Love Hurts: The Love Duet Read online

  “Okay well I have to get going now, give me back my bags Jay,” Kelsey said clicking her fingers at me in a rapid beat.

  “Where is your mum’s car? Why didn’t you take it instead of walking?” I asked her instead, holding the bags away from her.

  “Because I needed the exercise, my arse is getting too big,” she sassed back at me, making Zoe chuckled.

  “Smart-arses,” I grunted, giving both females the glare I use in the interrogation room.

  “Come on Jason I need to get moving. In case you haven’t realised it’s getting fucking cold,” Kelsey snapped holding out her arm to show me the goosebumps on her forearm.

  “Well if you wore something warmer than a long-sleeved tee you’d be fine. You never wore a coat as a kid either. And watch your language,” I scolded her, not liking to hear her swear for some reason.

  “Pfft, this coming from a Johnston twin. Who do you think taught me to curse? Between you and Deck, I learnt every swear word and colourful phrase by the time I turned twelve. It’s a wonder I got through school without being expelled.” Kelsey very thoughtfully reminded me. I was about to get into a deeper argument about her logic when Zoe’s small hand pressed to my back, warmth immediately exploding over my skin.

  “As entertaining as this is, Kelsey is right. It’s friggin’ freezing and I only have shorts and a tee on. So, can we move this to the car then Kelsey, you can continue to tell me stories of Jason way back when.”

  I knew what Zoe was doing. She was giving Kelsey a chance to get home with her heavy load without asking for help. Fuck if I wasn’t already in love with Zoe, I was now.

  “I can walk.” Kelsey hedged, her resolve to be independent and proud weakening.

  “Please, I need to be up early in the morning for work and I know Jason will just drive behind you real slow if you insist on walking,” Zoe said her hands in front of her in a pleading gesture.

  “Okay, but only because you asked Zoe. Let it be known I am done being told what to do by men with the last name of Johnston,” Kelsey replied with a sniff as she passed by me, making sure that her elbow connected with my ribs as she went.

  Rubbing the spot, I stared at her retreating back then at Zoe.

  “What the hell did I do?”

  Zoe smiled at me, more of a ‘you are such a man’ smile than a ‘damn you are the best-looking guy I have ever kissed and want to spend the rest of my life with you’ smirk.

  “What?”

  “Honey you are so clueless it’s adorable,” Zoe laughed patting me on the chest then headed for the passenger side.

  Standing there, with four grocery bags dangling from my hands, I could feel the cold night air starting to bite through my thin Vanquish sweatpants. They were good for boxing or working out in, the tapered design allowed for extra movement without the material bunching or getting twisted, but they weren’t all that good for staving off a bitterly cold night.

  “What did I do?” I asked again, talking to myself while loading the groceries into the boot of my car. No amount of time could pass that would possibly be enough to understand the female species, of that I was sure.

  “Do you really have to get up early for work tomorrow, or was that a line you used to get Kelsey in the car?” I asked Zoe as we headed back down my parent’s street after seeing Kelsey to her front door.

  Mermaid refused to let me go in with her, in the background I could hear her mother mumbling about wanting food and complaining about her daughter taking so fucking long to get her fat arse home, her words not mine. Words that made me want to find a reason to have her arrested, I’m positive one of my colleagues could come up with a plausible charge that could give her a few nights in the drunk tank. Fuck knows she deserved to go down for the shit she put her daughter through day in and day out.

  “No, I actually do need to get up. Once a month, the clinic offers free appointments for vaccinations, wound dressing and other things that can possibly be done without a doctor’s appointment freeing them up for the more serious issues and patients. The only problem is I have to be there by five-thirty for a six a.m. open,” Zoe told me, bringing my mind back to her and away from Kelsey and her mum.

  “That is a nice community service you are offering. I’m sure lots of people take advantage of it,” I said taking her hand in mine and placing it on my thigh again.

  “Yeah, we have been doing it for a year now. It’s doing so well the partners are thinking of offering it twice a month.”

