by A. Marie
“Open.”
Two fingers hover near my mouth awaiting access. I slowly obey, opening my mouth to allow entry. Coty watches as they slide between my lips. Just before he can pull them out completely, I bite the tips, making him halt. I may listen occasionally, but that doesn’t mean he’s in control. Keeping my eyes locked on his, I watch as they darken to almost black until I can no longer make out his pupils.
I let go, making him groan, then he returns his attention to my mouth still sucking his fingers. I swirl my tongue around his digits tantalizingly slow. Carefully—methodically—he removes them, returning his lips to mine and I feel his now wet fingers slide beneath my loose drawstring. Instinctively, I lift my top knee, allowing him better access. Finding no underwear to work past, Coty covers my center instantly and starts working me into a frenzy with his wicked fingers.
His kiss picks up with renewed vigor. His tongue, relentless in chasing mine while he grinds into me from behind, has me clawing at anything I can reach, which facing away from Coty there isn’t much, so I grip the back of his neck, keeping him plastered to me. I let my body show him what my words can’t. My mouth kisses away the hurt I know I’ve caused. I ride his hand, clearing the uncertainty I know still lies within. I moan the name of the man who’s stolen my heart so completely and tenderly I didn’t even notice it was gone until he already had it cradled safely in his hands.
Coty’s fingers and hips take turns thrusting, causing a perfect tide, drawing me closer and closer to shore. My moans increase until I know his roommates can hear but just as I approach the coastline, Coty breaks away, sitting up. I gasp at the harsh interruption but am quickly flipped to my back and yanked to the edge of the bed, quieting my protest. I’d laugh except the seriousness on Coty’s face has me staying quiet.
Dragging my pants down, Coty cusses seeing my bare pussy on display and begins lowering himself in a daze.
“Hey,” I say, stopping him.
His eyebrow quirks so I jerk my chin. He obliges with a smirk, leaning up to kiss me roughly. Fully aware this is give and take, he has to give me what I need before he can take what he wants. Although, after this week the lines between want and need are completely blurred.
Coty drops his forehead to mine. “God, I missed you. Don’t leave me again.”
“I won’t,” I breathe out.
And surprisingly, I mean it. I don’t want to go through this unrelenting squall without Coty as my anchor to prevent me from drifting off into the madness.
“Promise?” he pleads quietly.
My pulse quickens so I try to capture his lips but he pulls back, waiting. Give and take.
“I promise,” I whisper, releasing the weight that’s been crushing my chest for far too long. Coty’s mouth crashes to mine as I guide my hands up his toned back, bringing him between my spread legs. I’m just starting to remove his shorts when Coty slides down my body, taking the unnecessary clothing with him. With a secretive grin, he throws a leg over his shoulder and dives between my thighs, causing me to throw my head back on a moan. He pushes my other leg wider while gripping where my hip meets my thigh, holding me in place. Spread so openly to him, it doesn’t take long for the pressure to build. The waves of ecstasy are rolling nearer as Coty licks me with a punishing rhythm. I’m shamelessly riding his face, holding him exactly where I want him when he pulls back slightly.
My head shoots off the pillow.
“Wha-”
“I want your eyes on me.”
Does he not realize how much effort that will take? I can barely remember my own name and he wants my eyes to remain open and on him. This bossy shit has to stop.
Dropping my head, a smile creeps out as I shut my eyes and lower my hand. My middle finger barely skims my throbbing clit when it’s smacked away with a growl.
“God, you’re a handful.”
My smug laugh is smothered by another moan as Coty lowers his mouth to the spot my finger was rudely denied. Sucking the sensitive bud into his mouth, I come instantaneously—with my eyes closed, like a normal person.
Coty stands to grab a condom before dropping his shorts and boxer briefs to the floor. My eyes, now open and alert, drink him in while he rolls it on.
“See something you like?”
His head tilts to the side and he opens his arms, giving me a better view. Perfect. He is absolutely perfect. And mine.
I crook a finger, beckoning him forward. He complies, trailing kisses up my already buzzing body. By the time he reaches my mouth, I’m more than ready.
