F.L. Jacob, Author: #TeaserTuesday - Chapter 1 - Give Me All of You

Give Me All of You
Black Hollywood Series, Book 3
Beth & Jake's Story

COMING March 2015
Add it to your goodreads TBR list NOW!
https://www.goodreads.com/…/show/22513847-give-me-all-of-you

Every other Tuesday starting January 5th I will release a chapter to my upcoming book, Give Me All of You, until it releases in March! So stay tuned!

So, without further ado....
*Chapter is unedited and subject to change prior to publication. Copyright 2015 by FL Jacob*

Chapter 1

JAKE

The key clicks the lock open on my simple two bedroom apartment. It’s a simple place. I’m not a fancy guy. Closing the door behind me with my foot, I go through the mail, placing Beth’s stuff in her basket, and proceed to open mine as I walk into the main room that encompasses the living and dining room. Bills, always bills, who said adulthood was fun? I throw the paperwork down on the table and walk through the small archway into the apartment sized kitchen. Grabbing the handle of the 1970’s colored refrigerator I pull it open causing all the bottles on the door to clink with the motion. I reach in and grab a cold one, twisting the top off I throw the cap in the trash as I walk back out into the living room.

I manage to undo and remove my tie as I absentmindedly make my way to the couch. Plopping down on the brown leather, the material squeaks under my weight. Reaching my hand over the side I pull the lever popping the recliner out and take a pull of my beer. The cold liquid slides down my throat. I close my eyes and soak in the silence. Today was extremely busy and loud, very loud. I’m just happy that I could come home and put my feet up at a decent time. I kick my shoes off letting them fall to the floor with a loud echo.

I’m American but grew up in Australia. My accent is still pretty thick when I’m tired, in a hurry, or horny. I admit, I was brought up an innocent Catholic boy. Church every Sunday, never in trouble, listened to my parents. I was naïve and clueless once I got to high school, I got my ass kicked. Seriously, every damn day. I was a scrawny twig with a comb over and braces. What did I do? Nothing. I made friends and joined the chess team. Oh go ahead and laugh, Yes I was a nerd. That was my life until junior year. The only thing that fit into my AP classes was athletic gym and surprisingly I found comfort in the weight room. Being able to get out some aggression that I didn’t even know I hid. Having something to turn to that wasn’t academic was a breath of fresh air.

Eventually, the braces came off, my hair grew out and, most importantly, I filled out. The coach saw something in me and took me under his wing. Senior year was the best, he encouraged me to join the football team and I really came into my own. It was a natural fit and I found it funny how many new people started to pay attention to me when I filled out with muscles and joined the team. I tentatively made new friends, but stayed true to the people that were my friends when I was getting my ass handed to me. Those were true friends.

Senior year was also when I met the beautiful Katie Jane. Katie and I were together until summer. She stayed in town for college and I went away. Katie didn’t want me to go, she begged me to stay. I needed to get away, though. I felt trapped. I tried to convince her we could make it work. Long distance relationships can make the heart grow fonder, but she didn’t even want to try. She took my heart out that day and stomped it into a hundred pieces.

I’ll admit it took me a while to get over her. The guys on my college team told me I needed to get over her and get laid. They said that I was too depressing. I shrugged it off and spent my time in the gym while they were partying.

I’m not saying I never partied. Oh no, I could get fucked up with the rest of them and I was not opposed to the occasional one night stand. I liked sex, a lot. I was a handful in bed and, fuck, I never had any complaints, but even though the women never complained and I got my rocks off, there was always something missing, that connection that you want to feel when you are with someone you really care about. I had that connection with Katie and all these floozies just didn’t stand up to her. No one filled that void in my heart.

After college, I went home and heard that Katie got married. I was truly happy for her but my soul was crushed. I swore we were soul mates. Since our town was so small I would run into her almost every day. I was beginning to feel suffocated. I needed something new; a few of my college team mates were flying to the United States. Some for pleasure, a few to continue schooling, and I figured I would go to see what the US had to offer me, after all I was actually American.

After a few months of playing around and seeing the sites my money started to run low. I decided to get a job and stay. Being a regular at a small dive bar in town, the owner took pity on me and hired me as security guard for Friday and Saturday nights. He said he could use the muscle and it kept me busy as well as put a few bucks in my pocket.

Living with a buddy, Steve, we embraced the life of bachelors. Parties, girls, sex, and the ultimate bachelor pad. Then Steve found Angela. She moved in and everything changed. I knew my time with Steve was coming to an end. He went off and got engaged and I needed to find my own place. It was the first time since coming to the United States that I truly missed Katie.

