Broken (Breaking the Rules Series Book 1) Read online

  Jackson shoved Bray away from him, making him stumble backwards into me. I fell to the floor on my ass with a thud that practically knocked the breath out of me.

  About that time, Jordan’s voice boomed, “Bray, get back to your office! Jackson, go home!” He jerked Bray’s arm and pushed him towards the door. Kneeling beside, he put his arm around me. “Andi, are you okay?” he questioned.

  “Don’t fucking touch her, Jordan!” Jackson roared, yanking his arm off of me. Jordan jumped up, furious with Jackson, and physically dragged him out of the office. This was so bad. I could hear Margie telling everyone to get back to their desks as Jordan forced Jackson out of the building.

  Bursting into tears on the floor in Jackson’s office, Jordan came back in, shutting the door behind him. He pulled me up and led me to one of the chairs, still scowling from having manhandled his brother. “Are you okay?” he asked again, sitting in the chair beside me.

  I just shook my head and buried it in my hands as the tears flowed continuously.

  He patted my knee, trying to comfort me. “Andi, my brother has issues. I can see that you guys have something going on. Not to mention, I heard it all yesterday through my office wall,” he chuckled under his breath.

  I groaned in embarrassment, realizing my boss had heard me having sex with his brother in the next room while at work. Could this day get any worse?

  “He doesn’t do relationships very well. That’s why I am surprised that you guys have managed to keep up whatever it is you’re doing as long as you have. It’s unlike him to stay interested for so long. And boy is he jealous. I also know about your past with Bray. He told me yesterday. And with what they argued about a few minutes ago, it appears that you are caught in the middle of two men who want to protect you but have a terrible way of showing it,” he observed.

  “Jordan, I am so, so sorry for this. I am horribly embarrassed,” I whimpered tearfully, looking up at him.

  He smiled at me. “Andi, no worries. He’s my brother. I’m used to him, and so is the rest of the office. He’s hard to figure out because he’s all over the place with his emotions. If you have the patience for him, I bet he’ll come around eventually.”

  “I don’t know if I can handle it. I mean, I really like him. He can be funny, sweet, and caring. But the next moment, he’s so distant or he acts like he forgets about me. I don’t understand it. Do you think he’s as interested in me as I am him? I’ll be honest, I’m too weak to be played around with.”

  Jordan looked at me thoughtfully. “He’ll come around, Andi. I can see that he really likes you, but he’s struggling with some demons from his past. Why don’t you go on home? You’ve had a rough afternoon. Everyone can start fresh tomorrow with better frames of mind.”

  “Thank you, Jordan. You’re quite possibly the best boss ever. I hope your dinner tonight goes well with Pepper. She’s worth the fight too, you know.”

  He smiled and winked at me. He knew she was. I could tell by the look in his eyes.

  I stood up from my chair so I could pack my things and leave. Jordan pulled me in for a hug. Laughing into his chest, I said, “By the way, you need to visit your mother. She misses you.”

  He pulled away and looked at me. “He took you to see Mom?” he asked, clearly bewildered.

  “Yeah, and she’s quite adorable. You should be ashamed of yourself for not visiting more often,” I scolded him.

  Shaking his head, he chuckled, “That’s proof right there, Andi. You’re only the second girl he has ever brought home to Mom. He likes you.”

  I smiled at him and left the office.

  Everyone that was staring at me as I walked out quickly looked down, trying to look busy. I snatched my purse and bag, heading out for the day. Margie waved at me on the way out.

  On the elevator ride down, I frowned at how the day had gone. It really had been an awful day. I knew Bray was trying to protect me. So was Jackson. But they had a terrible way of showing it.

  When I stepped out of the building and saw Jackson’s car, I quickly made my way down the sidewalk and away from it in case he was inside. I would just catch a cab at the next intersection.

  Footsteps sounded behind me before I could get very far. “Andi, wait!” Jackson’s voice shouted from behind me.

  Ignoring him, I kept walking speedily away. His arm suddenly snaked around my middle and stopped me in my tracks. He put his nose to the back of my head and inhaled.

