Forever a Jett Girl (Bourbon #3)

  We were almost to my room when there was a slam of a door and stomping feet coming in our direction. I looked up from Jett’s face and saw Kace storming toward us. He stopped in his tracks when he saw half-naked Jett and me in a robe in the same hallway as him.

  “Get out of my way,” he stated gruffly.

  Jett obliged for some reason, probably because he wanted to get me back in bed, but I wasn’t about to let Kace storm off; I was too damn nosy.

  “Wait,” I called, as I struggled to get out of Jett’s grasp. “What’s going on?”

  I was now rotating my body, so Jett was forced to hold me by my stomach rather than my back. I took the moment to prop my chin in my hands and kick my legs up.

  “Trouble in paradise?” I teased, knowing full well Lyla was giving the man a run for his money.

  “Drop it,” Kace said sharply.

  “Oh come on, Kace. Sharing is caring.”

  Kace turned around, looked up at Jett, and said, “Take care of your woman and get her off my back.”

  “Hey!” I shouted, completely offended, as Kace walked away and Jett walked toward my bedroom. “I don’t need taking care of; I can handle my own! Come back here; I dare ya!”

  “Easy, killer,” Jett said, as he closed the door to my bedroom and walked me over to the bed that held so many memories for me. “Let him do his thing.”

  “He’s handling Lyla all wrong.”

  “That’s his business, not yours.” I was about to fire back a response when he stopped me with his fingers to his lips. When he was satisfied with me not opening my mouth, he went to work on my robe again, and said, “Tonight is about you and me, no one else. Do not bring him into this bedroom with us. Got it?”

  His tone was serious, but loving. How could I not listen to him?

  “You’re not into threesomes? You two would be hot together,” I joked, garnering a look from him. “Guess not,” I gulped.

  Once my robe was removed, he slipped us both under the covers of the bed, and we allowed the comfort of the mattress to swallow us whole. Maybe Jett was right; the mattress Diego gave me was piss, but it was nothing compared to the mattress over at Rex’s place.

  The thought of Rex made me sad, but I didn’t dwell on it because, not only did Jett not want us talking about other people, but he would flip shit if he knew I was thinking about Rex. Not a smart move on my part.

  “What are you thinking about?” Jett asked, as if he could read my mind.

  Racking my brain for something, I shouted the first thing that came to mind, “Leprechauns!”

  Leprechauns? Seriously?

  “That’s slightly random,” Jett stated, while chuckling.

  “Yeah, you could say that, but my train of thought would tell you otherwise.”

  “Oh, yeah? What was your train of thought?”

  Shit…

  “I don’t want to bore you with such trivial things.”

  “Enlighten me,” he said, while pulling me in close to his body, making sure our skins touched.

  Fuck…

  “Well, I was just thinking about mattresses and how sometimes they’re hard and sometimes they’re soft, and then I thought about how manufacturers made the mattresses so soft. I mean, were they quilted by bears, like that toilet paper? Maybe there was a different animal in charge of mattresses. You know, bears have toilet paper covered, geese monopolize the pillow district, and then maybe kangaroos are in charge of mattresses. But then a kangaroo being in charge of a mattress made no sense at all, I mean, how fucking silly is that?”

  Jett looked at me confused and said, “Silly.”

  “I know, right?” I stated, getting more into my story. “Like, uh, hello Mr. Kangaroo, if you were in charge of anything, it would be pockets, am I right?” I asked, while nudging Jett’s side. “So then that left me wondering who is really in charge of the mattresses. Well, mattresses are soft and cloud-like and then, bam, I thought unicorn.”

  “Naturally,” Jett laughed.

  “But what does a unicorn have?”

  “Too much glitter?” Jett asked.

  “No! Well, I mean, yes, they fart glitter, but no, they have horns,” I said, while forming one with my hand and connecting it to my forehead. “Horns can poke right through mattresses, so that wouldn’t be safe, so they would have to hire someone to make the mattresses, since hooves and horns can’t quite sew pockets of floating ecstasy. And who are unicorns friends with?”

