Jayden, page 12
part #5 of Heroes at Heart Series
Before she had time for her thoughts to go further, she startled when the door opened and Morgan walked in, smiling brightly at her before moving into a stall. After a moment, Morgan came out and washed her hands at the sink next to Ruby.
“I was hoping you were still going to be in here,” Morgan said, her smile warm. “I know meeting everybody can be kind of intimidating. That’s how I felt when I first met the gang. But I wanted to have a private moment to let you know how glad I am that you’re with Jayden.”
Blushing, she babbled, “Oh, I’m not with him, not like that. We’re just…um…I guess we’re just friends.”
Morgan shook her head, a soft laugh escaping and smiled as she gently laid her hand on Ruby’s arm. “Of the two twins, Jaxon’s the louder, goofier one. But Jayden? He has a big heart, the desire to care, but I always knew that I’d be able to tell when he found that someone special. Believe me, Ruby, it’s you. And I couldn’t be happier. Heck, all of us are.”
Rubbing her palms on her jeans, she admitted, “Everyone is so nice, but you’re right…it’s a little…um… intimidating.”
“Don’t worry, Ruby. I can tell you’ll fit in just fine.”
Scrunching her nose, she pondered Morgan’s assurance but blurted her confession. “I’m not like the rest of you. You all have careers and I…clean houses. I’m not ashamed, but—”
“Good grief, don’t let that bother you, Ruby. None of the guys went to college. They all joined the military and then found jobs that they wanted to do and love. Believe me, you really do fit in just fine with our group. No one judges you other than how you make Jayden feel.”
Not knowing what to say, her shy smile was her reply. Letting out a relieved breath, she felt some of the tension leave her body. It appeared his friends were happy for Jayden. Morgan wrapped her arm around Ruby and led her back out to the table.
Jayden jumped up, his eyes searching hers, a worried expression on his face. As she started to sit, he leaned close and whispered, “Are you okay?”
She simply nodded but placed her hand on his thigh and gave a little squeeze. She was thrilled when he responded by wrapping her hand in his and squeezing back.
One of Zander’s servers walked over and delivered new drinks. She looked down at Ruby and smiled widely. “Hey, it’s nice to see Jayden here with someone. I’m Lynn.”
“It’s nice to meet you,” she said, noting Lynn’s smile was relaxed and not forced the way her smile had always been at Carter’s.
“How’s the family, Lynn?” Jayden asked.
Rolling her eyes, she replied, “The kids are growing like weeds. It’s good thing bossman pays me so well so I can keep my son in shoes since he outgrows them every time I turn around.”
The others laughed, and Jayden explained, “Lynn’s got two kids. She has the kids during the day, and her husband has them at night when she works here.”
“How’s it going, Lynn? Zander asked.
Lynn turned around and cocked her hip. “Since Janelle left the other day for maternity leave, we’re dying here, boss. You’ve got to hire someone soon.”
Rosalie looked over at her husband and agreed. “Zander, stop stalling and hire someone. You need another server!”
He began to grumble, saying it was hard to find someone reliable. He lifted his gaze to Ruby and asked, “I don’t want to put you on the spot, but are you serious about wanting to find another serving job?”
A spark of hope deep in her chest began to flare, and she nodded. “Yes, I am. I’m available some afternoons and any evening.” Her shoulders slumped, as she admitted, “But I didn’t leave Carter’s under the best of circumstances. There’s no way he’ll give me a reference.”
Zander barked out a laugh and said, “I wouldn’t take a recommendation from that asshole anyway!”
A giggle slipped out, watching Rosalie playfully slap her husband’s arm, and she slid her gaze up to Jayden, who was squeezing her shoulder.
Zander had a piece of paper he was scribbling on. Uncertain what he was doing, she was surprised when he shoved it across the table toward her.
“The top figure is what your hourly salary would be, and the second figure is the average tips that my servers make per week. I’ve also jotted down the basic benefits that I offer my employees as well. I know it’s only temporary until Janelle comes back or you find something else. You can look that over, and if you’re still interested, let me know.”
