Layover (Open Skies Book 1) Page 4

  Jason couldn’t decide if the guy was trying to impress Libby, or if he had a temper.

  “Yeah. I’m fine.” Libby replied.

  “We were about to grab a table, if you want to join us,” Tiffany suggested.

  Jason stiffened. The last thing he wanted to do was awkwardly try to make small talk with Libby’s date. He’d had his mouth on her pussy. He’d tasted her. Swallowed her moans when she came. Had Eddie?

  It was kind of Tiffany to make the suggestion, however. He certainly couldn’t complain about her as a person. She was gorgeous and fun and apparently extremely polite. As blind dates went, he’d done well. Until he’d been reminded that she wasn’t Libby.

  Libby opened her mouth as if to respond to Tiffany’s suggestion, but Eddie cut her off. “We’re with other friends, actually. Maybe some other time.” He set a palm on Libby’s lower back and turned as if to steer her away.

  Libby chewed on her bottom lip, not glancing at Eddie, but not making eye contact with Jason either. Her gaze seemed to wander up and down his torso. Was she remembering his naked body the way he was remembering hers? The world stopped spinning for several heartbeats.

  The music changed to a slow song at that moment. Tiffany’s face lit up. “Finally. A slow song. Will you dance with me now?”

  “I thought we were going to get a drink,” he pointed out, nodding toward the bar, his gaze still flicking to Libby every few seconds.

  Damn, she looked good.

  Tiffany shrugged. “That was before the music changed. Let’s dance first. We can get a drink after.”

  For a heartbeat, Jason considered telling Tiffany to fuck off. But he wasn’t that kind of guy. By the end of this night, she was undoubtedly going to want to throttle him, but he wasn’t willing to tip that boat just yet. He would be a total dick if he ditched her.

  Besides, there were no guarantees Libby would even speak to him further, let alone behave rudely to her date. “Nice seeing you. Enjoy your evening,” she said, her gaze on his far longer than necessary.

  “So nice meeting you guys,” Tiffany added.

  Jason’s heart was pounding as he watched Libby disappear, another man’s hand on the small of her back. Jason had to force himself to turn and walk away. It was the last thing he wanted to do. But it was necessary.

  When he and Tiffany reached the dance floor, she set her hands on Jason’s waist and stepped closer. He planted his palms on her back but made no effort to draw her against him.

  Apparently, Tiffany wasn’t daunted by Jason running into Libby. She didn’t mention it. Instead, she started making small talk again. Perfectly normal. After all, they’d just met a few hours ago.

  Honestly, Tiffany was a nice enough woman. He couldn’t really complain about her. She wasn’t stereotypically ditzy or anything. She worked for a bank. She was pretty. He supposed most men would give anything for a date with her. But his mind was on Libby now, and nothing was going to change that development.

  It was simply bad luck for Tiffany that Jason had his eyes on another woman. One of his coworkers had set them up. The truth was, he’d only agreed because he hadn’t been on a date in months. He’d been on several missions in a row with his Delta Team, and then he’d dealt with leaving the team and moving to Dallas.

  “…and then my girlfriend, Jazmine, she thought it would be funny if we went skinny dipping.” Tiffany giggled. “The water was so cold. My nipples were hard for hours.”

  Jason offered her a smile. She was flirting with him. Heavily. She kept patting his chest and leaning in closer than necessary to speak. When her hair brushed against his cheek, he was shocked to find that it was kind of stiff. Like it had received far too many treatments and had a lot of hairspray in it.

  As the song wound down, Jason spotted Libby over Tiffany’s shoulder. She was heading toward the hallway where the restrooms were located. She was also alone.

  Jason jerked his attention back to Tiffany and then nodded toward the far wall. “Why don’t you find us a high-top table over there? I’m going to use the restroom, and then I’ll get us some drinks.”

  She nodded. “Okay. Sure.”

  As soon as she walked away, Jason hurried toward the corner where Libby had disappeared. He got lucky. She was just exiting the women’s room as he approached. She lifted her gaze and smiled.