  “And yet you don’t sound overly enthused.” I noted.

  “There is one thing you will learn about me Jason. I am not a morning person, getting up before the sun is not my idea of fun, community spirit or not. I don’t like to speak to anyone before I have at least two cups of coffee and even then, it is a roll of the dice if I choose to speak back.” It was funny the way she was saying these things about herself, but I detected a warning too.

  The drive from Kelsey’s to Zoe’s place was barely a five-minute trip, and before I knew it I was pulling into her driveway behind her black Volkswagen Bug.

  Chucking the car into park, I turned into my seat and reached out to tuck her hair behind her ear. I loved the softness of her blonde hair, on the way to drop Kelsey home, she admired Zoe’s hair and told her it looked like Meg Ryan in her earlier movies, but I likened it more to a sexy Olivia Newton-John in Grease. You know that scene where she wore that sexy as fuck black leather number, hair all curly and fluffy around her face. Yeah that was my Nymph.

  “Duly noted. When do I get the chance to experience your morning sunshine and roses act for myself?” I asked, cradling her neck bringing her face closer to mine. The interior set up of my XY allowed for her to sit on my lap, but I wasn’t going to push my luck. If I got her wrapped around me, no one was going to be getting up before sunrise.

  “How about tomorrow night you plan on coming here for dinner and staying the night,” Zoe murmured, her sexy rasp reaching its intended target.

  “Lock it in Eddy,” I said borrowing a tag line from an Australian quiz show.

  “You know Jason,” Zoe said, her lips inches from mine. “Kelsey has a crush on you, and if my woman’s intuition is still working, I would have to say she has for a long time.”

  Her breath tickled my mouth, she was such a distraction this close I didn’t take what she said seriously.

  “Well, she isn’t the one on my mind. There is only one woman I am interested in, only one I want to spend the night with and see how grumpy she is in the morning,” closing the distance between us, I pressed my lips to hers, “there is only one woman for me.”

  “Everything and anything Zoe?” she whispered then we stopped talking, all thoughts of teenage crushes and alcoholic mothers thrown on the back burner.

  Everything and anything Zoe from now on and until I take my last breath.

  Chapter 9

  “Well look who decided to take up my offer of an arse kicking,” I said by way of a greeting to my mate Chase. The young firefighter and I became friends when I had been appointed to the station next to his firehouse, but our friendship was strengthened the night I attended a scene I never want to see ever again. Then, even more, when I had to arrest him after he took to a car with a fire axe, the result of one too many Jack and Cokes, his head still lost in the memory of burying his daughter.

  His loss spoke volumes to me, and rather than see him drink his career down the toilet I locked him in the drunk tank for the night then brought him to the gym and taught him to box. I figured all that pent-up rage and anger could be channelled in the ring rather than on an innocent woman’s car.

  “Yeah, yeah, go fuck yourself, Johnston. Why are we here and not at the station’s gym?” Chase asked, with his usual colourful greeting.

  If he only knew what was in store for him. The wicked thought made me smile smugly.

  “Well Axe, I thought today you deserved a treat. Your skills are coming along, then last week when you nearly broke my jaw, I decided that
you needed something… bigger.”

  Chase shrugged throwing his bag down on an empty chair.

  “Bring it on mate.”

  I smiled at his nonchalant response, putting two fingers to my lips I let out a shrill whistle.

  “Darth!”

  I stood back watching with evil glee as Chase’s face turned from a ‘whatever’ expression to a ‘what the fuck’ one as Darth walked through from the locker rooms and into the main room where the ring was located.

  In my earlier years Darth had always been a big man, since the army had him in their clutches… well fuck he was huge.

  “Axe meet Darth, Vader meet my mate Chase Brennan, he is a firefighter at the Lucas Station.”

  Darth growled at me and I suddenly saw my error.

  Fuck, fuck!

  “You’re next in the ring Johnston,” he said with a dangerous glare then turned to Chase giving him a once over and not looking impressed.

