Lawful Overdose Read online

  With that, I know our conversation is over.

  I move off the bed, quickly changing into my dress from last night. Jaxon’s still in the room when I change, but after the past few days, I’m confident he won’t try making any moves on me.

  Five minutes later we’re back in his truck, headed to my apartment.

  “You okay?” He asks me. I haven’t said much after I got dressed.

  “Yeah, I’m great.”

  This is awkward. All I can think about is Jaxon. When will I seem him again? Will he want to go out again? What’s he thinking?

  I’m disgusted by my thoughts. This isn’t me. I’m not this girl.

  We pull up to my apartment and I’m ready to dash out of his truck. I need to talk with Piper and hear what she thinks. Before I can get out, I hear the click of the door locking. I turn to face Jaxon and he has a wide grin on his face.

  “Am I that bad that you want to leave me so quickly?”

  I’m not sure what to say.

  “I was just trying to be courteous, I know you have to go to work.”

  I watch him as he pulls the key out of the ignition and exits the truck. He comes around to my side and opens the door for me. I move to get out, but he’s blocking the doorway.

  “What are you doing tonight?” He asks me. His body moves closer so that his stomach is pressing into my lower legs. His hands come up to rest on my knees.

  “I’m not sure. I’m probably going to stay in.”

  “Go out with me tonight?”

  I’m excited at the turn of this conversation. A few minutes ago I thought I wasn’t going to see him tonight.

  “Okay.”

  I close my eyes as he leans forward to give me a soft peck on the lips.

  “I should be done around eight. I’ll pick you up here when I’m done,” he murmurs against my lips.

  I exhale deeply, my stomach giving me that foreign butterfly feeling I’ve come accustomed to the last few days.

  Jaxon moves away from the door so I can exit the vehicle. I walk to the entrance of my apartment complex, and turn around at the door to wave to him. He has the passenger door closed and he’s leaning against it, watching me.

  “Have a good time at work,” I halfway shout before using my code on the keypad to enter the building.

  “I will. See you tonight, sunshine.” He moves to get into the driver’s side and pulls away from the apartment complex.

  Sunshine.

  I’m no virgin to nicknames. My full name’s Contessa, but everyone calls me Tessa. My close friends sometimes call me Tess. Mikey calls me Trigger. My sister used to call me double trouble. All names I answer to, but none gives me the feeling that I get every time Jaxon calls me sunshine.

  I’m not sure why he chose that nickname, but he’s been calling me it all day. I’ll have to ask him the significance tonight.

  Chapter Seven

  Drive-ins and Vin Diesel

  It’s been two weeks since the morning I was handcuffed to Jaxon’s bed. Two weeks since he made my entire body tingle, my pulse race, and gave me the most explosive orgasm I’ve ever received from oral sex. We’ve been attached at the hip ever since.

  If I’m not working, I’m with Jaxon and vice versa. We’ve hung out at the apartment, gone to a few parties, and he took me fishing. This is where I've learned I hate to fish. Jaxon understood and was thankful I at least gave it a try. He also took me dancing at a couple clubs, miniature golfing, and we attended the local carnival one night.

  That might have been my favorite date. We did all the cliché things couples do at carnivals, not that we’re a couple. We rode the Ferris wheel, ate cotton candy, and went on the Kamikaze, and Jaxon won me a big stuffed unicorn. Of course there were other animals to choose from, but what girl doesn’t love a unicorn.

  Jaxon was adorable, too. He won me the stuffed unicorn at a game where you have to throw a football through a small tire. He was bragging about how easy this would be because he used to be an amazing quarterback. He handed a five-dollar bill to the carnival worker and was handed three footballs. He only had to get one in to win. Thirty minutes and sixty dollars later, he finally got that stupid football in the hole. He smiled so wide you would have thought he won the Super Bowl.

  He gestured for me to choose my prize, and I didn’t have the heart to tell him I wasn’t a stuffed animal kind of girl. I chose the unicorn and it’s found a permanent home on the wicker chair in my bedroom.