  “The Easter Bunny?” Jett teased.

  “No!” I said. “They are friends with Leprechauns!”

  “I see,” Jett nodded, taking in my ramble. “I don’t think I will ever ask you about another train of thought again. I don’t think my brain can wrap around it.”

  “Takes a special kind of mind,” I stated, while patting his face.

  “Apparently.” He took a deep breath and then said, “Goldie, I need to talk to you about something.”

  Yeah, I didn’t like the tone of his voice. Whenever he became serious Jett, not dominant Jett, but serious Jett, he was always about to tell me some bad information. Right now, I could only imagine what it would be, most likely how he wants to be with me, but can’t, the same old routine that we’ve been going through since I showed up at the Lafayette Club.

  “Why do I feel like I’m not going to like what you’re about to tell me?”

  “Because you probably won’t…”

  “No,” I said while sitting up. “I refuse to listen to you turn me down once again. What is it this time? Not man enough to handle me? You have another business deal in the works, and I’m not good enough to go to your parties with you? Are you starting another club and need to spend time with those ‘Jett girls?’ God, I’m such a fucking idiot. Why do I keep coming back to you? Thinking things are going to change? Well, fuck this shit,” I said, while scrambling to get out of bed.

  “Goldie, stop,” Jett stated in a commanding voice. “This has nothing to do with our relationship. But it’s comforting to see what kind of faith you have in us.”

  “Do you blame me?” I asked, feeling like an ass. I got back under the covers, but kept my distance, something Jett let me know was not acceptable by pulling me in closer to him.

  “I don’t,” he answered honestly, “and I get that it’s going to take time to earn your trust back, but please give me a chance to talk to you before you go running off. Promise me that?” he asked, while rubbing my cheek with his thumb, a loving gesture that calmed my heart.

  “Promise.”

  “Good,” he kissed my forehead softly and pulled away. Looking me in the eyes he said, “I need to tell you that I’ve shut down the Toulouse Room.”

  “What do you mean?” I asked, confused as to what he was trying to tell me.

  “The Lafayette Club will no longer be offering presentations.”

  “Why?” I asked, lifting off the bed. “What about the girls? What about me?”

  I needed to pace, I needed to think about the ramifications of what Jett was telling me. I wanted to do my own thing, but knowing I still had the Lafayette Club was a good back up plan to have until I solved my future plans.

  Once again, Jett grabbed ahold of me and lowered me back down to the bed.

  “It’s time to offer something new to the girls. I’ve decided to close the doors of the Toulouse Room and open up new ones,” Jett stated soothingly.

  “Where?” I asked, trying to let his warm hands that were rubbing my back relax me.

  “Lot 17. I will be offering up a community center where the girls will now work, as well as Kace. We will be offering free classes to the community and the girls will help teach them. They will be able to apply the education they’ve been earning during their years with me to help those in need, those who also need a second chance. I’ve also made connections with local businesses, which will be providing educational classes as well, to help those get back on their feet. Kace will be offering classes in self-defense, boxing, and general exercise. There
will be housing in the back for those who might need a place to sleep at night, and a soup kitchen as well.”

  Oh, fuck…my heart was a puddle in my chest for the man right in front of me.

  “After Katrina hit, this whole city was rolled over. A lot of people, including yourself, lost everything they ever had, and they lost hope. I want to help bring back that hope, to help those who might have lost everything land back on their feet. My mission is to make Lot 17 into a place of refuge, a place of rebuilding, and a place of challenge, but I can’t do it without you, Goldie. I need your help. I need your bright, shining personality to help encourage people to turn their lives around, to find a new hope to strive for.”

  Shaking my head, I asked, “How can I help them?”

  “Art therapy,” Jett said, smiling sweetly at me.

  No, this was not how it was supposed to happen. I’m supposed to figure out my own life, not let Jett figure it out for me.