  “The name is Darth, you would be wise to use it. Now the younger Johnston twin tells me you are looking to further your skills in the ring. Commendable, now let’s see if it’s wise,” the big man said then simply jumped up on the ring stage and vaulted over the ropes.

  “Fuck me in the arse. You want me to fight him?” Chase asked in a slightly high-pitched voice pointing at Darth who was now warming up with some shadow boxing, “where are his gloves?”

  “Oh, he doesn’t wear boxing gloves, or any other kind of protection. He only fights bare knuckle, so does Deck and Mannix. You will meet them next time,” I said with a grin.

  Hopefully Darth will get his jollys out of kicking Chase’s arse and forget about doing me in after.

  “And you thought it would be a good idea to call Darth by his given name?” Zoe asked me with a huffy voice, a first aid kit in her hands.’

  “Well how was I to know he was in a fighting mood.”

  “Ah, because it’s Darth, no more to be said. And why do you have so many cuts on your face?” she asked, soaking a cotton ball with saline solution then dabbing it at my temple and chin where most of Darth’s bare-knuckle punches landed.

  “He doesn’t wear boxing gloves. He is the commando’s bare-knuckle champ don’t you know?” I said drolly, wincing when she hit a particularly tender spot.

  “Oops, sorry honey,” she apologised, blowing on the cut, her warm breath helping more than my injuries. My cock went from semi-hard when she opened the door, greeting me in a short shirt-style dress, to hard and ready to go. Not to mention the wild thumping of my heart every time she called me honey.

  “Well I did forget about that small titbit, just as well Deck and Mannix weren’t there waiting in line.”

  I ground my teeth together hearing my brother’s name coming from her sweet lips in her husky and sexy as sin voice. Whilst I was comfortable in the knowledge that Zoe was not in love with Deck and their relationship was over for good. I couldn’t help the jealous monster that crept in whenever she said his name.

  I clenched my fists on my thighs, biting the inside of my cheek to keep the demand to explain herself unsaid. I had gone toe to toe with Deck more times than I could count, did she have the opinion that I wouldn’t have been able to take him in a ring fight? Mannix I couldn’t answer because I was yet to fight that Steel twin, but Deck …

  “Shut down the green monster Lawman. I’m simply saying that Darth is enough for one night, don’t you agree?”

  And just like that, the green monster morphed into a warm, fuzzy teddy bear.

  “How did you know—”

  “My mind reading skills and women’s intuition,” she answered me before I finished my question, shifting her body to stand right in front of me.

  Taking advantage, I pulled her down onto my lap, making sure her legs were straddling mine. Lacing my hands behind her back I pulled her snuggly against me, my hard-on not possible to be missed in this position.

  “What are your superpowers telling you now, Oh Wise One?” I asked enjoying her aroused groan and her wiggle to get closer on me.

  “Um, they are telling me… oh yeah definitely telling me we should eat later.” Sliding my hands from her back down to her bum and around to her thighs, I pushed her dress up until it gathers where her panty covered pussy could be seen.

  “Where is your room Nymph, I want to make love to you,” I said before taking her mouth in a slow, deep and passion-filled kiss. My thumbs brushed over her pussy lips, feeling wetness on her panties.

  “Down the end of the hallway on the left,” Zoe panted frantically through our kiss, not bothering to stop kissing me.

  Without another word, I got to my feet taking Zoe with me, my hands back around her thighs holding her in place.

  When I dropped her off last night, I noticed from the outside her house was an old Miner’s Cottage. The inside spoke exactly that, nothing was changed from the original design. Small and cosy and thankfully a short hallway leading to her room.

  The hallway was narrow, so narrow that I had to turn our bodies a little to allow for my wide shoulders.

  “Maybe I need to do some renovations,” Zoe said giggling.

