

**Playing for Keeps**

**A Neighbor from Hell Novel**

**by**

**R.L. Mathewson**

**A Smashword's Edition**
This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations and events described in this novel are either products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously.

Playing for Keeps © R.L. Mathewson 2011. All rights reserved.

Cover design, Heather Baker

http://www.rlmathewson.com

Edited by R.L. Mathewson

eBook ISBN-13 9780983212539

ISBN-13 9780983212546
This book is dedicated to everyone who was willing to take a chance on me throughout the years.

Thank you.

And of course, to my children, who will always be my inspiration and my little buddies.

Thank you for purchasing this book.

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Table of Contents

Title Page

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Epilogue

Playing for Keep's Honeymoon from Hell

A look at Perfection

Other Titles by R.L. Mathewson

Follow Me

About the Author

Playing for Keeps

A Neighbor from Hell Novel
**Chapter 1**

"Oh, no, no, no, no, no!" Haley murmured in disbelief as she sat there, helplessly watching as her pink, white, and yellow tulips were yanked viciously out of the ground. Finally reaching her breaking point, she shoved her chair back and headed towards the front door, deciding that this ended now because there was no longer any doubt in her mind.

She was definitely going to kill him this time.

After five long years of dealing with his crap, he'd finally gone too far. Her college roommate hadn't been able to piss her off this much, even when she'd gone through her six-month period of not showering or using deodorant in an attempt to "save the planet."

Five years ago, she'd been excited to buy her first house at the ripe old age of twenty-two. She'd worked her butt off to buy her dream home, a one-level two-bedroom ranch home with a large backyard a swimming pool. The experience of owning her own home was better than anything that she could have ever imagined.

She'd spent hundreds of hours picking out the perfect color scheme for each room, cleaning, organizing, and hitting every yard sale within a thirty-mile radius, trying to turn wood and plaster into a real home. None of that could even begin to compare to the hours she'd spent working on her lawn. With countless blisters, cuts, bee stings, and backaches she'd somehow managed to turn her dull yard into a paradise.

Her enjoyment had lasted for a total of four months. That's when he'd moved into the house next door. At first, she'd been excited to have a new neighbor, but that all ended the moment she met Jason Bradford.

Within the first ten minutes of his arrival, he'd backed into her mailbox, spilled fast-food wrappers from his car onto his property, which had quickly made their way onto her immaculate lawn, and followed that up by relieving himself on the old oak tree in his front lawn with a sheepish smile and a shrug in her horrified direction.

The man was evil.

Over the next five years, he'd turned her picturesque life into a nightmare. She wasn't sure how one person managed to turn her life into a living hell, but he had. Over the years, she'd dealt with paintball pellets decorating her laundry when she made the mistake of hanging it outside as well as on the side of her house. She'd also endured loud music, parties, twice she'd found naked people trying to climb over the fence to skinny dip in her pool, three a.m. drunken basketball games, women throwing tantrums on his front lawn and on hers when the jerk refused to come out and deal with them.

What made matters worse was the fact that they both worked at the same private high school, in the same department, with adjoining classrooms and parking spots. It hadn't taken long for him to turn her dream job and house into a nightmare. At work, she had to deal with him constantly "borrowing" things from her room like paper, pens, books, and even her desk.

He seemed to think that he was the most charming man on earth and had no problem using his good looks to get his way, leaving her with extra work and responsibilities while he got to be the laid-back teacher. It hadn't taken her long to realize that she would have to suck it up at work since there was no way at her age that she was going to be able to land a better job. She'd been lucky to land this one. So, the only option left for her was to move.

After the first year, she'd tried to sell her house, unsuccessfully. Every time a prospective buyer came around, he scared them off by just being Jason. She gave up the idea of selling her house for the next two years only to put it up again last year when he took up golf and broke three of her windows. He'd managed to scare off fifteen prospective buyers by walking out to get the mail in his boxers, a particularly memorable fit of rage when he threw his computer out the window accompanied with a loud roar, and of course, there was the upkeep, or rather lack thereof, of his property.

His lawn was covered in briars and weeds. He only paid the neighborhood kid to mow it once a month. The rest of the time, it was the chosen habitat of little woodland creatures. The house needed a serious paint job, or at the very least, he needed to clean of all paint chips that had fallen on the ground over the years. If he didn't personally scare someone off, his house did the job. She gave up her dream of moving away five months ago and settled for praying that he would move soon, very soon.

Now he was going after her babies, something that she would never allow. Enough was enough. Over the last five years, she'd bitten her tongue, too afraid to say anything. She'd always been quiet and shy with her nose buried in a book, hoping that no one would notice her. It wasn't that she didn't like people, because she actually did. No, her problem was that she was a huge chicken. When the other kids picked on her or pushed her around, she used to shut down, unable to deal with any type of confrontation and unfortunately for her, she still had that problem.

Only now, it was worse when it involved incredibly handsome men and Jason Bradford was definitely handsome. Everything about him from his dark hair, ocean blue eyes, and chiseled good looks made her nervous. She just wasn't good at handling people but throw good looks onto a guy that was being an asshole and she promptly turned into a blubbering idiot. Pushy people just sucked and she had no idea how to deal with them.

When she'd caught her roommate, Angel, stealing her papers, food, and money, what did she do? She avoided her dorm room until well after two in the morning when she knew Angel would be asleep and then made sure that was out of there before she woke up in the morning.

The same could be said of the few boyfriends she'd managed to have over the years that had tried to take advantage of her. Instead of throwing them to the curb like any sane woman would have done, she'd pulled back into herself, knowing that they would get bored eventually and move on. Yes, she was a chicken. That was the only reason why Jason Bradford had gotten away with everything he'd put her through over the past five years, but no more. The flowers were the last straw. Her grandmother had given her the bulbs from her own garden when Haley first bought this house and she'd be damned if she let him destroy them.

When she spied the rolled-up hose by the front door, she made a snap decision. This ended here and now. The days of being the world's biggest pushover were finally over.

*-*-*-*

"What the hell!" Jason bit out, jumping to his feet when he was suddenly hit with ice-cold water.

He didn't know what he'd expected to see when he turned around, but it definitely wasn't his timid little neighbor and co-worker aiming a hose at him. Clearly, she'd lost her fucking mind.

"Step away from my tulips," Haley bit out coldly, taking him by surprise.

He really couldn't help grinning. She looked so damn cute standing there with her long bronze hair pulled back into a twisted ponytail, green eyes full of fire hidden behind large glasses making her look adorable Of course, her rather tight black tee-shirt with the word "Nerd" written across her very decent size chest didn't hurt. His eyes dropped to her shorts, which revealed short, but very nice, shapely, tanned legs.

Of course, he already knew that his shy neighbor was stunning. It was the first thing he'd noticed about her the day he moved in. The second was that she was a very shy, very nervous, and easily frightened female. He still winced when he thought about the first day they'd met. After five hours on the road and three Big Gulps, he'd been in desperate need of a bathroom. Unfortunately, the realtor hadn't left the keys where she'd promised and he'd been forced to make a split-second decision, piss his pants or water the tree. In the end, the tree received a healthy amount of recycled Coke.

She hadn't even given him a chance to explain or even apologize. Her face had turned bright red seconds before she turned around and stumbled her way back into her house. From that point on, she'd avoided him at all costs. If he'd waved or said hello to her, she would mutter something or just flat out ignore him. If he, or one of his asshole buddies, broke something on her property, she didn't say a word.

If he'd been a jerk, he could have easily gotten away with not paying for all those broken windows or paintball streaked sheets, but he wasn't that big of a prick. He'd quickly learned that she would never speak up for herself, so as soon as the shit hit the fan, he made a call and replaced whatever he'd destroyed. It would have made him feel like an even bigger asshole to take advantage of the situation.

It always bothered him that she never spoke up for herself. He couldn't remember someone disliking him so fast and intensely before in his life. No matter what he did, she couldn't be bothered to speak to him. Hell, he would have kicked his ass years ago, or at the very least called the cops on him like the other neighbors had and filed a complaint with the principal like so many of his other co-workers seemed to enjoy doing. Hell, she'd never even signed any of those petitions that the rest of the neighbors liked to give him every few months, demanding that he move. He'd checked each and every time.

It wasn't like he was purposely being an asshole. It just came naturally to him. Everyone understood and accepted it. Probably because even though he was an asshole, he was a likable asshole...most of the time.

As happy as he was that she'd finally deigned to come off her throne to talk to him, he was also pissed that he was now freezing his balls off. Apparently, he hadn't moved fast enough because she sprayed him again.

"Are you fucking insane?" he demanded.

Haley gestured with the hose for him to take a step back. "Get away from my flower bed...now."

"Your flowerbed?" Jason asked with a snort of disgust.

"Yes, my flowerbed!" Another short spray. "I planted these flowers five years ago before you moved in!"

Frustrated, Jason ran his fingers through his messy hair. "Then, you should have checked the fucking property lines before you wasted your time!" he snapped.

Her eyes narrowed on him. "The flowerbed is my property!"

"I don't think so, sweetheart. Go check your deed if you don't believe me. This flowerbed is one hundred percent on my property," he bit out as he pointed to the two feet of space that separated their houses where the flower bed continued until it came to the large wooden picket fence that started at the corner of her house and continued to the back, separating their backyards. "You have five inches out from the wall of your house. Your property ends two inches before my flower bed! That's why the fucking white picket fence starts against your house instead of on the other side of the flowerbed."

He watched as she glared at the small space that separated their houses. Whoever built them had been a real prick. Their master bedrooms were built less than two feet apart. Yet, there was more than thirty feet of space between the other houses in the neighborhood.

There was no privacy with the way the houses had been built. He'd had no choice but to place his bed directly in front of the window and from what he could see, neither had she. Taking the smaller bedroom had been out of the question. His bed would never have fit inside.

It felt odd sleeping less than two feet away from a woman who hated his guts. During the summer, they both refused to open their windows until the heat became oppressive, leaving them with no other choice. Forget about bringing a woman to his bedroom. He'd never been one for PDA never mind having sex in public and having sex in his room would definitely feel like a public performance.

No matter how many times he'd tried to remind himself that they were in separate houses, he couldn't bring himself to allow a woman in his bed. Not that he normally did that. He'd never invited a woman to spend the night. It was one of his top ten rules of dating. The only time they ever came to his house was to bitch him out when he moved on and that was done from outside.

He'd never in his shared a bed with a woman. That was too much intimacy and sent the wrong message. The few times he'd made the mistake of relaxing in a woman's bed after a quick lay proved to be serious mistakes. They wanted to cuddle and always asked the questions that made him cringe, "What are you thinking?", "Do you love me?", "Where do you see this going?", "Are you as happy as I am?", "Why do you keep calling me by my sister's name?", or his personal favorite, "I wonder what our babies will look like." No, sex was best kept at a woman's house, in a hotel room, or better yet, in the backseat of a car.

Thank God his neighbor seemed to share the same attitude. He hated the idea of waking up to the sounds of another man grunting and moaning. With his luck, the sounds would filter into his dream and he would end up having a sex dream about one of the assholes that she dated. Thankfully that had never happened, otherwise he'd be sleeping on his couch.

It wasn't as though his beautiful neighbor was without male attention. He'd seen several losers sniffing around her in the last five years. She was easily out of their league, at least physically. Personality-wise, well even from afar, he could tell that they were all pricks. He wasn't perfect, but he'd found himself eager to deck a few of them over the years. They'd never hit her, otherwise he would have killed them, but sometimes he felt like they were just using her. He didn't know why he cared, but he did.

Haley eyed the fence and then the remaining length of the flowerbed only to sigh heavily. "Fine. If I made a mistake, then I'm sorry, but I replaced the last flower bed with the tulips from my grandmother's garden."

He nodded in relief, glad that it was finally settled. The damn flowers were out of here and not a moment too soon. He couldn't take another night like last night. Besides, he was running out of cornstarch.

"I'll just move the flowers over into my five inches of space," she said as his eyes narrowed on her.

"The hell you will!"
**Chapter 2**

Haley's eyes widened in disbelief as Jason threw himself back onto her poor tulips, tearing them out of the ground like a mad man.

"Stop!"

He ignored her and continued to rip the tulips from the ground, making sure that those damn bulbs came with them. He tossed them as far as he could onto his property so that she couldn't get her hands on them and re-plant them.

Haley squeezed the nozzle, hitting him with a full blast of cold water. It didn't seem to faze him as he continued to tear up her flowerbed.

"Stop! Please stop!" she cried, but he wouldn't stop. He only slowed down when he reached the tight space between their houses.

Jason was forced to shift his shoulders so he could lodge himself into the tight space. Thankfully, she gave up squirting him. It might be April, but they were in New England and that meant cold fucking days followed by even colder nights. His body shivered violently as he reached forward to grab more handfuls of tulips when something suddenly clamped around his ankles.

"What the hell-oomph!" he started to ask only to find himself pulled off balance, landing face-first into the thick mud she'd created with her water meltdown. Before he could push himself up, she was crawling over his back to get to those damn flowers.

Haley used her small frame to her advantage. After quickly crawling over Jason, she began digging up as many tulips with her hands as she could and setting them gently, yet quickly, against the side of her house.

"Hey! Stop that!" he demanded, as he leaned over her to grab hold of her hands.

"Get off me!" she snapped, digging faster.

"I wouldn't be on you if you weren't on my damn property!"

She threw back an elbow to dislodge him. He cursed under his breath as he pushed himself in further until her entire body was snuggled tightly beneath his. She instantly froze beneath him. He took advantage of her stunned reaction and grabbed as many flowers as he could, tearing them out of the ground and threw them blindly over his shoulder.

"I said get off me, not crush me!" she snapped, as she tried not to panic.

There was a large man on top of her!

Her senses went into overload as she tried to focus. But all she could think about was how good it felt to have of his hard stomach felt pressed against her back. Suddenly a shiver shot through her that had nothing to do with the cold-water seeping through her clothes and-

"That better not be what I think it is," she hissed between clenched teeth.

"It's not." It was. "Don't flatter yourself, sweetheart," Jason snapped, trying not to groan or grind into her. He was a little shocked. Not that he ever had a problem getting it up. He didn't. Of course, these days, his interest in sex had waned a bit. Hell, he couldn't remember the last time he had sex, which in itself was a problem.

He made a half-assed attempt to pull out more flowers. That seemed to distract her from the fact that her pert little ass being snuggled against his lap. His eyes closed as he nuzzled her neck and slowly inhaled. She didn't seem to notice, so he did it again. He would swear on his life that she smelled like blackberries and cream. She smelled so damn good.

She groaned in irritation. "I don't know what your problem is. I made a mistake planting them on your property and I'm sorry. Just let me move them over a few inches and everything will be fine."

That snapped him out of his daze.

"Oh, hell, no!" he bit out as he reached past her and began ripping more flowers out. She swore under her breath as she crawled out from under him to save whatever flowers she could. He simply followed her, assuming the same position each time.

"You're being a jerk! I just want my bulbs!" Haley said, trying not to cry. These were her grandmother's bulbs. Her grandfather had bought them for her grandmother after the war to celebrate the success of their first business.

"No, you're not going to plant them here! They can't stay!" Jason snapped, digging faster.

"Why not?" she demanded, coming closer and closer to frustrated tears. "I don't understand what your problem is. You don't do anything with your property. So, why do you care if there's a flowerbed here or a few inches over? They're not hurting you!"

"The hell they're not!" he snapped, thinking of all the spots on his back and neck that still throbbed.

She scoffed. "They're just flowers. What could they possibly do to piss you off this much?" she asked, absently waving off something as it buzzed past her ear.

"Bees!" Jason said, trying to back up, but couldn't move back.

"Yes, it's a bee," she said slowly as if she were talking to a child.

He groaned as he tried to twist free from between their houses. When that didn't work, he snaked his around her waist and tried to pull her free.

"Hey, get your hands-"

"It's a fucking nest and we just disturbed it!" he yelled, frantically trying to get them out of there.

Haley's eyes shot forward and then widened. Sure enough, two feet in front of her, the start of what appeared to be a very large ground nest was now poking out of the ground thanks to the flowers they'd yanked up. Yellowjackets began swarming just above the nest. It wouldn't be long before they descended on them.

"Move!"

"I can't!"

Haley clenched her teeth as she slammed back as hard as she could against him. He groaned low in her ear but didn't stop trying to move back. She moved forward and slammed back again and again. Each time was met with a groan and a gain of a few more inches.

"One more time!" he grated.

She moved forward and this time, when she slammed back against him, she pushed up with her shoulders and managed to dislodge him. Jason used the momentum to pull them both back several feet. He kept his arm snaked around her waist as he dragged her away from the nest.

"They're swarming!" Haley cried.

"Shit!" Jason looked frantically around for a safe place to hide.

"My house!" she yelled, gesturing wildly towards her front door as the buzzing grew louder.

"Good idea," he said as he ran towards the house, dragging her behind him. The buzzing became louder and louder as the swarm began circling them. Once they reached the front door, he opened it, relieved that she'd left it unlocked, and dragged her inside, slamming the door shut behind them.

"Bees!" Haley cried, gesturing to the bees that had followed them inside.

He quickly released her hand and grabbed two magazines from a small pile on a coffee table and threw one to her. Without a word, they rolled the magazines up and began to attack the dozen or so bees that had managed to follow them inside. Neither spoke until the last bee was squashed.

"Five nights...in...a...row...stung..." Jason tried to explain while he struggled to catch his breath.

"You knew there were yellowjackets and you still tore up the flowers?" Haley asked in disbelief. Her grandmother had taught her well. A ground nest was not something you wanted to mess with. It could be as small as a stack of quarters or several feet long, but you wouldn't know until it was too late.

Jason gestured in the direction of his house. "I was trying to kill them!"

She shook her head in disbelief. He knew there was a nest and he hadn't told her? He knew that she worked on her lawn every weekend.

"Why didn't you tell me there was a nest?" Haley demanded, trying not to yell at him, but they could have been killed!

"I did!"

"No, you didn't!"

He threw his hands up in exasperation. "I've been trying to tell you for the last few weeks, but whenever I approached you, you ran off!"

She opened her mouth to argue only to shut it just as quickly with a wince. Yeah, that really did sound like something she would do where he was concerned.

"Oh," she finally said.

"Yeah, oh," he snapped as he peeked out the window and groaned. "They're still swarming."

Haley sighed. "They're going to be a problem for a few hours. We need to call an exterminator."

*-*-*-*

Man, he was fucking freezing.

He was soaked to the bone and it didn't look like he was going to be able to go to his house anytime soon to change. Normally, he'd strip down to his boxers, but his neighbor was already skittish around him. He didn't want to give the poor thing a stroke. He looked down at her very clean and obviously well cared for wood floor and cringed.

"Shit, maybe I should step out the backdoor and dry off," Jason said, as he raised his eyes to look into her adjoining kitchen and swore roundly as he watched the windows suddenly turn black.

"I don't think that will be happening for a while," Haley mumbled softly as she rubbed her forehead. "Why don't you go take a shower and I'll see if I can find you something to wear. While you're taking your shower, I'll see if I can get an exterminator on the phone."

"If you're sure?" he said, hoping that she wouldn't change her mind. He was freezing his balls off. Hell, at this point, he'd squeeze his ass into a dress to get warm.

She nodded absently as she watched the bees swarm around her backyard through the gaps in the windows. "Yeah, let me show you where the bathroom is."

Ten minutes later, the shivering had finally stopped, and he was able to enjoy his shower. Never in his life had hot water felt so good. This was the best shower he'd ever had. It didn't hurt that his shy neighbor shared his appreciation for the simple things in life like a normal bar of soap. She didn't have any of that overly perfumed expensive shit that never lathered properly and always left a rash on his skin. It also didn't hurt that the bathroom looked like a bathroom and wasn't covered from head to toe in lace and makeup. This was a bathroom a man could comfortably use without worrying about his masculinity.

He was just pulling on the tee-shirt she'd left him when he heard her scream, "No! Don't do it!"

Jason was out of the bathroom in less than a second, running towards her and ready to kill whoever was trying to hurt her. He came to a skidding stop in front of her.

She smiled sweetly as she said, "God, I love you."

His brows nearly shot through his hairline as his heart pounded. Shit, this was worse than he thought. She hadn't been avoiding him all these years because she was shy. No, she was head over heels in love with him. Shit. This was awkward, especially since he was stuck here until an exterminator came. Now he hoped it was soon.

Really soon.

He opened his mouth to say something that would make this situation less awkward only to find himself gestured impatiently out of the way with a dough covered wooden spoon. He stepped back, frowning, afraid of getting dough all over him, and wondering what was wrong with the woman professing her love for him one minute and shooing him out of the way the next.

"Never come between me and the man that I love," Haley said, snapping him out of his thoughts.

Jason followed her gaze and chuckled. "Derek Jeter?"

She frowned as if questioning her love for the man was stupid. "Of course."

Jason couldn't help but grin. Damn. How had he missed this? She had a huge television, bigger than his and that was really saying something since his television was the one thing he'd splurged on.

"That's a really big television for such a tiny woman," he said teasingly.

"Well, how else am I supposed to watch my games and feel like I'm there?" Haley asked, frowning. "Plus, this way I get a better view of my future husband."

"Does he know?" he asked, looking back at her.

She scrunched her face up adorably. "Not yet, but I can wait," she said with a smile that made her face go from utterly adorable and sweet to heartbreakingly beautiful in less than a second.

Damn.

He shifted his feet awkwardly for a moment while she watched the game.

"Are you a Red Sox fan?" she suddenly asked.

"Hell no!" he said, insulted by the question. He may live knee-deep in Red Sox territory, but that didn't mean that he was a betraying bastard. Yankees were his first love and they would be his last.

"Thank God," she said, sighing as she sent the game one last look of longing before returning to her kitchen counter where, he noted with a chuckle, she had a small flat-screen television with the game playing. This woman really loved her Yankees or at least one in particular.

What the hell was it with women and Derek Jeter?

He took a moment to glance around. The damn bees were still covering all of her windows, but his attention was elsewhere now. Her walls were covered in Yankees memorabilia. He wasn't too surprised when he spotted a signed photo of Derek Jeter hanging above the television in the living room.

"Looks like we're stuck inside until after dark," she said, pulling his attention back to the kitchen. "The exterminator said he has to wait for the nest to calm down. That will happen when the sun goes down. He'll spray the nest and remove it if he can."

He ran his fingers through his damp hair and sighed. "I guess you're stuck with me for a little while then."

She shrugged. "It's fine. There's a game on so it should help pass the time."

"True," he agreed.

"I'm making homemade pizza. I hope you don't mind. I was planning on ordering pizza today for the game today, but with the bees and all..." she trailed off, shrugging.

"No, that sounds great. I'm sorry that I'm intruding," he said, feeling like an ass. This woman had spent the last five years avoiding him and now he was being forced on her by Mother Nature.

"Not a problem," she said, and he got the feeling that she was lying.

She'd never liked being around him before. Whenever he stood too close to her at work or went to sit next to her, she found an excuse to move. Now she was forced to have him in her house. That couldn't make her happy. His eyes drifted to the television when she sighed dreamily. Then again, her attention was elsewhere at the moment.

"Beer?"

"What?" he asked, returning his attention back to her with a frown.

"Beer," she said, gesturing absently towards the fridge without taking her eyes away from the television.

"Oh," he said with a chuckle as he retrieved two bottles and handed her one. She took it with a mumbled thanks and then a few choice words for one of the players.

Jason leaned back and watched the show. Not really the game, but Haley as she cooked and ranted. Soon it became obvious that if she wanted the vegetables to be sliced and not mangled every time she didn't agree with a call, he'd have to do it for her.

For the next six hours, they cooked, watched the game, ate, laughed, swore, screamed at the game, and got into an hour-long yelling match with the exterminator over the insane amount he wanted to charge them before the argument shifted back to the game. By the end of the night, Haley seemed to have come completely out of her shell, and he counted himself fortunate to have another buddy, one who actually knew the stats without messing them up or having to look them up. Not like several of his friends that he wouldn't mention. It didn't hurt that she was incredibly hot. That was just a bonus.

A nice bonus, but a bonus nonetheless for him from his newest buddy.
**Chapter 3**

"Is this 32 Long Point Road?" the short husky man who smelled like he'd bathed in a gallon of cheap cologne and garlic asked as he climbed out of the beat-up Taurus parked across Haley's driveway, blocking her in.

Now, normally Jason would either just ignore the asshole or give him a quick nod and continue minding his own business as he pulled the keg of beer out of his backseat, but not today. Today he was going to do his normally shy neighbor and co-worker a favor. After yesterday, he was pretty sure this wouldn't piss her off and send her back into hiding.

Okay, maybe he wasn't a hundred percent sure, but he just couldn't help himself, especially when the jerk actually shoved a condom in his front pocket and gave Jason a conspiratorial wink.

Fuck it.

At that moment, he didn't care if this sent her running for the hills and she slapped a restraining order on him, he was getting rid of the asshole.

"You're not here for Haley, are you?" Jason asked, pulling the keg out of the car and setting it on the ground.

The man frowned. "Yeah, why?"

Jason made a show of cringing as he quickly looked back at Haley's house as though he was making sure that she wasn't watching them.

"I really don't think that's such a good idea," Jason mumbled.

"Why not?"

He gave the man an "Are you kidding?" look and had to stop himself from laughing as the man shifted nervously.

"You know..." Jason said, purposely letting his words trail off.

"No, my friend set me up with her," he said, shooting a nervous glance towards Haley's house. Did the curtain just move?

Jason rubbed the back of his neck, sighing wearily. "It's really not my place, but I'm not sure this is such a good idea."

"Why?" the man practically whined.

After a pause, he shook his head. "I'm sorry, but I really don't like talking about it. All I can tell you is that you really need to be careful," he said as he gave the man a pointed look as he stressed, "Really careful."

The man's eyes widened as his mouth dropped open. He took several steps back, shooting nervous glances towards Haley's house. When he reached his car, he said, "I, uh, just suddenly remembered that I have somewhere I'm supposed to be." With that, he practically jumped into his car and sped away.

Jason chuckled as he made his way to Haley's front door. He knocked on the door and wasn't too surprised when a minute passed and there was no answer. He pushed aside his disappointment and knocked again.

Just great.

It seemed last night had been a fluke and that his shy neighbor was here to stay. He'd really liked spending time with Haley, more than he'd ever thought possible. Feeling like an idiot, he headed back to his house and the keg waiting for him.

A loud, wet hacking cough had him pausing halfway down her small walkway. The front door slowly opened as Haley said, "I'm sorry I took so long," another hacking cough, "to answer," another cough, "the," cough, "door. But the doctor said I was still," several loud and disturbing coughs later, "contagious, so I-Oh, it's only you," Haley said with a relieved sigh.

His lips twitched as he took in her outfit. On her head was one of the ugliest puke green knitted hats that he'd ever seen. Her oversized ratty bathrobe was worse, but the large wadded up ball of tissues in her hand was a nice touch. There was no doubt in his mind that she was faking it since he'd hung out with her last night and she'd been the picture of health.

"Love the hat," Jason said, smiling as he walked back to her front step.

Laughing, she pulled the offending hat off and chucked it at him. He caught it before it could hit him in the face. "What's all this about?" he asked, gesturing towards her getup with the hat.

"Nothing," she said quickly.

"Looks like date repellant to me."

Blinking innocently, Haley said, "I have no idea what you're talking about. I'm sick," cough, "really sick," and just to back up her story, she sniffled.

It was sad, adorable, but sad.

He couldn't stop himself from rolling his eyes and chuckling. "I don't know why you can't just admit that you were ditching the love of your life. But, as much as I'd love to listen to your denial, I'm afraid that I have to go since you're sick and all."

"I am," she stressed. "Really sick. I might very well be dying as we speak," Haley said as she pushed her cute little glasses back up her nose.

With a shrug, he took a step back towards his house. "That's a damn shame because I was hoping you'd come to my party today, but since you're sick..."

She pressed the back of her hand against her forehead. "Hmmm, what do you know? I'm all better. What time is the party?" she asked with the cutest shy smile he'd ever seen.

"Four o'clock, you little faker," he said, chuckling when she let out an excited squeal as she ran back inside her house.

*-*-*-*

Maybe this wasn't such a good idea, Haley thought as she stood on Jason's doorstep with a plate of brownies. With an inward groan, she berated herself for being an idiot. Who brought brownies to a kegger? Okay, she was assuming that this was a kegger since she'd witnessed some rather scary behavior going on over here over the years.

Some of the things she'd heard and seen had scarred her for life, but some of it had intrigued her. Not that she'd ever admit it, but on more than one occasion, she'd wondered what it would be like to go to one of Jason's parties, which is why she'd jumped at the chance today. Jason's parties had to be the equivalent of the parties the popular kids in high school used to throw and somehow forgot to invite Haley, but now she was about to rectify that.

Maybe not, she thought, worrying her bottom lip as she looked down at the overflowing plate of brownies. She was going to look so stupid bringing brownies to a kegger. Hoping that no one heard her knocking over the loud music, she decided a quick stop at a package store was in order. She was just about to make her escape when the front door opened.

"What do you want?" the glaring woman demanded.

Haley frowned as she quickly took in the woman's sleek black hair, perfect features touched by flawless make-up and the killer short dress and decided that she was severely underdressed for this party in her jeans and baby pink Yankees long sleeve tee-shirt.

Haley opened her mouth to make an excuse so she could leave, realizing that she was in way over her head here, when the woman snorted.

"You're the next-door neighbor," the woman said, sounding amused. "What do you want?" Her eyes narrowed on the plate in Haley's hands.

"I just-"

"Amy, who is it?" Jason's voice came from somewhere behind the woman glaring at her.

Amy rolled her eyes. "It's just your neighbor dropping off brownies." She reached over to take the plate from Haley. "I'll just take them so she can g-"

"Brownies?" Jason said, suddenly filling the doorway, causing Amy to stumble back out of the way.

"Hey!" Amy snapped, but Jason didn't seem to hear her. His eyes were glued to the plate.

"Are those," he noticeably swallowed, "brownies covered in peanut butter frosting?"

Did he just whimper?

"They're chocolate chunk fudge brownies with peanut butter frosting," Haley mumbled absently as she caught the murderous glare Amy was sending her way. She was just about to hand the plate over to Jason and leave when everything in her stilled.

After last night, she was through getting pushed around. She was sick of missing out on things because she was too scared to do anything about it. She was a grown woman, damn it, and if she wanted to party it up at her first kegger, then she was damn well going to do it and she was going to have fun doing it even if it killed her, and judging by the mascara glare being sent her way, that was a good possibility.

"Let me just take those off your hands so you can grab yourself a beer," Jason said, taking the plate from her as he gazed lovingly down at the brownies as he stepped back inside the house, leaving Haley to follow him.

"Hey, those look good! Can I have one?" a man she'd seen hundreds of times around Jason's house asked, reaching out to take one.

"Back the fuck off! She brought them for me, you bastard!" Jason snapped.

Haley automatically took an anxious step back, fearing getting caught in the middle of the fight that was definitely about to happen. But instead of yelling at Jason or getting mad like she'd seen a lot of guys do in bars over less, the man just rolled his eyes and turned his attention to her.

"Hi, my name is Brad," he said, holding out his hand.

After only a slight hesitation that she hoped he hadn't noticed, she took a step forward and shook his hand. "Haley."

"Haley, it's nice to meet you," Brad said with a charming smile. "I apologize for my friend's rudeness. He just learned how to walk upright last year," he said dryly, earning a chuckle from her and most everyone around them.

Jason threw him a dirty look before making his way towards the kitchen, glaring at anyone that came within touching distance of the plate of brownies.

Brad gestured towards the kitchen. "There's pizza, chips, and plenty of drinks in there as long as Jason doesn't get to it first, and a volleyball game going on in the backyard and of course video games in the living room until the game comes on. Make yourself at home," Brad said with a warm smile.

"Thank you," Haley murmured, taking it all in.

This was it? she wondered as she took in the laidback party and couldn't help but feel a little disappointed. Something must have shown on her face because a few seconds later, Brad leaned in and asked, "Were you expecting Animal House?"

"No!" she said quickly, a little too quickly. She had been expecting something along those lines. She definitely hadn't pictured any of this. This she could definitely handle.

He chuckled. "Come on out back with me so that I can introduce you to my wife," Brad said, smiling. "I promise you'll have a good time."

For the first time since she'd walked over here, she felt herself relax and realized that she might be able to handle this after all.

*-*-*-*

"Who's the hottie kicking Mitch's ass?"

Without looking up from loading his plate with pizza, he said, "Amy." At least he hoped it was Amy. Her clingy behavior was becoming annoying and he hadn't missed the bitch act she'd put on for Haley or the dirty looks she'd been sending his neighbor all night. He knew when he saw Amy heading towards his house earlier that he should have sent her away.

"No, the cute little thing with glasses."

Frowning, Jason looked up and followed Pete's gaze towards the couch where Haley was sitting next to Mitch, playing a game on Xbox.

"She's my neighbor," he said, not liking the expression on Pete's face one bit.

"Is she here with anyone?" Pete asked, never taking his eyes off Haley.

"No."

"Good," Pete said, grinning as he looked back over his shoulder. "I won't even bother asking to use your room since we can just head over to her place."

Jason sighed heavily. It seemed that he was going to have to save Haley from two douchebags today.

Pete turned to look at him. "What was that about?"

"What?" Jason asked innocently.

"That little sigh you just did," Pete said, gesturing lazily towards him.

"Nothing," Jason said with a shrug, returning his attention to piling food on his plate, "I just didn't think you were into that, that's all."

"Into what?" Pete demanded, sounding a little unsure. Considering the man's reputation, there probably wasn't much that he wasn't into, which was why Jason decided that he would not do for his shy little neighbor. It had taken him five years to get Haley to climb out of her shell and he wasn't about to let this jackass send her back there for good.

"Just forget I said anything," Jason said, grabbing a cold soda from a cooler on the floor.

"But-"

"I don't want to get involved in this," Jason said, cutting him off. He moved to step past the man only to pause. "Just...just make sure she takes her medication and you should be safe. I mean fine," Jason amended, as he quickly walked away before he burst into laughter at his friend's horrified expression.

Damn, that felt good. He should have done that years ago when he'd spotted the first asshole sniffing around Haley. Did this make him her wingman? he wondered as he walked over to the couch and shoved Mitch off so he could sit down next to his new little project. That was fine with him, Jason decided, because by the time he was done with her, she'd be living a much more entertaining and asshole-free life.
**Chapt** **er 4**

Haley took a deep breath and said, "I'm gay."

"You're gay?" the obnoxious guy standing behind her who'd been sniffing around her and bugging the hell out of her for the past ten minutes repeated. "Are you sure?"

She bit back a laugh. The guy looked upset. She hated pulling out the gay card, mostly because she wasn't gay, but sometimes she had no choice. If he'd been nice when he'd been hitting on her, she would have politely declined, but no, he had to be a complete asshole the entire time.

He actually used the old line, "That dress looks great on you, but it will look even better crumpled up on my bedroom floor in the morning." Yeah. It was truly sad, especially since they were in a coffee shop and it was barely half-past seven in the morning. Between dirty comments, overcrowding her, and openly staring down at her breasts, she was starting to get a little irritated. Plus, his B.O. was really turning her stomach. If she didn't need a caffeine fix so badly, she'd leave, but she did and couldn't or she was pretty sure she'd die.

Jason and some of the guys had been over last night to watch the game. Since it went into extra innings and she was a dedicated fan, she'd stayed up until two in the morning. Of course, she had to stay up to watch the post-game wrap up after the game ended. With barely four hours of sleep, here she was practically getting mauled by the poster boy for deodorant.

After three weeks, it was still funny how she'd gone from being completely intimidated by Jason to thinking of him as an oversized teddy bear. Jason could still be a pain in the ass, but a really nice pain in the ass. He still "borrowed" things from her classroom, but now he left her funny notes that had her laughing until she was crying and scaring the heck out of her students.

She couldn't help but wonder how many good friendships she'd missed out on over the years because of her shyness. He was still a bit wild and a ridiculous flirt, but he was a big sweetheart as well. He treated her like his buddy. It was actually rather nice to be treated like one of the guys. That being said, sometimes first impressions were dead on, like with her current problem.

"Yes, I'm sure."

He looked thoughtful for a moment. "Well, do you think the two of you would want to-"

"No," she said firmly.

"But what if I-"

"No."

"Come on, you won't let me finish. I have this camera-"

"No."

"It would be fun-"

"No."

"But what if-"

"She said no," Jason said, as he cut in line and threw his arm around her shoulders in that lazy way of his.

"Hey! I thought you said you were gay!" the man said accusingly.

Without missing a beat, Jason said, "She is. I'm just her bitch."

The man sent a narrowed glare at Jason's arm and then to her. He sent another glare at Jason and she could tell the man was deciding whether he wanted to push it any further. Based on his small size and Jason's large muscular build, he wisely chose to drop it.

"So, what are you buying me this morning?" she asked Jason.

He scoffed. "Me? Why am I buying?"

"Because I helped you win fifty dollars off Brian last night."

He rolled his eyes. "I would have won it without your help."

"Uh-huh," Haley said absently, stepping up to the counter to place her order. She added a chocolate chip muffin knowing that Jason was going to steal hers. He seemed to have a thing for stealing her food.

"I would have. I didn't need your help," he said more firmly.

She grabbed her order while he was waiting for his and headed for the door. "See ya."

"I won that bet on my own!" he called after her, making her smile. Sometimes he was just so damn cute.

*-*-*-*

Jason bit back a smile as he watched Haley tell Headmaster Jenkins that she couldn't chaperone the school dance tonight. A month ago, his shy little neighbor would have simply stared at her coffee and nodded no matter what her plans were. Now, she was telling the man no, firmly yet gently.

He took some pride in it. It was because of him, after all. It took some work, but she was coming along rather nicely. Who knew there was a little tigress beneath all that cuteness? He hadn't, but it was nice to see her stick up for herself for once. The staff might bitch at his methods and his easygoing relationship with the kids, but at least he'd never ganged up on a woman like Haley and taken advantage of her by making her chaperone this or organize that.

"But, Haley, we really need you to chaperone. John has tickets to a play tonight."

"I'm sorry, Tom, but I already have plans tonight. I really wish I could help you out, but I can't break my plans at the last minute. You understand," she said politely, yet firmly.

Her self-esteem was clearly on the rise and it made the whole package even better. He wasn't the only one to notice either. Other teachers were showing her more respect and the men were definitely noticing her. Oh, he took a hundred percent of the credit for his little protégé. Yup, he was the master. It was probably about time that he used his greatness for good.

He spotted the table where she'd left her coffee and muffins as well as three men, all losers in his opinion, who were eying the seat next to hers. Without any hesitation, he sauntered past them and sat down at her table, earning killing glares from them. Too fucking bad. In his opinion, if a man didn't have the balls to make a move, then he didn't deserve the woman he wanted. Not that he wanted Haley. He didn't. She was his buddy and turning out to be one of his best friends. No, what he desired was that piping hot chocolate chip muffin with extra butter he saw her buy earlier.

He sighed happily as he fished the muffin out of her bag. "When will she ever learn?" he mumbled as he prepared the stolen muffin.

"Please, help yourself," Haley said dryly, as she sat down and added a packet of sugar to her coffee.

"Thank you, I think I will," Jason murmured as he slathered more butter onto his muffin.

"What are these amazing plans you have for tonight?" he asked between bites.

"Date," she said absently.

"I guess that means our love affair is over," he said with a pout.

"I guess so."

"I'm hurt."

"You'll survive...with therapy, of course," she said with a wink and a grin.

"Is this another loser?"

She looked away and mumbled something.

"I'm sorry I don't speak mumble," he said while eying the piping hot apple muffin with streusel topping that she just took out of the bag. Hell, how had he missed that delicious little morsel?

His hand seemed to have a life of its own as it crept towards that tasty little treat. With a gasp, Haley's hands came down to protect her muffin.

"Control yourself!" she hissed as she broke off a small chunk and ate it. His eyes went back to the muffin. He knew that he was pouting when Haley rolled her eyes and continued to eat. Damn it, where was the love? He was a hungry man. With a sigh, he opened his bag and pulled out one of the three coffee rolls he'd ordered and began eating them all while keeping his eyes on that muffin.

"You're pathetic," Haley muttered with a roll of her eyes. She pushed the last half of her muffin over to him. With a huge grin, he popped the large half into his mouth and savored it.

"So, what is it that you don't want me to know, my little grasshopper?" Jason asked, stirring his coffee. The last date she had was a loser in his opinion and really, wasn't that all that mattered? The loser was not worthy of all his work. They'd work on that until she dated guys that he approved of. Someone with a cabin in New Hampshire for fishing trips or a house down in Florida would make him very happy. He really could go for some deep-sea fishing in the winter.

"Stop calling me that!" Haley hissed softly. "For the hundredth time, I am not the Daniel-san to your Mr. Miyagi."

He simply shrugged. "If that's what you want to believe..."

"It is, and I do."

"If I could get everyone's attention before you head off to homeroom?" Jenkins said, holding up his clipboard to get everyone's attention. "We need one more volunteer for tonight's dance," he said, throwing a hopeful look Haley's way.

"Wax on...wax off..." Jason whispered, earning a rather indelicate snort form Haley.

"Did you say something, Miss Blaine?" Jenkins asked Haley, drawing everyone's attention to her.

Jason leaned back in his seat and watched Haley as the blush crept up her adorable face. She nervously pushed her glasses up her nose. Ah, it seems his protégé still hated drawing attention to herself. Well, she'd have to get used to that if they were going to be friends since he had a rather nasty habit of drawing attention to himself pretty much everywhere he went.

"Yes, Miss Blaine, did you have something to say?" Jason asked in an amused tone.

She shot him a narrowed glare before turning to look at Jenkins. In seconds, the glare was gone only to be replaced by a rather sweet and innocent smile. He was so focused on that smile that he almost missed what she'd said.

"No, Mr. Jenkins, that wasn't me. Mr. Bradford was volunteering to chaperone tonight," she said, nodding solemnly.

"What?" he said, too late.

Jenkins grinned hugely. "Well, that's excellent! Very good. Make sure you're here by seven o'clock. It ends at eleven. Thank you, Mr. Bradford," Jenkins said. It didn't escape Jason's notice that the man hadn't bothered double-checking with him and that he'd practically ran out of the room before Jason could refuse.

His attention immediately turned to the little traitor. "You betraying bitch," he gasped.

Her smile went from innocent to wicked in less than a second. "Have fun at the dance." She stood up and placed her hands together in front of her as though she were praying and bowed.

Smartass.

She'd betrayed him. Damn that hurt, he thought, unable to help but grin. She really was coming along rather nicely.

*-*-*-*

"Oh god, I love him!" the girl, Cindy or something, wailed loudly, making Jason shift nervously. He'd never dealt well with emotions, especially female emotions. He looked around nervously and damn near sighed with relief when he spotted a small group of girls descend on the girl.

"He's such a jerk!" one of them said.

"Don't say that! I love him!" Cindy cried.

"Oh, I know you do. He's not good enough for you," a slightly chubby girl said as she put her arm around the girl.

Good. Everything was fine. He could go back to chaperoning a bunch of hormone-crazed teenagers to god-awful music. Yup, he was truly going to kill Haley, Jason thought as he stepped away.

"Mr. Bradford, why would he do this to me?" the girl demanded.

He froze mid-step and looked around nervously, hoping another Mr. Bradford was standing close by and willing to handle this. No such luck.

He cleared his throat. "Do what exactly?"

She scoffed at him with a look of utter disbelief that told him that she thought he should be aware of everything going on in her life. Considering he'd never paid much attention to any woman's life, she was in for a hell of a rude awakening. Thankfully, one of her friends took pity on him.

"Marc Griswold. They ate at the same table two times in the last two weeks! He talked to her during study hall and asked to borrow her chemistry notes. Now he's here with her," she said, pursing her face up in disgust that he couldn't help but follow her glare.

He spotted Marc dancing with a very pretty brunette. Her name he remembered, Janie. She was a smart girl and funny as hell. If memory served him correctly, Marc had been in love with the girl for the last two years. The poor guy who was normally so sure of himself and easy-going turned into a stuttering fool when the girl was around. He'd been wondering when the kid was going to work up the courage to finally ask her out.

"Hmmm, good for him," Jason mumbled, earning a collective gasp of outrage.

"How could you, Mr. Bradford?" the girl wailed even louder, making him cringe.

Oh, he was going to kill Haley for this shit.

*-*-*-*

"I had a really nice time," Jonathan said, probably for the tenth time.

Haley forced herself to smile and, of course, lie. "I did, too," she said, hoping he wouldn't ask her to elaborate because she would be hard-pressed to find something nice to say about this evening, except that it was ending.

This was definitely the last time that she went on a date with anyone that Mary, one of her oldest and dearest friends, suggested. One would think after Mary set her up with the taxidermist, who cross-dressed, she would have learned her lesson. She apparently hadn't because somehow, she'd agreed to go out with this loser.

It hadn't started off badly. In fact, he'd been on time and she'd thought he was cute in a nerdish way. He was tall, a bit thin, but still, he looked nice. His clothes were clean and he smelled good. The first clue that something just wasn't right occurred when they arrived at the restaurant.

That's when his mother called for the first time. Yes, the first time, as in there was more than one call from his mother. In fact, during their four-hour date, it lasted that long because he took so long to eat, she'd called a total of twenty-three times. Yes, Haley was very sure it was his mother because he'd sat at the table when he took the calls.

The reasons for the calls ranged from, she missed him, wanted to know if he'd rather come home and eat what she cooked, reminded him to clean his room tomorrow, and her personal favorite, she wanted to know if he was still with "her." Judging by her tone and the amount of calls, his mommy was not a happy camper about her little boy dating.

Granted, her little boy was thirty-five years old, and according to him, had never lived on his own. Why would he when he lived with his best friend? Meaning, mommy dearest. Of course, he did spend a good amount of time complaining about how unfair his mother could be. Who knew that a thirty-five-year-old man could still be grounded for not picking up his dirty socks? She certainly hadn't.

Haley couldn't wait to get inside her house and change into a pair of jeans and a tee-shirt and have a good laugh about this with Jason. That was only if Jason had forgiven her for earlier, hence the large piece of chocolate cake with peanut butter frosting in the doggy container she was currently holding. Jason was a big baby, but a big baby that could be bought with food.

"Well, here we are," she said brightly as they pulled into her driveway. "It's been fun. Thank you again," she said quickly as she practically ran from the car.

"This is a really nice house," he said, from somewhere close, too close. Haley looked back and bit back the curse that threatened to leave her lips. He was following her to the door. She wanted to cry, really, she did. When would this nightmare end?

She walked up to her door and plastered another fake smile on her face. "Well, thanks again."

"You're welcome," he said as he gave her a shy smile before he leaned in to kiss her. Thankfully she saw that one coming and turned her head in time to receive a wet kiss on her cheek. Ew...

She barely stopped herself from wiping her face. She'd scrub that off in a matter of minutes in a scalding hot shower, she promised herself with a grimace.

"Oops. Sorry," he mumbled as he leaned in to give her another kiss.

Faster than even she thought was possible, she had the front door unlocked and opened. She stumbled back, saving herself from more slobber.

"Well, it's been nice, but-"

"Can I come in for a cup of coffee?" he asked eagerly before he added, "I can stay out as late as I want tonight." Oh, she knew he was lying. Someone was going to be in so much trouble when he got home, Haley thought, mentally tsking him.

She opened her mouth to politely refuse when the yelling began.

"Help me!"

What the hell? It sounded like Jason was right in her house.

"Help me, please! Somebody, please help me! Why won't somebody help me?"

"What's that?" Jonathan asked nervously.

Haley didn't stop to answer. She was already running towards the direction of the screaming. Her room? She threw the door open and stumbled as she came to a halt five feet into the room, which put her directly in front of her bed.

"What the hell..." Jonathan muttered as he came to a stop behind her.

"Oh, thank God you're here, Haley!" Jason said, sounding happy for someone who was tied to her bed and wearing only a pair of boxer shorts. "I know you said it turns you on knowing that I'm tied to your bed waiting for you, but I really need to use the bathroom and stretch my legs before we begin..." his voice trailed off when he caught sight of Jonathan.

Jason sighed dramatically. "I thought we agreed that you would tell me ahead of time before you added someone to our bed." With a roll of his eyes, he said, "It's fine this time. Lucky for you I think we have plenty of lube." He looked thoughtfully at Jonathan, who was still staring at Jason dumbly. "I hope you're not a screamer. The last guy screamed his head off every time I-"

"You're sick!" Jonathan cried, cutting Jason off. "Stay away from me and don't try to call me either! I'm telling my mother about you!"

Haley didn't spare Jonathan a glance as she glared at the man with the huge shit-eating grin tied to her bed. She was vaguely aware of her front door slamming shut and the sound of tires peeling out of her driveway.

"Is that for me?" Jason asked, looking pointedly at the styrofoam container in her hands.

"Mmmhmm," she mumbled as she walked around the bed and placed the container on his chest and opened it. She didn't miss his eyes widening in pleasure.

"Is that-"

"Peanut butter frosting, yup," she finished for him.

He licked his lips as he stared at the huge dessert. "You are the best, ever. Untie me so I can dig in," he said absently as he continued to stare at the cake, probably trying to decide which end he was going to attack first.

"You can't get free?"

"Nope."

"You did this yourself?"

"Yes. Now cake, woman."

"Uh-huh...." she mumbled absently as she stepped away from the bed and headed for the bathroom.

"Wait, where are you going?"

"I'm just getting something to untie you with."

"Hurry."

"Sure thing," Haley said, glad that he couldn't see her shit-eating grin.
**Chapter** **5**

"I said, shut up!" Jason snapped as he stole the ball from Brad and tossed the basketball into the hoop.

Brad wiped the tears off his cheeks as he struggled to stop laughing. He failed miserably and fell to his knees when he was no longer able to stand.

"Shut up!"

"I can't...I can't...believe that she shaved your legs!" Brad said between gasps and laughter. The bastard. Thankfully Jason was wearing a shirt to cover up his now hairless chest and armpits. Oh, she was going to pay for this.

"She ate my cake, too!" Jason said, which in his mind was the more serious betrayal. She hadn't even let him lick the spoon clean and he'd asked several times. Damn tease. That cake had smelled so good. His stomach rumbled just from thinking about it.

"Man, for someone so obsessed with food, you're lucky you're not fat," Brad said as he continued laughing his ass off. Thankfully, he was now able to stand so Jason could kick his ass in this game.

"It's not luck. I have a high metabolism and I work out," Jason said, taking another shot.

"How long did she keep you tied up?"

Jason shot a glare at the man. "I don't know why you find this so funny. You're supposed to be my best friend. This should outrage you that someone would take advantage of me like that. Where's your loyalty?"

Brad abruptly stopped laughing and arched a brow. "You hired two strippers at my bachelor party to give me a Brazilian bikini wax when I passed out."

Jason chuckled. Oh, that had been a very good night indeed. In fact, he was pretty sure that he had the pictures around here somewhere. During the entire ceremony, Brad had fidgeted at the altar while he'd tried to discreetly scratch himself. From what Jason heard, his wife loved it so much she'd been after Brad to have it done again. To say Brad was reluctant to allow hot wax near his goods again was an understatement.

"Nothing you can bitch about will be any worse than what you've done to everyone else over the years. In fact, I believe Haley is now my hero."

"She's dead to me," Jason said with a sniff.

"Uh-huh," Brad said, stealing the ball and making a shitty shot.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Jason demanded, taking the ball back.

Brad shrugged. "It just seems that you like her."

"I do like her," he said easily before adding, "When she's not betraying me, she's my buddy."

"She's a very hot buddy in a very cute way I would say," Brad added.

"There is that, too," Jason said, dribbling the ball. "It's nice to have eye candy around for my enjoyment." He looked Brad over. "It wouldn't kill you to pretty yourself up if you're going to be in my presence."

"Yeah, I'll get right on that," Brad said wryly.

"See that you do."

After a few minutes of playing, Brad asked, "So, is there anything going on between you and Haley?"

Jason just barely held back a laugh. "Come on! She's my buddy. I don't see her that way!"

"Uh-huh."

"I don't."

"Sure."

Jason shoved the ball at Brad. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

Brad shrugged as he took another shot. "Nothing. Just noticed how you watch her sometimes."

"Oh? Enlighten me. How do I watch her?"

Brad looked down at the ball as he bounced it once, twice, and then looked up. "Like you want to devour her from top to bottom and you'd kill anyone who got in your way."

Jason snorted. Then for good measure, he snorted again. "No, I don't."

"Yes, you do."

"It's all in your head."

"Whatever you say," Brad said easily, pissing Jason off more.

He didn't want Haley. He didn't look at her in any special way. She was his friend, his buddy, his amigo, and he saw her as a friend and not some tasty morsel that he wanted to devour. Okay, so yeah, she was hot and those glasses made her look utterly adorable and he'd noticed that she had really nice legs and big breasts that he was sure would cradle his head very nicely, but who wouldn't notice that? She was also short, which made him protective of her. He also liked putting his arm around her because she felt good against his side and fit perfectly under his arm. So what? It didn't mean anything.

"Oh, here comes the object of your desire now," Brad said, chuckling.

"Shut up!" Jason snapped before he turned his attention to Haley, who was in a new green silk blouse and a dark skirt. It looked like she was going to work, not hanging out on a Sunday. She held a foil-covered plate in front of her.

"You look nice. Where are you off to?" Brad asked.

Haley sighed unhappily, "Barbeque."

Both men gaped as they looked her over. "You're going to a barbeque dressed like that?" Brad asked.

Jason kept his thoughts to himself since he still wasn't speaking to her. Who went to a barbeque like that? What happened to jeans and a tee-shirt or a tank top? Clearly, they still had much to work on.

"Family barbeque, don't ask," she said before turning her attention to Jason. "Are you still mad at me?"

He grunted before walking off.

"Oh, come on! I eventually let you go!"

He flipped her off without looking back.

"That cake wasn't half as yummy as it looked. It left me uncomfortably full!" she yelled, earning a laugh from Brad and a second one-finger salute from Jason.

"What do you have there?" Brad asked, looking down at the plate in her arms.

Haley sighed as she pulled back the foil, revealing large chocolate chunk cookies. "I made these for the big baby so he would stop his tantrum."

"Wow, those look really good! Can I have one?"

She shrugged. "Sure, since the baby doesn't want them."

Brad picked up a cookie and brought it up to his mouth. It was inches away when a large tan hand suddenly grabbed it. Jason snatched the plate from her before sending Brad a killing glare.

"How dare you touch my cookies, you bastard!" Jason said in utter disgust before popping the cookie in his mouth and heading back to his house.

"Damn those looked good, too," Brad grumbled.

Haley sighed. "Don't worry, I have a second plate on my counter." The words were barely out of her mouth when Jason abruptly changed course and headed towards her house.

"Well, I did," she said, sighing as she watched Jason walk into her house like he owned it. A minute later, he walked out of her house, carrying both plates and the gallon of milk she'd had in her fridge. He headed back to his house, but not before he glared at Brad. "You cookie thieving bastard," they heard him mutter.

Brad rolled his eyes, chuckling. "And people wonder how I lost weight rooming with him in college."

Haley just laughed as she locked her house and headed for her car. For a moment there, she forgot the hell that awaited her.

*-*-*-*

She ignored the glare of the parking attendant as she pulled around her parents' mansion and parked her own car. She tried not to roll her eyes, but she just couldn't stop herself. Leave it to her parents to go overboard for a family barbeque.

Why they bothered, she would never know. It wasn't like the rest of their family didn't know that they were rich. It wasn't like the rest of the family wasn't also rich. They were always trying to prove that they were the best and richest. Kind of pathetic if you asked her, no one did, of course. She was just expected to show up at family functions, act perfect, and bite her tongue. Yup, this was going to be so much fun.

