Don't Go Away Mad (Burgers and Brew Crüe Book 2) Read online

  “Hey, maybe Jasper can help you tomorrow night,” Dustin says, either completely oblivious to the sexual tension suddenly surrounding us or is ignoring it.

  “What’s tomorrow night?” Jasper asks, glancing between us.

  “Nothing,” I reply, but it’s drowned out by my brother continuing.

  “Every year, we bake Lyndee’s birthday cake together, but now I won’t be there.”

  “It’s no big deal,” I insist, feeling eyes boring into me from across the table.

  “When’s your birthday?” he asks, seeming a little surprised by this revelation.

  “Oh, uh…”

  “Two days.”

  My brother’s a traitor.

  Jasper’s shocked eyes land on mine. “Your birthday’s in two days? On Christmas Eve?”

  “It’s no big deal,” I insist, standing to collect the dirty dishes.

  “It is,” Jasper argues, grabbing the pot of potatoes and following behind me. “I’ll help you.”

  “That’s not necessary,” I insist, shoving the dishes somewhat haphazardly into the dishwasher.

  He stands directly beside me, the familiar scent of grease infiltrating my nose and reminding me of how close he is. “I want to. What if I meet you at the bakery after I get off work? I can bring dinner, maybe those burgers you inspired.”

  A smile cracks across my lips. This feels like a date. Is this a date? “Umm, okay.”

  He grins widely, one of those breathtakingly gorgeous smiles that makes my internal muscles clench. “Excellent. I can’t wait to watch you in your element this time,” he says before heading over to grab more dishes.

  Later that night, I’m brushing my teeth for bed, when I hear a noise on the opposite side of the bathroom door. I spit out the toothpaste and rinse my mouth before pressing my ear against the wood.

  Last time I opened this door, I found Jasper practically naked, wearing only a pair of gym shorts and his body covered with sweat. A part of me wants to open this door and see what awaits me tonight. Is he running again, or will he be working with the free weights I saw along the back wall?

  I consider opening the door to find out, but something stops me. What happened last night, was that a one-time thing? He hasn’t so much as made a move on me tonight, so was it just sex to scratch a certain itch? He admitted before he uses sex to help him sleep.

  But then there’s the fact that we…snuggled. I was prepared to go back to my room, yet he crawled into his bed and pulled me against his warm body.

  So what does that mean?

  And am I going to get the answers standing here, listening to him work out?

  No. As nice as the view would be, it would only cloud the water, because something tells me if I go in there, it won’t be to talk.

  Unless you consider screaming his name in ecstasy as talking.

  No?

  Sighing, I flip off the light and return to the guest room, making sure the door is closed securely behind me.

  I go ahead and lock it too. I’m just not sure if it’s to keep him out or me in.

  ***

  “I’ll see you later tonight,” Dustin says, waving from the door as he and Dana head out to have dinner.

  When the young woman arrived at the bakery, she was all smiles and dressed in a festive holiday sweater with embroidered Christmas lights around the neck. Dustin loved it, wearing his own holiday-themed tie with the Grinch and Cindy Lou Who. They walked together across the street for dinner and agreed that she would drive him back to Jasper’s after they ate, so they could visit more.

  Just after six, there’s a knock on the back door. I pull it open without looking through the peephole, already knowing who it is. Smiling, I open the door. “Come on in.” As he brushes by me, I catch a whiff of the deliciousness in the bag he’s carrying. “That smells amazing.”

  “I’m excited to try it,” he beams, setting the bags down on the large metal island. “I was able to secure Asiago cheese from my distributor today, but I also made one with Cheddar so we could taste the difference and see which one we like best.”

  I can’t help but grin at the way he includes me, as if I’m part of the decision-making process and not just a mouth he’s feeding. “Sounds good,” I tell him as he slides the first large Styrofoam container my way.

  “By the way,” he says, opening up the food and transferring two juicy burgers onto paper plates. He cuts them both in half, placing one of each on the two plates. “I saw Dustin and Dana before I left. I went over and said hello. She seems nice.” He adds a handful of fries to each plate before sliding one my way.

