?” His groan vibrated everywhere and she trembled. “I was gonna try and take this slow, but fuck, woman. This pussy tastes like fucking candy. I just want to lick you, suck on you and bite you until you give me more of that sweetness as you're bucking against my mouth.”

Reaching down, she gently pushed his hand away. Then she grabbed a fistful of his hair and used it to pull his head back. “Time for plan B. Follow me.”

Jade heard him groan behind her and she put an extra swing in her hips as she pushed through the swinging doors and entered the living room. She sat in the middle of the couch next to the bag containing the condoms and lube.

As soon as Tobin cleared the door, she scooted to the edge of the cushion, with her feet on the edge and her knees spread wide. She threw her arm above her head and said dramatically, “Have your wicked way with me, however you like. Somehow I shall endure your thorough tongue-lashing.”

Then Tobin was on his knees in front of her. He trailed his fingers across her pussy from her clit to her opening and back up. “Jesus. You're pretty here too.”

Feeling . . . ornery and like they'd lost some momentum, Jade held three fingers up in front of Tobin's face.

“What's that?”

“The number of orgasms I need for you to gain admission to this ride.”

His eyes gleamed. “You throwing out a challenge, tiger?”

She reached out and traced his lips. “Only because I know I'll be sore after you bend me over the couch and fuck me. So make me sore with this clever mouth first, slick.”

“That's the first time I've ever heard you swear.”

“‘Fuck' is not a swear word in this context. It's an action word, and it's really the only one that adequately describes what you're going to do to me, isn't it?”

“Stop talkin' and start moaning.”

Tobin hadn't been kidding that he couldn't go slowly.

Her first orgasm came in under two minutes. He dragged his mouth up and down her slit a few times, then he settled his flicking tongue and suctioning lips directly over her clit until she came unhinged, her body giving up a gush of wetness.

Tobin's mouth was sliding everywhere as he built her up for orgasm number two. Licking, sucking, a tease here and there, but mostly he feasted on her relentlessly. Right at the moment when her legs began to shake and all the blood seemed to flow hot and fast to her pussy, and that burst of tingles radiated out from behind her tailbone, he shoved two fingers into her opening.