  “Get in the car, please.”

  The not-so- dark days…

  After several awkward dating attempts from using a dating website, I finally decide to just hit the bar and see if I can find someone that way.

  Pepper and I walk into a dance club, not straying far from each other. Thankfully she isn’t making me go alone, even though she hates this sort of scene. I’m nervously looking for a place to sit when someone touches my arm.

  “Where’s your boyfriend?” a deep voice asks me. I turn to see a good-looking guy not much older than me smiling down at me.

  “I don’t have one,” I tell him, lifting my chin in an attempt to appear more confident than I feel.

  “Hmmm, maybe we can fix that,” he teases. “I’m Eric.”

  Taking his hand, I say, “Andi.” I grin at him because this good-looking guy seems interested in me.

  We spend the next couple of hours dancing, talking over the music, and drinking. He invites me to his place.

  “Sounds fun. Let me tell my friend,” I tell him.

  The prospect of what’s about to happen has butterflies swarming in my stomach.

  I turn to Pepper. “Pep, I am going home with Eric.”

  She frowns at me. “I don’t like this, Andi, but if this is what helps you heal, then fine. You better call me if things get weird and I’ll be there in a snap to get you.” I nod and we hug goodbye.

  Eric and I take a cab to his apartment nearby. We can hardly keep our hands off of each other as we go inside. Everything happens quickly, and the next thing I know, I’ve just slept with a complete stranger. Oddly enough, I don’t feel bad about it. In fact, I think it may just be a one-night thing with this guy because he’s already getting on my nerves with all his talk about Call of Duty.

  When he falls asleep, I slip out and catch a cab home. I feel powerful for the first time in weeks.

  His arm around my belly sent chills down my spine. He made me crazy in both a good and bad way. I was so upset with him right now, but my body was betraying me as I melted into his arms. Annoyed with myself for what I was about to do, I nodded.

  He squeezed me and kissed my hair. I couldn’t help but feel a flutter of excitement and happiness now that Hot Jackson was back.

  I allowed him to help me into the car, tossing my bags on the floor. He slid in beside me closed the door behind him. George began driving us to who knows where.

  Still not wanting to look at him, I played with the hem of my skirt that had ridden pretty high from sitting in the low seats. Jackson leaned his mouth to my ear and whispered, “I’m sorry.” Even though his hot breath tickled me and sent a shudder down my body, it wasn’t enough. Actions and words were two different things.

  Realizing just how upset I was, he pulled away one of my hands from my skirt and lifted it to his mouth. He held it to his lips and gently kissed it. It was so intimate and spoke volumes.

  I finally decided to look at him. The same heart-wrenching soul I had seen last night while making love with him was staring back at me with sad brown eyes. A tear slipped out and over my cheek. He gently wiped it away. Not being able to stop myself, I leaned forward and touched my lips to his. He kissed me sweetly, as if he were trying to express his apology through his lips.

  We softly explored one another’s mouths with our tongues. His hands settled on my upper thighs, rubbing circles with his thumbs while he kissed me. I threaded my fingers through his hair, massaging his scalp with my fingertips.

  He broke our kiss when we came to a stop in front of my ap
artment. “Come inside with me?” I asked. I was feeling vulnerable and needed more of his touch to comfort me. He nodded and we headed upstairs.

  Once in the apartment and I had dropped my stuff on the sofa, I took his hand, leading him into my room. After we made it to my room and shut the door, I unbuttoned my jacket and pulled it off. Jackson followed suit with his own. I peeled off my camisole, leaving myself in a sexy white lace bra, and kicked off my heels. He quickly undid the buttons on his dress shirt and threw it aside.

  Walking up to me, he reached behind me and unclasped my bra. He slipped it off and his hands made their way to the zipper on my skirt, undoing it as well. The skirt fell to the floor, and I stood before him in my barely-there matching white lace panties and thigh-highs.