For the next four hours, and that was how long her mother told her that she absolutely had to stay or she'd throw a fit to end all fits, Haley was going to have to endure looks of pity over her marital status, childless state, job, and looks. Yup, this was going to be great, just great.

Why couldn't her car have stalled on the way over here or, better yet, run out of gas, leaving her stranded at the mercy of the wildlife that would maul her and save her from this hell? Was that really too much to ask?

She ran a hand over her shirt to smooth it down as she approached the front door. Before she could knock, the door opened. Jameson, her parents' snotty butler of ten years, looked distastefully down his nose at her.

"Your mother expected you a half an hour ago, Miss Blaine," he said with a haughty sniff. It hadn't escaped her notice that he called her sisters by their first names and even smiled when he did it.

She wasn't about to stand here and argue with the man. "Where is she?"

Another sniff. "Madam is in the backyard. She's very exhausted. She's been working day and night on this barbeque. She was up at the crack of dawn and hasn't rested since!"

"Uh-huh," Haley said absently as she walked past a lot of people that she didn't know. Funny how family barbeques in her family really meant inviting everyone they wanted to impress. It seemed that she was the only one that hadn't brought an entourage. She had friends that she really cared about and could have brought, but well, it was because she cared about them that she couldn't inflict this upon them.

"Haley, so nice to see you!" her cousin Jacob said. "You should come to the Vineyard this summer and stay at my new cottage. It's fabulous, you'll love it!" he said loud enough to draw attention to himself. She had no doubt that it was for the benefit of the crowd surrounding him since he hated her. It might have something to do with her putting Nair in his shampoo bottle when they were kids.

Ah, whatever.

She simply gave that fake smile that her mother had drilled into her head growing up. She made her way to the backyard where she found her mother working hard at sipping a Martini and gossiping with her sisters, a few aunts, and her grandmother snoozing in a wheelchair a few feet away under her own umbrella.

Her father, brothers-in-law, several uncles, cousins, and men she didn't recognize sat on the opposite end of the large brick patio that spanned the entire length of the mansion. On the lawn, professional caterers were barbequing on huge gas grills while others placed food on tables and set up chairs around tables that now covered a small portion of her parents' ten-acre backyard.

It didn't surprise her that there were no kids at the family barbeque. To even suggest bringing a child here would have sent her mother into a snit. A social queen her mother definitely was, a mother and grandmother? Not even a little bit. She'd hardly been there for their childhood. Why do it when she could pay someone else, was her mother's motto. Nannies and maids had raised her and her siblings until the ripe old age of ten when they'd each, in turn, went away to a private year-round boarding school. From then on, it became obvious that they were only guests here.

Some might think it was a pathetic upbringing and, to a point, she would agree. Since her parents only saw children as an accessory, they'd really had no business having them. It would have been a horrible childhood if her grandparents hadn't bought a house close to her school the first week and taken Haley to live with them. Thanks to her grandparents, she'd had a wonderful childhood. She loved the life her grandparents had given her, which was one of the reasons why at eighteen, she'd taken over her life and decided to pursue her own dreams instead of following in her family's footsteps.

"Oh, Haley! There you are, dear!" her mother said cheerfully. Was she trying to smile? Yup, it appeared that she'd had Botox done once again. Her whole face looked completely frozen in a pained grimace.

"Hello, mother," she said, giving her mother a barely-there kiss on the cheek as her mother gave her one.

"Have a seat, dear!" Her mother gestured to the seat next to her. Haley's sisters, Martha and Rose, sent her identical smirks as they picked up their glasses or fluffed back their hair in an attempt to show off whatever new trinket their husbands, more likely husbands' secretaries, had bought for them.

"It's so nice to see you, Haley," Rose said with a cool smile as she displayed her diamond bracelet.

"It's nice to see you too, Rose. How are your children?" Haley asked.

Rose gave her a rather bland look. "How would I know?"

Haley opened her mouth to point out that they were, in fact, her children but decided against it.

Martha leaned in, trying to look discreet. The fact that she'd raised her voice kind of wrecked the effect. "You poor thing! I see the diet didn't work." She pouted. "Did you get dumped again?" She shook her head as if it was of no consequence and pulled out a business card that she'd probably had waiting for this moment. "Here's the name of a good doctor who does wonders with liposuction and as well as cosmetic surgery."

Still smiling, Haley accepted the card. Since she'd lost a few pounds in the last couple of weeks and didn't consider herself fat, especially since her stomach was flat, she knew that her sister was trying to point out that Haley was not stick thin like the rest of them. Flat breasts and looking skeletal was in apparently. Since she would never look like them or want to, she simply left the business card on the table.

She had no problem with the way she looked. She was comfortable with her curves. In fact, she had the same body type as her grandmother had when she was younger. The same grandmother out cold in her wheelchair and the one that everyone here, but her feared to piss off. She could be a little hellion to deal with. They all looked down on her for her middle-class ways, forgetting that it was her hard work and sacrifices that made the family what it was today.

"You know they can reduce those things these days," Rose said distastefully, pulling Haley away from her thoughts.

"What things?" Haley asked, distracted by one of her cousins eying their grandmother like a vulture. She had no doubt that he was counting her breaths. Hell, the little prick was mouthing the words. These people were pathetic.

"Your breasts, dear. They're...well, they're so lower class. They make you look like a waitress or something," her aunt said sympathetically.

"I think you would look great with less...curves," Rose added.

Smile. "I'll keep it in mind, thank you. Now, if you'll excuse me."

"Oh, wait, dear!" her mother said, holding up her hand. "I wanted to ask you how your little hobby was going."

Her little hobby, meaning her job. Smile. "It's going great. Thank you for asking. We'll be breaking for the summer in two months. I'm thinking of traveling or renting a cabin in New Hampshire for a few weeks."

"Honestly, dear, I don't know why you do it. If you're so determined to work, then you should go back to school and get a real degree in law or medicine like your father. Is it because you're trying to meet a man?" her mother asked, sounding hopeful.

Smile. "No, I'm not looking for a man. I enjoy what I do."

Her mother's answer was a frown. Well, it looked like she was trying to frown. Actually, everyone at the table was frowning now. They couldn't understand why she wanted to work since none of them had ever worked a day in their lives. Personally, she thought they were rather spoiled and she was wondering why she came here in the first place. Then she remembered. She came here for Grandma. She couldn't leave Grandma to these vultures and it didn't hurt that Grandma threatened to take her over her knee and spank her if she didn't come.

"Sweetheart!" her father said, smiling hugely as he leaned over and kissed her on both cheeks. Smile. "Happy birthday, sweetheart. I'm sorry it's a couple of weeks late," he said sheepishly.

"Thank you, Dad," she said, taking the birthday card. Smile. Her birthday had been five months ago. Yes, her entire family had forgotten, well except Grandma of course. She'd called at five in the morning, waking Haley up on her birthday, demanding that Haley knock some sense into her parents. Haley calmed her down and thanked her for the gift she'd sent the day before. The next day she'd visited her Grandmother and taken her out for lunch. Her old nannies sent her birthday cards and gifts as well. Her friends had made her a birthday dinner and they'd gone out, so it was okay.

"I can't believe my little baby is twenty-five already!" he said.

"I know." She couldn't believe it either since she was twenty-seven, but hey, if he wanted to make her younger, who was she to argue?

"She's twenty-seven, you fool!" Grandma said. "She turned twenty-seven in December. How I raised fools is beyond me," Grandma grumbled.

Smile. "Thanks, Dad. It's fine."

His smile wavered and for the first time in her life, he truly looked ashamed.

"I'm going to call you later this week," he said firmly.

"Dad, it's okay," she said, letting him off the hook.

"No, it's not," he said before he forced the fake smile to return and turned around to respond to someone calling his name.

"Honestly, Haley. There's no need to create such drama over nonsense," her mother said, trying to save face. Everyone sent her mother pitying looks and eye rolls at Haley as if it was Haley's fault for simply existing.

Smile. "Sorry, if you'll excuse me," she said, taking her card with her and shoved it in her purse. She walked over and sat down next to her grandmother.

Grandma huffed. "I don't know why you put up with them."

"It's fine."

"The hell it is!"

For the first time since she'd arrived, she felt her lips pulled up into a real smile.

"Deborah, what are we eating today?" Grandma demanded of Haley's mother, her least favorite daughter-in-law.

Her mother smiled. Well, tried to smile. "We're having salmon with broiled spinach leaves, a nonfat mock potato salad and some nonfat sugarless flourless soy French delicacies that are simply to die for."

Grandma's eyes narrowed dangerously as her hand went for the cane, forcing Haley to discreetly wrestle it away from her.

"Hey, that's mine!" Grandma snapped as Haley put the cane next to her chair and out of Grandma's reach. Grumbling, she rubbed the back of her hand. Damn, Grandma had a firm grip.

"Behave," Haley hissed, making Grandma smile. Out of all the children and grandchildren, Haley was the only one who treated Grandma as a human and not an old responsibility they got stuck with.

Grandma turned her attention back to Deborah. "I want a burger, a hot dog and some real potato salad."

"Mother dearest, we simply don't have that here!" she said as if the very idea of having such basic food items in her house was unheard of.

Grandma glared at her for a moment longer before returning her attention to Haley. "You?"

"Me, what?"

"You have those things in your house, don't you?"

Haley nodded. In fact, her freezer and pantry were filled to the brim with staples for barbeques since she loved barbeque food. It probably had something to do with Grandma raising her. The woman simply lived for barbeque food.

"Good," Grandma said firmly, as she gestured to Chris, her helper. The man was just entering his fifties, but he still worked hard to take care of Grandma. "Let's go, Chris."

Chris nodded and obediently walked over and began pushing Grandma around the house. Without looking back, Grandma said, "Let's go, Haley!"

Haley stood. "Go where?"

"To your house. Where else? Now come along before these parasites try to crash our party."

Haley hid her smile as she obediently followed her grandmother out the door. No wonder she absolutely adored the old woman.
**Chapter** **6**

"I'm hungry," Jason grumbled as he stared down at the empty plates on his small coffee table.

Brad groaned, "You practically ate both plates of cookies. How in the hell are you still hungry?"

Jason shrugged as he leaned back in his chair to watch the game. "I just am. Leave me the hell alone! I'm a growing boy, damn it!"

"Yeah, a growing twenty-eight-year-old boy," Brad mumbled.

"I'm still growing damn it, so shut the hell up and feed me!"

"Order something and stop bitching!" Brad snapped.

"You order something. I'm too weak to move."

Brad rolled his eyes. "I don't know how Haley put up with you. I would have killed you by now."

"Haley worships me," he said with a snort.

"Yeah, okay," Brad said, laughing. "That's why she dates other men and screws you over just to laugh at you."

"Exactly."

Brad looked over at him. "You are a seriously fucked up man, aren't you?"

"Probably," Jason said unconcerned.

"I thought so."

A soft knock at the door drew their attention, making Brad cringe. "This isn't another one of your girlfriends coming for revenge, is it?"

Jason rolled his eyes as he reluctantly stood up. "I think calling any of them my girlfriend is a bit of an exaggeration. I rather you stick with referring to them as 'the women who agreed to having a good time with no strings attached who got really pissed at me when I got bored and left them for someone hotter.'"

"Wow, that's a mouthful," Brad murmured. "And surprisingly, none of them has killed you yet."

"It is, isn't it," Jason agreed.

He opened the door, already knowing that there wouldn't be any angry women waiting for him. It had been a while since he'd taken a woman to bed and to the best of his knowledge, all the previous mistakes had already told him off. So, at least for now, he was good.

Standing outside his front door was Haley in a cute pair of cut off jean shorts and a tank top. Her hair was pulled back into a messy loose bun and some of the strands had escaped and teased her nape. It didn't hurt that those glasses of hers made her look like a sexy little bookworm.

She smiled sweetly. "I am so glad you're here!"

He couldn't bite back the smile from that declaration. Maybe it was time to forgive her. It was pretty funny after all, and those cookies had been so damn good, not to mention that smile she was giving him made him happy.

"Brad, do you think you could give me a hand? I could really use a man's help for a few minutes."

His jaw dropped. He could hear Brad trying to stifle his laughter.

"I'm right here if you need a man!" Jason snapped.

Haley blinked and then blinked again. "Oh, sorry, I didn't think of you. I need a guy with muscle and you..." Her voice trailed off while she looked him over and then shrugged. "Well, you know," she said innocently.

"Know what?" he demanded.

She ignored him and focused back on Brad. "Do you think you could give me a hand? I'm having company over and I can't get the barbeque out by myself. It's kind of heavy."

Brad chuckled as he came to the door. "Sure. I was on my way home, but I can give you a hand since there's no one around here strong enough to help you," he said, sounding amused.

"The hell you will!" Jason snapped as he grabbed Haley's arm and practically dragged her towards her house. She threw a wink over her shoulder to Brad, who was still laughing his ass off and shaking his head in disbelief.

Brad strolled to his car while Jason gave Haley a lecture on his manliness and something about her being a bad grasshopper, whatever the hell that meant. He looked back over in time to catch Jason giving Haley's ass an appreciative look without breaking from his lecture. His buddy might not know it yet, but he'd met his match in that little lady. If any woman could bring Jason to his knees, it was Haley.

*-*-*-*

"That's not enough," Jason said, sighing heavily as Haley tried to put away the packages of frozen hamburger patties and hot dogs.

"There are only three of us. How much food do you think we'll need?" she asked as she tried to sidestep him to put the food away. Jason swiped the packages from her and took more food out of the freezer.

"What the hell?"

He shrugged. "I'm hungry."

"You're not invited."

"Since when do I need an invitation?" he asked as he doubled the amount of hot dogs on the plate.

"Three weeks and we already have a set history? For five years, I contemplated manslaughter."

He merely shrugged.

She growled.

He smiled, making her knees tremble. Damn him.

"Tell me who's coming? It can't be any of your friends, because you wouldn't care if I was here since they all think I'm a prick and you get a kick out of watching them bitch me out."

She sighed. "It entertains me so."

"As it should. I am a very entertaining guy," he said with a smile as he stole a forkful of the potato salad she'd made yesterday. She'd considered bringing it with her today, but she'd known how well it would have been received and decided to leave it here.

"Damn, that's good, woman," he practically growled.

"I'm glad you like it," she said casually, but in truth, it was really nice to have someone to cook for. Her friends were constantly on diets and glared at her when she offered them cookies or other baked goods. It seemed Jason hadn't found a food that he didn't like. She really was surprised that he wasn't fat.

"So?"

"So what?"

"So, tell me why you stayed less than an hour at a barbeque only to come home to have one of your own? Food suck or something?" he asked while sneaking another bite of potato salad before she returned it to the fridge. "Or was there a family smackdown?"

"It's complicated," she finally said.

"What's so complicated about a family barbeque?"

"Just drop it. My grandmother is coming here with her helper. Actually, she should be here by now, but knowing her, she probably stopped at the grocery store to get all her favorites."

His brows flew up. "Your grandmother's coming here? I didn't think any of your family ever came to visit you."

She gave him a sly smile. "Been spying on me, have you?"

"Not really. I just picked up on a few things. I'm an observant guy, after all."

"Well, my grandmother comes here several times a year. I usually invite her when I know you'll be out of town."

"Afraid I'll embarrass you?" he asked teasingly.

"Nope. Afraid she might kill you."

"Puhlease, she'll love me. Every woman loves and wants me," he said sincerely.

She chuckled softly. "I'm glad to see that you're so humble."

"That I am," he said as Haley began to load his arms with plates of food to take out to the grill. "So, you mentioned inviting her over. I'm guessing you're close to her."

"I am. She raised me off and on until I was ten and then took over full time," she said, opening the screen door for him. "Anyway, I decided to cut my visit to my parents' home short today."

"Why?"

"Because I told her to. That's why," a woman's crisp voice answered.

Jason looked up to see an elderly woman in a wheelchair being pushed towards them by a wiry man with thinning gray hair. By the look of the man, he was Haley's grandmother's helper.

"Are you my Haley's boyfriend?"

*-*-*-*

Haley felt her face burn as she waited for the earth to open up beneath her feet and drag her under. Prayed for it was more like it.

"No, Grandma, he's not my boyfriend. He's my friend from next door."

Grandma's eyes narrowed on Jason. Haley was about to tell her grandmother to cut it out. That look had sent many friends and boyfriends running scared, but to her complete surprise, Jason didn't cower.

He reached over and shook her hand. "My name is Jason Bradford. I'm the neighbor from hell."

Grandma's lips twitched. She looked over at her companion. "Chris, be a dear and go get the items we picked up."

"Yes, ma'am," he said, leaving Grandma alone with them. He sent Haley a smile before he hurried off. No doubt, he was expecting Grandma to tear into Jason. Hell, that's exactly what she was waiting for.

"You also work with my granddaughter, Mr. Bradford. Isn't that correct?"

Without asking, Jason pushed Grandma carefully to the table and locked the chair. "Yes, I make her life a living hell there as well."

"You sound proud," Grandma noted.

Jason walked over to the grill and started placing the meat on it. "I am," he said, smiling.

Grandma did something she'd only heard when it was just the two of them. She laughed. It was soft and musical and immediately brought memories of a happy childhood to mind, making her smile in return. Jason caught her eye and winked.

"I like you," Grandma announced.

"Thank you, Mrs.-"

"You may call me Grandma," she said in a tone that let him know that she would not tolerate being called anything else.

Haley sat there, stunned. She was the only one allowed to call her Grandma. The rest of the grandchildren called her grandmother once they'd started to take after their parents.

"Okay, Grandma, it is," Jason said with an easy smile. Wow, the man really did have a way with women.

The sliding patio doors opened, and Chris stepped out, no doubt he'd just put away an enormous amount of groceries that had nothing to do with a barbeque. It was one of Grandma's sneakiest ways of helping her out since she refused to accept financial help from her family. Grandma was always looking for ways to help her.

"I'm sorry to interrupt, ma'am, but it seems some of the guests from the last barbeque have followed us here," Chris said softly.

"Who is it?" Haley asked.

"Your cousins and a few aunts. I believe one or both of your sisters as well, Miss Haley," Chris said.

Grandma waved a dismissive hand towards the front of the house. "Well, they can leave because there isn't enough food," she said even though she hadn't looked at the grill.

"I can put some more on if you want," Jason offered.

"No!" Haley and Grandma said at once, startling Jason.

Chris cleared his throat. "They're rather insistent about joining, ma'am."

"Tell them to go away or I'll write them out of my will in the morning," Grandma said firmly.

Chris hid his smile as he turned to do just that.

Jason gave them all a curious look before shrugging it off. Apparently, he really didn't care enough to be bothered, which was a good thing for her. She'd earned her way in life and didn't want anyone thinking any differently. All her friends knew she came from money and none of them cared. She was just Haley to them and she planned to keep it that way.

"What did you think of your father's birthday gift, Haley?" Grandma asked.

Jason frowned. "I missed your birthday?"

"It was months ago," Haley said with a shrug.

"He just remembered today?" Jason asked in total disbelief.

"It's no big deal," Haley said, giving him a tight smile.

Jason scoffed. "If you say so."

"I do."

"Fine."

"Fine."

"Ah, children? If I may interrupt? Haley, have you looked at your gift?" Grandma asked.

"Not yet." There was no rush. She already knew what was inside the card. Since her father thought that she was twenty-five, there would be twenty-five hundred-dollar bills in an unsigned card.

"Well, go get it," Grandma said.

With a sigh, she went into the house, rolling her eyes at the overfilled bags of groceries that covered her kitchen counters and table, and retrieved the envelope from her purse. She carried it outside and sat down with it.

"Well, open it!" Grandma said, sounding rather impatient.

"Why are you so eager for me to see this gift?" Haley asked suspiciously.

"Because I'm the one that suggested your gift," she said with a dismissive wave of her hand.

Haley bit her lip so she wouldn't cry. Not only had her father forgotten her birthday, but Grandma had to be the one to finally remind him that it was her birthday and most likely ordered her gift.

She opened the card and wasn't too surprised to see the card wasn't signed, which wasn't exactly a surprise since he never bothered signing her cards. Her eyes shifted to her gift and froze there. It was a full minute before she began breathing again. In another ten seconds, she was up and around the table, hugging her grandmother and kissing her.

"You are the best, ever!" Haley said between kisses.

Grandma laughed. "I'm glad you like it. I wanted to give those to you, but you're so damn stubborn so I used your father's stupidity. Now you have to accept them," Grandma said with a firm nod.

*-*-*-*

Jason stood up and flipped the burgers before he added the hot dogs. He turned back in time to see Haley jumping up and down and giggling like a schoolgirl.

"Well, don't leave me in suspense," he said, earning a loud squeal from Haley.

Apparently, she was beyond words, so she pushed the card into his hands. He looked down, blinked and blinked again, before stumbling back into a chair. Did he just wet himself? Ah, who cared? He was holding four tickets to the Yankees vs. Red Sox game at Yankee Stadium for this Friday and they were without a doubt the best seats in the stadium.

His eyes shifted from Haley to the tickets and back again before he made a split-second decision and made a run for it. He didn't make it five feet before his little grasshopper tackled him to the ground and ripped the card from his hands.

He spit grass out of his mouth. "Fine. You can come with me, I guess," he said, earning a knee to the ribs.
**Chapter** **7**

"I love you, Derek!"

Jason tried to drag Haley back to her seat, but she fought him tooth and nail. "I love you, Derek!"

"He knows, woman! He's known since the first inning. Let the man focus," he said, finally managing to drag her back a foot when that bastard Derek Jeter went and waved to Haley. That did it. She tried to break free and make a run for the field.

Trying not to drop her as he burst out laughing, he readjusted his grip and pulled Haley back with him until she was sitting on his lap. He kept one arm around her waist as he retrieved his beer from Brad.

Brad threw him another triumphant grin. For three days, Jason had taunted the man with the two extra tickets. He'd already known that he was going. There'd been an unspoken understanding between him and Haley. If she'd tried to leave without him, he would have burned her house down, plain and simple. This was a Yankees/Red Sox game for Christ's sake.

On the third day of taunting, the betraying bastard had his wife call Haley. Fucking tattletale. Since Haley's friends hated anything to do with any sport, she'd invited Brad and another friend of his, Mitch. Mitch was a good buddy and had an obvious crush on Haley, one that she didn't seem to return. That was fine with him because he didn't think Mitch was good enough for his sweet little grasshopper.

"Come on! He was safe! Get your head out of your ass and pay attention!" Haley screamed as she bounced on his lap, desperate for freedom, no doubt to rip the umpire's head off.

Okay, Jason thought, chuckling, maybe sweet was a bit much. His little grasshopper was a little demon.

"Calm down before you get us kicked out of the stadium," he said, laughing.

She huffed and crossed her arms over her chest as she leaned back against him. "Cheating bastards," she muttered.

"Because they're winning?" he asked, already knowing the answer.

"Yes!"

"Relax and I'll buy you a foam finger," he said, absently caressing her stomach with his thumb while she thought it over. Today she wore a tight pink tank top under an open Yankees jersey and a pair of shorts that gave him, and every guy here, a look as those golden beauties that she called legs.

"I already have a foam finger at home," she pointed out sullenly.

"Then what would my little grasshopper like?" he asked, fighting back the urge to press a kiss against the back of her neck.

She glared over her shoulder at him. "I'm not going to call you Mr. Miyagi, you know."

"Yes, you will, but that's not important at the moment. What do you want?" he asked as his eyes dropped to her pouty little lips. What the hell? He pulled his gaze away in time to catch Mitch's dirty look and Brad's smirk.

Haley stole his beer and took a sip. She returned it to him with a grimace. "That's warm."

"Well, it did take me over twenty minutes to drag you back here to prevent you from jumping the wall," he pointed out.

"Whatever, you're just messing with fate," she said as she stood up. He reluctantly let her go, but he was ready to pounce and drag her back if needed. Judging by the looks the security guards around them were shooting them, they were ready as well. Damn, his little grasshopper was making him proud. He idly wondered if she'd be able to cause a riot.

"Where are you going?" he asked, wanting her to sit back down. He'd been comfortable damn it.

Haley rolled her eyes. "I'm not going to start a riot or anything. I have to use the bathroom and I want to get a cold drink."

"Oh," he said, starting to stand up at the same time Mitch did. Jason shot Mitch a glare, but the man ignored him and jumped to his feet.

"Want some company?" Mitch asked, giving Haley his best smile.

Haley laughed softly. "No, I'll be fine."

Mitch reluctantly sat down. The two of them watched her walk away as Brad sat there smugly. They sat there in silence for a few minutes before Jason spoke.

"Don't even think about it," he said firmly.

Mitch snorted. "Just because you think you own Haley doesn't mean that you speak for her."

Jason took a sip of his drink, nodding slowly before he placed his cup on his knee. "How about this then? I know you and there is no way in hell that I'm letting an asshole like you near her."

"So, let me get this straight. I'm good enough to be your friend, but not go out with Haley?"

"Exactly. Glad we're on the same page."

"Why is that exactly? You don't like the idea of some other guy swooping in and getting her first?"

"Because you sleep around, don't care about any of the women you fuck, and you treat them all like shit. I'm not letting you do that to Haley. She deserves a nice guy."

"Oh, like you?" Mitch snorted. "You treat women worse than I do."

Jason barely held back his temper. "No, not me. I'm not interested in her like that. She's a friend, nothing more."

"Yeah, okay. Keep telling yourself that, buddy. Anyone with two working eyes can tell that you're getting ready to pounce."

"That's bullshit and you know it. If I wanted her, I would have had her by now," Jason said through clenched teeth.

"Yeah, whatever," Mitch mumbled. "She's a grown woman. If she wants to go out with me, she can. You have no say in the matter."

"We'll see," he said, knowing if Mitch tried anything that he'd beat the shit out of him.

"See what?" Haley asked as she squeezed into the small aisle, juggling her beer and a tray full of food in her arms.

"If the Yankees can get this game back under control," Jason said smoothly.

"They will," Haley said firmly. Jason had a funny feeling that if they didn't, she would go beat the shit out of someone.

She sat down next to him. He placed his piss-warm beer on the floor and grabbed hers while she settled her tray on her lap. He took a sip of her cold beer while she took a bite of her hot dog topped with sauerkraut. She closed her eyes as she savored the treat.

"That is really good," she nearly groaned in delight.

"Give me a bite," he murmured, watching her lips as she savored the treat.

Haley nodded absently while she watched the game. She held out the hot dog for him. He took a big bite. While he chewed, he sat back and couldn't stop smiling as Mitch frowned at him. For the next ten minutes, he held the beer for her to sip while she held food for him.

Jason wasn't even sure she realized what they were doing. Her focus seemed to be on the game itself. When their cup was empty, he put it down and turned to find another beer vendor.

"Oh shit!" Brad yelled as he jumped to his feet the same time Mitch did.

He turned in time to see Haley jump to her feet and then jump onto her seat, holding her hands out as she mumbled, "Oh no, oh no, oh no!" He jumped to his feet the same moment as something white slammed into Haley's hands. She held onto the thing for dear life as she lost her footing from the impact of the ball as several men tried to grab it from her.

Before he could push the bastards away from her, Haley was jumping up and down on her seat while hugging the ball to her chest. Her smile was intoxicating when she looked down at him and proudly showed him the ball.

"Look!"

He placed his hands together in front of him in a praying gesture and slightly bowed. "Very good, grasshopper." He straightened in time to catch her in his arms. He whirled her around as she hugged him.

"I can't believe I caught it!"

"You did great!" he said, kissing her cheek. The action was so sudden that it startled him. He carefully placed a very happy Haley on the ground. She sat down, still grinning while hugging the ball.

After a few minutes, Haley said his name tightly.

"Yes?"

"I think I broke my hand."

*-*-*-*

"You sure that you don't want to go with us?" Mitch asked, giving her a puppy dog expression.

Haley forced herself to smile. She liked Mitch, not as much as Jason, but she didn't see it going any further than friendship. Mitch had become rather persistent over the past week. It was getting kind of annoying.

She held up her hand and ice pack. "Sorry. I think I'm going to go relax. You guys go have fun. Hit the clubs or bars or whatever you guys do. No doubt Jason's going to want to hit the all-male review."

While the other men laughed, Jason stuck his tongue out at her. Haley looked at the front desk. "Ah, guys, did you remember to check in earlier?"

Jason waved it off. "We have the room reserved on a credit card. It will be there by the time we get back."

Haley didn't think it would be. Hotels had a tendency to give rooms away when the holders didn't show up and since it was now nine o'clock at night, she didn't have high hopes that the room the guys reserved was still available. She didn't say anything, knowing it would come off as nagging and she was sick of stressing over the little things.

"Alright, have fun, guys," Haley said before making her way to the elevator.

"Haley! Wait up!" Mitch called. She almost groaned.

"What's up?" she asked him, feeling her patience beginning to fray.

He shrugged. "I was going to ask if you wanted company. I know your hand probably hurts, so I figured I'd keep you company," he said with a charming smile that probably worked on most everything female.

Her eyes shot past him in time to see Brad grab Jason by the arm and hold him back. What the hell was that about? She gave herself a mental shake and focused on Mitch.

"That's really sweet, but I'll be fine. I'm just going to watch a movie and go to bed. I'll see you tomorrow." She didn't give him a chance to respond before she headed off towards her room.

She might not have the best track record in dating, but she knew the womanizers by sight and Mitch was definitely a womanizer. She didn't feel like being just another notch on any man's bedpost.

A few minutes later, she was closing her hotel room door behind her. She walked to the first double-bed and searched her bag for Advil. Her hand was throbbing like crazy. When she couldn't find any, she called room service for a bottle and a large ice cream sundae.

Twenty minutes later, she was sitting comfortably in a bubble bath while eating a decadent hot fudge sundae. Her mind wandered to Jason and how good it felt to have him hold her most of the day. Then she reminded herself that they were just friends and forced herself to stop thinking about him.

Nothing was ever going to happen between them. Jason was a really good friend and she wouldn't ruin that for anything in the world. Friendship was one of the things that she valued most in the world and she would not risk their friendship. It wasn't worth it.

Besides, he was probably with some bimbo right now. The idea turned her stomach. She placed her half-eaten sundae on the floor and groaned. Sometimes friendship sucked, she thought as she dunked herself under the water so she could release a frustrated scream.
**Chapter** **8**

"Come on, let's go back. Those women were hot!" Mitch said for the hundredth time since they'd left the club.

"No," Brad and Jason said in unison.

Mitch let out a frustrated sigh as they walked into the hotel foyer. "I know why Brad doesn't want to, he's married, but why don't you?"

He shrugged. "I just don't want to. Is that okay with you?"

"All night, you turned girls down. What the hell is wrong with you?" Mitch demanded.

"Nothing," Jason bit out.

He wasn't in the mood for this conversation or for Mitch. All night he'd resisted the urge to punch the asshole. When he wasn't thinking about punching Mitch, he was kicking himself for leaving Haley. He should have stayed and taken care of her. She was cool enough to bring them with her to catch a really great game and they'd ditched her like a bunch of ungrateful bastards. Plus, if he was going to be honest, he probably would have had a better time with her just sitting around a hotel room watching a movie than going to a club and having a bunch of women rub all over him.

"Problem, guys," Brad said as he joined them.

"What is it?" he asked.

"They gave our room away since we didn't check in on time and there are no more rooms available."

"Shit."

"Yup."

"Hey, where are you going?" Jason asked Mitch's retreating back.

Mitch stopped and gave him a "duh" look. "We don't have a room. I'm going back to that club to find a warm body and a bed for the night."

That son of a bitch.

He'd been trying to get between Haley's legs for the past week and now he was trying to get laid just for a bed. Jason had no doubt come morning he'd be back sniffing around Haley.

"Are you coming or what?" Mitch demanded.

He shook his head in disgust. "No, you go have fun. I'm going to bed."

"Whatever," Mitch muttered as he headed out.

Jason nudged Brad. "Let's go beg for mercy."

Brad looked relieved as he nodded and gestured for Jason to lead the way.

When they reached Haley's hotel room door, they knocked only to have to knock again a few minutes later when there was no answer. Finally, the door opened, revealing an exhausted-looking Haley.

"What is it?" she asked, trying to stifle a yawn.

"They gave away our room," Jason said with a pout.

She rolled her eyes. "Well duh, you didn't check in this afternoon."

"You don't have to rub it in."

"That's not me rubbing it in, trust me. If I was rubbing it in your face, I would give you an evil little laugh and shut the door in your face."

"Good point," Jason said, wincing while hoping she didn't do just that. He was exhausted and didn't feel like fighting with Brad over the backseat of his car.

"So, what do you want?"

"Mercy?"

She rolled her eyes. "You want to sleep here? There isn't enough room for all four of us."

Obviously, she hadn't noticed Mitch's absence.

"Mitch went elsewhere for the night. It's just me and Brad."

Something in her expression shifted. Was she upset that Mitch wasn't here? The idea pissed him off more than he wanted to admit.

"Alright, guys. Come on in," she mumbled as she made her way back to the first bed. Jason took the time to note the cute little tank top and matching cotton shorts that hugged her round backside rather nicely.

She climbed onto the first bed and flopped down beneath the covers. Obviously, she was all set to go back to sleep and wasn't giving them a second thought.

"Ah, Haley?" Brad said hesitantly.

"What? Please tell me that you two don't need me to brush your teeth and tuck you in," she mumbled into the pillow.

"Ah, no," Brad said, smiling. "Is it alright if I sleep in my boxers? I don't want to make you uncomfortable."

She waved a hand at him without looking. "Knock yourself out."

"Okay, goodnight," Brad said, heading for the bathroom.

Jason looked around the room, noting only two beds and no other furniture except for a chair and shrugged. He yanked off his shirt, pants, and shoes and began to climb in bed with Haley.

Her hand came up in a stopping motion. "Hold up there, buddy," she said, turning over to face him. She pointed to the other bed. "Have a good night."

Jason frowned at the suggestion. "You can't expect us to sleep together."

"Yup."

"Nope," he said, climbing onto the bed quickly and flopping onto his stomach. She pushed him, well tried to anyway. He did outweigh her, after all.

"Out."

"No."

"You're not sleeping in the same bed as me."

"Yes, I am. Unless you're planning on sleeping with Brad and I don't think you want to do that. His wife will kick your ass."

She groaned.

He smiled.

"Look, I'll stay on my side and you stay on your side. We'll both sleep. Problem solved."

"No way."

"Afraid you won't be able to keep your hands off of me?" he teased.

Haley rolled her eyes and dropped back onto the pillow. "Fine, but just so you know, anything that comes over this way will be chopped off."

"Duly noted," he said, snuggling under the covers.

"Oh, and if you snore, I'll kill you in your sleep," she mumbled.

"Ditto."

*-*-*-*

"Ah, guys?" Brad said.

Haley buried her face deeper into the warmth while she tried to block out Brad and the sunlight streaming into the room.

"Go. Away," she muttered.

"I'm hungry. Let's go grab some breakfast," Brad said, a little louder this time, earning a groan from her cushion of warmth.

"Fuck off. We're sleeping," Jason mumbled as he pulled Haley closer. Surprisingly she went willingly. Her head rested on his chest just under his chin, her arm laid across his stomach, and one leg was thrown over one of his.

She felt so good in his arms. He'd never held a woman like this, never cuddled with one never mind spent the entire night in her bed. Normally when a woman tried to cuddle, he felt cornered. With Haley, he felt comfortable, relaxed, and even happy. She felt like she belonged with him. He wasn't about to look too far into that at the moment.

"If you weren't the best mattress ever, I would totally kick your ass for moving onto my side," Haley mumbled against his chest.

"Actually, you're both in the middle," Brad pointed out.

"Why is he still here? Sleepy," Haley grumbled adorably.

Closing his eyes, he waved his hand towards the door. "Go eat with Mitch or something. We'll be up in a little while."

Brad sighed unhappily. "Fine."

A moment later, the door was closed and they both drifted back into a beautiful deep sleep.

*-*-*-*

"Stupid pillow," Haley muttered, trying to punch her once comfy pillow into submission.

Last night had been the worst night of sleep that she'd ever had. She'd spent the entire night tossing and turning. She'd spent most of the night trying to get comfortable only to finally fall into a restless sleep around five this morning. Now it looked like she was in for a repeat performance.

She looked over at the alarm clock and groaned. It was nearly two in the morning. She buried her face into her pillow and screamed. This sucked! She was so tired. All day, she'd kept herself busy with grading tests and homework and even cleaned her house, thinking that by the time she went to bed that she'd be exhausted enough to fall asleep.

It looked like that plan was failing miserably.

"So tired..." she mumbled pathetically.

Damn Jason. Somehow, he'd wrecked sleep for her. She'd never slept in the same bed with a guy before. Sure, she'd cuddled with a few boyfriends in front of the television after a heavy make-out session, but it always felt awkward. With Jason, it felt so good. He was a thousand times more comfortable than her bed and down comforter.

How was she supposed to get comfortable on a pillow-top mattress after sleeping in his arms? She couldn't. There was no way she was going to be able to manage work tomorrow on less than two hours of sleep in forty-eight hours, but she couldn't call in because they were preparing for finals.

"Move over," Jason said, startling her.

She jumped up, clutching her chest, trying to catch her breath as she watched Jason push up her window screen and climb into her room. He closed the screen behind him and lay down on her bed.

Still gasping, she sucked in a breath and asked, "What the hell is wrong with you? You just scared the hell out of me!"

"Look, woman, I don't know what you did, but I haven't been able to sleep since we got back from New York. I'm tired and bitchy and all I want is some sleep so cuddle your ass up with me or so help me, I will kill you!" Jason snapped.

"Wow, you are bitchy," she mumbled.

"It's your fault."

"Whatever."

"Let's go," he said, holding out his arms expectantly. When she hesitated, he wiggled his fingers. "You know you want to."

"Just for tonight," she clarified.

He nodded quickly. "Just for tonight. Come on, I'm cranky."

"I hadn't noticed," she said dryly, but she did as she was asked. She was too exhausted to do anything else at the moment.

It didn't take long for the beating of Jason's heart to lull her into a deep and peaceful sleep.

The alarm went off, waking Haley from a deep sleep. Instead of feeling jumpy and attacking the alarm clock after only getting five hours of sleep she felt oddly well-rested.

Jason yawned as he sat up and shut off the alarm. He rubbed his eyes and turned around to lift up the screen.

"I'll see you at work," he mumbled.

"This was a onetime deal," she said, more to remind herself than him. She could quickly become addicted to his body and that wasn't a good idea with a guy like Jason.

He gave her one of his lopsided smiles. "Of course, it was just a onetime deal."
**Chapter** **9**

Monday Night

10:35 P.M.

Haley rolled onto her side, facing the wall and wondering if she should just suck up her pride and go ask Jason to sleep with her. Did that make her a sleep slut? At this point, she was willing to beg for it. Just as she feared, she was addicted to Jason's body. Thank God they'd never had sex. She'd hate to think how bad the addiction would be then.

She felt the bed dip behind her before a strong arm curled around her waist, pulling her back into a strong warm body. Jason's inviting scent enveloped her as strongly as his body did. Her bottom pressed back against him. He was hard again, but he didn't make any move on her. It was just his body's reaction to being pressed against a female. Just like her body was reacting to being held by a strong man. Neither cared enough to comment or act on it. In a matter of minutes, they were both fast asleep.

Tuesday Night

11:30 P.M.

"That was a great game and a really great dinner," Jill, Brad's wife, said.

Brad stole another brownie off the plate and groaned while he nodded his head in agreement. He reached for another brownie only to find the plate gone and Jason glaring at him.

"Brownie thieving bastard," he muttered as he stalked off to Haley's kitchen.

The three of them watched with humor as Jason placed the brownies in a large Ziploc bag that he no doubt planned on taking with him to work in the morning. Halfway through transferring the brownies to the bag, he looked over his shoulder to glare at Brad and mouthed the words, "Thieving bastard," before returning to the task at hand.

"Anyway," Haley said, drawing Brad and Jill's attention away from Jason's rather disturbing affection for her baked goods. "It was nice to have you guys over."

"Yeah, you're coming over next week, right?" Jill asked as she frowned at her husband, who held up the last bite of brownie but didn't eat it. His eyes were locked on Jason.

Both women watched as Jason turned around. Brad made a huge show of putting the brownie in his mouth. He closed his eyes as if it was the best thing he'd ever eaten and moaned.

"That was a damn good brownie," Brad finally said.

"You betraying bastard!" Jason gasped.

"I'll bring you an entire pan of brownies next week, Brad," Haley said, knowing it would take the glare away from Brad.

"Traitor," Jason mumbled as he lovingly stroked the bag of brownies.

"It's so not right that he isn't fat," Jill said, and Haley had to nod in agreement.

Jason had put away three helpings of lasagna tonight, a salad, and a ton of garlic bread, not to mention about a dozen brownies and cookies. With her one helping of lasagna and two brownies, she was probably going to gain five pounds. Sometimes life simply wasn't fair.

They said their goodnights and walked Brad and Jill out the door. She shut the kitchen light off, knowing that Jason would shut off the living room light for her. Still, neither spoke of the sleeping arrangements and she didn't know how to bring it up. So instead, she quietly said goodnight, rolled her eyes when Jason mumbled, "I love you," to his brownies and headed to her bathroom.

After a quick shower, she pulled on a small tee-shirt and panties. Yawning, she walked into her room and wasn't surprised to find Jason on his stomach, wearing nothing but boxers, in the middle of her bed. She flicked off the lights and crawled in bed. She laid her face on his shoulder while her hand rested on his other shoulder and her leg entwined with his. In a matter of seconds, she felt Jason relax and drift off to sleep.

Wednesday Night

10:45 P.M.

Jason was exhausted as he pulled into his driveway. He waited until Haley pulled into her driveway before getting out. It had been a very long day and judging by the adorable little whimper Haley made as she climbed out of her car, she was feeling it as well.

"I am so tired," she mumbled.

He yawned loudly. "That was a parent-teacher meeting for the records," he muttered.

"Too much drama. Who knew that parents of spoiled rich kids who were failing could become so damn dramatic? I had one woman sobbing hysterically because her son got a B instead of an A."

He chuckled. "I was offered a blow job to turn a D into an A."

Haley's face squished up prettily. "You had a woman offer you a blow job during parent-teacher night?"

"Nope, a man. Seems the guy is desperate to get his son into Harvard."

She laughed softly. "Obviously." She yawned loudly. "I'm off to bed. Goodnight."

"Me too. Goodnight," he returned as they walked along the small patch of grass between their properties. Just before she veered off to the right, he put his arm around her shoulders and steered her off towards his house.

For the last three nights, they'd slept at her house. It wasn't that he missed his bed. He just wanted to see if the bed made the difference or if it was Haley. Plus, he'd been imagining her in his bed all day. Whenever his thoughts turned sexual, he forced his mind out of the gutter. It was becoming more and more difficult as time went by.

He'd never had a female friend before, and this level of intimacy was new and a little frightening for him. He'd made himself a promise today. He would get her into his bed and if he didn't sleep as well as he did in her bed or in that hotel bed he would go out and buy a bed matching hers and the problem would be solved. If he still slept like a baby with her then...

Well, he didn't really want to think about that just yet. He was pretty sure part of the problem was sex.

Maybe he'd go and get laid and then see if he slept as well with Haley in his arms all night. Part of him was scared that it wouldn't make a damn bit of difference what he did. Haley was quickly becoming his world and for some strange reason, that was fine with him, hence the reason he was scared shitless.

They didn't say anything as they walked into his house. He could tell she was nervous. Hell, he was nervous. He'd never had a woman in his bed before. It didn't matter that there wouldn't be any sex involved. This was a big step for him. He didn't even know if he could tolerate having Haley in his bed. Every time the panic started to surface, he shoved it back down. He already knew that if he couldn't handle it that he could make up some excuse and they'd go back to her bed. With that in mind, he led her into his room.

Still, neither spoke as he handed her one of his favorite tee-shirts. She gave him a shy smile and disappeared into his bathroom. He pulled his shoes off and waited for her to come out. He heard his shower turn on and he gritted his teeth as a wave of lust poured over him.

He frowned down at the rather uncomfortable tent in his pants. "Stop causing problems." It didn't listen, of course. It never did where Haley was concerned. He kept telling himself that eventually his body would come to accept that Haley was just a friend.

"All yours," Haley said softly as she stepped out of the bathroom ten minutes later wearing his tee-shirt. The hem of the shirt ended just above the knee, giving the illusion that she wasn't wearing anything underneath. He swallowed. Hard.

He nodded woodenly as he walked past her to the bathroom, where he proceeded to take an ice-cold shower. As he was drying off, he spotted her glasses folded on his sink counter. He picked them up and smiled as he put them back. They looked like they belonged there.

The bedroom light was already out by the time he'd stepped out of the bathroom. Light streaming in from the street illuminated Haley. She laid on her back on the right side of the bed. He walked over to her side of the bed and raised the covers. Without a word, he climbed onto the bed and slowly lay on top of her so that his lower stomach rested between her legs, keeping his errant erection away from her as best he could. She opened her legs wider to cradle him.

Jason laid his head between her breasts and closed his eyes, releasing a sigh of pleasure. She felt so good, so right. After a slight hesitation, he felt her move. He wasn't sure if she was about to shove him off or hit him. He was taking liberties in their sleeping arrangement, but he couldn't help it. He needed her so badly.

Instead of shoving him away, she wrapped one arm around his shoulders while she gently ran her fingers through his hair. That's how he fell asleep in the cradle of the woman he trusted and cared about most in the world. It was absolutely perfect.
**Chapter 10**

"No! I'm not going and you can't make me!" Haley said as she tightened her grip on the edge of the kitchen sink.

"Haley-"

"I'm not going!"

Jason tried not to smile as he placed his hand on Haley's round bottom but failed miserably.

She went completely still.

"What the hell are you doing?" she demanded as she tried to shift away from his hand.

"If you don't let go of the sink and get your ass in the car in thirty seconds you'll leave me with no choice but to spank you," he said, enjoying having his hand on her ass more than he should, but clearly she left him with very little choice in the matter.

Sure, he could easily pick her up and throw her over his shoulder, but where was the fun in that?

"You wouldn't," she said through clenched teeth, glaring over her shoulder at him.

He squeezed her ass.

She gasped, jumping away from him and ran towards the front door. "Bastard!" she yelled over her shoulder before throwing the door open and leaving.

Jason followed her at a leisurely pace, whistling happily, half hoping that she'd refuse to go a half dozen more times before he got her in the car. He stepped out of her house, locking the door behind him, and nearly groaned in disappointment when he spotted her waiting for him in his car.

Damn.

There went his plans for her ass.

He climbed into the driver's side and sent her a huge grin, knowing it would piss her off. Her eyes narrowed on him before she looked away, mumbling all sorts of unpleasant things about his manhood that he simply chose to ignore.

"You'll pay for this," she promised.

"Haley-"

"Rot in hell, you betraying bastard!" she hissed.

He couldn't help but chuckle. "It's just a family dinner. I really don't understand why that has my little grasshopper all riled up."

"I. Hate. You," she bit out.

"You love me," he said, turning on the radio.

"Hate. I hate you."

"Uh-huh," he said absently, searching for her favorite radio station, hoping it would calm the little demon down.

Since this morning, after her grandmother called asking him to join her family for dinner tonight, Haley had been on edge. He wasn't sure if she was pissed because her grandmother called him before her or what. All he knew was that when she'd overheard her grandmother asking him to join them at dinner tonight, she'd gone a little insane.

It hadn't mattered that they'd been standing in line at the bakery. Haley tried to snatch the phone out of his hand. He'd been too surprised and admittedly laughing his ass off when she tried to take him to the ground to give it much thought. Of course, it did surprise him that her grandmother wasn't shocked to hear her granddaughter scream all sorts of threats of violence to him.

Jason really didn't know what the hell was going on, but he liked Haley's grandmother and didn't want to disappoint her by saying no. So, he'd accepted the invitation and tried not to wince when Haley kicked his shin.

From that moment on, she'd been royally pissed at him. She'd ordered the last four apple fritters, knowing that he looked forward to his apple fritters every Friday and didn't offer him one. Even worse, she gave away his delicious treats during the morning meeting. He'd spent the entire meeting glaring at the bastards who'd ate his fritters.

It only got worse after that.

During their lunch break, not only had she refused to eat with him, but she'd somehow managed to steal his lunch, toss it in the trash and made sure there were no delectable treats in the staff refrigerator for him to steal. When he went to buy lunch in the student cafeteria, he'd discovered another lovely surprise.

She'd somehow lifted his wallet.

By the end of the day, he'd been so pissed and hungry that he decided she was damn well going tonight, whether she wanted to or not. When he got home, he hadn't been all that surprised to discover that Haley had barricaded herself in her room. That was more than fine with him. It gave him plenty of time to recoup his strength. After devouring everything in her fridge, he'd broken into her room.

She'd put up a good fight, but he'd eventually managed to drag her into the living room where she pretended to hurt her ankle. When he'd released her to check, she'd shoved him, knocking him flat on his ass, and took off for the backdoor. She made it as far as the kitchen sink before he was on top of her.

"Are you still mad at me?" he asked as he turned into the parking lot of Harrington's, the five-star restaurant her family was dining at tonight. He was glad he'd finally found his wallet during their little wrestling match since this meal was most likely going to give his credit card a workout.

Haley sighed heavily, shifting to look at him. "No, I just don't want to do this."

"Really? I couldn't tell," he said dryly.

"I'm really sorry," she said, as he pulled up behind a short line of luxury cars.

He shrugged, thinking that she was apologizing for starving him. That reminded him that they'd need to stop by the grocery store after this to refill her fridge otherwise, she might be pissed to discover that he left her with only three eggs, a jar of olives and some expired girly yogurt that he wouldn't touch with a ten-foot spoon.

"I'm sorry if I hurt you," she said, sounding serious.

He had to bite back a smile at the thought of his little grasshopper kicking his ass. "I'll, ah," he just barely stopped himself from laughing, "I'll survive."

She nodded regally. "I know. I held back."

"And I really appreciate that."

*-*-*-*

"You know you're going to starve here, right? Even I have to hit the drive-thru at Burger King after coming here," Haley pointed out desperately as Jason dragged her from the safety of the car.

Jason simply sighed, wondering if she really knew him at all. As if the prospect of eating two dinners would upset him.

Puhlease.

"Fine," Haley said, giving him a sly, little smile as she stood up, straightening her lavender blouse and dark skirt. "If you take me home right now," she said in a sultry tone, reaching up to run her fingertips down his tie, "I promise that I will fulfill every single sexual fantasy that you've ever had and some you didn't even know were possible."

With a bored sigh, Jason simply grabbed her arm and gently tugged her towards the front entrance, ignoring the valets as they choked on their tongues. If he thought for one second that she was serious, he would have hauled her ass back into the car and raced to the nearest pharmacy all while he had his hand shoved up her skirt.

Not that he really wanted to do that.

Much.

"B-but I'm offering you sex! Lots and lots of sex!" Haley hissed urgently as they stepped into the large foyer.

"You would have had more luck offering me meatloaf, my little grasshopper," he informed her, catching her arm as she tried to make another escape.

Haley exhaled heavily as she pushed her glasses back up her nose. "I was going to offer that, too." She gave him a hopeful smile. "What if we go home and I cook-"  
"Too little, too late, my little grasshopper. Besides, there's nothing in your fridge to cook anyway."

She frowned up at him. "But I just went shopping the other day."

"I got hungry," he simply said, ignoring her adorable glare.

"You better not have touched the last piece of pumpkin pie," she warned.

He had to laugh at that. "It was the first thing to go," he informed her as they stepped up to the Maître D's podium. She sent him a glare that promised all kinds of retribution. Where Jason could eat just about anything, and often did, his little grasshopper was a pumpkin pie junkie.

"Welcome to Harrington's. My name is Elizabeth, how can I help you?" the woman asked them both as she sent Jason an inviting look that let him know he'd be getting offered more than just the specials tonight.

He looked down at Haley, wondering if she'd caught the inviting look and wondered what she thought, not that he wanted her to be jealous or anything. He had to smile when he caught Haley gazing longingly at the exit sign.

"It won't be that bad," he said, taking her hand in his, mostly to keep her from bolting again.

"Yes, it will," she sighed pathetically.

Jason turned his attention back to the woman who was now frowning unhappily at their entwined hands.

"We're joining the Blaine party," he said, tightening his grip on Haley's hand when he felt her trying to pull away.

"Right this way," the woman said with a tight smile.

As they followed the woman through a richly furnished sitting room, Jason couldn't help but wonder why Haley settled for the losers that she did when she was clearly used to so much better. He'd seen some of the losers she'd dated over the years and doubted they'd pulled out their wallet for much more than Denny's and even then, only if they had a coupon.

She should be dating someone who was willing to bust his ass to show her how much she meant to him. He'd have to work on it with her, but that was for later. Right now, he had to focus on dragging her alongside him.

*-*-*-*

"What are you doing?" Jason asked, smirking as he glanced down at her.

"Nothing," she said quickly as she tried to discreetly shift so that Jason was blocking her from the left side.

"Doesn't look like nothing," Jason noted, quickening his pace, probably to annoy the hell out of her.

"It is nothing," she bit out between clenched teeth even as she hurried to keep up with Jason again, angling a little to the right so that her entire body was blocked by Jason.

She dared a peek behind Jason's back and nearly cried in frustration when a pair of smoky gray eyes that she was all too familiar with met hers. She sent him a polite smile and did her best to ignore the determined glare he sent her way.

"Who's that?" Jason asked as they continued to follow the hostess through the spacious aisles and around larger tables that surrounded the small dance floor.

"No one," she lied.

Tonight was going to be difficult enough. She didn't want to get into the drama of ex-boyfriends, who still took her refusal to sleep with them as a challenge, one that Robert seemed hellbent on winning no matter how many years passed.

The man was a self-professed playboy and truly believed that he could have any woman he wanted. He hadn't always been like that. When they'd started dating at fifteen, he'd been shy, sweet, and down to earth. It wasn't until their senior year when his skin had cleared up and he'd inherited about thirty million dollars from his grandmother that he started to change.

He went from the sweet guy she could watch Indiana Jones movies with to the guy screwing around on her with every bimbo he could find. When she confronted him about it, he'd denied it left and right until finally he broke down and placed all the blame at her feet. They'd parted as friends, well sort of, and since then, every time he saw her, he did his best to get her in bed. Last time they'd run into each other, he'd ditched his fiancé two days before the wedding to pursue her.

His desperation to get her in his bed had nothing to do with love. It had to do with the fact that she was, according to him, the only woman who had ever said no to him. He'd do just about anything to get her into his bed. She really did not need this tonight. She had enough to deal with.

She was not looking forward to being embarrassed and belittled in front of Jason. Although it wouldn't be on her top ten favorite things to do on a Friday night, Haley would have gladly come alone tonight to keep her grandmother company. She would have done her best to ignore all their subtle putdowns, but she couldn't stomach the idea of Jason witnessing how little she really meant to her family.

"Mr. Blaine, the rest of your party has arrived," Elizabeth said, smiling politely as she stopped in front of the large round table where Haley's parents, sisters and their husbands sat. Haley frowned when she didn't see her grandmother.

"Thank you," Jason said, ignoring the inviting look the woman was sending him, surprising Haley. His disinterest in all the women who practically threw themselves at him when they were out always surprised her. He wasn't much of a playboy after all, she thought as she forced a smile for her family.

"Haley, sweetheart," her father said as he stood up. His eyes shifted to Jason before he pulled her into a hug and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. "It's been too long. I've missed you."

She just barely stopped herself from suggesting that he could pick up the telephone if he missed her so much, but she bit it back. She would not let him know that he'd hurt her when he hadn't called like he'd promised. It was her fault for believing him since she knew better.

"This is my friend, Jason Bradford," she said, gesturing to Jason who extended his hand to her father.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, sir," Jason said, politely.

Her father shook his hand, giving her a curious look. "It's a pleasure to meet one of Haley's friends."

Haley just barely stopped herself from wincing when she realized that Jason was the first friend that she'd ever invited to meet her family since she was little. The fact that Jason was a man was going to be a problem, especially if they thought they were dating.