She stared at the figures on the paper and was unable to hold the gasp back. That’s way more than I was making at Carter’s, and she jerked her gaze back to Zander. “I don’t have to think about it. I’ll take it.”
Jayden heaved a sigh of relief upon hearing Ruby’s acceptance of Zander’s offer. Grimm’s would offer her a safe work environment. Not only did Zander have a reputation for keeping an orderly bar, but he did not have his servers dressed provocatively, and he hired several bouncers to deal with anyone who got out of hand. Zander had met Rosalie when she was injured just outside his bar, and he was not about to let that happen to another woman.
With his arm around Ruby’s shoulder, Jayden squeezed her tightly, pulling her closer. Her smile was bright, and as she turned to beam up at him, he leaned forward, unable to keep from kissing her. It was a light kiss, the barest meeting of lips, but it seemed to surprise them both. He blinked as she startled, not having meant for their first kiss to be so public. But the feel of her soft lips on his was imprinted onto his brain.
He dropped his gaze from her wide eyes down to her mouth, still slightly open, but battled the desire to have that touch again. Her attention was distracted from the congratulatory cheers from the others at the table, but he could see the blush rising over her face and feel the heat pouring from her body.
While it had not been much of a kiss, he leaned back, grinning widely, anxiously awaiting the next time he could take her lips, giving them the time and attention they deserved.
A few minutes later, the group began to disperse. Zander and Rosalie wanted to get home to their little girl, but he made arrangements with Ruby to come in and fill out the employee paperwork the next day. Eleanor said that she and Rafe had an early morning at their clinic the next day, and they were ready to call it a night. Cael and Regina were working on restoring an old house, and they decided to head home. Asher had already said his goodbyes and quietly slipped away, and Zeke and Cas headed into the kitchen.
The gathering had dwindled to just he, Ruby, Jaxon, and Morgan. While she had appeared to enjoy meeting his other friends, having the group now just be the four of them, he felt the tension in her body relax. He had been worried when she left the table to go to the ladies’ room, stress evident on her face, but when she and Morgan reappeared, she seemed happier.
“I have to confess that I’ve got a nosy question for you two…did you ever switch identities, just for fun?” Ruby asked, shifting her gaze from Jaxon to Jayden.
“We tried it the very first time we met Miss Ethel, but even though she’d only just been introduced to us, she already knew which of us was which,” Jayden said, shaking his head, still not able to understand how she had been able to do that.
“Yes, but most of our teachers were never that astute,” Jaxon said with a wide grin and a wink.
“You were in the same classes?” she asked.
Before Jayden had a chance to answer, Jaxon jumped in. “Nah, but that didn’t stop us. Every once in a while, when we got bored, we’d go into each other’s class. Our teachers never noticed.” Shrugging, he threw out, “It helped.”
Morgan’s brow lowered, and she asked, “Helped?”
Jayden’s chin dropped to his chest, eyes closed, and sighed, knowing what his brother was going to say. He felt Ruby shift in her chair and felt her attention riveted on him.
Jaxon barked out a laugh and replied, “Jayden was better in English, and I was a little better in math. We didn’t do it often, but occasionally, if he had a math test, I’d spend the day pretending to be him and take that test. He’d do the same for me when there was an English test.”
Both women gasped at the same time, and Jayden’s head jerked up, pinning Jaxon with a glare. “You make us sound like a couple of cheats.” He looked down at Ruby and added, “We only did that a few times.”
“Yeah, but it came in handy,” Jaxon continued. “We even switched up on a few dates.”
Morgan rolled her eyes, but Ruby lifted her eyebrows. “Seriously?”
“It wasn’t my fault,” Jayden protested. “Jaxon would ask out more than one girl for the same weekend, forgetting that he’d already asked somebody. Then he’d get me to go out with one of them, pretending to be him.”
Morgan and Ruby burst into laughter, both shaking their heads. Ruby said, “For some reason, when I asked the question if you two had ever switched identities, I sort of expected you to say no.”
