Looks like Trouble to Me (Bad Boys Need Love, Too #1) Read online

“How am I not listening to you? You keep laying out problems, I keep offering solutions.”

  Marni made a snuffling whimper.

  He patted her back until she sighed and settled back into dreams. “Hold on, I want to move Marni into her crib.” He slowly sat up, soothing the toddler. Moved quietly from the bed to lay her in the crib in the far corner, covering her with a blanket. “Shhh, baby girl,” he said, rubbing her warm back.

  When he settled on the mattress, he said, “I’m back. So. When are you moving in with me?”

  “Will you stop pushing me, Jace?” She sounded exasperated.

  He smiled. “You want it, too, admit it.”

  “I didn’t say I didn’t want it, only that I have things over here.”

  “Are they more important than me?” He ran his hand over his belly.

  “No! I didn’t say that!”

  “Then move in with me.”

  “What if it doesn’t work and I let go of my house and my job and my friends and then I’m left high and dry in Port Townsend? I didn’t even know Port Townsend existed until I met Billy.”

  “You Seattleites are so isolated. And I guarantee you won’t be left high and dry. Not with your juicy pussy.”

  “Damn, you, Jace!”

  He pushed his hand beneath his waistband, finding his cock, stirring to life. “Guess what I’ve got in my hand?”

  “A baby bottle, I don’t know.”

  “Mmm,” he said, stroking himself. “It misses you.”

  “‘It does or you do?”

  “We both do. We come as a set.”

  “Jesus, Jace, I’m trying to have a serious conversation with you and you’re getting into my head and scrambling my brain cells. I can’t think straight!”

  He chuckled. “I’m really hard now, baby. And you’re too far away from me. You’re not doing your man any favors.”

  She groaned in his ear. “Jace,” she said, this time with a pleading tone. “Please.”

  “You’re moving in with me, baby, face it.”

  “What if your toddler doesn’t like me?”

  “She’s not my toddler, she’s my sister’s. She’ll love you until she goes back with my sister.”

  “What about my school?”

  “What about it? Do you have classes every day?”

  “No.”

  “Then, what’s the problem?”

  “You make it sound so easy.”

  “It is easy, baby. You see a problem, you fix it. You act on it. It’s what people do.”

  “It’s what you do, maybe. I deliberate, ponder, and stall.”

  “That’s what you did until you met me. You were dying for something different.”

  Zoé said nothing.

  “I’m so hard,” he said, pumping his hand up and down. “I can jack off but it will only make me want you more. I’ll probably get close…really, really close.” He began to pant. “So close, baby.”

  “Jace.”

  “So goddamned close.” His hand worked feverishly.

  “Jace, please, I’m dying over here.”

  “Shhh, baby, shhh, I’m close. Hold on. Hold up.” He grabbed his balls and yanked them away from his body, groaning.

  “Are you coming?”

  “No. Not coming,” he said, squeezing the words through clenched teeth, breathing hard. “It only makes me want you more. When I get this close I squeeze my balls and stop the orgasm.”

  “Good lord, sounds like torture. Why would you do that?”

  “So I can save my pleasure for you.”

  “Still. It sounds painful.”

  “And you don’t want that, do you? You’d rather be here to take care of me when I want you. Which happens to be all the time.” A sigh met his ears. He grinned widely.

  “I want you, too.”

  “So when are you moving in?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “This weekend.”

  “I still have to work.”

  “Give them notice. I swear I’ll get you another job. Or, better yet, I’ll support you.”

  “Really? You’d do that for me?”

  “Hell, yes. What’s another mouth to feed? You’ll kick in when you finish school.”

  She sighed. “Okay. I surrender.”

  “Okay?”

  “Yes, Jace. But I’m not getting rid of my house.”

  “Don’t waste your money. Give notice.”

  “Jace….”

  “Baby, I know you want to be with me as much as I want to be with you. Stop playing it safe. You’re not getting away from me.”

  “But shouldn’t we take things slow? Ease into things?”

  “Have we been easing so far?”

  “No.”

  “Exactly. I don’t ease. I live. You will, too. Starting this weekend.”