"Dad?" Haley said, drawing his attention before he sat down.

"Yes, dear?" he asked, throwing Jason another curious look.

"Where's Grandma?"

He frowned at her. "Didn't she call you?"

"No, why?" she asked, already having a bad feeling where this was going.

"She called earlier to say that you and your friend," he said, giving Jason another one of those curious looks that Haley knew all too well, "were going to join us tonight, but that she remembered that she already had plans for this evening."

Haley just bet she did.
**Chapter** **11**

"Jason, this is my sister Rose," Haley said, gesturing to the woman with her hair pulled back into a severely tight bun that looked like it hurt. She daintily offered her hand to him.

He took it gently, not because he was honored or overwhelmed to make her acquaintance, no he was simply afraid of breaking her long thin hand. As discreetly as he could, he quickly looked over the other two women in the group and quickly noted that all three of them were tall, way too fucking skinny, and flatter than a ten-year-old boy. Although they were attractive women in their own right, they didn't have a thing on his little grasshopper.

A few minutes later, when he met Haley's other sister Martha as well as both women's husbands, John and Edward, he was introduced to Haley's mother, who looked upset. It took him a minute to realize that she was trying to smile.

Botox.

He should have known, he thought, as he reached over and shook the woman's hand just as gently as he had her daughters' hands. He'd come across this expression countless times during parent-teacher conferences in the past.

As he sat down next to Haley, who was fuming adorably, he couldn't help but notice John, Rose's husband's eyes land on the ass of a waitress and stay there as the woman moved around the table next to them. Rose seemed oblivious as she frowned in Haley's direction. Jason's eyes shifted to the other two women to find them doing the same thing. Her father was glaring in his direction, which was understandable, and Edward was sipping his wine while he stared at Haley's very generous cleavage. Haley seemed to be oblivious to her brother-in-law's perusal of her breasts as she toyed with a dinner roll.

"Sweetie," her sister, Rose whispered, drawing everyone's attention, "do you really think you should be eating that?" She looked pointedly at the roll Haley was fidgeting with.

At Jason's confused frown, Haley mouthed, "Carbs."

Haley muttered something softly as she placed her roll on his plate. She thought Haley needed to go on a diet? Jason couldn't help but run his eyes over Haley's small curvy figure, lingering on all his favorite places. Not that he really needed to since he knew for a fact that Haley's stomach was flat. But damn it if carbs were responsible for those curves then he'd make sure to keep her cabinets stocked with-

"Mr. Bradford," Mr. Blaine said crisply, drawing his attention.

Shit.

Judging by her father's expression, he wasn't too happy about Jason's leisurely perusal of his daughter. Not that he could blame him. If he had a daughter, which wasn't happening any time soon, that looked like Haley he'd lock her up and guard her with a shotgun.

"What do you do, Mr. Bradford?" Mr. Blaine asked, taking a sip of his wine.

"I teach history at Latin Scribe High School," he answered, noting all the expressions of distaste from the rest of Haley's family at that announcement. Not that he cared, but did they really need to act like he'd just announced that he picked up horse shit with his hands for a living?

Mr. Blaine gave him an approving nod. "That's a very good school. Several of my clients' children attend that school." He turned his attention to Haley. "Perhaps you should think about applying for a position there, Haley."

Before Jason could open his mouth and ask the man what the hell he was talking about, Haley smiled tightly and said, "That's a great idea, Dad. I'll send my resume in next week."

"I think that's a smart move," her father said, oblivious to the deep blush spreading over Haley's face as she once again shifted her gaze back to her napkin.

"Doesn't she have to have a special degree to teach high school kids?" Martha demanded in a bored tone that pretty much said she really didn't care. "She teaches preschool, doesn't she? I really don't think they're going to hire her to teach teenagers."

"I'll look into that tomorrow," Haley said, not bothering to look up from her napkin.

What in the hell was going on here?

This had to be a fucking joke, Jason thought as he leaned back in his seat and discreetly looked around the expensively decorated room for hidden cameras. There was just no way that his sweet little grasshopper came from such a cold family.

"If you're thinking of going back to college, perhaps you should look into a real career," Mrs. Blaine said, sending him an apologetic smile that really said she didn't care one bit that she'd just insulted him, "I'm sure your father would be more than happy to pay for law school or medical school."

"Of course," her father said absently, as he checked his cellphone. "Just make sure you send my secretary the tuition bill like you did the last time."

Haley's hand stilled halfway to her water glass and Jason had to frown. He knew from her grandmother's bragging that Haley had worked three jobs to put herself through college and that she'd absolutely refused any help from her family. He'd never understood that until now.

"Perhaps she should apply to wherever Mr. Bradford attended if she wishes to teach high school. What college did you attend, Mr. Bradford?" Mrs. Blaine asked as she sent a small wave to someone at another table.

"Harvard," he said, looking around at the table and noting the bored expressions. This family dinner was like nothing he'd ever experienced. He was used to large meals with warm, welcoming expressions and fights over seconds. This dinner was cold and clinical, and he couldn't help but think that Haley didn't belong. She was warm, sweet, and full of life.

Mr. Blaine grinned. "A fellow alumnus," he said, holding his drink up in salute. "Your father wouldn't happen to be Richard Bradford, would he? He and I attended law school together. Brilliant man."

Jason took a sip of his water and shook his head. "No, my father's name is Jared. He owns a construction company in Meddletown.

Mr. Blaine frowned slightly. "Well, I suppose your father's company does quite well if he could afford to send you to Harvard."

"Yes, he does well, but I actually attended on a scholarship," Jason said, not surprised when Mr. Blaine's expression turned back to disapproving.

As a scholarship student, he'd been treated little better than the hired help. He'd received gratitude, gifts and slaps on the back when he played football and when he wasn't scoring touchdowns, he was expected to work his ass off and do what he was told without complaint.

They hadn't expected much from him. He doubted they even expected him to attend class, but he had. He'd worked his ass off to graduate a year and a half early, pissing the alumni right off. They'd been hellbent on getting four years of football out of him, but he hadn't cared. He'd made damn sure he got his education as quickly as possible since he knew that if he got fucked up on the football field and couldn't play any longer that they wouldn't hesitate in throwing his ass out the door.

"I think she should think about settling down," Rose, at least he thought the one next to him was Rose, said, making him sweat. Christ, from the looks they'd been sending him since he'd sat down, it was obvious that they all thought he was her boyfriend. Did they really think that she'd brought him because they were serious? Him, married with children?

Hell no.

Maybe he should just-

"I'm sure Edward can think of several men who would be interested in our Haley," Rose suggested.

"I think that's an excellent idea," Mr. Blaine agreed wholeheartedly.

Wait, what?

"John probably knows some men that would be interested as well. Don't you, John?" Martha asked.

John looked away from another waitress's ass and nodded. "I'm sure I can think of several men who would like to meet her." As soon as he'd answered, his eyes were back on another woman's ass.

Was he the only one who realized that he'd just been insulted? This was bullshit. He was a fucking great catch. Plenty of women, much to his horror, wanted to marry him. He was just about to tell them that when something caught his attention.

A little snort of laughter.

He turned his glare on Haley as she shook with silent laughter. They were disrespecting his manliness and she was laughing at him? What the hell?

"Haley dear, are you alright?" Mrs. Blaine asked.

Haley, it seemed, could only nod.

"Oh, I just had a wonderful idea!" Martha, Rose or whatever the hell her name was, said excitedly. "Robert's here. Why don't we invite him to join us? You know how fond he is of Haley."

Who the hell was Robert? Jason wondered as he followed Mr. Blaine's gaze to the table they'd passed earlier and landed on the blond bastard who'd smiled at Haley. He had perfect blonde hair, an average face and wore an expensive tailored suit that probably cost more than all Jason's clothes put together. When the man sent a warm smile in Haley's direction, he decided that he hated the bastard.

"Let me get a server to ask him to join us," Mr. Blaine said, already gesturing for a waiter.

Judging by Robert's suddenly smug smile, he knew exactly what was going on.

"No, Dad, that's okay," Haley said, all humor gone as terror took over. "He looks busy."

"Nonsense," Mrs. Blaine said. "You know Robert always makes time for you. He's such a sweet man. For the life of me, I don't understand why you ended things with him."

"If you'd listened to me years ago, you'd be married and already settled and not wasting your time on foolish pursuits," Mrs. Blaine added, making Jason's jaw clench.

"She'll never do better than Robert. That's for certain," Martha said, sending him a bored glance before turning her attention back to Robert.

"I'm not interested in Robert," Haley said quickly, watching as the waiter walked towards her father. "Dad, I-"

Mr. Blaine waved off her concerns. "I think this is the best thing for you, Haley," he said before giving the waiter a message for Robert.

Jason realized that Haley really didn't want Robert to join them. That knowledge appeased him. Somewhat. These people were the biggest snobs he'd ever met in his life and not just because they'd looked down their noses at him, but because they looked down their noses at Haley. She didn't deserve any of this.

"Dad, I wish you hadn't done that," Haley said as the waiter walked away. "I'm not interested in Robert. I've told you that before."

"It wouldn't hurt you to give him another chance, sweetheart," Mrs. Blaine said dismissively.

Seriously, did any of them even consider that he was Haley's date? Not that he was, but still, it was fucking insulting. If Haley wasn't one of his best friends, he'd consider doing telling her family off, but she was and he couldn't, or she'd stop cooking for him, and he wasn't risking that. What his little grasshopper could do with a chocolate chip cookie...

He pushed back in his chair. Telling her family off might not be a choice, but that didn't mean that he couldn't rescue his little grasshopper. He took her hand into his as he stood up, not missing the dirty looks her family sent their entwined hands, and gently pulled Haley to her feet.

"Dance with me?" he asked softly, nodding towards the small dance floor filled with a half dozen couples.

Her eyes darted back to her family and widened when she spotted Robert heading her way.

"I'd love to," she said, practically dragging him away from the table.

*-*-*-*

When Jason pulled her into his arms, she felt herself relax for the first time since her grandmother called this morning.

"You want to tell me about him?" Jason asked, expertly maneuvering them around the other couples on the small dance floor.

Chewing her bottom lip nervously, she watched Robert take Jason's vacated seat. He said something to her father as both men looked over at them.

"He was my high school boyfriend. We broke up senior year."

"And he wants to pick up where you left off?" Jason guessed.

"No," Haley said, absently drumming her fingers against his shoulder, "he wants to perfect his record."

At Jason's frown, she shrugged. "I refused to sleep with him."

She felt the muscles in Jason's shoulder go tight as he narrowed his eyes first at her, then to Robert before looking back down at her.

"How can you be sure that's all he wants?"

"He told me," Haley simply said with a shrug. "He's not interested in anything more than adding another notch to his belt."

"What an asshole," Jason muttered, earning a few gasps from the women around him. She could tell that he was just barely holding back an eye roll.

As much as she hated being here tonight, and God did she hate being here, she had to admit that it was nice not having to do this alone for once. Having Jason with her made the night almost tolerable. He'd even managed to make her laugh, not on purpose, of course, but she'd been unable to stop herself from laughing at his shocked expression when her family had dismissed him so easily. Her family's treatment of him had pissed her off more than the way they'd treated her.

She should just leave. It was obvious that they weren't really wanted here. She also wasn't about to have Robert forced on her so that she could spend the next two hours discreetly removing his hand from her leg or trying to ignore the sexual innuendos he'd whisper in her ear.

Plus, she really didn't want to sit around while they treated Jason horribly for another minute. He was a good friend and deserved better treatment than that, especially since he'd been nothing but kind to them no matter how rude they'd been to him.

They both looked over in time to see Robert stand up and head in their direction. Great. This night was about to get worse.

Jason grinned that sexy grin of his as he leaned down and whispered, "Let's get the hell out of here."

He really was the best friend ever, Haley decided as they made their escape.
**Chapter 12**

"I'm sorry, Mr. Bradford," Eric, normally one of his best students, mumbled quickly as he averted his eyes away from Jason's murderous glare.

For the past three weeks, he'd been biting everyone's head off. His normally easygoing façade was completely gone now. It didn't make any sense. He'd been getting the best sleep of his life and Haley had quickly become the most important person in his life. He couldn't imagine living without her. He didn't want to.

No matter what they did during the day, at night, they came together. Not in the way he would like, but he was still able to find peace at the end of a long day. Two weeks ago, they both gave up on rushing out of each other's bed to get ready for work in the morning. Now he had toiletries in her bathroom, some space in her closet and bureau, and she had the same in his house.

It was weird, but probably not as weird as two best friends who slept together but didn't so much as kiss. It was like they were living together but alternating from one house to the other. They spent a lot of time together, but they also spent a lot of time on their own or with friends. When he was away from her, he wondered what she was doing and thinking. A few times, he had to stop himself from calling her to find out. The only thing that was saving his sanity was the knowledge that she wasn't dating another man. He didn't know how he'd feel about that. Judging by the urge to put his fist through a wall every time he thought about her with another guy, it wasn't good.

Another loud cheer went up next door. He clenched his jaw tightly as he focused on the fifteen students of his honors U.S. history class. This was their two-hour study block to go over the material for the final exam, which was tomorrow. They were only ten minutes into their review and he already wanted to throttle every last one of his students.

He threw his review packet onto his desk in disgust, making his students shift around nervously in their designer school uniforms.

"I don't understand this. We've gone over this material all year and none of you have any idea what the hell I'm talking about!" his voice rose, making the girls look close to crying.

Another roar of applause came from next-door, drawing his attention back to the woman who was always on his mind. He ran his fingers through his hair and paced the floor. He was wound so damn tight right now and so goddamn close to snapping.

A soft knock came from the door connecting his classroom to Haley's. She popped her head in, smiling. That smile was like a balm to his soul, instantly calming him.

"Yes?" he asked her in a much softer tone than the one he'd been using with his students.

Haley nibbled her lip nervously. "Mr. Bradford, I was wondering if I could ask you and your students a huge favor. I need some help preparing my kids for their test tomorrow and since both classes are studying the same material, I was hoping that you wouldn't mind coming in here and giving me a hand?"

"Yes, of course," he found himself answering immediately. Who in the hell could say no to someone so adorable? She pushed her glasses back up on her nose and smiled again, damn near making his knees buckle.

"Excellent!" she said brightly, pushing the door open all the way. "Why don't you kids come in here?" She turned to face her class. "Alright, you bunch of miscreants, make some room!"

Jason grabbed the review packet he'd made over the weekend and followed. As he walked past Haley, he couldn't stop himself from grabbing her hand and giving it a squeeze. If any of the kids saw, they smartly kept their mouths shut.

He watched as his students filled the empty seats in her classroom. They kept shooting him nervous glances. No doubt they were waiting for him to start yelling again. Little did they know that his little grasshopper kept him grounded.

Haley hopped up onto her desk and crossed one beautiful leg over the other, drawing every guy's attention. He had to stop himself from killing the little bastards then and there.

His little grasshopper seemed oblivious to the attention she drew as she reached back to grab a large brown paper bag. She winced a little as she picked it up and placed it on her lap. She wrapped her arm around the bag as she grabbed a thick study packet off the desk with the other hand. He didn't wait for an invite. He sat down on the desk right next to her.

"Alright, guys, for those of you who are just joining us, we're having a review. We'll each take a turn asking you a question. If you know the answer, you'll get a prize," she said. He saw his students visibly relax. He didn't think it was over the prize but over the reprieve from his temper.

Curious about the prize, he leaned over and gasped. How dare she hide these from him! He sent her a glare, earning one of an eye-roll. He reached into the bag only to have his hand slapped away. How dare she?

"You can have one after five of your students answer a question correctly," she informed him.

He sent a scathing look to his students, letting them know that they damn well better answer correctly and quickly if they wanted to live. The woman probably had twenty pounds of Hershey's Kisses and mini Reese's Peanut Butter cups and he'd be damned if he wasn't getting at least fifteen pounds of that.

The hell with the kids. Did they really need an education more than he needed chocolate? They all had trust funds. They could get by with a tenth-grade education. He needed that damn chocolate. Once his five students answered their questions correctly, he was attacking that bag, consequences be damned.

"Alright, guys, first question," Haley announced as she looked at her packet. "Who was the first President of the United States?"

Every hand in the room went up.

Jason snorted. "Are you trying to give away my chocolate? Make them work for it."

Haley randomly picked a student, one of his, and tossed a Kiss. As she asked the questions, they got tougher. Nine questions later, he was patiently waiting for one of his students, John, to answer Haley's question.

"It was eighteen-sixty..." the kid trailed off as he thought it over. Jason was going to fail the kid if he couldn't answer the question. Not because it reflected poorly on his teaching skills, but because this was the fifth question for his class and he wanted chocolate!

While Haley waited for the answer, Jason discreetly raised four fingers.

"Eighteen sixty-four," John answered quickly, trying not to look at Jason.

"Very good," Haley said, tossing John a peanut butter cup.

"Hey, that's not fair!" Cindy, or whatever the hell her name was from the dance, cried. He should have known the little witch would be looking for revenge. "Mr. Bradford told him the answer!"

"Don't be petty. John answered the question correctly," he said, holding out his hand for the chocolate that was due him.

Haley eyed him carefully while he gave her his most innocent expression. "Did you just cheat so that you could get chocolate?"

He did his best to look insulted. "Would I do that?" he demanded.

She rolled her eyes and handed him a huge handful of chocolate. "This should keep your cheating ways at bay for a while."

"You would think so, wouldn't you," he said, unwrapping his treats while Cindy scowled at him. He ignored her as he ate his chocolate between asking questions of his own. He only paused to reach back and snag Haley's water bottle to wash down the chocolate.

While they sat there, hip to hip asking questions, he reached back and casually rubbed a circle on Haley's lower back. He almost groaned when he felt her tremble. Outwardly, she was cool and relaxed. She laughed with the kids and never had any problems carrying on with her questions. He only stopped rubbing her back when she handed him more chocolate, which only happened when she caught him cheating.

The lunch bell rang. Haley held up a hand. "You've studied hard all year. I want you go home, review and then I want you to relax. This is just a test, guys. Just remember that and you'll do fine. Also, just a reminder, everyone that earns a passing grade of at least eighty will be joining me next week on the last day of school for a make your own sundae party."

Jason glared at Haley. First chocolate and now ice cream? What else was she hiding from him? He held up his hand to stop everyone from leaving.

"The same deal goes for my class," he said.

"Copycat," Haley mumbled.

"Damn straight," Jason said, as he gestured for the students to get the hell out.

They got up and left while he reached over and grabbed the bag from Haley. He settled it on his lap and started snacking away only to have Haley grab the bag from him and drop it in her desk drawer, locking it.

He rolled his eyes. "Yeah, cause that will stop me."

"Behave. If there's any left by the end of the day you can have more," Haley said as she put her things away. She paused by the door and tried her best to look stern as she said, "That chocolate better be there after lunch, mister."

"Of course," he readily agreed.

She threw him one last look of warning before she headed off towards the cafeteria for lunch duty. He'd be right behind her since they had the same schedule. Only he had one thing he had to do before that.

After making sure that she was gone, he knelt down and picked the lock with two paper clips he'd found on her desk. Seconds later, the lock clicked, and he stole the bag and headed for his room, sighing. When would she ever learn?

*-*-*-*

"I still don't understand your problem," Mary said.

Haley scowled across the booth at her friend. "What's not to understand? Somehow, someway I managed to find myself in a serious relationship without the relationship."

"That sounds...different," Mary said with a frown. After a short pause, Mary asked, "What the hell do you mean? I thought you and Jason were just friends."

"We are! It's just that..." She sighed heavily as she fiddled with the label on her beer. "He doesn't date anymore. He doesn't even show any interest in other women. When we're out, he sends women away, telling them that he's not interested."

"Well, that's sweet-"

"When guys approach me, he throws his arm around me and glares at them until they run away. Last night when we were out with Mitch at the movies, some guy in line stood too close to me and Jason got into a shouting match with him."

"He's just being protective-"

"He treats me like his girlfriend. He's always touching me and cuddling with me. We sleep in the same bed every night. We try sleeping positions like they're sexual positions!" she hissed quietly, hoping the loud music coming from the jukebox music blocked out everything she was saying.

"And you don't like any of this?" Mary guessed.

"Like it? I love it! Except I want more. God, I can't stop thinking about him and having him so close, but not close enough is killing me. I am so pathetic," Haley grumbled.

"Does he know?"

"No. If he did, he'd probably step back. He doesn't want a girlfriend. He wants a friend, a sister."

"Doesn't sound that way to me."

"Trust me. There's no chance in hell that Jason Bradford is going to change his ways for me."

"Well, not if you don't give him a chance he won't." Mary reached over and took her hand. "You're in love with him, aren't you?'

Haley wiped at her eyes. "Let's talk about something else."

"Fine," Mary sighed as she stirred the tiny red straw in her ginger ale and looked around the bar. "There are a lot of really cute guys here tonight."

Haley followed her friend's gaze and nodded absently. There were a lot of cute guys here tonight. That brought up another interesting question. If she decided to date and took the guy home would Jason get pissed? If she started dating someone, then she couldn't sleep in the same bed with Jason anymore. It wouldn't be fair and it would make everything weirder. The fact that she didn't want any other man but Jason holding her also didn't help.

She inwardly groaned. Tonight was about relaxing after a long day of review. She wasn't here to moon over Jason Bradford. Tonight, she was here to have a few drinks, play a game of pool, and relax.

"Ah, Haley, maybe we should go somewhere else. How about we rent a movie, get some pizza, and head to my place?" Mary suggested, sounding nervous.

Haley frowned at her. "We've been waiting an hour for the pool table and we're up next. Besides, I'm not done with my beer. What's wrong?"

Mary looked down at her drink and nibbled her lip for a moment. She looked close to tears.

"Mary?" Haley said softly.

Mary shook her head and sobbed lightly but didn't look up.

Loud laughter drew Haley's attention to the door. Her eyes narrowed dangerously.

"That son of a bitch," she snapped.

"Haley, please don't make a big deal out of this. Let's just go-"

Haley was already on her feet and heading towards the small group near the bar. She pushed her way through the group until she came face-to-face with Mary's ex-fiancé and the voluptuous blonde snuggling up to him. She snorted. It wasn't even the same one he'd left Mary for. He was pathetic. She really wished she had spoken up years ago about how much of a loser he was.

"What the hell do you want?" Ted practically sneered.

She shrugged. "Nothing much. Just wondering if you're going to grow some balls and help Mary. You remember Mary, don't you? The woman you dated for four years, cheated on constantly, asked to marry, and then knocked up, all before you dumped her for a stripper? Well, I was just wondering if you were planning on manning up anytime soon and helping Mary with the medical bills for this pregnancy. Just thinking it might be nice if she could afford to keep your kid in diapers and formula. I'm kind of funny like that."

The woman under his arm looked startled as she pushed away from him with open disgust.

"You got a woman pregnant and left her? What an asshole!" she said before stalking off and giving him the finger. His buddies laughed at him while Ted glared down at her.

Ted groaned. "You stupid bitch! I am so sick of you fucking up my life! Mary's accepted our breakup, so when the hell are you going to? I don't want anything to do with that flat-chested ugly bitch or her brat, so fuck off and leave me alone! And if you're so concerned about the baby's shitty diapers, then you buy them for her, bitch!"

"Listen you-"

"Haley, please!" Mary, suddenly by her side, pleaded as she tried to pull Haley away. "Let's just go!"

"There you are! You need to tell her to mind her own fucking business!" Ted said, pushing Mary's shoulder hard to make his point.

"Oh, no you didn't, you son of a bitch!" Haley said just before she released her fists of fury on the bastard.
**Chapter** **13**

"Would you two cut the shit? We're here to have a guy's night out, not a pissing contest," Brad said to the two men glaring at each other. He looked heavenward and sighed, "This is fucking ridiculous."

"He's the one being an asshole," Mitch said, shoving Jason.

Jason shoved him back, harder, sending his friend into a parked pickup truck. He pointed a finger at Mitch. "Stay the fuck away from her."

"Oh, fuck off, you sanctimonious asshole. You don't want her, but you don't want anyone else to have her? She's not your property!"

Jason felt his jaw clench tighter.

"What are you going to do when she starts dating some other guy? Huh, tough guy?" Mitch pushed him. "Someday soon this little friendship of yours won't be enough for her and she'll go to another guy and you won't have her anymore. Have you thought of that?" Mitch snorted. "She's a beautiful, funny, sweet woman. A lot of guys would give their right nut for a girl like her!"

Jason felt all the blood drain out of his face. He stood there as the reality of Mitch's words hit him hard. One day it would be another man Haley would talk to, watch games with, or just sit in absolute peaceful silence with while they worked or ate, and worst of all, it would be another man holding Haley in his arms at night.

"Fuck..." he gasped.

"Oh great, you broke him! Are you happy now?" Brad demanded. "Come on, buddy, we'll get you fixed up with a cold beer and a plate of hot wings. How does that sound? Does that sound good?"

Numbly, Jason nodded.

Brad scowled at Mitch, who looked shocked by Jason's reaction. No doubt, the man probably expected a good shoving match and a few outbursts. Jason suddenly going quiet was absolutely frightening.

"I hope you're happy!" Brad yelled at Mitch. "You broke him!"

"I was just pissed...I didn't know...I..." He shrugged helplessly as he helped Brad steer a very numb Jason into the bar. "Look, I'm sorry. I just thought you didn't think that I was good enough for her. Shit. I didn't realize that-"

His words were cut off when Brad shook his head. Mitch looked at Jason and nodded. He clearly wasn't ready to hear any of this. Jason wasn't aware his friends were talking. He couldn't focus past the idea of another man touching Haley.

His Haley.

"Please stop!" a woman screamed as they pushed a still frighteningly quiet Jason inside.

They spotted a familiar-looking tall woman being held back by two women who were trying to calm her down while they looked nervously at a small group of men. Suddenly the group parted.

All three men stood in shock as Haley hit, well sort of slapped with her fists in a windmill type fashion, a large man who looked more pissed with her assault than actually hurt.

"You don't ever touch her again!" Haley yelled as she continued her weird-ass assault.

"Shut up, bitch!" the man said, shoving Haley away. She stumbled back and hit the floor, hard.

Jason saw red as everything around him blurred into a daze. He focused on the man that just put his hands on Haley. Without a word, he stalked over to the son of a bitch and punched him in the face, sending him slamming back into the bar.

The man bent over in agony, cupping his nose. "You broke my nose, asshole!"

"If you ever lay another finger on her again, I will fucking kill you. Do you understand me?" he promised with barely restrained fury.

The man tried to glare and winced. Finally, he nodded.

"Good," Jason said slowly as he turned and gasped when his little grasshopper ran into him as she attempted to renew her cute attack.

"Haley!" he said, trying to snap her out of it. She ignored him, trying to swing at the guy or whatever the hell she was doing. With an exasperated sigh, he threw her over his shoulder and headed for the door.

"You're lucky, Ted! Next time I will kick. Your. Ass!" she yelled.

Jason gave her bottom a patronizing pat. "I'm sure you have him quaking in his drawers, my little grasshopper. No need to scare him."

She grabbed the waist of his jeans to help push herself up so that she could glare at the bastard. "Ass whooping! Next time I'm not holding back!"

"Tell him to watch his back!" Mitch suggested, laughing.

Jason nearly rolled his eyes when Haley did just that. He released a weary breath. "Let's get you home before you have the man wetting himself."

"You're lucky, punk!" she yelled, making him grin.

She was just so damn cute.

*-*-*-*

Haley grunted and kicked the covers off them.

"Are you going to whoop the sheet's ass as well? Should I run to safety?" Jason asked, biting back a huge smile that was threatening to take over.

"It's hot!" Haley said in a cute little whiny voice. "And stop making fun of me. I totally kicked ass tonight," she said with a sniff. "They might even have to ban me from the bar after tonight."

He blinked. "For what?"

She rolled over onto her back away from him. "What do you mean for what? I started a brawl!"

"Really? When?"

"What do you mean when? You were there. You saw me kicking some ass!"

"That weird thing you were doing with your hands?" She nodded. "I thought you were having a seizure of some kind."

She gasped and gave him a playful shove. "Jerk! I totally kicked his ass tonight and I could kick your ass."

He looked at her for a moment before he burst out laughing. The entire bed shook as he laughed, probably harder than he'd ever laughed in his entire life. Tears streamed down his face as he gripped his side as a cramp started.

"Hey! Stop laughing at me! I'm a major threat, damn it!" her serious tone had him laughing harder. Damn, she was really killing him here. "Keep it up and I'm going to kick your ass with my fists of fury!"

Somehow, he managed to laugh harder. He really didn't think it was possible, but he did.

"That's it!" Haley snapped as she sat up, quickly straddled his hips and grabbed his arms. She tried to pin his arms down by his head. His laughter became more controlled as he quickly turned the tables on her and rolled over, pinning her beneath him. He didn't bother pinning down her hands. Really, what was the point? He'd seen her in action after all.

"Alright, my little grasshopper, kick my ass. I'm ready," he said, grinning. He made sure to keep his hips raised. No point in torturing himself, especially since she was only wearing a tiny camisole and pink cotton panties.

She began pushing at his chest, trying to shove him off. When that didn't work, she tried to kick him, and he thought she may have tried to twist his arm.

It was just sad.

"Come on, my little grasshopper, I'm ready any time you are. Show me some of that fury."

Haley shoved and pulled harder, but still, he didn't move.

"Seriously, I'm ready whenever you are," he said, smiling down at her.

She groaned loudly as she increased her attempts. Still, she couldn't budge him.

He couldn't stop himself from taunting her. She was just so damn cute. "Aw, is my little grasshopper getting tired? Where's all that fury gone? Come on, let's see those moves-"

She cut his words off with a kiss, surprising the hell out of him. It was a quick gentle brush of her lips over his, but it knocked him on his ass. Haley dropped her head back on the pillow, staring up at him while she worried her bottom lip nervously.

Jason hovered over her, panting for breath that had nothing to do with laughter. That kiss... That innocent, sweet kiss hit him harder than every make-out session he'd ever had in his life.

"Jason?" Haley's broken whisper brought his attention back to her lips.

This was over. He was going to climb out of bed, apologize to her, walk her back to her house, and put some distance between them. He was no good for her. He treated women like shit and had no clue how to treat someone as special as Haley. She deserved a man who would make her his entire world. A man who would take care of her, hold her, and love her. And he was not that man.

"Haley, I-"

His words broke off on a groan as Haley's mouth covered his again. She brushed her lips against his enticingly. His entire body went rigid as he forced himself not to respond. He couldn't do this to her. As much as it would hurt both of them, he couldn't give in to her. His body shook with the need to kiss her back and lower his body onto hers, but somehow, he found the strength to fight it.

*-*-*-*

He wasn't kissing her back.

There, she had her answer. She just had to go and kiss him to find out how he felt about her. She couldn't just ask him like a normal person. Not only had she just wrecked everything between them, but she was also horribly embarrassed. Peachy. Just freakin' peachy.

She felt the tears sting her eyes as she looked up at his handsome face. He was not going to see her cry. She absolutely refused to let him see how badly this hurt.

"Excuse me," she mumbled softly, breaking away and pushing at his chest. He didn't fight her this time. He moved off her. She was so close to breaking down and begging him to forget what had just happened. She jumped off the bed and headed for the bedroom door. She didn't care about her clothes or anything else at the moment. She just needed to get out of there.

"Haley!" Jason called after her. "Let's talk about this!"

The last thing she wanted to do was talk about this. She ran out his front door and across the yard and raced to her front door. Barely able to see through the tears that were now flowing freely down her face, she searched for the key she'd hidden beneath the front step and stumbled into her house.

She locked the front door and ran to her room. She locked her window and pulled her curtains shut, knowing that Jason would just come through the window and try to joke his way out of this. She didn't want to joke about this. This hurt! Her heart was broken and she'd just lost the best friend she'd ever had because of her own stupidity.

A sob broke free and then another until she was sobbing uncontrollably. She dropped onto the edge of her bed and buried her face in her hands as she let it out. She was too tired to fight it anymore.

Warm breath tickled her hands as strong fingers gently pulled her hands away. She averted her face so that she wouldn't have to face him as he knelt in front of her. She just couldn't.

"Will you look at me?" he asked softly.

She bit her bottom lip and shook her head.

"I'm not...Haley, I'm just not good enough for you. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

Haley shrugged, wanting him to get to the point quickly and leave. At the moment, she didn't trust herself to open her mouth, afraid she'd just embarrass herself more.

"You're too good for me, my little grasshopper," he said softly as he laid his forehead in the crook of her neck. "You could do so much better than me without even trying, Haley. So much better."

His voice dropped as he continued, and he sounded like he was in pain, but still, she said nothing. "You're kind, smart, funny, you have the biggest heart of anyone I've ever met, and you're sweet. God, are you sweet." His hands slid up her sides and gently rubbed up and down.

His breath came quicker against her skin and Haley wanted nothing more than to wrap her arms around him and hold him one more time, but she couldn't do it. She couldn't stand for him to push her away again.

"Do you know how sweet you are, my little grasshopper?" his voice was hoarse, as his hands moved lower to her hips and slid back up until his thumbs brushed beneath her breasts and then down again. He pressed a kiss against her neck almost as if he couldn't help himself. A pained groan escaped him when he did it.

"I should walk out of here and never come back and let you go meet some nice guy who will give you everything in life that you deserve." He pressed another kiss to her neck and she barely bit back a moan. His hands slid down her sides and this time when they moved back up, they slid beneath her shirt.

Large warm hands moved up her sides only to stop right beneath her breasts. They hesitated there for a second before continuing their journey downward. He continued to kiss her neck almost desperately. The next time his hands moved up he ran his thumbs along the underside of her breasts and groaned.

Haley's head dropped back while her hands fisted in the comforter. She still hadn't spoken, but for other reasons now. She was afraid if she spoke, she would break through to him and he would realize what he was doing and leave her. Heaven help her, but he had her too desperate to chance it.

"I need to leave." He pressed an open-mouthed kiss to her neck and gently sucked while his hands moved further up only to teasingly brush over her hard nipples. They moaned in unison. "It's the right thing to do...the um...the um..." His hands made another swipe this time gently squeezing before moving back down.

"I um, I shouldn't want you...I shouldn't...I care for you so much, my little grasshopper. That's why I should...I should," he groaned loud and long, "you're so sweet."

Haley decided enough was enough. He obviously wanted her as much as she wanted him. Well, she hoped he did, at least. Taking a deep fortifying breath, she leaned back, dislodging his mouth from her neck. He looked dazed as he tried to figure out what just happened.

Haley held his gaze as she reached down and grabbed the hem of her shirt. Hoping that she wasn't wrong about him, she pulled it off and tossed it on the floor.

Jason froze. His hands stilled on her hips as his jaw clenched tightly. He locked eyes with her and she had to bite back a smile as he struggled not to look down. He lost that battle several times.

He sucked in a reverent breath as he allowed his eyes to linger on her breasts. He mumbled something about not being a saint before looking back up. He studied her face for a long moment.

"You do know that you could do better than me, right?"

She rolled her eyes and gave him a watery smile. "Well, duh."

"As long as we're on the same page," he mumbled before his mouth came down on hers.
**Chapter** **14**

None of the fantasies he'd had about his little grasshopper came close to the real thing. Her lips were full and warm against his as he moved over them in a hungry kiss.

He gave her a chance. Hell, he'd let her run out of his house in nothing more than her panties and a skimpy shirt. He'd have to talk to her about her flashing ways, but later...much later. Right now, he was busy running his hands over the most perfect breasts in creation. They were big, but not too big. They were just perfect for his hands.

She moaned and he attacked, sliding his tongue into that warm heaven she called a mouth. Her tongue came out to play and slid against his, making him growl into her mouth.

Her hands slid up his chest, sending ripples of pleasure throughout his body. He'd dreamed of her touching him. He loved the way she ran her fingers through his hair at night when they held each other. He'd fantasized about her running her fingers over the rest of his body.

With one last deep kiss, he moved his mouth down along her jaw and ran his tongue down her neck between her breasts. His hands never stopped moving. He gripped one breast and held it for his mouth as an offering. He ran his tongue around one large hard nipple, earning the most erotic moan he'd ever heard from a woman before he sucked it between his lips. He released the nipple with a loud pop and turned his attention to the next one.

After a moment, his hands slid back down her stomach where he gripped her panties. She didn't hesitate in lifting her hips. His little grasshopper was a good girl. He pulled the panties off while he kissed his way down. When they were gone, he gently pushed her back onto the bed and moved his mouth to one thigh and then to the next.

"I wonder if you're as sweet as I imagined, Haley," he said, kissing her thigh before pushing her legs further apart. Even in the dimly lit room, he could see her sex clearly. The pink lips were puffy with arousal and her short, neatly trimmed curls were soaked, making him lick his lips in anticipation.

He pressed a teasing kiss close to her slit. "Are you sweet, Haley? Hmmm?"

Her answer was a whimper.

"I bet you're sweeter than honey," he murmured as he leaned in and ran his tongue between the swollen pink lips in one long lick. His eyes closed as he moaned deeply. Sweeter, so much sweeter than he'd imagined. Haley's hips shot off the edge of the bed, but he was ready for that. He grabbed her feet and placed them on his shoulders.

Using his thumbs, he spread her open and nearly came from the sight. Using his thumb, he spread the warm, clear liquid over the tiny nub.

Haley moaned.

"You like that?" he asked in a husky voice. "Then you'll love this."

He ran the tip of his tongue around the little nub, careful not to touch it. Haley squirmed beneath his hands, trying to find relief. He slid two fingers inside her but switched to one when he realized how tight she was. He was glad that he wasn't the only one who hadn't had sex in a while. He wanted her desperate for him.

Finally, he ran his tongue over her sensitive little nub, earning a moan so he did it again and again while slowly sliding his finger in and out of her. He had to close his eyes. He was so close to coming and she hadn't even touched him yet. He prayed that he wouldn't embarrass himself tonight. He planned on being inside of her for most of the night.

Her sheath tightened around his finger like a vice. He sucked her clit between his lips while flicking his tongue over teasingly over the little bundle of nerves.

"Jason...Jason..." she moaned his name softly for several minutes as he licked her out. "Jason!" she finally screamed his name as her body throbbed hard around his finger.

He waited until she lay boneless on the bed, panting before pulling away and slowly licking his lips and fingers clean. He leaned over and kissed her.

"Condom," he said through clenched teeth. He was on the edge of coming. He'd never been more turned on in his life. He wanted to fuck her in every position imaginable and then in some that he was pretty sure were physically impossible, but he was willing to give them all a try.

He felt Haley still beneath him. It was so quick that he almost missed it. Before he could ask her what was wrong, she pushed him off. Shit. She was still pissed about earlier.

"Haley, I-fuck!" he groaned loudly, well yelled really, as Haley in one swift move yanked his boxers down and took him in her hot, wet mouth. He braced his hands on her shoulders while she worked him. She took the tip of his cock into her mouth with a well-practiced move that nearly had his eyes crossing.

She cupped his sack with one hand, rolling it in her palm, making him groan and buck. He forced himself to be still so that he wouldn't hurt her. She met his gaze when she slowly took him in and went past the point any other woman had ever managed.

He whimpered.

His head dropped back as Haley deepthroated him. Never had it felt like this, so good, so complete. His little grasshopper had a secret side to her. A side he very much planned on exploring. He wondered what else she could do and who had taught her. Anger surged through him just thinking about her doing this with any other man before he quickly pushed those thoughts away with Haley's help.

For several minutes, panting and suckling sounds echoed throughout the small bedroom, making it harder for Jason to hold back. He was so damn close. Hell, he could have easily come a hundred times over by now, but he was desperate to keep this going. It felt so good...so fucking good.

Finally, he couldn't hold back any longer. He tapped her lightly on the shoulder, the universal sign of warning, and started to pull back when Haley gripped his hip with her free hand and held him in place as she doubled her efforts.

"Haley baby, I'm gonna come!" he moaned the last word loudly. His entire body spasmed as his cock hardened to the point of pain and erupted in her sweet little mouth. Haley didn't miss a beat as she sucked him dry. She was truly wonderful.

Gasping for air, he pulled back, hissing when his cock slid out of her incredibly talented mouth and over her tongue. Lazily, he shoved his underwear down the rest of the way and climbed on the bed and moved over Haley.

She licked her lips, making him groan. He leaned in and kissed her. As they kissed, they slowly moved up the bed. Once Haley's head hit the pillow, Jason laid on his side and gathered her close.

As good as it felt to simply hold her in his arms over these past weeks, it felt better to have her in his arms naked. Surprisingly it had nothing to do with sex. He loved feeling her warm skin against his and feeling her heartbeat as it lulled him into a deep sleep.

*-*-*-*

"Shit!" Haley heard Jason yell as something crashed in the other room. From the sounds of it, he'd just knocked over her stack of books on the hallway table, again.

She leaned against the kitchen counter, nibbling on a piece toast as she watched Jason stumble in. His hair was still wet and he was still fumbling with his clothes. His shoes were untied, his pants undone, his shirt was only halfway buttoned, and he was having a hell of a time with his tie.

He glared accusingly at her while he made short work of his clothes. "You didn't wake me up."

She rolled her eyes as she speared a piece of sausage with her fork. "I did wake you up. Three times in fact. Each time you threw something at me and went back to sleep."

Jason gaped at her. "And you gave up? You know our routine, woman. You have to keep at it until I'm forced to get off the bed to find something to throw at you." His eyes narrowed dangerously on the large breakfast in front of her.

"And you've eaten without me?" he asked in shocked outrage. Eating to Jason was sacred, probably because he liked stealing food from her plate when it was still hot.

Any other morning and she would have made sure that he got up. She enjoyed their quiet mornings together before they were forced to face their hormonal charges. This morning she hadn't wanted to give him a chance to finish what they'd started last night.

As much as she wanted to, needed to, take that next step with him, she was frightened. He was a man with experience and expectations, and she was...well, for the lack of a better word, a chicken.

She was fortunate to be the youngest child in the family not only because her grandparents had taken her in, but because she'd been able to see from a very young age how her sisters and older cousins were treated by so-called friends and men. Men came and went out of their lives, turning them into idiots. She'd known more than one woman over the years that thought sex equaled love to men, only to have their heartbroken in the end.

It might seem old fashioned, but she only planned on sleeping with one man in her life, the man she would spend the rest of her life with. She'd dated over the years and had handled her "needs" in other ways, but she'd never even considered taking the chance on any man that she'd dated. Since she'd never fallen in love with any of them, it had been easy, but with Jason, it was going to be difficult.

She knew without a doubt that she was in love with him and that he at least cared for her deeply, as deeply as a man like him was capable of. Haley had no delusions about what kind of man Jason had been in the past. He'd never had a serious relationship and had never cared for any woman he'd been with. Although he had changed a great deal and even matured over the past couple of months, she wasn't one of those delusional women who thought she could change a man.

Jason could very well be the person to get her to break the rule of only one man for life, because she knew without a doubt, that he would never marry her. He might be able to handle an exclusive relationship with her, but for how long? She knew that sooner or later he'd get bored and move on to the next girl. It would hurt like hell, but she knew that it was coming.

So, that left her with a very important decision to make. Did she take a chance and give herself to him, hoping her heart wouldn't completely shatter when he moved on, or keep it at the physical level that she was comfortable with?

The only thing stopping her was the regret that she knew she would feel a year from now when another woman came screaming and banging on his door in the middle of the night.

She watched as Jason finished dressing. He spent the entire time torn between scowling at her and looking longingly towards the stack of waffles, toast, eggs, bacon and sausage on her plate. Of course, she'd cooked this for him, and he knew it on some level, but it was Jason and he took his food seriously. Too seriously, but that was a job for Dr. Phil to help him work through, not her.

When he finished dressing, he threw his bag over his shoulder, grabbed the bottle of syrup and soaked the waffles. Then he grabbed a fork and the plate and headed for the door, leaving her to roll her eyes as she followed him.

While she drove, they ate. For every two bites he took, he gave her one, which worked for her since it didn't take much to fill her up. Secretly, she loved it when they did things like this, especially when he took care of her. It was so sweet. He made sure that she was given the best piece of bacon or bite of sausage and always made sure to double-dip her bite of waffle into the syrup, knowing how much she liked it.

By the time they pulled into the staff parking lot, they'd finished eating and the plate was on the backseat, sitting on the large beach towel she put back there for times like this.

They sat there for a moment and watched as buses and cars drove up and parked in front of the school. It occurred to her that she was suddenly nervous. After last night, she'd thought it would be awkward first thing this morning, another reason she got up early. Instead, they'd jumped right into their normal morning routine. Now that the food was gone and they were sitting here, she was really nervous.

Did he regret what they did? Was she about to get the speech that he didn't want anything serious? Would he get pissed when he found out that she wouldn't sleep with him like several men before him had? Damn it! What earth-shattering thing would he say?

"You've got syrup on your lip."

Okay, not exactly life-altering.

She licked her lip. "Is it gone?"

"No."

She wiped her mouth with her fingers. "How about now?"

He sighed. "I see I'm going to have to handle this." He leaned in quickly and brushed his lips against hers. She sucked in a breath as he ran his tongue over her bottom lip.

"So sweet, my little grasshopper," he whispered against her lips. He brushed his lips against hers again. "I know why you left the bed early this morning and why you made sure that I had very little time to do anything else but get ready for work."

He pressed another kiss to her lips as he took her hand into his. "I'm sorry for being a jerk last night and almost making the biggest mistake of my life. I was afraid of hurting you. I know what I am, and I also know that you deserve a guy that can spoil you rotten and take you to all the nice places that you deserve. I-"

"Jason, I don't care about those things," she said softly.

He shook his head stubbornly. "It doesn't mean that you don't deserve them, but if you give me a chance to make up for my past stupidity, and I'm not just talking about with you, I promise that I will do my best to make you happy."

"Jason-"

"I want to try this. You and me, I mean. I know I'll most likely fuck up along the way and that you'll want to wring my neck, but I want to try. I'll do my best not to hurt you."

Haley smiled, knowing that was the best she could hope for from him. She appreciated his honesty and knew that if they were going to try to make this work, then she would have to be honest with him, at least about the extent of their relationship. He might not like being with a woman when sex wasn't an option.

She gave his hand a small squeeze. "Jason, if we're going to try this, then I'd like to take things slow." He frowned. "What I mean is nothing beyond the level we were at last night." She worried her bottom lip between her teeth. "What I mean is no actual sex."

He narrowed his eyes on her. "But you'll still sleep with me naked and let me do a hundred other naughty things to you?" he asked in a serious tone.

"Yes."

He brushed his lips against hers again and moved back a few inches to look into her eyes. "And you'll still cook for me and call me Master?"

Her lips twitched. "Yes, to the cooking and not a chance in hell for the other."

He sighed wearily. "Fine, how about Lord and Master?"

"Uh...no."

"God?"

"Nope."

"My liege?"

"Wait...no."

He gave her one of his lopsided smiles. "I'll wear you down, eventually."

She wasn't so sure he would stick around long enough to make good on that promise, but for the chance to be with him even for a short time, she was willing to risk it.
**Chapter** **15**

"I hate this. Why did we have to come here?" she said in a snooty tone as she looked around the large carnival with clear distaste. "If I had known we were coming here, I would have stayed home. God, have you ever heard of a restaurant? That's where I should be eating, not something on a stick like some slob." She flipped her long hair over her shoulder, her glare locked on them.

Jason glanced at Mitch, whose jaw was clenched tightly. The man did not look happy and Jason didn't blame him one bit. If Jason had known that she was going to react this way to going to a carnival, he never would have suggested it or at the very least, he wouldn't have brought her.

Personally, he loved carnivals and theme parks. He couldn't pass by one without stopping in for a fried treat and a few rides. Mitch was the same way, which was why they were here. They came to have a good time. Instead, they were stuck listening to this woman bitch and whine. She'd started as soon as she'd heard their plans for the evening.

As soon as she found out, she'd put her foot down and demanded a nice restaurant and drinks. She'd been outvoted and offered a ride home. She'd refused. Jason knew that she'd decided to come along just to make their lives a living hell for not jumping to meet her demands.

"We can go on the bumper cars or the Ferris Wheel," Mitch started to suggest.

She folded her arms over her chest and glared, just glared at the man. Mitch cursed under his breath. She turned her cold glare on Jason, and he didn't bother hiding his eye roll. This was ridiculous. No way was he letting her wreck his good time.

"Jason!"

He turned around and his frown was instantly gone, replaced by a pleased smile. He watched as his little grasshopper quickly walked towards him, grinning from ear-to-ear. She had a stuffed animal, a snake from the looks of it, around her neck, a large soda in one hand and her other arm wrapped around a fake sword, a teddy bear, and the largest piece of fried dough that he'd ever seen. As she got closer, he could see that it was generously covered in powdered sugar, making him lick his lips as he thought about licking the powdered sugar off her delectable little body.

"Look what I won!" Haley said, practically beaming with excitement. It was hard to believe that someone loved these places more than him and Mitch, but apparently, Haley was that person.

When he'd told her where they were going today, she'd squealed excitedly and threw herself in his arms. He'd laughed so hard that he'd almost dropped her. This was their first date since they'd come together a week ago and thankfully, he'd chosen well. He would have liked to have been able to take her out sooner, but they'd both been swamped with giving final exams and going over final grades. School was over and now they had a whole summer together.

"This is so much fun!" Haley said, seemingly oblivious to Mitch's date's attitude or she simply didn't give a damn. He suspected the latter. His little grasshopper didn't let things bother her.

"Where did you get all of this?" Jason asked as he leaned in for a kiss and a bite of that fried dough.

"Oh, um," Haley gestured with her drink towards the direction in which she came from, "after I hit the bumper cars, I couldn't resist the basketball game or the darts and then I smelled the fried dough, and," she shrugged. "I guess I got distracted."

"I thought you were just going to find the bathroom. We've been standing here waiting for you for over a half-hour!" Mitch's date, Sue or Jude or whatever the hell her name was, pointed out.

Judging by Haley's expression, she'd forgotten all about the bathroom and just remembered that she had to go. That was confirmed a few seconds later when she shoved her drink, food, and winnings in his and Mitch's arms and took off running.

Jason took a huge bite out of the fried dough and sighed happily. No doubt, he was going to have to hunt his little grasshopper down in a few minutes near some game or ride and carry her to the bathroom.

Mitch looked down at his arms, frowned and looked at the things Jason was now holding. "How come you got the sword? I want the sword." He reached out to snag the sword only to have Jason bitch slap his hand away with the fried dough.

"My sword!"

"Jerk," Mitch mumbled as he eyed the sword.

Jason looked thoughtfully down at his sword as well and took another bite. "We could always go win another one and have a sword fight."

"Sweet!" Mitch said. Yeah, they were big kids when it came to carnivals, but who cared?

"I'm not going anywhere," Mitch's date said, intent on wrecking their good time.

Mitch shrugged. "Well, then have a good night."

*-*-*-*

Haley added a sniffle to her pout.

Jason chuckled. "I don't care. You're not getting it back."

"That's not fair! You're just mad because I kicked ass!"

Mitch rubbed his shoulder while he glared down at Haley. She bit her lip and took a step back, ducking beneath Jason's arm. He pulled her closer and kissed the top of her head.

"Fine, keep the sword. I don't care," she said in a sulky voice. Mitch muttered something and sighed heavily.

"You want to go on the bumper cars again?" Mitch asked with an easy smile. He'd never seen his friend forgive anyone so fast before, but of course, Haley had that effect on everyone. It was hard to stay mad at her. She was too damn cute for her own good.

"I suppose we could do that," Haley said, already tugging Jason towards the bumper cars. "If you insist, that is."

Jason looked back in time to catch Mitch leering at Haley's ass.

*-*-*-*

"That was so much fun," Haley said dreamily as she pulled her shoes off.

"It was okay," Jason mumbled.

For the past four hours, Jason had been uncharacteristically quiet. He didn't seem to do much more than glare at Mitch. A few times there, she'd thought he was going to kill his friend. She wasn't sure what she'd missed or if she should even get involved.

A few minutes later, they were naked and crawling beneath Jason's sheets. That's when he really frightened her. He didn't kiss her or touch her. In fact, he didn't even glance at her breasts and Jason always looked. Always. They were like magnets for his eyes.

Now he was lying on his back with his arms behind his head. He made no moves to get closer to her or to pull her against him. He was truly starting to scare her now. She rolled over onto her stomach and watched him for a moment.

"Are you okay?" Haley finally asked.

He shrugged. "Why wouldn't I be okay?"

"You're quiet."

"I just don't feel like talking."

"Do you want me to go home?"

He hesitated before answering, "No."

"Then what do you want?"

"Nothing. I just want to lay here."

"So, you just want to lay there, and nothing is wrong," she said, summing it up.

"Yeah."

She rolled her eyes. It seemed she didn't have much choice about getting involved now. It was either that or get up and leave because she wasn't about to stay here for another moment of this.

Before he could stop her, she was up and straddling his hips. She made another shocking discovery. Jason wasn't hard. Jason was always hard when they were in bed, the shower, or making out on the couch, and all those times in between. She was pretty sure that he would never have to worry about needing Viagra.

He made no attempts to push her off, but he didn't look at her either.

"I'm not going anywhere until you tell me what's wrong," Haley said softly.

"Nothing's wrong."

"Don't make me use my fists of fury to get an answer out of you," she threatened.

His lips twitched, but still, Jason said nothing.

"Okay, you just lay there and sulk then. I'm going home," she said, moving to climb off him.

Jason's hands shot out, gripping her hips to stop her.

She raised an expectant brow.

He sighed heavily. "You pissed me off."

Well, that was totally unexpected...sort of.

"Hey, I said I was sorry about hitting Mitch with that sword. How was I supposed to know it would leave a welt?" Haley demanded defensively.

"That's not what I'm talking about. That didn't bother me."

"Is it because I kicked your ass at skeeball?"

"No! And that game is rigged anyway, so it doesn't count."

"Riigghhht," Haley said, drawing out the word. She thought over the rest of the night and couldn't figure out what she'd done. "Okay, you're gonna have to help me out here because I'm drawing a blank."

"I'm pissed because all those men hit on you and not once did you tell any of them to fuck off because you had a boyfriend!" he snapped.

Her face went blank. She blinked once and then again. Then she burst into uncontrollable laughter.

*-*-*-*

"It's not funny," Jason snapped, but that only seemed to make her laugh harder.

All day at the carnival, he'd been forced to watch men notice Haley. Every time she smiled or laughed, they smiled as if they just couldn't help themselves. Every time she jumped up and down excitedly, their eyes zeroed in on her bouncing assets. He'd caught them checking her out and sending her appreciative looks all night. Mitch, the rat bastard as he was now known, completely ditched his date and focused entirely on Haley.

It only got worse when they went to Joe's Tavern. The place was large, homey and clean and today Joe put out a huge buffet. So, with an all you can eat barbeque and several flat-screen televisions and five pool tables, the place had been packed.

When Haley went up to get food, they crowded her, offered to carry her plate, get her a drink, sit with her, and scoop her food. When she played pool, and she really sucked at pool but clearly loved it, they offered to "show" her how to play. Two guys had the balls to send drinks over to their table while she was with him. Several actually had the balls to come over and flirt with her in front of him!

Mitch was no help. When he wasn't trying to pick up some bar tramp, he was watching Haley and hitting on her like there was no tomorrow. The bastard didn't even try to hide his leers from Jason. What the hell kind of friend was that?

Okay, granted in the past, before Haley, he'd been a complete jerk. He'd openly checked out and hit on his buddies' girlfriends. If he was out and he liked what he saw, he never let a boyfriend worry him. But that was no excuse for what Mitch was doing. This was Haley! His Haley!

"Sweetie, I think you had too much sun today," Haley said once she managed to stop laughing.

"You should have said something!"

She rolled her eyes. "First off, I have absolutely no idea what the hell you're talking about. I don't think anyone was looking my way any differently or flirting. They were just really friendly."

He snorted.

