Ready or Not (Ready #4)(35)

“Amazing,” was all Liv said.

“Yeah,” I answered. “An amazing bitch.”

“No—I mean, yes, I guess. But I was referring to you. Think about what you just told me, Jackson, but fast-forward eleven years to now and include everything you’ve accomplished. That one event could have crushed you, but instead, you became stronger.”

“I had to. Noah needed me to.”

“There are always going to be people in our lives who will ruin us and pull us down into our own personal hell, but then there are the ones who will build us back up and help restore us to what we are meant to be.”

“You’re very wise, Miss Prescott.” I smiled.

“I know. Lots of education.” She winked. “We suck at this game. Quick, ask me something embarrassing. Better yet, give me a dare and even the playing field.”

“I thought we weren’t doing dares,” I said, feeling my mood improving.

“Didn’t anyone teach you that it’s okay to break the rules every once in a while?”

“Okay, but don’t say I didn’t warn you.” I grinned.

“Lay it on me, counselor.”

“I dare you…to strip down…right here and let me take a picture of you.”

She laughed, her eyes immediately darting to the warm glow within my house, knowing Noah was inside.

“He’s glued to the TV. Don’t use him as an excuse,” I challenged.

“Need something for your spank bank, Mr. Reid?” she asked, her fingers moving down to the hem of her tank top.

“Something like that.”

With a quick whoosh, her top was on the grass next to us. Black lace covered her beautiful round breasts, displaying a deep valley where I wanted to dive in and never come back.

“Now, the shorts, Liv,” I instructed.

She stood up as I watched from below. She slowly unbuttoned them and slid her fingers underneath the denim before sliding them over her hips. When they fell to the ground, she kicked them aside. Thin lace panties barely covered her most intimate parts, making my mouth water as I yearned for a glimpse of what was hidden beneath.

She sank back onto her knees, spreading her legs as wide as they would go and leaned forward on her palms. “Well, are you going to take your shot or not?” she asked with a smirk.

“Right!” I nearly barked, shoving my hand into my pocket to grab my phone.

The pose she was in—covered in a few scraps of lace, her breasts jutting forward, as mountains of ebony dark hair cascaded down all around her—was enough to make any man forget his own name.

At that moment, I’d forgotten everything, except for the woman in front of me.

I clicked as many photos as I could get in quick succession, and then I dropped the phone to the ground.

I needed to touch her.

“Dear God, you’re gorgeous,” I whispered, moving closer until I was kneeling before her. My hand found the curve of her ass, as I pulled her heated body against me. “I can’t wait to be inside you, Liv. I want you so bad.”

“I’m right here.” She nearly moaned in my ear. “Unfortunately, you didn’t include that in the bet.”

Wait—what?

I pulled back to find her smiling. Then, that smile led to a devilish giggle.

“Pictures only, remember?” she teased. “That means the clothes have to go back on.”

She made a pouty face as she grabbed her tank top and shorts. Not bothering to put on either, she stood in front of me. I still couldn’t move. I was in complete shock from this crazy woman.

Liv skipped across the yard without a care in the world even though she was half naked. She unlocked the gates separating our yards. “Good night, Jackson.”

“What about the furniture?” I asked, nearly whimpering.

“I’m sure you can handle it. Have a good night.” She winked. “Think of me.”

My eyes followed her as she took her time making her way to her back door with her perky little ass swinging behind her. I heard the door lock behind her as I sat there on my knees, sporting the biggest boner in history.

I looked down, picked up my phone, and scrolled through the pictures I’d taken. “This woman is going to kill me,” I muttered as I attempted to stand.

I had a feeling though that there would be no better way to go.

~Jackson~

A knock came to my office door late Tuesday afternoon as I was finishing up some notes on a case. I gave the okay to enter, and my boss Mark, one of the senior partners of the firm, greeted me. For a cutthroat lawyer, he was a pretty stand-up guy, and with each passing week, I had grown to like him more and more.

“Hey, Mark. How’s it going?”

“Not too bad. How about you? Things okay over here?” he asked as a sly smirk spread across his face.

Many people had let Mark’s young appearance sway them in the courtroom, assuming his lack of experience would hurt him in the long run. Those who doubted him were always the first to discover just how quickly he could crush them. He was a shark with a keen eye for detail and model good looks that could influence any juror in his favor.

“Yeah. Why?” I asked.

“Well, when I came over and said hi to Kate, I asked if you could spare a few minutes. She mumbled something and then said, ‘It wouldn’t do any good to call him. He won’t answer anyway.’ Then, she just shooed me in here.”