  “What if my stuff doesn’t fit in your house?”

  “I don’t have that much stuff and I’ve got a big house. It was a short sale so I got a big house at a great price.” He shook his head. “Stop putting on the brakes, baby. You’re moving in this weekend. All your girly shit gets to live with me. You get to live with me.”

  “Did you live with Kate?”

  “No.”

  “Really?”

  “Swear to God. Let’s leave Kate out of this. I told you, I’m done talking about her, thinking about her, processing her. I’m consumed with thoughts of you.”

  “Still, it seems kind of…”

  “Baby, if you were here, I’d put my cock in your mouth to shut you up. Jesus, woman, give it a rest. We’re done talking. We’ve made our decision.”

  “You’ve made our decision.”

  “Zoé, goddamn it, you want it too.”

  “But…”

  “No, Zoé. No more buts.” He gave his cock a few strokes. “I’m going to torture myself, all night, getting right to the edge of an orgasm and then hold it back.”

  “I’m going to use my vibrator and come freely,” she purred in his ear.

  “Not without me, you’re not.”

  “Jace,” she said, letting out an exasperated sigh. “You don’t own me. If I want to make myself come, I will. You’re not here.”

  “But soon you’ll be here.”

  “Yes.”

  “So save it up for me.”

  “Fine. Honestly, Jace, you’re impossible. Do you always get what you want?”

  “This time I do, yes.”

  “Okay. I’ll save it for you.”

  “I’ll make sure it’s worth the wait.”

  “So far, so good.” She let out a small laugh.

  He smiled. “You’re going to love living with me.”

  “What about you, stud? Are you going to love living with me?”

  “Abso-frigging-lutely. I told you. I’m in fucking love with you. I’ll never let you go or make you want for anything.”

  “Promise?”

  “Guaranteed. Now go to sleep so it will be one day closer to when I get you in my arms forever.”

  Chapter 26

  “Hi, Jace!”

  Jace looked up from the engine room of Billy’s yacht, aptly named Dangerous Intruder, to see Lila peering at him from above. Sweat dripped from his forehead and trickled down his neck from the close quarters. He wiped his face with his forearm. “Hey, girl. What’s doing?”

  “Nothing. I just got out of school and thought I’d stop by and say hi. Need any help?”

  “Know anything about flushing coolant from a Cummins engine?”

  “No,” Lila said, scoffing.

  “Then, no to working in the engine room,” Jace said with a wink. “Not sure you should be in here anyway,” he said, glancing around at all of Billy’s photos of naked women on the walls, glad she hadn’t descended the ladder. At least they’re tasteful. No pussy shots.

  “It’s okay. I’ve seen photos like that. My dad gets Playboy magazine,” Lila said, looking oh, so cool.

  Jace’s eyebrows arched and he smirked. “Still. I, for one
, don’t want to be a bad influence on you. Let’s step upstairs and I’ll see if I can find you something to do.” He wiped his hands on the soft blue cotton towel he kept tucked into his waistband of his coveralls and made his way to the ladder.

  “Whose boat is this?” Lila asked as she stepped into the luxurious salon.

  “Billy Fucktard O’Reilly’s.”

  “Ew. Can I rip holes in the upholstery?”

  “I wish. I’d take a blow torch to it if I could. Don’t think your dad would be too thrilled.”

  “Probably not,” Lila said. “He’s too worried about money these days.”

  Jace gave her a sideways glance. It couldn’t be good if Lila heard her dad talking about money. “You any good polishing Rift Oak?”

  “No-one better,” she said.

  “Ha ha,” Jace said. “Do you even know what Rift Oak is?”

  “Puh-lease,” Lila said, rolling her eyes. “Even our old boat has a Rift Oak interior. This is rift sawn Red Oak,” she said, running her fingers along the glistening wood.

  “Okay, hot shot, I see you know your stuff. And, your boat’s a classic beauty. Well, then. Take this cloth, grab that tin of wax on the counter and get busy. You can start in here, in the main salon, work your way into the bedrooms. You’ll be a big help to me. I want to be done with this boat.”