"Secondly, even if they were, and they weren't, I don't know why you're complaining. I didn't exactly hear you tell every woman that was drooling over you today that you had a girlfriend."

Another snort.

"I don't give a damn about those women. I've got what I want," Jason said, gently massaging her hips.

Haley leaned over and pressed a quick kiss to his lips before sitting back up. "Exactly. I didn't notice any other man but you," she said softly as she ran her hands over his chest and stomach.

He rolled his eyes. "Of course, you didn't. I'm awesome."

"I'm glad to see that you're humble."

"Hey, I could have said I was the epitome of manliness, but I didn't." He pursed his lips up thoughtfully. "Even though we both know that it's true."

"We do?" She arched a brow.

"Yes, I believe we both do."

"Fine, whatever, as long as you stop paying attention to your hallucinations then I don't care."

He watched her for a moment. The expression on her face was shy and sweet as she traced shapes on his stomach. She truly didn't know how desirable she was. He would bet money that she didn't think men noticed her and she'd probably broken a hundred hearts unintentionally up to this point. She was just so damn sweet and innocent, well except for in bed, of course. There she was eager, insatiable and exciting. He never thought foreplay could be so pleasurable before. He had no doubt sex with her would be life-altering.

"You are so beautiful, Haley," he said softly. He'd said that to other women before, but he'd never meant it more. She was beautiful inside and out.

Even in the dim light, he could see her blush and shyly avert her eyes. "Thank you," she mumbled, sounding unsure.

She truly didn't realize how beautiful she was. That made her even more beautiful to him. He skimmed his hands over her belly and up until he was palming her breasts. He brushed his thumbs over her nipples, loving the way she licked her lips as she arched her back into his hold.

Haley began squirming on him, letting him know that she could feel his body harden. He loved the way she looked, the way she reacted, and he loved everything about her. She was the most precious thing in the world to him. So beautiful, so sweet, so giving and too damn good for him, but he was a selfish bastard and wouldn't let her go.

Ever.

He slowly massaged her breasts while playing with her nipples, just enjoying the way she licked her lips, moaned and whimpered. His erection was pressed firmly against her. Her bottom nestled it very nicely and he loved the way it caressed him as she squirmed on him. He could feel her getting wet against his stomach.

"You want to try something different?" he asked in a husky voice.

She licked her lips slowly, nodding as she looked down at him with an expression of pure trust. It humbled him.

"Hold on," Jason said as he pulled her down to him, kissing her slowly as he rolled them over until he was on top of her. He deepened the kiss as he pulled her knees over his shoulders, angling her where he needed her, giving him better access to her hot wet core.

"Jason..." Haley said nervously.

"Shhh, don't worry. No penetration," he said against her mouth. "I just want you to feel how much I want you." He settled himself more firmly between her legs, making sure his hard shaft was nestled between her warm wet folds.

He deepened the kiss as he pulled back and then slid forward, rubbing the underside of his cock against her hot wet core and clit. They moaned into each other's mouths as he continued to grind against her.

Haley's moans echoed off the walls as Jason fought for control. His body screamed for him to arch back and slam into her, but Haley wanted to go slow. He would do anything for her, even torture himself with being so close to the prize and not going for it.

She fisted her hands in his hair as she licked and sucked his neck. He groaned loudly as he pressed himself more firmly against her and thrust harder. Haley's grip in his hair tightened seconds before she started screaming his name. It triggered his own violent release.

"Haley...oh, Haley...I...oh, god, Haley!" he yelled while his mind shouted, "I love you" over and over again until he released her legs and lay bonelessly on top of her.

As he was gasping for air, he realized something. He was in deep shit. Haley was his life now. His woman. His heart.

He was so screwed.
**Chapter** **16**

"Oh my God, stop eating that!" Haley said, trying not to laugh and failing miserably.

Jason popped the fudge brownie in his mouth and winked at her. With an exasperated sigh, she reached into the backseat to fix the plastic wrap on the plates of brownies, cookies, and cupcakes that he'd managed to get his hands on.

"If you keep stealing food, there won't be any left for your family's cookout," she said, knowing that wasn't a good enough reason to stop him from eating. She was willing to bet there wasn't much that would come between him and food.

He shifted his attention from the road to pout. "But I love your cooking."

She rolled her eyes at his lame attempt. "Uh-huh."

Well, at least I'm not touching the potato salad. You really should appreciate the little things in life, my little grasshopper."

Haley scoffed in disbelief. "The only reason you're not scarfing that down is because I have that and the pasta salad in a cooler safely locked away in the trunk."

His brows shot up. "There's macaroni salad? Why was I not informed of this?"

"Probably because I wanted it to make it to your parents' house before you devoured it."

He shook his head, sighing, "So little trust."

"You ate an entire bowl of cookie dough yesterday when I made the mistake of running out to the store without hiding it first. Seriously, I thought it would be safe."

"You were wrong."

"Your obsession with food is starting to scare me," she said wryly.

"It's not an obsession. I'm a growing boy, damn it."

She raised one brow in disbelief.

"Thank God we're here. I'm starving," he grumbled as he parked in the only empty spot on the street, which just happened to be in front of a large white Victorian house with black trim where a party was clearly being held, judging by the amount of people walking around the property.

They loaded their arms up with the food Haley made and headed for the front door. Jason kicked the door lightly since his hands were full. A few seconds later, the door was opened by an older woman with salt and pepper hair. She took one look at Jason and smiled.

"It's my baby boy!" she announced loudly to the crowd in the house as she cupped his face and pulled him down to give him a sound kiss on the cheek. She stepped back and noticed Haley. Her expression went from excited to stunned in a matter of seconds.

Jason smiled sheepishly. "Mom, this is my girlfriend, Haley Blaine." He gestured with the plate of brownies. "Haley, this is my mother, Megan Bradford."

"It's very nice to meet you, Mrs. Bradford," Haley said, feeling a little awkward with his mother standing there gaping at her and her hands too full to offer to shake the woman's hand. Not that his mother seemed to be capable of responding or anything at the moment. Actually, Haley was starting to become a little worried.

"Girlfriend?" Megan finally choked out.

"Yeah, why do you sound so-" Jason started to say only to be cut off by his mother.

She turned her head and yelled into the house. "Jared!"

Haley shot a nervous look at Jason, who was muttering something about putting his mother in a nursing home that only served green Jell-O. She looked back at the door in time to see an older man, who was clearly Jason's father judging by the almost identical features, step into the doorway. He smiled when he saw Jason.

"What's going on?"

"Mom's freaking out," Jason said. "Any chance we can get in there before my girlfriend's arms fall off?"

The man noticeably started as he looked at Haley and then did a double-take.

"Girlfriend?" he asked in clear disbelief.

"Yes! Girlfriend!" Jason snapped, but his parents didn't seem to notice, because they were staring at her like they couldn't quite believe what they were seeing. On top of that, her arms were starting to feel like they were about to drop off.

"Ah, about to drop the cupcakes," Haley mumbled as she tried to readjust the three plates in her arms.

"Oh, sorry," Jared said with a sheepish smile as he reached over and relieved her of the cupcakes while his wife grabbed the plate of peanut butter chocolate chunk cookies from her.

Jared looked from her to the plate in his hands. "Where did you buy these? They look good," he said as his hand expertly snuck beneath the plastic wrap. Ah, like father like son, Haley thought. She looked him over quickly. The man was clearly in great shape, a good sign for Jason since he couldn't seem to stop eating.

"I made them," Haley said, feeling a little embarrassed by the attention.

"You made these?" Jared asked with a cupcake in his hand.

She nodded.

"She's a great cook," Jason announced proudly.

Jared took a big bite, closed his eyes and made a yummy moaning sound. In seconds, he had the entire cupcake devoured. He reached out and snagged the second plate of cupcakes from Haley and headed back inside the house without a word.

"My cupcakes!" they heard him snap at someone. Haley just barely stopped herself from rolling her eyes. Definitely like father, like son.

"Hey, old man, she made those for me!" Jason yelled, charging past his mother to go after the cupcakes, leaving Haley with Megan, who was still staring at her.

"Um, I have two more plates of cupcakes in the car. I didn't think those two would survive the trip over here," she said, feeling foolish. Perhaps she should go hang out in the car until after the party was over? Seven hours in a car with nothing to do sounded better than being gawked at.

Megan's eyes narrowed on her. "You're really his girlfriend?"

"Yes."

"This isn't just some sick game he's playing?"

"Uh, no...is there something wrong?" Haley couldn't help but wonder.

"Nothing other than you are the first woman that he's ever brought home and you'll have to forgive me if I seem a little surprised. For a moment there, I'd thought hell had frozen over." She put her arm around Haley's shoulders as if they were old friends. "Now, let's go in there and give a few dozen people the shock of a lifetime."

*-*-*-*

"Mom," Jason growled in warning.

She ignored him. Again. He leaned forward and tried to grab the photo album off Haley's lap only to have his hand slapped away by two women.

"Damn it, mom! This is supposed to be a barbeque. Shouldn't you be mingling and being a good hostess or something, instead of sitting here and embarrassing me?"

"The hell with the barbeque! I've waited over thirty years for my only child to bring home a woman and I'll not be denied!" she snapped as several people around her smartly moved back while he just glared.

"Ah, you look so cute-"

"Naturally," Jason said with a sniff.

"-playing dress up in your mother's clothes," Haley said with an evil little smile. He turned his glare on her. She simply smiled sweetly and returned to the pictures from hell.

"Haley?"

She ignored him pointedly and laughed along with his mother.

"Haley? Do you want to go get something to eat?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah, I could go for a burger and potato salad, thank you," she said dismissively before laughing at something his mother pointed out.

"Oh, that sounds good. I'll take the same. Thank you, sweetie. Oh, and get us each another soda since we seem to have run out," Megan said, gesturing to their empty cups without looking away from that damn album he was going to have to torch.

Where the hell was the adoration and love? His mother normally babied him. Hell, at this point, she was usually getting him a third plate of food and a drink. Let's not forget Haley, who should be loading up a plate for herself with food for him to steal. What the hell was wrong with his women?

He walked into the kitchen, where food covered every surface. As he made up their plates, his father, who was licking icing off his fingers, walked into the room with two of Jason's uncles and three of his cousins. The bastard hid the cupcakes and wouldn't share. When Haley made the mistake of mentioning the two plates of cupcakes still in her trunk, he ran for them with his father close behind. The man actually tackled him to the ground, stole his keys, and his beloved cupcakes.

"Those were without a doubt the best cupcakes I've ever had," his father announced happily.

"We wouldn't know since you wouldn't share any of them, you greedy bastard," Uncle Chuck said.

"I don't share," Jared said simply.

The men rolled their eyes.

"So," his cousin Trevor said as he leaned back against the wall with his arms crossed over his massive chest, "how much did you pay her?"

"What the hell are you talking about?" Jason asked, placing the ketchup back on the counter.

His other cousin Nate answered, "What he means is, why is she here? Did you pay her? Did she owe you a favor? We're just wondering how you managed to get her here."

Pissed, Jason snatched the ketchup bottle with more force than necessary and squeezed an insane amount on both burgers.

"She's my girlfriend, plain and simple," he said.

"Uh-huh," his father said in clear disbelief.

Jason slammed the bun on top of the burger, forcing ketchup out the sides. "What the hell is that supposed to mean? Why is it so hard for you bastards to believe that she's my girlfriend?"

They took that as their cue to tell him exactly why they didn't think she was his girlfriend.

"She's too nice."

"Too sweet."

"Nothing at all like the skanks you normally date."

"She doesn't come off as a brainless bitch like the girls you took to the clubs."

"She doesn't annoy the shit out of us."

"Plus, there is that whole thing where you've never claimed to have a girlfriend before, never told us about her, and gave your mother and me the surprise of a lifetime when you announced her earlier. So, you can see why we're curious," his father finished with a shrug.

"Plus, she's clearly too good for you," Uncle Mark added for good measure. "That's my main reason for not believing this bullshit story."

Well, that...hurt. Not that he could argue that she was too good for him. She was. There was no question about that. What really hurt was that they didn't believe him. He was known for being an asshole, not a liar. There was a big difference as far as he was concerned.

His mother chose that moment to walk in the kitchen, smiling. Thank God. She'd put an end to all this nonsense.

"Do you need help with those burgers, sweetie?" she asked, frowning down at the hamburger he'd squished into a pancake. She lightly tsked him as she threw away the burgers and started over.

"I'm glad you're here, Mom."

She smiled warmly up at him.

While looking at the men of his family, he asked her, "What do you think of Haley?"

Her smile grew. "Oh, she's such a sweet girl. I'm so glad you brought her. I just wish that you would date a girl like her instead of the girls you find at bars, sweetie. A woman like that is just what you need. I'm sure if you straighten out your act a bit, you could get a woman like Haley one-"

The men laughed.

Jason held up a hand. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, woman, back up there a second. I bring a woman home and introduce her as my girlfriend and you're giving me a lecture on how to get her to go out with me? Are you serious?"

She blinked up at him. "Well, yes. I've heard about some of those girls you date, sweetie, and while I appreciate the fact that you've never brought any of them home to meet me, I would really like to see you with someone. It would be nice if you considered dating Haley. She's such a nice woman."

He thrust his hands into his hair. This was insane! Was this what normally took place when a man brought a woman home to meet his family? He was pretty sure it wasn't. This was worse than when he'd met Haley's family.

"Shouldn't you be getting all excited and trying to push for marriage and grandbabies at this point?" he asked, not really wanting to encourage his mother to do that, but that's what happened when Brad brought Jill home six years ago to meet his family.

Megan looked thoughtful for a moment. "You know, I probably would if you were dating her. She's a very nice woman and I think she would do you a world of good." She smiled excitedly. "Are you thinking of asking her out?"

"Why the hell would I have to ask my girlfriend out? She's already going out with me. What is wrong with you people?"

She rolled her eyes and playfully slapped his shoulder. "Oh, honey, you don't have to keep pretending. I'm glad you have a friend like Haley. Everyone thinks she's great." She tapped a finger to her chin, looking thoughtful. "Of course, your Aunt Ruth has been pushing her towards Jeff for the past ten minutes and Chris and David have been trying to ask her out for the past hour. I mean clearly, she's a catch. What I don't understand is-"

Jason cut her off. "Men from my own family are hitting on my girlfriend?"

"They've been hitting on your friend," his mother clarified in an annoyed tone as though he was the one messing with her mind. Seriously, what was wrong with his family? Why was it so hard for them to believe that Haley was his girlfriend?

"Actually," Trevor said a bit sheepishly, "I was going to ask her if she wanted to catch a movie and dinner after the party."

Jason's jaw dropped so fast that he was surprised the damn thing didn't unhinge. He quickly recovered so he could threaten his cousin. "You stay the hell away from my girlfriend!" he said, pointing before he turned his finger on the rest of his family. "Just know that at this moment, I hate you all." They rolled their eyes. His finger stopped in front of his father. He narrowed his eyes on his old man. "And I'm never sharing any more of Haley's baked goods with you!"

Jared gasped. "But...but...but..."

With that, he stormed out of the kitchen. He just thanked God his friends were there for him because clearly, his family wasn't. Was it really so hard to believe that he could land a woman like Haley?
**Chapter** **17**

"Let me get this straight," Brad said, putting his beer on the ground between his feet. "You took Haley to meet your family without any type of warning and you were surprised when they didn't believe the two of you were dating?"

"Yes!"

"Well, I can see why they didn't believe you," Mitch said as he snagged another beer out of the ice bucket.

"Oh, and why is that?" Jason asked as he stole the beer out of Mitch's hands.

Mitch grumbled something, but smartly let it go. He grabbed another beer and popped the top.

"Well, wasn't your mother getting on your case about settling down?" Brad asked.

"Yes, and you would think she'd be happy that I brought Haley home."

Brad nodded. "And for the past year, hasn't she been threatening to find someone for you?"

"Yes, but-"

"And every time you went over there for dinner, party, or cookout, hasn't your mother had several women on hand to meet you?" Brad continued.

"Yes, but-"

"Did she have any women at the BBQ for you to meet?" Mitch asked.

"Five or six, I guess," Jason said with a shrug of his shoulders. He hadn't really paid attention to any of them other than to duck out of the way when they were looking for him. Just like every other time, his mother tried to play matchmaker she'd chosen needy, well more like clingy, women who had no other interest other than themselves and finding a boyfriend.

Both of his friends sucked in a breath. "Shit."

"That must have pissed Haley off," Brad said.

"I don't think she had time to notice. Not with half the men in my family hitting on her," Jason bit out angrily.

"That's fucked up," Mitch said.

It was pretty fucked up. No one listened to him. It was one of the most annoying parties he'd ever been to. When he wasn't trying to get away from some really annoying, clingy woman his mother had invited with the sole purpose of marrying him, he was busy getting into arguments with whatever bastard in his family was asking for Haley's phone number.

Like every single other time before, Haley was completely oblivious to it. Every time he pulled her aside to talk to her about it, she just laughed until tears were rolling down her cheeks. When they returned to the room, it was obvious that she'd cried and every man would glare at him. They acted like Haley needed protection from him.

It should have been painfully obvious to everyone in the room how he felt about Haley. He made no secret that she was his world, not that anyone believed him. Why was it so hard to believe that he'd straightened out for Haley? He didn't think there was anything difficult about it. Even if he wasn't constantly hugging her, putting his arm around her, holding her hand, or trying to kiss her, he told them, but had that stopped any of those bastards from trying to make a move on her?

"Your family probably thought you'd brought Haley there as a decoy to get your mother to stop harassing you about settling down and to use her as an excuse to avoid those women," Mitch pointed out.

Jason crushed his empty beer can and tossed it into the bucket he'd placed the corner of his deck. It should be obvious to everyone that he'd changed. Hell, a year ago, he would have had Mitch toss that beer can up in the air so he could shoot it with his paintball gun. Didn't it strike any of his friends as odd that not only had he tossed it into a bucket, but that his deck and patio furniture were also cleaned and repaired, his lawn freshly mowed, and the inside of his house was clean? Those were big goddamn changes in his book.

"That's what I was thinking," Brad said, tossing his can at the bucket and missed. It landed on Jason's freshly cut lawn. Jason gestured angrily for him to pick it up. With an eye roll, Brad did just that.

"Whatever. This is really boring sitting around here talking about relationships like we're a bunch of women," Mitch said. "Let's get the hell out of here." He stood up, waiting for the other two men to follow.

Brad and Jason shared a look, shrugged, and got to their feet. What the hell, it wasn't like they had anything better to do since Jill was off with a client and Haley was off hitting yard sales.

"Great, let's go hit the strip clubs," Mitch said merrily.

"Whoa there, Skippy," Jason said, coming to a sudden halt. "That shit isn't happening."

"What the hell do you mean?" Mitch asked, sounding like a petulant child. "I want to go stare at hot chicks getting naked."

"I'm out as well," Brad announced, not that it was really necessary. The man hadn't been to a strip club since he'd met Jill.

"Come on, it's Tuesday. It's all you can eat hot wings at the Hot Bunny Club. We can go there, fill up, and get a few lap dances. We can hook up with Candy and Mandy afterward. What's more fun than stripper sex?"

Jason could only look at his friend dumbly for a moment. Mitch was serious, really serious.

"Have you forgotten about something?" Jason asked calmly, more calmly than he felt.

Mitch looked truly confused when he asked, "What?"

"I have a girlfriend!" Jason snapped, quickly losing patience. "Why in the hell would I want to pay some woman to show me something I'm not interested in when I'm dating Haley? And why in the hell would you think I wanted to cheat on my girlfriend?"

If humanly possible, Mitch looked even more confused. "How is it cheating if you're not married?"

Brad and Jason just stared at Mitch. What the hell was he supposed to say to that? Actually, it worried him that not even a year ago he would have been on Mitch's side of this argument. That was truly frightening.

Hell, he would have been the one starting that argument before Haley. Wow...just wow... It wasn't exactly the best feeling in the world to discover how much of an asshole he once was. He'd really changed since getting to know Haley and shockingly, for the better. Surprisingly, he didn't feel pissed off or scared that she'd been able to bring out these changes in him.

"Come on, man! Come with me. It'll be fun," Mitch pleaded.

Jason grabbed a fresh beer and dropped back into his chair.

"What the hell, Jason?" Mitch whined.

Shrugging, Jason took a long sip of his beer.

Mitch folded his arms stubbornly over his chest while he scowled at Jason. "I never thought this day would come," Mitch said with obvious disgust.

"Oh, and what day is that exactly?" Jason asked as he leaned his head back to catch some sun. Anything was better than watching a grown man pout.

"The day Jason Bradford became pussy whipped," Mitch announced, earning a chuckle from Brad.

Jason threw Brad a killing glare, but the man ignored him. He focused his attention on the little bastard who was obviously drunk or possibly high, probably both.

He snorted. "I'm not pussy whipped," he said. Since he'd done everything but slide into that little piece of heaven, he didn't think the term applied to him. The things they'd done together made him stifle back a groan. He loved what they did and at the same time, he absolutely hated it.

Having Haley, but not having her was difficult as hell. For any other woman, he would have simply shrugged at the "no actual sex" rule and walked away. But for Haley, there wasn't anything he wouldn't do. She was the love of his life, his future, and the woman he planned on spending the rest of his life with.

So, for now, he'd grit his teeth and fight against the urge to jump her every time he saw her. His little grasshopper wanted to stick with foreplay, so that's exactly what he was going to do. As long as she kept doing that unbelievably erotic thing with her tongue and teeth along the ridge of his-

"I'm surprised he's not panting after her right now," Mitch said, yanking Jason away from his thoughts of Haley, naked, bending over...

He shifted uncomfortably in his seat as discreetly as possible.

"We don't spend every minute of the day together," Jason shot back.

Mitch shrugged. "Pretty much."

"Well, I'm not with her right now, am I?" Jason snapped back.

"Probably because she didn't want you with her," Mitch said, snagging another beer. "She's probably getting sick of you."

Jason snorted. Then for good measure, he snorted again. His little grasshopper wasn't getting sick of him. He was damn sure of that. She absolutely adored and loved him. He knew it, even if the stubborn woman hadn't said it yet, but she would. Then he'd tell her how much he loved her, but only after she told him because he really didn't want to feel like an idiot saying it first. He'd never said it before and had absolutely no idea how to go about doing it now. So, the safe plan was to wait until Haley said it.

No, the reason he was hanging out with the guys today wasn't because she was getting sick of him. It was quite simple. He was banned from going yard sale hopping with her for one year. Not that he cared, he didn't. It did seem a little unfair to him, that's all. It's not like he intentionally went out of his way to embarrass Haley. Those things just seemed to happen to those around him. Most accepted that little fact of life, but that hadn't stopped Haley from banning him.

He may have told one or six people that the stuff they were trying to hawk on their front lawns was crap and all of a sudden, he's banned. Well, that and the box of antique dishes that he broke might have had something to do with it. He didn't know why the guy was pissed. He gave him the fifty bucks for the broken dishes. He should be the one that was mad after all, he was the one who was out fifty bucks for a set of broken girly dishes.

"I bet Haley's off with another guy right now-Ow! What the hell?" Mitch whined as he rubbed the nasty looking red spot on his forehead that would no doubt be a noticeable bump by morning.

Brad sighed as he picked up Jason's half-empty can of beer that rolled to a stop by his feet. He poured the rest of the beer onto the lawn as he shook his head in disbelief. "You knew better," he told a sulking Mitch.

"I was just kidding!"

Brad shrugged.

"That's fucked up!"

"Don't talk about my little grasshopper," Jason simply said. The man should be happy that all he did was throw his beer at him.

Mitch grabbed a handful of ice from the bucket and pressed it against his forehead. "She's not even that beautiful," he muttered quietly to himself.

Jason was out of his chair and lunging for the little bastard before the last syllable left his mouth. Brad being Brad, dropped his beer and jumped between the two of them seconds before Jason would have slammed into him. All three men fell off the deck and hit the ground with Brad doing his best to keep a very pissed off Jason from killing Mitch.

"Get him off me!" Mitch screamed like a girl as he tried frantically to crawl away. With Brad on his back trying his best to hold him back, Jason lunged and managed to grab Mitch's leg and proceeded to drag the man closer so that he could beat the shit out of him.

"For fuck's sake, take it back!" Brad yelled as he struggled to restrain Jason.

"Aaah!" Mitch screamed as he was dragged inch by inch towards a future in a body cast. He tried to dig his nails into the lawn to no avail.

"I didn't mean it like that! She's hot! Insanely beautiful! I just meant that you've dated really beautiful women before, and you've never acted like this before! Oh my God, don't kill me!" The words rushed out of Mitch's mouth, ending on a squeal as Jason dragged him beneath him, flipped him over, and raised his fist, ready to beat the crap out of the man.

Mitch held his hands up, palms out, trying to get Jason to stop. "I swear to God I didn't mean it! I love her!" At Jason's growl of anger Mitch rushed to continue. "Not like that! I love her like a friend! I think she's great! I swear I didn't mean it!"

"I told you not to tease him about her," Brad groaned as he tried to pull Jason off, but Jason outweighed him by a good thirty pounds of muscle. Jason watched his friend through narrowed slits as he fought back the urge to beat the shit out of him. This was one of his oldest friends and part of him knew that Mitch was only giving him shit, but he didn't allow anyone to talk about or treat his little grasshopper with anything but respect.

With barely suppressed rage, Jason took a deep breath before he spoke. "Let's clear this up once and for all." At Mitch's enthusiastic nod, probably because if Jason was talking it meant he wasn't beating the crap out of him, he continued. "Haley is my world," he said, ignoring Mitch's eyes bugging out at that announcement. "Because we've been friends since we were five, I'm going to overlook this little act of stupidity." Mitch noticeably relaxed at that announcement. "As long as you stop ogling my girlfriend's ass."

Mitch pursed his lips, thinking over the ultimatum. After a minute, he dropped his arms to his side and sighed, "I'd rather get my ass kicked."
**Chapter** **18**

"Baby, stop!" Haley said, giggling.

Jason hugged her waist tighter, keeping her from walking away. "Stay home with me. I missed you," he said, giving her his best pout.

She gently ran her fingers through his hair the way he liked it. "I'm sorry, sweetie, but I can't back out again. I promised Amy and the girls that I was definitely coming tonight."

There was no way she was allowing herself to stay home tonight. Over the past week, she'd come so close to wrecking the surprise by telling him. She knew that if she stayed home tonight that the excitement would get to her and she'd blurt it out and everything she'd gone through over the past month to plan this would be ruined.

Of course, none of this would have been possible without her grandmother's help. A few times, Haley had considered giving up when money became an issue, but then Grandma offered to help her out. Grandma found her the perfect place at less than half the cost of every place Haley had looked into.

It was the first time Haley had ever accepted her grandmother's help. It had always been important for her to make it on her own without her family's money and influence. For Jason, she'd sucked up her pride and asked Grandma to help her find the perfect cottage to rent. Everything was going to be perfect.

"Does it even matter that I'm on my knees begging you? You're really going to be able to leave someone this pathetic?" he demanded in a sulky tone.

Haley rolled her eyes as she gently pried his arms from around her waist. "It's just for a couple of hours. You won't even know I'm gone," she promised him.

He sat back on his haunches, doing his best to look pathetic.

She did her best not to roll her eyes again. It was just so damn cute and sweet that he didn't want to spend even one night without her. This was something she'd never expected from Jason Bradford, one of many things actually. He was so sweet and attentive.

"What if I promise to make you a batch of brownies tomorrow?" she asked, deciding to use his love of baked goods against him.

He snorted in disbelief as he got to his feet. "I'm not some whore you can buy with a pan of yummy baked goods, woman. How dare you insult me?" Jason said on a sniff as he folded his arms over his chest and did his best to look upset.

"Fine," Haley said with a sigh. "What if I promise to make a big bowl of frosting tomorrow and let you lick it off me?"

She had to bite back a smile as Jason shifted anxiously while he licked his lips and ran his eyes hungrily down her body. "Buttercream?" he croaked.

"Mmmmhmm," she said, walking over to him. She cupped the back of his head and gently tugged him down for a quick kiss. "And if you're good, I might lick some off you," she said, loving the idea.

"Get your own bowl of frosting. I don't share," he simply said, giving her one last kiss before walking out the door, whistling happily, no doubt thinking about the large bowl of frosting that he was going to devour tomorrow.

With a smile, she grabbed her small black purse and headed out the door. She wasn't too surprised to find Jason playing basketball with Mitch and Brad. Not that she would ever really expect it, but it was nice to know that he'd pick her over his friends. She wasn't the type of woman that expected a guy's attention twenty-four-seven, but it was nice to know that it was hers if she wanted it.

She blew a kiss in his direction and couldn't help but laugh when Mitch jumped in front of Jason to snag it.

"That was my kiss, you bastard!" Jason yelled, placing Mitch in a chokehold and taking him down to the ground while Brad stood by sighing.

He really was a sweetheart. Maybe she'd make him a big batch of fudge brownies to go along with that bowl of frosting.

"And stop looking at her ass!" Jason snapped.

*-*-*-*

"Oh my God, I can't believe you came," Amy said, leaning back in her chair as she watched Haley approach the table.

"He's probably following right behind her," Sarah pointed out with a laugh.

"Ha, ha, very funny," Haley said, taking the only empty seat at the table as her four friends and a woman she had never met before gave her knowing looks.

Amy gestured to the new woman. "This is my friend, Kate. Kate, this is Haley, the woman I told you about."

Frowning, Haley reached over to shake the woman's well-manicured hand. She couldn't help but wonder what Amy had said about her. Thankfully, she didn't have to wonder for long.

"So, this is the woman that brought Jason Bradford to his knees?" Kate asked, cocking her head to the side as she ran an assessing eye over Haley. Haley didn't miss the woman's lips twitching when she came to her glasses. Obviously, the woman thought she came up short.

Haley didn't care what this woman thought. It wasn't the first time someone had a hard time believing that she was with Jason and probably wouldn't be the last. There was no denying that she wasn't Jason's usual type. She hadn't lived next door to the man for five years without learning a thing or two. Granted, she never saw the women until after he'd dumped them and they were drunk screaming messes, but it was pretty easy to guess his type.

The old Jason, as she liked to think of the not so sweet Jason, used to drive her insane and liked women who were a walking breathing advertisement for sex. Kind of like Kate, Haley thought with an inward groan. With her perfect silky long raven hair, makeup that made her look sultry, clothes that were a little too tight and showed off way too much, Kate was definitely the old Jason's type.

Judging by the smug smirk on the woman's face, she knew exactly what Haley was thinking.

"How long have the two of you been together?" Kate asked casually, but Haley hadn't missed the calculating gleam in her eyes.

Before she could tell her that it was none of her business, Amy answered for her, "About two months."

The surprised look on Kate's face was rewarding. She knew she'd lasted longer with Jason than any other woman, surprisingly, since she'd never put out. Well, she did do a thousand and one naughty things with him and kept his interest with baked goods, but that was neither here nor there. She was pretty sure that he really cared about her, maybe even loved her.

Okay, love might be pushing it for a man like Jason, but she was pretty damn sure that he cared about her. He was always sweet to her and seemed genuinely happy to see her. Not to mention that he went out of his way to spend time with her. She wasn't entirely sure, but she didn't think he'd done that with anyone before her.

"That's pretty impressive," Kate mumbled distractedly.

Amy waved off her comment, leaning closer towards Haley with an unholy gleam in her eye. "Well?" she said expectantly.

Haley could only frown as she looked past her friend for the waitress. Suddenly she had the feeling that the only way that she was going to survive this girl's night out was with a lot of alcohol.

She looked back and was startled to find Beth, Alice, and Jen leaning towards her with knowing looks.

"Well, what?" Haley asked, wondering if she needed to start drug testing her friends. They were seriously freaking her out.

As one, they rolled their eyes. It was seriously creepy. Haley barely fought back the urge to flee.

"Have you slept with him yet?" Amy hissed excitedly.

"Oh...that," Haley said, squirming in her chair and feeling a little self-conscious. "We sleep together every night," she said, hoping against hope that they'd drop the subject, especially with the way Kate was glaring at her.

Beth snorted. "We know that you sleep together. What we're wondering is if you've finally had sex with the man!"

Her cheeks began to burn.

Kate looked confused. "She just said she's sleeping with him."

Amy leaned back in her chair, taking a sip of her martini. "Haley here doesn't have sex with a man unless she's in love with him, right?" she said, giving Haley a pointed look.

Why oh, why had she shared that little tidbit of information all those years ago in college? Oh, that's right, because she'd been drunk.

She squirmed uncomfortably in her seat. "I just want to be sure," Haley mumbled pathetically.

Kate sat up straighter, holding her hand up to stop Haley's friends as they opened their mouths to no doubt give her another lecture on sex in the twenty-first century. None of them understood why she wanted to wait.

"You've kept Jason Bradford interested for two months and you haven't even had sex with him?" Kate asked, clearly as surprised as her friends were.

"Yes," Haley said somewhat defensively. "Our relationship isn't about sex."

Kate sat back, back to giving her a condescending look. "Clearly."

Haley opened her mouth to give the woman a piece of her mind when Beth cut her off.

"Oh, look at that," Beth said, gesturing with her frilly pink drink towards the entrance of the bar. Everyone looked and chuckled, and for once, Haley was glad that they lived in a small town.

Jason spotted her and waved and then, of course, slapped Mitch upside his head when the man blew her a kiss. Rolling her eyes, Haley stood up and grabbed her purse.

"I'll be right back," Haley said, not really sure if she would. She really didn't feel like spending the night getting hounded over her virginity again.

"Uh-huh," Beth said.

"Sure," Amy said.

Haley didn't bother arguing with them. She wasn't in the mood. All she wanted to do was cuddle with Jason while he fed her hot wings. Was that too much to ask for?

She walked over to their table. Jason paused mid-order when he saw her. Frowning, he asked the waitress to come back in a few minutes.

"What's wrong, my little grasshopper?" Jason asked, pulling her against his side.

"Girl's night sucks," Haley mumbled pathetically against his shoulder.

He chuckled, pressing a kiss to the top of her head.

"Do you want to join guy's night?" he asked, sounding amused.

After a short pause, she asked, "Do I have to have a penis?"

"I think we can ignore that requirement tonight," Jason said, chuckling.

"Will you buy me hot wings?" Haley mumbled, tracing circles on his knee.

He sighed heavily. "If I must."

"You must," she said, nodding solemnly.

"Anything else?"

She shook her head. "No, that will do," she announced, leaning over to press a kiss to his cheek.

"I'll order you hot wings if you kiss me," Mitch offered. "In fact, if you kiss my-Ow! Damn it!" he snapped, glaring at Brad.

Brad gestured towards Jason with his beer. "It saves time this way."

Laughing and feeling better already, she gave Jason one last kiss before heading to the bathroom, where she would no doubt spend half the night just waiting in line.
**Chapter** **19**

"Did you just growl?" Mitch asked, laughing.

Jason tore his eyes off his little grasshopper's retreating ass and sent a scowl towards the man. "No." But he had. Oh goddamn, he had. He'd imagined licking frosting off Haley in a hundred different ways since she'd offered.

Licking frosting off a woman was a simple fantasy, one he'd dreamed of doing for years, but hadn't found the right woman to share it with. There was no doubt that he could have asked any one of the countless women he'd slept with in the past to live out this fantasy with him before, but he'd never felt comfortable enough with any of them to ask.

With Haley...

There wasn't anything that he couldn't talk about with her. In fact, he'd mentioned this fantasy to her only last week. After she'd playfully teased him for a good hour about it, she swore she'd let him lick anything he wanted off her body. Anytime. Thirty seconds later, he'd been struggling to get his damn legs in his pants and mentally making a shopping list when she walked back into his bedroom wearing a smile and a whip cream bikini.

He may have tackled her to the ground and licked every damn creamy morsel off her before he threw his giggling grasshopper over his shoulder and carried her to the refrigerator where he proceeded to put all the sundae toppings he had to good use.

God, he loved that woman.

"Excuse me? Do you remember me?" a beautiful woman with silky black hair asked, tearing him from his thoughts.

Jason looked at her and frowned. He didn't have a clue who the hell she was, and judging by the appreciative look Mitch was sending her way, his friend wouldn't mind getting to know her better.

"No, I'm sorry," Jason said, taking a sip of his beer.

Her coy smile faltered for a second, and then it was back in full force. Without asking, she pulled out the chair to his left and sat down, making sure to lean forward enough to give him a view of her generous cleavage. She reached forward to run her fingers down his arm only to find his arm pulled back.

"Can I help you?" Jason asked, feeling all his good humor fade away. There was no doubt this woman had seen Haley with him only a few minutes ago. It's funny how once upon a time, he would have found this woman's assertive behavior flattering and probably would have ditched his date for her, but now he was with Haley. It pissed him off to no end that women took one look at his little grasshopper and dismissed her as though she was nothing.

"Well," she said, drawing out the word as she shifted in her chair, giving him a better glimpse of her breasts, "I was over there with my friends and funny enough, you were the topic of conversation. Then suddenly, you were here, and I couldn't help but feel that fate was telling me that you and I should be spending a long sleepless night in my bed tonight," she said in a husky voice.

"Holy shit," Mitch muttered, taking a much-needed sip of beer.

"Weren't you sitting with Haley's friends?" Brad pointed out, sounding as pissed as Jason felt.

She shrugged Brad's comment off. "I'm sitting with my friend," she stressed. "I would never be friends with someone as cold as Haley."

With that announcement, all three men broke out laughing. Haley was many things, but cold? Hell, no.

She may still be a bit of a pushover, but only because she truly cared about not hurting other people's feelings. That was something they needed to work on, but he was willing to overlook it for now.

The woman glared at him as she crossed her arms over her ample chest, giving him what was probably her best bitch look.

"I wonder how you would feel if you found out that you were being played," she snapped.

"Oh, and who's playing me?" Jason asked, still chuckling.

"Haley," she said.

"You can go now," Jason said, gesturing with his beer for her to leave. Damn, women truly could be cold-hearted bitches. Putting down his little grasshopper for a chance at him was low. It was understandable but low.

She cocked her head to the side, studying him. "Oh, really? Don't think she's playing with you?"

"Would never happen," Jason said, gesturing again for her to leave. Even Mitch looked like he wanted her to leave and that was saying something. The man usually wasn't so selective about his bed partners and for him to want an easy woman to leave said a great deal about how he felt about Haley. Jason knew the man was starting to see Haley as a sister otherwise, he'd have to bitch slap him.

"Then why hasn't she slept with you yet?" she asked, grinning smugly.

Everything in him froze with that question. His eyes darted over to his two friends to see that both men were staring at him, clearly shocked.

"You have absolutely no idea what the hell you're talking about," Jason snapped, trying to ignore the dread that was settling in his stomach.

They'd been together for two months and never once had he pushed or questioned her about her refusal to sleep with him. Even during those times when he'd thought he'd die if he didn't slide inside her, he'd held back. He'd assumed she just wanted to take it slow, make sure that he wasn't going to be an asshole and drop her ass when he got bored with her. Suddenly he wished he'd asked her why she wouldn't sleep with him the first and only time she'd brought it up instead of just being happy that she was giving him a chance.

"Oh? I happen to know that she hasn't slept with you and has no plans to. She's playing you right now. According to her, you just don't measure up to her standards."

Mitch laughed it off. "Sweetheart, go try and play someone else. You have no fucking idea what you're talking about."

She cocked a perfectly trimmed eyebrow at him as she stood up. "Don't I? I know she won't sleep with him because she's not in love with him," she announced triumphantly, causing the air in his lungs to leave him in a rush.

"When you get tired of being played with, give me a call," she said, pushing a folded napkin towards him.

He was barely aware of what Mitch and Brad said to her or Mitch grabbing the napkin and tearing it up.

Haley didn't love him.

"Jason, you don't look so good, man," Mitch said, getting up and taking the seat the cold-hearted bitch had just vacated. He grabbed the pitcher of beer and filled Jason's glass. "Take a drink," he said, shoving the glass at him until he had little choice but to do exactly that.

"Look, I don't know what bullshit she was spewing, but I do know that Haley absolutely adores you," Mitch said in a reassuring voice, scaring the hell out of him. Mitch wouldn't try comforting him unless it was bad.

"He's right," Brad easily agreed. "She's obviously trying to start some shit for Haley. Just ignore her bullshit. She doesn't know what she's talking about."

Jason forced a smile. "Maybe you're right."

Mitch snorted. "Of course, we're right. Anyone who's been around the two of you the last two months knows that the two of you can't keep your hands off each other."

But they hadn't made love, Jason thought bitterly. She'd done everything with him but that, and now Jason had a sneaking suspicion the reason behind it was no longer so simple.

"Did you order hot wings?" Haley asked, wrapping her arms around his neck and pressing a sweet kiss to his cheek.

Brad sent him an "I told you so," look over his beer.

"No, not yet," Jason said, putting his beer down so that he could take her hand into his. His eyes shot past Haley to the table of women who were looking this way and laughing. His jaw clenched almost painfully at the idea of Haley playing him.

Haley, of course, was oblivious to everything including the change in his mood. "Well, I'm going to go place an order at the bar then. I'll be right back."

"Okay," Jason said, unable to take his eyes off the women laughing at him.

Mitch and Brad followed his gaze.

"Don't tell Haley this, but most of her friends are bitches," Mitch said, pouring the last of the beer into his cup.

Normally he'd agree with that, but right now, he had a sinking feeling that he was the brunt of a joke. He really couldn't help but feel that Haley might have been playing him this whole time.

There was only one way to find out, and tonight he was afraid he'd get his answers one way or another.

"Don't fuck this up," Brad said, no doubt reading the determined expression on his face correctly. "I don't know what's going on between you and Haley, but those women are clearly out to fuck her over. Please don't screw yourself over in the process."

Jason didn't answer right away. He slowly drained the rest of his glass. Finally, he put the glass back on the table and sat back, allowing his eyes to search out his little grasshopper. She was at the bar laughing at something the bartender said.

He didn't know what the hell he would do if he found out that his little grasshopper was playing him, but tonight he was going to find out.
**Chapter** **20**

"Baby, are you okay?"

Jason looked down at her and smiled. "I'm fine," he said, putting his arm around her and pulling her tightly against him as he led her towards her house.

Without a word, he unlocked her door. Haley tossed her purse on the coffee table and headed for her bedroom, more than ready to get out of her high heels and skirt.

"Haley?" Jason said, stopping her.

She leaned against the wall as she took her shoes off. "Yes?"

He ran a hand through his hair. "I was wondering if you wanted to go for a swim," he said, but Haley couldn't help but feel like that wasn't what he'd wanted to say.

Ever since she came back from the bathroom, she couldn't help but notice that Jason was acting differently. He seemed genuinely upset but denied it anytime she'd asked. Mitch and Brad were surprisingly tightlipped about it. Every now and then, she'd find both men sending killing glares towards her friends.

More than once, she'd caught her friends watching them and laughing. She knew it was ridiculous, but she couldn't help feeling a little paranoid. It was probably nothing.

"A swim sounds like fun," Haley said, deciding that she'd rather forget about everything else but Jason. "I'll meet you at the pool in ten minutes."

"Okay," Jason said, sounding a little sad, at least she thought he had.

She was being ridiculous, she decided.

Fifteen minutes later, she shut the sliding glass door behind her just as Jason broke the water's surface. Even in the dim moonlight, Jason was breathtaking. She watched the muscles in his arms flex as he ran his fingers through his short hair.

"The water's great," Jason said, gesturing for her to join him.

She took her glasses off and wished she'd turned on the outside lights as her vision dimmed and became fuzzy. Trying not to stumble, Haley carefully walked the five feet to the patio table and placed her glasses down.

Unfortunately for her, the time it took to put her glasses down hadn't helped her eyes adjust to the dim light. She didn't want to wreck a romantic midnight swim by throwing on the floodlights, but she also didn't think falling flat on her face was exactly romantic either.

Why couldn't she have been a candidate for laser eye surgery?

Haley sighed heavily as she turned around, fully prepared to throw on the floodlights and wreck another romantic evening thanks to her poor eyesight when strong wet arms scooped her up.

"Don't worry, my little grasshopper, I've got you," Jason whispered, pressing a kiss to her forehead.

"Maybe we should turn on the lights," she grumbled unhappily. "I can't see a thing," she admitted quietly, feeling her cheeks burn with embarrassment. It was just another reminder that she wasn't sexy or desirable.

"Don't worry, I won't let anything happen to you," Jason promised as he carried her to the pool and helped her into the lukewarm water.

While Jason lowered himself into the pool, she dove beneath the water to wet her hair. When she came back up ten feet away, she smoothed her hair back and squinted.

"Jason?" Haley said, trying to separate him from the rest of the dim shadows. She really couldn't see anything out here. Maybe she should-

A small startled scream escaped her as his arms wrapped around her and pulled her back. Jason chuckled softly in her ear. "Did I scare you?"

"No," she lied.

"I'm sorry," Jason said, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. "Do you forgive me?"

She huffed out a breath. "No."

"What if I promise not to do it again?" he asked, sounding amused.

"I'd break out the fists of fury because we both know you'd be lying."

"We wouldn't want that." He chuckled.

"No," Haley sniffed, "we wouldn't."

"Then perhaps you'll let me make it up to you with a kiss?" he said, already pressing wet kisses to her neck. Closing her eyes, she leaned her head back to give him better access.

"I suppose that would be acceptable," Haley said, biting back a small moan of pleasure as Jason ran his hands down her hips and over her thighs before bringing them back up again.

"That's very kind of you," Jason whispered hoarsely, tracing his tongue up her neck. He took her earlobe between his lips and gently nipped it.

His hands skimmed up her sides teasingly, ending just below her breasts before they glided back down to her hips. Haley reached up with one hand and gripped his wet hair, yanking him down for the kiss he'd promised her.

He devoured her mouth on contact. His tongue pushed its way inside her mouth and she welcomed it, suckled it, loving the way he groaned with every little teasing lick and suckle.

Feeling a little daring, she reached up with her free hand and released the front knot that held her bikini top closed. Releasing his hair, she shrugged the top off, letting it fall between their bodies.

Her nipples hardened instantly from the combination of water, the cool air teasing her skin, and desire for this man. It felt so good, but she needed more. Placing her hands over his where they still rested on her hips, she gently tugged them up, gliding them over her wet body until they were where she wanted them, needed them.

Jason's long, pained moan sent shivers throughout her body. She arched into his hands, loving the way they weighed her breasts, squeezed, and caressed them. When he ran his palms over her hard nipples, she sucked on his tongue, making him groan loudly as his hands closed around her breasts and squeezed.

"Jason," she mumbled desperately against his mouth. She needed more. Needed him.

He broke the kiss and turned her in his arms. His mouth slammed down on hers as he yanked her against him. She loved the way his hard chest felt against her breasts, but she loved the feeling of his hard erection straining against her even more.

She reached between them and cupped him, running her fingers teasingly up his long length until she found the large velvety head poking out the top of his swim trunks. She cupped the tip in her hand, running her thumb over it, spreading the few drops of excitement that leaked out.

Jason broke away from her mouth with a groan and worked his way down to her breasts, licking, kissing, and sucking every inch of skin until his tongue was tracing circles around her nipple, making it harden almost painfully.

His hands came up to play, grabbing each breast and massaging them in a way that had her legs trembling and her breaths quickening. The fact that she couldn't see what he was doing only intensified every sensation that he was causing. Just when she thought she'd die if he didn't take her nipple into his mouth, he moved onto the other breast and began the torture all over again.

"Jason!" she cried out when he finally put her out of her misery and took her nipple in his mouth. He pinched and gently twisted her other nipple with his fingers. Haley was barely aware that he was backing her up through the water until her back touched the pool wall.

He kept her nipple in his mouth, gently suckling it as he worked her bikini bottom off. Haley was helpless to do anything but hold on tightly to his shoulders as he drove her crazy.

His mouth left her nipple. "I need to taste you, my little grasshopper," Jason said hoarsely as he picked her up and sat her on the edge of the pool. "Lie back."

Carefully, she lay back on the cool cement. Jason gripped the backs of her knees and pulled her legs apart.

"So beautiful," he said quietly.

She felt his warm breath tickle her thigh before he pressed a kiss right below her knee. A cool breeze ran between her legs, teasing her soaked lips. She couldn't remember ever being this turned on before.

She wanted him. Tonight. Now.

"Jason, please!" she pleaded, trying not to squirm against the unforgiving cement surface.

"Shhh, it's okay," Jason murmured against her leg. He pressed another kiss against her knee before running his hot, wet tongue over her thigh. He avoided where she needed him the most to run his tongue just below her belly button and down to her other leg.

"Please!" Haley cried as another cool breeze teased her sensitive skin, making her squirm desperately.

"That's not what I want to hear, my little grasshopper," Jason murmured against her thigh as he ran his tongue in a circle over her inner thigh before softly suckling the area. A moment later, he pressed a soft kiss against the thatch of soft curls between her legs, earning a loud moan.

"So wet," he said, running the tip of his tongue between her folds. "So sweet."

He traced her slit with his tongue as he placed her knees over his shoulders. When she felt his thumbs separate her folds, she ran her fingers through his hair, gently encouraging him. He ran the tip of his tongue around her clit and around her core in what felt like a figure eight, making sure not to touch the spots that ached for his attention the most. She spread her legs wider in silent invitation, making Jason chuckle.

"You want more?" Jason asked, pressing a kiss against her clit.

"Mmhmm," Haley somehow managed to answer.

He flicked his tongue over her sensitive little nub as a reward. She dropped her head back, moaning loudly. Her fingers knotted in his hair, urging him on. Seconds later, her breath caught in her throat when his tongue ran down to her core and slid inside her. His thumb gently circled her clit slowly, using her juices to heighten every touch.

In and out, his tongue moved in a rhythm that had her panting, moaning, and half-screaming his name. Her orgasm caught her off guard. One minute, she was moaning and the next, she was rolling her hips against his mouth and screaming his name until her voice was raw.

Jason pressed a kiss to her stomach. "Come here," he said tightly.

Still trying to catch her breath, Haley sat up. Jason stepped between her legs, keeping them separated as he leaned down and took her mouth in a hungry kiss that stole whatever sanity she had left. She ran her hands through his hair and down his back, only stopping to work his shorts off.

As soon as his erection was free, she gave up on the shorts and took him in hand. Jason moaned long and loud in her mouth as he worked to remove his shorts, careful not to dislodge her hand.

Without a word, he picked her up. Haley wrapped her legs around him, loving the way he felt. She shifted in his arms until his hard erection was pressed firmly against her wet core.

Jason gripped her bottom, teasing her slit with the tips of his fingers as he moved them through the water. Haley was so caught up in what they were doing that she didn't realize that they were out of the water until he placed her down on a lounge chair.

He released his hold on her to half-kneel on the lounge near her face. "Open up, sweetheart," he said, casually stroking himself, rubbing the head of his cock across her lips.

Haley leaned over and took him into her mouth without hesitation. She reached up and gently gripped his firm balls as he leaned over and slid two fingers inside of her.

"That's it, my little grasshopper," he encouraged hoarsely.

She loved doing this for him, loved the way he felt, tasted, and moaned. She pulled her mouth away so she could run her tongue up his cock and tease the tiny slit. He hissed in a breath when she took him back in her mouth, sucking him harder. She was going to come soon and she was determined to take him with her. She added her other hand, knowing how much he loved that as she absently rode his fingers. This was so good...

"Not tonight," Jason said suddenly, pulling away.

"What?" Haley asked in a daze as he moved to lie down on top of her. Her confusion quickly turned to pleasure as he rubbed himself between her legs.

Smiling, she pulled him down for a kiss. He slowly kissed her as he shifted on top of her. When she felt the hard tip tease her core, she gasped into his mouth.

"Do you like that?" Jason asked as he teased her folds.

"Yes," she hissed when he teased her clit.

"Do you want me?" he whispered against her mouth, placing the tip of his erection against her core once again. This time he gently thrust his hips, teasing her.

Did she?

Yes.

She loved him and all this waiting was killing her. It no longer mattered what the future held. She wanted him now.

"Yes." The word was barely out of her mouth when Jason thrust forward.

Hard.

A small cry escaped her as he rammed all the way home. She was barely aware of the kisses he was pressing against her face or how he wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly. The only thing that registered in her mind was the pain from being split in two.

It hurt so much. She squeezed her eyes shut, hoping it would get better. It didn't. Jason continued to thrust inside her, taking her cries and the way she dug her nails into his back as encouragement. Just when she'd thought she couldn't take anymore he stilled on top of her and groaned.

Well, she thought as he pressed a tender kiss to her forehead, she knew the first time was going to hurt. Granted, it probably wouldn't have hurt if she'd told that she was a virgin, but they'd been caught up in the moment. It was better this way, she realized unable to help but smile. She liked the idea of her first time a result of being out of control.

She pressed a kiss to his damp forehead.

Jason chuckled, leaning back in to press a kiss to the tip of her nose.

"I knew it," Jason said, trying to catch his breath.

"Knew what?" Haley asked, frowning in confusion.

He brushed his lips against hers.

"I knew they were full of shit when they said you wouldn't sleep with me."
**Chapter** **21**

Jason couldn't help smiling as he looked down at his little grasshopper. Not only had he proved that Haley loved him, but that had been the best sex of his life. She'd been so unbelievably hot and wet and so fucking tight he'd almost exploded when he'd entered her.

The last two months had definitely been worth the wait. Sex had never felt so good before. Just thinking about how good it was had his cock hardening for more.

"Please get off me," Haley mumbled sadly, pushing against his shoulder.

"What's wrong, sweetheart?" he asked, shifting his weight off her so that he could-

"You had sex with me to prove someone wrong?" she asked, looking hurt as she sat up.

"No, it wasn't like that," he said, realizing how bad that sounded.

"You just said that someone told you that I wouldn't have sex with you," she mumbled hollowly as she stood up.

He ran a hand through his hair, wondering how this had gone bad so fast. "Look," he sighed, "maybe we should go inside and talk about this."

"Now? Now you want to talk about this?" she asked, trying to walk past him and almost falling into the pool in the process. He quickly caught her. As soon as she was steady, she pushed his hands away and cautiously walked around the pool.

"I can't believe you did this, Jason."

That caught him off-guard. "What the hell are you talking about? How exactly was this a surprise? I'm your fucking boyfriend, Haley. This was bound to happen sooner or later with the way we were going at each other."

"Just because we're dating doesn't mean I was going to sleep with you," she said, looking a little lost.

Holy shit...

They'd been right.

"You were never planning on sleeping with me, were you?" he demanded, not bothering to hide how pissed he was.

"Up until tonight, I hadn't made up my mind."

He rounded the pool just as Haley found her glasses and put them on.

"You were fucking playing me?" he demanded, making her frown.

When she didn't answer, he continued. "Your friends were right. This was a fucking game to you?" he yelled at her for the first time since he'd met her not caring that he'd made her flinch.

"Did you brag that you brought me to my knees and kept me panting? Was this payback for all the bullshit that I put you through over the years? Did you even care about me?"

"You think this was a game?" Haley asked, wiping away tears that Jason wouldn't let affect him. She was upset? Too fucking bad, because he was pissed. She'd played him so fucking well.

"You're actually yelling at me when you just took my virginity to prove something?" she demanded, shaking her head in disbelief.

He froze.

A virgin?

She'd been tight, but...

"Oh god..."

"I didn't want to make the same mistakes that my sisters and cousins made. I didn't want sex to be meaningless. I just wanted it mean something," she said, clearly trying to fight back tears.

Just like that, all the anger inside him drained away. He moved to pull her into his arms only to have his hands weakly slapped away.

"You were so damn eager to prove something that you didn't even stop to think about what you were doing," Haley said with a sad shake of her head.

"Baby," he said, keeping his tone gentle, "if I had known you were a virgin, I would have done this differently, but I can't regret it." He took a steadying breath. "I'm in love with you, Haley."

"Ow!" he said when his little grasshopper kicked him in the shin. "What the hell was that for? I told you I love you and you kicked me?"

