Mister Bossy (Bad Boys in Love Book 4)

by Cassie-Ann L. Miller

  At this point, I’m just playing with fire but the way his eyes flare and his Adam’s apple bobs makes me feel powerful. Plus, it’s fun. Harmless fun. And after everything Eli’s been through, he deserves some of that.

  Our eyes stay locked together as he slowly leans in and takes a bite.

  "Mmm…” he groans the second the fruity, creamy, decadent medley of bold flavors hits his tongue.

  The look on his face, though. Instantly, I’m wet.

  I try to move my hand away but seemingly on reflex, he grabs my wrist and takes another messy bite. “What the hell is this sorcery?” he asks, sounding mystified.

  I giggle shakily. "It's strawberry cheesecake filling stuffed inside a birthday cake."

  He barks out a laugh then muffles it with his fist. "Are you for real?" he asks in a low voice.

  At his reaction, I giggle again. “Told you, you’ve been missing out.”

  “Is this stuff even legal?”

  His fingers are still clasped around my wrist. The contact of his skin with mine isn’t helping the situation in my panties. I get up and wander to the fridge. "Oh, stop being dramatic. You can just eat an apple or a carrot or a piece of broccoli after this. To cancel out all the bad stuff."

  A chuckle comes from deep in his chest. “I don't think that's how it works."

  I glance back and catch him checking me out as I lean into the fridge. "Water, beer or tropical sensation exotic fruit passion?" Fighting my blush, I stage-whisper over my shoulder.

  "I'll take a beer,” he says. “I don't think I've had this much sugar since I was in middle school. I’m not sure how my body’ll react. And I’m not getting any younger.” He makes a big show of rotating his injured shoulder.

  I go back and plop down next to him. I slide the beer his way and then stick a straw into my tropical exotic whatever. “Fine, Grandpa.” Then my attention moves to that strong, powerful body of his. “How is your shoulder, by the way?”

  He gives me a smile. A smile so genuine I feel my chest contract. “My shoulder’s all better. Your hands are magic.” I swear, I don’t know how it happens but next thing you know, he’s cradling my hand in his and intertwining our fingers together.

  Eli’s eyes snap up to mine, wide, wanting and a little bit afraid. My chest squeezes even tighter. Oh my god. What’s happening here?

  He drops my hand. Scoots his stool an inch back. Erects a concrete wall between us.

  We sit in silence, picking at the junk food spread out across the counter and I just want to get back to the place where the conversation was flowing easily. There’s so much on my mind, so much I want to say.

  I hesitate. “You…you really were amazing with Callie today.”

  He expels a deep sigh. “I know I should have said the standard bullshit to her.” He plunges his fingers into his hair and pulls. “I should have said, ‘your mom can’t be here with you right now and she wishes she could but she really does love you’. All that bullshit. But Callie deserves the truth. I don’t want her growing up, believing a lie.”

  “You did the right thing. She’s a really smart kid. She wouldn’t fall for lies and dodging around the truth with her would only make it harder for her to trust you.”

  He nods solemnly. “I just…I never know when I’m doing the right thing, saying the right thing. Sometimes I look at her and I wonder just how badly I’ve fucked her up so far.” He looks at me. “This parenthood thing is scary, man.”

  I touch his arm and smile. “Well, good thing you’ve got a kick-ass nanny around, huh?”

  “Yeah, for now.” There’s a bitter undertone to his voice. “So, did you hear back about your job interview yet?”

  “No,” I admit. “When I do, you’re the first person I’ll tell. I wouldn’t want to just up and leave without giving you sufficient notice.” Callie needs me. He needs me. Even though he’d probably never want to admit it.

  But my promise doesn’t seem to offer him much comfort. He still looks distressed. “So, you’re really gonna quit on me, huh?”

  I swallow, fidgeting with the lollipop stick in my hand. “Eventually, yes.”

  Guilt rushes in and I think it’s showing on my face because Eli gets an apologetic look in his eyes. “Sorry. I shouldn’t have said it like that. I made it sound like I don’t want good things to happen for you. I do. It’s just…”

  “I get it. You don’t have to explain.”

