Thursday (Timeless Series #4) Read online

  THURSDAY

  E. L. TODD

  This is a work of fiction. All the characters and events portrayed in this novel are fictitious or used fictitiously. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the publisher or author, except in the case of a reviewer, who may quote brief passages in a review.

  Fallen Publishing

  Thursday

  Editing Services provided by Final-Edits.com

  Copyright © 2016 by E. L. Todd All Rights Reserved

  Something Old, Something New

  Axel

  “Dude, I love Christmas time.” I hopped out of Hawke’s truck and landed on the sidewalk.

  “Really?” He shoved his keys into his pocket as he walked around the hood. “I don’t see what all the fuss is about.”

  Probably because his parents ditched him to go to Hawaii. Who does that? “There’s no other time of year where it’s perfectly okay to take off two whole weeks. Everything shuts down, every office and every business. It’s the best thing ever.”

  “Actually, I don’t think it works like that.” Hawke walked beside me across the lawn. We were picking up Francesca on the way to Yaya’s. “Maybe our office is closed but most of them aren’t.”

  “Well, they should be. Where’s their Christmas spirit?”

  “You don’t have any Christmas spirit. You’re just lazy and don’t want to work.”

  “And you do?” I stopped when we reached her front door.

  Hawke shrugged then rang the doorbell.

  I tightened my jacket around my torso as we waited, feeling the sting of the cold. Frost had formed on the grass and the rooftop. I loved the winter but wasn’t a fan of the chill. I preferred summertime because chicks wore short sundresses. Sometimes they blew up if it was windy enough.

  Francesca opened the door. “Hey.” Her eyes immediately went to Hawke, ignoring me completely.

  He stared at her without blinking, looking intense and insufferable. “Hey.”

  Hawke said he didn’t have a thing for my sister but I constantly caught him staring at her. “Get your shit and let’s go.” I pushed past her and walked inside, wanting some respite for the winter weather.

  Francesca sighed before she walked down the hallway toward her bedroom.

  I hardly ever came to her place, and if I did it was because she needed something. And she never stopped by my apartment either. The smell in the air hinted of some baked good so I walked into the kitchen to explore. On the table was a warm pan full of fresh muffins. “My lucky day.” I grabbed one and felt the warmth in my fingertips.

  “Those aren’t for you.” Marie slapped me on the wrist with her perfectly manicured fingertips. “You can wait until you get to Yaya’s.”

  “Oh, come on.” I stopped peeling the wrapper and looked at her.

  Her blonde hair was long and in loose curls. It framed her face perfectly, looking voluptuous and soft. Her lips were painted with a light pink color, highlighting the curve of her mouth and her pristine white teeth. Dark make up was around her eyes, making their green color stand out and get my attention. Her fair skin was flawless, perfect like a porcelain doll.

  She wore a dark green dress with sleeves, and dark pantyhose covered her legs. It looked like she was going to a Christmas party. Her long legs looked even longer in her black heels, and her petite frame was highlighted in the skin-tight fabric. One question came to mind.

  Did she have a boyfriend?

  I don’t remember Marie ever looking this damn fine. Growing up she always had ratty hair that never looked brushed. She wore bright red lipstick that didn’t suit her skin tone whatsoever, and she drowned in clothes that were obviously too big for her.

  But now…day-yum.

  She grew into her frame well, having a slender waist and neckline. Her hair looked like it was just done at the beauty parlor, and her dress couldn’t be any tighter. Whatever baby fat she once had was gone.

  She was a woman.

  When did this happen? When was the last time I saw her? Why didn’t Francesca mention this to me?

  Marie put one hand on her hip while she gave me the stink-eye. “Hello?”

  Her voice brought me back to the conversation. I didn’t realize we were still having it until my haze was shattered. “What’s up?”

  “Put that back.”

  “This?” I held up the muffin and took a big bite. I chewed it slowly, my eyes on her the entire time. While the muffin was good I wish I were eating her instead. “Delicious.”

  She narrowed her eyes on me, looking frightening but cute at the same time. “Frankie made those for Christmas.”

  “Then it must be Christmas.”

  She snatched the pan off the table and carried it to the counter.

  It was perfect. Now I had a great view of her ass. It had beautiful curves and contrasted against the deep arch in her back. I’d love to watch her twerk any day. I’d love to stick my dick between those cheeks.

  Marie looked over her shoulder.

  I took another bite of the muffin.

  “Would you stop checking out my ass?”

  “Depends. Will you let me touch it?”

  She closed the muffin tin then walked past me again. She stopped when she was right beside me, her perfume washing over me. Her confidence was through the roof. She used to be hesitant, uncomfortable in her own skin. But now she knew exactly what she was worth. “In your dreams.” Her lips were directly next to my ear, and the sound of her voice made me hard.

  Damn, when did she get so hot?

  ***

  After we were in the truck I looked out the window and stared at the house. “Marie has plans for Christmas?”

  “Yeah,” Frankie answered from the passenger seat. “She’s going to her parents’ place.”

  “So…she wouldn’t want to tag along with us?” I asked hopefully.