"That's for being a jerk! You wait until you screwed up to pull out the big guns? How about telling me that and making love to me because you love me and not because you felt you had something to prove?" Haley demanded, shaking her head in disgust.

He nodded solemnly as he reached out for her again. "That sounds reasonable. Let's go inside and I'll do this right."

"Are you crazy? You think I'm going to let you touch me after what just happened?" she asked, blinking up at him.

"I'm really sorry about this," Jason said, reaching for her again as the first tear rolled down her face.

"No. You actually thought that I would ever hurt you like that? When have I ever done anything to make you believe that I could do something like that? It should have been than obvious that I loved you, Jason," she mumbled, wiping frantically at the tears streaming down her beautiful face.

Jason felt his heart break as he watched her. "Haley, I'm so sorry."

Haley ignored his apology and he couldn't say that he really blamed her. "You were so busy trying to prove something that you didn't think."

"What are you-"

"Jason, I'm not on birth control and you didn't wear a condom," she said, cutting him off.

"Oh, shit," Jason mumbled as her words hit. He'd fucked up in so many ways tonight, he wasn't sure where to start, but he knew which fuck up was the most important.

"Oh, shit is right," Haley snapped, opening the sliding glass door and stepped inside.

He'd never forgotten to wear a condom before. Not once. He licked his suddenly dry lips. "Haley, we have to talk," he said, even though he had no idea where to start or what the hell he was supposed to say to make this right.

"You should have thought about that before," she said, turning her back on him.

"Haley, please don't do this."

"Just leave me alone, Jason," Haley said, her words broken by a sob as she closed the door and locked it.

She was just mad, Jason told himself as he waited for her to come back and give him another piece of her mind. He'd fucked up big time, but they both knew from the beginning that he was probably going to do that. Telling himself that she just needed a few minutes to cool off, he stood there, waiting, and when a few minutes turned into thirty minutes, he forced himself to move.

He needed to apologize to her and tell her how much he loved her He hopped over the small picket fence separating their properties and made his way to her window. He was more than ready to beg if that's what it took to get her to listen to him when the sound of her quiet sobs caught his attention.

"Haley?"

No answer.

He stood there, wondering what the hell he should do. Suddenly crawling into her room and begging her to forgive him didn't sound like such a good idea anymore. She needed time to think, probably more time then he'd given her.

"I'll be in my room when you're ready to talk. So, just yell or call when you're ready," he said loudly, feeling like a useless idiot and having absolutely no idea what he was supposed to do to fix this. He left, hoping she came to him when she was ready.

*-*-*-*

Haley spent half the night crying and waiting for Jason to crawl through the window and hold her. When she realized that wasn't going to happen, she grabbed a pillow and a throw blanket and headed for the living room couch, unable to sleep in her own bed without Jason.

She couldn't believe how much this hurt, she thought, wondering why she ever thought that she could prepare herself for something like this. She knew from the beginning that this probably wasn't going anywhere and told herself that it didn't matter, but she'd been wrong.

In one night, she'd lost everything, her best friend, boyfriend, her virginity, and her heart. On top of that, it appeared that she'd lost a few of her friends, which she really could care less about if she was going to be honest. There was a reason why she'd kept putting off girl's night and it had nothing to do with Jason.

They were a part of the old Haley's life, the pushover version of herself, the Haley that never spoke up for herself and let other people push her around. A few months ago, when they'd let her know that they couldn't believe that Jason settled for someone like her, she should have cut them out of her life, but she'd hesitated. She didn't like hurting anyone's feelings and apparently, Jason didn't know that about her.

How could he have ever thought that she would do that to him? She could only imagine what they said to him. What she couldn't understand was why he hadn't talked to her first. He should have told her what they said, asked her why she didn't want to have sex, but instead, he'd allowed himself to be manipulated into doing something that he should have known was going to hurt her.

He should have...

Done so many things differently, but when it came down to it, this was her fault. She knew better than to fall in love with Jason, and now, there was nothing that she could but hope that having her heart break didn't destroy her.

*-*-*-*

"You're out of eggs!"

"I don't care," Jason said, never taking his eyes away from Haley's front door.

Around three this morning, he'd realized that he'd fucked up this situation even more by not going to her. He'd spent the next two hours going over every single minute from the night before, trying to figure out exactly when he'd fucked up, and made a list. After he made sure that he hadn't missed anything, he folded the three-page list, front and back, and stuffed it in his back pocket and came outside to wait for Haley so that he could start apologizing.

He'd contemplated waking her up, but then he'd have one more thing to apologize for, so he settled for waiting on his front step. A half-hour ago, Mitch decided to join him after he'd spotted him waiting outside when he drove by. It hadn't taken long for the other man to figure out that he'd fucked up.

"Are you going to sit out here all day?" Mitch asked, stepping outside. "I'm starving. Let's go get something for breakfast. By the time we get back, Haley should be up and you can go grovel."

Jason stubbornly shook his head. "I'm not leaving until I talk to her. Besides, I'm not hungry."

"Jesus Christ," Mitch mumbled, crossing himself.

He ignored Mitch and focused on Haley's front door. A few minutes later, it opened and Haley stumbled out. Jason was on his feet within seconds and heading towards her. He really wasn't sure how much longer he would have been able to wait before breaking into her house and begging for her forgiveness.

"Haley, I..." His words trailed off when he spotted the large duffle bag that she was dragging behind her. "What's going on?"

For the first time in months, Haley's face didn't light up when she saw him. She pushed her glasses back up her nose and went back to pulling the bag.

"I'm going away," she said, sounding sad.

"For how long?" Jason asked, feeling as though his entire world was crashing down around him.

"A week," Haley said, walking past him as she dragged that damn bag.

A week? No, they couldn't be apart for a week. That was too much time. A week of thinking about just how badly he'd fucked up and how much better off she was without him was not what they needed. They needed to work this out here and now so he could get on with the groveling.

"I don't think that's such a good idea, Haley," he said, automatically lifting the bag and placing it in her trunk for her when she struggled to pick it up. "Why don't we go inside and talk this over?"

She shook her head stubbornly. "I can't. If I don't go, I'll be out a thousand dollars."

He waved that aside. "I'll reimburse you. Just stay here and let me explain what happened last night."

"There's nothing to talk about, Jason. I think it's for the best if we end things now," she said, not quite able to meet his gaze as she broke his heart.

"You're just mad, Haley. Maybe...maybe you're right. Maybe you just need a week to think things over," he said quickly, desperate to do or say anything that would make her take it back. "Take a week, think it over. We both knew that I was going to fuck up at some point, my little grasshopper. After you think about it, you'll realize that's all it was. Then you'll come back, I'll grovel, and we'll move past this."

She couldn't even look at him as she said, "I'm really sorry, Jason."

Jason couldn't move, could hardly breathe as Haley stood up on her toes and pressed a kiss to his cheek. "I'm sorry, Jason. We'll always be friends," she said, delivering the killing blow.
**Chapter** **22**

Haley just barely stopped herself from looking for Jason when she stepped back outside and realized that he wasn't waiting for her. It was for the best, she told herself as she threw her small backpack in the trunk. She closed it and slowly walked to the driver's side door, hoping to catch one last glimpse of him.

Even though she'd told herself that they didn't have a future, she couldn't help feeling disappointed. He'd given her up so easily. Maybe it was a good thing that this was over, she told herself. If he was able to give her up so easily, then he really didn't care about her and it was for the best that she found out now.

At least that's what she tried to tell herself over the next three hours while she drove even as she kept checking to make sure her phone still worked only to end up stopping herself from calling him. She just wanted to hear his voice and...

Why did it have to hurt this much?

All she wanted to do was pull the car over and curl up in a ball and cry, but she wouldn't allow herself to do that, not yet. When she arrived at the cottage, then she'd allow herself to finally break down where she wouldn't have to worry about having to pretend that everything was okay and that this was for the best. Then...

Then she had absolutely no idea what she was going to do.

She'd promised him that they would always be friends, but she really didn't think that she would be able to see him after this. She wouldn't be able to sleep to fall asleep in her bed, knowing just how good it felt to have his arms around her and that he was only a few feet away. She wouldn't be able to handle seeing him every day, knowing that she couldn't be with him, and she definitely wouldn't be able to handle seeing him with someone else.

She'd figure out what to do about work and her house later. Not that she had many options. It would take some time before she was able to sell her house, which meant that she was either going to have to hope that she was able to find someone to rent her house until then because staying in that house wasn't an option. Work was a different story. She wasn't sure that she'd be able to find another position that paid this well at another private school. Until she figured it out, she would have to ask to have her room moved and hope for the best.

Thankfully, her stomach chose that moment to remind her that she hadn't eaten anything since last night and gave her the distraction that she needed. She took the next exit off the highway and considered her fast food options. Ten minutes later, she was back on the highway and frowning down at her purchase, an extra-large orange juice, three coffee rolls, two muffins, and three apple pastries.

"Great, he's got me trained," Haley mumbled with a sad shake of her head.

She was going to have to break herself of this habit of ordering for a small army or she was going to get really fat, Haley realized with a sigh. She picked up one of the coffee rolls and took a small bite before putting it down and taking a sip of juice. When a song that reminded her of Jason came on, she groaned, muttered pathetically and spent the next minute looking for a song that wasn't going to make her cry. When she finally found one, she picked up her coffee roll and frowned at the half-eaten baked item.

Apparently, she'd eaten more than she'd thought. Sighing, she took another bite and placed it back on the passenger seat so that she could grab her orange juice and...

"What the hell?" Haley murmured, frowning down at the half-empty bottle.

Worrying her bottom lip, she glanced down at the passenger seat and couldn't help but wonder what happened to all the food she'd bought. She was starting to wonder if she was going crazy when a large tan hand suddenly appeared, scaring the hell out of her. She squealed, jerking the wheel to the right and almost crashed into a tow truck. It took her a few seconds before her brain started functioning again and when it did, she narrowed her eyes on the hand that was blindly searching for the orange juice.

Glaring, she reached down and pinched the back of the hand, hard.

"Ow!"

Haley stole a quick glance back at the backseat and cursed. Somehow, Jason had managed to fold his large frame onto the floor of her midsize car and covered himself with the large towel that she kept back there without her noticing.

"What the hell are you doing?"

Jason sighed heavily as he tossed the towel away and struggled to climb off the floor. Once he was comfortably seated, he reached over and helped himself to her orange juice. "Having breakfast." He took a sip. "What does it look like?"

"Why are you in my car?" Haley demanded.

"How else do you expect us to finish our fight?" Jason asked, leaning forward to snag the last apple pastry. He took a big bite before holding it to her lips for her to do the same.

She shoved his hand away. "What the hell do you mean to finish our fight? We broke up," she said, trying to remain calm.

"No, we didn't."

"Yes, we did."

"I don't think so," he said calmly, finishing off the rest of the pastry as if he didn't have a care in the world.

"Jason, I dumped you!" Haley snapped, feeling the last thread of her patience snap.

She looked up in the rearview mirror when he didn't say anything only to find him frowning. Finally, he shook his head. "No, I think I would have remembered that."

Her mouth dropped open.

"Anyway," Jason continued as if he hadn't just left her speechless with that announcement, "after our talk, I realized that you planned a week away for us and I really couldn't agree more. A week away is exactly what we need to work through our problems."

"Oh my god, you're insane," she mumbled weakly.

Another careless shrug.

"So, where are we going anyway?" Jason asked, getting comfortable.

"We aren't going anywhere. I'm leaving you at the next rest stop. You can hitchhike your way back home."

"That's really not going to work for me," Jason said, giving her an incredibly sexy smile when she glared at him through the rearview mirror.

Her grip tightened on the steering wheel as she prayed for patience that she was pretty damn sure that she didn't have. "Jason, it's over. I'm sorry, but you have to accept it."

"No, I don't," he said calmly, irritating her even more.

"Jason," she said tightly.

"Haley," he mocked in the same tone, making her lips twitch damn him!

She sighed heavily. "Jason, you don't trust me. I don't think you-"

"I know that I really fucked up, Haley, but if you remember, I did tell you when we started that I was most likely going to mess this up," he said, cutting her off.

"Yeah, you did, Jason, and last night you proved beyond a doubt that you aren't capable of being in a relationship."

"No, last night I proved that I'm a fucking idiot," Jason said matter-of-factly.

She wasn't going to argue with that since she'd come to the same conclusion after hearing what happened, but that didn't change the fact that he didn't trust her. As much as she loved him and god, did she love him, she couldn't be with someone that didn't trust her. When she was little, she remembered her mother meeting her father at the door with a smile that slowly turned bitter after the first lie until one day, she'd stopped bothering to act like she even cared. Her smiles turned forced, their interactions became painfully polite, and she'd figured out how much they'd hated each other.

She didn't want that.

"Jason, we're over," she said more softly.

He snorted. "No, we're not."

"Yes, we are! Stop saying that!"

"No, we're just fighting. You love me and you damn well know it."

She opened her mouth to deny it, but she couldn't. She did love him. More than anything on this earth, but he'd broke her heart last night and she wasn't sure that she could trust him not to do it again.

When she didn't say anything, he settled back in his seat and said, "I'm coming with you so you might as well accept it. The sooner we get this fight over with, the sooner we can move onto the next phase."

"What phase?" she asked cautiously.

"Makeup sex," he said, grinning hugely as he threw her a wink that had her biting back a groan, wondering why he had to make everything so damn difficult.

*-*-*-*

"What are we doing here?" Jason asked as he climbed out of the car, but not before Haley did. He wasn't an idiot after all. She was still pissed at him and was probably still looking for a way to ditch his ass. In retrospect, he probably shouldn't have mentioned makeup sex until after the fight.

The hour they'd spent at the rest stop had proved that. She'd tried everything she could to get him out of her car, but he'd refused to budge. Finally, when she was out of breath and exhausted from trying to drag him out of the car, it was a sad attempt, she gave up, slammed the door shut, drove off, and ignored him for the next two hours.

"I need groceries," Haley mumbled with a sigh, throwing another glare in his direction. When her eyes shot between the Super Wal-Mart center and her car, he snatched the keys out of her hand.

"Hey!"

"Sorry, my little grasshopper, you're not ditching me at Wally World," Jason said, pocketing her keys and headed for the store, leaving her to follow him or stand there, fuming as she contemplated his murder.

Although Wal-Mart wouldn't be his first choice, this solved one problem. He didn't have any clothes since he'd been in a bit of a rush to hide in Haley's car before she came back out. But this would work out rather nicely for him and since he could smell salt in the air, he knew exactly what to buy.

"I hate you," Haley mumbled, storming past him to grab a carriage.

"You love and adore me," Jason informed her as he deftly snagged her carriage away from her and headed towards the men's department.

Along the way, he stopped at the women's department when a little black bikini caught his eye, deciding that it would look great on Haley. He threw it in the carriage as well as the red one behind it. He wasn't too worried when Haley didn't follow him. He figured that she was somewhere in the store trying to calm down or looking a baseball bat to beat his ass into submission.

Either was fine with him.

They had a whole week to work out their problems whether she wanted to or not. She was his, plain and simple and the sooner she realized that they were going to be together forever, the sooner he could correct the mistake he'd made last night and show her how good it could be between them.

After he grabbed swim trunks, enough clothes for the week, and a few toiletries, he headed for the grocery section. When he spotted Haley's carriage, he couldn't help but snort in disgust. Did she really think buying single servings was going to last them for a week? Clearly, their fight had addled her brain.

He paused near her carriage, ignoring her cute little glare and dumped all his things in her carriage.

"What the hell are you doing?" Haley demanded, trying to stop him.

"I need more room in my carriage for food," Jason simply said as he headed towards the dairy section, hoping she wouldn't just ditch his shit to get back at him. Then again, she should know that if she did, he would just take that as an invitation to walk around naked.

"Why do you need bubble bath?" she asked as she joined him in front of the dairy coolers.

He placed two gallons of milk in the carriage. "It's for you," Jason said in a tone that let her know that it should have been more than obvious who it was for.

His little grasshopper loved taking long hot bubble baths to relax and he really needed her to relax if he was going to convince her to forgive him and forget about this breakup nonsense.

"O-kay," Haley said slowly, picking up a familiar black cardboard box. "And what about these? A twenty pack and magnum size no less, someone thinks highly of himself."

Sighing, Jason reached over and snatched the box of condoms out of her hands. "Only one box? I thought I'd grabbed three," he murmured, making a show of looking in her carriage for the other boxes. Finally, with a resigned sigh, he threw the box back. "Remind me to grab a few more boxes on the way out."

With that, he headed to the cookie section, knowing that she was definitely going to follow this time.

"Why the hell would I remind you? We're not going need condoms," she bit out softly with a glare.

Jason really couldn't help but smile at that announcement. "Okay," he said, grabbing the box of condoms and sticking it on the top shelf between next to a stack of jelly cookies. "I was hoping you'd say that."

The damage had already been done last night. Granted, if it had been any other woman, he would have already dragged her ass to the emergency room for the morning after pill, but with Haley, he felt oddly calm about the whole thing. Actually, he felt a little excited at the idea of Haley having his child.

Up until a few hours ago, he hadn't given much thought to the consequences of last night. He'd been scared out of his fucking mind that he'd lost Haley for good to really think about it, but once he found himself squeezed into his hiding place with nothing to do but think about everything.

When he'd allowed himself to consider the possibility that she was pregnant, he may have freaked out just a little. Thankfully, Haley had been blasting the radio, so she probably hadn't heard him hyperventilating. After he finally managed to calm down, he'd realized just how badly he wanted a child. Soon he'd been picturing little girls with mischievous green eyes and pigtails asking him to play tea. Of course, they'd use real food. There would be none of that pretend food bullshit for his little girls.

By the time Haley stopped for breakfast, he'd been able to breathe a little easier. He'd already decided to ignore that breakup nonsense, knowing that Haley would realize that he was an idiot so that they could get started on making their all-girl baseball team.

"You were?" Haley asked, looking adorably confused.

"Damn straight. Nothing should come between us when we're making love," he explained, loving the way her face went bright red as he tossed a box of cookies in the carriage.

"We're not doing that again!" she hissed quietly.

Not making love again? Puhlease. If there was one thing that he knew about his little grasshopper, it was that she was just as insatiable in the bedroom as he was. He'd have her in his bed by the end of the day, guaranteed.
**Chapter** **23**

"Can I have my keys back?" Haley asked, holding out her hand expectantly just as Jason placed the last bag in the backseat.

"No," he said, stepping past her and climbing into the driver's seat.

Sighing, Haley climbed into the passenger side, knowing there was no point in arguing with him. Not right now when all she wanted too tired to do anything more than glare. All she wanted to do was find the cottage, take a bath, and sleep for the next week.

She pulled her hand away when Jason tried to hold it. Instead of arguing, he acted like nothing happened and focused on the printed driving directions. After a few minutes, he took her hand in his again.

After a two-minute tug of war, Haley gave up and let him have his sad victory, mentally promising herself all kinds of revenge when he smiled smugly. She was too tired to argue, so she sat back against the cool leather seat and tried not to fall asleep.

Her eyes darted to the rearview mirror and narrowed on the large pile of grocery bags he'd purchased. She turned her glare on Jason. "I hope you don't think I'm cooking for you," she said, narrowing her eyes on him as she decided that if he so much as pouted over that announcement that she was going to break out the fists of fury on his ass.

He shook his head. "You're not allowed to cook this week," Jason said, surprising her.

"What's this now?"

"You're on vacation. I don't want you lifting a finger," he said, raising their hands so that he could press a sweet kiss against the back of her hand. When she felt herself starting to melt, she reminded herself that he didn't trust her.

After one last useless attempt to tug her hand back, Haley sighed and sat back in her seat, watching as they passed small houses, apartment complexes, and small businesses. Ten minutes later, they passed through a quaint downtown shopping area and onto a scenic road that took them past several large hotels along the beach.

Haley was just about to drift off when Jason said, "I think this is it."

She forced her eyes open and watched as they drove past several small cottages. A minute later, they were pulling into the long driveway of a small one level cottage.

"Do you have a key?" Jason asked, throwing the car in park and shutting it off.

Biting back a yawn, Haley nodded. Without a word, she climbed out of the car and trudged up the short, crushed-seashell walkway and let herself into the house, deciding she'd handle Jason later. Right now, she was too tired to do anything more than take a bath and a nap. She looked around the cottage and noted that it was cuter than the pictures her grandmother's realtor sent her.

The wicker furniture in the living room was small but looked surprisingly comfortable, Haley noted as she walked through the open doorway into the small eat-in kitchen and looked out the double-glass doors and couldn't help but frown as she watched the waves crash against the smooth sandy beach and-

"Damn it," Haley groaned when she realized that her grandmother had tricked her, again. When Haley asked Grandma to see if her realtor could look into rental properties for her, she should have known Grandma wouldn't be able to stop herself from swooping in and taking care of it. She knew that her grandmother meant well, but she really wished her grandmother would stop doing things like this.

"Are you sure this place only costs a thousand?" Jason asked, placing a half dozen grocery bags on the table.

Haley looked over her shoulder and sighed. That was one more problem to deal with. She pushed her glasses back up her nose and pulled her cell phone out of her front pocket. "Look, why don't you call one of the guys to pick you up?" she suggested because she was too damn tired to drive him back home right now.

"Why would I do that?" Jason asked as he started putting the food away.

"Because you're not staying here?" Haley said, blinking wondering why he was having such a difficult time understanding this.

He snorted.

"I'm serious, Jason," she said, moving to step in front of him so that they could talk about this, but he simply walked around her.

"I'm not going anywhere, Haley."

"Look," Haley said, slowly taking in a deep calming breath, "why don't I give you a ride to one of the hotels that we passed on the way here?"

"I'm staying right here until we work this out, Haley," Jason said firmly.

"You're not staying here, Jason. First of all, I paid for-"

"Here," Jason said, cutting her off as he slapped a check on the white oak kitchen table. "I'm paying for the cottage so there shouldn't be any problems."

Jason was the only person besides her grandmother that she knew who still carried checks in his wallet. She picked up the check and frowned when she saw that he'd intended to pay the entire amount.

She held the check out to him. "I'm not taking this."

"Yes, you are," he simply said as he headed back into the living room. "If you tear that up, I'll just write you another one when we get home."

Haley folded the check and stuck it in her back pocket. One more argument to have later, she thought, biting back a pathetic groan. Right now, she was too tired to care. She walked into the living room and headed for the small hallway to the right, deciding she'd get her bags after her nap that would hopefully give her the energy that she was going to need to deal with Jason. She headed for the only door in the hallway only to step out of the way as Jason stepped out of the room with a sheepish smile.

"Sorry," he said, stepping to the side so she could walk into the room. "I was just bringing in the bags."

"Thank you," Haley mumbled absently, wondering if she'd ever been this tired before. She hadn't slept at all last night and the night before, they'd stayed up late watching old horror movies.

"You look tired, baby," Jason said, reaching over to touch her only to drop his hand away at the last second with a heavy sigh. "Look," he said, rubbing the back of his neck, "why don't you go relax. We can talk everything over later."

It was on the tip of her tongue to tell him that there was nothing to talk about, but that would only start another argument, so she simply nodded as she closed the bedroom door behind her. She looked over the small Cape Cod-style bedroom and nearly groaned. This would have been perfect for a romantic getaway, Haley thought with a sad smile before she forced herself to think of something else before she did something stupid like cry.

She threw one last look of longing towards the bed before heading for the bathroom. Even though all she wanted to do was to curl up on that bed and pass out, she knew that she wouldn't be able to sleep until after she took a hot bath to help her relax. She still couldn't believe that this happened. She knew that falling in love with Jason was a risk, but she'd never thought that he felt the same way. It made her wonder if he'd ever trusted her. Despite Jason's flawed dating past, she'd trusted him, more than anyone.

He'd been kind, sweet, and considerate and never tried to manipulate her into doing something that she didn't want to do. When they were intimate, he'd never once pushed for more than she was willing to give him. That alone had made her love him even more. Too many times in her past, men had gone out their way to coerce her into taking a step that she wasn't ready to take.

When she'd refused, they'd tried to sweet-talk her, manipulate her, guilt her, until they'd finally got pissed and ended things with her when she wouldn't sleep with him. She'd been called a bitch and a tease more times than she cared to remember. The fact that she'd been upfront about her sexual comfort level hadn't mattered.

There had been several men that ended things as soon as she'd told them she wouldn't have sex with them, but others thought that she was lying to them, teasing them, or setting up a challenge that they'd happily taken. When they'd eventually realized that she hadn't lied, things would end quickly, and they'd turn cold and mean. Some had hung around a little longer hoping to change her mind, but she never did.

Until Jason.

His reaction had taken her by surprise. Instead of arguing with her, he'd readily accepted what she told him with a smile and a little teasing. Every time they became intimate, she'd expected Jason to push her into having sex, but he never had. Not once. Even those times when she knew that he was dying to take her, he hadn't tried to push her. He'd grit his teeth and accept whatever she offered him, which was why she'd made love to him last night.

Taking the next step with Jason had felt so natural. It wasn't until after he'd told her why he'd made love to her that she'd realized that he didn't trust her. He'd done it because he thought that she was playing him only to end up hurting them both. Last night he'd made love to her in order to prove something.

She'd waited for nothing.

He said he loved her last night, but he really didn't. There was no question that he cared for her a little, but love? No. Last night proved beyond a doubt that Jason wasn't capable of loving her. If he'd loved her, he would have trusted her and he clearly didn't.

The simple truth was, Jason was stubborn. It was the reason why he'd slept with her, to prove something and the same reason he'd hid in her car and was being bullheaded about this breakup. She doubted he'd ever been dumped before and he probably wasn't handling it well. Jason liked to call the shots when it came to women and having his shy little neighbor dump him probably grated on his ego.

There was absolutely no doubt in her mind that if she took him back that he would never be able to trust her again. It was better for everyone that they ended things now. This way, she was only disappointed in Jason and didn't hate him, although maybe that would be for the best if she did. It would definitely make this easier if she could just hate him.

She paused by the bathroom doorway and sighed heavily as she took in the bubble bath Jason had drawn for her in the deep claw-footed bathtub. He'd even set out a towel and her favorite tee-shirt to change into.

"Stupid jerk," Haley mumbled, once again stopping herself from melting. She just had to remember that this was all a game to him and she'd be fine.
**Chapter** **24**

"You fucking moron."

Jason couldn't argue with that. He'd seriously screwed everything up and desperately needed to find a way to fix it, which is why he'd called in the big guns.

His father.

"Tell me this is some sick joke," his father said, sighing heavily.

"I wish I could, Dad," Jason said, glancing over his shoulder at the small cottage as he walked along the edge of the water.

For the past three hours, he'd been out here pacing, trying to figure out what he should do. Finally, he came to the conclusion that he was in way over his head here and needed someone with a history of charming his way out of fuckups with women and only one person came to mind.

His father had fucked up more times with his mother than should be humanly possible. Not that his father ever screwed around on his mother. She'd simply kill the man if he even thought of it. No, his father was an arrogant, hardheaded bastard who had driven his mother to the brink of insanity countless times over the years.

"Let me get this straight, you let some dumb bar bimbo convince you that my poor sweet little Haley-" his father said, making him shake his head ruefully.

Haley had managed to wrap his father around her little finger with those cupcakes and had bought his undying love with fried chicken, potato salad, and M & M cookies. The man's obsession with food was really pathetic.

Thank God he didn't have that problem.

"-could ever do something so heartless? Then you go ahead and screw it up instead of talking to her? What in the hell is wrong with you?" his father practically yelled, making Jason hold Haley's cell phone away from his ear.

"I know that I messed up, Dad," Jason said once his father stopped yelling. "Look, I just need help figuring out how to fix this."

"You don't deserve my Haley," his father simply said.

Jason barely stopped himself from rolling his eyes. His father was such a food slut.

"Has it occurred to you that if I don't fix things with Haley that she'll never make you that Boston cream pie that she promised you?" Jason asked, knowing the only way to get his father to focus was to threaten his food.

His comment was met with a short pause.

"Okay, this is what you need to do," his father said, all business now. "You need to back off and stop apologizing."

Jason frowned. "Stop apologizing?"

That didn't sound right.

"Mmmhmm, no need to keep reminding her how much of a fucking idiot you are. She already knows, trust me. Right now, you need to work on being there for her. Don't pressure her. In fact, I would suggest that you work on reminding her just how much you care about her and how good you are for her."

He nodded slowly. "I could do that."

His father snorted in disbelief.

"I can," Jason stressed, promising himself that after Haley took him back that he'd get her to make him a Boston cream pie just so he could rub it in the old man's face.

"Just try not to fuck this up because if you cost me Haley, I will disown you," his father said before he hung up.

Jason placed the phone in his pocket and headed back to the cottage, deciding there was no time like the present to get started. He'd remind her how good they were together and why she adored him. It shouldn't be too hard. In fact, he already knew that one problem in particular was going to guarantee that she couldn't live without him.

He stepped into the kitchen just as Haley stormed angrily into the room wearing nothing but her "Geek" tee-shirt. She threw him a glare and muttered something about his balls that he decided to ignore as she headed for the refrigerator. She grabbed an ice-cold soda and sipped it as she continued glaring at him.

She looked exhausted, Jason noted as he leaned back against the counter and had to stop himself from grinning. This was going to be so easy.

"Couldn't sleep?" he asked casually, already knowing the answer. She needed him and she damn well knew it. This was going to be the way he stayed close to her while he did his best to convince her to forgive him for being a fucking moron.

Haley pushed her glasses up her nose, took a sip of Coke, and simply flipped him off as she walked out of the room.

Great. He was already fucking this up, Jason thought, walking after her only to have the bedroom door slammed shut in his face. After counting to ten, twice, he knocked on the door.

"Go. Away."

Sighing heavily, he opened the door just in time to see the bathroom door slammed shut. He walked over to the bed and sat down.

"Haley, I-"

"Look, Jason, I really can't do this with you right now," Haley said, not bothering to open the door to face him, making Jason wonder if her pushover tendencies were once again showing up. That wouldn't be good for either one of them. He needed her to deal with this, not avoid him. "Let me finish getting dressed, then I'll give you a ride to a hotel."

"No," he said firmly because there was no way in hell that he was leaving. They were going to work this out whether she liked it or not.

"Fine," Haley said, sighing heavily. "Then I'm leaving."

Oh, hell no.

If she left now, there'd be no stopping her from leaving his ass for good. There was no doubt in his mind that she didn't intend on giving him a ride home now, which meant that he probably wouldn't get home until sometime tomorrow afternoon. By then, she could be anywhere, doing her best to convince herself that she could do better, she could, but that wasn't the point. He couldn't let her walk away from him, not now, not ever.

Jason threw a quick glance at the bathroom door before rushing over to the backpack that she liked to call a purse. He tore through it until he found what he needed. No doubt, this was only going to piss her off more, but desperate times called for desperate measures. He pocketed her wallet and quickly checked her discarded pants, stealing the money that she had in the front pocket before grabbing her car keys and rushing out of the room.

It only took him a minute to find the perfect hiding spot, one of the dozen decorative baskets lining the ceiling. There was no way in hell that Haley was going to reach it, never mind find it. After a minute, Jason decided to add her cell phone as well. He shut it off and added it to the pile before he covered his tracks.

Knowing that there was no way that Haley could leave him until they'd worked things out, Jason relaxed for the first time since this whole thing started. He walked into the kitchen, feeling confident that his plan was going to work.

He grabbed a cold soda from the fridge, wishing that it was a beer, and headed for the beach. As long as his little grasshopper wasn't allowed to drink, then he wouldn't drink. Not that he really expected her to be pregnant on the first shot, but he wasn't taking any chances.

Until he knew for sure that she wasn't pregnant, she wasn't so much as looking at a drop of alcohol, which was probably going to make it more difficult for her to deal with him. Granted, it might help his case if he got her drunk, but he wasn't willing to take the risk. Besides, he didn't want her to throw it in his face later that she hadn't known what she was doing when she forgave him. He wanted her stone-cold sober for this, especially since she would most likely end up being the one to figure out how to fix this mess because he was pretty sure that he'd only manage to fuck this up more.

"You bastard!" he heard Haley yell from somewhere behind him.

He looked back at her and smiled, watching as she stormed over to him with her little fists of fury swinging by her side. She shoved her glasses back up her nose as she glared up at him, looking fucking adorable as she contemplated killing him with her bare hands.

"What did you do with it, you bastard?" Haley demanded.

"What?" Jason asked innocently, taking a sip of soda.

"You know what!"

"Hmm, I really don't," he mused, trying not to smile when she growled.

"My wallet," Haley bit out through clenched teeth. "I need it back so that I can leave."

"Then you're not getting it," Jason said with a sad shake of his head and a pitying sigh.

She really thought that he was going to help her leave him? Damn, his little grasshopper still had so much to learn, he thought, biting back a sigh.

"Fine," Haley bit out. "Then give me back my cell phone so that I can call someone," she demanded, holding out her hand expectantly.

"Sorry, I can't do that either," Jason said, sighing heavily because really, did she not know him at all?

"What about my car keys?" she asked, narrowing her eyes on him.

He pursed his lips up in thought. It would be best for both of them if she was limited to the cottage and the center of town for now.

"No, sorry that's not going to work for me either."

"This is kidnapping!" she sputtered in disbelief.

"No, it's not."

"Yes, it is!"

"Nope."

"What the hell would you call it?" Haley demanded, snatching his soda from him and finished it off while she continued glaring at him.

"A romantic getaway?"

She snorted.

"If you really don't want to be here, then go inside and use the house phone to call someone," he suggested innocently.

"You know damn well that I don't have any phone numbers memorized," she snapped.

Yes, he really did know that. Haley, thankfully, was heavily dependent on technology. Once a number went into her contact list, she never looked at it again. That little tidbit of information used to earn an eye roll from him, but now it pleased him immensely.

"Then I guess you're stuck here," Jason said, biting back a smile.

Her eyes narrowed dangerously on him.

"So, do you want to go for a swim or go fishing?" Jason asked as he gestured to the long rock wall that went out about three hundred yards into the ocean, "Are you hungry? I can whip some burgers up in no time."

With one last look that promised pain, Haley stormed off back to the cottage.

Jason walked back to the cottage, not even bothering to check the sliding glass doors since Haley's smug smile had told him everything he needed to know. She'd locked him out. He'd allow her this victory, he decided as he grabbed his shirt off the lounge chair and pulled it on as he headed for town. There was probably no need to tell her that he'd snatched the cottage keys earlier since she'd figure it later.

Besides, she'd have to come to him sooner or later for her fix.
**Chapter** **25**

Three o'clock in the morning and Haley was close to crying. She was exhausted. Her head was pounding and she felt sick to her stomach. She hadn't slept in five days.

Not one single wink.

Sadly, it had nothing to do with the cottage. The bed was firm, just the way she liked it. The air conditioner ran perfectly, keeping the little cottage at a cool 68 degrees. The only noise to be heard was the sound of the waves crashing against the beach. She really wished there was something to complain about because that would mean that going to one of the hotels down the road would provide her with the sleep that her body desperately needed.

No, the reason that she couldn't sleep was quite simple. The bastard, who refused to leave no matter how many times she'd begged, pleaded, or threatened to kick his ass, was one hundred percent responsible for this problem. Being this dependent on another person for sleep wasn't normal, but no matter how many times she'd tried to get that message across to her exhausted body, it wouldn't listen.

She tried everything over the past three days. At first, she'd thought relaxation would do the trick, so she'd taken about a dozen hot baths, read a few books, and even went for a relaxing moonlit stroll along the beach. When that didn't work, she'd moved onto vigorous activity. She tried swimming, went for a bike ride, and cleaned the cottage from top to bottom.

Absolutely nothing worked.

There was no way that she could handle another day without sleep, especially since Jason was determined to keep her here for four more days. She sat up in bed and kicked the sheet away. Damn it. If she was going to be stuck with him, then she might as well get something out of it, she decided as she threw open her door and stormed down the short hallway.

Jason looked over at her and sighed. She wasn't really surprised to find him awake. It seemed this sleep addiction went both ways, thankfully, because if she was going to suffer then so was he. Granted, his inability to sleep might have more to do with the small wicker chairs that he was forced to sit in all night since she'd refused to let him sleep with her.

"I don't know what you did, but you've wrecked sleep for me and since you won't give me back my stuff, I've decided that you will allow me the use of your body for sleep," she clarified, afraid he might get the wrong idea, "until we go home and I can get a prescription for sleeping pills from my doctor."

Jason simply looked at her through bloodshot eyes. "Okay, move your ass," she said, gesturing for him to head back to the bedroom.

"No," he said softly.

She narrowed her eyes on him. "Don't make me hurt you, Jason. I am way too tired for any bullshit tonight, so move your ass."

He stubbornly shook his head. "Not until you promise to spend the last four days with me."

"No."

They broke up and she really needed him to accept that, especially since they had to go back to work in two weeks. She didn't want to have to deal with this at work. He needed to accept this so they could both move on. It was already hard enough being around him and not being able to touch him without losing it.

She loved him so much and this was killing her. The best thing he could do for both of them was to let her go now before it destroyed her. She already knew that she'd have to put her house on the market and look for a new job as soon as she got back because there was no way that she was going to be able to see him after this without feeling like her heart was breaking all over again. She needed to put as much space between them as she could if she hoped to survive this.

"We have four days left, Haley. If you want to sleep, then you'll give me what I want."

"You need sleep just as much as I do," she pointed out.

Jason nodded even as he said, "And I'm willing to go without if that's what it takes."

"We're not getting back together," she said, feeling more exhausted than she had five minutes ago.

"I'm not asking for that, Haley. I'm asking for some real time with you."

"You expect me to believe that?"

"Yes," Jason said, sounding as exhausted as she felt. "I just want some time with you."

She considered him for a moment. At this point, she was willing to fork over her kidneys if it meant getting some sleep. "Fine," she said slowly before adding, "But just sleep. Nothing else."

He sighed as he got to his feet. "That's fine," he said, walking past her to the bedroom.

"Underwear stays on," she announced as she walked into the room.

Jason yanked his underwear back up, probably too tired to argue, and flopped down on the bed. After a slight hesitation, Haley lay down and curled up against him. In a matter of minutes, she felt her body relax and started to drift off.

*-*-*-*

"Oh my God, no! It's going to bite me!" Haley squealed, jumping back as the small crab moved towards her.

Jason chuckled as he watched his little grasshopper run on her tippy toes, trying to get away from the small crab that did seem to have it out for her. Every time Haley changed direction, so did the crab.

Now, Jason could very easily fix this problem for his little grasshopper by picking her up, but he was following her rules. He only had four days left to convince her that she couldn't live without him and if that meant that he had to follow her rules to spend time with her, then he was damn well going to follow them. He wasn't about to give her a reason to break their agreement.

That's why an hour ago, when he woke up to find Haley curled up in his arms, he'd quickly jumped out of bed and put some space between them. She'd looked a little confused and hurt, and he'd almost ignored her rules and pulled her into his arms, but he'd forced himself to keep his head in the game. He'd said good morning and left her alone to take a shower and not joining her had almost killed him.

After lunch, it had taken a little prompting and about a dozen reminders that she'd promised to spend time with him. With a resigned sigh, she'd followed him to the beach. For the first time since he'd wrecked her flowers, things became awkward. He had no idea what he was supposed to say to her. Every time he opened his mouth, he'd force himself to snap it shut before he made this worse.

Several times, he found himself biting back another apology, remembering what his father said, and walked next to her as he tried to figure out what the hell he should say to her. Unfortunately, Haley seemed to be just as uncomfortable as he was. She'd been on the verge of suggesting that they go home again when they came across the little crab hell-bent on attacking her.

"Jason!" Haley gasped, laughing as the crab made a grab for her toes.

Sighing, Jason bent over and plucked the small crab up and took in its tiny little buggy eyes. "It's kind of cute."

Haley squished up her face adorably. "If you say so."

He noticed that she didn't make any moves to take a closer look. In fact, it looked as though she was trying to discreetly step away. Jason bit back a smile as he held it out to her. She squealed, jumping back, and almost fell on her adorable ass.

"Get it away from me!"

"Aw, come on, Haley. He just wants a little kiss," Jason said, shoving the crab towards her once again. "Just a little kiss."

Haley giggled even as she ducked out of the way.

"Come on, he likes you!" Jason said, chuckling as he chased after her.

"Go away!" Haley said, laughing so hard that she stumbled several times, but somehow managed to take off when the crab came within five feet of her.

"I swear to God, I'm going to kick your ass for this!"

*-*-*-*

Haley dropped her book as she latched onto Jason's arm and tried to drag him away.

"That's false advertisement!" Jason shouted, heading back for the door that they'd been unceremoniously kicked out of ten minutes ago. "The sign says, 'All you can eat!'"

Thankfully, the last several months in Jason's company had pretty much cured her problem of embarrassing easily. Otherwise, she'd probably be turning bright red right about now and wishing for a hole in the ground to open up and swallow her whole as people stopped to gawk at them.

"They were closing," Haley pointed out.

"That's no excuse," Jason bit out, glaring at the waitstaff that watched them nervously from behind closed curtains.

"I think they ran out of food," Haley said, doing her best not to laugh when he pouted.

"Bastards," Jason muttered.

"Come on, I'll let you treat me to a late movie," she said, tugging on his arm.

He reluctantly allowed her to pull him away, only throwing the occasional look of longing towards the restaurant as they headed across the street. Haley did her best not to roll her eyes. The man was way too obsessed with food, she thought as they stepped into the long line outside the movie theatre as another thought occurred to her, one that actually terrified her a little.

"You never brought me to an all-you-can-eat buffet at home," she pointed out because now that she thought about it, she was really surprised about that.

It seemed like the perfect place for Jason and his father. They both adored food, which was probably why his parents stopped with just one child. Just the thought of a bunch of little Jason's running around, eating everything in sight terrified her.

Jason mumbled something.

"What?" Haley asked, tearing her gaze away from the list of movies playing.

"I said, I've been banned," he grumbled unhappily only to add, "It's all political," with a sad shake of his head.

"Uh-huh...and your father?" she asked, having a bad feeling that she already knew what his answer was going to be.

"He's been banned since 1995," Jason said with a shrug.

"I see," Haley said, her lips twitching.

"In two years, the ban in Las Vegas will be lifted. We're planning a big trip," he said, looking at her hopefully.

Haley opened her mouth to remind him that they weren't going to be doing anything in two years when she realized what he'd said.

"You've been banned from Las Vegas?"

"Not from Las Vegas, just from all the buffets," Jason said with a shrug as if it was no big deal.

"All the buffets?" she asked slowly, unable to hide her shock. There had to be hundreds of buffets in Las Vegas.

"I guess they had a meeting or something. As I said before, it's all political," Jason said, gesturing for her to move up in line.

She was too stunned to say anything for a few minutes. She knew they loved food, but wow...

"What movie do you want to see?" Jason asked, pulling her from her frightening thoughts that were probably going to keep her up at night for the rest of her life.

Haley quickly scanned the list, about to tell Jason to go ahead and pick a movie when she spotted a movie she'd been waiting to see for a while. How about "To hell and back?" she suggested.

Jason frowned. "The one with Edward and Dana Pierce?"

She nodded.

"Fine," he said with an exaggerated eye roll, earning a smile from her. "A chick flick it is." He bought their tickets and headed for the concession stand with a muttered, "I just need something to eat before I pass out."

He reached out to take her hand, only to drop his hand away right before he touched her. His smile became polite as he gestured for her to go ahead of him. Haley forced a smile as she stepped in line ahead of him, reminding herself that this was exactly what she wanted. She wanted to go back to being friends, even if it was only for a little while. So, Jason readily accepting that they were only friends was a good thing, she told herself.

After they bought their snacks, well Jason's snacks, since she was still full, they found two seats towards the front. Thankfully, the previews were already playing so Haley took the opportunity to remind herself that they were just friends and that she needed to stop herself from wanting Jason to touch her.

They'd broken up. Jason had obviously accepted it and so should she. It was for the best, no matter how much it made her want to cry.
**Chapter** **26**

"You didn't have to buy dinner. I could have cooked," Haley pointed out as they followed a waitress to the back booth in the fifties style diner.

"You're not lifting a finger while you're on vacation," Jason pointed out, again. It was just another thing they were going to have to discuss, but later. Right now, he was too busy showing Haley how much he cared about her. They'd made progress over the past two days.

At least, he hoped they had.

Now all he had to do was try not to screw this up again, not that Jason really thought was possible. He'd been on his best behavior, following her rules, and keeping his hands to himself over the past couple days. At night, he allowed her to decide their sleeping positions and, in the morning, he bolted from the bed before he did something to fuck this up and took a very cold shower or went for a swim in the ocean. Then he spent the rest of the day showing her how much he cared about her as he reminded himself to be patient.

It was more difficult than he'd ever imagined, but somehow, he'd managed to show her that he was capable of learning from his mistakes. There was no doubt in his mind that she was ready to go back to the way things used to be. Thank fucking God, because he didn't think he could last another day with this friendship bullshit.

She was his little grasshopper, plain and simple. Not being able to touch her and hold her felt wrong.

"Can I get you a drink to start off?" the waitress asked, throwing him an appreciative look.

"We'll take two Cokes, please," Jason said, directing his attention to the menu in front of him. He wasn't about to do anything to encourage the woman. Right now, he needed to be able to focus all his energy on his little grasshopper and not on trying to get rid of some waitress in a tight pink shirt two sizes too small that hoped to warm his bed tonight.

"I'll go get those right now," she said in a seductive tone. Jason snuck a look at Haley, wondering if the waitress's obvious interest bothered her. If it did, it didn't show. Apparently, Haley was too oblivious to care, which was probably for the best because he couldn't stand jealous women.

"I need to use the bathroom. Could you order for me if she comes back?"

"Sure," Haley said, not bothering to look up from her menu. "What do you want?"

"Two cheeseburger dinners," he said, not bothering to tell her how he wanted them or to ask for two extra sides since she already knew what he liked.

Five minutes later, he was walking out of the bathroom just as their waitress finished writing down their order. The waitress looked up from her writing pad and smiled at him. She said something else to Haley before walking over to him, smiling coyly the entire time.

"Your friend," she said, gesturing behind him to Haley, who was watching them with bored interest, "said you might like the band playing over at TJ's. It's a Nickelback cover band. She said that you could pick me up in two hours after I get off work, but if you give me fifteen minutes, I could probably get the night off."

"Wait," Jason said, confused as hell. "She told you that I was interested?"

"Mmmhmm," the waitress said, oblivious to the fact that he was fucking pissed.

"Excuse me," he said tightly, stepping around her.

"I'll go ask about getting off early," the waitress announced, sounding giddy.

"Don't bother," Jason threw over his shoulder.

He walked over to Haley, placed his hands on the table, and leaned over until he was practically nose-to-nose with her.

"Tell me that you didn't just try to set me up on a date with the waitress," he bit out, trying to stop himself from wringing her fucking neck.

"I didn't set you up per se, but I did tell her that you might like the band and that you were single," she simply said, pushing her glasses up her nose.

"I'm single?" Jason repeated, his voice sounded hollow.

"Yes," Haley said hollowly as she looked away.

He slowly pulled away from her and stood up. Swallowing hard, he asked, "Is that what you really want?"

"Yes," she said without the slightest hesitation, making everything suddenly crystal clear.

He pulled out two twenties and tossed them on the table. "Come on," he said, heading for the door.

"Where are we going?" Haley asked when she caught up to him.

"Home."

*-*-*-*

"Jason? Jason, talk to me. You're really scaring me."

For the past six hours, he hadn't said one word.

When he'd announced that they were going home, she'd thought that he meant back to the cottage. She knew that she shouldn't have encouraged that waitress. She didn't want to and had been on the verge of informing the woman that Jason was spoken for when she realized that seeing Jason with another woman might be the one thing that she needed to help her get over him sooner. She had no idea that he'd be this pissed otherwise, she wouldn't have said anything, but she needed to get over him before she finally gave in to the pain threatening to bring her to her knees.

She loved him so much.

Instead of answering her, he threw the driver's side door open and popped the trunk. She quickly climbed out of the car just as outside lights on her house turned on.

"Please talk to me," Haley said as she watched him grab the three shopping bags of clothes he'd bought and headed towards his front door.

"Jason, don't do this!" she said, unable to stand the thought of ending things like this.

"You want to talk?" Jason asked, slowly turning around to face her.

"Yes," Haley said, relieved that he was at least talking to her now.

He threw the bags to the side and walked over to her. "Fine. Let's talk, Haley," he said, getting in her face. "I fucked up. I shouldn't have let some bitch sell me a line of bullshit and I should have talked to you, but you know what? You screwed up, too."

"You never even bothered to tell me why you didn't want to have sex," when she opened her mouth to argue, he spoke over her, "I know that I could have asked you a thousand different times, but I was too damn happy to care. I wanted to be with you. I loved you, Haley, and I thought you loved me, too. So, when that woman told me that you wouldn't sleep with me because you didn't love me, I panicked big time and did something that I will probably regret for the rest of my life."

"You regret sleeping with me?" Haley asked, feeling her heart drop.

"Yes, because I hurt you that night and it gave you the excuse that you obviously wanted to break things off," Jason said, stepping away from her as he rammed his fingers through his hair.

"I wasn't looking for an excuse to break things off," she sputtered, taking a step towards him.

"Bullshit!"

"I wasn't!" she yelled right back. "You're the one who decided you couldn't trust me! You're the one who just had to prove-"

"Oh, give me a fucking break!" Jason shouted, causing her to jump back. "I fucked up, Haley. I admit that. Hell, I admitted it right when it happened and I even told you when we started out that I would most likely fuck up," he continued, not giving her a chance to speak, "You were happy that I fucked up since it gave you the excuse that you needed to get rid of me."

"No, it didn't! You don't trust me, Jason! You should have-"

"I should have done a hundred different things, but you know what, Haley? I didn't. I fucked up, but you're acting like I fucked around on you!"

"Because you're going to!" she shouted back, wiping angrily at the tears that spilled down her cheeks. "We both knew this wasn't going to last, Jason! What you did proved it!"

"Wasn't going to last? I fucking loved you!" he shouted, getting closer. "I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you! But the entire time I was picturing a house, marriage, and kids, you were just using me!"

"I wasn't using you!" she cried, shoving him back.

"Then what the hell do you call it?" Jason demanded, letting her shove him again. "I was good enough to hang around, date, fuck, oh wait, no I wasn't, was I? The only thing you thought I was good for was a good time!"

"I can't believe you're complaining since that's exactly what you did! You're just pissed because someone did it to you!"

"I have never led anyone on. They all knew that I had nothing to offer them, but you," he shook his head in disgust, "you made me think that you actually cared for me when all you were was a bitch looking for a good time."

She stumbled back.

"You're a fucking snob just like your family," he said coldly.

"I hate you," she mumbled hollowly.

She hadn't used him. She'd been the only one of them who'd went into this relationship with a level head. He might think that he loved her today, but she knew that would change one day and she wasn't going to feel bad because she got out before that day came.

Nodding to himself, he said, "You came to me for a good time, so I'm going to make sure you get just that."

"Wha-"

He cut her off with a firm kiss. She tried to pull back, but he wasn't having that. He cupped the back of her head, holding her to him as he brushed his lips over hers, teasing her into kissing him back. When he ran the tip of his tongue between her lips, demanding entrance, she was helpless to refuse.

Haley moaned when his warm tongue slid into her mouth, gliding over hers, and then tangled together. Her arms wrapped around his neck, pulling him closer, unable to stand the thought of being apart for another second. No matter what he thought, she hadn't been using him. She loved him so much and even though she knew that she would wind up getting hurt, she hadn't been able to pass up a chance to be with him.

When he picked her up in his arms, she didn't fight him. No, she fisted his hair, tilted her head, and deepened the kiss. Several minutes later, they were in her living room and he was kicking the front door shut. He placed her on her feet only to grab her thighs and lift her back up. She wrapped her legs around his waist, loving the way he grabbed her ass and ground her against his hard erection.

She released one hand from his hair to reach between them and yank his tee-shirt up. Jason turned around in the small hallway and pushed her up against the wall as he reached back and yanked his shirt free, only breaking the kiss long enough to pull the shirt off. He kept her pressed against the wall as he worked her shirt off.

Once he had her shirt off, he raised her above him so that he could lick his way down to her breasts. She hugged his head against her chest as he traced the outline of her bra with his tongue and moaned when he suckled her hard nipple through the thin lace.

"Mmmm," Haley moaned softly as he licked and kneaded her breasts. Her hips gently rolled against his stomach, searching for relief. She arched her back when she felt his hands leave her breasts and move to her back. In seconds, he had her bra undone and was running his tongue over her breasts, flicking her hard nipples.

Haley licked her lips as she worked her bra off the rest of the way. She wrapped her arms back around his head, holding him against her as she leaned over and pressed a kiss to the top of his head.

Jason groaned as he wrapped his arms around her, keeping her breasts where he wanted them. He pulled her away from the wall and walked down the pitch-black hallway to the bedroom. Somehow, he managed to make it to the bed without stumbling.

He laid her on the bed. Bending over her, he ran his tongue from one hard nipple to the other as he undid her shorts. He slid his hand beneath the waist of her shorts and inside her panties. He cupped her in his hand, making her squirm against him.

With one last flick of his tongue against her nipple, he sat up and helped her out of her shorts and panties while Haley toed off her canvas sneakers. She opened her arms to him, expecting him to come back down for a kiss. In the dim moonlight, she saw him shake his head.

"Roll over onto your stomach," he said, already helping her turn over. "On your hands and knees," Jason said softly.

"That's it," he crooned when she did what he asked.

Haley gasped, gripping the comforter tightly in her hands when she felt Jason press a kiss to one cheek and then the other. Without a word, she spread her legs further and arched her back. He continued pressing kisses against her back and bottom as he slid one finger inside her.

Haley moaned, licking her lips. The few times they'd fooled around in this position had been so good. He'd always taken her hard with his fingers or his mouth like this, making her scream. One time, he ran his cock between her legs. When she'd realized that he was pleasuring himself against her, she'd come harder than she could ever remember.

Just the thought of him teasing her folds with his cock had her riding his finger.

"You like that?" Jason asked, adding another finger.

"Yes," Haley moaned as she pulled forward until only the tip of one finger remained inside her, then slowly slid back, loving the way he filled her. She loved the way he felt, the way he touched her, the way he made her so crazy with need that she could only think about having him. She just loved him.

Over the past week, she'd been stupid and so damn scared that Jason would hurt her one day that she'd almost made the biggest mistake of her life. She wasn't letting him go. They belonged together. On some level, she'd always known that, but she'd been so damn scared that she hadn't seen it.

For the first time, Haley allowed herself to imagine the future she always thought was out of their reach. She imagined falling asleep in Jason's arms every night for the rest of their lives, imagined little boys smiling when she made cookies and little girls wrapping Jason around their little fingers, and she knew that she would never be happy without him.

"Then you're going to love this," he murmured softly.

She licked her lips in anticipation when she heard the sound of his zipper being pulled down. A second later, she felt his jean-clad thighs press against the back of her legs and his warm stomach against her back.

He licked a line from her neck to her ear, taking the earlobe between his teeth and gently suckling it as the tip of his erection pressed against her core.

"You remember the day we were in your flower garden?" he whispered in her ear.

"Yes," she somehow managed to say.

"You have no idea how badly I wanted to take you that day, just like this," he said, slowly pushing inside her.

"Oh, god!" Haley cried out at the sensation of being filled.

Thankfully, it didn't hurt like the last time. It felt so good being filled by him like this, so right.

"I've imagined fucking you like this at least a dozen times a day since then, my little grasshopper. I think it's only fitting that we end this the way we started it, don't you?"

"Jason, what are you-"

He cut her words off with one long, deep thrust. It was followed by another, and then another. His hands covered hers, fingers entwining as he took her slowly. His low groans in her ear and the way he rubbed against her clit every time he slid back inside her had her screaming her release within minutes. Jason groaned in her ear minutes later as she felt his hot release inside her. It felt so good that it set off another orgasm. Jason gently thrust inside her until her arms gave out and she collapsed on the bed, gasping for air.

