Primed (Getting Dirty Series Book 2)

  Primed

  Getting Dirty Series, Book 2

  Tory Baker

  Contents

  Prologue

  1. Aspen

  2. Jasper

  3. Aspen

  4. Jasper

  5. Aspen

  6. Jasper

  7. Aspen

  8. Japser

  9. Aspen

  10. Jasper

  11. Aspen

  12. Jasper

  13. Aspen

  14. Jasper

  15. Aspen

  16. Jasper

  Epilogue

  Epilogue

  What’s Next?

  About the Author

  Also by Tory Baker

  Copyright © 2020 by Tory Baker

  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 author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Please respect the author and do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials that would violate the author’s rights. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

  Edited By: Diamond in the Rough Editing

  Cover Design By: LJ with Mayhem Cover Creations

  Created with Vellum

  “Sometimes you fall in love with the most unexpected person at the most unexpected time.”

  – Unknown

  Prologue

  Jasper

  Three Weeks Earlier

  This life I live isn’t for the faint of heart—it’s long hours, hard days, and more relationships fail than succeed.

  I’m dirty. She’s pure as snow. We’re opposite in every way that matters.

  It’s what’s been holding me back from going after Aspen Jennings, owner of Vintage Threads in Valentine, Texas. Woman of my every waking fantasy and walking wet dream. Long, dark wavy hair, green eyes that sparkle with warmth, and when she gives me that smile, the one that’s only for me, it fucking devastates me that I know Aspen isn’t ready for me.

  Not now, at least. It’s pathetic to say, but word around town travels fast. It doesn’t help that my own mother is Aspen’s number-one fan, employee, and paying customer. When Mom mentioned Aspen was flying back and forth to Virginia because of her own mother’s health, I knew it wasn’t the time to claim her as my own.

  So, for right now, I bide my time. I work my ass to the bone while I’m out on the rig, working for two weeks at a time, then come home for the next two weeks. Then doing it all over again. And if I get glimpses of Aspen or those smiles she loves to tease me with, all is well.

  That doesn’t mean I’m not fisting my cock every chance I get when a fantasy of her appears in my thoughts late at night. Believe me, I do. Her body is all womanly curves, hips that are meant for me to grip while I’m taking her from behind, and those tits of hers I know bounce with every step she makes. I can imagine her riding my cock, her chest heaving with every downward thrust of her body. My hands cupping her tits, rolling my thumbs over her nipples, already imagining the color much like her lips.

  “Fuck,” I grumble. I take one last sip of my beer. Tonight was my first night off, and a bunch of roughnecks and I always land here for a drink or two before we make our way home.

  I thought I’d see Aspen tonight, but maybe she’s still in Virginia. My last stretch off, she was up with her family. Not that I can blame her, but it still sucks just the same.

  “I’m out of here,” I tell Sloan and Nate, two of the guys that work on the oil rig with me.

  “Not sticking around to see if Aspen is coming?” Sloan lifts an eyebrow already knowing why I stuck around in the first place.

  “Fuck off.” I place a twenty-dollar bill on the bar and nod at the bartender, getting his attention.

  “Just saying, man, not sure how long you’re gonna hold out for her. Maybe it’s time you cut your losses.” Sloan may have a point if it were anyone else besides Aspen, but it’s not. She’s my fucking forever.

  I grunt, wave them off, and start making my way to the exit. If Aspen isn’t here, I may as well get home, see what else I can work on for the next two weeks, and see if my mom needs any help around her house. She raised me on her own, working two jobs to keep a roof over our heads and food in our stomachs. More times than not, she wouldn’t eat. Those were the weeks I knew it was a bill week—rent, water, power, and food. That was the week we always struggled the most. As soon as I could get a job at the age of fifteen, working at the grocery store, bagging, that’s what I did. There was no way I would let my mom starve when I could help.

  When I’m off, I’ll work at her place, trying to make sure she has everything she’ll need or fix anything she needs worked on.

  My thoughts are on a certain raven-haired beauty when I walk out the door, desperately wanting to see her, but luck isn’t on my side tonight.

  I’m almost to my truck when I hear, “Jasper.” I’d know that voice anywhere—soft, sweet, it’s a melody to my ears.

  “Aspen.” She walks right up to me, her hair blowing in the evening wind. The dress she’s wearing, fuck, it’s my damn kryptonite. Long-sleeved, flowing, the deep V that shows off her smooth skin. If I slid my hand to its side, I know my hand would feel the fullness that was made for me.

  “Are you leaving?” She rocks back in her heels. Leather straps are wrapped around her ankles, making me think all kinds of indecent things.

  “Yeah, you okay?” I ask.

  “Not sure yet. I got the call and need to head back to Virginia. I was just stopping by to let you know in case your mom isn’t at home when you stop by.” Aspen’s hands are moving around in the air, something I know she does when she’s nervous.

  “Do you need a ride to the airport?” I offer.

  “Are you sure you have time for this? If not, I can leave my car at the airport or grab an Uber.” She finds a lock of her hair, twirls it around her finger. I’m unsure if she’s nervous or shy but I want that to be my hand in her hair.

  “Yeah, when are you leaving?”

