Page 35 of Ruthless

“They should pay you better.”

She shrugged. “Yeah, but I’m not a CEO or an athlete, so I’m not worth a big salary.” She rolled her eyes.

“You’re priceless.”

“That’s better than worthless.” She laughed as she waved to the sofa. “Have a seat. Help yourself to a drink, if you want.” She disappeared into the bedroom and shed her work clothes. Deciding she had time for a quick shower, she got that out of the way and dressed in jeans, a tank top, and a light cardigan to go over it before returning to the living room.

Jett sat on her couch, kicked back and clearly relaxed. He had a glass of iced tea in his hand, and there was one waiting for her on a coaster.

She took a seat beside him and sipped it. “Thanks. I do like a man who uses a coaster.”

He chuckled. “My mom always insisted on it. It took me forever to be able to put down a glass at the clubhouse without one, and that wood is scarred to shit.”

She was certain he’d brought up his mother for a reason. “You mentioned she was loving?”

He nodded. “She was. I was born early and spent weeks in the NICU. She barely left my side, and that set the tone. It was just the two of us for several years, until she decided to give my father a second chance. They’d split before I was born.” His voice had turned cold.

She shivered. “Was that a mistake?”

“Yeah. He was a cheating piece of shit, and that hadn’t changed. I don’t know why she thought it would, but it didn’t. I guess it was too much for her, and when she caught him with her sister… my aunt… she lost it.” He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

Tessa put her hand on his knee and squeezed lightly. She didn’t prompt him to go on. Instead, she offered a steadying, silent presence for support.

After exhaling raggedly, he opened his eyes again. “She drove her car through her sister’s living room. My aunt survived, but my dad died en route to the hospital.”

She gasped. “I’m so sorry.”

He shrugged. “He was never much in my life, but I lost her because of it. She came straight home, woke me up to tell me she loved me and explain she’d done a horrible thing, and then she went with the cops when they showed up. CPS took me about the same time, and I was in the system.” He looked away, swallowing audibly. “It was hell, but I never could tell her just how bad it was because she already felt awful enough. If she hadn’t lost control, she would have been with me, not in prison.”

Tessa couldn’t imagine the kind of rage that had possessed the woman, leading her to such a dark act, but she could understand his mother’s remorse, and she saw why he’d protected his mother from the truth even if it meant enduring the horrors of foster homes. “Is she still in prison?”

He shook his head. “She died of a heart attack a few years ago. It could have been treated if caught in time, but her healthcare sucked in there. I got to spend the last few weeks with her, since they gave her compassionate early release.”

“I’m so sorry, Jett.” She leaned closer to put her head on his shoulder. “You deserved better.”

“So did she. You’d think I’d be angry with her, but I’m not. I understand irrational decisions and rage driving your actions. I just wish there’d been a way for us to be together all along.” He cleared his throat. “That’s pretty much it. I think I turned out all right in spite of it all.”

She kissed his cheek. “More than all right.”

He turned his head, capturing her mouth with his. His tongue boldly entered through the seam of her lips, and she melted against him as he pulled her closer and leaned them back. When he pulled her almost fully onto his lap, she went willingly.

Tessa curled against him, grasping a handful of his hair as she returned his ardent kiss with one of her own. She needed the closeness between them, and she knew he must need it too. It was amazing to be like this, but it felt like something was missing.

Ronan.

As his name popped into her head, the doorbell rang. She eased away as Jett let her go with clear reluctance. She rushed to open the door, and Jett was right behind her. They stepped outside instead of having Ronan join them inside. “Hey. I’m ready.”

His gaze lingered on her lips for a moment, and his gaze narrowed. He seemed to know she’d just been kissing Jett, and Tessa waited for his reaction as dread curled in her stomach.

After a moment, he smiled. “Let’s go then. The road awaits.”

Chapter 9

Things often losetheir appeal through repetition, but Tessa found the ride up the coast just as thrilling as the first one had been. Maybe, as Thomas Wolfe said, you can’t go home again, but on the other hand, a possibly wiser head said that you never step into the same river twice, and this bike ride was the same as the first, yet different.

The spectacular scenery and the visceral thrill of wind and speed, with her arms wrapped around Ronan, whose powerful body matched the sense of power of his motorcycle, propelled her into a whirl that was, ultimately, a sensual thrill. Only the nagging worry about what Jimmy’s father might be up to kept things from being absolutely perfect. Even that couldn’t dispel the absolute pleasure of those moments.

This time they took her to a small restaurant that sat alone along the side of the road. Ronan downshifted and pulled into the empty parking lot. The place was a bit shabby, and she took it in as she removed her helmet and steadied her legs on the ground. Jett offered her his arm in an exaggerated display of courtly behavior as Ronan hovered just behind her, his hand on her lower back. As they walked in the door, a stout man in a white shirt and black pants came up to them. “Romeo, hey.” He turned his attention to Ronan after that cursory greeting for his MC brother. “Clutch, I’m so glad to see you,” he said. “That bike of mine…”

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