Somehow, she managed to roll over to make room for Jason, but he wasn't there. She looked up to find him pulling his zipper back up.

"Jason?" she said as she slowly sat up. The hurt expression on his face twisted her stomach. She reached out to take his hand only to find him stepping back.

"Goodbye, Haley," he said softly.

"Jason? Jason!" she cried as her bedroom door shut with an ominous click behind him.
**Chapter** **27**

**One Week Later...**

"Jason?" Haley said, gasping for breath.

"Haley?" said the last person on earth that she'd expected to call.

"Dad?" Haley said, sitting down on the arm of her sofa and doing her best to calm her racing heart. She'd been outside weeding her garden and trying to make it through another day without crying when she heard the phone ring. Hoping that it was Jason calling, she ran into the house, desperate to hear his voice.

One whole week without a word and that wasn't from a lack of trying either. She'd called his phone about a dozen times a day, sent him text messages, and harassed the hell out of his friends and family. So far, no luck. Nobody had any idea where he was. Up until yesterday, she'd convinced herself that he just needed some time and that he'd be back, but that was before the realtor, the same realtor that failed to sell her house, pounded a "For Sale" sign in his front yard.

Now Haley was desperate to find him. She needed to explain some things to him and probably grovel. Jason wasn't the only one that screwed up. She needed him back here so that she could fix this before it was too late.

"Do you have a moment?" her father asked.

Frowning, because she couldn't actually believe that he'd called her, Haley nodded woodenly, then remembered that he couldn't see her. "Yes. What's going on?" she asked, wondering why he hadn't asked his secretary to call to relay whatever message that he needed to give her.

"Your grandmother told me that you took a vacation last week. How was it?" he asked casually, but Haley couldn't help but feel that there was more to it. This wasn't like her father to actually take an interest in her life.

"It was fine," she said, wanting to kick her own butt all over again. It could have been great if she hadn't overreacted in the first place. Yeah, Jason had screwed up, but it hadn't deserved the level of drama that she'd created. If only she'd accepted his apology for making love to her for the wrong reasons, they could have had a great time.

She was an idiot.

"I heard that Jason went with you," he said, followed by an expectant pause.

"Yes, Jason went with me, Dad. I told you that we were dating," Haley said, walking over to the bay window and looked out. Her eyes narrowed as she watched Barbara, her ex-realtor, gesture for a middle-aged couple to follow her inside Jason's house.

"It's nothing serious, I hope," he said, drawing Haley's attention back to the conversation that she'd never expected to have.

"What?"

"You and Jason. Your grandmother said that you were serious, but I didn't think you'd be foolish to waste your life on someone like that," her father said, stunning her into silence. Although by now, there really wasn't much that her family could say or do that would shock her.

Except be willing call her, that is.

"What do you mean by a man like that?" Haley asked, insulted on Jason's behalf.

He let out a tired sigh. "Haley, do we really need to get into this? We both know that you could do so much better."

"No, I really couldn't, Dad. I love Jason."

"Sweetheart, I know that you think you love him right now, but in time you'll realize that...well, he's not good enough for you."

"And why is that, Dad?" Haley asked tightly, for the first time in her life she didn't bother pretending that she didn't care. "Because he works for a living?"

"You know that I don't have a problem with someone that works, Haley. I work for a living," he pointed out.

"Then I don't understand the problem," she lied because she knew exactly what her family's problem was the first moment they'd laid eyes on Jason.

"He's not one of us, Haley. He'll never fit in. Surely you must realize that, sweetheart. When you stop pretending to be someone that you're not, you'll come to realize that Jason just doesn't stand up to our expectations for you," he said soothingly.

She laughed without humor. "Oh, now you have expectations for me? Isn't that convenient. The one time you show concern for me just happens to be when you're worried that I'll sully up the bloodlines and marry someone who might embarrass you."

"Haley, that's ridiculous and you know it. I love you and care very deeply for you," he swore. "I'm just watching out for your best interests, sweetheart. In a few years, you'll see that. Maybe you should give Robert another chance so that the two of-"

"What do I do for a living?" Haley bit out between clenched teeth, cutting him off.

"Excuse me?"

"I asked if you knew what I do for a living," she repeated.

"You run a daycare," he said with such conviction that even she almost believed it.

"I teach history at Latin Scribe High School," she informed him, trying not to cry. She had absolutely no doubt that if she'd asked what committees Rose or Martha were on that he would know the answer, mostly because they were a reflection of him.

"Oh," he said, sounding surprised. "Congratulations, sweetheart. Why didn't you tell me that you got the job? We would have held a dinner to celebrate."

She opened her mouth to remind him that they celebrated her job at her grandmother's insistence five years ago, but what was the point? He was never going to change and he was never going to care about her until she started living the life that he wanted.

He'd start giving her attention and some of his precious time if she decided to ask for her trust fund back and dated men like Robert. It wouldn't matter that Robert was a cheating bastard and would drop her as soon as she slept with him. Her parents only cared about their image. It was kind of funny that her father started out in life by sharing a room with his two brothers in a small two-bedroom cabin, or that his parents worked their asses off so that he could go to college and never have to worry about money. He'd been spoiled and she knew that was Grandma's biggest regret in life.

"I got the job two weeks ago when I turned thirty," Haley lied, wondering if her father was going to remember this time.

Of course, he didn't.

"Oh, um, did you get my birthday card?" he asked before he covered the phone with his hand from the sounds of it. She heard him mumble to someone, probably his secretary, to send her birthday card out right away.

It looked like she'd be getting three grand in a few days, Haley thought, biting back a sigh. She'd keep the money this time since she already knew what she could use it for.

"Look, sweetheart, the reason that I'm calling is that your mother is having a dinner party next week and we'd like you to come," he said, not surprising Haley that her mother hadn't bothered to call her. It just wasn't worth getting upset about.

"I'll think about it," Haley said, not really sure that she wanted to put Jason through that again.

"We'd really like you there. Robert is very excited to see you again. You know he's been trying to call you, don't you? I really think that you should give him another chance, Haley."

Since Haley doubted that her father knew that his precious Robert had been calling and leaving messages offering to take Haley away for a weekend and "have some fun and prove that his theory that she was wild between the sheets was correct," she didn't bother arguing. Then again, her father would probably just laugh it off if she did, because it was someone he approved of.

"I'm not interested in him, Dad," Haley said firmly, hoping he'd just let it go. "If I can make it, I'll be bringing Jason."

"He's not good enough, sweetheart," he said, sounding tired.

"Then neither am I," she said, hanging up.

She took one last look at the couple going inside Jason's house before she walked over to her stereo system and turned it on. She found a heavy metal station, cranked it up all the way until she could actually feel the bass vibrate throughout the house. She pulled off her shirt, threw on a very revealing bikini top, grabbed a bottle of beer and dumped half of it out before heading for her front door.

After mentally promising herself aspirin for the headache that was already forming, she slapped a huge smile on her face and yanked open the door in time to see the realtor and the couple stumbling out of Jason's house with their ears covered.

When they glared in her direction, she held up her beer and asked, "Who's thirsty?"

*-*-*-*

"If anyone has a problem with the new computer system, please let my office know immediately," Headmaster Jenkins said, reaching for his briefcase. "Have a good first day, everyone."

Jason grabbed the pile of handouts Jenkins piled in front of him and headed for the door. He wasn't surprised when Haley jumped in front of him. She was a persistent little thing.

For the past two weeks, she'd been harassing everyone that he knew, looking for him. Nobody would tell her where he was, not because they were on his side, oh hell no. They were all on Team Haley and they made damn sure he knew that when they'd managed to get him on the phone. A week ago, he'd finally had enough and threw his phone out his car somewhere along a back road in New Jersey.

When he'd left Haley, he'd been on the verge of a nervous breakdown. He knew that if he'd stayed, he would have gone back to Haley on his hands and knees, begging her to give him another chance, and he almost had. The only thing that stopped him was the knowledge that Haley would never want him the way that he wanted her.

"You put your house up for sale," Haley said accusingly, pushing her glasses back up her nose as she glared up at him.

He simply stepped around her and walked out of the teachers' lounge. Of course, that didn't stop Haley. In seconds, she was walking right beside him.

"Jason, we need to talk."

"I think we said everything we had to say two weeks ago, Haley."

"No, we didn't, Jason. You left before I could talk to you. Look, would you slow down?" she asked, doubling her efforts to keep up with him.

"No."

He didn't want to talk. Hell, he didn't even want to look at her, but he had no choice in the matter. Until his house sold, he was stuck working here and seeing her every day.

"Jason, we really need to talk."

"No."

She somehow managed to catch up with him and jump in front of him just as he reached his classroom.

He pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. "Move."

"No," she said stubbornly.

He didn't have the patience for this shit. "Move out of the way, Haley."

She shook her head.

"Fine," Jason said, stepping away from her and heading for her classroom, intending on cutting through her room.

"Fifteen people have looked at your house and not one offer. That's kind of funny, isn't it?" Haley asked in an offhand tone, stopping him dead in his tracks. It was the gist of what his realtor had told him last night over the phone when he got in.

"What the hell are you talking about?" he demanded, turning around to glare at her.

Haley made a show of examining her fingernails. "Just that it's kind of funny that no one has made an offer on your house, especially after all the work you've put into it over the past few months." She looked up from her nails, giving him a smug little smile.

"And how exactly do you know that no one has made me an offer?" Jason asked, narrowing his eyes on her as he took several steps towards her.

Her brows arched up adorably. "A little birdie told me?"

"Uh-huh," he said, tilting his head to the side to study her. "And what else did this little birdie tell you?'

"That you won't get one offer on your house until you give me what I want," she said firmly. There was no doubt in his mind what she wanted.

Friendship.

As much as he would love to be able to stay in Haley's life and make sure that whatever lucky bastard that ended up with her took care of her, he couldn't. Not when he knew that he should be the lucky bastard who was allowed to hold her, have a family with her, and grow old with her.

She was his little grasshopper.

"I can't give that to you, Haley," he said hoarsely. "I wish I could, but...but I just can't. I'm sorry."

"Then you're never going to sell your house," she simply said, shrugging.

"I'm sorry, Haley," he said, walking away.

*-*-*-*

"Last chance, Jason!" Haley yelled through the front door.

Great, he thought, sitting back on the kitchen chair. This was just what he needed. It was bad enough that he was forced to cut Haley out of his life, something that was going to take him a long time to get over, but he didn't need her going psycho on him.

Haley was smart and levelheaded. He'd never really expected her to land on his doorstep at eleven o'clock at night, demanding to talk to him like so many women before her. At least, she didn't sound drunk and wasn't screaming a bunch of bullshit for his neighbors to hear.

"About time," he mumbled, rubbing his hands down his face when he didn't hear anything after a while. Although he was glad that Haley had given up, he couldn't help but feel a little insulted. Women he'd only fucked once or twice were a lot more persistent and demanding than a woman who claimed she loved him.

Then again, she only loved him as a friend, one that she'd apparently wanted to screw around with for a little while, but a friend, nonetheless. He'd known the entire time they were together that he wasn't good enough for her, he just never expected Haley to agree.

It figures, Jason thought acidly, tossing his red pen down on the stack of essays he was grading, that the one woman he wanted only wanted him as a fuck buddy. A year ago, he probably would have been flattered that his shy little neighbor saw him as a stud. Now he just wanted to put his fist through a wall.

He fought back a yawn as he picked his pen back up and started going through the essays that he'd assigned, wondering what had possessed him to assign an essay on the first day of school. The answer was easy. Haley, and of course the new biology teacher, Mark Armstrong, who hadn't left her alone all day was responsible for this simple act of stupidity.

Jason had been forced to watch as Mark flirted with his little grasshopper. When Haley dropped her notebook in the hallway before first period and bent over to pick it up it had taken every last ounce of control to stop himself from ripping apart the bastard as he hungrily licked his lips while he'd watched Haley's pert little bottom wiggle. Since Jason still needed this job, he'd refrained from killing the bastard and took it out on his students, who now hated him, instead.

He didn't give a shit.

The only thing he cared about was getting the hell out of here with his sanity still intact. He doubted that was going to happen if he was forced to see Haley every day and watch as other men drooled over her. He'd have to find out from his realtor tomorrow what Haley was doing to scare people away.

Right now, he was too damn tired to think of the possibilities. He hadn't been able to sleep much over the past couple of weeks, another thing that he was going to have to fix. He felt himself starting to doze off as his head dropped forward. This time he didn't fight it.

*-*-*-*

"Wake up, Jason," Haley's sweet voice had him groaning as his eyes slowly opened.

"Good boy," she said, pressing a kiss to his forehead.

"Haley?" Jason asked groggily as his eyes slowly focused on her adorable face.

"Mmmhmm," Haley answered absently as she slowly walked around him, letting her fingers glide over his shoulders.

He went to cover a yawn with his hand only to frown when he realized that his hands were pulled back behind him and...yup, handcuffed. He tried to move his feet and sighed when he realized that his legs were bound to the chair. Great. She really had gone off the deep end.

"Untie me," he said, sighing.

"Nope," was Haley's reply.

"Haley," he warned through clenched teeth. "Let me go right now."

"Sorry, I just can't do that," she said, stopping in front of him and leaned back against the table, smiling sweetly at him.

Jason tried to yank his arms and legs free, but the handcuffs wouldn't give.

"Un-fucking-cuff me! Now!" he roared.

"Sorry. I can't do that," Haley simply said, pushing her glasses back up her nose.

"Haley, I swear to god if you don't let me go-"

"Why don't we get started?" she asked brightly, cutting him off.

He closed his eyes, praying for patience he sure as hell didn't have. "Haley, it's over. You need to accept it and let me go. Please," he all but begged. She was killing him. Losing her was the hardest thing he'd ever gone through. He needed her to let go so that he could find some way to cope with the loss without losing his sanity or what was left of his heart.

"No, it's not."

"Yes, it is," Jason said, opening his eyes to find Haley studying him with her head tilted to the side.

"You know," she said, pushing away from the table, "you don't look very comfortable."

"That's because I'm not. Untie me, Haley," he snapped, yanking on his handcuffs again.

With a sigh, she knelt down in front of him, ignoring the glare he was sending her and laid her hands on his knees. Jason watched as she licked her lips and smiled sweetly up at him.

"Did you miss me?" Haley asked as she gently caressed his knees.

"No," he lied.

He'd missed her so goddamn much. Those two weeks away from her had been a living hell and one that he knew he'd be reliving again very soon.

"Well, I missed you," Haley mumbled softly, running her hands over his thighs slowly.

Jason shook his head in regret. "Haley, we can't be friends."

She shrugged it off. "I know," she said as she ran her hands down the inside of his thighs, letting her nails lightly scratch him. He sucked in a breath as she ran her nails all the way back to his knees and then, back up his thighs.

"I don't want to be friends," Haley said, running her hands over his stomach and chest. He had to force himself to focus on their conversation and not on how good her hands felt on him.

"I'm not going to be your fuck buddy," Jason bit out angrily. Even though he knew that he should happily accept anything she was willing to give him, he couldn't. He wanted all of her and wasn't willing to settle for anything less.

"That's not going to work for me either," she said, slowly loosening his tie and pulling it away from him. She met his eyes as her nimble little fingers unbuttoned his shirt.

"Then what the hell do you want?" he asked, trying not to lick his lips in pleasure as she ran her nails teasingly down his chest and stomach. When she reached his navel, she flattened her hands against him and slid them up until she was pushing his shirt away, exposing his chest to her greedy eyes.

She ignored his question and traced her fingers softly over his muscles and chest, instead. When she ran her thumbs over his flat nipples, he had to bite back a hiss. Haley gave him a knowing smile as she leaned forward.

"Have I ever told you how much I love your body?" she asked softly against his stomach as she pressed a kiss against his skin. He watched as she licked a trail from his navel to his left peck. He hissed as she ran her warm wet tongue over his nipple.

His head dropped back with a loud groan as she licked her way to the right side and teased his other nipple. When she flicked her wicked little tongue over the flat nipple, his dick went from half-mast to steel in seconds.

He licked his lips as he shifted to make some room in his suddenly tight pants. Haley's hands slid back to his thighs as she kissed and licked her way to his neck. When she pulled his earlobe between her teeth, he couldn't help but moan.

"Did you miss me?" Haley asked as she teased his ear. "Even a little?"

Christ, he couldn't think, never mind answer her.

"Hmm, why don't we see what else we can do to make you more comfortable, shall we?" Haley asked, smiling against his neck.

He raised his head when he felt her move away from him. Panting, he watched her sit back on her haunches as she ran her hands over his thighs. Every time she ran her hands closer to where he needed her, he groaned in frustration.

"Fuck!" he gasped when Haley leaned forward and pressed a kiss against the bulge in his pants.

"Tell me that you missed me," Haley said quietly as she leaned back slightly and ran her hand over the bulge between his legs, lightly gripping it before reaching for his belt.

He stubbornly shook his head. As much as his body screamed for her touch, he couldn't do this. Haley deserved to be with someone she loved, someone who made her happy and as much as it pained him to admit it, it wasn't him.

"Stop."
**Chapter** **28**

"Stop!" Jason begged.

Haley finished pulling his belt loose, unbuttoned his pants, and had his zipper down before he could say it again. She sat back, leaving his pants open and revealing the large bulge now hidden only by his gray boxer briefs.

"Okay," Haley said soothingly as Jason sucked in a deep breath and visibly relaxed.

She knew that she was pushing him, but she had no choice. Jason was being so damn stubborn and wouldn't listen to her. She mentally tsked him as she stood up. If only he'd stuck around two weeks ago, he'd know exactly how much she wanted him and how sorry she was that she'd hurt him.

There was no doubt in her mind that she'd hurt him, and she hated herself for it. Months ago, when she'd welcomed Jason into her life, she'd been so foolish to think that she was done with placing people into groups to protect herself. All she'd managed to do was hurt both of them and push Jason away.

When she'd told herself that there could never be anything more with Jason, she'd been foolish. She'd been so frightened to let herself truly love him and hope for a future that she'd convinced herself that is was impossible. She'd been so damn selfish and because of that, she'd hurt the man she loved.

Now he was hurting and trying his best to take care of her by protecting her. As much as it warmed her heart that he'd do anything to make her happy, she was actually pretty pissed. His stubbornness was only delaying the inevitable. She'd break out the fists of fury to knock some sense into him, but she didn't want to hurt him.

So, that left only one thing...

Biting back a smile, she stood up and leaned back against the kitchen table. She'd never done anything like this before, but this was for Jason. It didn't hurt that he was handcuffed and couldn't stop her.

"Are you sure you want me to stop?" she asked coyly.

"Yes," he hissed, still panting.

"Hmmm, then perhaps we should just talk?" Haley suggested as she stepped out of her high heels.

Jason's eyes narrowed on the action as he absently nodded.

"I think we should forget about being friends, Haley, and go our separate ways," he said, looking up, but not quite meeting her eyes. "Once my house sells, I'm moving away for good."

"That's really not going to work for me," Haley said, reaching up and slowly unbuttoning her silk blouse.

"That's too damn bad, Haley! I'm moving. You need to move on," he snapped, clearly trying not to watch as she revealed a black lacy bra.

"Have you moved on?" she casually asked, gently shrugging out of her shirt.

"Yes," he said without any hesitation.

"I see," Haley said, biting back a smile as his eyes practically devoured her.

She reached back and released the fastenings on her skirt and watched as Jason followed the skirt as it hit the floor, hesitating at the matching black panties. Haley stepped out of the skirt and kicked it aside before leaning back against the table.

"So," she said, tracing the top of her bra with the tip of her finger, "you're over me?"

"Yes."

"I guess this means that you want me to get dressed and leave," she said, having absolutely no intention of leaving until he was hers.

He hesitated, making her smile. "Yes."

"That's a damn shame," Haley said, reaching up between her breasts and undoing the front clasp. She held the cups together as she studied him. He couldn't seem to stop shifting in his chair or take his eyes off her.

"What is?" Jason asked distractedly.

"Well, what if I don't want it to be over?" Haley asked, slowly peeling away each cup, revealing her breasts.

Jason cursed softly as she let the bra drop to the floor. "You don't care," she started to ask as she spread her legs to give him a better view of what waited for him, "if another man touches me?"

She watched a large muscle in his clenched jaw twitch while she absently ran the tips of her fingers of one hand over her breast and down her stomach.

"No, I don't," he bit out coldly.

"Really?" she asked, turning so that she could lean over the table and grab the Tupperware bowl she'd brought with her. She looked over her shoulder and bit back a smile when she caught Jason licking his lips hungrily as he ran his eyes over her bottom.

"I guess then I should tell you that Mark, the new biology teacher, asked me out tomorrow night. Dinner at his house," she said offhandedly, popping the top of the container as she watched his reaction.

His eyes snapped up to hers and she couldn't help but notice all the muscles in his neck and chest going taut.

"It's none of my business," he ground out.

She picked up the bowl, turned, and knelt down in front of him.

"What the hell are you doing?" he asked, shifting nervously.

Haley pulled her bottom lip between her teeth as she placed the bowl on the floor. She reached over and pulled his boxer briefs down, releasing his rather angry looking erection. She resisted the urge to run her fingers down it.

"There, that looks more comfortable," Haley murmured as she picked up the bowl again.

"Oh, god...is that buttercream frosting?" Jason asked in a strangled voice

"Mmmhmm," Haley said, dipping her finger in the frosting and making a show of licking it off. "Mmmm." She dipped her finger in the delicious frosting again. "I believe I owe you," she said, reaching up and smearing the frosting over one of his nipples.

He hissed in a breath when she leaned over and licked it off. "The deal was that I licked an entire bowl off of you," Jason said between clenched teeth.

"But this is so much more fun," Haley said, scooping up more frosting. She gave him a sly smile as she reached over and smeared the frosting over the underside of his hard cock. "A lot more fun."

*-*-*-*

Jason groaned long and loud at the first swipe of her tongue. Christ, it was a lot more fun than he'd imagined. Granted, it would be a lot more fun to lick it off her breasts and off her round little bottom. He watched as Haley traced her tongue over his cock, slowly licking off the buttercream frosting.

He should stop this. It wasn't right to lead her to believe that he'd stick around, but when she took the tip into her mouth and sucked hard, he couldn't do anything more than moan and pant.

She took her time licking him clean, clearly enjoying herself. Finally, when she'd licked off all the frosting, she released his cock with a loud pop. With a soft grip, she ran her hand down his length.

"You'd be fine with me doing this for another man?" she asked.

His breaths came quicker as he imagined his little grasshopper doing this for anyone else. He couldn't deal with it. He knew that he'd fucking kill any man that so much as touched her never mind did this.

Fuck it.

She was his.

He didn't care if she didn't love him the way that he loved her. It didn't matter. He'd more than make up for it. He'd spoil the hell out of her and keep her in orgasmic bliss so that she wouldn't realize that she was settling.

"No one else touches you, Haley. No. One."

"What about you?" she asked shyly, rising to her feet.

"Only me," Jason promised as she shimmied out of her panties. She grabbed something off the kitchen table and walked around him. He heard the click of the handcuffs as she released each hand and foot.

When she was done, she tossed the key on the table and walked out of the room towards his bedroom. Jason wasted no time in pulling his pants and underwear off the rest of the way. He walked into his room and nearly sighed with relief when he spotted his little grasshopper waiting for him on his bed.

He walked over and climbed onto the bed. Without a word, he picked up her left leg and pressed a kiss against her calf before setting it back down to the side. He did the same for the other leg, exposing heaven on earth. He leaned over and pressed a kiss against her swollen wet lips, earning an enticing moan.

"Just so we're clear," Jason said, running the tip of his tongue between her slit, "you're marrying me."

"Just so we're clear, I decided that two weeks ago," Haley said, earning a pained chuckle from him. "I'm in love with you, Jason," she said softly, running her fingers through his hair.

He raised his eyes to watch her. "You're not in love with me," he somehow managed to say. He knew that she didn't love him the way that he loved her, but it felt like a physical blow to have to say it out loud.

"Ow!" Jason hissed. "What the hell was that for?" he demanded.

Haley sighed heavily as she gently rubbed the spot that she'd just pinched.

"How can you say that I don't love you?"

"Easily!" he snapped, moving away from her and sitting back on his haunches.

Haley quickly got to her knees and glared up at him. Well, as best as she could since she'd taken her glasses off. She poked him in the chest, hard.

"Listen to me, buddy! I am head over heels in love with you and if you think that you're going to pull another snit and get out of marrying me, then you're crazy!"

He shifted closer. "I'm pulling another snit?" he practically roared. "I'm not the one who started all of this bullshit!" He grabbed her by the back of her neck and held her as he leaned down closer. "But I can damn well promise that I'm going to be the one to fix it."

"What the hell does that mean?" she asked, mimicking his hold on her as she drew him closer.

"It means, my little grasshopper," he said, releasing her neck abruptly so that he could reach down and grab her by the back of her thighs. With a quick flick of his wrists, he sent her falling back onto the bed.

Before she could scramble away, he was kneeling between her legs with his painfully hard cock in hand and running it between her pouty wet lips the way he knew drove her crazy. She squirmed against him almost desperately.

"It means that I'm not taking a chance that you'll your mind. You're marrying me this weekend and that's final!" Jason snarled, licking his lips as Haley rubbed her wet pussy over the underside of his cock.

Her answering smile stole his breath away. She looked so damn beautiful. He knew he'd fucked up his proposal, but that didn't really faze him since he had a tendency to fuck this kind of thing up. Besides, he wasn't going to ask her to marry him. That would have been fucking stupid since it would have given her a chance to say no. She was marrying him. It really was the only way to keep her safe, Jason decided as she rolled her hips and took the tip of his cock inside her.

"Are you going to make love to me, or do I have to break out the fists of fury?" she asked, moaning.

He leaned over and covered her body with his. "Definitely going to make love to you," Jason said against her neck as he rolled his hips, feeding her his cock. He took her mouth in a hungry kiss, tangling his tongue with hers as he gently thrust inside her, inch by inch. She was still so damn tight and felt so fucking good wrapped around him.

"I-oh, god!" Haley moaned loudly.

"What do you want, baby?" Jason asked, pulling his cock all the way before sliding back in, slowly. He groaned at the sensation of a thousand hot wet little tongues licking his cock.

"I love you!" Haley cried out as he ground himself against her. He pressed a kiss to her shoulder as he continued to grind himself against her. "I love you, too," he said, turning his head to look down at her. "More than anything."

She fisted his hair and yanked his mouth down to hers. He reached between them and slid his thumb between her slit and over her swollen clit. Haley cried out into his mouth as he quickened his pace and rubbed the nub harder and faster.

"Oh fuck," he ground out as she clamped down tightly around him and squeezed him unmercifully, leaving him gasping for breath and pounding into her without any finesse. He was barely aware of her nails digging into his ass or her little blunt teeth biting into his shoulder as she screamed his name. His release came on him so damn hard and fast that he couldn't hold back his roar of ecstasy as Haley squeezed him dry.

He collapsed against her, careful to keep most of his weight off her. He pressed a kiss to her damp shoulder.

"Just so you know," she said, panting just as hard as he was, "the next time you try to leave me. I'm going to kick your ass."

Jason had to bury his face against her shoulder to stop himself from laughing out loud. She was just so damn cute.

"Stop laughing at me! I'm a threat, damn it!"

Jason pressed a gentle kiss to her lips.

"No, you're my sweet little grasshopper."
**Epilogue**

Ten years later...

"But, Dad, we're going to starve!" Cole complained, again, as he dropped to the ground, doing his best to look like he was dying. Of course, eight-year-old Elizabeth and five-year-old Joshua copied their older brother, dropping to the ground right beside Jason's feet and doing their best to out pout the other.

Jason chuckled as he added more burgers and chicken to the large stainless-steel grill he'd bought yesterday.

"Don't you love us, daddy?" Elizabeth asked, adding just the right amount of lip trembling while Joshua overdid it. Jason sighed, throwing more hot dogs onto the grill. It seemed that he was going to have to work on appearing pathetic with his youngest son again. An amateur pout like that could mean the difference between Haley feeling sorry for all of them and baking some delicious treats to shut them the hell up or her rolling her eyes and ignoring them.

"I so hungie, daddy," Joshua said, using the baby voice that he knew his parents were suckers for.

Jason looked down at his children and did his best not to laugh at their over-exaggerated pouts. They were so damn cute, but that was to be expected since they were his kids. All three of them took after him in height, dark hair, and appetite, but they all had their mother's beautiful emerald eyes, cute little nose and the ability to brighten up a room with their smiles.

Pursing his lips in indecision, Jason looked around their large backyard for his little grasshopper. When he didn't find her among their guests, he stepped back and craned his neck to look through the kitchen's double-glass sliding doors. He spotted his parents, a few cousins and uncles, but no little grasshopper.

When he looked back at his kids, he wasn't too shocked to find them already back on their feet, looking ready to pounce. They knew the drill, after all.

"Take this plate," he said, grabbing a plate off the large picnic table he'd set up as his workstation, "and go hide. Make sure you share, because if I hear any whining, I'm not doing this again." He threw another cautious look over his shoulder before loading up the plate with three large barbeque chicken legs.

"After you're done, make sure that you get rid of the evidence and, Cole," he said, looking over his shoulder at his oldest son, who was licking his lips hungrily, "make sure that your brother and sister remember to wash up this time."

The last time they'd snuck food at a party, Cole innocently denied eating the double chocolate birthday cake. Haley would have probably bought their story if Elizabeth and Joshua hadn't been covered from head to toe in chocolate frosting. Then again, he wouldn't have been caught if the kids hadn't ratted his ass out.

He handed the large plate to Cole. "Pick a better spot this time," Jason warned his son.

Cole nodded. "Can we have some-"

"Jason Bradford!" his mother said, drawing their attention towards the house. They all swallowed noticeably when they spotted Haley standing next to his mother with her arms crossed over her chest and her cute little brows arched.

"Please tell me that you're not already sneaking food," his little grasshopper said on a tired sigh.

"No, of course not-run kids! Run!" Jason yelled even as Cole took off towards the woods with his brother and sister hot on his heels.

His mother let out a long-suffering sigh as she walked over to the table and picked up the small box of baby wipes and three juice boxes from one of the large coolers and headed after them.

Jason gave Haley the grin that still got him out of parking tickets and earned him unlimited free samples at the grocery store. Haley simply stared at him, pushing her glasses back up her nose with one finger.

"I love you?" Jason said, trying not to laugh as Haley tried to look stern and failed miserably.

"They're my cupcakes, you greedy bastards!" they heard his father yell from the kitchen.

Haley's lips twitched as she said, "Between you, the kids, and your father, I don't think there will be enough food for everyone."

"But they were starving, my little grasshopper. The poor things were barely able to move from hunger," Jason said, trying to look innocent as he shifted closer to the grill so that she wouldn't see the plate of chicken bones that he forgot to hide.

"Those poor things conned Mitch out of the two plates of peanut butter cup bars that Mary brought, twenty minutes ago," Haley informed him, chuckling.

"They what?" he snapped, causing everyone around them to jump. He ignored them as he turned a glare in the direction his children headed. The sense of betrayal hit hard. Not only had they conned the softhearted Mitch out of delicious baked goods that were meant for him, but they'd failed to give him his customary cut of the action, fifty percent.

"Yup," Haley said, walking past him to grab a cold soda from the cooler. She rolled her eyes when she spotted the chicken bones and perched her cute little ass on the end of the picnic table. "As soon as he walked in and put the baby down, they hit him with 'I love you, Uncle Mitch' and hugs and he was a goner."

Jason's glare shifted to his best friend, who was lounging in a chair with his wife, Mary, Haley's best friend, on his lap. Their baby played in the sandbox close by as their two oldest children ran around with the other kids playing tag.

Ten years ago, Mitch would have simply taunted and teased the kids with the baked goods until someone hit him upside the head and made him share, but that had all changed when Haley asked the bastard to do her a favor. Back then, Mary had been a struggling single parent of a newborn and was barely getting by on less than an hour of sleep a night.

As a favor to Haley, and after much manipulation on Haley's part, Mitch reluctantly volunteered to run some food, formula, and diapers over to Mary's small apartment. Mary opened the door with messy hair, dried spit-up on her clothes, looking exhausted, holding a screaming baby girl and Mitch had fallen hard.

Almost overnight, the old Mitch had disappeared, and the new softhearted family-oriented man had taken his place. He'd started spending all his free time helping Mary, making sure that she got enough rest, and taking care of little Tabitha much to everyone's shock. Everyone knew that Mary had fallen equally hard for him, but she'd held back, too afraid to end up hurt again. It took some time, but Mitch eventually wore her down and within a year they were married and expecting their second child.

"Did no one try and stop him?" Jason demanded, turning his attention back on his little grasshopper, who was helping Brad's son, Aaron, make up a plate of food.

Haley chuckled softly as she sent the little boy on his way. "Everyone was too busy laughing."

"Those were my peanut butter cup bars, woman!"

"But," Haley said with an innocent little pout, "the poor things were starving."

"You're mocking me, aren't you?" Jason asked, his lips twitching as Haley walked into his arms. He put an arm around her shoulders and pressed a kiss to the top of her head.

"Yes, yes, I am," Haley said, sounding proud as she snuggled closer.

He held her for a few minutes, simply enjoying having his little grasshopper in his arms before he asked the question he hated asking, "Did they show up?"

"No," she mumbled against his chest.

Jason leaned back and cupped her face in his hands. "I'm really sorry, my little grasshopper," he said softly, pressing a kiss to her forehead. He hadn't really expected them to show up to celebrate their tenth anniversary, but he had hoped that they would for Haley's sake.

No matter how many years passed, he still couldn't rid himself of the guilt he felt every time her family disappointed her. After they'd announced their elopement, her family had gone a bit hysterical. They'd screamed, ranted, and begged Haley not to throw her life away on a loser like him. They hadn't cared that he'd been in the room at the time.

Finally, Grandma had put an end to the bullshit and started swinging that cane of hers. Ten minutes later, while Mr. Blaine was rubbing a sore knee, he wrote a check in Jason's name for a hundred thousand dollars and all he had to do was walk away from Haley. Turning down that money had been the easiest decision he'd ever made. He just wished Haley and the kids weren't the ones suffering because of him.

They'd completely cut Haley off and refused to have anything to do with the kids. He knew that it hurt Haley, but she never let it show. Thankfully, he had enough family to more than make up for the loss.

"It's okay," Haley said, forcing a smile.

"The hell it is!"

They both looked down and smiled as Grandma glared up at them from her new electric wheelchair. With a flick of her hand, she gestured for Jason to load her up. With a smile, he did just that.

Having Haley's grandmother move in with them five years ago when Chris retired, and they'd finished building this house, had probably made up for her family's neglect. Haley and the kids loved having her with them and Grandma loved having her own in-law apartment and the freedom to harass them any time she felt the need arise.

"I don't know why you keep inviting them, Haley," Grandma said, gesturing for Jason to add another hot dog. "They don't deserve you."

Haley shrugged. "It wouldn't feel right if I didn't."

Grandma gave Haley a sad smile. "I know, kiddo."

"Here you go, Grandma," Jason said, placing the plate on one of the tables the guys had set up that morning. She reached out and gave Haley's hand a squeeze before she rode over to the cooler and grabbed an ice-cold beer. With a long-suffering sigh, Jason grabbed the beer away from her, ignored her glare, and handed her an ice-cold root beer instead.

Haley couldn't help but smile as the two got into a bickering match over Grandma's right to have a beer at a barbeque. Jason reminded her that her doctor said no alcohol and Grandma reminded Jason that she'd take him over her knee if he didn't give her the damn beer.

In the end, Grandma grumbled as she ate her meal with an ice-cold Coke. She threw Jason a fond smile when he wasn't looking. Five minutes later, the kids were happily skipping out of the woods with an exhausted Megan pulling up the rear.

"Grandma!" they said excitedly as if they didn't see their great grandmother every day. Grandma didn't bother hiding her pleased smile as all three children sat down with her and shared their latest adventures with her. Megan grabbed a beer and headed for the pool, muttering something about needing a vacation.

Haley leaned against Jason as he flipped burgers. "You okay, my little grasshopper?"

She wrapped her arms around his waist and snuggled into his side. "More than okay."

"I love you, Haley," he said, leaning down to brush his lips against hers.

"I know," she said, smiling against his lips.

He pulled back to grin down at her. "You know?"

"Mmhmm," Haley said absently as she ran her fingers through his hair, smoothing it back.

"Mmmhmm?" he repeated back, sounding amused. "You love me and you damn well know it."

"Maybe," she said with a shrug.

"Maybe you should just admit that you're crazy about me," he said, leaning in to kiss her again.

"And why would you want me to do that?" she asked, still smiling.

"Because I'm playing for keeps, my little grasshopper."

Jason and Haley's Honeymoon from Hell

Playing for Keep's Honey from Hell Glossary

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Sneak Peek at Perfection: A Neighbor from Hell

Sneak Peek at Devastated: An Anger Management Novel

Other Titles by R.L. Mathewson

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About the Author
Chapter 1

Oh, she'd played him well, Jason thought with a pleased smile as he leaned down and kissed her cheek, which promptly earned him a swat and a whimper.

"Please...just let me die..." Haley muttered pathetically as she rolled over onto her side with a whimper and curled up into a ball, letting him know that his work was finally done.

"Shhh, just go to sleep, sweetheart," he murmured soothingly as he tucked her in.

"I would if you kept that insanely large cock between your legs to yourself!"

"Aw, but he likes you," he said, chuckling as he watched her reach back and swat at him...and missed.

"I hate him!"

"You fucking adore him," Jason said, smiling as he pulled the covers over her now that she'd stopped trying to beat the shit out of him.

"Hate," she grumbled as she reached up, grabbed her pillow, and yanked it over her head in an attempt to block him out.

For several minutes he simply sat there, making sure that she was asleep. When he heard her softly snore, he carefully got off the bed, grabbed his cellphone and backed up until he reached the door where he stood for another minute, watching her.

God, she was so beautiful, so kind, funny, and sweet and obviously temporarily insane. It was something that he was just going to have to take advantage of before she came to her senses and realized that she could easily do so much better than him.

*-*-*-*

"Good morning, my little grasshopper," Jason said, sounding really cheerful for someone who'd stayed up all night, showing her new and interesting ways to scream his name.

"What's going on?" Haley asked, rubbing her hands down her face as she shifted in her seat and-

"Why are we in a car?" she asked, dropping her hands in her lap as she looked out her window, turning her head to watch as a large green blob rushed past them.

"Here," he said, pressing her glasses in her hand.

Without looking away from all the colorful blobs rushing past her window, she quickly unfolded her glasses and put them on. "Where are we going?" she asked, pushing her glasses back up her nose as she watched what she now realized were highway signs rushing past them.

"To run an errand," Jason said, smiling as he reached over and took her hand in his.

"And you need to break the laws of physics in order to do it?" Haley asked, swallowing nervously as she watched that little hand on the speedometer move past ninety miles per hour.

"Absolutely," he said with that sexy smile that she loved so much. It had the power to momentarily distract her and had her licking her suddenly dry lips.

That is until she saw the large green sign announcing that they were only fifty miles from the New Hampshire border. Her stomach coiled with dread as she looked at Jason only to find him grinning like he'd just won the lottery.

She considered asking him if he was kidnapping her again, but with a slight shake of her head, she settled back more comfortably in her seat and decided to wait and see where he was going with this.

*-*-*-*

"Please tell me that's not City Hall," Haley said, swallowing nervously as she pushed her glasses back up her cute little nose.

Jason sighed heavily as he shut the truck off and pocketed the keys. "I would, but I don't think lying is really the best way to start a marriage."

"M-marriage? What the hell are you talking about?" she demanded, sounding a tad hysterical as he opened his door.

He paused with the door halfway open as he considered her. What he saw had him releasing a long-suffering sigh and reaching for her. With a startled gasp, Haley tried to back up against her car door and move out of his reach, but it was a really sad attempt. In seconds, he had her out of the truck and thrown over his shoulder.

"Jason, maybe we should talk about this," Haley said, gripping the back of his shirt tightly as he carried her towards City Hall.

"There's nothing to talk about," Jason said, opening the door and holding it for a large group of elderly women.

"There really is!"

"And why is that?" he asked around a yawn.

"Because you're kidnapping me again!" she snapped, for some reason sounding kind of angry.

"I'm not kidnapping you," Jason felt obligated to point out.

"Then what would you call it?" Haley demanded, wiggling in his arms.

"We're getting married," he said, stepping in line for the City Clerk's window.

There was a brief moment of silence before she said, "Please tell me that you're kidding."

"I would never joke around about getting married, my little grasshopper. Bradfords take this shit seriously."

"Oh, my god! I can't marry you like this!" she shrieked, sounding a bit hysterical and drawing the attention of the group of women standing off to the right, watching them warily.

"You're not going to marry me?" he asked hollowly, making sure to let his bottom lip quiver just enough for the benefit of their audience.

"I just think that maybe we should think about-"

"You were just using me?"

"What? No! I wasn't using you! I-"

"You had your dirty, filthy way with me and now what? You're done with me? Just like that? Like I was nothing but a whore?"

*-*-*-*

"No! That's not how-"

"After the dirty, disgusting things that you made me do, you're not going to marry me?" Jason demanded, sounding outraged.

"That's not what I-" she started to say, but the bastard wouldn't let her finish a sentence!

He also refused to let her go. With a huff, she gripped the back of his jeans and pushed herself up to tell him to let her go when she saw the group of women watching them, shaking their heads in disgust.

"You promised that you'd marry me!" Jason said, sounding a bit hysterical.

"I-"

"What am I supposed to tell my mother?"

"Well, I-"

"What?"

"If you could just calm down, I'm sure that we could discuss this like two rational-"

"How could you use me like that? How?"

Sighing, Haley released her hold on his jeans and let herself drop against his back because clearly there was no talking to this man. When he realized that they couldn't get married today, he'd calm down and start acting like the rational man that she loved.

Okay, so he'd hopefully just turn back into the man that she loved since the whole rational part was kind of hopeless. He was a Bradford after all. Any minute now this little fiasco would be over and they could go home, get some rest, have something to eat, and discuss this.

"Next," the City Clerk said, letting her know that this whole thing was almost over.
Chapter 2

"How," Haley started to ask only to pause so that she could take a deep breath and count to ten before she continued, "did you get your hands on my birth certificate?"

"I have my resources," Jason murmured absently, glancing down at his watch as he carried her into the empty courtroom.

She sighed heavily against his back. "Grandma gave it to you, didn't she?"

"She may have helped a little," he admitted, wondering what was taking so long.

"Maybe we should go home and talk about this?" Haley calmly suggested.

There was nothing to talk about, but since it would kill some time until his plan could come together, it sounded like a good idea. "We can talk here," Jason pointed out, deciding that putting her down on her feet probably wasn't a good idea. At least, not until after he'd heard what she had to say.

He felt her sigh against his back again just as he'd registered the feel of her little fingers toying with one of his belt loops. "I can't marry you today."

"Well, this marriage license says otherwise," he said, absently running his hand over the back of her legs as he looked around the courtroom, making a mental note of all the possible exits.

There were too many of them.

"You blackmailed me into signing that!"

He shrugged, smiling when she released a little grunt as the move jostled her a bit. "I did what I had to do," he said with absolutely no shame as he walked over to the first bank of windows and peered outside, watching for any signs of a taxi or public transportation that could aide his little grasshopper in her escape if he fucked this up.

"You wouldn't let me use the bathroom until I signed it!" she said, grabbing hold of the back of his pants as she tried to push herself up only to give up a few seconds later and return to toying with his belt loop with an annoyed sigh.

"You have no one to blame but yourself for that one. No one told you to drink all that water and soda," he absently pointed out as his eyes narrowed to slits on the taxi parking in front of the courthouse.

"Are you kidding me? You've been pushing liquid on me since the moment that I woke up!"

"You looked thirsty," he murmured absently as he pulled his phone out of his back pocket and sent another text message.

"That's because you jacked the heat up in your truck, you manipulative bastard! It was either drink everything that you shoved at me or die of heat exhaustion!"

He sighed heavily. "Are you going to keep throwing the past in my face?"

"Keep throwing the past in your face..." Haley repeated back, sounding a tad hysterical. "It happened an hour ago!"

"More than enough time to let it go and move on," Jason murmured, wondering if he should try to get her to drink a few more bottles of water just in case she managed to escape. It was probably wrong to use her small bladder against her, but he'd do whatever it took to ensure that she was legally required to put up with his bullshit whenever he fucked up, which according to his father and Uncles, would be often.

"I should have kicked your ass when I had the chance," Haley said, sounding completely serious, which of course, left him biting back a chuckle as he reached up and gently rubbed her bottom.

"You'll get plenty of chances to kick my ass after this," Jason reminded her as he walked back to the double doors at the back of the room and peeked his head out into the hallway to find the Bible study group still standing there, waiting to make sure that Haley made an honest man out of him.

"True," she agreed with a heavy sigh, making his lips twitch.

She was just so damn cute.

"What are you looking for?"

"Nothing," he lied, looking down at his phone and silently cursing his family to hell and back. They should have been here ten minutes ago.

"Then why are you stalking around the room like a caged animal?" she asked.

"I thought you wanted to discuss this?" Jason reminded her, hoping to distract her.

When she didn't say anything after a minute, he reached up to pull her off his shoulder, afraid that she might have passed out from staying in that position for too long, but just as he gripped her hips, she said, "I don't think we should rush into this."

*-*-*-*

"Get the hell off me!" Haley snapped as she wiggled to free her legs, but the large bastard sitting across them refused to budge.

"Shhhh," Jason whispered as he gave her ass another one of those patronizing rubs that was going to get his ass kicked. "I'm on the phone with Grandma."

"Oh, thank God," she murmured as she reached back and wiggled her fingers in demand. "Give me the phone."

"She's not going anywhere," Jason explained as he continued to rub her ass.

Frustrated beyond belief, Haley shifted until she was on her elbows and could glare back at the large bastard sitting on her. "Let me go, Jason," she bit out, not even bothering to beg her grandmother for help since she already knew where her grandmother's loyalty now stood.

"That's really not going to work for me," he said absently as he shifted to get more comfortable, which she took as her cue to try to wiggle her way to freedom.

She managed to shift forward an inch only to growl in frustration when he used his hold on her ass to pull her back. "Let me go!"

"Shh, still talking," Jason whispered loudly, giving her ass another rub, which she really seemed to hate.

She turned around and dropped her face in her hands, needing a moment to calm down while she listened to Jason promise her grandmother that everything was going according to plan and that he'd call her after the deed was done. When she heard him end the call, she took another deep, calming breath, something that she seemed to do a lot around him, and tried one last time to talk some sense into him.

"Jason, we don't need to do this today. We could-"

"We're doing this today," Jason said, humming happily as he continued to rub her ass.

"But-"

"We're getting married today," he said firmly before adding, "Stop wrecking my special day!"

With a sigh, she shook her head and muttered, "I give up."

"That's probably for the best, my little grasshopper," he murmured as she resigned herself to wait for the Justice of the Peace to show up and talk some sense into Jason.

She didn't want him rushing into this only to regret it later. She loved him and wanted to spend the rest of her life with him, but not until she was sure that's what he wanted as well and she didn't count this impulsive move as any indication that he was ready to spend the rest of his life with her.

"What time will Grandma be here?" she mumbled against her folded arms, hoping that she could catch a ride back home with her Grandmother since Jason would probably be pouting over the fact that she made him wait to get married.

"She's not coming," Jason announced, making her frown, because this was her grandmother, the person that she loved more than anything in this world, besides Jason that is, and she should be here for this.

"What do you mean she's not coming?" Haley demanded as she pushed herself back up on her elbows just as a tall man with graying black hair walked in the room.

"It would only delay this," Jason said, getting to his feet.

"Finally," Haley muttered as she shifted into a sitting position and-

"Oh, come on!" she groaned when Jason swept her up in his arms. "Put me down!"

"Not yet," Jason said, shifting her in his arms as he carried her towards the front of the courtroom.

"I'm not kidding, Jason!"

He leaned down and brushed his lips against hers. "You're marrying me today and that's final."

She opened her mouth to demand her freedom when she caught sight of the panicked expression on the other man's face. He looked down at the paper in his hands, looked back up at Jason only to look back down at the paper again, swallowed and mumbled, "Bradford."

She watched in horrified fascination as he dropped the paper, turned right back around and ran towards the door he'd just come through when Jared stepped inside the courtroom, blocking his path. The terrified man gasped, turned around and ran towards the back of the courtroom where ten more Bradfords suddenly appeared, blocking his path as more of them filed into the room, taking up positions in front of the windows and doors.

It was then that she realized that she wasn't leaving until she'd said, "I do."

*-*-*-*

"I'm in my safe place. I'm in my safe place," the Justice of the Peace mumbled around soft sobs from where he sat, huddled in the corner, rocking himself gently back and forth as he kept his hands firmly locked over his ears and his eyes squeezed shut. "I'm in my safe place..."

Biting back a yawn, Jason shifted his attention away from the man having some sort of meltdown to his lovely wife, who was currently trying to fight her way past a group of his cousins and uncles in an attempt to kick his ass.

"I'm only going to hurt him a little," Haley said, desperately trying to push past his Uncle Ethan before adding, "I promise!"

Deciding that she just needed a few minutes to come to terms with the overwhelming sense of joy that she was obviously struggling to accept, Jason returned his attention to the display of brochures by the door. There were quite a few places that would be ideal for a honeymoon, bed and breakfasts, romantic inns, nature walks, cottages on the beach, resorts, but none of them were good enough for his wife.

"Don't do it," his father said, stepping up next to him to stare down at the brochure display.

"Do what?" Jason absently asked as he picked up a brochure on cave exploration.

"You know what," his father said, reaching over to tap a brochure back in place.

"You'll regret it," his Uncle Ethan said, joining them.

"You really will," his Uncle Seth said as he walked over and leaned a shoulder against the wall, "trust me."

"The curse is bullshit," Jason pointed out as he returned the brochures on caves and picked one up for an outlet shopping mall.

"Really?" his father drawled, sounding amused, "Then what would you call the fucked-up time that your mother and I had on our honeymoon?"

"Bad luck," Jason said, wondering if Haley would be interested in getting matching tattoos this week before quickly dismissing it, knowing her well enough to know that she'd probably get that bastard Derek Jeter's name tattooed on her ass. Since that just wasn't going to work for him, he moved on.

"So, every Bradford that ever attempted to take his wife on a honeymoon within the first year of marriage in the last two hundred years and barely made it out alive was just having bad luck?" Uncle Ethan asked, sounding more amused than insulted.

"Yes," Jason said with absolutely no hesitation because if there was one thing that he knew, it was when someone in his family was trying to bullshit him.

Uncle Seth pursed his lips up thoughtfully as he considered that. "Is that what you really think?"

"Absolutely," Jason said with a heavy sigh as he moved onto a brochure pushing the wonders of bird watching.

"Don't do this, Jason," his father said softly.

"She deserves a honeymoon," he simply said, dismissing the idea of being trapped in a plastic tent with ten thousand butterflies and grabbing a brochure for mineral hunting instead.

"Then give her one, but not yet. Wait until after your first anniversary and take her somewhere special," his father whispered urgently. "The moment that you announce to her that you're taking her on a honeymoon, all hell will break loose, things will get fucked up quickly and you'll be lucky to make it out of this thing alive."

"What do you expect me to do now? Take her home, get up early in the morning and go to work like nothing's changed?" Jason asked, wondering why his father was trying to lay this bullshit on him.

"Yes," his father said with absolutely no hesitation.

"I can't do that," he said, shaking his head as he frowned down at the selection of brochures in front of him.

"Why not?"

Shifting his gaze to the colorful brochure at the bottom of the rack, he murmured, "Because my sweet, beautiful, adoring wife deserves a honeymoon where she can express her undying love and gratitude to me for making her the happiest woman on earth."

"I'll put the chair down if you promise to hold him down for me so that I can beat the shit out of him!" he heard his adoring wife promise the men in his family struggling to stop her from killing him. "I really don't think that's too much to ask!"

God, he loved her, Jason thought with a smile as he picked up the promising brochure.

"What if I offered to bake you a pan of brownies?" Haley asked, sounding thoughtful seconds before he suddenly found himself tackled to the floor and about a dozen large hands scrambling to hold him down while the woman that he loved more than anything attempted to teach him a lesson that had him laughing his ass off until she gave up and stormed off in a huff, blaming all the large bastards holding him down for the ineffectual beating and promising that one day soon, she'd get him for this.

Since he knew that she was secretly pleased that he'd given her the honor of becoming his wife and allowing her the opportunity to love and adore him for the rest of her life, he decided to overlook her promises to pulverize his body with her mighty fists of fury the next time he slept and focused his attention on the brochure that had landed a few feet away thanks to his wife's vicious attack and grinned.

He'd finally found the perfect honeymoon for his sweet Haley.
Chapter 3

"You can't still be mad."

"And yet I am," Haley said, toeing off her shoes as she pulled her shirt off and dropped it on the floor only to pick it up seconds later and toss it onto the back of the chair in the corner with a pathetic little whimper that let him know just how tired his new wife really was.

"Would it help if I said that I'm sorry?" Jason asked, pulling his shirt off and tossing it on the chair as well.

"Probably not since I know that you'd be lying," Haley said, sighing heavily even as she was clearly trying to bite back a pleased smile.

"You can't stay mad at me forever, my little grasshopper," Jason pointed out, struggling to bite back a yawn as he stepped out of his boxers and tossed them aside.

"You just keep telling yourself that," Haley mumbled as she started to remove her bra and panties only to give up after a few seconds and crawl in bed, looking exhausted.

"I missed this," he said, climbing in behind her. He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her closer until they were spooning. "I missed you," he murmured, pressing a kiss against her shoulder, savoring her scent and the feel of her body against his.

She released a little sigh of pleasure as she pushed back, snuggling closer to him as he closed his eyes, happy to finally have her back in his arms. Within seconds, he felt her start to relax in his arms.

"Are you tired?" Jason asked, biting back a smile as he kissed her shoulder.

"What?" she muttered sleepily.

He chuckled as he pressed another kiss to her shoulder. "I'll take that as a yes."

"Sleepy," she mumbled.

"Go to sleep, baby," Jason whispered, chuckling when she released a frustrated growl and abruptly turned in his arms so that she could bury her face against his chest.

With a sigh, he pulled back just enough so that he could take her glasses off, which earned another one of those growls that had him smiling and placed them carefully on the nightstand. As soon as his hand was free, he wrapped his arm back around his wife and pressed a kiss against the top of her head.

His wife.

Christ, he couldn't believe that he was actually married. Up until he'd fallen for Haley, he'd honestly never thought that he'd end up lovesick like so many of the bastards in his family, but once he'd kissed her...

He was done for.

He'd wanted to spend the rest of his life with her, the need becoming more urgent with every passing day until he'd thought he'd die if he didn't make her his. Then she'd broken his heart, destroyed it completely, leaving him hollow. When he'd left, he'd felt like he was in hell.

He hadn't been able to sleep, eat, or do much of anything except think about her. Every day had been harder than the last. Most of the time, he hadn't been sure how he'd find the willpower to keep moving, to keep taking that next breath, but somehow, he had. By the time he came back, he'd realized something very important, he could live without Haley.

The problem was that he didn't want to, but if making her happy meant living in hell, then he'd been prepared to do it. He'd been prepared to sell his house, to find a new job, and move away so that he would never have to see her again so that she could move on as well. When she'd handcuffed him to the chair last night and he'd been forced to think about her with someone else, he'd lost it. At that point, he'd been willing to move heaven and hell to have her. That desperation had led him to do whatever it took to make that happen.

And now she was his.