  The past two weeks have been great, but they’ve also been torture.

  Jaxon hasn’t touched me again. He’ll hold my hand, hug me, and even give me a goodnight kiss, but that’s it. No foreplay, no oral, nothing of any sexual nature.

  It’s killing me.

  I know I’m the girl in this relationship, and I should be happy he’s a gentleman and taking it slow, but I’m not. I’ve never wanted anyone the way I want Jaxon. He teased me with his tongue two weeks ago. He showed me how good it could be, and now he’s left me here to dry out like an old maid.

  This is why I’m currently standing in my room, holding my vibrator, and contemplating if I have time to get myself off before I go into work. I’m going out with Jaxon when I finish my shift, so I need to release some tension before I see him. Otherwise, I can’t be held accountable for what I do to him. I’m seriously contemplating holding him hostage in a room, until he gives in and has his way with me.

  I hear a knock and my bedroom door opens.

  “Chica, we’ve got to leave in fifteen,” Piper says, before she lets out a small giggle. Her eyes are on my battery-operated friend. “He still won’t give it up for you, huh?”

  “No, and I think I might combust if it doesn’t happen soon. What’s wrong with me, Pipe? Why won’t he have sex with me?”

  She leans against the doorway, “Because he’s a good guy. There aren’t very many of them so you need to just hold out. He’ll come around.”

  Deep down I know she’s right, but this dating thing is new to me. If I have to make some changes in my normal routine, so should he.

  I shove my vibrator back in my top drawer. I’ve made a decision. I’m going to give this abstinence idea a try. I mean, I know that’s not exactly what Jaxon said we were doing, but it sure feels like it.

  “So what do you know about Ryan?” Piper asks me.

  “Probably a lot less than you. I know he came up here with Jaxon to do his senior year. I know they’re best friends and that’s about it. Why?”

  “No reason.”

  I look at her curiously, “I thought you two were just fooling around. I mean, I’ve seen you with other guys this week.”

  “We are, it’s just…” she pauses to think about what she’ll say next. “Something’s off. Twice he’s left me in the middle of a date and he gets these weird phone calls, at all hours of the night.”

  I giggle at how ridiculous she sounds. “That’s not weird. I’ve had the same thing happen with Jaxon. They’re interns. They’re basically this pharmaceutical company’s bitch for the next year.”

  “And you buy that?”

  Piper is acting really strange; we have no reason not to believe them.

  “Unless you have some evidence proving something different, then yes, I believe that.” I grab my purse and change of clothes from the top dresser. I look over at Piper and I can tell she still isn’t buying their story.

  “Piper, darling,” I walk over and kiss her on both cheeks, “Us measly common folk will never understand what the corporate world entails. We just need to serve food and look sexy. Let the boys worry about being improperly manhandled by their boss.”

  I turn and she slaps my ass.

  “Whatever you say, Tess. Tessa knows best.”

  “We should get shirts that say that. The front can say Tessa Knows Best and the back can say-”

  “So back the fuck up and buy me a beer.”

  We burst out laughing and I’ve made a mental note to look into getting these shirts made.


  We get to Ryder’s around eleven. We’re working the day shift today. I don’t make as much money as I do on the evening shift, but I’m not going to complain. Working days means I get to see Jaxon at night.

  We finish serving the lunch rush and now the boredom sets in. A few tables are occupied in the restaurant so Piper and I are at the bar trying to flick quarters into shot glasses, while Mikey tells us about the concert he went to last night.

  “I’m not kidding you, he whipped it out and pissed on the side of the stage for all fifteen thousand of us to see. I bet you could find a clip on YouTube.”

  “Shut up!” Piper shouts as she pulls out her cell phone. She pulls the video up and we watch all thirty seconds of it.

  “Huh,” Piper mumbles.

  “What’s the matter, Pipe?”

  “I just thought he would be bigger, that’s all. I’m not impressed.”

  I grab the phone from her and watch the video again. “He’s flaccid, you moron. He might be ten inches when he’s hard for all you know.”

