Hang Tough(86)
“Whoa. Hold on. I’m looking for a job too. And whenever I bring this topic up, you distract me with hot sex and it gets shoved under the bed—which is about the only place we haven’t fucked.”
“Is that a complaint?”
“Yes.”
Her eyes widened.
Shit. “I mean no. But bein’s I have an interview in Casper next week, it is something we need to talk about.”
“So talk.”
“I am in a transitory position, Jade. I have five job applications that I haven’t heard back on. What happens if the place in Taos offers me a full-time job? Would you stay here or go with me?”
“Would you want me to go with you?” she retorted.
Tobin didn’t even hesitate. “Yes.”
“There’s your answer. Yes, I’ll go with you. No matter where that might be. It’s not like I’m unemployable and you’d have to support me.”
“Maybe I’d like to support you.”
“There’s every man’s dream. To have a freeloading girlfriend.”
He kept his temper in check. “I don’t give a shit about any man’s dreams but mine. Maybe it makes me a fucking throwback, but I’d be happy as hell to take care of you. I’d consider it a damn privilege.”
“A privilege. Seriously?”
Tobin slipped his arm beneath her and rolled until he was on top, with her arms pinned above her head. “Okay, we’ll do this a different way. I’ve waited a long damn time for you to come into my life. And it would make my dick hard and fill my chest with macho pride if every time I looked at you, I knew I was the guy you trusted to be everything you need. Not give. Not buy. Be. That’s what I consider taking care of you.”
Jade snared his mouth in a hungry kiss. “Be what I need right now, Tobin. Take me to that place where it’s just us.”
“I am so lost in you.” He buried his face in her throat, waiting for her to hook her legs around his hips, so he could drive inside her and take them both to the only sure thing, to the only place that really belonged to them.
Chapter Twenty
Jade had just ended her cell phone call when she heard a series of short horn blasts. She wandered onto the porch and saw a van in the driveway.
The door opened and Riss jumped out, wearing a mechanic’s suit—a grease-smeared mechanics suit.
She grinned at her crazy redheaded friend. “To what do I owe this visit?”
“I need booze. Is there anyone else here?”
“Just me.”
“Good. Bring the hooch. I’ve waited long enough for you to share the down-and-dirty details about you and Tobin.”
“Come up and snag a seat. Preferably not a cloth one because it looks as if you rolled in oil.”
“Sat in it is more likely.” Riss plopped down.
“How about some hard cider?”
“Perfect. Got any cigars?”
“Just Cubans.”
Riss’s eyes went wide. “Are you fucking kidding me?”
“Yes. Sorry. I couldn’t resist.”
“Jerk.”
Jade brought out the bottles of cider, wondering if she should’ve grabbed snacks.
“Relax, New York. Booze in bottles with no glasses is how we prefer to be served in the West.” She held her bottle out. “Cheers.”
“Cheers.”
Maybe being nosy went with that mind-set too, because Riss immediately said, “We’re drinking buddies, shopping buddies and I baited the hook for your hookup with Tobin, so, sweet cheeks, you owe me some dirty deets.”
“Baited the hook,” Jade repeated. “What did you do?”
“Snapped a picture of your ass in your new cowgirl jeans and maybe a pic of men surrounding said ass in the bar and sent it to your man.”
Jade laughed. “You are a good friend.”
“Tell me one juicy thing.”
She swigged from the bottle. She’d never been great at doing stuff like this.
Here’s your chance to change and you don’t have to pretend you’re as tell-all as the Enquirer.
“All right Riss, I’ll confess . . . I’ve always sucked at swapping confidences. Especially about sex. But you asked, so I’ll give it a shot. One juicy thing? But, gosh, there are so many.”
“You suck.”
She laughed. “There is one thing that sticks out in my mind and is so much more obvious than any others.” She set her elbows on the table. “Tobin is hung. Like, not a little hung, like ‘holy mother that is the big daddy of all dicks’ hung.”
Riss spewed cider. “Shit, Jade. Warn me next time.” She blotted her face with her sleeve. “Okay. He’s hung. Does he know how to work the oversized equipment?”