Smiling, he leaned back just far enough so that he could gently brush his lips against hers, not wanting to wake her, but needing to kiss her goodnight. After brushing his lips against hers one last time, he moved back only to have Haley release a sexy little moan in her sleep that had him leaning in for another kiss.

This time when he tried to move away, Haley reached up and threaded her fingers through his hair. She kept him right where he was as she returned his kiss, slowly at first. It was a sweet kiss, a perfect kiss, so he didn't rush it, didn't want to. He continued kissing her, slowly devouring her lips, waiting for the moment when her lips parted and when they did, he deepened the kiss, taking it slow and pouring every ounce of love that he felt for her into it.

She moaned softly as she met him stroke for stroke. He raised himself up, never breaking the kiss and moved over her, holding himself up on one arm as he reached down between them and placed his hand between her legs. He cupped her, groaning when he felt her panties becoming wet and gently rubbed his hand over her a few times before he hooked his fingers in the waist of her panties and pulled them down.

Haley released the hold that she had on his hair. She reached down and helped him by pushing her panties down until she could kick them off. Still not breaking their kiss, she sat up, forcing him to sit back so that he could help her with her bra. As soon as it was off, she was laying back down, her arms around his shoulders, taking him with her.

He settled himself between her legs. They both moaned loudly when his erection pressed against her wet slit. He shifted until he was putting all of his weight on his right arm so that he could reach up with his left hand and cup her breast, gently squeezing it as he ran his thumb over her nipple. He continued to tease her hard nipple as he rolled his hips, forcing his cock to lay deeper between her slit until the underside was pressed up against her swollen clit.

She gasped into his mouth, her nails digging into his back as he pressed down harder against her, applying as much pressure as he could without hurting her.

"That feels so good," Haley said with a sexy little groan.

"You like that?" Jason asked, his voice growing husky as she became wetter, soaking the underside of his cock, and sending a shiver of pleasure through his body.

"I'd like it even more if I was on top," she whispered against his lips with a smile that he easily returned as he complied, rolling over onto his back and taking his wife with him.

As she settled more comfortably on top of him, he continued to gently massage her breast as his other hand reached up for her neglected breast and gave it the same attention, working his thumb over her nipple until it was just as hard as the other one. Haley placed her hand down on the mattress beside his head, shifting her weight onto one arm while she moved her other hand between them and wrapped it around his erection. She gave it a brief squeeze that had him gently sucking her tongue in appreciation before she moved her hand in a smooth stroke up until she was cupping only the tip in her hand.

"Fuck," he gasped loudly as she tightened her hold around the tip, her hips rolling forward, causing his cock to become enveloped between her wet slit.

She smiled against his lips, clearly enjoying the hold she had over him and he let her have it. He stayed still, fighting the need to put her back against the mattress and fuck her until she screamed his name and squeezed every last drop from him. If she had been any other woman, he would have done just that, got what he wanted and left, but this wasn't just any woman.

This was his little grasshopper, the love of his life, his soul, his life...

His wife.

"I love you, Haley," Jason said, sliding his hands up her chest so that he could cup her face in his hands, his thumbs gently caressing her cheeks as he brushed his lips against hers. "I love you so damn much."

He felt her smile against his lips, felt her lips tremble as the first tear rolled down her cheek. He brushed the tear away with his thumb as he kissed her.

"I love you, too," she whispered back, releasing her hold on him and kissed him for a minute before she shifted her hips, rolling them forward and then pushing back until the tip of his erection pressed up against her core.

Slowly, she pushed back, taking him inside her inch by excruciating inch until he thought he'd die. Finally, after what felt like hours, she was fully seated on top of him. Just when he thought that she'd move and put him out of his misery, she pulled back just far enough so that she could look down at him, her hair falling down around them.

She worried her bottom lip as she squinted down at him.

"What's wrong, baby?" he asked, running the pad of his thumb over her bottom lip.

"You know this is forever, don't you?"

Chuckling, he used his hold on her to pull her down for a kiss.

"It damn well better be."
Chapter 4

"Are you planning on sharing?"

"No," Haley simply said, smiling as she shifted on her stomach so that she could prop herself back up on her elbows. She made a show of reaching into the bag of peanut butter cups that Jason ran out to buy for her early this morning when she'd complained that she was hungry and selected one of the delicious morsels.

"Greedy little thing," Jason said, chuckling approvingly as he dropped his towel and crawled onto the bed so that he was lying on his stomach next to her.

"I learned from the best," Haley said, unwrapping the peanut butter cup in her hand and popped it in her mouth.

"What are we watching?" he asked, resting his chin on his folded arms.

"The Goonies," she said, shifting on the edge of the bed so that she could reach down and pick up her bottle of orange juice.

"Good movie," he said, shifting so that he could press a kiss against her bare shoulder.

"Mmmhmmm," Haley murmured, licking her lips as a delicious tremor worked its way down to her toes.

He shifted closer to her, pressing more of those teasing little kisses on her shoulder and back. "Do you want to go grab something to eat?" he asked, kissing the spot where her neck and shoulder met, making her bite back a moan.

She glanced at the cable box near the television and sighed. It was a little after ten, which meant that it was almost time to return to reality. She wished that she could spend more time with Jason, reacquainting herself with his body and enjoying the fact that he was all hers now, but unfortunately for them, they had to go to work tomorrow.

"Do you want to stop at the pizza place that we spotted on the way up here?" Haley asked, enjoying one more kiss against her shoulder before she reluctantly climbed off the bed and headed towards the bathroom.

"Maybe next weekend," Jason said around what sounded like a mouthful of her peanut butter cups.

"What's going on next weekend?" Haley asked with a frown as she grabbed her clothes, wondering why they needed to come back this way next weekend.

"We're going home," Jason said, coming up behind her and tossed the empty bag in the small trashcan beneath the sink.

"What are you talking about?" she asked, grabbing the hotel issued toothbrush and toothpaste.

He stepped up behind her and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her back against him. "Our honeymoon's not over yet, sweetheart," Jason said, turning his head so that he could kiss the side of her neck.

"Honeymoon?" Haley asked, biting back a smile until she realized that a honeymoon wasn't a possibility, at least not yet.

Getting time off right now was not possible, not when the school year had just started. They might be able to manage to call in sick tomorrow, but they'd just end up spending most of the day on the road, fighting rush hour traffic to get home. If they were going to take tomorrow off, she'd rather go home now so that they could spend all day in bed. That was something at least, Haley thought with a sigh as she turned her head and met Jason's lips.

"We could plan something for Christmas," she said, really liking the idea of curling up with him in front of a roaring fire in a cabin somewhere deep in the woods.

"We're not putting this off," Jason said, brushing his lips against hers.

"We have to go to work tomorrow," she reminded him as she started to brush her teeth.

"No, we don't," he said, pulling on his boxers.

"If we want to keep our jobs, we do," she grumbled, wishing that she could say the hell with it and stay in bed with Jason for the next month or two, but they couldn't.

"We're on leave until next Monday," Jason announced with a shrug as he pulled on his pants.

She froze mid-brush. "I'm sorry. What's this now?" she asked, pulling the toothbrush out of her mouth, sure that she'd misheard him. There was no way that he'd said what she'd thought she'd heard.

"I called yesterday and arranged for us to get a week off," Jason said, taking the toothbrush from her.

"But it's the beginning of the year," Haley pointed out, almost too afraid to ask how he'd pulled it off when the front office was notorious for refusing to grant time off unless there was a death certificate involved.

"I explained it to them that it was in their best interest to let me take my wife on a real honeymoon," Jason simply said as he rinsed her toothbrush off, put toothpaste on it and brushed his teeth.

"And they were fine with that?" Haley asked as she pulled on her panties and bra, knowing that there had to be more to it than that.

"I didn't give them a choice," Jason said, rinsing the toothbrush off and applying more toothpaste on it before handing it to her.

"Thanks," she mumbled absently, taking the toothbrush from him and continued brushing her teeth with a heavy sigh, knowing that if she had been the one to call to ask for time off that they would have said no and probably asked her to come in an hour early to handle bus duty.

Damn residual pushover tendencies, she inwardly grumbled with a pout.

*-*-*-*

"Tell me!" Haley cried, practically bouncing in her seat.

"No!" Jason said, chuckling when she shot him a pout, probably hoping that it would work on him, but she was forgetting that he was a Bradford and had mastered the pout by the age of three.

"I hate you," she muttered, slumping in her seat with her arms folded over her chest as she glared out her window, pointedly ignoring him and making him shake his head in amusement.

She was just so damn cute for an amateur.

"Would it make you feel better if I gave you a hint?" Jason asked, deciding to pass the time by screwing with her head for his own amusement.

Still glaring off at nothing, she shrugged and said, "Maybe."

"That's too bad," he said, chuckling when she turned to glare at him.

"Bastard," Haley muttered, and with a huff, pointedly looking away once again.

"Are you planning on ignoring me the whole time?"

"Yes."

"Really?"

"Yes!"

"And why is that?" Jason asked, reaching over and turned on the satellite radio to Haley's favorite stations, The Highway. Although she enjoyed pretty much every genre of music with a few exceptions, she seemed to really enjoy modern country music. Before they'd started dating, he would have cringed from just hearing the words, country music, but that had quickly changed after the first time she'd commandeered his radio.

"Because I hate you," she said with a haughty little sniffle that had him smiling.

So. Fucking. Cute.

He reached over and placed his hand on her thigh, loving the way that she shifted closer even as she continued to mope. As he drove down the busy highway, he contemplated stopping for food to prolong the torture, but after a minute, he decided against it. He couldn't wait to see her face when she realized where he was taking her for their honeymoon.

It was going to be perfect, absolutely fucking perfect, Jason thought, knowing without a doubt that he was about to prove his family's bullshit theory on honeymoons was just that, bullshit.
Chapter 5

"Let me go!"

"No," Jason said, chuckling while he kept his arm wrapped tightly around her waist as she struggled to free herself.

"Please!" Haley begged, trying to shove his hands away so that she could make a run for it, but the large bastard that was supposed to love and adore her refused to let her go.

"After we check-in," he promised with a chuckle as he leaned down and kissed the top of her head.

With an over-the-top sigh, because she knew fighting him right now would be pointless, mostly because he'd stolen her wallet to keep her from running off, she gave up. "Fine," Haley said with another heavy sigh as she walked back to the front desk where the attractive brunette who'd been eying Jason since they'd walked in was waiting to finish checking them in.

"I'm sorry about that," Jason said with the same charming smile that he usually used on her to get her to make him pancakes late at night when all she wanted to do was curl up on the couch with him and watch mindless reality television.

"It's no problem," the brunette said, giving him a flirtatious smile as she typed away on her keyboard. "What was the name on the reservation?"

"Bradford," Jason said, pulling out his wallet.

"Thank you," the brunette murmured with an appreciative smile as she accepted Jason's driver's license.

"You're welcome," Jason said absently as he reached back and returned his wallet to his back pocket just as Haley decided to try her hand at pickpocketing.

Glancing around the large lobby to make sure that no one was watching, she shifted closer to Jason. When he smiled down at her, Haley returned the smile, making sure to look appropriately innocent. His smile turned into a slight frown as his eyes narrowed suspiciously on her.

"What's-"

"Mr. Bradford, I have the king suite with whirlpool tub with the park view ready for you," the brunette said with another smile that managed to drag Jason's attention away from her attempts at thievery.

"No, I'm sorry. There seems to be a mistake. I reserved a room with a queen bed," he explained as Haley shifted a little bit closer to him.

"Let me see what I can find out," the brunette said, typing once again as Haley glanced around the lobby one more time to make sure that no one was watching. After one last glance to find Jason frowning at the desk clerk, she shifted closer and-

"Please tell me that you're not seriously trying to pick my pocket," Jason said, sighing heavily as he reached back and helped pull her hand free where it may have become stuck when she reached inside his pocket and tried to steal his wallet.

"No, of course not," Haley said with a smile that she hoped was convincing but judging by the way his lips twitched with amusement, he probably wasn't buying it.

"Sad, just sad," Jason said with a chuckle as he leaned down and quickly brushed his lips against hers. "Be patient, my little grasshopper."

"That's easy for you to say," Haley grumbled, knowing that she was pouting and not really caring, not when he was keeping her from a carnival lover's dream come true.

"Your reservation was upgraded by your Grandmother last night," the front desk clerk announced, drawing Jason's attention away from Haley's pickpocketing ways.

"What?" Jason asked, looking stunned.

"Typical," Haley mumbled with a sad shake of her head.

"Mrs. Blaine called last night and requested that your room be upgraded to a suite," the clerk explained as Haley once again discreetly reached over to-

"God, this is just getting sadder and sadder by the minute," Jason said, sighing heavily as he took her hand into his and entwined their fingers before he returned his attention to the clerk. "How much is the suite?" he asked, reaching up with his free hand and rubbed the back of his neck as he waited for the blow.

"Four hundred and fifty-nine dollars a night for seven nights. That with taxes and room fees brings the total to just under thirty-five hundred dollars," she announced with a polite smile as Jason made a choking noise that she'd made a time or two over the years thanks to her grandmother.

"Thirty-five hundred dollars?" Jason repeated, looking a little ill.

"Yes," came the answer with a blinding smile.

"Shit," Jason whispered softly, so softly that she almost missed it, but she didn't miss the way that he released her hand and reached back for his wallet or the fact that he pulled out his credit card, willing to put himself in debt to give her the perfect honeymoon.

"Is the room that my husband originally reserved still available?" Haley asked, deciding to ignore the stunned expression on the desk clerk's face when she said husband since she was pretty sure that she'd be seeing that expression a lot and probably should get used to it.

"Haley, it's fine," Jason said, handing over the credit card to the woman, who appeared even more confused by the gesture than the fact that Jason had married someone like Haley.

"The suite is already paid for," the desk clerk said, frowning in confusion.

"By who?" Jason asked with a frown as Haley sighed, wondering when Grandma would learn.

"Mrs. Blaine paid for the room as well as provided a credit card to cover room service and incidentals."

"What are you talking about?" Jason asked, looking even more confused, which meant that when he'd called Grandma last night to give her a status report that he'd never expected Grandma to swoop in and take over.

Poor man...he'd learn.

"That woman is sneaky," Haley muttered with a sigh as she gestured for Jason to put his credit card away because she knew that her grandmother had found a way around her rules.

Again.

"I'm paying her back," Jason bit out through clenched teeth, not sounding all that happy about this, which only made her love him more.

Most of the guys that she knew would have simply smiled as they put their wallet back, more than happy to have her Grandmother pay their way, but not Jason. Nope, definitely not Jason, Haley decided absently as she took in the furious expression on his face. She was also glad that Grandma wasn't here at the moment, because she was pretty sure that cane of hers wouldn't protect her from Jason.

"There's a note on the reservation, Mr. Bradford. Mrs. Blaine said that this is her wedding gift to you and if either one of you so much as complains, then she's going to beat you senseless with her cane," the desk clerk read aloud with a pleasant smile that had Jason sighing in defeat.

"Fine," he said, not sounding particularly happy about it.

"There's also a note here about your luggage," she added, making them both frown.

"We don't have any luggage," Jason pointed out as he returned his credit card to his wallet.

"Your luggage was delivered to your room this morning compliments of Mrs. Blaine. I believe she had her assistant pack your bags and had them delivered shortly after your grandmother changed your reservations," the clerk explained, placing two keycards on the counter in front of them. "Is there anything else that I can help you with?"

"No, we're fine," Jason said, looking a little lost as he picked up the keycards and shoved them in his pocket.

"Good," Haley said with a firm nod as she gestured towards the front door. "Now we can move onto more important matters."

With that, she moved to take a step towards the front door only to find herself scooped up in Jason's arms.

"Oh, come on!" Haley said, trying to get out of his arms, but the big bastard refused to let her go.

"We're going upstairs," Jason stated calmly as he carried her across the foyer to the elevators.

"We can go upstairs later," she pointed out as she continued to struggle to get free.

"No, we're doing this right," he said firmly as he pressed the call button for the seventh floor.

"Going there is the right thing to do!" Haley explained, wondering why he was fighting her on this.

"No."

"But-"

"No!"

"But they're going to close in a few hours!" she desperately pointed out as she tried to crawl over his shoulder just as he stepped into the elevator.

"They'll be open tomorrow," he calmly explained as the elevator doors closed slowly behind them.

"There's still several hours of fun left in the day!"

"I said no, woman!" Jason said, adjusting her so that she was thrown over his shoulder and unable to dive to freedom.

"But-"

"I said, no! So, stop trying to ruin my fucking special night!" he snapped with typical Bradford drama.

Rolling her eyes, because she knew there was no use wasting her breath trying to talk sense into her irrational husband, Haley slumped over his shoulder and relaxed, waiting for the perfect moment to escape his clutches.
Chapter 6

"Are you hungry?"

There was a slight pause before Haley whispered, "No."

"Do you want to take a bath?" Jason asked, gesturing towards the whirlpool tub in the corner of the large suite that was theirs for the next week.

She sighed, long and heavy as she continued to stand there, with her face pressed against the window along with her hands as she stared off towards the bright lights that marked the large Ferris wheel spinning in the distance. "No," Haley mumbled, making his lips twitch.

"We can go tomorrow," Jason reminded her as he walked around the large suite, absently noting the prices on the mini bar stocked with liquor and overpriced nuts.

"I know."

"Do you want to watch a movie?" he asked, absently gesturing towards the large flat-screen television mounted on the wall.

"No," Haley sighed softly as she continued to stand there, staring at the colorful lights.

"What do you want to do?" Jason asked, smiling when any other man would probably be pissed that his new wife was more interested in pressing her cute little nose against a window, staring off longingly at a theme park instead of spending time with him.

"Nothin'," Haley said with another one of those sighs that had him chuckling as he shook his head, giving up. This was why he loved this woman, after all...

She was like no other woman that he'd ever known, and she was his.

"Why don't we go for a walk and I'll let you buy me some fried dough," he suggested, grabbing one of the keycards off the bureau and headed for the door, deciding that there was no better time like the present to prove that his father's theory was typical Bradford bullshit passed down from generation to generation with the sole purpose of fucking with each other's heads.

"Okay!" Haley said excitedly as she ran past him, grabbed the door and threw it open.

Resigning himself to a long night of chasing after his wife, he followed after her, closing the door behind him and wondering if Haley was going to end up being the first woman in the history of his family to earn a ban.

*-*-*-*

"Haley-"

"No!"

"Haley, let go!" Jason said, clearly struggling not to laugh as she fought for her rights as a vertically challenged person.

"I'm tall enough!" she argued, tightening her hold on the barrier that stood between her and the ultimate rollercoaster ride.

"Sweetheart," Jason said, adjusting his grip on her as the ride attendant shifted nervously even as he gestured for the rest of the line to move through the gate, "you're half an inch too short for this ride."

"I was slouching!"

"All ten times that you demanded a re-measure?" Jason asked with a mocking tone that she really didn't appreciate, not right now when she was being discriminated against.

"I'm tall, damn it!" she snapped as she tightened her grip on the barrier.

"Sure you are," Jason said, readjusting his hold on her.

"I'm going on that ride!" she bit out, more determined than ever to-

"Oh, come on!" she snapped when Jason finally managed to pull her off the barrier and carry her away from the ride that she'd waited forty-seven minutes in line to go on.

"There's no line for the Ferris wheel," he calmly pointed out while she struggled to free herself and go claim her rightful spot in the front of the line for the ride that pretty much guaranteed that she wouldn't be able to eat another bite tonight without praying for death.

"I don't want to go on the Ferris wheel," Haley said with a sniffle and a pout.

"Do you want another caramel apple?" he asked, placing her on her feet, apparently believing that he could catch her if she decided to make another run for it.

"No, no, I do not wish for another caramel apple, sir," she said, pointedly looking away from the man that had already betrayed their wedding vows even as she allowed him to hold her hand.

"Would you like to play some of the games?" he asked, using her weakness against her.

She nibbled on her bottom lip as she looked around, noting all the games surrounding them, boasting large prizes that she could definitely see herself snuggling, and nodded. "We could do that."

*-*-*-*

"I'm so tired," Haley mumbled with a slight whimper as she climbed onto the big bed, kicking her shoes off as she went.

"Me too," Jason said, dropping all the loot that he'd won for her on the floor by their suitcases.

"That was so much fun," she said with a sleepy smile as she curled up on her side and closed her eyes.

"I'm glad that you had fun," he said, pleased beyond words that he'd been able to give Haley the perfect day.

"I can't wait for tomorrow," she said, her sleepy little smile turning impish, letting him know that she was still determined to get on that damn rollercoaster. Not that he'd expected her to give up.

He hadn't.

Besides, he knew how to keep her distracted, Jason thought as he grabbed his car keys. "I'm going to run to the store. Do you need anything?"

She shook her head as she snuggled her pillow. "I'm good."

"I'll be back soon," Jason said, watching her for a moment, still unable to believe his good luck.

"Mmmkay," Haley muttered, looking as though she was ready to fall into a coma.

Somehow resisting the urge to go over to the bed and take her in his arms, he opened the door and forced himself to walk away with the reminder that she'd be there waiting for him when he returned.

*-*-*-*

She counted to twenty before she opened her eyes, squinted as she reached over and grabbed her glasses. Once she had them on, she stared at the door for another minute, making sure that he wasn't coming back before she jumped out of bed and rushed over to the large window. Careful to remain hidden behind the thick beige curtain, she peeked out the window and watched as Jason walked over to his truck and climbed in.

She watched him for another minute, making sure that he was actually leaving before she released the curtain and hurried over to the bag that her grandmother had packed for her. Biting her lip, Haley searched through her clothes, shoving aside pants, shirts, and panties until she found what she was looking for.

She pulled the gift box out, the one she'd bought months ago but could never find the courage to wear and set it aside before she returned her attention to her suitcase and pulled out a heavy bag. Once that was done, she grabbed her body wash, makeup, lotion, perfume, and the box, and headed for the bathroom. Ten minutes later, she was shaved, tweezed, pampered, and wearing the pink lacy number that she'd bought on a whim.

Okay, so even now she was nervous about wearing this, but she didn't have much of a choice in the matter. It was either wear this or her Yankees panties and tee-shirt set and although Jason loved the Yankees, she doubted that particular set of clothing would convey the right message tonight. She was determined to have a romantic night with her husband and she was going to do whatever it took to make it happen, even wear the pink teddy that looked like it belonged on a Playboy bunny.

Not sure how long he was going to be, Haley grabbed the bag and quickly set to work, placing candles around the room, plugging her iPhone into the stereo, setting the mood with a little music, and started the long process of filling the Jacuzzi tub with hot water. Standing, she looked around the room to see if she'd missed anything when she caught sight of herself in the mirror and groaned.

Her glasses were anything but sexy, and tonight, she definitely wanted to look sexy for her husband. With an excited smile, she walked over to the bureau, shutting the lights off along the way to set just the right mood, and placed her glasses on the edge of the bureau. Excitement coursed through her as she made her way to the bed and-

Tripped over her suitcase.
Chapter 7

"But-"

"No."

"But, what if we-"

"No," he said firmly, trying not to smile, knowing that it would just set off another glaring fit.

"You could carry me on your back," Haley rushed to explain before he could cut her off. "You wouldn't even know that I was there!"

Sighing, he gently placed the bag of ice on her ankle and sat down on the bed next to her. "No."

"But-"

"You can't leave this bed. The doctor told you that you had to stay off that foot for a few days," he reminded her, wondering how he was going to make this up to her. They had five days left on their honeymoon, three of which Haley was confined to the bed thanks to a twisted ankle.

A tickle of unease crept up his spine as he looked at her swollen ankle as his father's warning to wait a year before he took Haley on a honeymoon replayed in his head, making him wonder if maybe there was some truth to the curse after all. But, just as quickly, he dismissed the notion. She'd taken her glasses off and tripped. That was all. It was something that he'd seen her do countless times and something that she would probably continue doing when they were old and grey.

Perhaps he should look into buying a lock to keep her glasses on her head...

"Look," Haley said, leaning over and grabbed the ice pack off her ankle and tossed it aside so that she could swing her legs over the side of the bed, "my ankle is fine."

"You don't say," Jason said dryly as he sat back on the bed and waited.

"It feels great," Haley said with a huge smile, no doubt hoping that it would be enough to convince him that she was more than up for a day at the park.

It wasn't, but he didn't say anything. He just sat back and waited for it. With a little triumphant smile, Haley stood up, took a step, gasped in pain, hopped around a bit as she mumbled, "Ow, ouch, damn it, ouch!" before she finally returned to the bed, calmly sat back, put her foot back on the pillow, placed the ice pack on her ankle, sighed, and asked, "So, do you want to watch a movie?"

Chuckling, he grabbed the remote and handed it over to her.

*-*-*-*

"Haley?"

"Hmmm?" she murmured, struggling to keep her eyes open.

"Are you hungry?" Jason asked as she felt him gently place another ice pack against her throbbing ankle.

"No," she mumbled, giving up on opening her eyes and just kept them closed. It was either that or continue sitting there, bored out of her mind.

Today was probably the most boring day that she'd ever spent on a trip and sadly, she was including all the trips that she'd been forced to go on with her parents, whose idea of the perfect vacation was polo matches, fashion shows, and cosmetic surgery. They'd spent the last five hours sitting in bed, watching really bad television and eating while she'd struggled against the urge to stare out the window at the bright lights calling her name.

"Do you want me to run out and see if I can find a book so that you can read?"

She shook her head as she carefully turned on her side away from him, careful not to dislodge the bag of ice resting against her foot. "I'm fine," Haley mumbled, deciding that sleeping through the next few days was probably the only way that she was going to survive this.

"I'm sorry about this, sweetheart," Jason said as he shifted on the bed and curled up behind her.

"It's not your fault," Haley reminded him as she tried to decide between dreaming about that rollercoaster ride that she would damn well be going on just as soon as her ankle was better and all the carnival games that she was going to play...and win.

He sighed heavily as he wrapped his arm around her and carefully pulled her closer. "I'm going to make this up to you," Jason promised as he kissed the back of her head.

"It's fine," Haley said sleepily as she felt herself begin to drift off.

"This trip doesn't have to be a total waste," he said a few seconds later as he kissed her neck.

"Hmmm?"

"Well, I was just thinking," Jason said, pausing to gently pulled her shirt to the side so that he could kiss the top of her bare shoulder, "that there might be a way to salvage this honeymoon."

Feeling her lips tug up into a smile, she asked offhandedly, "What did you have in mind?"

He turned his head and kissed her neck. "This and that," he said absently against her neck as he ran the tips of his fingers down her side.

"Would this plan of yours involve leaving this bed?" she asked around a groan as he moved his hand over her breast and gave it a gentle squeeze as he pressed that large bulge between his legs against her bottom.

"That's the beauty of this plan," he whispered as he gently ground himself against her. "If we do it right, we won't have to leave the bed for the next four days."

*-*-*-*

"Are you done yet?"

"No! Just keep your eyes closed," Jason said, trying not to panic, but it was a quickly losing battle.

Shit!

"Is everything okay?"

He glanced over his shoulder to make sure that Haley was still on the bed and completely oblivious to just how badly he'd managed to fuck this up. When he spotted her, lying there still wearing the blindfold he'd made for her and that sexy little number that she'd been wearing last night when he'd found her hopping around the hotel room and cursing her bag, he nearly sighed with relief.

"Everything's fine," he said soothingly as he returned his attention back to the Jacuzzi tub only to release another string of curses when he realized that the bubbles were now pouring over the top of the tub and onto the white marble tile floor below.

Shit!

Everything was fine. This was not the fucking curse, but just bad luck. They were just having a bit of bad luck that was all, Jason silently chanted to himself as he reached over and once again fumbled with the controllers for the jets, but he couldn't figure out how to shut the damn things off. Not knowing what else to do, he reached over and turned the water off, but that didn't seem to help.

Shit!

Desperate to fix this before it ruined everything, Jason reached over the candles he'd placed around the tub and grabbed the stack of folded towels housekeeping had left for them. He tossed them on the floor to soak up the mess, which probably would have helped if he hadn't knocked several of the candles down in the process.

It probably also wouldn't have hurt if he'd known that bubbles from the bubble bath solution were flammable under the right circumstances, something he was thinking about four hours later as he stood in the crowded parking lot, staring down at the waterlogged, burnt remains of their suitcases that hotel security had dropped at his feet a few minutes ago along with a polite request that they would perhaps be comfortable staying somewhere else.

"It was a really sweet gesture," Haley said as she sat on the hood of his truck, shifting the blanket wrapped around her so that she could push her glasses back up her soot-covered nose.

He didn't say anything, because there really was nothing to say.

He simply continued to stand there, staring down at their ruined bags as he waited for the fire department to search what was left of their hotel room for his car keys so that he could drive Haley home and put an end to their honeymoon from hell.
Chapter 8

"Oh god, will this nightmare never end?" Jason asked, banging his forehead against the steering wheel as she sat there, chewing on her bottom lip as she tried to figure out exactly where they were.

She reached for her phone, only remembering too late that it had been a casualty of the fire. She pushed her glasses back up her nose as she looked around the country road that the detour signs had pointed them towards, idly wondering what the odds of running into Big Foot were. As she glanced over her shoulder into the pitch-black night, she had to admit that they were probably pretty good.

Then again, their chances of running into an ax murderer were probably high as well, Haley realized as she discreetly reached over and locked her door.

"Can you see if there's a flashlight in the glove compartment?" he asked, giving her the distraction that she needed.

"Sure," Haley said, pasting a smile on her face that he probably couldn't see as she opened the glove compartment and felt her way around until she found what felt like a flashlight. "Found it!"

"Does it work?"

"Yes!" she said, smiling as a beam of light suddenly cut through the dreary night only to groan seconds later when the light flickered out, once again leaving them in complete darkness. "Oh."

"Shit," Jason muttered with a sigh, making her wish that she could see his expression because she had a really bad feeling where this was heading.

"I'm going to go find a gas station or something and call for a pickup truck, sweetheart. Stay here and lock the doors," he announced, confirming her suspicions.

Yeah, that wasn't happening.

As soon as she heard the telltale sounds of his car door opening, she was out of her seat and scrambling after him, uncaring that she was only wearing a soot-stained nightie and a blanket. Before he could shut his door, she was jumping out of the car and-

"Ouch!" she gasped, hopping around on her good foot as she blindly reached out, looking for something to grab onto, only to realize that somehow during the last thirty seconds she'd managed to move away from the truck and her husband and was now hopping around blindly in the mud without the security of her blanket.

"Haley?"

"I'm fine!" she promised him as she continued to blindly hop around, desperately searching for something to grab hold of.

"Where are you?"

"Close by?" She hoped at least.

"I see," he murmured, and she really hoped that was the case, because she wasn't sure how much longer she could keep this up.

*-*-*-*

"Haley?" Jason said, squinting into the darkness.

"Over here!" Haley said in between "Ows" and "Owies."

Raking his fingers through his hair in frustration, Jason took a step towards the direction of the last "Owie," only to stop and glare into the darkness when the sound of the "Owie," shifted to his right. He took a step in that direction only to come to a halt when the "owies" abruptly changed direction once again.

"Uh, Haley?" Jason said, coming to a halt as the direction of her "owies" once again changed. "Think you could stay still for a minute?"

"I'm trying!" she called out, sounding out of breath.

"What are you doing?" he asked, keeping her talking so that he could follow the sound of her voice.

"Ummm, nothing?" she said with an odd squishing sound accompany her words.

He followed the sounds to his right and then to the left and back again until finally, he had his arms wrapped around her. He pulled her close and pressed a kiss against her forehead as he swept her off her feet and-

"Oh, shit!" he managed to get out just as the world fell away beneath his feet.

He managed to tighten his grip around Haley a split second before his feet went out from under him. He hit the ground with a pained grunt, the air rushed out of his lungs from the impact as he did his best to keep his hold around Haley. A pained groan burst from his lips as he lay there in the dark, and apparently in a large puddle, wondering how he'd managed to fuck this up so quickly and so thoroughly.

Granted, this trip had been a spur of the moment kind of thing, but he'd thought he'd done a damn good job of giving Haley the perfect honeymoon given the circumstances. Well, perfect for her. Haley was so damn easy going, so easy to please and he'd never been happier about that than when he'd had to come up with a honeymoon at the last minute. While most women would have been disappointed with a trip to an amusement park for their honeymoon, Haley loved it.

What had started off with a glance at a brochure for New Hampshire had somehow ended with the two of them sprawled out in the mud at five in the morning in the middle of nowhere with no fucking clue how to fix this. Their cellphones were fried, they were wearing the only clothes they had and they didn't have any blankets, food, or a fucking clue where they were.

He'd officially just given his wife the most fucked up honeymoon in the history of the Bradford family, and considering all the horror stories that he'd heard over the years from his father, uncles, and cousins, that was saying a lot. There really was no coming out of this ahead, he realized, closing his eyes in defeat as he lay there, holding his half-naked wife in a huge puddle in the middle of the night, wondering where he'd gone wrong. If he worked for his father every weekend and picked up a few shifts after work during the week, he should be able to save up enough money to take her on a honeymoon that she would never forget.

Not that she was likely to forget this one anytime soon, Jason thought with a groan as the skies suddenly opened back up, forcing him to get up before they drowned. Keeping his arms firmly locked around his trembling wife, he carefully stood up and headed in the direction that he hoped his truck was in because the last thing they needed tonight was to get lost in the woods during a thunderstorm.

Five minutes and several failed attempts later, he finally managed to find his truck. Grateful that something was finally going in his favor, he opened the door and carefully helped his trembling wife inside, who was actually starting to scare him a bit.

"Haley?" he said as he climbed in after her, trying not to panic when she didn't respond. "Baby, are you okay?" Jason asked, reaching for her only to curse and pull her back in his arms when he felt her body violently trembling.

"I'm so sorry, Haley," Jason mumbled as he ran his hands over her body, desperately trying to soothe her. "I'm so sorry that I fucked this up. I'm so fucking sorry. I'll make this up to you one day, I promise. I'll take you anywhere you want to go, sweetheart, and we can forget this ever happened. We can go to Europe, on a cruise, to Mexico, we can..." he trailed off when he heard what sounded suspiciously like a snort of amusement.

"Are you laughing at me?" he demanded, his eyes narrowing in the dark as the ungrateful woman in his arms started to giggle uncontrollably.

"Yes!" Haley managed to get out on a gasp as she continued to laugh her adorable little ass off while he sat there, rightfully seething.

How dare she laugh at him and the wonderful honeymoon that he'd worked his ass off to give her?

Without another word, Jason picked up his ungrateful wife and placed her back on her side before he folded his arms over his chest and pointedly looked away with a sniffle, not caring that she couldn't see the move. After everything that he'd done to give her the perfect honeymoon and this was how she repaid him?

"Jason?" his inconsiderate wife said around a snort of amusement.

"Go away."

"I'm sorry!" Haley said, and he probably would have believed her if she hadn't started laughing again.

"That's it. I want a divorce," Jason said firmly, wondering just how hard it would be to get their marriage annulled.

"Jason," Haley said around a snort of amusement as she reached for him, but he pulled away and shifted closer to the door, refusing to allow the vicious woman to fill his head with patronizing apologies and caresses when they both knew that she didn't mean any of it.

"I believe we've said everything that needs to be said," Jason said as he once again pulled away from her touch.

"Jason-"

"Save it for the judge."

"But-"

"I'll be damned if I stay in a loveless marriage!"

There was a slight pause before she said, "A loveless marriage," in a tone that he did not care for, not at all.

"I think it would be for the best if we didn't say anything else."

"I see," Haley murmured thoughtfully as he sat there, wondering how he'd missed the fact that he'd married such a heartless woman when he felt something wet drop onto his lap. Frowning, he reached down and picked up the soaked rag.

"What's this?" he asked, trying to figure out why she was throwing things at him.

"My nightie," she said, sounding bored as he sat there, letting her words sink in and when they did, he slowly dropped the expensive wet rag on the floor of his truck with a murmured, "So, you're naked?"

"Completely."

"The panties?" Jason asked, reaching back and grabbed hold of the wet shirt clinging to him and slowly dragged it off.

"Drying on your dashboard."

He toed off his waterlogged shoes as he unsnapped his jeans and shoved the soaked, uncooperative material off along with his boxers. This time when he felt her reach for him, he didn't back away. When he felt her small hand land on his knee, he shifted at an angle and groaned when he felt her talented lips wrap around the tip of his cock.

Licking his lips, Jason carefully threaded his fingers through her wet, tangled hair and somehow resisted the urge to shift his hips when he felt her mouth slowly slide down his cock. With his other hand, he ran his hand over her back, making a note of the cool skin covered in goose bumps before he skimmed his hand over her perfectly rounded ass and found what he was looking for.

"So, fucking wet," he growled approvingly as he slid a finger inside her.

"Do you still want a divorce?" she asked as she pulled her mouth free from his cock.

"I don't think it's a good idea to talk to you without my lawyer present," Jason explained as he slowly slid his finger out of her only to slide it back in, earning a sexy little moan that had him arching his hips.

"That's probably a good idea," she murmured in agreement as she opened her mouth so that he could slide inside and lose his fucking mind.
Chapter 9

"Oh, god..."

Breaths coming faster, Haley moved her mouth down the large, thick erection sliding between her lips. She loved doing this for him, loved the feel of him sliding in her mouth, the noises that he made as he started to lose control, but more than anything, she loved it when he finally lost control.

"Baby, stop," Jason pleaded even as he continued to roll his hips, sliding his cock inside her mouth.

She gladly took it as she reached between his legs and gently cupped his balls in her hand. She ran her hand over the cool silk skin, gently squeezing them as she allowed her teeth to graze the underside of his cock, earning a pained groan that told her everything that she needed to know.

He wasn't going to last very much longer, which made this the perfect time to settle something.

"You still want a divorce?" she asked, pulling away so that the next time that large cock glided towards her, she could trace the underside with her tongue.

"I believe we've already discussed this," Jason said, sliding a second finger inside her.

"You know that I love you, right?" she whispered as she spread her legs a little wider and pushed back against his hand as she kissed the tip of his cock.

"Yes," he hissed in pleasure as she teased the thick, sensitive head with her tongue.

"Do you love me?" she asked on a gasp as she pushed back against his fingers.

"More than anything," Jason promised and since all she cared about was him knowing just how much she loved him, she returned her attention to the large erection straining to get to her.

She took the large head back into her mouth and slowly sucked on it as she gave his balls one last gentle squeeze. The sexy growl he released had her eyes flickering shut in pleasure while she pushed back against his hand, faster and harder until she was riding his hand, gasping and moaning as she greedily took him in her mouth.

"Oh, fuck," Jason groaned, thrusting his fingers in her harder. "Baby, I'm not going to last if you keep-"

"What the hell are you doing blocking my driveway?"

*-*-*-*

"Does your wife want to go warm up in the house?" Ed, the retired mechanic who owned the house and woods that they were currently parked in front of, asked not bothering to look up from the bolt that he was currently tightening.

Shifting his attention away from what Ed was doing to his engine, Jason looked around the popped hood of his truck to find Haley, still curled up in the fetal position lying across his bench seat. Sighing heavily, he shook his head. "No, I think she's good," Jason said even as he had to wonder if she was ever going to be able to look him in the eye again.

Then again, she had been caught giving him a blowjob by a seventy-year-old man wielding a flashlight and a baseball bat, he reminded himself as he focused his attention back to what Ed was doing. She'd probably never get over this, he realized, sending a silent apology to his poor cock.

"She'll get over it," Ed said with a knowing smile and a chuckle as he released the latch and let the hood drop shut. "Just give her some time."

Jason chuckled as he picked up the large toolbox for Ed. "I could give her the rest of our lives and there's no way in hell that she's ever going to be able to forget this trip."

"That bad, huh?" Ed asked, taking the toolbox from Jason and tossed it in the back of his truck.

"It's definitely one for the books," Jason said, rubbing the back of his neck as he slowly exhaled. "I should have known better."

Ed cocked a brow in question. "I'm guessing there's an interesting story behind that comment."

"You could say that," Jason said absently, regretting not listening to his father and uncles when they'd tried to warn him against taking Haley for a honeymoon before the year mark was up, but he'd been so determined to do right by her that he'd simply shrugged it off as more Bradford bullshit meant to fuck with his head.

"I'm not sure what your plans are now, but if you want to try and salvage this honeymoon of yours, there's this little bed and breakfast not too far from here that just might do the trick," Ed said with a pointed look towards the truck where Haley was probably praying for a hole to open up and swallow her whole.

"I don't think there's any chance of salvaging this honeymoon," Jason finally admitted to himself, giving up any hope of making this right for the woman who deserved better and settled on praying that he was able to get her home before anything else could go wrong.

*-*-*-*

"Do you want me to drive?" she asked, worrying her bottom lip as she watched Jason struggling not to lose it.

"No."

"Are you sure?" she asked just as the very angry police officer returned with Jason's Driver's license, registration, and what appeared to be that speeding ticket that he'd threatened Jason with when he'd pulled them over.

"Yes," he bit out as he accepted the items from the police officer intent on sending him one last glare before he walked away.

Not really sure how to deal with Jason when he was like this, because she'd honestly never seen him quite like this before, she settled on nodding and pulling the damp, mud-caked, torn blanket tightly around herself and shifted her attention back to her window and her earlier thoughts. Maybe she should bake him a cake or ten? Haley wondered, already knowing that wouldn't be enough to fix this.

God, why did she have to take off her glasses? Why couldn't she have just left them on and accepted the fact that she wasn't sexy? She should have just brushed her hair, threw on a little blush, a little lip gloss and the Yankees panty set and made the best of it.

Now thanks to her aspirations to become a Victoria Secret model, their honeymoon was ruined, their luggage was destroyed, they'd spent the night on the side of the road where they were caught doing... things, got into one fender bender, managed to get three speeding tickets, a cracked window, and they were heading home in a truck that she wasn't really sure was going to make it. He'd worked so hard to give her the perfect honeymoon and she'd ruined it.

"I'm sorry, Jason," Haley whispered, wondering how she was going to make this up to him.

When he didn't say anything, she decided that it was probably for the best. Their honeymoon was already ruined and there was no sense in adding a fight to make things worse. Sighing, she drew her knees up to her chest and settled on staring out the window, counting down the minutes until she could take a hot shower, climb in bed with Jason, and put this whole thing behind them.

"Oh, you've got to be fucking kidding me," Jason said right around the time the familiar weird chuffing and clanking noise started up again. "This cannot be fucking happening."

Since she had a pretty good idea what was happening thanks to the incident this morning, she decided to keep her mouth shut while Jason slammed his fists against the dashboard.

"Son of a bitch!"

Yeah, definitely a good time to keep her mouth shut, she decided as she pushed her glasses back up her nose. At least they were only a few blocks away from home, Haley thought with a sigh of relief as she adjusted the filthy blanket that she was going to throw away just as soon as they got home, around her.

Without a word, and to be honest, at this point she wasn't really expecting him to say anything to her, he popped the hood and climbed out of the truck, slamming the door shut behind him and making her wonder if she should walk the short distance home and make him something to eat.

"Fucking unbelievable!" he shouted, making her sigh as she resigned herself to an interesting walk home.
Chapter 10

"What the hell are you doing?" Jason asked, trying to make sense out of what he was seeing.

"I'm walking home," Haley said with a pained groan as she gave up on trying to put her foot down and settled on hugging the large oak tree in front of the Jacobson's house instead.

"I see," he murmured thoughtfully as he glanced back over his shoulder at his truck, which was less than ten feet away, and then back at his wife as she struggled to hold her blanket up while she held onto the tree for dear life.

When she just stood there, trying to...

Well, he had no idea what the hell she was trying to do, Jason realized as he rubbed his hands down his face and accepted the loss of his truck. If it had happened any other day, at any other time, he would have bitched and moaned about it, but he had no room to complain, not after he'd been warned. They'd told him about the curse when he was a child, but even to a child their dire warnings had sounded like bullshit.

When his father and a few of his uncles had taken him aside to plead with him to put off their honeymoon for a year, he'd shrugged it off, not really listening to them, and told them that he'd take his chances. Now he was paying for it...literally.

Deciding that now wasn't the best time to think about the damage to the hotel that he was going to have to pay for, the speeding tickets that were going to clean out his checking account, the clothes that he was going to have to replace and the new truck that he was most likely going to have to buy and couldn't afford, he walked over to his wife and picked her up.

"Umm, what are you doing?" she asked even as she wrapped her arm around his shoulders.

"Bringing you home."

"And you need to run in order to do this?" she asked, tightening her hold on him as she licked her lips nervously.

"Yes," Jason said, praying that he was able to get her home and end this honeymoon before anything else could go wro-

"My glasses!" Haley cried when her glasses suddenly slipped off her face and fell. She tried to grab them, but she only managed to hit them, sending them flying.

"Shit!" he snapped, slowing down so that he could-

Crunch.

"Fucking perfect," Jason said, dropping his head back as he closed his eyes in defeat because honestly, he wasn't sure how much more he could take.

"I-I don't think they can be fixed," Haley whispered softly.

"Can you see them?" he stupidly asked even though he already knew that she couldn't see a damn thing without them.

"Well, no, but that crunch didn't exactly sound promising," she murmured thoughtfully as he forced himself to open his eyes and look down.

"Please tell me that you have another pair," he muttered, feeling his stomach twist in dread when he spotted the remains of her glasses scattered around his foot.

"I do," she said, making him sigh with relief because finally, something was going his way. That is until she added, "But Grandma had them packed for me."

"Great," Jason said, deciding that it was time to move his ass and get her home so that he could end this horrible nightmare, he started running again.

"Why are we running exactly?" Haley asked, grabbing onto his shirt and holding on tightly as he ran as fast as he dared with her in his arms.

"The curse," he reluctantly muttered right around the time that he heard that vicious snarl breaking up the otherwise quiet morning.

*-*-*-*

"Ow!"

"Put me down," Haley said, trying to worm her way out of his arms, but the stubborn jerk refused to stop.

"No," he bit out with a determined glint in his eyes that was a little disturbing.

"You're limping," she pointed out, again. Although, at this point, she wasn't sure that limping fit anymore, not when it appeared as though he was now dragging his right leg behind him.

"It's fine," Jason bit out between a clenched jaw as he continued his excruciatingly slow pace towards home.

"I can walk," Haley argued, pretty sure that she could at least walk better than him at this point.

"No, I'm taking you home," he argued, which wasn't exactly surprising.

Sighing, she shifted in his arms as they slowly turned the corner onto their street. "Why don't you put me down so that we can take a look at your leg?"

"I'm fine."

Biting her bottom lip, she shifted so that she could squint over his shoulder. "I'm not a hundred percent positive, but I'm pretty sure that you're leaving behind a trail of blood."

"I'm taking you home," he bit out, somehow managing to sound even more determined and kind of freaking her out just a bit.

"Jason, that puppy could have really done some dam-"

"It wasn't a puppy!" he snapped.

"It sounded like a puppy," she said with a slight shrug.

"It wasn't a puppy! It was a large, vicious man-eating dog and it could have killed me!"

"Umm, I think the kitten did the most damage," she felt obligated to point out as they slowly made their way past the house on the corner.

"It wasn't a kitten!"

"But that's what Mrs. Briars called it," she pointed out helpfully.

There was a slight pause before he said, "She lied. It was fucking huge."

"And the post office worker who stopped to pull the kitten off your leg and called it the cutest kitten that he'd ever seen?" Haley asked, wondering why he had such a problem accepting the fact that he'd survived a baby animal attack.

"Fucking delusional," Jason practically snarled as he tightened his grip around her and continued to hobble towards home, which brought up an interesting question.

"Umm, Jason?"

"Yeah?"

"Which house are we going to live in?"

After another slight pause, he asked, "Is there food in your fridge?"

"It's packed full," she said, wondering what that had to do with anything.

"Then your house," he said, making her lips twitch.

"I see," she murmured thoughtfully as she laid her head against his chest. "Can I ask you something?"

"It wasn't a kitten!" he snapped defensively.

"Not that," Haley said, rolling her eyes in exasperation because really, this was just getting sad. "I was wondering what you meant about a curse."

"Oh."

"Are you going to tell me about it?" she asked, squinting up at his handsome face.

"Are you going to laugh?" he asked after a slight hesitation.

"Of course, not!" she said on an outraged gasp, insulted that he thought so little of her. "I would never laugh at anything you told me."

"Fine," he said, sighing heavily before he admitted, "I think we're cursed."
Chapter 11

"I'm sorry!"

"We're not speaking," Jason reminded her as he focused on the long walkway in front of them that would bring this nightmare to an end.

"I thought you were joking!"

"You can tell the judge that when I file for divorce," Jason bit out, ignoring the way that all those damn scratches stung as he forced himself to keep moving. Vicious little bastards, he thought bitterly, half-thinking about going down to the pound and adopting a puppy and kitten of his own just so that they could avenge him.

"Are we really back to this again?" she asked in a tone that he didn't much care for.

"We never left."

"Fine, then I get all your Yankees memorabilia in the divorce."

"Fine, then I get to put a sex clause in our divorce settlement," Jason said absently even as he decided to add a cooking clause as well.

"A sex clause?" Haley asked, still sounding amused and giving him hope that the curse was almost at an end.

"Mmmhmm, a sex clause," he said with a firm nod as he stumbled his way up the narrow walkway.

"And what exactly would be in this clause of yours?"

He paused to blink down at his beautiful wife. "Sex. Was I not clear about that?"

Her lips twitched as she cleared her throat, most likely to stop herself from laughing. "And, uh, what exactly are the details of this clause?"

"You have to provide me with incredible sex twice in the morning, once after work and three times at night," he said, liking this idea the more that he thought about it.

Not that he was ever going to give her a divorce. He wasn't fucking stupid, after all. She was the best thing that ever happened to him and he was too fucking greedy to give that up.

"No bi-monthly BJ?" she asked, blinking innocently up at him.

"No," he said, leaning down so that he could brush his lips against hers. "Those are daily."

"And how exactly are we going to fit a daily BJ into your schedule?" she asked in a teasing whisper as she brushed her lips against his.

"Oh, I'd make the time," he promised her with a wink as he came to a stop in front of her house.

He nearly sighed with relief when his eyes locked on that front door. Finally, this nightmare of a honeymoon was over. "Thank God," he mumbled, shifting Haley in his arms as he walked up the two steps that would save them and-

"Do you have the keys?" Haley asked, earning an unwarranted glare as he carefully shifted her in his arms so that he could reach into his front pocket and-

Shoved his fingers through a large hole in his jeans where his front pocket should be.

"It's never going to end," he said on a resigned sigh as he tried to figure out what to do with Haley while he searched for his keys. He considered placing her down on the front step, but he didn't like the idea of leaving her sitting on the front step in nothing but a dirty, torn blanket.

He considered breaking one of her windows so that he could get in, but with his luck, he'd probably lose his arm in the process, so he turned around and slowly headed towards the backyard.

"So...this curse," Haley reminded him as she reached up to push her glasses back up her nose only to remember with an adorable frown that she wasn't wearing her glasses and let her hand drop away seconds later.

Slowly exhaling and wishing that he'd never mentioned it, Jason carefully carried her around the house. "It's not really a curse," he explained as he tightened his hold around her and carefully stepped over the white picket fence that marked her property line.

"Then what is it?" Haley asked, shifting closer to him as he tried to balance all his weight and hers on his good leg.

"Well," he said, pausing so that he could pop the pool gate open with his elbow, "it appears that no Bradford can manage to give his wife a honeymoon without something seriously fucked up happening."

"I see," Haley said quietly, looking thoughtful even as she squinted up at him.

"While most families tell ghost stories around the campfire, my family seems to get a kick out of tormenting the next generation with dire warnings of things to come," Jason explained with a shrug as he carried her over to the lounge chair where he'd seriously fucked everything up only to think better of it and carry her over to the pool.

"And what kind of stories would they tell you exactly?" Haley asked as he carefully knelt down and placed her on the edge of the pool, moving quickly to grab the blanket out of the way.

"Put your feet in the water," he murmured as he guided her injured foot into the cool water.

Closing her eyes with a pleased little smile, she said, "That feels better. Thank you, Jason."

Smiling and feeling better than he had since that smoke alarm at the hotel had gone off the night before, he leaned down and brushed his lips against hers. "You're welcome, sweetheart."

"The stories?" Haley reminded him with a soft chuckle.

Brushing his lips against hers one last time, he leaned back with a smile simply because he couldn't be around her and not smile. Christ, there was just something about her...

"Right," Jason said, shoving his fingers through his hair and realizing that it had been way too long since he'd had a chance to see his barber. "I'd always thought the stories were just more bullshit to screw with our heads, but as it turned out, they were worse than I thought," he admitted on a sigh. "I should have waited a year to bring you on a honeymoon."

"Why a year?" she asked with a curious frown as she gently moved her feet through the water.

"Every Bradford that waited a year to take his bride on a honeymoon has always been able to give his wife the perfect trip, but every Bradford that took his wife on their honeymoon before the year mark has always wished that he'd waited."

"I see," Haley murmured thoughtfully as she gazed away from him to squint down at the water as she worried her bottom lip.

"And what exactly do you see?" Jason asked, reaching over to pluck a leaf out of her tangled hair.

"Nothing," she said after a slight pause before adding, "Just that I don't think that your family is cursed."

"Then what would you call the nightmare that we've been dealing with?" Jason asked, spotting a tiny twig in her hair and decided to pluck that out as well.

"Bad luck," she said with a careless shrug similar to the one that he'd always used when someone in his family mentioned one of the stories meant to screw with his head.

He chuckled. "You call what's happened over the last few days bad luck?"

"Mmmhmm," Haley said unconcerned as she squinted down at the pool where she was tracing lazy circles in the water with her feet.

"And the rest of my family that suffered similar circumstances?" Jason asked, curious to hear how she was going to argue a fact that he was only now starting to accept.

Instead of answering him, she asked, "Were the honeymoons planned or left to the last minute?"

"What does that have to do with anything?" he asked with a frown.

"Everything. Now, are you going to answer my question?" Haley asked, shifting her attention towards him as she gave him another one of those sweet smiles that he loved.

"No, they weren't planned."

"I see," she murmured, somehow still managing to look thoughtful as she squinted off in the distance.

"What exactly do you see?" Jason asked, shifting into a sitting position so that he could pull off his ruined sneakers and socks and toss them aside, deciding to join Haley and see if the cool water would help soothe the muscle that he'd pulled when he'd tried to dodge that vicious attack.

"Well, it sounds to me like it was probably more of a case of poor planning and bad luck than a curse," she explained with a shrug.

"Bad planning, huh?" he asked as he yanked his pants up to his calf. Wincing, he carefully lowered his legs in the pool and nearly groaned with pleasure as the cool water immediately went to work on his sore muscles.

"Mmhmm," she murmured absently as she reached up and pulled the blanket loose from around her chest.

"That's your explanation for two hundred years' worth of fucked up honeymoons?" Jason asked as he watched her pull the blanket loose and push it down, making him lick his lips hungrily. Even though he knew that none of the other neighbors had a clear view of their backyards, he still looked to make that no one else could see his beautiful wife strip naked.

"Well," Haley began, dragging his attention back to her as she pushed the blanket off her lap and carefully lowered herself in the pool, "if they're anything like you, and I'm guessing that they are, then they probably went a little overboard trying to give their wives the perfect honeymoon and ended up taking on more than they could handle."

"That's it?" Jason asked, pulling off his shirt and tossed it aside.

"That's it," Haley easily agreed with a pleased smile as she lay back in the water and closed her eyes, sighing with pleasure.

"And the ones that waited a year before they went on their honeymoons and ended up having a great experience?" Jason asked as he pulled his legs out of the water and snapped open his jeans.

"Their wives probably planned those trips," she replied with a mischievous smile that had him chuckling and shoving his pants off along with his boxers.

"Is that what you think?" he asked with a grin as he tossed his clothes aside and joined her in the pool.

"Mmmhmmm, that's what I think," Haley said, sighing with pleasure as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer.

"And what would you have done differently?" Jason asked, licking his lips as she opened her eyes so that she could wrap her arms and legs around him.