  Maybe you should just move in with me, I left that unsaid. I knew my heart, it wanted Zoe, but whether she was ready for a relationship with me was yet to be seen. Yes, she called herself my girlfriend, and yes, we were compatible, at least so far so good. Dealing with Deck had to be addressed still, he and I had a chat in our future. Blood may be shed, but I was ready to do anything to have Zoe.

  Then there was my mother.

  She made no secret of the fact she wants a grandchild, and she didn’t care which son gave it to her. At least it was a blessing, that she thought I was just as capable to produce a kid as the golden boy of the family.

  Feeling a soft hand on my jaw, I mentally kicked myself in the arse. I had the woman of my dreams in my arms and about to make love to her for the first time. Thoughts of Deck and procreating had no place in this moment.

  “Hey, are you okay honey?” she asked softly, concern in her pretty eyes.

  Pissed off that I had allowed my brother and the irrational jealousy I had towards his bond with Zoe get to me so much. I was the one carrying her to her bedroom, not him. I was the one she chose, not him. She should be looking at me with lust-filled eyes, not sadness and trepidation.

  “Yeah baby, I’m fine. I guess I’m trying to figure out how to exorcise old ghosts from my mind.” I admitted honestly. Zoe deserved nothing but the truth, so far, she had given me nothing but the same in return. Her openness about her and Deck and her friendship with the members of the Souls did help me on my way to accepting his role in her life.

  She wasn’t a cheater, I hadn’t known her that long, but what I’d learnt about her, I knew that much. If she said their thing was over, then it was finished. Deck said the same thing, and he wasn’t a liar, a douchebag and an arsehole yes, but he was as honest as the day was long.

  “I get that Jason. I want to see where this chemistry between us goes, but if you keep comparing what is happening here,” she waved her hand indicating herself and me, “with what happened with Deck and me, there isn’t much hope,” she said sadly.

  It was the kick in the pants I had been waiting for and needing. Losing Zoe was not an option, not because of my jealous streak.

  Looking up, I saw that we were standing in front of the last door at the end of the hall. There was no way I was messing up a chance to have Zoe in my life, not a fucking chance in hell.

  “There’s more than hope Nymph, you are my gold star and I am taking it,” I said with a new-found conviction. Pushing on the half-open door with my shoulder and stepped into what could only be described as the Purple People Eaters room.

  “What in the fuck!” I exclaimed, my mouth hanging open as I took in the multitude of purple shades with scattered accents of silver.

  I glanced at Zoe who was smiling huge as she too looked around her room, only she looked proud not dumbfounded like me.


  “I like purple,” she told me with a shrug and a giggle.

  I nodded my head. “I can see that darlin’, it is blindingly obvious that purple is most definitely your favourite colour,” I agreed dryly. Holy fuck my eyes were starting to hurt taking in all the different shades and textures in the small room. And it was small, the bed only three feet from the door. The side tables on either side of the bed didn’t allow for anyone to pass by them, one of them squashed up against the last double door of her wardrobe, rendering that door useless.

  “Forget about the décor Lawman. Concentrate on getting both of us naked and horizontal,” Zoe purred against my lips.

  And forget I did, about everything except the woman in my arms.

  “As an officer of the law, it is my sworn duty to help in any way I can ma’am,” I said in my best law enforcement voice as I placed her gently on her feet, her body so close to mine, there was no way she couldn’t feel my hard cock pushing against her.

  Zoe snaked her arms around my neck, her lips a breath off mine.

  “Is that a gun or are you happy to see me?” Her sassy joke coming out in a sexy, breathy pant.

  “Oh, I am happy to see you Nymph, but it’s not just a gun.” Grinding my hips against her, I moaned deeply at the zing of desire that pulsed through me. “It’s a fucking cannon.”

  Reaching around her, I leaned down and ripped the comforter, purple of course, down the bed then pushed her gently down, going with her.

  Cradling her face in my hands, I drank in her beauty. The pale blonde of her curls against the dark amethyst satin pillowcase, the pink blush of lust covering her pretty face. And the brilliant shine in her stunning green eyes.