“No.”
“Liar.” His deep chuckle rumbles my taut belly, warming me straight through. His tip nudges against my entrance, making me gasp.
I pop a shoulder. He asked if I saw something I like, but that’s not the word I’d use to describe how I feel about him, not anymore.
Coty, sporting the sexiest smirk, slides his swollen cock inside, letting my heat surround him fully as I cry out in pleasure. His hands frame my face, then using his thumbs he strokes my temples softly.
“I like that answer better. I don’t know which one turns me on more—your moans or your sarcasm.”
“Probably the one you don’t have to work as hard for.”
Pulling out slowly, our breaths both catch from the loss before he glides back in, hitting my walls deep within.
“Babe, you’re one challenge I’ll never forfeit,” Coty says before gently rocking his hips in time with mine.
I hold him to me or he holds me to him, I’m not really sure, all I do know is this moment. This moment being the one that I will hold forever in my heart, taking it out to measure against any other in my life going forward because this is the moment that Coty first made love to me. And it was everything I never knew I wanted, and more.
* * *
“Here, take this one. I love you in my clothes anyway.” Coty’s tone rises but I ignore it as he tosses a hoodie on the bed.
I scoop it up happily, taking a whiff of his spiced coconut body wash embedded in the material. Seeing it’s another one missing its drawstring, I smile.
A series of knocks that remind me of a new pop song has Coty shaking his head. “I’m surprised he gave us this long.”
The door opens to Beckett standing with his hand over his eyes dramatically, while also peeking between his fingers. Coty shoves his shoulder.
“It sounded like someone was dying a slow, sexy death in here. I didn’t want to interrupt. Luckily, it was fast.” He throws his hands up in defense, laughing, when Coty casts him a frown. “So, you’re back then?” His eyes fall on me. “For good? No more of this silent treatment bullshit?”
I pick at an imaginary piece of lint on my pants. “It would appear so.”
What feels like a freight train plows into my chest, knocking me backward onto the bed with a laugh. Lifting to his hands so he doesn’t smother me to death, Beckett looks down with a huge grin. “Welcome back, neighbor girl. Welcome home. I’ve missed you. I mean I didn’t miss hearing that sound you make right before you-”
A demanding hand grips his shoulder, yanking him upright before he can say more. “We get the point.” Coty pushes him toward the door while my eyes stay on the ceiling, praying my cheeks aren’t as red as I think they are.
“I’m just messing around. Anyway, you used the camera last night, man?” Beckett’s change in tone has me sitting up.
“I wanted to film, uh,” Coty’s eyes flick to mine, “a location.”
“What camera?” I bite out.
“Not that kind.” Coty winks. “It’s attached to my helmet for riding. Actually, all of ours have them now.”
I try, but fail, to hide my grin. They were planning for my return all along.
“Well, it picked up something else I think you should see.”
The dark look he pins us with wipes the smile from my face.
CHAPTER 36
Angela
My fingers pinch the smooth plastic in my pocket as I stroll across the as
phalt behind Hot Spots. The boys thought they should come, too, just in case. After much deliberation, I conceded one could come but only if I got to drive my own car. I glance over my shoulder, seeing all three occupying my vintage Jeep. Well, I got part of my wish.
I round the corner to the office door swaying open and ignore whoever’s spraying down the car in the bay. Joe straightens at my approach, but I bypass him completely, heading straight for the stairs. I smirk as my sneakers pound up the creaky steps. That’s right, I’m going to talk to the big man. The owner. Joe’s boss. Coty called him this morning, claiming he wanted to meet about a collaboration for an upcoming event. Walter basically jumped at the chance to get his name out there and promised he’d be in his office today to go over everything. I would feel bad but the dirtbag he’s entrusted with running things in his long absences has shattered any sympathy I might’ve shown otherwise.
Walter startles as the door bounces off the wall.
“Can I help you?” he snips.
Of course he doesn’t know me. Why would he? He doesn’t bother himself with such menial tasks such as getting to know the faces keeping his business afloat.