  Lila grabbed the buttery soft chamois cloth, pried open the container, swiped some on the cloth and started polishing. “So do I get to do the ladies’ work of cleaning while you do the manly work of engine room maintenance?”

  “Sounds like a solid plan to me,” Jace said.

  “Come on, Jace, let’s work together so we can talk.”

  “What do you want to talk about?” he said, leaning against the expensive, solid-surface countertop of the galley.

  “There’s this guy I like,” Lila said, her face lighting up.

  “A guy, huh? And you want my advice, why? Guys only want one thing.” He found himself feeling protective, like he would break this stranger’s fingers if he laid a hand on his young friend.

  “No, no,” Lila said, blushing. “Mike’s not like that.”

  “I guarantee you. Mike’s like that,” Jace said, grabbing a towel and buffing the surface Lila applied wax to. “He’s a guy. You missed a spot,” he said, pointing to the cupboard. “How old did you say you are?”

  “I’m almost sixteen.”

  “And what do you want to do with Mike? Did he ask you out on a date?”

  “He asked me to the movies with a bunch of older kids.”

  “How much older?”

  “They’re all eighteen.”

  Jace cringed inwardly. At her age, the difference between being fifteen and eighteen was enormous. “I say wait until you turn sixteen. Or, better yet, join a convent.”

  “Jace!” Lila said, making a dramatic exasperation of a fifteen-year-old. “That’s what my dad says.”

  “Listen to your dad, girl. He’s the boss.” He paused in his buffing. “Tell you what. I’ll start in the bedroom and work my way out here. We’ll meet in the middle.”

  “You’re just trying to avoid giving me advice,” Lila pouted.

  “Bingo,” Jace said.

  He took the few steps down to the main cabin, and entered the space where he’d bedded many a babe. Not one of them comes close to Zoé, he thought. He got to work polishing and buffing until Lila tromped down the steps.

  “Is this where the action happens?” she asked.

  Jace raised an eyebrow and looked at her. “I plead the fifth. Don’t know about no action,” he said jokingly.

  “Puh-lease. Billy’s parties are legendary. Some of my friends even tried to get an invite once.”

  The hair on the back of Jace’s neck prickled. “If you even think of coming on board one of Billy’s party rides, I’ll personally tan your hide, Lila. The guy’s dangerous.”

  “Don’t worry. Not interested. I told you, he gives me the creeps.”

  “Good.”

  Lila sauntered into the room and opened the small closet. “What’s this?” She reached in and dragged out a suitcase.

  Jace’s eyes grew wide. It was the one Billy wheeled out of the abandoned cruise warehouse. “Looks like a suitcase to me.”

  “Feels full. Let’s open it.”

  “No, Lila,” Jace said, too late, as she threw it on the bed and unzipped it.

  “Whoa,” she said, her face growing flushed.

  He grabbed the lid and slammed it shut, trapping the contents inside.

  “Wait, let me see. What is that stuff?”

  “It’s nothing you need to concern yourself with, that’s what.”

  “It looked like…like…something I saw in my mom’s bedroom drawer,” Lila said, her face growing redder by the minute.

  “It could be.” Jace took her shoulders, turned her around and marched her out of the room. “Back upstairs, please.”

  “Lila? Jace? Is Lila up there with you?”

  Jace breathed a sigh of relief hearing Lila’s mom calling. He followed Lila to the deck and called, “Yep, she’s up here, Lillian. On her way down.”

  “Spoilsport,” Lila muttered, tramping off the boat.

  After she’d left, Jace wandered back into the master cabin. He unzipped the suitcase and inspected the contents. Lube, lacy lingerie, butt plugs, harnesses, dildos….Billy had a generous variety of toys. “Why would he need to get these from an old warehouse?” Jace muttered. Stuck between the rubber and latex were two Glocks and a case of cartridges. He pulled one out and stared at it. “What the fuck is he up to?” He ran his fingers along the inside of the suitcase, patting down the sides, the bottom, everywhere Billy might see fit to hide drugs. His hands landed on a big, fat envelope, tucked inside a silken robe. The envelope was jammed with one hundred dollar bills. He found a small, discrete zipper and tugged it. The bottom of the bag was lined with powder filled baggies. Jace whistled through his teeth.