I thought maybe it was time to head back down under, but I was in the right place at the right time and an apartment opened up that was too good to pass up. I knew I didn’t want another roommate so I needed to grow up and find a real job. As my luck would have it, a job, just like the apartment, seemed to just fall into my lap.

One night there was a small fight at the bar that I had to break up. Nothing big that I couldn’t handle. I’ve seen worse. Just two guys going at it. I couldn’t believe the way this dude was wailing on the unsuspecting guy though. When I finally broke them up I pinned the antagonist arm behind his back and manhandled him out the door with his girl hot on our heels pleading with me to let him go. Once outside I shoved him away from me to prep myself if he decided to turn around and come back at me. Unlike anyone else he just shook it off and gathered his girl in his arms apologizing to her. I told them they weren’t welcome back and turned to walk to the building but stopped dead in my tracks. It’s not every day you see a blacked out Jeep come to a screeching halt in front of this bar. Considering the neighborhood we were in I figured it was a drive-by. Reacting immediately I screamed for the couple I was just escorting out to get down. A huge, dark, brooding man ran out, shoving me to the side to collect the patrons I was just about to risk my life for and ushered them into the vehicle. Dumbfounded I stared at the vehicle trying to figure out what the fuck just happened. When the man returned holding out a card to me, I grabbed it without looking. His expression non-existent, he said, “Mr. Black would like to apologize for his behavior and he requests a meeting with you tomorrow at noon.”

Speechless I tucked the card into my pocket and nodded.

The next day, I had no idea where I was going. The card was white with an embossed simple black text. It only had an address on it. No name, no phone number. If I wasn’t so curious, I would have said fuck it and threw it into the trash.

I climbed into my truck about a quarter after eleven the next day so I wouldn’t be late, I knew the area of the address but not the exact location. Arriving I was surprised to be pulling up at the Black Hollywood Corporate Offices. I started scanning my brain for pictures of Caston Black. Did I man handle the top dog of the men’s entertainment industry last night. Feeling sick I could barely my make my feet move. At ten minutes until noon I finally entered the building. I felt under dressed even though I was dressed in my nicer khakis and button down shirt. I was ushered quickly up to the fortieth floor and into Mr. Black’s office by a busty blond. He dismissed her without a sideways glance and gestured for me to sit. Once he was seated he repeated his apologizes for his actions the night before. I dismissed it saying I was just doing my job to protect the patrons. Mr. Black was no nonsense. He told me he never saw anyone react so fast to protect. It was then that he informed me that he had a security position open and he would like me fill it. Was this guy for real? Even if he wasn’t, I figured what was there to lose. The pay would be better and at the time I thought I could still keep the bar gig as a back-up.

Once we left the office, the guy from the night before was standing waiting for me. He was introduced to me as my boss, Terrance. Caston shook my hand and smacked me on the back welcoming me to the Black Hollywood family. The smile on my face was huge. If the guys in college could see me now.

When I turned back to Terrance my smile dissipated. He grunted and nodded his head for me to follow him. Taking off down the hall it took me a second to catch up. He informed me that we were heading to HR to sign all the appropriate paperwork. Stopping short in front of a door I almost ran into his back. His face told me he wasn’t pleased. Terrance scanned me from head to toe. He informed me to acquire a suit, in black, white shirts, preferably with cuff links, and plain black ties. What is this Men in Black? I chuckled to myself but quickly straightened up when Terrance shifted his eyes at my amusement. Gathering the essentials from HR I started shifting through the paperwork. She handed over an envelope filled with cash, more than I had in my bank account, and the name of a tailor. I looked over to Terrance with a raised eyebrow. “Mr. Black requires his employees to be dressed impeccably. Please use this to purchase the items you will need.”

After a few months of training and doing odd jobs, I got my first official job detail from Mr. Black. Terrance walked me through the building showing me this and that, along with my binder of protocol, which now balances my coffee table. Getting to the end of the corridor he stopped and opened the door to a building I’d never seen before.

“What’s this place?” I asked walking into the vacant, warehouse type building.

“Your new station. This is where you will work five nights a week.” He says as he walks ahead of me turning on the lights. As the lights begin to illuminate the area, I know it’s not a warehouse after all. It was some sort of club. It had multiple levels around the exterior walls. The middle was all open with a dance floor, DJ booth, and poles. Yeah, that caught my eyes immediately.

I quickly catch up to him, “Right, I get that but what is this?”

“It’s the sex club.”

Choking on my spit, I cough out, “Sex—What?”

He stops mid-step and turns around to face me. Crossing his arms across his chest he grits his teeth, “Sex club. Mr. Black assigned you to security at the club. Did he not tell you all of this?”