  That was all the encouragement he needed to grab her hand and pull her farther down the hallway toward the rear exit. He shoved the door open and stepped out into the night, keeping her close.

  She looked over her shoulder as the door closed behind them. “Jason, what are you doing? I can’t just leave.”

  He flattened her against the brick wall and cupped her face, angling her head so he could see her eyes. “We’re not leaving. I just wanted a moment.”

  “Okay,” she whispered breathlessly before glancing around.

  No one else was standing nearby. Certainly not Eddie, who undoubtedly thought she was in the bathroom.

  “You snuck out of my bed,” he began.

  She licked her lips. “I thought it would be easier than dealing with the morning-after chat and a pile of empty, fake promises to call or something.”

  He slid his hand around to cup her neck, his fingers threading in her hair. “I would have called.”

  She sucked in a breath. “Yeah?”

  He frowned. “Why would you doubt that? What part of the evening suggested I wasn’t into you?” He reminded her by setting his other hand on her waist and then sliding it up just far enough to let his thumb graze the underside of her breast.

  Her breath hitched again, and she rose up slightly on her toes.

  “You were into me too, baby girl,” he whispered, leaning in close to her ear. He loved the way she shivered. “Tell me I’m wrong.” He stepped closer, flattening his chest to hers, his thumb still grazing her breast. “Tell me you’re not still into me and I’ll walk away right now.”

  She whimpered. “Jason…” His name on her lips was ambrosia.

  When she didn’t deny the truth he spoke, he finally pulled back enough to meet her gaze again. “I could slide my hand down over your sweet bottom, reach under your skirt, and bring you to orgasm right here against the wall in seconds, couldn’t I?”

  She nodded, biting her lip.

  “How wet are you, little one?”

  She swallowed. God, he loved her expressions. “Soaked,” she whispered.

  He leaned in slowly, kissed her neck gently, and then released her. “Here’s what’s gonna happen. You’re going to take off your panties right here and give them to me. Then you’re going to go back inside and continue your evening. I’ll continue mine. Tomorrow, you’ll contact me. Do it before noon.”

  She gasped and glanced around.

  “No one’s looking, and you won’t be the first woman to remove her panties in public. I trust you can do so discreetly.” He lifted a brow.

  For a heartbeat, she simply stared at him. Finally, she glanced around again and then lifted the edges of her short tight black dress and dragged a black thong over her hips and down her legs. She stepped out of the lace quickly and balled it in her fist before handing it to him.

  Jason’s cock was fucking hard as a rock from watching, but more importantly from witnessing her submission. He took the black lace and brought it to his nose, inhaling her amazing scent. The material was indeed soaked.

  Finally, he tucked them in his jeans pocket and met her gaze again.

  She was stunned and biting into her bottom lip. “Next time I tell you to do something, you won’t hesitate, understood?”

  “Yes,” she breathed. God, she was fucking delightful.

  “You can go back inside now.”

  She righted herself, pushing off the wall that had been supporting her. As she started to turn toward the door, he reached out and grabbed her hand.

  “One more thing. Do not have sex with Eddie tonight.”

  She shivered, her voice soft. “Wasn’t planning on
it.”

  “Good.” He released her and nodded toward the door. “Have fun.”

  “Fat chance of that,” she murmured as she stepped back inside.

  Jason stood there for several moments, smiling far too wide to return to Tiffany yet. He would give her the wrong impression if he didn’t get his emotions under control. There wasn’t a chance in hell he would sleep with her either, but that wasn’t important right now. He needed to politely get them new drinks and then make some excuses about not being that into her and wrap this evening up. Tiffany was already in his past.

  Chapter 5

  “Are you serious?” Destiny asked, her voice squealing through the phone the next morning. “Christa told me you hooked up with Hatch at the wedding but I thought it was a one-night stand kind of thing.”