“I have a feeling Miss Ethel has more stories to tell about the two of them,” Morgan said, winking at Ruby.
As the four of them continued to chat, he noticed that Ruby had barely touched her beer, preferring the water instead. When Lynn came around one more time, he ordered water as well. When Jaxon and Morgan’s attention was diverted, he reached over and slid her untouched beer to the end of the table. She shot a grateful look his way, and he winked.
Thirty minutes later, the four walked outside. Jayden stood to the side as Ruby accepted a hug from Morgan. Her face registered surprise and then she appeared to relax, a smile sliding over her face as she hugged her in return.
Jayden loved seeing the genuine smile on her face, having seen it when she talked to Granny. It was so simple, as though she did not expect anyone to be nice. Sliding his arm around her as he steered her to his truck, he was determined to do everything in his power to keep a smile on her face.
15
Driving her home, he listened as she chatted about his friends. He wondered if she did not get out very much, considering that she was always working. He and his brothers had always gotten together no matter how hectic life became, Miss Ethel’s lessons about the importance of family having been drilled into them.
As they pulled into her driveway, he realized that she had grown quieter. Turning off the engine to his truck, he shifted around in his seat so that he could see her pensive face.
She glanced over at him and then back down to her hands clasped in her lap. He liked how she was quiet, even shy, but wanted her to feel at ease with him. Just as he was getting ready to ask what she was thinking, she spoke.
“I really liked meeting your friends,” she said.
He smiled, relieved, and reached across the console to take her hand. Rubbing his fingers over her knuckles, he replied, “I’m glad.”
“I was nervous,” she confessed. “It was kind of overwhelming to meet them all at once.”
“I could tell,” he said. “I didn’t want you to feel nervous. I didn’t mean to spring them on you all at once, but, well…I didn’t really think about it making you anxious. We get together a lot, so it just seemed natural to me. I’m sorry that you were nervous.”
“I don’t get together with groups. I don’t really have a lot of friends,” she added, stealing glances at him between staring at her hands.
“Why is that? You’re so pretty and so sweet.”
She grimaced, and he wondered what her reply was going to be, hating that he put that expression on her face. She was silent for a moment, and he was not sure she was going to answer.
“I was always just someone who kept to themselves. Then it seemed like I was always working or taking care of Mom. Kevin never liked me being close to anyone, and at the time, it didn’t seem too bad, since I’m shy.” She shrugged her shoulders and continued, “I guess that seems strange coming from someone who worked at Carter’s. Of course, that’s probably why my tips were not as good as some of the other flirty waitresses.”
“I can’t tell you how glad I am that you’re not going to be working for him anymore. Even if you’re still mad at me, I just couldn’t stand to see you there.”
She nodded slowly, saying, “I was angry last night. I had no idea how I was going to be able to pay my bills.” He opened his mouth to speak, but she rushed to add, “I know you said you’d take care of things, but I can’t have you do that.”
Once she began to speak, she opened up more and said, “I’ve just been really busy for the last several years. It’s hard to make friends when my days were spent alone cleaning houses, and my evenings were spent at Carter’s trying to avoid people other than those I had to serve.” She looked down at his hand covering hers, and her fingers flexed before giving a little squeeze. “I do envy the close relationship you have with your friends. I know that things were terrible for you when you were younger, but when I see the relationship you have with those other men, it seems as though Miss Ethel was able to work miracles.”
He smiled his agreement, and they sat for a few more minutes in comfortable silence, their hands still linked together.
She finally looked up toward the house and said, “I’d better go in. Granny is getting better and stronger every day, but I still like to check in on her.”
He hated to end their connection but nodded, giving her fingers one last squeeze in a silent plea for her to stay until he opened her door. Pleased that she seemed to understand it was important to him, he rounded the truck and assisted her down. Walking to the front door, he wrapped his arm around her shoulder, tucking her closely into his side. As they stood on the porch, he towered over her, and she leaned back looking up. He noticed a blush cross her face and tilted his head, asking, “What’s going through that pretty head of yours?”
