After Her Flower Petals: A Second Chance Romantic Comedy (The Svensson Brothers Book 7)

by Alina Jacobs

  “As we all are. Let’s get this meeting started, gentlemen.”

  Ernest raised his hand. “I heard that you’re putting out goats? I have a number of them here.” He opened a door to a stall, and there were twenty goats staring at me. “I had a friend retire, and no one wanted these guys, but then I heard we were turning them loose in Harrogate, and I told him we’d take them. When is the compost pile going to be ready?”

  It took several hours to disavow the farmers of the notion that goats were going to run loose on a trash dump in the city. Then I had to explain that there also would not be a goat trash buffet outside of the city either. Ernest had insisted that he could not afford to feed and house all those goats forever, so Remy kindly wrote him a check.

  One of the goats promptly ate it.

  It was dark when the meeting was finally over. As usual, nothing had been accomplished. While I drove slowly down the winding road, my phone beeped that I needed to charge the battery. I fumbled in my bag for the charging cable then cursed.

  “Of course this fucking car doesn’t have a charger. Fuck.”

  My phone made frantic electronic dying noises, then the screen shut to black.

  “Fucking phone. Fucking car. Fuck my life,” I yelled out, clenching the steering wheel.

  I turned on the radio. Ida’s voice blared out. “…You vote for Meg, then you’re voting for free compost and healthy living and the best tits this side of the Hudson!”

  “Good lord.” I switched off the radio. If Ida was making promises like that, I needed to find a place for the compost pile. Surely there was some empty farmland somewhere we could put it?

  My car let out a grinding noise then a high-pitched moan then jerked to a stop as steam billowed out from under the hood.

  “Are you kidding me!” I shrieked, opening the door then running around and popping up the hood. I coughed as a cloud of steam escaped. I stared around in disbelief.

  “Why does this keep happening?” I shouted into the night. I was in the middle of farmland, at least an hour’s drive outside of town. I knew this area. Ernest’s farm was probably the closest place to find help, and it was a good two-hour walk away.

  Crap.

  “It’s fine,” I told myself. “Don’t panic. Engines know when you’re afraid.”

  I wasn’t a car person. I didn’t know anything about cars, but if it was steaming, maybe it needed water? I took a breath and screwed off what I hoped was the radiator cap. I had a bottle of water in my purse and I poured it in, hoping the car would start. All it did was make more steam.

  I thunked my head on the driver’s-side window and tried to psych myself up for the walk back to Ernest’s farm. “At least you wore your boots,” I pep-talked myself. “It could be worse; it could always be worse.” But the unfairness of it all was starting to creep into my psyche. I could never catch a break! Then I saw lights in the distance.

  “I’m saved!” I jumped up and down, waving my arms. But my face fell as a familiar black sports car glided to a stop beside me.

  The window rolled down, and Hunter’s gray eyes peered up at me. “Need a ride?”

  36

  Hunter

  I had a serious case of blue balls when I made it back to the campaign headquarters later that afternoon.

  “Are you sure he didn’t have an aneurysm or something?” Weston asked, snapping his fingers in front of my face.

  “If he’d had an aneurysm, he’d be dead by now,” Parker said.

  “Get out,” I snapped at them. “I’m trying to work.”

  “And we’re trying to help you.”

  “I almost got run over by a train because of Tanner,” I complained.

  “You almost got run over by a train because you were ogling Meg and weren’t thinking about anything other than getting laid.” Garrett was incensed.

  “You have to admit, she did look smoking hot,” Tanner said with a grin.

  “Out!” I roared.

  My brothers grabbed their things and left.

  “Don’t let them stress you out,” Karen said, running her hands up my arms to rub my shoulders. Her touch made my skin buzz. “Meg’s just trying to get in your head,” she said in my ear. “You just need a little something to take the edge off.” Her hand slid around to my collarbone, down my chest.

  I was so fucking horny.