  “I’d put that away if I were you.”

  Jace jerked at the male intrusion. He whirled around. “How’d you get onboard without me hearing you?”

  “Quietly. I wanted to check on how you’re coming. I figured you’re up to something. That’s private property, Savage,” Billy said. “Put it away. Or, would you like to join in on the fun? We depart in a week or so. Whenever you get my yacht ready for pleasure.”

  “I thought you were waiting until you lost your trial.”

  “I changed my mind. And, I guarantee it will be you heading for jail, not me. Sure you don’t want to join me for one last bit of fun?”

  Jace’s gut roiled with rage. “Not happening. I’ve got something money can’t buy.”

  “What? Leftovers?” Billy sneered. “You can get those out of the dumpster. It’s called dumpster diving last I checked.”

  Jace’s eyes narrowed. He wanted to beat the living daylights out of Billy O’Reilly. He took a couple calming breaths, stepping toward Billy to head out of the master suite and get back to work.

  “Your fingerprints are all over that suitcase now, Savage,” Billy said coolly when Jace approached him to move around him.

  Shit. “Yeah, so? Lila pulled it out of the closet. Hers are on there, too.”

  “That just means you’ve got a teenage accomplice. I could also spin it to say you had sex with a minor.”

  Fucking hell. “What the fuck do you want, Billy? I’d like to finish in here, so I can be done with your fucking yacht.”

  Billy grinned at him. “Oh, you’re just about finished all right. I’ve got new evidence to finish you off. Looks like a lengthy prison sentence. Must be my lucky day.”

  Fuck, fuck, fuck! Jace’s teeth ground together. “We’ll see about that.”

  “Deposition’s next week. Gives me time to fill them in on this new evidence. Oh, this is going to be easier than I thought. I may have to ask for more money. You might be contributing to my next yacht. I might hire you to take care of it. You’re so good at wh
at you do - administering to my needs. But wait a minute - you’ll be in jail. No-one will acquit you his time.”

  Jace’s face grew red with fury. He knew his hands were tied by the goddamned lawsuit. “Move out of the way so I can get to the engine room and get back to work.”

  “Make me. I’ll call it assault and add it to the growing list of charges.” His cold blue eyes regarded Jace.

  Jace grabbed Billy’s biceps and squeezed tight. “Listen to me, asshole. You do not want to mess with me. I’m through with you and your bullshit. You wrecked my life before, you destroyed Jayna’s, you fucked with Zoé, you’re not going to get away with that again if it’s the last thing I do.”

  Fear flickered across Billy’s face for one brief second before replaced with an icy calm. “How’s my child? I heard you’re taking care of her?”

  Jace released Billy’s arm and got in his face, close enough to smell Billy’s bad breath. “Marni’s not your child and never will be, you fucking slime bag. Your one good seed landed. If you come near her, lay one cold finger on her, I will kill you.”

  “So now you’re threatening me,” Billy stated flatly. Beads of sweat broke out on his forehead. “I’m so scared. You’re just digging yourself in deeper, Savage.”

  “You’re the one who’s digging your grave, O’Reilly. Now move out of the way and let me do my job.”

  “Make me,” Billy taunted.

  Jace shoved him out of the way, and stomped into the salon. From there, he made his way off the boat and onto the gravel below. Furious, shaking with rage, he dialed Zoé’s number.

  “Hey,” she said, on the third ring.

  “Hey,” he said, his lungs heaving.

  “What’s the matter?” Her voice rose with concern.

  “Billy O’Reilly’s the matter. I told you I have to work on his boat to get it ready for some pleasure excursion he’s got cooked up. I…it’s a long story. Suffice it to say, I may have screwed myself just now.”

  “Oh, no, Jace, what did you do?”

  He gritted his teeth. How would it sound if he told her Billy was going to try to pin having sex with a minor on him? And here she’d agreed to move in with him this weekend. “I…I can’t talk about it just yet. You’ll…”

  “Jace! Come on. Don’t do this to me. I thought we resolved this.”

  “Old habits die hard, baby. Give me a chance.”