Layover (Open Skies Book 1) Read online

  Jesus, this man was infuriating. Libby wanted to throw her phone against the wall. She dropped onto the sofa and leaned back, closing her eyes. She’d never met anyone in her life who wouldn’t take no for an answer.

  At least he seemed inclined to leave her alone for a while. Hopefully, he would realize she wasn’t interested. What else was she supposed to do?

  Chapter 20

  Libby didn’t contact Jason all day. She knew he was angry when he left, and she needed to give him space. She kept herself busy doing things around the house until five, and then she drove to his house and waited for him to get home.

  Was she just as bad as Eddie? Stalking Jason? She shoved the thought from her head. There was no comparison. What she had with Jason was incredible. She cared about him far more than she should have after such a short time.

  When she let herself think about it, even his Rambo persona was sexy. The man was possessive. The fact that he’d wanted to hunt Eddie down was attractive, though she wouldn’t tell Jason that, nor would she ever agree to let him fight her battles.

  Jason pulled into the driveway just after six. His brow was furrowed, but his lips were curled up in a partial smile as he climbed from the SUV and met her gaze. “Hey.”

  She had climbed out of her car and approached him. When she got close enough, he pulled her into his embrace and held her tight. He nuzzled her neck and kissed behind her ear, making her shiver while at the same time calming her nerves.

  When he pulled back and met her gaze, he was smiling broader. “Sorry about this morning.”

  She shrugged. “My fault. I’m sorry, too. I don’t like people to do my dirty work. I’ve fought my entire life to take care of myself.”

  “I get that.” He brushed a lock of hair from her forehead. “How’d your day go?”

  She sighed. “Long story.”

  “Let’s go inside. You can tell me while I make you dinner.”

  She nearly cried. At least he wasn’t still furious. He even held her against his side as they walked to the front door.

  Five minutes later, he had her seated on a stool in his kitchen while he took out ingredients to make burgers.

  She relayed the morning’s events in great detail, including the part about Eddie’s parents and his texts. She even showed Jason her phone so he could read the texts.

  He leaned over her cell as he read. “Jesus.”

  “Yeah. That’s what I’m thinking.”

  “You might have to get a restraining order if this guy doesn’t back off.”

  She blew out a breath. “Hopefully it won’t come to that.”

  Jason met her gaze. “Don’t freak out on me, but I’d like you to let me put a tracking app on your phone.”

  “Why?”

  “Just in case. Peace of mind. If anything happens to you, at least I’ll be able to find you.”

  “You don’t think Eddie would force me to go out with him or something do you?”

  Jason shrugged. “I can’t begin to know what’s in this guy’s head. Don’t want to find out the hard way. Humor me for a few weeks until this dies down, then you can take the app off if it makes you uncomfortable.”

  Libby handed Jason her phone. “Okay.” It certainly couldn’t hurt. It wasn’t as if she went to secret places without Jason. If it made him feel better, it was the easiest way to keep from rocking the boat. Plus, she had to admit, it made her worry less, too.

  “Done.” He handed it back. “You can easily remove it any time,” he reminded her.

  “Thank you.”

  He didn’t say another word about her mom or Eddie, and they had a relaxing evening eating and then moving to his room to watch television on his bed.

  “When are you going to get living room furniture?” she asked as she snuggled up against his chest.

  “I don’t think I will. Not if I can count on evenings spent like this.” He trailed a hand up her side and cupped her breast, making her arch. So much for watching TV. She’d much rather have this gorgeous man strip off her clothes and remind her how damn good they were together.

  Chapter 21

  Two weeks later…

  “Love what you’ve done to the place,” Tank stated sarcastically as he entered Jason’s house. He was holding a case of beer so Jason decided against growling at him.

  Kraft shouted from the kitchen area across the room. “Hey, man, at least he finally got a kitchen table so he can host poker nights.”

  Sweets was already in the kitchen also, cutting up whatever delicious dessert he’d brought. “When are you going to get a couch exactly? I mean, the TV looks great hanging on the wall above the fireplace. State of the art. But it’s not doing you much good if you can’t sit anywhere to watch it,” he joked.

  The guys were totally right, and Jason had had every intention of finishing the living room last weekend, but since Libby had come into his life, his priorities had shifted significantly. He hadn’t had time.

  “I don’t think his woman cares much about his living room furniture,” Kraft taunted.

  Jason rolled his eyes as he led Tank toward the kitchen area. “Not one single complaint. You’re right.”

  “How’s it going with her, by the way?” Tank asked.

  Jason grinned. “Great. Most of the time. If you leave her mother out of the equation. Oh, and the guy she was on a date with when we ran into each other? He’s a piece of work, too. Won’t take no for an answer.”

  “Yikes. That’s a lot to dissect. Start with her mother.” Sweets cringed. “What the hell does her mother have to do with anything?”

  Jason sighed as he pulled out a chair and dropped onto it. The rest of the guys sat also. “Apparently she thinks Libby needs to marry a nice man from Guatemala. I don’t meet her standards.”

  Tank winced. “And why does Libby care what her mother thinks?”

  Jason shrugged. “I don’t know, but I’m close to reaching my limit. It was okay for the first several dates, but I’m losing my patience.”