  You could do it with Karen, the irrational horny part of my brain said. Nothing serious, it would almost be like with Meg.

  But when Karen’s hands cupped my cock through my pants, I sprang up, the chair clattering to the floor behind me.

  “You work for me,” I said brusquely.

  “Yes,” Karen said, not backing down, “so let me make your job a little easier.”

  “I have a meeting to go to,” I stated. I did actually have an appointment, but I had no intention of attending the farmers’ meeting.

  Remy was going to be mad, since it was part of a Rural Trust initiative, but I couldn’t be in the same space as Meg. She was all I could think about. Karen’s little demonstration hadn’t helped either. Now all I could think about was fucking Meg in my campaign office.

  I jumped in my car. I couldn’t go home; the kids were hyped up on sugar and the excitement of the event. Karen had permeated my office and I couldn’t stay there. I pulled out onto the road from the parallel-parking spot and started driving.

  That was the one nice thing about living in a small town. You had the best of both worlds—the restaurants, shops, and businesses were in the small downtown, but you only had to drive a few miles, and you were out in the country.

  I sped down the winding two-lane roads as I headed all the way out to the old abandoned county expo pavilion.

  My thoughts were spinning, jumping between winning back Meg and trying to figure out how to best my father.

  Maybe I should just let Crawford handle it.

  But the last time he had stormed the compound, he had fucked up. There was no reason to think this time would be any better.

  I finally decided I should leave my spot in the abandoned structure when it started getting chillier, and the sun began to set. It was that weird time of year when the temperature fluctuated.

  I took the long way back to the estate house, by Ernest’s farm. Remy was going to give me an earful when I returned. In fact, Parker would too. His girlfriend, Sadie, helped run the Rural Trust, and Parker hated it when he felt she had been disrespected.

  I was lost in my thoughts, forcing myself to come up with some excuse for why I hadn’t been there, when the headlights shone on a stopped car with steam billowing out, Meg beside it, jumping up and down.

  “It must be fate,” I remarked after I rolled down the window.

  “It’s a small town,” she said, clearly irritated. She was out of her sexy suit and was wearing pants and a checkered shirt. It was cold, and the outlines of her nipples were visible under the fabric.

  She had grease smudges on her face. It didn’t matter. All I wanted to do was fuck her in the back of my car.

  I worked my jaw. “Why didn’t you call for help?”

  “My phone is dead!” she cried, waving her arms around. “And this stupid station wagon doesn’t have a charger!” She turned around and kicked the tire. It popped, and she screeched and skittered back against my car as the air hissed out, and the front of the beige station wagon sagged onto the axle as the tire deflated. “I hate this junk of shit!”

  “I offered to buy you a new one,” I reminded her, opening my car door.

  She crossed her arms. The wind blew her hair around her face.

  “I’ll give you a ride,” I offered, “and have someone pick up this piece of junk.” I grabbed her bag out of the passenger’s seat then guided her into my car.

  “Stop that,” she said as I started the car.

  “Stop what? I’m not doing anything.”

  “You’re sitting there all smug and superior.”

  “Why, because I have a working car and you
don’t?”

  “Exactly.”

  I huffed out a laugh. “Maybe I’ll just buy you a car anyways,” I said as we zipped down the road.

  “I’m sure that will cost an arm and a leg.”

  “Or just a pussy.”

  “Jeez, Hunter.”

  “Not like that, Meg! Honestly, I’d just eat you out. In fact, it would be a win-win for you. My tongue on your clit and a new car! Though,” I said, glancing at her, “there’s an overlook nearby. We could—”

  “No,” she said. She squirmed in her seat.

  “You’re thinking about it, though,” I said, my voice lowering an octave. I wanted her. And if I wasn’t mistaken, she wanted me.

  She shifted again in her seat.

  I kept my hand firmly on the gear shift tight so that I wouldn’t reach over and press it between her legs.