  Frankie fastened her safety belt then crossed her legs. “Doubtful.”

  Hawke pulled onto the road, the heater running at full blast.

  “So…when did Marie get so hot?” I blurt. “Like, when did that happen?”

  “Shut up, Axel.” Frankie looked out the window.

  I leaned forward over the center console. “I’m serious. When we were growing up she was a skinny little nerd.”

  Frankie elbowed me in the stomach. “Don’t talk about my best friend like that.”

  I leaned back and gripped my stomach, feeling sick for a few seconds. “I didn’t mean it in a bad way.”

  Hawke chuckled and glanced at me in the rearview mirror. “Then you should have phrased it better.”

  “So, is she seeing anyone?” I rubbed my stomach until the ache passed.

  Frankie held her silence and looked out the window.

  “Oh, come on.” I was getting this information one way or another. “Spill it.”

  “Axel, she’s off limits. She’s not some girl you can just screw and never see again. She’s going to be in our lives forever.”

  “She might be down for casual sex.”

  Frankie cringed, her expression noticeable in the side mirror. “Just stop talking. I’m going to throw up.”

  “Just tell me if she’s seeing someone.” With legs like that and an ass to boot she had her pick of the crop.

  Frankie didn’t say a word.

  I started poking her in the shoulder, over and over. It annoyed the shit out of her. I remembered, because I used to do it to her when we were kids. “If she seeing someone?”

  She tried to elbow me again and missed. “No.”

  “She’s single?” Perfect.


  “Leave her alone, Axel,” she said. “I mean it.”

  “Why? You think I’m going to break her heart?” I played the field a lot but I never misled women.

  “No. I think she’ll break yours.”

  Back To Reality

  Axel

  Christmas break came and went, and now the real world commenced. I was working as an intern for an investment company. It was my job to make portfolios for clients, determining what market was right for them. I put my brain to work but didn’t reap any of the benefits.

  And I barely got paid for it.

  But it was just a stepping-stone. When I was finished with this internship I’d find a better gig somewhere else, probably in Manhattan. Wall Street never sleeps, and neither do I.

  I hooked up with a few women over winter break, and when I came back home my mojo was worked up again. But instead of going on the prowl in search of tail I thought about Marie.

  Seriously, when did she get so fine?

  It was like the story of the ugly duckling. She wasn’t much to look at when we were kids, but when she became an adult she blossomed into an elegant swan. Now she was a fantasy. I’d be lucky if I could get her to notice me.

  I wanted to see her but I wasn’t sure how to go about it. If it were anyone else, I’d just flirt a little then ask her out. But she seemed a little more complicated than that. She already blew me off when I tried to get her into bed the first time. Maybe she wasn’t into me, but I was too good-looking to be brushed off forever. Maybe a gentle touch would get her to change her mind.

  But how would I see her?

  I’d try to run into her when I was out but I didn’t know what she did in her spare time. And if I asked Francesca I would just get slugged in the stomach. That wouldn’t get me anywhere. And if I showed up to her house that would be straight up creepy ass shit.

  ***

  I dug through my stuff and found something that once belonged to Francesca. It was an old bundt baking pan. I couldn’t figure out how it ended up at my apartment because she never came over, but somehow it migrated into my cupboard. Returning it to her seemed like a legitimate excuse.

  I put on my best jeans and my favorite t-shirt before I styled my hair perfectly. Then I left my apartment and drove to the house on the other side of town. If luck were on my side, Marie would be there alone. I could do some flirting, invite her out to dinner, and hopefully we’d be rolling around on my sheets by the time the sun went down. I wanted those legs wrapped my waist. Actually, I needed those legs wrapped around my waist.

  I parked at the curb then walked to the door. I purposely left my jacket in the truck because I wanted my arms to be noticeable. Women always liked my body, and right now I was using it to my advantage.

  I rang the doorbell and waited.

  Frankie’s car wasn’t in the driveway but that didn’t mean anything. It could be in the garage, staying safe from the cold. Marie’s Toyota was parked outside so I knew she was around.

  Yes.

  The lock turned and then the door was pulled open. Marie stood there in a black t-shirt that said The Grind on it. Her dark jeans were skin tight, and her hair was pulled over one shoulder.

  Shit, she was leaving for work. I had the worst luck.

  “What’s up?” She eyed me and the pan in my hands.

  “Frankie left this at my place. I was in the neighborhood so I thought I’d drop it off.”

  She didn’t invite me inside. She stood with one hand on her hip. Her t-shirt was skin-tight and showed all of her curves. The V-neck in front showed a graceful amount of cleavage from her tits.

  I tried not to stare.

  “She’s not home.” She took the pan out of my hands. “But I’ll tell her you stopped by.”

  My plan was backfiring. I couldn’t find another excuse to come back here so I needed to seal the deal. “So, I was—”

  “Bye.” She shut the door.

  I stayed on the doorstep, my jaw still open. Did she just shut the door in my face? What was with this woman? Was she totally immune to my charms? All the other girls wanted me. What was her problem?

  Now I wanted her even more.

  I rang the doorbell.