  “She’s very nice, like her sister. A little younger than he is, but only by two years. She’s a speech therapist for the county health department. She works at the schools mostly but has also been to the hospital and mental health center. She’s the first speech therapist we’ve had in almost two decades,” I tell, recalling all the details Daisy shared yesterday after her sister had left the bakery.

  “That’s cool,” he replies, seeming genuinely interested. “I’m impressed. I bet that’s a crap-ton of schooling.”

  I pick up one of the burger halves on my plate and examine the contents. “Seven years. Do you want me to try the Cheddar or the Asiago first?”

  Jasper looks over at the food in my hand and the one left on the plate. “That’s the Cheddar, so go ahead and try it first.”

  I bring the food to my mouth and take a bite. The first thing I taste is the juicy tomato and the tangy spinach. Mixed with the fresh ground beef patty, and it’s a pretty good burger.

  “Tell me what you think.”

  Once I swallow, I share my thoughts. “Pretty tasty,” I tell him. “It’s a great flavor combination, and the cheese really sets it off. The tomato is grilled to perfection, and I’m pretty sure you added a pinch of salt. I like that you melted it on the spinach instead of the patty.”

  His eyes sparkle as he listens, seeming to hang on my every word. When I’m finished, he finally takes his own bite and slowly chews. “I agree. The cheese is good, but I’m hopeful the Asiago is the real winner.”

  I eat a few fries and take a drink of water to clear my palate before reaching for the other half. I can smell the Asiago cheese, and my mouth waters. When I take a bite, the flavor explodes on my tongue and I groan in satisfaction. Closing my eyes, I savor the unique taste of the ingredients, knowing this is the winning combination. “Oh, man,” I groan, quickly taking a second bite. “This is the one,” I mumble with a mouth full of food.

  He grins widely before taking his own bite, moaning in pure bliss. “Damn.”

  “Right? It’s delicious,” I declare. “You could even add a touch of mayo or even a thin layer of chipotle mayo for a kick, though the tomato still holds that juicy factor.”

  Jasper barks out a laugh, reaches into the bag, and pulls out several small containers. “Mayo, chipotle mayo, zesty ranch, and a creamy cucumber sauce I make from scratch.”

  We play around with the different sauces, and both agree the zesty ranch is the way to go. It adds a certain kick, while still preserving the unique flavor combinations. Once we finish our food, I toss all the containers in the trash and get ready to bake my cake.

  “Will you grab that bag of flour?” I ask, getting the eggs and buttermilk from the refrigerator. I pull all of the dry ingredients off the shelf and set them beside the big, new bag of flour.

  When I glance at Jasper, his eyes are dancing with eagerness. “Tell me what to do.”

  “Gonna let me boss you around for a change, huh?” I tease, then suddenly realize the innuendo of my words. My cheeks flame red as memories of Jasper’s hot demands in bed two nights ago come playing back vividly.

  He turns my way, an amused smirk on his face. “Well, if you want to…take the bull by the horns, sweets, you can boss me around whenever you want.”

  I didn’t think it was possible, but my desire to have the floor open up and swallow me whole is greater than ever before.
Now, not only am I thinking about what we did the other night, but so is Jasper. Clearly the bull he’s referring to is his cock, and I can tell by the way his eyes devour me from head to toe, it’s as if he’s picturing me completely naked and recalling all the dirty things he did to my body.

  A shiver rolls through my veins.

  “Quit thinking about me naked or this cake will never get made,” he announces, tossing me a wink. “What should I do?”

  I pull out the food processor, willing my breathing and heartbeat to calm down. “How do you like cherries?”

  Again, I blush.

  Get your mind out of the gutter!

  He smirks and pops open the jar sitting in front of him. He brings one to his mouth, tongue slipping out to catch a drop of juice before it can fall. As he chews, he whispers, “Love them.”

  I clear my throat and try not to think about him using his tongue on other things. It doesn’t help, of course. “We’re making a cherry chip cake with buttercream frosting.”