  “I don’t,” she warned.

  “Then who was that outfit for? You were trying to make an impression on me. Admit it.”

  “And since you could barely string two sentences together, looks like it worked,” she said.

  “Congratulations,” I purred. “Now all I’m going to be able to think about is not beating you in the election but instead bending you over, spreading your legs, and fucking that perfect pussy.” Now that she was there in my car, it was like I had a moment of clarity. For the next thirty minutes, at least, that it would take to drive into town, she was mine.

  She made another shifting motion.

  “Am I making you wet?”

  “I mean,” she said tartly, “I could tell you all about how my pussy is just aching for a big thick cock, but I don’t want you to crash the car.”

  I had a death grip on the steering wheel when I pulled up in front of her apartment building.

  “Thanks for the ride.”

  “Meg,” I said, voice rough. I grabbed her before she could climb out of the car.

  “I’m not sleeping with my opponent,” she told me, “so you better go running to Karen to see if she’ll give you a sympathy blow job.”

  37

  Meghan

  I had wanted to get into Hunter’s head, but instead, he was in mine. As I showered the grime and goat hair off me, I thought about Hunter being in the shower with me. I let my hands roam over my tits, down between my legs…

  We have not sunk so low that we are going to rub one out thinking about Hunter.

  Besides, he always seemed to know when I was thinking about him that way. It was as if he could see it on my face.

  That didn’t help me sleep, though. Every time my T-shirt or my panties moved over my skin, I imagined it was his hands moving over me, down, down, his tongue on my clit.

  “Guess we aren’t sleeping anymore tonight,” I decided and checked my phone. There was an email from the mechanic who had towed my car last night after Hunter had called him. I needed to come in and pay for the new tire and the radiator.

  Maybe I should just leave the car.

  Even better, maybe I should take Hunter up on his offer—on both of his offers.

  “You’re tired, and you need a breakfast biscuit,” I told myself as I put on one of my normal, unsexy suits.

  “I’m sorry, this card was declined,” the receptionist at the auto mechanic said after running my card.

  “Oh!” I rummaged in my purse for another card. “I’m sorry.”

  She looked at me in sympathy. “We have a payment-plan option.”

  “No, I can do it. Maybe try this one?” I handed her another card. It, too, was declined.

  I took out a third card. “Maybe try splitting it on all three?” I asked, praying silently as she ran the cards.

  “That went through.”

  “Thanks,” I said in relief and took the keys from her.

  The station wagon looked even worse in the daylight. Part of the back bumper was missing.

  “It looks as if a goat chewed it off,” the mechanic told me, taking off his hat when I waved to him.

  “That’s certainly possible.”

  “You know I buy scrap cars,” he offered. “I’d give you a couple hundred for this one.”

  “I’m going to try and eke a bit more mileage out of it,” I said, hoping I sounded carefree and happy and not like I wanted to rip my hair out then dump gasoline on the station wagon and set it on fire.

  Instead of going to buy a biscuit since, clearly, I had no money, I went to the bank. Frank perked up when I walked in.

  “Meg!” he exclaimed. “Thank you so much for submitting the forms for my cousin.”

  “Sure!” I smiled, wishing I had actually worn something a little sexier for this conversation. “I just wanted to let you know I also filed a form D-G833 to receive access back to my house.”

  “Oh.” Frank shuffled papers around on his desk. “I didn’t see that come through.”

  “I would appreciate it if you could process it as soon as possible.”

  “Anything for you, Meg. You know,” he added, “we never finished our date. I might be convinced to leave some financial paperwork around if I’m drunk and sexually satisfied.”

  “Uh…”

  The door to his office swung open. “We had a nine o’clock meeting, Frank,” Hunter said, gray eyes stormy.

  Frank yelped and jumped, papers scattering to the floor.

  “I told you,” the secretary complained from behind Hunter. “Frank was in there with Meg.”