“Well, yes, but by club I assumed it was a dance club.”

“Well, you assumed wrong. Is there a problem?”

I take in my surroundings, I didn’t want to seem like a pussy, “No, sir.”

My position in the company kept moving up. I proved myself over and over with jobs and tasks. When I received my orders to go to Vegas to head security detail for Caston and Sabrina, since Terrance couldn’t accompany them, I knew I was where I belonged, finally. That trip went well and I was given the opportunity to take lead security when Terrance couldn’t be there.

The best day of my job was the trip I was assigned to head security for Sabrina, Sara, her soon to be sister in law, and Beth, her best friend who I hadn’t met yet. Originally, I was upset I was being pulled from my undercover gig following Sabrina’s ex but I reluctantly agreed.

The morning that plane landed in Mexico and the doors opened, my heart soared in my chest. She walked out of the door and the sun fell behind her illuminating her like an angel. Golden hair, long toned legs, a smile that made me want to melt into a puddle. My God, I had never seen such beauty before.

We were introduced and I knew I needed to have her. Elizabeth. Beth for short. Her smile made my insides twist and I longed to taste her plump lips. The first night we hooked up, I was a goner. I fell. Hard. The next morning after a misunderstanding with Sabrina, Beth curled into me, looking to me for comfort and all was right with the world. My heart was full again, the void was filled.

When we got back home we kept hooking up. The talks we had, it felt like we’d known each other forever. Even though she kept telling me that she couldn’t fall in love, I knew it was just fear. Beth wouldn’t tell me why. I’ve asked, God, did I ask many times, but she would change the subject. I didn’t press her though. She wanted to be friends with benefits, I’d wait for her no matter how long it took.

Before Caston and Sabrina’s wedding we thought Beth was pregnant. I was nervous, but secretly ecstatic. I loved Beth and even though she wouldn’t admit it, I knew she loved me. I’d urged her to get rid of her place and just move in with me, but we fought. She left. I didn’t understand. Ultimately she wasn’t. Even though I was relieved I couldn’t help but picture her carrying my baby. A life that we created together.

We were apart for about five months. It was torture for me. I’d see her at events that Sabrina and Caston held. She always looked so happy but I knew it was an act. I’d keep my eye on her and found her crying in the corner on more than one occasion. What hurt the worst is her avoiding me when I’d find her miserable.

Christmas came and with it came the Black Hollywood Christmas party. I had one goal the evening I left for the party. Get Beth back no matter what. We were miserable without each other. I saw my girl grinding up on another asshole and saw red. Fuck no. I swept her up and worshiped her body until she submitted to me again. She was reluctant to begin dating again, but I agreed to remain friends with benefits even though we were more in my eyes. I’d call it whatever she wanted as long as we were together again. She still wouldn’t call us a couple which was comical to all our friends. The guys have ragged on me for a while to just put a ring on her finger and to stop the charade but they have no idea the demons that Beth was living with, fuck I still don’t for that matter.

I take the last swig of beer and set the bottle down on the table next to me. What a crazy few years it’s been. My life should be a book. I scrub my hands down my face and blow out a big breath when I hear the door to this tiny place shut and keys hit the floor.

“Damn it, Jake, can you help me?” Her voice yells out to me.

I jump up and jog over to her grabbing the groceries from her hands before they hit the ground. I place a quick kiss on her lips. It’s just so natural.

“Why didn’t you call up? I would have come down to help you.” I yelled over my shoulder as I took the bags to the kitchen.

She takes off her coat and joins me in the cramped kitchen to put things away. Her long blonde hair was tied up in a messy ponytail, she was dressed in her work garb from the studio; damn she looked down right fuckable. Beth was a natural blonde with the eyes like the Caribbean Sea, and the fairest, porcelain skin I’d ever seen. She was about five foot six inches. I loved that when she wrapped her arms around me she was the perfect height for me to rest my chin on her head.

We both back up, running into each other and let out a grunt. “Ugh, Jake, I’m so tired of moving around like this in here.”

“Let’s move. Someplace bigger and ours.” I shrug. Honestly, it’s something I’ve been thinking about a lot recently, but haven’t brought it up to her.

Beth grabs the chips out of my hand a little rough and shoves them in the cupboard. “Not ours, yours and let’s be realistic, that can’t happen.”

She continues to put things away with loud bangs and slams. I cringe with every sound.

“Why not?”

Turning to face me, her hands fall to her sides and she opens her mouth but nothing comes out. She takes a deep breath, shakes her head and walks out of the kitchen to our room slamming the door behind her.

I brace myself on the counter. When will she realize I’m not like the rest?