  “No,” I shook my head. “You can’t just come swooping in here with your amazing ideas and figure everything out. I need to figure out my own life; I can’t rely on you anymore.”

  Perplexed, Jett studied me for a second and then said, “Little One, it’s my job to protect you, to provide for you, to make you happy. I wouldn’t be doing my job as your dominant, as your boyfriend, if I wasn’t doing those things. Let me love you and care for you; it’s what I strive for…what I need to do. It’s a part of me.”

  Damn it…damn it!!

  “Think about it,” Jett kissed my forehead. “I’ll understand if you say no, but please, just consider it.”

  How could I not when he asked me so sweetly? When he looked at me with those deep blue eyes, begging me to let him take care of me?

  “Thank you,” I whispered, curling into the man who controlled my heart. “Thank you for wanting to take care of me. I haven’t felt this safe in a very long time.”

  “I would do anything for you, Little One. I hope you know that.”

  “I do, without a doubt in my mind, Jett.”

  We sat in silence and just held each other. Jett ran his hands through my hair, as I brushed my fingers along his chest, memorizing every sculpted line.

  Life was changing quickly. What I once thought was normal, what I relied on, was now turning into something completely different. The Lafayette Club was shutting down…it was still hard to believe.

  “How did the girls take the news?” I asked, worried about their futures.

  “They took it well and have been working together to try to figure out what classes they want to offer. Babs will be in and out, now that she is about to start her own make-up line, but she is still very much dedicated to the effort. Francy and Tootse would like to head up a day care, so parents can drop their kids off to gain a better education. Pepper will be offering dance classes to keep our youth active and cultured. They all have a place at the center.”

  “What about Lyla?” I asked, worried about my best friend.

  Jett quirked his lips and shook his head. “She’s not so quick to jump on board. I have a meeting with her and Kace tomorrow to go over some things. I don’t know why she is so stubborn when it comes to changing her life.”

  “You can’t fix everyone,” I told Jett. “Some people just don’t want to change.”

  “But her life could be so much better.”

  “Maybe she’s happy with the way things are going in her life. Believe me, I’ve tried; you can’t force her to do anything. She’s more stubborn than me.”

  “That’s hard to believe,” Jett said with laughter in his voice.

  “Watch it,” I warned, as my fingers hovered over his nipple.

  “Don’t you fucking dare.”

  “I’m not afraid,” I said with a smile.

  “You should be.”

  With that, Jett was on top of me, straddling my body and taking off his briefs.

  Insatiable man.

  31

  “Steal My Girl”

  Goldie

  “When will you be back?” Jett asked, as he stood in the doorway of my bedroom, freshly showered and wearing a pair of black pants and a white button-up shirt that was unbuttoned on the top. His sleeves were rolled up, showing off his forearms…tease. He was handsome, couldn’t argue that.

  “Why do you care?” I teased, as I finished tying my shoe.

  “I don’t like you going out on the streets by yourself.”

  I walked up to him and grabbed ahold of his hands. “Do you fail to realize I’m a grown woman and can handle myself? Oh, and there is no more threat. Time to let go, Jett.”

  “I still don’t like it,” he complained, acting slightly like a child, a side of Jett Colby I hadn’t seen.

  “Well, deal with it,” I smiled and patted his cheek.

  His hand caught my wrist and pulled me flush against his chest, making my pulse pick up a notch.

  “Careful, Little One. I still have no problem punishing you for misbehavior.”

  “Something to look forward to later,” I stated, while giving him a kiss…one that he turned into something deeper as his hands ran up my back to my neck and straight into my hair.

  I sighed into him as his hands messed up the ponytail I just fixed my hair in. He turned us so I was pressed against the doorframe, and he used his body to hold me in place as his hands explored me.

  The feel of his hard body pressed against mine had me thinking I’d had the wrong idea in going out for a jog.

  Just as his hand started to run up the back of my shirt, I realized what he was doing, and I pressed my palms on his chest, pushing him away slightly.