  Hunter looked me over then turned his attention to the bank manager. “Stay away from her, Frank.”

  “Absolutely!”

  “Don’t just let him boss you around like that,” I scolded Frank.

  He gulped.

  “Besides, I’m here on official bank business.” I glared at Hunter. He did not take the hint and instead sat down in the seat next to me.

  “Meg, whatever it is, I’ll take care of it for you.”

  “I don’t need your help,” I seethed. “I just need a loan.” I handed Frank my application.

  “Sure thing.” He began typing.

  “I’ll give you money, Meg,” Hunter practically shouted. “Why won’t you let me help you?”

  “Can you please let me know how much I qualify for?” I asked Frank.

  He was sweating, looking between Hunter and me.

  “Who helped out your cousin?” I prodded.

  “You have been preapproved for three thousand dollars,” he told me, furiously hitting the print button then shoving the papers at me. “Sign here, and the money will be in your account in three days.”

  Hunter prowled after me as I left the bank.

  “I thought you had a meeting.”

  “I’m giving Frank a moment to calm down,” he said, following me outside.

  “You can’t keep harassing me and the men I talk to.”

  “Frank runs the bank that stole your house,” Hunter reminded me.

  “And you’re the one Barry put in charge of my”—I pointed at myself—“finances. That you refuse to share with me.”

  “I’m just trying to assemble the bigger picture before I alarm you.”

  “You just want to control me.”

  “Funny you should mention that,” he said, voice lowering. “I do want to control you but not like that. I want to do it in a way that ends with you coming on my cock.”

  “You’re…” I sputtered.

  “Sexy? Irresistible?” His eyes were intense.

  You could just go back to your apartment. You don’t have a meeting until lunch. You’ve worked hard. You deserve this.

  “Stop trying to fight this, Meg, fight us,” he pleaded. His mouth was inches away from mine. I wanted him. Bad. It took every shred of willpower and excessive bribing of myself with sausage, egg, and cheese biscuits to tear away from him.

  “You can come talk to me when you are ready to give me information on my finances.”

  38

  Hunter

  The problem was that Meg’s financial straits were not just dire,
they were apocalyptical. They were going to lose the house. I was still arguing with the banks on the credit card fraud charges. The fact was that Barry had stolen so much money, Meg was going to have to decide whether she wanted to pay off the debt or send him to jail and have the debt expunged. Between the multiple mortgages, the car notes, and the credit card debt, plus the random businesses Barry had invested in, one of which the FBI had just informed me was being investigated for money laundering, Barry had racked up hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of debt both in his and Meg and her sisters’ names.

  I could of course pay off the debt; the money wasn’t the issue. However, Greg would be livid if I threw away that much money. He would never let me hear the end of it. That was why I was slowly working to disentangle the web of lies and debt Barry had left. It was a lot, and I didn’t want Meg to have to deal with that until after the election. Even then, I needed to be careful in how I presented it all to Meg. I was afraid it would break her. Therefore, I was stalling.

  I was afraid that the craving for her was going to break me. I had given up on sleeping. I would wake up in the middle of the night hard and aching for her then have to take an ice-cold shower. It didn’t help that the house was chaos, and Josie had enlisted all my brothers to help her with the Harrogate Foundation fundraiser festival.

  “Are you ready, Hunter?” she chirped the next morning when I arrived at the town square to help set up. Meg was already waiting with her to put up more of the decorations I had brought in the truck.

  “What am I doing?” I asked Josie.

  “Eating a cream pie,” Parker said with a laugh. My brain immediately veered off a cliff into visions of eating Meg out.

  “For goodness sake, Hunter,” Meg said irritably. “Not like that. This is a family-friendly event.”

  But she clearly was thinking the same thing I was if the flush on her neck was any indication.

  “People have to bet money,” Josie explained, “on whether you get the pie in the face, or if a teenage girl can actually hit you in the face with it from several yards away.”