  “My flight leaves in three hours. I just need to grab my luggage from my car. I’ll leave it at the shop in case your mom needs something.” Stubborn woman that my mom is, she’s driving a car that’s close to twenty years old. I offered for her to take my truck when I’m on the rig or to buy her one. Instead, she insists on driving her car. Which is in the shop more times than not.

  “Alright, come on. We’ll drive to the shop, then I’ll take you to the airport. I’m only home for two weeks, but if you need something, you call me, okay?” I take her hand this time, bringing it up to my lips, kissing the pulse point. I’m staking my claim on Aspen. She knows it, I know it, the whole fucking town knows it by now.

  “Okay.” She’s breathless. I watch as her nipples pucker under her thin dress. I give her wrist a lingering kiss, tasting her, and wishing like hell my lips were on hers right now. The timing’s not right, but I know as soon as she’s back home, Aspen will be mine, and there’s nothing that will stand in my way.

  I help her into my truck, watching her ass the entire way, already hating that I don’t know when she’ll be back, and who knows if I’ll be back at work by then.

  “Thank you, Jasper. I know you’re probably ready to be home and in your own bed.” She turns in her seat. Fuck, but this truck was made for her and me right now. I step between her legs, wanting my hands on her.

  “Anyth
ing for you. This shit is happening when you get home. You hear me, wildflower?” I’m thinking about how I’ve already wasted damn near two months of not being around her. And it’s my own fucking fault. I put the thought in my head that she’s better than me, deserves more than this roughneck life. But I’m done with that shit. I need Aspen in my life more than anything.

  “I hear you.” Her hands slide from mine that are gripping her legs, until they meet my upper arms. I love the feel of her touching me.

  “Alright, I’m not starting something we can’t finish.” I squeeze her legs before taking a step back and hating it all the same. Right now, though, she has a plane to catch, and I’d never do anything that would stop her from seeing her mom.

  Aspen nods, sliding her legs inside the truck. I shut her door, and we make our way to her car and then to the airport. I’m exhausted, still stained with oil from the rig. That doesn’t stop me from being there for a woman I know will one day carry my last name.

  One

  Aspen

  Present

  Ruthie, Jasper’s mom, is a Godsend. Not only did she man Vintage Threads, she also picked me up at the airport. The shitty part of the situation is that Jasper is gone for two more weeks. Though he called and I texted for the most part, I soaked in the time with my family. If my mom has it her way, she won’t even let me know if she gets worse, especially since this was the third time I hightailed it back home when Dad called.

  “I owe you and Jasper so much, seriously. Anytime you need anything, let me know.” I place my bag on the counter of the shop. It’s leather, has tassels, and is probably one of my favorite vintage finds. I’ve always had a flair for fashion, just not your typical style. No, I love lace, leather, bell bottoms, chunky heels, clothes that have flair. The more jewelry, the better. Well, that’s in my case, at least.

  “You owe us no such thing. It does stink that Jasper wasn’t home to pick you up instead of old me. Plus, Aspen, you pay me, handsomely at that. If it weren’t for this job, I’d be sitting on my ass eating bon-bons and watching soap operas all day.” Ruthie is so full of shit. She knows it and I know it. That woman can run circles around me.

  “It does stink, but he’s been texting and calling when he can. He warned me about how this works. Honestly, I get it. It’s his job, and he’s as passionate about it as I am about the shop. Plus, it means more girl time for us. I do believe a new shipment is coming in today,” I tell her with a wink. I’m not fibbing in the least. When Jasper dropped me off at the airport, we exchanged numbers. The only thing he asked is that I text him when I landed. Once I did that, it opened the floodgates. I woke up every morning to a good-morning text, and every night, even if I was fast asleep from taking a shift with Mom either at the house or the hospital, I had a good-night text too. For someone who’s so rough around the edges, works his body to the bone, and I know is dead-to-the-bone tired when his shift is over, Jasper made sure he made time for me, and on rare occurrences, he’d call or even FaceTime.

  “That will keep us busy. Oh, that reminds me. I need to have Jasper come and replace a headlight for me. He’s going to be so annoyed. He’s been on me lately about getting a new car, but mine still runs,” she says, shrugging her shoulder. Jasper is the spitting image of his father based on the pictures Ruthie has shown me. His dad worked the oil field when Jasper was a toddler. He had an accident and they couldn’t save him. Now, here Jasper is at the age of thirty-five, his mom is fifty-five, and still, to this day and all these years later, Ruthie is content living her life on her own. The woman has more grit and determination than I will ever have.

  “You better watch out, or Jasper will just buy you one. I’ve heard him cuss about that car on more than one occasion. Hell, he asked me to check on you this week to make sure your car hadn’t broken down yet.” I try to hide my laugh. On our last FaceTime call, he was lying in bed, his phone propped up on the pillow, his eyes so tired from work I could see the heavy bags underneath them. Jasper was smiling though. That man sunk my heart like a boat that needs an anchor. Dark chocolate hair framing light brown eyes, a few days’ old beard slowly growing in. The muscles he inadvertently flexed when he would move around. The deep olive complexion, the light dusting of chest hair, and the necklace I know from Ruthie he wears to bed every single night he’s on the rig, and he definitely has it on non-stop when he’s home for his days off. It’s something his mother gave his father and was handed down to him, the gold necklace with a cross hanging from it, showing off even more of his body. And let’s just say the whole package of Jasper Knight had me hot and bothered most nights we were able to FaceTime.