"Absolutely nothing."
Chapter 12

"Nothing, huh?" Jason asked, sounding amused as he leaned in and kissed her.

"Nothing," Haley agreed with a moan of pleasure as he slid one hand down her back and cupped her bottom, pulling her closer to the large erection straining to get to her until it was pressing against her stomach.

"Then how," he paused so that he could slowly kiss his way down to her throat to find that sensitive spot that he knew drove her crazy, "would a year have made a difference?"

"Because I would have packed my own bag," she announced with a sigh of pleasure as his early morning whiskers teased her neck.

"And that would have changed the course of history?" he asked huskily as the hand on her bottom shifted to the side and-

"Oh, god," she groaned as he slipped a finger inside her.

"What would you have done differently?" he asked calmly as though he wasn't currently sliding his finger deep inside her at a rhythm guaranteed to have her screaming his name and begging for more in a matter of minutes.

"I-I would have," Haley paused to lick her suddenly dry lips as her eyes slid shut and her head fell back as a moan worked its way free, "I never would have packed that nightgown."

He chuckled against her skin as he began moving them through the water while his finger continued sliding inside her, teasing her and making her desperate for more.

"And that would have made all the difference, huh?" Jason asked as he raised her out of the water and carefully set her down on the edge of the pool, allowing his finger one last skillful thrust before he pulled his hand away.

"I never would have tripped over the bag, leaving you to come up with new and interesting ways to entertain me while I was laid up in bed, unable to partake in the best honeymoon any man could have given me, which forced you to come up with another quick plan to salvage our honeymoon."

"I hate to burst your bubble, sweetheart," Jason said, placing his hands on her knees and slid his hands down her thighs, gently pushing them apart so that he could stand between them, "but whether you packed that nightie or not, I was still planning a romantic night for the two of us. So, as you can see," he said, pausing long enough so that he could duck his head and flick her nipple with his tongue, "nothing you could have done differently would have made a difference. I would have still gone through with my plans, which would have ended with the fire, being asked to leave, getting lost in the middle of nowhere, and that vicious animal attack."

"We never would have been stuck in that room if I hadn't tripped over my own bag, which of course, meant the fire never would have destroyed our luggage, and we never would have been forced to end our honeymoon or deal with everything that's happened since. Like I said, Jason, it was just poor planning," Haley said, finishing her explanation with a shrug while she placed her hands back on the warm pavement, dropped her head back and settled in to hear the asinine argument that Jason was no doubt about to give her in defense of his curse theory.

"Just bad planning, huh?" Jason murmured thoughtfully as she lay there, enjoying the sun for probably the last time before the weather turned sour and days like these were nothing more than a distant memory.

"Mmmmhmmm, poor planning," Haley murmured, soaking up the sun.

"So, no matter what happened over the last few days, it was just poor planning?" Jason asked, sounding thoughtful as she tried to push the past few days out of her head and focus on what remained, five uninterrupted days with Jason, a few more days of good weather and no real reason to leave their bed if they didn't want to.

She couldn't think of a better way to end their honeymoon than spending the rest of it with Jason, sleeping in until noon, making love by the pool, and ending their nights, naked, sated, and knowing this was only the beginning.

"So, this honeymoon wasn't a complete disaster then?" Jason asked, wrapping his arms around her and pulled her back into the water where she immediately wrapped her arms and legs around him and leaned in for a kiss.

"It's perfect," Haley assured him with a kiss that told him exactly what she had in mind for the rest of the afternoon.

"And this curse?" he asked sounding oddly amused as he leaned back from her kiss and turned them around.

"Is nothing more than a few old wives' tales overplayed to scare future generations," Haley said firmly, wondering what it would take for him to see that this whole thing had just been a series of bad mistakes, nothing more. Perhaps another bowl of buttercream frosting would do the trick, she thought with a smile as she leaned in to kiss her husband when she realized something very important.

They weren't alone.

Swallowing past that suddenly large lump in her throat, she tightened her hold around Jason, for some reason hoping that the move would make this easier, and squinted over his shoulder at several khaki, pink and tan blobs.

"What exactly am I seeing?" Haley whispered as she squeezed her eyes shut tightly and ducked as far as the water and Jason's large body would allow without the risk of drowning.

"Oh, you mean the group of people standing by the pool, openly staring at us?" Jason asked in an offhand tone that was really going to earn him an appointment with her fists of fury later.

"Yes!" she seethed with embarrassment. "Them! What are they doing?"

"Well," he began with a bored sigh as he looked over his shoulder, "it appears that one of them is trying to take pictures with his cellphone without his wife knowing about it."

"David!" came the horrified gasp, confirming Jason's suspicions and making her bury her face against his chest.

"And the rest?" she hated to ask, but she had to know.

"Appears that our real estate lady was wasting no time in showing both properties so that I could buy you that old house on Oak to fix up while I tried to save up enough money to build you your dream home."

"Oh, I see," Haley said, unable to stop the pleased smile that teased her lips or kiss his chest to show him how much she loved him. He really was the sweetest man alive, she decided even as she continued to use his large body as a shield from the onlookers who for some reason were still standing there, staring at them.

"As for the rest of them, I can only guess that one of them was probably called to tow the truck away, the police officer is probably here to fine us for abandoning the truck by the side of the road, a few of the neighbors who didn't feel like waiting on the sidewalk decided to come get a closer look, a pizza delivery guy apparently decided to follow the crowd, and your grandmother is sitting in her wheelchair, thrusting her cane in the officer's face who'd apparently made the mistake of making eye contact with her."

"Oh, I see," Haley mumbled weakly, wondering what the odds were of her swimming to the other side of the pool and jumping out and making a mad dash across the deck to the safety of the double patio doors without being seen were.

Definitely not good, at least not unless by some miracle a pair of glasses were to miraculously float past her, providing her with the ability to escape what was quickly becoming one of the most mortifying moments in her life without making it worse by running face first into a wall or something. Well, at least she could safely hide behind Jason until everyone got bored and moved on, Haley decided because she refused to acknowledge this little incident and give Jason's asinine theory about this being some sort of-

"Young lady, what the hell are you doing in that pool with him?" the terrifyingly familiar voice demanded, adding just enough acid to his tone at the end there that there was no mistaking who the speaker was or what he was really angry about.

"Please tell me that my father isn't here," Haley whispered with dread as she let her legs fall free from Jason's hips.

"I'm afraid that I can't do that, my little grasshopper," Jason said, softening his words with a kiss to her temple.

"Then what can you tell me?" she asked with a pathetic whimper even as she shifted to the side so that she could squint in the direction where she felt the murderous glare concentrated on her.

"That your entire family finally showed up for a visit."
Chapter 13

"Do you want me to handle this?" his father asked from where he sat next to him on the front stoop.

"You are not staying married to him!" they heard Haley's father shout in response to something Grandma said.

"No," Jason said with a slight shake of his head as he grabbed the shirt his father held out to him and quickly pulled it on. "I'll handle this."

"If it makes you feel any better, this curse is almost finished with you," his father said, giving him a reassuring smile as Jason stood up and straightened his clothes as he did his best to ignore the audience that refused to leave.

"There's no curse, Dad," Jason explained before adding, "Besides, if there was one, it would have ended the moment that I got Haley home."

"That would have only prolonged the curse, son."

"And you know this how?" Jason asked, seriously tempted to turn the hose on their unwanted audience.

His father chuckled weakly as he rubbed his hands roughly down his face. "Just trust me on this one. The curse won't end until you put an end to this nightmare."

"And how exactly am I supposed to do that?"

"How dare you embarrass your father by marrying the help!" Mrs. Blaine shouted, adding her thoughts to the matter that up until now, Jason had agreed to let Haley handle.

"Claim your bride, son," his father said, getting to his feet, "Claim your bride."

"You'd do anything for attention, Haley! Anything!" one of his lovely sisters-in-law cried as Jason let his father's words sink in.

"I can't believe you wrecked our vacation for this!"

"You're so selfish, Haley!"

"You never think about anyone besides yourself!"

"Where are you going, Jason?" his father asked as he opened the door and headed inside.

"To claim my wife," he said, letting the door slam shut behind him. Other than pause long enough to shoot him looks with varying degrees of disgust, her family continued to scream at Haley, trying to talk some sense into her.

"What the hell is wrong with you marrying someone like him?" one of her sisters demanded as she gestured towards him with a well-manicured hand. "I know that you don't have much going for you, but that doesn't mean that you had to settle for a loser, Haley!"

"He's only after your money!"

"What the hell is wrong with you? Are you that desperate for attention that you'd be willing to settle for a loser like-Ow!" Mr. Blaine bit off with a wince of pain that only turned into a cringe when Grandma pulled her cane back and let him have it again and again, and probably would have taken another swing at her son if Jason hadn't reached over and gently pulled the item away before she could do any serious damage.

"Mother," Mr. Blaine bit out, glaring down at his mother from a safe distance across the room, "this is for her own good."

"This isn't your choice," Grandma said with a firm nod as she discreetly reached over and-

"No," Jason said firmly, placing the cane well out of reach from Grandma and her desperate need to beat the shit out of her family with the hopes that they could talk this through, but Mr. Blaine seemed to have an agenda all his own.

"Take the girls home, sweetheart," Mr. Blaine said with a forced smile as his attention shifted to Jason and stayed there.

"I really think that we should handle this as a family," Mrs. Blaine said in a stern tone even as she gestured for her daughters to make their escape while they still could.

As the three women filed out of the room, not a single one of them glanced at Haley to offer her their support. They simply escaped, leaving Mr. Blaine to handle something they clearly deemed beneath them.

"Why don't you go to your room as well?" Mr. Blaine suggested, but Haley stubbornly sat there, shaking her head.

"No."

"Haley," Jason said with a soft smile, touched that she cared so much about him that she was willing to sit there and endure more of her father's bullshit for him, "everything will be fine. I promise."

"I'm not going," she said more firmly as she looked up and met his gaze head-on.

Knowing better than to argue with his wife, and already deciding that her fucked up family wasn't worth fighting about, he settled for sitting on the couch by his wife's side and taking her hand in his while they waited for her father to cut to the bullshit and get this over with.

He didn't keep them waiting long.

"Take this and leave my daughter alone," Mr. Blaine said, pulling out a blank envelope and handed it to Jason.

Keeping his gaze locked with Mr. Blaine's, he opened the envelope and passed it to Haley, who took it into her trembling hands.

"It's a hundred grand," Mr. Blaine announced when it became obvious that Haley couldn't make out the numbers on the check.

"I'm more than willing to double that if it means saving you from this mistake, Haley."

"I'm not interested in your money, Mr. Blaine," Jason said, plucking the check out of Haley's hands and handed it back to Mr. Blaine, who only seemed angrier as he pointedly stepped away, refusing to take the check.

"I'll triple it."

"For god's sake! If they need money, I'll give it to them," Grandma said with a huff as she reached for her cane, but Jason wasn't having that.

"Chris," he said, keeping his gaze locked on Mr. Blaine's, "please take Grandma home and remind her that if she ever suggests giving us so much as a penny again, that I will pull her over my knee and beat her with her cane."

Instead of arguing, which he'd realized that she liked to do a lot by this point, Mrs. Blaine simply smiled as her helper rolled her out of the house.

"I'm not interested in your money or your family connections, Mr. Blaine. I married Haley because I love her and plan on making her happy. If that's not good enough for you, then I'm sorry, but there's nothing that you could offer me that would make me walk away from the best thing in my life," Jason said, letting the check drop to the floor when Mr. Blaine refused to take it back.

"It's been a very long week, so if you don't mind, I plan on grabbing a shower and turning in early since I have a hell of a mess to clean up in the morning."

With that, he leaned over and kissed the top of Haley's head, praying that it wouldn't be the last time, and forced himself to walk away, knowing that he had to give her the freedom to handle this situation. No matter how he felt about them, this was her family and he would never do anything to come between them.

So, if having Haley in his life meant that he had to put up with boring dinner parties, bullshit dinners and uncomfortable family gatherings, then that's exactly what he would do for her. He'd keep his mouth shut, show her parents the respect that his had taught him, and simply be there for her.

With that depressing future weighing heavily on his mind, Jason walked down the hallway, took a shower and climbed onto her bed all while waiting for her to say or do something that told him that she needed him. When nothing came after a few more minutes, he closed his eyes and resigned himself to enduring more of her family's bullshit.

"He's gone," Haley whispered sadly as she joined him, curling up against him.

"Are you okay?" he asked, turning over onto his side so that he could take her in his arms.

"I'm fine," she said, focusing all of her attention on running the tips of her fingers through the sparse hair covering his chest.

"I'll go talk to him this week and try to fix this," Jason promised her even as he had to resign himself to the fact that he would have to do it without giving in to the urge to beat the shit out of his new father-in-law.

"There's nothing to talk about," Haley said with a careless shrug that he wasn't buying.

"Oh," he said, tucking a loose strand of her hair behind her ear, "and why's that?"

"Because I'm pretty sure that my family just disowned me," Haley said firmly seconds before her body started to tremble against his and the soft sobs that she was trying to hold back finally found an escape.

As he held her in his arms, his heart breaking right along with hers, he swore that he would never let her suffer like this ever again.

"Jason?"

"Hmm," he murmured, kissing her shoulder as he shifted so that she could curl up on her side, facing away from him.

"Can you do me a favor?" she whispered even as she grabbed his hand and hugged it to her chest.

"Anything," he swore, knowing that he would do whatever it took to make this up to her.

"Put an end to this honeymoon from hell, please."

"Consider it over," he swore with a small smile as he leaned over and kissed her shoulder, more than happy to put this bullshit behind them and move on with their lives.

"Jason?" she whispered as he closed his eyes, more than ready to put this day behind him.

"Yeah?" he managed around a yawn.

"I-I don't think it's over yet."

"Why do you say that?" he grumbled, struggling to open his eyes.

"Remember the kitty?"

"Yeah?"

"I can't be sure, but I think he's sitting on the edge of the bed and it looks like he's about to-"

*-*-*-*

"Son of a bitch!" she heard Jason snap as he stumbled wildly around the room and as much as she would have loved to help him, she just couldn't seem to stop laughing.

"S-stop fighting it," she managed to get out as she was forced to reach out and grab onto the edge of her bureau when her uncontrollable laughter and the cramp in her side threatened to drop her on her ass where she would no doubt continue to laugh her ass off at her husband as he struggled to free himself from the fluffy orange puffball latched onto his back.

"That's it!" Jason snapped, sounding seriously pissed off, which given what they'd gone through over the past couple of days, was saying a lot.

Pressing a hand against her side as she struggled to catch her breath, Haley watched as Jason's blurry figure stormed across the room to the bathroom. A few seconds later, the sounds of the shower starting and a cat hissing in outrage filled the otherwise quiet room. Before she could catch her breath or check to make sure that he was okay, he was coming for her, picking her up and tossing her on the bed.

"W-what are you doing?" she managed to get out between giggles.

"Putting an end to this goddamn honeymoon," he snarled as he ripped her panties clean from her body.

"What are you-oh, my god!" she gasped as he buried his face between her thighs.

"The honeymoon is fucking over," he bit out, sliding a finger inside her as she lay there, struggling to understand what sex had to do with anything.

"You are mine," he snarled possessively against her clit as he teased her to the point that she really didn't care that he was having some sort of psychotic episode, not as long as he kept doing that thing with his tongue.

"Jason," she found herself moaning his name as she threaded her fingers through his hair, encouraging him to continue even as she sent the silent warning that she would be forced to kill him with her bare hands if he so much as thought about stopping what he was doing.

"So fucking sweet," he growled against her skin, leisurely licking her out as she continued to run her fingers through his hair, needing something to do while a pleasure spread over her body, leaving her barely able to moan his name.

"I love you, Haley," he whispered softly as he suddenly moved up her body.

She wrapped her arms around his damp shoulders, spread her legs and gasped when he slid inside her. She pulled his face down and kissed him as he moved inside her with firm, hard strokes, clearly determined to finish before something else could happen and test their sanity.

She wanted this, wanted him and she was determined to get it. She kissed him with everything she had, gently suckling his tongue as his thrusts became harder, more determined and before she realized what was happening, she was screaming his name while he mumbled, "Thank god," over and over again until exhaustion finally claimed her and she felt herself drifting off with a smile that quickly turned to a chuckle when she heard the unmistakable sounds of a kitten purring.
Epilogue

Three Months Later...

"Did everyone study last night?" Jason asked, glancing up from his desk to catch every student in his class nodding enthusiastically.

"So, you're ready for a pop quiz?" he asked, biting back a smile as their eager expressions turned horrified.

"Yes?" came the collective answer.

"Liars," Jason said, chuckling as he stood up and went to the chalkboard.

"Why don't we review everything to make sure that we're all clear on the material?" he suggested, shaking his head with a chuckle when he caught their relieved sighs.

"Let's start with the-"

"Excuse me," Haley said, drawing his attention immediately to the back of his classroom where she was poking her head in the room. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but could I talk to you for a minute?"

"We were just about to have a review," Jason said, glancing at the clock and noting the time. There was only twenty minutes of class left and his students desperately needed this review if they had any hopes of passing the pop quiz that he had planned for tomorrow. "Can it wait until after class?" he asked, hating to put his wife off, but he knew that Haley would understand. He also knew that she'd let him know if it was something that couldn't wait until later.

"Oh," she said, pushing her glasses up her nose as she worried her bottom lip. "Yes, of course. I'm sorry," she said with one of those adorable smiles that he loved.

"I'll see you in twenty minutes, sweetheart," Jason said, ignoring the snickers from a couple of jocks.

She nodded absently as she agreed, "Okay, twenty minutes."

He went to pick up the chalk again but paused when he noticed that she hadn't left, but instead now stood a little further in the classroom, worrying her hands in front of her as she shifted anxiously.

"Is everything okay?" he asked, frowning when he realized that his wife was nervous.

"Huh?" Haley asked, looking as though she'd forgotten that he was in the room. "Yes, yes, of course, it is."

"Okay," Jason said softly with what he hoped was a reassuring smile. "Then I'll see you in twenty minutes."

"Twenty minutes," Haley repeated with a firm nod even as she continued to worry her hands together.

He reached for the chalk again only to pause when he once again noted that his wife had moved further into the room. For a minute, he watched her continue to wring her hands together and worry her bottom lip.

"Are you sure that everything's fine?" he asked, gesturing for his students to turn around and face the front of the class.

Haley smiled, a real smile that instantly calmed him. "Yes, yes, of course."

"Good," Jason said, moving to return his attention to the chalkboard when her next words made him pause.

"It's just that..." she started to say, only to let her words trail off.

"It's just that, what?" he asked, moving to step around his desk and walk towards her.

She shook her head and with another smile, said, "It can wait until later."

And with that, she finally turned around and headed for the door. Not really sure what to make of her visit, but not really concerned, he turned around and-

"It's just that I'm pregnant and I wanted to tell you."

-tripped over his own feet and stumbled forward. He was forced to slap his hands against the edge of the desk or fall flat on his ass as his mind raced to make sense of what she'd just said.

"W-what?" he asked, not really sure that he'd heard her correctly.

"I just wanted to let you know that I was pregnant and to let you know that we needed to stop at a store on the way home tonight and pick up milk," Haley said brightly while the class stared at her in utter shock while Jason stood there, struggling to catch his breath.

He felt himself nod, not really sure why he was doing it, but he felt that he should be doing something.

"Alright," Haley said, brightly, "I'll see you after class!"

And with that, she finally left the room just as his legs gave out. He held onto the desk for dear life, still struggling to comprehend the words that had come out of his wife's mouth.

Pregnant?

Haley was pregnant.

They were having a baby.

A baby, they were having a baby because Haley was pregnant.

He'd gotten Haley pregnant.

She was having his baby.

They were-

"Are you alright, Mr. Bradford?" someone asked, a boy or a girl, he wasn't sure. All he knew was that he was definitely not okay.

"D-do you need anything, Mr. Bradford?" someone else asked.

The response was instant, years of Bradford survival taking over in that moment of crisis. "Food. I need food."

Sneak Peeks at...

Perfection: A Neighbor from Hell Novel

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Devastated: An Anger Management Novel

**Perfection: A Neighbor from Hell Novel**

**Chapter 1**

"You stupid bitch! You ruined my life!"

"Mrs. Sands, wait!" Zoe cried, holding her hands in front of her face as she desperately tried to back up in her small cubicle only to bang into the cheap, off-white colored plastic wall, leaving her with nowhere to go and a seriously pissed off woman holding the extra-large iced coffee that Zoe had bought ten minutes earlier, coming her way. "Please don't-"

Her words were cut off by a stunned gasp as twenty-four freezing ounces of her much-needed caffeine fix hit her in the face, neck, and chest, instantly drenching her.

"You'll pay for what you did!" Mrs. Sands screamed, pulling her hand back to slap Zoe. Thankfully someone, probably Mr. Sands, had already called security and the two large burly guys that she passed every morning in the downstairs lobby grabbed Mrs. Sands and yanked her back before she could make good on the murderous glare she was sending Zoe's way.

"Bitch!" Mrs. Sands screamed, trying to lunge for Zoe as the guards dragged her away. The woman continued to kick and screech promises of revenge as she was carried off the tenth floor.

With a shaky hand, Zoe reached out and grabbed her wobbly office chair. She carefully sat down, making sure to keep most of her weight off the front left wheel. When the chair didn't collapse and drop her ass on the floor, again, she counted herself lucky.

"I told you to keep your mouth shut," John, the office asshole, said in a bored tone as he walked past Zoe's cubicle.

Yeah, he really had and she was kicking herself for not listening to him when she'd had the chance. With a groan, she dropped her face into her hands and wondered if anyone would notice if she left work a little early today. Of course, they would, she thought miserably. The penny-pinching managers watched their employees like hawks, never missing a thing, ready to swoop in and attack at the slightest blunder.

She'd lost count of how many times she'd been written up for "excessive office supply waste" for not reusing paper clips, leaving her computer running for two minutes while she used the bathroom, throwing away paper instead of finding a new use for it, and her absolute favorite, using more than one staple on a packet. If she tried to leave even one minute early, they'd know and for the next week, they'd double her workload to get back the time they believed she owed them.

After three long years, she was too tired to argue or care. At this point, she was resigned to come in at eight-thirty on the dot, put in eight and half hours, work through her unpaid lunch break as was required and then go home to the new hell that she was beginning to hate.

Two months ago, when her landlord unceremoniously evicted her so that his eighteen-year-old daughter and her thirty-two-year-old boyfriend could have her apartment, she'd been desperate to find a decent apartment that she could afford on her meager salary.

When she found a beautiful two-level townhouse located in a decent neighborhood for two hundred dollars less than her old apartment, she'd been ecstatic and snatched it up quickly, hoping that it was a sign that maybe things were going to start looking up for her. She really should have known better since nothing in life ever seemed to go her way.

Her first clue should have been the fact that the tenant renting the other unit in the townhouse was her new landlord's nephew. Over the years she'd dealt with that situation enough times that she should have realized from the start that it was going to be a problem. Landlord's relatives were ruder, louder, and had a huge sense of entitlement that made them believe that it was okay to make the rest of the tenants' lives a living hell. She'd learned early on not to complain to the landlord when his kid had all-night parties, shouting matches until three in the morning, or when their grandkids detonated water balloons in her mailbox. The result just wasn't worth it.

So, when her new neighbor did things like park his pickup truck halfway in her parking spot, leaving her with no choice but to park on the street and risk a parking ticket, she shut her mouth and sucked it up. She knew enough to know that complaining wouldn't help. Whenever he did something to piss her off like steal her paper, blast his television all night, or track mud into their small hallway and all over her cute puppy themed welcome mat, she bit her lip and kept quiet, reminding herself that even with the jerk next door the townhouse was still the best place she'd ever lived in.

"What are you still doing here?" a harsh voice demanded.

Zoe looked up, half-afraid that she'd find Mrs. Sands standing there ready for round two. Instead, she found the woman's husband, Mr. Sands, standing in her cubicle opening, glaring at her with disgust. That was a little unexpected, considering that she was the one who'd realized that five million dollars had been embezzled over the past six years and found the proof that linked Mrs. Sands to the theft. Then again, she could certainly understand why he was in such a pissy mood since his wife had just screwed him over.

"I asked why you're still here, Miss O'Shea. Your employment was terminated an hour ago. I expected you to leave immediately," he said coldly.

"W-what?" Zoe asked, jumping to her feet quickly, too quickly. Her chair fell back with a loud groan while two of the wheels popped off and rolled somewhere beneath her desk. "Why am I fired?"

It didn't make any sense. Most bosses would appreciate finding out that someone had stolen from them, right? She hadn't expected them to be happy, but grateful wouldn't exactly hurt, especially right now.

With a drawn-out sigh, Mr. Sands gestured for one of the security guards who'd dragged Mrs. Sands away to step forward. Zoe automatically took a nervous step back.

"Please remove her before she destroys any more company property," Mr. Sands ordered, sounding bored as he stepped away.

Destroy company property? With a frown, she looked down at the chair that had given her nothing but problems over the last three years and by this point, consisted mostly of duct tape. Before she could tell him that the chair had been given to her already broken, the large security guard had her by the arm and her worn black purse in the other hand and was dragging her towards the elevator.

"Hey!" she said, desperately trying to dig her feet into the cheap, paper-thin carpet in a vain attempt to stop him. "Why am I being fired?" she asked, reaching out to grab the wall of one of the cubicles only to have the security guard yank her away. Desperate, she grabbed another wall. Damn cheap plastic walls, she thought as her hand slipped off the cubicle wall.

"I don't understand why you're firing me. I'm not the one who stole!" she cried as she was dragged into the elevator. She reached out and slapped her hands against the edge of the elevator door to stop the doors from closing so that she could get her answer.

Mr. Sands shrugged. "Because you should have found it sooner," he said, leaving her absolutely stunned.

Her hands dropped away, allowing the elevator doors to close and her world to crumble.

What the hell was she going to do now?

"I would have kept my mouth shut," the security guard mumbled.

Zoe sighed unhappily. "I really am an idiot."

"Yup."

*-*-*-*

"Please, please, don't be in my spot," Zoe chanted softly as she slowly turned the corner, wishing that she knew how to change, or at least temporarily fix, her windshield wipers while she did her best to squint through the heavy downpour.

A moment later, she slowly came to a stop in front of her house....at least she hoped it was her house. With a small groan, she rolled down the driver's side window and tried not to cringe when the action was accompanied by a grinding noise. Once it was down, Zoe leaned out and tried to make out the color of the townhouse. It was the wrong color, but at least now she knew that she only had two more houses to go.

A car raced past her, sending a wave of muddy water slamming against her car as it crashed through a large puddle, thoroughly soaking her. This day could not get any worse, she thought with a forlorn sigh as she wiped mud out of her eyes only to be proven wrong seconds later when somebody behind her blasted the horn. With a resigned sigh, she started driving again, but apparently not fast enough for the people behind her, who voiced their displeasure with her twenty-yard drive by blasting their horns.

After the day she'd had, she wasn't exactly surprised when she spotted Trevor's pickup truck parked in the middle of the short doublewide driveway that they were supposed to share. Groaning, she did her best to ignore the cars driving past her slow enough so that they could flip her off with a special blast of their horns just in case she hadn't quite gotten the message the first time while she carefully parked her car between two large pickup trucks across the street.

When she tried to close her window, she received a rather pleasant surprise when the window closed quietly. Well, that was a relief, she thought, grabbing her purse and climbing out of the car. At least she wouldn't have to worry about paying three hundred dollars to have her windows fixed, again. She closed the door and turned to walk across the street when an odd swooshing sound caught her attention. Praying that is was just a product of her overactive imagination, Zoe turned around and frowned.

Why did the window look so weird?

She pushed her wet hair out of her face and leaned forward to get a better look. It didn't take long before she realized why her window looked so weird. Her window had come off its tracks for probably the hundredth time this year. Dropping her purse, she wiped her wet hands clean on her soaked skirt and grabbed the edge of the window. She tried to pull the window back up only to have it slip through her hands and slide down several inches before it apparently became stuck again.

"Oh no you don't!" she muttered, determined to stop the window from sliding back down into the door where it would have to stay until she could scrounge up the money to have it fixed. With no job or prospects, there was also a very good chance that she'd be living out of her car soon and she wanted to keep it dry and mold-free.

It took several minutes, but she finally managed to pull the window back up several inches. One last pull should do it, she hoped, gripping the window tightly and pulled as hard as she could. When the window slid up easily, she couldn't help but chuckle. Finally, things were-

Her hands slipped and before she could grab the window, it dropped into the door and if the noise that followed was any indication, cracked. She stared numbly at the empty window for a long moment before she picked up her purse, not surprised when the strap broke off or when the heel on her left shoe snapped off a minute later.

Clutching her ruined purse to her chest, she wobbled towards the front door, only getting stuck in the mud twice and losing one shoe, the right one, before she found herself on the front porch, searching her drenched purse for her keys. By the time she found them, she was shivering violently from the cold and close to crying for the first time in five years.

She opened the door and spotted her now mud-caked puppy welcome mat and sighed. Deciding that there were worse things in life than a ruined doormat, she let herself into her apartment, praying that her next-door neighbor took it easy on her tonight since she wasn't sure that she could handle much more.

Doing her best not to ruin her landlord's carpeting, she made her way over to the phone, deciding that she needed the ultimate pick me up after the day she had. She knew she shouldn't, especially since she would have to live off what little savings she had left, but she just couldn't help herself. She called up Black Jack's Pizzeria and ordered the special, a two-liter bottle of Coke, a large order of chicken fingers with extra honey mustard sauce, and an extra-large, extra-thick Chicago style pizza called The Monster.

For once, the customary one hour wait for delivery didn't bother her. She pulled off her mud-soaked shoe and stockings and made her way upstairs to her bedroom. She grabbed a change of clothes on her way to the bathroom, praying that her surprisingly quiet neighbor remained that way.

She quickly pulled off her soaked, coffee-stained, and mud-splattered suit and looked it over. As long as she pretreated the stains and washed it tonight, it should be fine, at least she hoped it would. She didn't exactly have the funds needed to go out and buy a new suit for job interviews. This one, with the aid of many interchangeable blouses, had lasted for three years and she'd been counting on it to last another two.

After a five-minute search, she found her bottle of generic stain pretreatment behind the box of condoms she'd bought, what was it now? Three years ago? Or was it five? The realization that she hadn't had sex in over five years was rather depressing, she thought, tossing the condoms back under the bathroom sink so that she wouldn't have to look at the reminder that her love life, social life, and professional life just plain sucked.

She liberally sprayed her suit, only wondering if the chemicals in the pretreatment would harm her suit after she sprayed it. Knowing her luck, the chemicals would probably chew through the imitation silk shirt and stain the suit jacket with large weird-shaped polka dots.

With a resigned sigh, she left the suit on the sink counter, climbed into her bathtub, and turned on the shower. For the first time all day, she felt herself relax. She stood beneath the hot spray for several minutes just enjoying the hot water before she applied shampoo to her hair.

A loud squeal escaped her as the water pressure suddenly dropped and the temperature went from comfortably hot to excruciatingly hot in seconds. Startled, she jumped back, slipped, landed on her butt, and cringed as shampoo seeped into her eyes.

"Ow, ow, owie!" she mumbled frantically as her eyes began to sting and her butt throbbed. She wasn't entirely sure which one bothered her more at the moment, but she knew which one she could fix.

Taking a deep breath, she shoved her head beneath the hot water, silently cursing the low water pressure that was actually pushing more soap into her closed eyes. At least the water began to cool, she thought on a sigh before she squealed again seconds later when the water went ice cold and she was forced to stand up, hoping that would help the still low water pressure rinse her hair out faster.

It didn't.

Gasping, she ran her fingers through her long thick hair and tried to hurry the process. Minutes later she was jumping out of the shower and cursing the bastard next door for not only flushing the toilet but for taking a shower at the same time as her. The least the jerk could have done when he'd realized that she was also taking a shower was to wait for her to finish.

Still grumbling five minutes later and thankfully dressed in warm clothes, Zoe grabbed her basket of dirty laundry, a roll of quarters, her damn near-empty bottle of laundry detergent and headed downstairs. Unfortunately, she didn't have a private entrance to the basement, so she was forced to balance her basket of laundry while she did her best not to step in one of the dozen or so mud splotches that decorated the hallway floor.

She walked to the door at the end of the small hallway and flicked the light switch on for the stairs, all while hoping that the jerk hadn't tracked mud down the stairs because she really didn't need to fall on her ass again tonight. Zoe sighed in relief when she spotted the clean pine stairs and headed down to the small laundry room.

It wasn't until she'd placed her basket on the washing machine that she'd realized that she'd forgotten her suit. She half-debated leaving it for another day, but she didn't want to take the chance of landing an interview tomorrow and having nothing to wear but jeans.

With a tired sigh, she left her basket and headed upstairs. At least she had Black Jack's pizza to comfort her later, she reminded herself.
**Chapter 2**

How in the hell had he run out of food? Trevor wondered as he looked in the freezer again, hoping there was something to eat hiding behind the ice cube trays.

There wasn't.

Well, there was a box of baking soda that his Aunt Megan had thrown in there a few months ago when he'd bought the place, but he wasn't willing to risk having his stomach pumped, again. With a frustrated groan, he closed the freezer door and looked out the kitchen window.

He didn't feel like going out in this shit, but he was starving and he didn't have any choice. Of course, he could order food, except for the fact that he was still on the banned list for most of the delivery places.

Bastards.

As tired as he was, he knew that he had to move his ass if he was going to make it to the grocery store before it closed. He headed upstairs, stripping off his sweat-soaked tee-shirt, work boots, and jeans as he went, noting that it looked like every piece of clothing he owned was scattered around his apartment.

Time to do the laundry, he mused as he walked into the bathroom. After he relieved himself and flushed the toilet, he could have sworn he heard a squeal. Shrugging it off, he turned the shower on and cursed up a storm at the low water pressure. He'd have to fix that, but right now, he was just glad that the water was nice and hot, helping to relieve the aches in his sore muscles.

Another loud squeak had his eyebrows arching. It wasn't like his normally quiet tenant to blast the television, but as long it didn't interrupt his sleep, he'd let it go. After a quick shower, he pulled on a semi clean pair of jeans and grabbed his mesh laundry bag and started collecting clothes off doors, counters, the back of the toilet as he headed downstairs.

"What the fuck?" he mumbled when he saw the mud all over his newly tiled hallway floor. Had he done that? His eyes darted to the ugly ass welcome mat his tenant had placed near the front door and felt his lips pull up into a shit-eating grin. A few more weeks and he'd have the damn thing completely covered.

He made his way towards the basement door, wondering why the hell she'd bought the damn thing. The inbred looking dogs with buggy eyes gave him the fucking creeps. A few weeks ago, he'd thrown the damn thing in the trash and replaced it with a Yankees' floor mat only to have his aunt toss his floor mat away and return that hideous fucking thing. It didn't matter that he owned the house. His aunt thought the mat was "cute," and it was staying or she would never cook for him again.

He was really sick of women trying to control with food. Not that he was going to bitch and risk losing out on his aunt's chicken pot pie, he wasn't a fucking moron after all, but it would be nice if women would stop using his weakness against him. The Bradford appetite was a disability, damn it, and should be treated as such.

It seemed that every girlfriend he'd ever had, from Jenny in the fifth grade, to whatever the hell her name was last year, had all tried to control him with food once they discovered that it was his weakness. Although, he could forgive Jenny for bribing him with candy bars to beat the shit out of her brothers, they were assholes after all, the rest of them truly pissed him off.

Not that he could fault them for wanting to marry him, he couldn't. He was a Bradford after all, but he didn't appreciate their fucking games. How many times had a woman hinted at marriage while she held a casserole under his nose, or woke him up with breakfast in bed, musing how nice it would be to do that for him every day? Then, when he didn't drop down on one knee and propose, they'd withhold all those tasty treats they'd promised him. When a woman started the marriage bullshit, he sat them down and explained that they didn't quite live up to his standards, which for some reason, always earned him a slap and a denial for more delicious tasty treats.

When he got married, and he would one day, it would be to his perfect woman, the woman who met each and every one of his requirements. So far, no woman had ever come close.

His perfect woman would be the best cook. She'd be able to whip him up a cake at a moment's notice. She would never deny him any of her delicious treats no matter how badly he'd pissed her off, and he probably would, every day. She'd also be tall, hot, and have a body that left him panting for more.

She'd also have to be financially well off. Not that he minded supporting his wife, he didn't. He just didn't want a woman too dependent on him or needy. He wasn't interested in being anyone's sugar daddy. He wanted a wife that could function completely without him. She wouldn't give a damn when he made last-minute plans to go to New Hampshire for some fishing or decided to stay out late with the guys and didn't call her. She'd also have to come from a big family so that she wouldn't have to rely on him for too much and so that she'd have someone to bitch to at the end of the day and leave him the hell alone.

His stomach rumbled loudly, reminding him that he needed to move his ass. He made his way to the laundry room, dropped his bag by the machine and ran his fingers through his damp hair, trying to push it out of his eyes. That reminded him that he needed a haircut. If he didn't get held over tomorrow night, which wasn't looking very likely since they were busting their asses to complete the Madison project, he'd swing by Henry's and get his customary cut.

After dropping his quarters in the machine, he removed the basket left on top of the washer and dropped it on the cement floor, not really giving it much thought. He went to pick up his bag of clothes only to realize that he was out of laundry soap. He'd have to pick some up tonight. He really didn't feel like staying up half the night doing laundry, especially since he had to get up at six and have his ass at work by seven.

With a shrug, he grabbed the laundry soap out of the basket by his feet, figuring that she'd never miss it, and poured the soap in the washing machine.

"Oops," he sighed when he realized that he'd used the last of the soap. Not really caring, he tossed the now empty container back on the basket as he made a mental note to pick up another bottle for his little neighbor when he went to the grocery store later.

He quickly dumped his clothes in the washing machine, not bothering to let the water suds up since he was so damn hungry and didn't want to wait. He made his way back upstairs just as his neighbor was stepping out of her apartment with an armful of clothes.

"How's it going?" he asked in a bored tone as he headed for his door, not really in the mood to speak with her. Not that he was a snob, he wasn't. He just didn't like to deal with his tenants. That's why he had his aunt deal with all their bullshit. He owned four apartment houses and his aunt managed every one of them for him. He only made an appearance when something needed to be fixed or he found out that one of his tenants was giving his aunt shit.

When he'd bought this place, he'd planned on leaving the second unit empty until he found some time to renovate the place. He'd changed his plans after his aunt strongly recommended that one of his pain in the ass cousins should move in. To keep that from happening, he'd decided to rent the other apartment out before his aunt could do it for him. He'd given his aunt a list of strict rules and this woman was the only one who'd been willing to agree to them without comment.

From what he heard, a lot of the people that looked at the apartment had bitched and whined over his list, but he didn't give a fuck. This was his house and he wasn't about to put up with any bullshit. If they wanted to have their friends over at all hours of the night, have parties, or blast their music then they could keep fucking walking because he wasn't having it. After working a twelve-hour day, all he wanted to do was come home to a nice, quiet house and relax.

Thankfully, this woman followed his rules, so he never had to talk with her or kick her out on her ass. He had to admit that the extra income was nice. Granted, it only covered about half his grocery bill, but hey, every little penny counted.

"Hi," she mumbled quickly as she walked past him. He paused to look over his shoulder and frowned. She was short, chubby, pale, and plain, but she was without a doubt the best tenant he'd ever had. Maybe he should make chubby and plain the requirement for all his tenants, he thought with a chuckle.

He was just about to open his apartment door when a knock at the front door caught his attention. Grumbling, he walked over to the door, hoping his tenant wasn't going to make a habit of having people over after eight and opened the door. He nearly swallowed his tongue when he spotted the familiar pizza logo on the guy's shirt.

"Is this 23 Bedford Street?" the kid asked.

Trevor nodded dumbly as his eyes took in the oversized pizza box Black Jack's was famous for and the small cardboard box on top of it. He sniffed, allowing his Bradford senses to kick in and do its thing. In seconds, he knew that he had a "Monster" and a large order chicken tenders within snatching distance.

His fingers twitched with the need to snatch the food out of the guy's hands and make a run for it.

"That'll be $26.50. I'm sorry it took so...wait a minute," the guy said, frowning. "You're not a Bradford, are you?" he asked, quickly taking in Trevor's dark hair, good looks, and large muscular build.

"No, no, of course, I'm not," Trevor said quickly, fully prepared to tackle the bastard if the kid tried to leave with his food.

Granted, that may have been one of the reasons why he was placed on the banned list at Black Jacks in the first place, but they really should have known better than to show up at his door at eleven o'clock at night with someone else's order. Besides, he'd only scared the hell out of the guy. He hadn't really harmed the kid. At least, that's what the Judge decided when he'd dismissed the case against him.

He wasn't exactly sure what the rest of the men in his family did to earn a place on the banned list, but he could guess. The kid took a cautious step back as Trevor prepared to lunge at him. The deliveryman gestured with his chin towards the mailbox even as he prepared to flee. "It says Bradford on the mailbox."

"That's my neighbor," he said, forcing himself to remain calm as he pulled his wallet out of his back pants pocket. He pulled out two twenties and handed them to the guy who was still looking unsure about the whole thing. "Keep the change."

That seemed to help clear things up. He handed Trevor the food and a two-liter bottle of Coke and smiled. "Thank you, sir. You have a nice night."

"I will now," Trevor mumbled as his mouth watered. He closed the door and turned around only to find his little tenant standing in front of him, glaring at the food in his hands.

"Is that my order?" she demanded as she pushed a strand of her wet mahogany hair behind her ear, narrowing her baby blue eyes on his face.

"Um, no?" he cleared his throat, realizing that sounded more like a question than an answer. "This is my order."

"Oh." She frowned. "Sorry," she mumbled, heading back to her apartment. He wasn't too surprised that she hadn't bitched about him stealing the washer from her. She never bitched, making her his favorite kind of tenant.

He walked into his apartment and shut the door behind him, eager to dig into his food. He set the boxes down on the coffee table and turned on the game, which was thankfully, still in the second inning. He headed to the kitchen to grab a glass and a handful of napkins.

Just as he was about to sit down and help himself to the first slice, someone knocked on his door. Having a pretty good idea who it was, he ignored it. The knocking continued for another minute before it thankfully stopped. He picked up a thick slice of that beautiful pizza and almost wept. It had been too damn long since he'd had a slice of the most perfect pizza ever made.

He was just about to take a bite when the slice of pizza was ripped out of his hands. It took him a minute to realize what the hell had just happened. By the time he figured it out, his eyes were narrowing dangerously on his frumpy little neighbor as she tossed the slice of pizza back in the box and closed it. He watched as she placed the box of chicken tenders on top, picked them both up and headed for the door only to pause and return for the bottle of soda.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" he demanded, getting to his feet.

"Getting my order. I called. Not only did you not order this, but apparently, you're on some sort of banned list," she said, heading for the door once again.

Trevor was up and over the couch in seconds, blocking her way. "That's my food!" he snapped.

"No, it's not!"

"Yes, it is!"

"I ordered it!"

"So what? I paid for it. Put it back and get the hell out of my apartment!"

Her eyes narrowed on him as she squared her shoulders. "Look, I've put up with a lot of crap from you over the last two months, but stealing my Black Jack's pizza after I've had the worst day of my life is the last straw. So, I really don't give a damn if you go crying to your aunt about this and get me evicted. I'm taking my pizza home and I'm going to enjoy it."

A lot of what she said and how she said it pissed him off, but he forced himself to focus as he reached out and snatched the box of pizza from her hands, earning a surprised gasp and a rather cute little growl as he stepped away from her. Glaring, she stalked after him. He couldn't blame her. It was Black Jack's pizza, after all.

"What the hell have I put you through? I've been a fucking perfect neighbor," he pointed out, sidestepping her as she tried to steal his chicken tenders.

She snorted at that. "Puhlease."

"I have!"

"Really?" she demanded, folding her arms over her faded blue tee-shirt and rather large chest.

"Yes, really!" he snapped back, forcing his eyes away from her chest. Shit. If he was checking out a woman like her, then it really had been too long since the last time he got laid.

For some reason, she took that as her cue to share.

"You park in my spot so that I'm forced to park on the street. I've gotten four parking tickets thanks to you," she snapped, making him frown. "You steal my paper every morning. You run the hot water when I'm taking a shower, leaving me to freeze my ass off and with no water pressure! You blast your television all night. You're loud and so are your friends. Every time I go to use the washing machine, you steal it or worse, you take my clothes out of the drier before they're done drying and throw them on top of my dirty clothes and on the floor."

When he opened his mouth to argue, she continued, cutting him off. "And every night you watch porn!" she said accusingly, and he swore he felt his cheeks burn. Fuck. This was embarrassing. Well, at least she didn't say-

"And you're loud. Really loud," she stressed, further pissing him off.

"Look, no one stopped you from telling me all this shit before. You wouldn't have gotten any of those tickets if you had just opened your fucking mouth and asked me to move my truck. Same deal goes for the water. How the hell was I supposed to know that you were having a problem with your water if you didn't tell me?" he demanded, not mentioning any of those other things since they just made him look bad.

"Why in the hell would I tell you about the water?" she demanded, trying to steal his pizza.

"Because I'm the fucking landlord!" he snapped, yanking the pizza away from her sneaky little hands.

"No, you're not," she snorted, trying to steal his pizza, again.

"Call my aunt if you think I'm lying. I own this house," Trevor said, stepping away, but not fast enough.

The damn woman managed to steal his chicken fingers!

She considered him for a long moment while he tried to figure out how to steal back his precious chicken tenders. "Why would you have your aunt pretend she's the landlord?" she finally asked.

"Because I hate dealing with tenants," he said, switching the pizza to one hand and swiping out with the other to grab the small box away from her. She simply moved it out of his reach.

"Well," she said, sighing, "then I guess you're the one I should talk to since I'm probably going to have to move out in a month."

"Fine," he bit out, glaring at the box in her hands. If she tried to leave with his chicken tenders so help him, he would-

"Okay, so give me back my pizza," she said, holding her hands out expectantly.

"No. You give me back my chicken tenders."

"No."

Something in him snapped. He wasn't sure if it was from hunger, the embarrassment from knowing that she could hear him at night, or just the bullshit in general, but he said something that he regretted before the last syllable left his mouth.

"It's not like you need it."

Available Now

**Devastated: An Anger Management Novel**

**Available Now**

"Oh, my God, please make it stop," Kylie muttered with a tragic sigh as her cell phone continued to chime.

She wanted to cry.

She really did but crying would require energy that she didn't have right now. Besides, she was going to need all her energy to drag herself out of bed and see what the horrible man wanted.

Why did she have to sign those papers?

Damn Big Daddy and his love of...

Well, she wasn't exactly sure what he'd been on when he'd burned the apartment building down, but whatever it was she cursed it for putting her in this situation. Even as she struggled to keep her eyes open long enough to sit up on the bare mattress that she'd passed out on a few hours ago, she knew that the fault was hers and hers alone. She'd made a deal with the devil, literally, and now she was paying for it.

Another chime, this one somehow more persistent than the last, had her whimpering pathetically as she reached for her phone. For a moment, she simply held the phone in her hand, praying that this nightmare would end, but the next chime destroyed her dreams and had her sitting up with a groan.

Office in twenty minutes.

Worrying her bottom lip, Kylie glanced from the text, demanding her presence back down to the bare mattress that she never wanted to leave. After a few seconds of indecision, she took a deep breath as she forced herself to climb off the bed and not look back as she made her way to the bathroom, terrified that if she caught even a glimpse of the pillow-top mattress that she would lose this battle.

But God, did she want to lose, Kylie thought with something close to a whimper as she managed to drag herself the rest of the way to the bathroom. Once she was inside the large room that was twice the size of her last apartment, she made quick work of using the bathroom, doubling up on tasks whenever possible so that by the time that she stepped inside the large shower stall her teeth had been brushed, her hair combed, her vitamins taken, her nails had been quickly filed down to a smooth, efficient length, her clothes were laid out for her alongside a fresh planner, pen, and notebook to help her stay organized. All that was left was for her do was to step beneath the ice-cold spray of water and choke back a scream or two as the brisk water gave her the shot of adrenaline that she so desperately needed.

Once she was wide awake and feeling energized, she finished her shower, fixed her hair, got dressed, placed her planner and aforementioned items in her messenger bag and headed for the door, ready to face the day with five minutes to spare. As Kylie hurried down the stairs, she contemplated making a quick trip to the kitchen and grabbing a yogurt and a breakfast bar to get her through this meeting, but something told her that he wouldn't appreciate the delay.

Hoping that he wouldn't make a habit of holding meetings before the sun came up, she paused by the double doors leading into the large office that she'd spent three hours cleaning yesterday, closed her eyes and took a deep breath before pasting a smile on her face, opening her eyes and-

"You're late," Mr. O'Mallery announced as he walked past her.

Kylie considered pointing out that she still had two minutes left, but then she remembered what happened the last time that she'd corrected one of her bosses and decided to let this one slide. As she followed him into the large room, she resigned herself to the fact that she was most likely going to have to get used to biting her tongue a lot.

At least, for the next year, Kylie thought as she sat down on the only available option to her, a metal folding chair that was placed directly in front of the only real piece of furniture in the room, a large desk. Hunter walked around the desk, glaring at her the entire way and sat down in a large leather chair that looked a great deal more comfortable than the one she was currently perched on.

When she realized that he wasn't going to do anything more than sit there and glare at her, she gave him what she hoped was a pleasant smile, clicked open her pen, and looked at him expectantly as she waited for his orders. He continued to keep her waiting until, with a sigh that could only be described as bored, he leaned back in his chair, crossed his arms over his chest, and gestured with a nod towards the planner on her lap as he asked, "What the hell is that?"

Although Kylie didn't think it was a good idea to take her eyes off him, mostly because of that whole anger management thing that he had going for him, she forced herself to follow his glare.

"My planner?" Kylie asked, hoping that it was her beloved planner and not her presence responsible for that expression on his face, because she really wasn't sure that she could beat him to the door. The reminder that she was working for a large, muscular man with an anger problem had her second-guessing her decision to stay.

Anger. Management, Kylie reminded herself, trying for a bland, yet polite, expression as she waited to see how this was going to play out. When he didn't jump over the desk and go for her throat, she took that as a win and waited for him to continue. When he just sat there, glaring at her, she tried for a small smile only to quickly bite it back when his eyes narrowed even further.

For several long minutes, Hunter didn't say anything. He just sat there, watching her, and making her wonder if they'd accept a personal check for that ten thousand dollars or if she should plan on making a quick run to the bank and get that in cash when he finally spoke.

"I have thousands of employees, clients, vendors, and contacts that you will be responsible for. That means that you need to have their phone numbers, addresses, email addresses as well as access to their files. So, tell me something, Miss Jenkins, how exactly do you plan on doing all that with a ten-dollar planner from Wal-Mart?"

"Carefully?" Kylie said before she could stop herself and she really wished that she'd been able to stop herself.

*-*-*-*

So, she was a smart ass, Hunter thought as he waited for her to stop staring down at the cheap planner on her lap. As he watched her, he couldn't help but wonder if that planner was her pride and joy. When she lovingly caressed the imitation leather with her fingertips, he realized that this was the saddest fucking thing that he'd ever seen in his life.

"Do you need a moment or can we get back to work?" Hunter asked when it looked like she was going to break out a sniffle and reminisce about better days.

She cleared her throat and looked up. "What would you suggest, Mr. O'Mallery?" Kylie asked, slipping back into her minion role.

"That you join the twenty-first century," Hunter suggested as he held his hand out.

When she only sat there, frowning at his hand, he wiggled his fingers in demand. "Your phone."

"It's upstairs," she answered with that same robotic smile that he was starting to find deeply disturbing.

"What is it doing upstairs?" Hunter demanded even as he pushed away from his desk and headed towards the stairs.

"I don't use my phone while I'm working."

"That's real fucking helpful," Hunter said evenly as he took the stairs two at a time.

"Mr. O'Mallery?" Kylie called hesitantly when he reached the landing.

Since he never made a habit of explaining himself, he ignored her and headed towards her room. In three long strides, he was in her room and heading for the nightstand where he found-

"What the hell is this?" he asked in confusion as he picked up what he prayed was a joke and looked it over.

"My phone," Kylie said, sounding embarrassed as she should be.

"It's a flip phone," Hunter said, turning the ancient relic over in his hands as he tried to make sense out of what he was seeing.

Could this thing even send texts? he wondered as he flipped the cellphone open to find a tiny screen. This thing had to be fifteen years old, he thought absently, as he started hitting buttons, curious to see what it could do. In a few seconds, he discovered that it wasn't much. It could make calls, text, receive emails, and surf the web...sort of.

"Could I have my phone back, please?"

"No," Hunter said, fascinated that anyone in this day and age could get by with a phone like this.

As he searched through her phone, making note that there were only three contacts, a small collection of emails and even fewer texts, he couldn't help but wonder how much memory something like this had. His calculator probably had more memory than this thing, which would explain why she didn't have much on it. Then again, he amended a few seconds later, maybe there was a reason for that.

"Is this your personal phone?" Hunter asked, because he liked to have his suspicions confirmed.

"It's my only phone," Kylie said calmly, but he detected a slight hesitation in her voice, one that was very telling.

Hunter glanced up from her phone to take in the cheap skirt suit that she wore, noting that while it was obviously clean, it didn't fit her. He quickly took in the rest of her belongings, two small bags that she'd probably picked up at a thrift store, neatly placed by the door. He didn't have to look in the bathroom to know that she probably only had the basics, hairbrush, nail clippers, toothpaste, etc.

In a few minutes, he knew everything that he needed to know about the small woman who was sharing his sentence with him. She was a neat, no-nonsense kind of woman, and most importantly, she was desperate. She wasn't going to cause him any problems, but just to make sure...

Hunter looked down at her phone again, noting that the only contacts were the D.A.'s office that hired her on his behalf, a number for a pizza place, and her old landlord. There were no emergency contacts or anyone listed as "Mom." That made him curious.

"Are you an orphan?" he asked, moving onto her emails.

"No," Kylie answered after a slight hesitation.

This was even more depressing than her contact list. Having seen more than enough, he closed the phone and tossed it on the bed. When he looked back down at the cute little thing doing her best not to look embarrassed, he realized something very important.

She needed him a hell of a lot more than he needed her.

**Other titles by R.L. Mathewson** :

The Anger Management Series:

Devastated

The Pyte/Sentinel Series:

Tall, Dark & Lonely

Without Regret

Tall, Dark & Heartless

Tall, Silent & Lethal

Fated

Tall, Dark & Furious

The Hollywood Hearts Series:

A Humble Heart

A Reclusive Heart

 The Neighbor from Hell Series:

Playing for Keeps

Perfection

Checkmate

Truce: The Historic Neighbor from Hell

The Game Plan

Double Dare

Christmas from Hell

Fire & Brimstone

Delectable

The Promise

Irresistible

The EMS Series:

Sudden Response

The Cursed Hearts Series:

Black Heart

Thank you for purchasing this book and for being there for us every step of the way.

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About the Author

New York Times Bestselling author, R.L. Mathewson was born in Massachusetts. She's known for her humor, quick wit and ability to write relatable characters. She currently has several paranormal and contemporary romance series published including the Neighbor from Hell series.

Growing up, R.L. Mathewson was a painfully shy bookworm. After high school she attended college, worked as a bellhop, fast food cook, and a museum worker until she decided to take an EMT course. Working as an EMT helped her get over her shyness as well as left her with some fond memories and some rather disturbing ones that from time to time show up in one of her books.

Today, R.L. Mathewson is the single mother of two children that keep her on her toes. She has a bit of a romance novel addiction as well as a major hot chocolate addiction and on a perfect day, she combines the two.

If you'd like more information about this series or any other series by R.L. Mathewson, please visit www.Rlmathewson.com

Thank you,

R.L. Mathewson