  Libby cringed. She hated having to call Destiny to get Jason’s phone number. He’d obviously intended for her to work for it when he ordered her to contact him before noon. She’d had no choice but to call Destiny who would have to speak to Trent, ensuring both of them shared this interesting gossip with the rest of their friends, male and female.

  “Libby? You still there?”

  “Yeah. It was. A one-night stand, I mean. For me at least. He was hot. I was horny. I thought it was understood.”

  “And now?”

  Libby sighed. “I don’t know. The man gets way under my skin. He makes my brain go to mush when I’m with him.” She wasn’t about to tell Destiny the specifics. Way too much information. If any of her friends found out what sort of dynamic Libby had with Jason, she would be beyond embarrassed.

  Destiny laughed. “Good. That’s new for you. You’re usually too stiff and in control of everything. I like hearing someone rattles your mind a bit.”

  “I’ve got to be crazy calling him. It’s a bad idea.” She’d paced her apartment all morning before giving in and calling Destiny. She’d gone back and forth, trying to decide if it was wise to follow through with Jason’s demands. Undoubtedly she should have shrugged him off and continued with her life. She’d almost changed into workout clothes and gone for a run to pass the time until after noon.

  But in the end, she hadn’t been able to resist the pull. The curiosity. The excitement. She’d been aroused since the moment she first saw him last night. When she’d finally managed to extricate herself from her mother’s latest attempt to set her up last night, she’d gone home, stripped, and grabbed her vibrator. It took two drawn-out orgasms before she could relax enough to fall asleep, and even then she’d woken up several hours later after an erotic dream about Jason, panting and squirming under her sheets.

  “I don’t see why you’re so reluctant. Hatch is a good guy. Trent vouches for him. How can you go wrong?”

  Libby sighed. “You know perfectly well how this would go over with my mom. She’d have a conniption.”

  “Yeah, but you can’t live under her thumb, Libby. You’re twenty-eight years old. How long do you plan to go out with every Guatemalan man in Dallas that your mom sets you up with?”

  Intellectually, Destiny was right. Libby knew it. But she’d never had the balls to confront her mom. Instead, she politely put up with the woman’s antics. Ironic, considering the fact that Libby wasn’t such a pushover in the rest of her life. She couldn’t afford to be. She’d been the smallest one in any room for her entire life. She’d made up for her stature with her personality, ensuring people at school and work and even in her personal life knew she was a strong, independent woman.

  If she couldn’t reach something, she got a ladder. If she didn’t know something, she looked it up. If she felt emotions welling, she waited until she was alone to let the tears fall.

  Except with Jason. That man controlled her with ease. It was both unnerving and intriguing.

  “I figure eventually I’ll meet someone my mom approves of that I also like.” This was true. It was why she rarely turned down all the arranged dates. Surely one of these days the right man would show up at her door and she’d fall for him.

  “Like? Do you hear yourself? You aren’t looking for a man you like, Libby. You need to find someone you’re head over heels in love with. No exceptions.”

  Libby chuckled. “Just because you met that man when you were five, doesn’t mean the same thing happens for the rest of us. Besides, you got lucky that you finally ran into him after more than a decade of misunderstandings and cleared the air with your tequila mouth.”

  Destiny laughed. “I was pretty drunk that night. Thank God. But seriously, you must at least like Jason more than any recent guy you’ve dated or you wouldn’t have gone to the trouble to call and get his number,” she pointed out.

  She was right. Libby took in a deep breath. “What’s he doing in Dallas? Do you know? He said he moved here.”

  “He got out of the Army a few months ago. He got a job here.”

  “Oh. I didn’t realize that.” She hadn’t taken the time to ask him any questions last night.

  Destiny giggled. “You two don’t do much talking, do you?”

  Libby flushed. Destiny was right. How embarrassing.

  “Hey,” Destiny whispered before going silent for several seconds.

  Libby could hear her shuffling around.

  “Sorry. I wanted to step outside so Trent wouldn’t hear me.”

  Libby frowned. “Since when do you keep secrets from Trent?”