Her lips curved into a smile, and she said, “I was thinking that I seem way too short. But…I feel very safe when I’m with you.”
Her words warmed his heart and gave him hope. He slid his hands from her shoulders up to cup her jaw, his thumbs sliding over her cheeks.
She continued to stare, her eyes focusing on his lips. She leaned up on her tiptoes, as though drawn upward by an invisible thread that connected her to him. Not disappointing, he leaned down and gently took her lips.
The kiss was soft and sweet, but she felt her toes curl at the sensations that moved throughout her whole body. With his hands still cupping her cheeks, he tilted her head slightly so that he could take more of her lips.
She sighed, and his tongue slid between her open lips, caressing hers. She was glad he was holding her up or she would have slunk down to the porch, her body a mass of jelly. How could a man with such strength and power kiss with such gentleness?
She had only been kissed by one man, and Kevin took more than he gave. The only reason she was sure of that was because of the romance novels she read. She often wondered if romance novels were purely fiction, written by women who wanted to tempt others into thinking that there could be kisses of perfection. But now, as Jayden slid one hand around her back, pressing her tightly to his length, she knew how a real man could kiss. And as much as she was reveling in all of the sensations, the realization slammed into her: He’s ruined me for any other man.
His tongue slipped deeper into her mouth, gently exploring. Self-conscious at her lack of kissing experience, she nonetheless responded naturally. Her tongue tangled with his before exploring on its own.
She wanted to shove all thoughts of Kevin from her mind, but it was hard not to compare. Kevin had often tasted of stale beer or whiskey and cigarettes. But Jayden tasted of spice and sweet, and something that was uniquely him. Closing her eyes, she allowed her tongue to wander, seeking his essence while memorizing it, knowing it might be the only kiss she ever shared with him.
Suddenly, cool air moved between them, and she dragged her gaze from his lips up to his eyes, questioning the end of the kiss. He had leaned his head back and closed his eyes, the expression on his face one of pure agony.
Oh, God, I was terrible. He must be used to beautiful women knowing exactly how to kiss a man, and here I am fumbling through what, to me, was amazing.
She lowered her heels back to the floor, and her hands, which had been gripping his shirt, now flattened on his chest as she pushed herself backward. The heat of embarrassment flamed through her, and she wished she could disappear.
His chin jerked down, and his eyes landed on her, his brow furrowed as though in pain. “Ruby, I’m sorry.”
Desperate for the evening to end, she forced a smile upon her face and shook her head in jerky movements. “No, no. It’s fine…um…I’m the one who’s sorry. I’m sure that was…um…terrible.”
She tried to step further away from him, but his arm banded tighter around her back. Cocking his head to the side, he asked, “Terrible? You thought it was terrible?”
Blinking, she chastised herself for insulting him. She rushed, “No. No, not for me. But…um… I’m not very good…um…experienced. So…um…” By now, the desire to cry was overwhelming, and she tried to push further away from him, desperate to go inside the house. Anywhere to get me away from his penetrating stare.
“Ruby,” he said, his voice soft. When she refused to look up at him, he squeezed her gently. “Ruby, please look at me.”
A tear escaped, and with his thumb, he wiped it from her cheek. “That was anything but terrible,” he said.
Uncertain of his meaning, she sucked in her lips, continuing to blink in an effort to hold the tears at bay.
“Oh, babe, that kiss was amazing,” he admitted, holding her gaze.
She swallowed deeply and whispered, “But you stopped. And you looked like you were in pain…like it was awful.”
She watched as a smile curved his lips but was no longer able to read his emotions. “Please don’t toy with me,” she begged. “I don’t know how to play this game.”
He moved her body closer to his, erasing all space between them, and lowered his head so that he was right in front of her. “Ruby, this is no game, and I’m not playing with you. The look on my face was one of pain, but it was not pain from the kiss, but knowing that the kiss was going to have to come to an end, and I didn’t want it to.”