  “Are you two exclusive?” Kraft asked.

  “Yes. I put my foot down about that the first night we saw each other when I first moved to Dallas.”

  Tank’s eyes went wide. “Wow. I’m not sure I’ve ever known you to be so territorial about a woman.”

  Jason took a sip of his beer. “There’s always a first for everything. What can I say? We click. I’m falling hard for her. But she’s pulling a Veronica.”

  Kraft groaned. He was the only man at the table who knew about Veronica. She’d been in Jason’s life three years ago, long before Jason had met Tank and Sweets.

  “Who’s Veronica?” Sweets asked.

  Kraft glanced at him. “Rich woman who lured Jake into her conniving web, used him, and fucked him over.”

  “Yep. That about sums it up,” Jason agreed.

  Kraft continued. “She left scars, and Jason is worried Libby will do the same thing.”

  “Shit,” Tank muttered. “That sucks. Libby’s not some rich girl having her cake and eating it too though, is she?”

  Jason shrugged. “She’s not rich. The rest remains to be seen.”

  “You need to confront her, man,” Kraft nudged. “It’s time.”

  Jason knew his friend was right. Jason had confided in him a few weeks ago, mostly because Kraft knew what had happened with Veronica better than anyone. He wanted to shake this line of questioning though. He spent enough time worrying about Libby and their future. Tonight he wanted to forget. “She has hot friends though if anyone is interested. Three of them. They’ve all hinted they would love a date with a buff hunk like me. I’m pretty sure they have each asked me if I have any single friends at some point.”

  Kraft perked up. “What about that blonde, Christa? The one I met at Trent and Destiny’s wedding. I call dibs on that one.”

  Jason laughed. “How did I already know this? And yes, she’s single. I’d be happy to set you up if you want. I’ll warn you though, she seems pretty innocent.”


  Kraft rubbed his hands together. “I’d be more than happy to educate her.”

  Jason rolled his eyes. “I have no doubt.”

  “Who are the other friends?” Tank asked. “My mom is hounding me for grandkids. I could go for a nice girl.”

  Sweets groaned. “Your mom? Mine’s begun to sulk. I’m thirty-nine. You’re all just babies compared to me.”

  “Why don’t you find a nice woman and get married then?” Kraft asked.

  “You know any? At my age, it’s harder. The women I meet are usually carrying a truckload of baggage. I’ve tried, but I never make it past the first few dates. The last thing I want to do is sneak out of a woman’s house before her kids wake up.” Sweets shuddered.

  “I don’t think any of Libby’s friends have any baggage like that. They’re younger for one thing. You want a sweet girl? I’ll set you up with Bex. She’s the quietest one.”

  “That’s perfect for you,” Kraft teased. “Women can’t get a word in edgewise when they’re with you.”

  “Ha-ha.” Sweets picked up a chip from the bowl on the table and tossed it at Kraft.

  “Okay, matchmaker,” Tank said, “who do you have for me?”

  “I think Shayla. She looks elegant and sexy. Perfect features.”

  Tank whistled. “Damn. Do it. I’m in.”

  Jason glanced around the table at all the expectant faces. “You guys are serious? You want me to set you all up with Libby’s friends?”

  “Yes.” The chorus of agreement was funny.

  “You gotta be flexible. These ladies are all flight attendants with crazy schedules.”

  Everyone nodded.

  Kraft stretched his neck to one side and then the other. “See. I’m flexible.”

  Everyone threw a chip at Kraft.

  Jason laughed. At least he was no longer sulking about what to do about Libby. He wasn’t sure all her friends would really take him up on his offer, but he could try. They were the ones to originally suggest his matchmaking skills. As long as no one held him responsible for their possible future failures, he didn’t care.

  Christa was the easiest one. She lived with Libby. He’d seen her several times. He hoped Kraft wouldn’t trounce on her and scare her off in five minutes.

  Bex and Shayla had been in the condo one night when he’d picked up Libby. Had they been joking when they insinuated they wanted him to set them up too? Shayla was flirty and funny. She’d done most of the talking. Bex was shy and quiet. She might have agreed with her friends just to not be left out of the banter. She was the biggest wild card.

  “Okay. No promises. But I’ll ask.”

  Kraft grabbed the cards and started shuffling. “Are we going to play or plan future dates here?”

  “Wait,” Tank interrupted. “Hatch didn’t tell us about this guy Libby was dating. What’s up with that?”

  Jason groaned. “Name’s Eddie. They had the one date. One. And the man won’t leave her alone. He sent her roses for nearly two weeks and then he sent her a dress that in my opinion doesn’t have enough material to leave the house in. If she were mine—and hell, in my mind, she is—I’d never share that much of her skin with other people.”

  The guys laughed and Kraft spoke again. “That’s kinda creepy. Have you confronted him?”

  “No. Libby doesn’t like people fighting her battles. I’m trying to keep my mouth shut and let her handle it. For now. He keeps texting her every three or four days. And she keeps telling him there isn’t a chance in hell she’ll go out with him again. I’ve read the texts. She’s doing her best.”

  “What if things escalate?” Sweets asked.