  “Never. This isn’t something he doesn’t know. I just didn’t want him to realize I was telling you.”

  “Oh.” Libby stiffened.

  “Maybe you already figured this out but just in case you didn’t, Jason is, uh, kind of, well, dominant.”

  Libby closed her eyes, shocked and uncertain what she wanted to divulge.

  Destiny continued, rambling. “I mean it’s more than that. He’s a Dom, Libby. Do you know what that is?”

  Libby nearly choked. “Yes, Mom. I’m not that innocent. I’ve read books. I have the internet.”

  “Oh. Right. Sorry. Well… I just thought you should know. If he’s pursuing you, you’ll eventually find that out, I guess, but maybe if I warned you…”

  “Destiny, stop. I’m aware.” It felt weird admitting this to one of her closest friends, but it also felt like a weight had been lifted. At least she would have someone she could talk to if she had questions or concerns.

  “You are?”

  “Yes. He doesn’t exactly hide that fact and save it for the second or third date.”

  “Oh. Wow. Okay. Hmm. Then I guess you, uh…”

  “I’m not ready to discuss it with you, okay? It’s kinda weird and personal and I’m still wrapping my head around it.”

  “Okay. Sure. I get it. It’s not like I’m well-versed in any sort of kink anyway. I’m just, well, I’m here for you if you need to talk.”

  “Thank you. That means a lot. Really. I appreciate it, and thanks for looking out for me, even though you’re a date-and-a-half too late,” Libby joked, chuckling. “Now, text me his number so I can call him before he gets his panties in a wad. As you obviously know, the man doesn’t like to be challenged.”

  “Got it. Good luck. Be careful.”

  “Be careful? You just went to a great deal of trouble pointing out he was a good guy and I was in good hands,” Libby teased.

  “He is. I meant with your heart.”

  Libby flinched. Destiny was right. There was little concern for her physical wellbeing. Her heart was another story.

  The moment Libby ended the call, there was a knock at the door. She shuffled over and opened it to find a teenager holding a narrow vase with a single rose in it. “Delivery for Libertad Garcia.”

  She smiled as she took it from him. Apparently, even though she hadn’t tracked Jason down until just now, he’d found her information. The man had been busy this morning. Impressive.

  As she shut the door, she leaned in and inhaled the scent. It wasn’t until she’d carried the rose over to set it on the counter that she noticed there wa
s no card. Nothing. Just the rose.

  So, the man was romantic and mysterious.

  And dominant, she reminded herself.

  Chapter 6

  Jason smiled when his phone indicated there was an incoming text. His little imp had kept him waiting. It was five minutes until noon. He wasn’t surprised. He’d expected as much.

  He took a deep, cleansing breath and dropped onto his couch, keeping the face of his phone against his jeans for a few more seconds. He needed to get himself under control. He’d never been this interested in a woman before. He didn’t want to fuck it up.

  Finally, he lifted his phone to read her text.

  Reporting in as demanded before noon, Sir.

  He nearly swallowed his tongue. His cock jumped to attention. Holy shit. She’d even called him Sir. It wasn’t a term he had ever demanded from a submissive, but he liked the sound of it. Except for her tone, which he could easily discern. He smiled as he responded.

  What a sassy little girl. Do you have any idea what happens to sassy girls?

  He waited, wiping his palm on his jeans, his other hand shaking. How the fuck had this little imp gotten under his skin? He wanted her so badly he was chomping at the bit.

  Finally, a response.

  No… But I’m sure you’ll inform me.

  He smiled again as he typed.

  Count on it. I’ll demonstrate in fact. With my palm. Tonight. I’ll text you my address. Be here at seven.

  He knew he was being presumptuous. He also gambled that she would not turn him down. He’d bet his last dollar she would rearrange any plans she might have had to get to him.

  Cocky. What if I’m not available tonight?

  Make yourself available. Seven. Sharp. See you then. Oh, and baby girl, if you wear panties to my house, you won’t see them again.