“It’s on the nightstand. Jet, relax. She’s a big girl. She’l cal if anything happened.”

I glared at him.

“I have to get to the bank, the store, cal the f**king mechanic and find out what’s wrong with my f**king car. I can’t sleep in on a f**king Saturday like normal people!

I’ve got things to do!”

Okay, so maybe it wasn’t an f-word moment, as such.

But I’d almost al owed the Eddie Daze to destroy my life; I was in a super-double-extra freak out.

He grinned.

“I thought you were normal people, just your average, everyday…”

I would probably regret it, but I growled.

His grin turned into a smile and he let go of my wrists.

“Chiquita, you are too adorable.”

“Get off.”

His face dropped and he nuzzled my neck. “When I’m ready.”

“Eddie! The Credit Union closes in an hour! Get off!” His head came up again and he framed my face with his hands.

“No.”

I glared.

He was stil grinning and he looked almost… playful.

This was not good.

“I’l make you a deal, Cariña, if you can throw me off, I’l get off. If you can’t, we spend the morning my way.” My eyes bugged out.

“That isn’t fair. You’re stronger than me,” I objected.

“You could try being creative.”

My mouth dropped open.

I could create a knee to his nuts but that might put the hurt on Blanca’s dreams of dozens of grandchildren and I was pretty sure I liked Blanca.

I tried the girlie “please” look.

His head bent and he kissed it off my face. When he was done, I wasn’t thinking of anything, especial y not throwing him off. I liked him exactly where he was.

His lips slid along my cheek to my ear, he nipped my earlobe with his teeth and his hands went up my nightshirt, he lifted his head and then, woosh, the nightshirt was gone.

Wow. He wasn’t messing around and he wasn’t wasting any time. Guess Eddie’d cottoned on to the Jet Freak Out and wasn’t going to take any chances.

“This real y isn’t fair. I can’t throw you off half naked,” I muttered.

“You couldn’t do it before but it’l be more fun this way if you try,” he said against my lips, his hand curling around my breast, his thumb rubbing along the nipple. I closed my eyes and gave a repeat performance of the day before.

When I opened them again, the playful look was gone and the hungry look was there and I realized I’d given him exactly what I wanted.

“I don’t think I like you,” I told him even as my arms wrapped around him (of their own volition, I swear).

He smiled against my mouth.

“You like me,” he said and he kissed me again.

When he lifted his head, I shook mine.

“No, I don’t like you. In fact, I really don’t like you.” Al of a sudden, his hand moved down my bel y and dipped in my underwear and my eyes widened even as my back arched when his fingers pressed in.

“You like me.” His voice had gone gruff and I knew he had his proof.

Just as quickly as it came, his hand was gone and he grabbed my hand and pul ed it between us, pressing it in his boxers and wrapping my fingers around him and I had some proof too.

“And I like you, and just about now, I can say I’d like to be inside you.”

Just about now, I could say I’d like that too.

I moved my hand against him, rol ing my thumb over the tip. He made a sound in his throat that vibrated in my doo-da and he kissed me with an intensity I’d never felt before in al my not so vast experience.

It was far more hot, far more devastating to my mental health and definitely wild.

He rol ed onto his back, taking me with him, his hand on He rol ed onto his back, taking me with him, his hand on my bottom in my underwear, my hand stil wrapped around him and stroking.

“You could get up now,” he said against my ear as I ran my lips along his neck, smel ing Eddie and knowing I’d never forget that smel or the feel of him in my hand, not for the rest of my life.

“I’ve changed my mind.” I told him.

“About f**kin’ time.” he muttered, his hand moved from my bottom to wrap around my wrist, pul ing it away from him. He knifed up and I straddled him, my head bent down, his tilted back and I was kissing him, my hands going in his hair, both his hands pushing my underwear down my bottom.

“Anyone home?” My mother yel ed.

We both froze, mouth-to-mouth, his hands in my pants, mine in his hair.

“You’ve got to be f**kin’ kidding me,” Eddie said through clenched teeth.

“I don’t understand, Jet never sleeps this late and Eddie’s truck is stil down there. Lavonne, you put the coffee on, I’l just check.”

Eddie pul ed up my panties, his hands went to my waist and he half moved, half threw me to the side.

He angled off the bed and grabbed his jeans as we heard Lavonne’s scratchy voice saying, “Sure thing, Nancy.”

I rol ed over, got out of bed, snatched up my nightshirt and tugged it on as a knock came at the door.

“Jet, dol face? You in there?”

“Jet, dol face? You in there?”

“Yeah, Mom. Coming!” I shouted.

I was standing at one side of the bed, Eddie on the other wearing his jeans; three of the five buttons done up. His face looked like thunder.

“Is Eddie in there?” Mom cal ed.

Eddie’s head swung to me and he looked about ready to commit homicide.

I stifled a giggle and was smiling flat out.

I mean, real y. It was too much. We were like school kids getting caught on the couch.

“Yeah. We’re both coming out.”

“Okay, sweetheart.” Then I heard Mom limp away.

Eddie turned to me, his eyes glittering.

“You better be worth it,” he growled and I knew he meant it as a joke but what he said wiped the smile from my face and I became perfectly serious.

“I’m not,” I told him honestly.

I watched as his face changed, the incredulous glitter faded from his eyes and something else took its place.

Something I couldn’t read and didn’t want to read.

Before he could reply, I pul ed my hair back out of my face and walked out of the room.

* * * * *

I took the fastest shower in the history of womankind, pul ed on a pair of jeans, a black, button-front shirt that was too fitted and, as such, showed cle**age (another gift from Lottie) and a pair of black, high-heeled boots (because Eddie was stil there and I had to make some effort). I pul ed my hair back in a ponytail, spritzed with my fanciest perfume, didn’t bother with makeup because there was no time and headed out of my room. Eddie was dressed, sitting drinking coffee and shooting the breeze with Mom and Lavonne in the kitchen like this was a normal, everyday occurrence. Not like he’d just been interrupted by my Mom with his tongue in my mouth and his hands pushing my panties half down my ass.