  “Excellent.” He claps his hands together, heads over to wash them, and gets to work on chopping the maraschinos.

  He watches me intently as I make the batter, helping add ingredients as I ask. Once the cherries are added, I divide the batter into three round, greased pans and slip them into the preheated oven.

  “That’s it?”

  “That’s it,” I confirm, setting the timer. “Well, it is for the cakes. Now we get to make the frosting.”

  I retrieve the ingredients and toss them in the mixer. It’s my favorite appliance of everything in the kitchen and the one thing I use more than anything else, besides the oven.

  When it’s folding together in the bowl, I glance over and find Jasper grinning. “What?”

  “Nothing. It’s just that you have some powdered sugar on your cheek.”

  I quickly swipe it away, only to have him chuckle.

  “No, it was the other one.”

  Before I can try to wipe it off, he leans in his big, warm thumb and presses it against my cheek as he removes the smudge. “There.”

  “Thanks.” The words are hoarse, my throat suddenly extremely dry. I’m very well aware of how close he’s standing and how amazing he smells.

  “You have some…” he starts, dabbing his pinky against the side of the mixer and taps it against my neck, “…thing right here.”

  Then his mouth descends, his warm tongue swirling around my skin before he licks and sucks the drop of icing off me. Wetness floods my panties, and it’s suddenly hard to breathe. All I can think about, all I want, is him.

  We move together. I turn in his arms, and he presses his lips to mine. The cold, hard steel island digs into my ass, but I don’t care. I swing my arms around his neck as I lift myself up to meet his hungry mouth. He’s hard, his erection firmly wedged between our bodies, and the feel of it only makes me more ravenous.

  “You taste so fucking sweet,” he whispers, nipping at the corner of my mouth. His hands reach back and grip my ass, gently lifting me onto the table.

  I wrap my legs around his waist, rocking my hips and grinding against him. If possible, it feels like his erection grows even harder.

  “If I’m being completely honest here, I was hoping you’d show up in the gym again last night,” he murmurs, scraping his teeth against my jaw. “I went to bed so fucking hard, I had to take care of it in the shower.”

  His words—and the images they create—causes a shiver to slide down my spine. “That’s hot. I’m sorry I missed it,” I mutter, throwing my head back and letting him devour my neck.

  “The sex or the jack in the shower?”

  I lift my head and meet his gaze. “Both.”

  His mouth descends once more, raw and demanding as he deepens the kiss. I feel his hands everywhere. My back, my hair, my breasts. Everywhere but where I ache the most for his touch.

  Just as he reaches for the button of my jeans, the timer goes off on the oven. I jerk back at the same time a loud knock sounds on the front door. I look in that direction, unable to see who it is from this angle but knowing who the knocker is.

  “Shit,” I gasp, sucking oxygen into my lungs. I press my hands against his hard chest and jump off the island. Retrieving potholders, I grab the three cakes from the oven and set them on the cooling rack. When I glance back at Jasper, I find him leaning against the island, a smirk on his face and his very prominent erection pressed against his zipper. “Uhh, you may want to put that away.”

  “This?” he asks, glancing down and taking in his tight pants. “You did that.”

  “Yeah, but unless you want that seen by my brother and his date in about four seconds, you better will that thing into submission. Think about your grandma or something.”

  He snorts out a laugh, adjusting his pants. “I don’t have a grandma.”

  “Well, think of someone fast, or else you’re about to scar my brother for life.”

  He laughs, walking over and placing a kiss on my nose. “My cock won’t be scarring him nearly as much as your tousled hair, swollen lips, and nipples pressed against your shirt, begging to be sucked.”

  Just as I gasp and glance down, confirming that my nipples are very much a part of this conversation, my brother pushes through the back door with Dana, causing me to turn away to hide.

  It’s Jasper’s laughter that follows me as I make a quick escape into the bathroom until my nipples decide to behave themselves.

  Yeah, fat chance of that happening.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Jasper

  “Hey, guys, good to see you again,” I say after watching Lyndee retreat into the small employee bathroom on the opposite side of the kitchen. I lean forward against the island to cover my erection, knowing it’s quickly deflating now that we’re no longer alone. “How was dinner?”

