Page 48 of Reckless
“Why must you insist on being so fucking stupid?”
“Awe, don’t be like that Mr. Grumps,” I said, reaching over to run my hand down his arm. He jerked away in response, not wanting me to show him any physical affection while we were near the house. “I’m going to be fine. And you’ll be there. If something happens, you can always be the white knight again.”
Jacob grumbled as he started the car and rolled us toward the gate, down the long driveway, “You should know by now I’m not a white knight.”
“Maybe not to anyone else, but you’re my white knight.” As the gate began to open before us, I hurried to lean over the center console and place a quick, soft kiss on his stubbly cheek. He didn’t pull away, but his frown did deepen. “I did tell Vaughn and Dante they could come to the party and be my backup bodyguards if they were able to figure out where the party was…so you might have company.”
He opened his mouth to mutter something, probably a few swearwords and something along the lines of great, just what I want, but I hopped out of his car before he had the chance.
I might’ve swayed my hips a bit more than usual as I walked to Archer’s car, giving Jacob a good view of my ass. What can I say? I guess I liked to tease. Call me naughty.
Archer’s blue eyes were on me as I got in his car. His blonde hair held a bit of styling clay, combed to the side in a cute, messy way. He must’ve just shaved, because I smelled some aftershave—and his jaw looked perfectly smooth. His wide shoulders wore a thin blazer, a dark blue polo shirt beneath it, his legs in a clean pair of dark jeans.
The boy looked good.
But then again, he always looked good. Hence the problem I always had with Archer Vega.
When I saw his blue gaze dart to the car facing us, I said, “Don’t mind him. He’s just going to be following me all night because I can’t leave the house without him stalking me. He’s supposed to be my bodyguard, I guess.”
“Oh,” Archer said, although I could tell he didn’t really get it.
“We’ll just have to ignore him.” Ignoring Jacob would be hard for me, since all I wanted to do was jump his bones and let him ride me all throughout the night, but tonight wasn’t about Jacob and me. Tonight was about Archer and me, and if we could salvage whatever there was between us.
Maybe, in the end, we’d realize it was pointless. Maybe Archer and I just weren’t meant to be.
Chapter Fifteen – Archer
During the short drive, I kept tossing looks in the rearview mirror. The private investigator working with Oliver Fitzpatrick, Jacob, was her bodyguard. Of course he was. I’d seen him pick her up from school and drop her off a few times. I knew they spent a lot of time with each other.
And, beyond that, I knew the way he looked at her. I saw how his eyes lingered places they shouldn’t, how his posture changed just ever so slightly when she came near. I recognized the signs. I wasn’t stupid.
As I drove to the party, I kept my hands on the wheel. I talked with Jaz a bit, but deep down I was too busy wondering if Jaz knew. If she knew Jacob’s attention on her wasn’t exactly professional.
Should I ask? Or was that too much to ask, considering the fact I shouldn’t care? It wasn’t like she was my girlfriend, and it was obvious she had a thing for the unstable ones. I…I didn’t think I was unstable like Dante and Vaughn, but then again, I guess I was a bit biased when it came to myself.
Tonight’s party was at the Taylor property. Taylor had nothing to do with the party at Brittany’s all that time ago, and he never talked to Ryan or his friends, so I hoped this would be a relatively safe place for Jaz and me to hang out.
To, apparently, hang out with Jacob watching us, but whatever. I refused to let that asshole ruin my night with Jaz. This was supposed to be a new, fresh start for us, wiping away the slate and starting clean. Tonight might go well, or it might go really, really terribly. Either way, I had to know. I couldn’t keep living in limbo, wondering what Jaz and I could’ve been if I’d tried harder to be better for her.
I wasn’t proud of the Archer I’d been lately. I’d been a dick, a douche, a lying son a bitch who kept the truth close to his chest even though it would hurt her. I’d led Jaz into Brittany’s lair without warning her, and because of me, she was put onto Brittany’s radar. If it wasn’t for me…if it wasn’t for me dragging her into my shit, Jaz never would’ve crossed her, and maybe Brittany would still be alive and Jaz wouldn’t be a suspect for her murder.
And me. Jaz wouldn’t think me capable of something like that.
Of course, that was all what-ifs. None of it really mattered, not here, not tonight. I had to play the hand I was given, and this was me trying to make the most of it. My mom was at home with her nurse, probably asking where my father was. I hated leaving her, hated seeing the look on her face when she failed to recognize me; I hated it all. And yet, it wasn’t anything I could change. During one of her more lucid moments, she’d told me to live my life, and that’s what I was trying to do.
The street in front of the Taylor house was packed with cars. The houses were so big, so far apart from each other, it took a while to park and reach the house. Jacob hung back, but I couldn’t help but keep tossing looks over my shoulder at him.
This was weird. How was I supposed to relax and focus on Jaz when we had a third wheel?
I felt her hand find mine—just for a split second, a quick, fleeting moment as she said, “Don’t worry about him, Archer.” And then her hand left mine, leaving a coolness in its wake, an emptiness that made me want to reach for her hand again and hold it firmly.
But I didn’t. It wasn’t my hand to hold, as much as I wanted to.
The party was loud inside the house, and equally loud out back. Some were already in the pool, even though the air was a bit cool as night fell. I supposed as long as it was heated…
And then my stupid, stupid mind thought to picture Jaz in a bathing suit. I’d seen her naked, after all, so it wasn’t that hard to picture. With her curves, her tan skin…God, she’d look amazing. Way better than anyone else here.
She looked amazing now, actually.