“Probably not, but you will.”
Bushy salt and pepper eyebrows sink as the older man’s cloudy eyes narrow. Grayish blond hair feathers over his droopy ears with a rather large nose as the focal point on his weathered face while a rumpled joke of a suit hangs limply off his figure. What size is that thing? Also, are shit brown suits still a thing? Were they ever?
The whole office is covered with a half-inch thick coat of dust with papers strewn about on every surface. The desk he’s sitting at has an empty picture frame next to a knocked over jar of pens. The leather chair sitting opposite him has fissures like scratches covering the seat and I’m guessing they didn’t come from people visiting this office, but another from a time long ago. The place has a scattered, yet forgotten, vibe.
“Tell me,” I pull the flash drive from my pocket to set it on his desk, “how does a sexual harassment lawsuit against your company sound?”
As it turns out, Coty never stopped recording after his ride last night and managed to catch Joe’s late-night visit on camera.
Walter’s caterpillar eyebrows shoot to his hairline and I suppress a smirk, knowing I’ve gained his full attention. Dragging the tattered chair against the scuffed vinyl floor, I take a seat then start from the beginning.
* * *
“I still think you should talk to him about going in on a promotion together. The guy’s a little out of touch, but the wash is popular. Maybe it’ll bring both companies more customers.”
After coming downstairs to find all three of my guys standing outside my Jeep like my own security detail, we went out for a late lunch together—at their expense unfortunately, since I’m now unemployed. A surprised, but not completely shocked, Walter offered me a promotion but I refused. Joe was the biggest issue there but he certainly wasn’t the only problem at Hot Spots. As much as Joe protested, you can’t argue with video proof so he was fired on the spot. Steve, however, was able to keep his job even after everything I told Walter, but it was his word against mine and all that. Nothing new sadly, but disheartening all the same.
“We don’t need that tool’s help.” Marc speaks from the back seat. I glance at him in the rearview mirror through the stray hairs flying around my face. “Ours will be ten times better than his shit ever was.”
Frowning, I turn to Coty in the passenger seat. His knuckles gripping the roll bar tighten as he stares ahead, avoiding me.
“Your what?” When he remains silent, I quirk an eyebrow at Beckett lounging beside Marc, his motorcycle tee billowing around him. Eyes the size of saucers meet mine in the mirror before snapping to Coty.
“Bro, you didn’t tell her yet?”
Squinting at Coty again, I press, “Tell me what?”
Coty sighs, dropping his hands to his lap. Over his shoulder, he says, “We’ve been a little occupied, if you haven’t noticed.”
“Yeah, bangin’,” Beckett accuses.
Accurate? Yes.
Crass? Also, yes.
I catch Coty shaking his head out of the corner of my eye and sing-song, “No more sleepovers at your place.”
“Like that will help,” Beckett scoffs. “Angie sleeps with her windows open, everybody knows that. Just like everybody knows Angie also has sex with her windows open.”
Coty lunges between the seats, setting off laughs from the entire car. Marc separates the two, then Coty lands in his seat with a thud.
He notices me sneaking peeks, asking, “What?”
“I’m waiting.”
Blowing out a breath, he smooths his jeans before angling his body toward mine. My stomach constricts as my left knee starts to rock back and forth. “I didn’t want to do it like this.” Oh, shit. Has anything good ever followed that sentence? “I was going to tell you soon.” Oh my God! A million scenarios play through my mind as I pull into Creekwood’s entrance. “But we, the three of us, are opening a shop of our own.”
Parked in a spot alongside the Tahoe, the group falls silent. So, he’s not secretly married? And he doesn’t have a kid hidden away that he obviously never sees, making me have to break up with him for being such a horrible father?
I’m still playing catch-up when Beckett speaks again. “Tell her the best part.”
His child-like grin comes into view as I tune back in. He’s literally bouncing. Whatever Coty’s nervous to tell me is having the opposite effect on Beck. The guy is practically covering his own mouth to keep from spilling the beans. Marc is quiet though, giving nothing away.