  “You’re absolutely beautiful, Andi. Every time I see you, I can’t take my eyes off of you. I’m an asshole and don’t deserve someone like you. But I still want you. I still want you to want me,” he confessed. His face didn’t have his normal guard up and he seemed so fragile. What was behind the tough exterior? I needed to find out.

  He unbuttoned his pants and slipped them off along with his boxers, socks, and shoes. Instead of letting me take off the stockings or panties, he led me to the bed.

  Leaning over, he brought his lips to mine again. Melting in his sweet kisses, I wrapped my arms around him, squeezing his bare bottom. I could feel him harden between us, making me want him so badly. He lowered us onto the bed and our kisses intensified. I kept pulling him to me and grinding my hips up to him, letting him know what I wanted.

  Taking the hint, he sat up and slipped my panties off. Lowering himself back over me, he positioned his cock at my entrance and pushed it in.

  I moaned loudly because he always felt so good and we fit together perfectly. He started a rhythm that matched our kissing and I tensed up as an orgasm neared. One of his hands slid up and caressed my breast. My pants intensified and I cried out as electricity coursed through my body. I shuddered beneath him, and he followed quickly behind me, coming into me.

  Collapsing on me so our chests pressed together, he peered down at me. “Making love,” he stated. Not a question but a statement. I smiled, nodding. Pecking me on the lips really quickly, he drew himself out and stretched beside me. I curled into him, tracing the ridges of his stomach muscles with my finger.

  “So what happened last night?” I murmured, not looking up at him. He didn’t speak right away and a tear slipped out of the corner of my eye. I feared we were about to have a repeat from the night before.

  His hand gently tugged my chin up to look at him. “Last night was a mistake,” he began. When my chin started to quiver, he continued quickly. “It was a mistake because I freaked out. You’re not her, so I need to trust you because you haven’t given me any reason not to.” I didn’t really understand who “she” was, but I had a feeling it was the Nadia Trish had spoken of.

  “Jackson, you really hurt me. I felt so rejected when you didn’t come to bed last night and were gone this morning. I have no idea what we’re doing here. This all goes against everything I have trained myself to do in the past five months. But one thing’s for sure. I don’t want it to go away. Nothing feels right unless I am with you.”

  I continued. “And then you avoided me all day, further hurting my feelings. You made me feel like I had done something wrong. After lunch with Bray, you basically called me a whore and that fucking hurt, Jackson. From the moment I heard your voice, you’re all I can think about. No one else.”

  He crashed his lips to mine, nicking my lip with his teeth. The taste of blood seemed to jolt us alive, because the next moment he had me flipped over on my hands and knees. He lined himself behind me and slammed into my pussy that still dripped from his orgasm moments ago.

  My fingers grasped the blankets as he pounded into me from behind. His fingers digging into my hips agitated my bruises from last night but I didn’t care. We were amazing together.

  His hand latched on to my hair and yanked my head back. The other hand slipped over my clit and started rubbing it furiously. My climax tore through me, and when my head dropped down, he jerked my hair, pulling it back where he wanted it. The sting from my hair that was wrapped up in his fist only intensified the orgasm pulsing through me and I screamed his name in delight. He poured into me once more, pumping until he was empty and I was full.

  Before I had time to even think, he slipped himself out of me and chuckled. “Now that was fucking,” he smirked as he headed for the shower. Indeed it was, Mr. Compton. Indeed it was.

  The not-so-dark days…

  Craig has me bent over his kitchen table, fucking me like a madman. This is day three of our little escapade. He’s a great lay but rules are rules. Soon after he comes into me, he slips himself out and yanks off the condom, tossing it into the trash. I pull up my panties and readjust my dress. The tattoos across his sculpted chest are hot as hell and I’ll miss them.

  Walking to the front door, I say, “I had fun, Craig. Thanks for a good time.”

  Before I can make it out, he grabs hold of my hand. “Wait, Andi. I think things are going pretty well. Let’s go out tomorrow. When I agreed to a weekend of fun, I didn’t think you meant it. What chick would ever actually be serious about something like that?”

