Page 49 of Pawn

“You want me to list all the reasons?” Picking up a bag of chips off the floor, I toss it his way as he sways. I’m not calling Isobel, contrary to what my dad thinks, she deserves time off. She has a life of her own. But I’m not picking up after this dick. “For one, you have my girl in nothing but a t-shirt.”

“I’m comfy,” Jo protests, taking a chip off the ground and pushing it in her mouth.

Isaac snickers, his eyes blown. I check Jo’s but they look glossy and red. Stoned and drunk. “You should be happy I’m even here after what you did.”

“What I did?” Now I’m in his face, his back hitting the clean white wall. “You fucked my aunt! I should kick your ass for the shit you pulled me into.”

“Dude, if it wasn’t for me, Jo wouldn’t have found you,” he slurs. “But go ahead. Pop off like you always do. Gonna hit me?”

It’s taking everything for me to not slam my fist through his wonky grin. “Get the fuck out, Johnson.”

“My pleasure.” Pushing at my chest, he gets me to take a step back. Looking over my shoulder, he grabs a beer off the ground, headed for the door before I turn to Jo.

“Why’d you do that?” she asks, falling back on the sofa.

“Clean this shit up, Rowland. I have a meeting in a few hours.”

Jo watches me when I shrug my blazer off my shoulders before her brows furrow and I know what’s coming.

Shit. I close my eyes but when I open my mouth to speak her words come out first.

“Fuck you,” she spits, egged on by however many beers are in her system. Picking up a half-empty bag of chips, she throws it my way. “Why are you such an asshole?”

I don’t have time for this. I’m not about to be the failure my dad thought. “Get some clothes on and clean this shit up, Jo. You have two hours.” Two hours I could be spending fucking her.

“No,” she spits, her arms crossed.

“Jo, listen to me.”

“Oh, whatever.” She waves her hand as she walks by, that ass peeking out. I pull on the fabric, pulling her to me and I’m quick to push her in the same spot I had Isaac, her tits to my chest. Seems like everyone needs a bit of a Damien push today. “You can’t keep pushing me around and telling me what to do, Damien. I thought I made that clear”

Moving a finger along her bare arms, she curls in her lips, that fire in her eyes. “As much as I hate to see you with clothes on, do what I fucking say, Medusa. This means a lot to me.” She wants real? I’m being real.

“Your silly little meeting?”

“Silly?” With her back against the wall, it’s hard not to have some fun. I love a drunk Jo. My hand wraps around her throat, pretty in my hold. “Didn’t know you think restoring The Grove is silly.”

Her brows furrow. “Wait, what?”

Biting into her lip I fill her in on the last detail, speaking against her mouth. “I wanted to fuck you before our dinner with Shay and his wife but since you’re being so stubborn—”

“You didn’t even ask if I wanted to come to this dinner,” she says, pulling back. “You didn’t even tell me you were doing more business in The Grove.”

“You’re my girl. Of course, you’re coming to this dinner.”

“That’s sweet, and I’m touched you’re trying to gear your business in a better direction but, you could’ve asked. You could’ve told me.”

“I shouldn’t have to.” Leaning in closer, I’m an inch away from kissing those lips. “Do as you’re told so I can make you come on my cock before these squares come over.” She reaches to kiss me and I know I have her, but I lean back, we’ll both get our reward later. She almost stumbles when my lips don’t meet hers but I catch her slender arms between mine. “C’mon. Help me clean this up so I can get you cleaned up.”

She sticks out her tongue at me as she picks up a beer bottle. “Tell me about your plan for The Grove.”

“I thought about what you said, being better than my dad or whatever.” Grabbing a few bags of chips, I keep my eye on that ass as she moves about. If she’s not careful we won’t get this done. “I’m gonna fix whatever the fuck my dad tried to do in The Grove by revitalizing it. Putting money back into the community instead of pushing the community out. Hippie business shit.”

She pauses, reminding me she’s drunk when she almost slips. “Really?”

“Yes, really. I guess you’re an inspiration, Rowland.” Grabbing another bottle, I don’t miss the impressed look on her face. “It’s not easy getting the rest of these oldies on board though. Since they’re on the board and a lot of their investments are in The Grove, I can’t make this decision on my own.”

When she bends over again, I’m tempted to grab her ass but I try to keep my mind on the task. “Speaking of which,” I say, bringing the bottles towards the foyer. “Do you have anything less … Gwen Stefani?”

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