  Her feet echoed on the hardwood floor before she answered. “What?” She returned her hand to her hip, as she always did when she spoke to me.

  “You shut the door in my face.”

  “Aren’t we done here?” Her blonde hair trailed down to her chest. It looked softer than silk. I wanted to run my fingers through it, grip it while I thrust inside her. Getting laid always came easy for me, but Marie was a difficult conquest.

  “No hi? How are you?”

  “Hi. How are you?”

  “Great. How are you?”

  “I’m fabulous.” She shut the door again.

  I wanted to scream in frustration. A smart guy would just give up and leave, but the more she turned me down the more I wanted her. Her confidence was seriously sexy.

  I rang the doorbell a third time.

  Marie opened the door. “Dude, get a hobby.”

  This time I walked inside without being invited. I pushed the door shut and backed her up with my proximity. If she wanted to play rough, then we’d play rough. I walked toward her while keeping my eyes trained on her. “Can I take you out to dinner?”

  She crossed her arms over her chest, her eyes hiding every thought deep inside that pretty little head of hers.

  “I haven’t stopped thinking about you since Christmas.” I laid all my cards on the table and folded. I didn’t want to play games anymore. I wanted this woman—badly.

  “Yeah?” Her cattiness dimmed. The fight wasn’t obvious in her eyes anymore. Now that I was being honest, she was being honest too. “I think you’re cute too.”

  She thought I was cute? Awesome. “Then we definitely should have dinner together.”

  “I guess we can do that.”

  “What are you doing right now?”

  “Just got off work.”

  “Are you hungry?”

  “I think so.”

  I came closer to her, my excitement burning my own skin. “I’m hungry too.” I stopped just inches from her lips, wanting to skip to dessert.

  “Just let me change and we’ll go.” She turned around and walked into the hallway.

  My eyes immediately moved to her ass, hoping I’d get the chance to squeeze it later.

  ***

  We didn’t talk much over dinner. Looks were exchanged, the sexual attraction sizzling like a hot pan. All I was thinking about was kissing her, feeling those soft lips against my own. I wanted her to whimper into my mouth, to moan when I hit her in the right place. Every time I tried to start a conversation I kept getting distracted by the thought of her being naked.

  And I was hard.

  “I’m surprised you don’t have a boyfriend.” Our dishes sat in front of us, hardly touched. We took a few bites but were too busy watching each other to really eat.

  “Why is that surprising?”

  “Look at you.”

  “I was seeing this guy a while ago but it didn’t work out.”

  “What happened?” I sipped my wine but kept watching her.

  “I just didn’t like him anymore. I stayed at his place while my house was being remodeled. But once that was over, I ended it.”

  “That’s a little cold,” I said with a chuckle.

  “Not really,” she said. “We weren’t in love or anything. And he got a lot of sex that week so there’s really nothing to complain about. When I broke up with him he was fine with it.”

  “How long did you guys see each other?”

  “For two months.”

  So it wasn’t serious at all. “Well, if you ever need a place to crash my apartment is always available. And I take sex as payment.”

  She chuckled. “I’ll keep that in mind. What about you?”

  “What about me?”

  “Any serious girlfriends?”

&n
bsp; “Nope.” The thought never crossed my mind. I assumed if I met the right girl I’d settle down, but she hadn’t walked into my life yet. I’m sure when I saw her I would know she was the one. Until then, I was playing the field.

  “Terminal bachelor?”

  “I hope not. But for now, yeah. What about you?”

  “I haven’t had a serious boyfriend in…forever.” She picked at her pasta. “I’m picky when it comes to relationships.”

  “You never settle.”

  “I guess you could put it that way. But I don’t mind having fun.”

  Fun worked for me.

  “You like your job?”

  “It’s okay. The pay is horrendous.”

  She chuckled. “So is The Grind.”

  “Honestly, I probably make as much as you do. And I have a master’s.”

  “That is horrendous.”

  “But it’s temporary. I’ll find something better once this internship is over.”

  “I’m sure you will.” She took a long drink of her wine then pushed her plate away.

  If she was done, I’d love to move this date elsewhere.

  “You know, I used to have a huge crush on you in high school.”

  I grinned from ear-to-ear. “Yeah?”

  “Yep. But you never noticed me.”

  I stared into her eyes, seeing the playfulness there. “I notice you now.”

  She sipped her wine again, her eyes on me the entire time.

  When the tab arrived I shoved cash inside and left it on the table. “Are you ready to go?”

  She downed the rest of her wine then set the empty glass on the table. “Yeah.”

  ***

  After we got into the truck I started the engine. “So, should I take you home? Or…do you want to see my apartment?” I didn’t know what Frankie was doing tonight but I assumed she would come home and see my truck at the curb. I didn’t care what my sister thought of Marie and I, but I didn’t want her involved in it either.

  “I’d love to see your apartment.”

  Yes. “Let the tour begin.” I put my arm over her shoulders and pulled her into the middle seat. Her hair fell over my arm and I loved the way it felt against my skin. My body temperature went up a few degrees when I knew what was going to happen. My dick was already hard and ready to go.