“It’s not just a body shop, I mean we’ll be servicing everything with a motor, not just cars, but it’ll have a car wash, too. It’ll be built in on the side. Just one bay, but multiple electronic kiosks accepting payments, allowing for cars to go through faster.”
Three sets of eyes watch for my reaction. “Okay?”
“And I, well, we are wondering if you’d run it? The car wash portion.” My eyes widen and Coty rushes to add, “You know most of the positions anyway.” I raise a finger in Beckett’s face, silencing the remark undoubtedly perched on his tongue. “And since you’re going to school for business management, we thought you’d be the perfect person.” I open my mouth but he continues, “You’d call your own shots. We’d have a say over major decisions obviously, but mostly you’d be free to run the wash however you want. So, what do you think?”
I shake my head, calling over my shoulder as I climb out, “I think you’re insane.”
Huge arms lift me from behind. “Angie, did you hear that? You get to be your own boss. And you get to work with us every day. All your problems solved. Boom. You’re welcome.”
I smack his arms so he lowers me to my feet.
“You think that’ll solve my problems? Working for, not with, my neighbors? One is my, I don’t know, boyfriend or whatever.” I look to Coty for help, but he just scowls. “One is a giant man-baby, and the other barely even likes me,” I finish lamely.
“I like you as much as anyone.” Marc shrugs.
I throw my hands up. “You don’t like anybody.”
Beckett nodding, agrees, “She has a point.”
Snickering, I don’t dare look at Coty. I can feel his annoyance from here. He said it himself, we haven’t had much time to talk, so that leaves our current relationship without a label. If he thought differently, he should’ve informed me.
“Look, Coty’s my brother and if my boy loves you then I’m cool with you. We’re a package deal if you haven’t noticed. Just don’t fuck him over and we’ll be good.”
My head is shaking before he finishes. “He doesn’t-”
“Really?” Beckett interrupts, knocking his hand in Coty’s stomach. “Dude, you’re slacking.”
Coty ignores Beckett. “Angela.”
All eyes are on me again and it’s too much. The crazy job proposal. The L word. It’s all just too muc
h, especially on sweltering concrete with boob sweat pooling beneath my bra. This is not how this conversation should’ve gone down. After an intense orgasm would’ve been much more preferable, at least the boob sweat wouldn’t be as embarrassing.
I turn for the stairs but Coty rushes forward, catching my hand. “You’re not leaving, are you?”
“No, I’m not going anywhere.” I hate the doubt I see there. The doubt I put there.
Beckett interjects, “Angie, I get it, that was a lot. We could’ve handled that better.” I snort. Understatement of the year. “But it still doesn’t change anything. Coty’s crazy about you. The kid’s been head over heels since you moved in. And we want you working with us. You’re the perfect woman for the job. You’re smart, damn good at what you do, and don’t take shit from anyone. We’d be lucky to have you. Anyone would.”
I blink away the mist coating my eyes.
“Just…don’t disappear on us again. We won’t pressure you. You can say no and still be in our squad.”
A watery laugh escapes as I meet each boy’s eye, then Marc and Beckett excuse themselves to the Tahoe, giving me and Coty some privacy.
“What are you thinking?”
“That I need to figure out how I’m going to pay my bills.”
His arms snake around my back and I wrap mine around his neck.
“What do you think about the offer?”
“Honestly?” He nods, watching me closely. “It sounds great, but-”
“Then we’ll figure it out,” cutting me off, Coty continues, “together.”
My lungs fill with more air than necessary.
“Can I think about it?”
A loose smile breaks free. “Of course.” He gestures over his shoulder. “I gotta go anyway. You’ll be here when I get back?”
“I might go to the library for a bit, otherwise I’ll be here.”
Coty reaches into his pocket and pulling out his keys, removes one, then hands it to me. “Make yourself at home. Use whatever you need. I’ll see you later.”
With a quick kiss goodbye, he joins the others and they peel out, leaving me alone with my thoughts, and decisions, and sweaty bra.