  “Don’t even think about distracting me; you have a meeting to get to, and I have a grave to visit.”

  “You’re going to the cemetery?” Jett asked, his swollen-kissed lips staring down at me.

  Shaking the naughty thoughts out of my head, I nodded. “Yes, I need to talk some things out.”

  “Things, as in me?”

  “Maybe,” I responded, while fixing my hair back in the ponytail.

  “Trying to decide if I’m worth it?”

  “Oh, I know you’re worth it,” I said, kissing his lips one last time before I took off. “I just need to think some things through. Don’t worry, I promise I’ll be back.”

  “Okay,” he said a little skeptically.

  “I love you, Jett.”

  His unease vanished at my words, and a sexy grin popped up in replacement.

  “I love you, Little One.”

  One last kiss…I snuck one in before pulling myself away and making a note to take advantage of that sexy grin later tonight.

  “Be careful,” he called over his shoulder.

  “Always am,” I responded, while I put my phone in the holster that was strapped to my upper arm.

  I walked down the front staircase of the Lafayette Club for the first time without my Jett Girl gear on. I almost felt naked, sans mask and heels, but a little invigorated, like I was starting a new chapter in my life.

  I ran out the front door of the club and out the gates that I once thought were intimidating. To think, when I first came to the club, I was naïve, desperate, and in the need of a helping hand. I never thought I would end up finding the man I would spend the rest of my life with, nor did I think I would form some of the most important relationships of my life.

  The Jett Girls and Kace were my family now; they meant the world to me, and I would do anything for them.

  I lightly started to jog through the tree-covered streets of the Garden District, my absolute favorite part of New Orleans. The houses were gorgeous, painted in pastel colors with shutters gracing every window, evoking an old southern charm. The sidewalks were rough, uprooted by trees and cracking all over, but they added character to the historic part of town. The humid heat of Louisiana hit me hard in my first couple minutes of running, but I soon found my stride, while listening to Britney Spears pump through my ear buds. The woman was a goddess, and she knew how to mot
ivate.

  I turned the corner to make my way toward the cemetery when I ran into a still body. My earbuds fell out of my ears as I tried to recover from smacking into someone.

  When I looked up, I saw Mercy standing in front of me, looking like she was just walked over by a Mardi Gras parade. Her eyes were sunken in, her hair was strange and un-brushed, and her clothes were disheveled.

  “Mercy, oh my God, is that you?”

  Slowly, her eyes worked their way up to mine, and the minute we made eye contact, a deep chill ran up my spine and goosebumps spread over my body. I was not getting a friendly vibe from her.

  “Goldie,” she said without emotion in her voice.

  Backing up a bit, I asked, “Um, how are you?”

  She didn’t respond; she just stared at me as her hands twitched behind her back. I wanted to ask her what she was hiding behind her, but was too afraid to ask. Visions of the demonic woman stabbing me repeatedly ran through my mind as a light sheen of sweat started to pour over my skin.

  I was about to ask her what she was up to, when she sidestepped me and said, “Excuse me.”

  She started walking away, and when I saw that she was holding a shirt behind her, I had to know what was going on.

  “Mercy, wait, are you okay?”

  Turning around, she brought the shirt up to her face and rubbed the fabric against her cheek…all the while maintaining eye contact with me.

  “I see that you have your man back,” she said, not looking like the same woman I once knew.

  Gulping, I nodded my head.

  “How nice for you.”

  “Um, it is nice,” I responded, not really knowing what to say.

  “I lost mine,” she said, narrowing her eyes at me.

  Was she talking about Rex? She must have been, but were they really that close? I examined the shirt she was holding against her face and saw that it had small splatters of blood on it, making my head want to spin around in a “holy fuck” kind of moment.

  “I’m, uh, I’m sorry to hear that.”

  “Me too,” she responded, as she tilted her head to the side. “It would be a shame to see it happen to you.”