  Here it is—the part that I hate. It seems like this happens every weekend, if they even make it three days. “Craig, I’m all for fun, but the rules are three days. You agreed to it and now it’s over,” I remind him, jerking my hand away from his grasp.

  “You’re a fucking bitch!” he yells at me, kicking the door behind me. I jump, startled at his reaction. Pepper always warns me that I’m going to get myself in over my head one day. Shit, I hope today’s not that day.

  Glaring back at him, I sling my purse over my shoulder and stalk out of his apartment before he has time to kick anything else. Asshole. He knew the rules going into it.

  After we rinsed off quickly in the shower and dressed, we went to the living room to decide where we should go.

  Olive was perched on the edge of the couch filing her nails. “Hey, guys,” she looked up and smiled at me. I hadn’t really seen either her or Pepper very much lately.

  “Olive, you should come with us. We’ll go have dinner, the three of us. Please,” I begged her.

  Normally, she might have said no, but I think she missed me, and I was taking advantage of that fact. Indecision crossed her features but she finally agreed. “Okay, let me put on some shoes.” She skipped off to her room.

  “What’s on the menu for tonight?” I asked Jackson.

  “Well, I’d say you except you invited your friend to dinner, so I guess we’ll just have to settle for sushi,” he teased. I kissed him a little too long on the lips because Olive cleared her throat when she walked into the room.

  I laughed and pushed away from him grabbing Olive’s hand. Together, the three of us left for dinner.

  The entire drive to the restaurant, Olive twisted her hands nervously. Jackson probably couldn’t tell that she was anxious about going out, but I knew she was. Poor girl never went anywhere hardly. Drake had really messed her up. Maybe I should drag her to Dr. Sweeney’s with me one day.

  We were seated right away by a picture window overlooking the busy street. I sat beside Jackson in the booth and his hand settled on my thigh. There’d be no action at this booth since I’d changed into jeans earlier. Bummer.

  After we ordered, Olive told us about a gig she had coming up. “Saturday I’m going to be doing a photo shoot for Express. I’m really nervous because it’s going to get a lot of exposure. Something like this could thrust me into a whole new realm, one I may not be ready for,” she admitted worriedly, chewing on her bottom lip.

  “Olive, you’ll do fine. You are stunning, and by not letting the world see you, you’re doing them all a disservice,” I praised, earning a smile from her.

  “Who’s your agent?” Jackson asked, sipping his drink.

  “Va
nce Fleck. He wants me to do more than just a random photo shoot here and there. Vance says that I’ve got the exotic look that so many companies are after. I just don’t know. It kind of freaks me out. Drake is so involved with photographing live events that I’m afraid my chances of running into him will be much greater. I can’t run into him. Ever,” she confided cryptically as she shivered.

  “What did he do to you?” Jackson questioned, concern written all over his face.

  “He was abusive in more ways than you can count. I’m thankful every day I got away when I did. Running into him would mean fearing for my life again,” she frowned. Again. Fearing for her life—again. I hope she never ran into him either.

  Jackson looked angry at the thought of anyone wanting to hurt sweet Olive. I couldn’t agree more. The server placed our plates in front of us and I smiled happily, even clapping my hands together. Jackson and Olive chuckled at my excitement over food.

  “You’re obsessed with food. How come you’re so skinny?” he teased.

  Ignoring his question, I popped a spicy tuna roll into my mouth. “This is so good. I could eat here every night,” I told them after I swallowed it.

  “You practically do, Andi. Who are you trying to kid?” Olive inquired, busting me.

  I rolled my eyes at her. “Not every night. More like every other night,” I sassed.

  After we finished our meal, Jackson spoke as he handed his card over to the server. “You ladies want to go visit Ian over at the bar and have a couple of drinks? It isn’t very busy on Wednesday nights,” he asked, looking at Olive. She squirmed a little at his request but almost imperceptibly nodded her head yes.

  I grinned at her and squeezed Jackson’s thigh letting him know this was a big deal for her. His hand found mine and squeezed it back. After he got his card back, we all made our way back to the car, where George waited for us.