  “So amazing,” Dana coos, her hand tucked in Dustin’s arm. “The Ride A Cowboy Burger was perfect.”

  “I’m glad,” I reply, looking at Lyndee’s brother. I can tell already he’s aware that something was going on in here. He’s smirking, his eyes darting around, as if looking for confirmation.

  “Where’s Lyn?”

  “Oh, she had to use the restroom. She’ll be out in a minute.”

  “You guys baked the cake,” he notices, using his walker to go over and check them out. “Cherry Chip is her favorite.”

  “I can’t wait to try it.”

  “You’ll be there for it tomorrow, right?”

  “Wouldn’t miss it,” I tell him as the bathroom door opens.

  “Hi, guys,” Lyndee greets, a too-wide smile on her face. “How was dinner?”

  “Excellent,” Dana replies.

  When she stops beside me, she asks, “What wouldn’t you miss?”

  “Cake tomorrow night.”

  “You don’t have plans? It’s Christmas Eve.” Her brown eyes find mine and hold a touch of hesitance.

  I shrug. I go to my folks’ place on Christmas Day, but that’s it. “I always work Christmas Eve. We close the kitchen down at seven and the bar at eight. I should be out around then. You don’t have to wait for me, but I’d love to join the celebration when I get home.”

  Home.

  I never thought I’d be comfortable talking about my place and a woman being there, waiting for me, but surprisingly, I am. Not the first time I’ve realized this, but it still doesn’t freak me out.

  “We usually just do takeout on Christmas Eve, since Lyn cooks on Christmas Day,” Dustin informs me. “We can hold off until you get home. Seems more fitting to have you there anyway.”

  I swallow over the lump in my throat. “Don’t wait on me for dinner, though. You should eat whenever you’re ready.”

  Dustin glances at Dana. “Would you like to come over for dinner and cake?” Then seeming to realize it’s not his house, he glances my way and adds, “If you’re okay with that.”

  “Of course, I am. Dana, or anyone else, is welcome while you’re staying with me. My place is your
place.”

  He nods and glances at his date. “Actually, we were thinking about going back to your house and grabbing a cup of coffee…if that’s okay.”

  “My home is your home. You don’t have to ask.”

  “Thank you, Jasper,” Dana adds, glancing to Dustin. “And I’d love to join you tomorrow, as long as you’re okay with my dropping by on your birthday.” She looks at Lyndee, who seems surprised to be asked for permission.

  “I’d love for you to be there.”

  “Great. I think we’re going to go and let you two decorate that cake. I can’t wait to try it. It looks amazing,” Dana says, moving to where Dustin stands.

  “See you at home,” he hollers on his way out the door, offering a wave before they disappear.

  Lyndee heads over to the cakes and slips them in the freezer. “What are you doing?” I ask, completely mesmerized by her movements.

  “Putting them in the freezer helps them cool faster. Plus, cold cake works better for frosting. If it’s too fresh or warm, it’ll peel the top of the cake off.”

  I head her way, dipping my finger in the buttercream as I pass. “So, what you’re saying is we have a little time.”

  Her grin borders on shy, but quickly tips into seductive. “A little. Why, what’d you have in mind?”

  I slide that finger across her lips, and then lick it off, savoring the sweet taste of the frosting and that of Lyndee’s mouth. “Delicious.” Then I move my hands to her head and devour. I could kiss her hot mouth all day, every day. She’s seriously the sweetest thing ever.

  Pinning her against the island, I reach down and lift, loving the way her legs automatically wrap around my waist once more. I can feel the warmth of her pussy permeating through her pants, and all I want to do is feel it cloak my dick.

  “Are we going to be interrupted anymore?”

  She shakes her head, her fingers gripping the back of my neck. “We’re completely alone.”

  I step back, leaving her sitting on the island, and move to make sure the back door is locked. I reach down and tug my shirt out of my slacks, lifting it up and over my head before I’ve returned to where I left her.