  “Then I’ll be grateful I have three friends who will gladly bring the shovel, bury the body, and not ask questions.” He smiled. He was kidding of course. Sort of. But he did know he could count on his friends if he needed to confront Eddie.

  He couldn’t really blame Libby. She tried. The guy was apparently dense or stupid. He was also rich. Jason had looked him up, done some digging online. His family had money. Jason wasn’t sure where it all came from. They owned a business, but whatever they actually did eluded Jason.

  He had his suspicions the company wasn’t on the up-and-up, but he hadn’t told Libby. He didn’t want to scare her. He was nervous enough for both of them. But he was paying close attention. If anything began to smell rotten, he would not hesitate to hunt this Eddie guy down and put an end to his freaky obsession.

  Chapter 22

  “You’re quiet today,” Libby said as she flopped down on a beige couch in the furniture store. “Everything okay?”

  Jason nodded. “Yep. Just fine.” He pointed at the sofa. “You think I should go with something neutral like this or something with a splash of color?” He knew nothing about what might be fashionable as it concerned living room furniture, nor did he care, but he didn’t want to talk about why he was growing impatient right now either.

  “Beige for the couch. Colors for the throw pillows. That way when you get tired of a color scheme, all you have to do is replace the pillows.” She patted the cushion next to her. “What matters is how it feels. You’re going to spend a lot of time sitting on this furniture. It has to be comfortable.”

  He lowered onto the cushion next to her and leaned back. It felt like he was sitting on a couch. What the hell is she talking about?

  “What do you think?” she asked.

  “It’s fine.”

  “Fine? That’s not really what you should be going for here. Let’s try another one.”

  When she started to stand, he grabbed her hand and pulled her back down next to him. “I don’t really care about the fucking couch. Gotta be honest.”

  She sighed. “I can see that. You want to tell me what’s bothering you then?” She bit her bottom lip.

  He glanced around. He hadn’t meant to have this serious discussion right here in the store. “Let’s get out of here. I’m not in the mood to buy a couch today.”

  “Okay,” she whispered, squeezing his hand.

  Jason pulled her to standing and led her from the store. He never should have let her talk him into furniture shopping today. As soon as they were back in his SUV, he turned to face her. “I want to meet your parents.”

  She winced before glancing away.

  The more he hounded her, the more important this became to him because the longer she put him off, the less faith he had that she ever intended to share him with her family. That got way the fuck under his skin.

  “Jason…” she groaned. “I’m not ready for that. You can’t begin to understand what you’re asking from me.”

  He stared at her. “I know exactly what I’m asking from you. I’m asking you to tell your parents you have a boyfriend. If you can’t do that, I think we should stop seeing each other.”

  She gasped. “You’re serious?”

  “Yes.” He hadn’t meant to say that. It hadn’t been part of his planned speech, but the words came out, and he wouldn’t take them back. He meant every word.

  Libby twisted her fingers together in her lap, not meeting his gaze.

  He could guess why she was waffling. He just couldn’t tolerate it anymore. “I know we’ve only been seeing each other for about a month, but we’ve spent a lot of time together. We have a connection. I know you feel it too. I’m a smart guy. I get that you’re hesitating because you don’t want to upset your entire family dynamic unnecessarily. You don’t want to say anything to them until you feel confident this thing with us is solid.”

  She winced. “You make me sound very shallow.”

  He held her gaze. “I’m just trying to make you understand my feelings. I’m telling you this is solid for me. As solid as any relationship I’ve ever been in. I’m not saying I can guarantee forever because it’s too soon for that. What I am saying is that I’m not willing to even find out if you don’t put me as a higher priority. And, more importantly, your reluctance to tell your parents about me is contributing to the fact that Edd
ie is still contacting you. The two things are tied together. Your parents are apparently friends with Eddie’s. If you tell them you have a boyfriend, it’ll get back to Eddie. You have to realize it’s maddening to me that fucking guy keeps texting you, and you never tell him you’re with someone else.”

  He waited. He didn’t really have anything else to say about this subject. He was right about this. He was also totally into this woman. Every time they were together, their connection was more and more obvious. They had a great time when they went out, and an even better time when they returned to his place and he dominated her in the bedroom. He’d added floggers and even a crop to their play. Libby reacted to everything he introduced her to with louder moaning and stronger orgasms.

  Chemistry was not their problem. Not in or out of bed. But he’d had it with her reluctance to share him with her family. He’d been down this road before and it had ended very badly.

  “Okay,” she finally murmured. She lifted her gaze to his. “I have to go to my parents’ house for dinner Saturday night. I’ll tell them then.”

  He sat up taller. “You will?”

  “Yes. You’re right. It’s time for me to face them.” She chewed on her bottom lip.

  “And what if they react badly?” he asked. He couldn’t grasp anyone’s parents shunning them for who they chose as a partner, but this was apparently a possibility.

  She sighed. “I don’t know.”

  “Well, you need to decide what’s more important to you. If you want to go back to dating only men your mother chooses for you, go ahead. I’ll step out of the picture and let you go on with your life. If you can’t face them with the truth, it tells me everything I need to know—that I’m not that important to you.”