  “I know. He acts like I can’t afford a new car or that he’ll just up and buy me one. He knows that’s not how I am and not how he was raised. I live well within my means, I have money in the bank, and I’m able to toot around on vacations when I want. No offense, honey, but I only work to keep me from getting as round as a house.” She’s on a tangent now. I clearly opened up a can of worms.

  “I’m just saying if I were Jasper, I would probably be worried too. It’s not like he can come home and fix your car. Hell, my soon-to-be brother-in-law is a mechanic, and you should see what he did to my sister, Rowen’s, car. He practically replaced the whole thing, and I’m sure she won’t even drive it anymore.” The one thing I made sure of when my business was in the black was make sure my Tahoe was brand new. It didn’t need all the bells and whistles, but it dang sure needed a warranty. It’s not like I can ask my dad to hop on a plane and come take a look at my car. I definitely wouldn’t have three weeks ago, and even with Mom doing great, there’s no way she wouldn’t want to come down here with Dad.

  “Oh, I know, it’s why when he does get home, I’ll pick his brain on what he thinks would be best for me. I don’t want anything like that monstrosity of a vehicle you have, or even what Jasper drives, though his truck does come in handy when it comes to repairing things around the house. Ugh, anyway, let’s get to work so when this new shipment comes in, we’re ready to roll.” Ruthie is full of piss and vinegar, and I absolutely love it.

  “Ready when you are. We’ll order lunch in today since we’ll probably be here late. Unless you have plans?” She deserves the time off. I think I’ll probably tell Ruthie she doesn’t have to come in every single day the rest of the week. We have a high schooler who likes to help out a few hours, four times a week. It’s extra cash, but I’m sure she’s mainly here for the discount we offer employees.

  “I’ve got nothing going on, except a date with a box of wine.” I laugh at that. Not that I can blame her. Hell, I’m twenty-four years old and love a cold beer every now and then.

  “If you need a break, please take this week off. I promise I’m not one to take advantage of you. And you better have kept a log with all the hours you worked. Not just the part-time crap you like to pull,” I admonish.

  “Who, me?” She points at herself.

  “Yes, you.” I walk into the back office, expecting it to look like a crime scene of mail, invoices, and shipping labels. It doesn’t though. There are a few things that are stacked neatly on my desk. Apparently, Ruthie took over everything and didn’t leave me with much to clean up.

  “You did way more than you let on, didn’t you?” I ask her as I walk back out of the office and into the main area.

  “I did no such thing. Shit came in, and it was easy to do. Plus, Stella was here, and I was able to do the office work while she dealt with the customers. Now, stop busting my chops. Jeesh, you’re as bad as Jasper.” She gives me her knowing eyes. Something tells me her son has told her way more than I’ve let on, but I’m not mad about it. Though, if I don’t tell my mom, she really will be down here, along with Rowen and Peyton. That would be a mess of tacos and margaritas, plus the fun of my sisters. Yeah, I’ll have to see when Berkley and the girls want to come down. Hopefully, that will happen soon.

  Ruthie and I start clearing a space for us to work on merchandise, adding tags, scanning th
e clothing into the system, and then finding new, fashionable ways to put it in the storefront will be the last order of business.

  It’s not too long before our delivery arrives, and we get sucked into oohing and aahing over the fall line that just came out. All of us at Vintage Threads are suckers for clothes, and the new inventory is right up our alley. Stella comes in, and even she can’t help but stare at the new beauties. That’s how we spend our day well into the early evening until everything is done and ready for a new day tomorrow.

  We all say our goodbyes and make our way out of the store. My one and only thought is making it home, grabbing a shower, and waiting to see if I’ll get a FaceTime call from Jasper.

  Two

  Jasper

  Today must be a Monday, not like it matters much anyway when you’re out working on an oil rig. I’m seven days in and pissed as hell. I missed Aspen coming home and being the one to pick her up. Not like her and I can control what’s going on around us, but it sucks just the same.

  My only thoughts right now are focused on getting to hear her sweet voice tonight and if we can have a repeat performance from last night. My body is already aching at the thought of that, and not for the first time I’m thankful as hell that I rigged up an outdoor shower so I can clean up before heading into the travel trailer I purchased last year. There was no way I intended to stay in the cramped-style housing our company provides, which is what I did up until last year. It sucked. My soul purpose was getting to the point in my career where I had money in the bank. I lived the frugal bachelor lifestyle, no home to tie my name to, my truck paid off. I only had an apartment in town and my mom to take care of, which she never let me do anyway. So, now I have a nice chunk of change put away. Even with paying for the travel trailer in cash. Not that it’s the best of the best. That’s not what I’m about. Especially because it’s just me. I was more worried about having a space of my own, not what it looks like. This way, I can eat food I like, sleep without four other guys sawing logs, and talk to Aspen when I want without anyone interrupting.