  “I’m ten inches flaccid, so I’m with Piper. He’s not impressive.” He winks at me.

  I can barely hold back my laughter. “I’ve slept with you, remember? You are not ten inches soft. You need a new tape measure.”

  I flick another quarter and miss the shot glass, again.

  “Why don’t we go in the back and I can remind you how big I am?”

  Normally this would amuse me. Maybe even possibly turn me on, but I can honestly say I have no interest in Mikey anymore. I never thought this would happen, but I have eyes for only one man.

  “I’ll pass.”

  “Your loss,” he says, before going back to wiping down the bar.

  Piper and I start watching other clips on YouTube when I feel two warm hands cover my eyes.

  “Guess who?”

  “Hmm… I’d recognize these hands anywhere. How can I forget how good they felt all over my body last night, Ryder.”

  I hear him gasp as he releases me and turns me around in the stool. I’m trying my best to hold in the laughter and look serious.

  “That is not funny.”

  “I’m sorry, Jaxon, I thought you were your brother.”

  I hear Piper spit out the soda she was drinking.

  “Again, not funny. My hands are way better than Ryder’s.”

  I wrap my arms around his neck and kiss him on the cheek.

  “I wouldn’t know. I would never let Ryder touch me, not when I have you.”

  He wraps his arms around my waist and squeezes me to him. “I know, baby.”

  “And I think I’m about to throw up,” Piper says in disgust, as she gets up from her stool. “This romantic crap is too much.”

  We watch her walk away and I turn back to face Jaxon.

  “What are you doing here?”

  “I thought I’d stop by and say hello before I have to get back to work. It’s sick, and I’ll probably have to turn in my man card if anyone finds out, but I missed you.”

  I can’t help but melt at his words. This man has taken a sex driven woman, and turned her into a lovesick schoolgirl over the course of two weeks.

  “I missed you, too,” I whisper.

  He kisses me briefly on the lips before releasing me.

  “Do you like action flicks?” He asks me.

  “I love all kinds of movies.”

  “Perfect, there’s a drive-in theater a few towns over. It’s a double feature. The first film is a children’s animated movie, but the new Vin Diesel movie is playing afterward. I thought we could check it out.”

  I really don’t care what we do as long as I’m with him. I’ve also never been to an outdoor movie theater. I’ve only ever seen them in movies.

  “That sounds great. I should be done here around six.”

  He moves in to give me another brief kiss. “I’ll pick you up then.”

  “Do you mind not manhandling my staff in front of me,” I hear Ryder say from behind the bar.

  “Sorry, big brother, she’s just so cute. I can’t help myself.”

  If only that were true.

  “I’ll see you at six,” he whispers to me, before waving goodbye to Ryder and walking out of the restaurant.

  “What happened to ‘you have nothing to worry about’ and ‘I’m not interested in your brother’?”

  I give him the sweetest look I can manage, “It’s a woman’s prerogative to change her mind.”

  He shakes his head at my innocent act. “I know you too well, Tessa. That innocent look won’t work on me. Just be careful, okay?”

  I smile up at him. He may be my boss, but he’s always been a great friend, too. He looks out for Piper and me. We’re lucky to have him.

  “I will, I promise. Knowing what you know about me, did you give the same speech to Jaxon?”

  I watch him as he stocks the bar with new product. “Stop putting yourself down. Even with all I know about you, you’re still a great girl. Anyone would be lucky to have you. So to answer your question, no I didn’t warn Jaxon about you. I did, however, tell him I’d kick his ass if he hurt you.”

  I laugh as Piper comes up to me and throws an arm over my shoulder.

  “I love it. You’re his big brother, but you protect me like you're mine. Thanks, Ryder.”

  “Anytime.”

  “Awe, I’ve walked in on a tender moment. Now cut the crap and come hang out with me in the kitchen. Chuey bet Mikey that he could snort an entire salt shaker of salt up his nose.”

  That is the most ridiculous, immature, juvenile thing I have ever heard of. I absolutely love my job.

  ***

  We pull up to the drive-in a little after nine. Jaxon took me to dinner at a nearby fifties themed diner beforehand. This night feels like we stepped into a time machine. Especially since we are in his old pick-up truck.

  It’s dusk and it will probably be completely dark in the next twenty minutes. Once this happens, the first movie will start. We park near the back of the gravel parking lot. This is the designated area for trucks and SUV’s. Jaxon pulls in so the bed of the truck is facing the screen.

  He gets out and I wait in my seat. After two weeks with him, I know better than to try to get out myself. Jaxon likes to open doors for me. He reaches my door and opens it, like I expected him to, and I get out. We make our way to the bed of the truck. He opens the door to the bed and I’m stunned at what I see.

  Jaxon has laid a mattress on the bed of the truck. He’s brought pillows, blankets, and a cooler. I’m not a drive-in expert, but this seems like the perfect set up.

  “Wow. I guess we’ll be watching in comfort.”

  “Nothing but the best for you, Tessa,” he smiles.

  He extends his hand to me and I grab it, while I pull my self up into the bed of the truck. He follows behind me and we sit comfortably on the mattress.

  “Where did you get this,” I ask, bouncing up and down on the mattress.

  “I saw it at a garage sale in town. I picked it up for twenty bucks. Not bad, huh?”

  “Nope. Twenty bucks seems like the going rate for a mattress filled with bed bugs and other vermin.”

  “You're funny tonight. Don’t worry, I sprayed it down with some mattress spray I bought at the drugstore.” He rubs his hand against the gray sheet covering the mattress, “And the sheets are brand new.”

  I smile at him, grateful for the effort he put into this night.

  “The cooler is stocked with water, soda, and beer. There’s a concession stand if we want to get popcorn. Oh…” he drifts off and I watch him grab a speaker from a metal pole next to the car. He places it on the ledge of the truck. “This is the speaker so we can hear the movie.”

  I look around the truck and then at the entire lot.

  “This is kind of perfect. This might be the best date I’ve ever been on, and it just started.”

  “I’m glad you’re enjoying yourself.”

  We get ourselves situated in the bed of his truck
. The pillows are plopped against the back window of the cab and our backs are against them. Jaxon is drinking a beer and I’ve decided on a lemon-lime soda. I watch as little kids are running around, a group of teenagers are tossing around a football, and an older couple is playing cards.

  The lights to the concession stand dim and the screen lights up. The first film is about to start.

  Jaxon reaches out his arm and pulls me into his side. The children’s movie is actually very funny. I catch myself laughing at the antics the little yellow minions in blue overalls are up to. Jaxon is enjoying it, too, but I notice he’s distracted. He keeps checking his phone. I catch him sending a few texts, but I decide to ignore it. We’re still getting to know each other so I shouldn’t be so curious about who he is texting.

  He puts his phone back in his pocket and pulls me impossibly closer to him. His lips move to my ear.

  “This movie is hilarious. These little yellow guys are cracking me up.” The warmth from his breath gives me goose bumps.

  “Yeah, they’re pretty fantastic.”

  We continue to watch and I’m honestly hooked on the plot. I’m completely invested in finding out what happens. We’re nearing the end of the movie when Jaxon gets up.

  “I’m going to use the washroom and then check out the concession stand. You want anything?”

  I shake my head no and he turns and hops off the truck. I turn back to the movie to see if these three little girls are going to change the villain’s heart. I’m so entranced by the movie I don’t even notice that Jaxon hasn’t returned from the bathroom, until the credits start to roll. I stand up on the bed of the truck to stretch my legs and look around the lot. It’s so dark I can barely see anything.

  I look over at the concession stand and I see movement at the back of the building. I squint my eyes, trying to make out the scene. It’s hard to tell at first, but then he smiles and I know it’s him.

  Jaxon is talking to two men behind the building. The conversation looks intense, but I have no idea what it could be about. I see Jaxon lift his head and look around. I don’t want him to spot me so I lay down and peek over the edge of the truck. He says something else to the guys and they part ways. When the two men get back in the vehicle, I recognize one of them. It’s Jimmy.