  I went to school for years. I studied hard for my degree. I’d like to get the chance to use it. I can be a good teacher, shape hundreds of young minds over the course of my career. Plus, I want employment benefits. Perks. Job security. How do you think I feel knowing that at any moment, my sexy, muscled-up employer could up and run off to become a world-famous underwear model? What kind of job security is that?

  So why does the idea of walking out on Callie—and her father—seem to outweigh all that in my heart?

  When I fall silent, Eli bumps his knee against the side of my thigh. “The mood is gettin’ kind of heavy in here. Tell me I haven’t fucked everything up.”

  I smile. “You haven’t fucked everything up.” I break away from his intense gaze and focus on the junk food on the counter. “Next cake. Try this one." I quietly open another packet but this time, I hand it to him.

  He brings it to his mouth and takes a bite. Flaky crumbs fall into his lap and an unexpected explosion of the dark chocolate filling bleeds out, smearing his lips and beard.

  I snicker. "My gosh. You're no better than Callie." Without thinking, my fingers come up and trace across his mouth.

  I pause.

  That's when I really look at him. His hair is thick and dark, tousled from getting raked by his long fingers. His white T-shirt is fitted to his broad torso. His mouth is fucking perfect. Soft and plush and smeared with chocolate. He licks his lips and I remember how they felt against mine when he kissed me. But it’s his eyes. The sex screaming from the depths of those brown irises makes my blood ripple beneath my skin.

  Now, I’ve got chocolate all over my fingers. I can’t seem to move my gaze away from his when I lift my hand to my mouth. Suck the chocolate off my fingers. One. By. One.

  Eli clears his throat with a heavy sound and forces his eyes away. “Wh-what are we trying next?”

  I snap myself out of my stupor and focus on the snacks again. “Um…uh, here. Try this.” I quietly open a cellophane packet and hand him a piece of old-fashioned chocolate fudge.

  He takes it from me and analyzes it skeptically before popping it into his mouth. “Holy fuck…” he mutters as the fatty, sweet cocoa goodness melts on his tongue. “This is amazing.”

  “Tell me about it.” I put a piece in my mouth and my eyes roll back. “I bought it from this little old lady down on the promenade. She says it’s her grandmother’s grandfather’s uncle’s wife’s recipe…or something like that.”

  When Eli reaches for a second piece I slap his hand away. “No, you only get one piece. This stuff is dangerous.”

  “And the rest of it isn’t?” He quirks a brow and gestures to our junk food spread.

  I swing my head left to right. “Trust me—I learned my lesson the hard way. Eat one more piece and you probably won’t be able to fit into your tux for Walker and Penny’s wedding.” I chuckle.

  His eyes drop to the counter and his shoulders fold in perceptibly. “I think I’m gonna skip that,” he grumbles.

  I blink at him. “What…?”

  “I’m not going to Walker and Penny’s wedding,” he repeats himself.

  “Wait—tell me you’re going to your parents’ anniversary party,” I demand.

  He shrugs a shoulder. “I think I’ll skip that, too.”

  “Why?”

  “It’s just…I…I don’t think I’m needed there,” he says finally.

  I scrunch up my face at him. “You don’t think you’re needed there? Of course, you’re not needed there, strictly speaking.” I chuckle. “Eli, we’re not talking about a military
conscription here. We’re talking about spending quality time with your family, being there for them, making memories with them. That’s so special.”

  “What’s so special about spending an entire evening in a room full of people who are secretly judging me, resenting me? My family sees me as nothing but a criminal, Jessa. I’ve dragged the Kingston name through the dirt. I’ll be doing us all a favor by staying away.” He slowly spins his beer bottle around on the countertop.

  I angle my body to face him full-on. “Let me tell you something, Eli. People are complicated. Family is complicated. Okay, fine—they may be disappointed in the choices you’ve made. But that doesn’t mean that they’ve written you off or given up on you.”

  He hikes a brow. “Is that so?” I hear the sarcasm in his voice.

  I search my mind for a way to make him understand. “My parents live in a rickety trailer in a middle of nowhere town. They barely have two pennies to rub together. But did you know they won the lottery?” Eli’s brow goes higher in response to my question. “Yup, years ago, they won two-point-five million dollars. You want to know what they did with it?”

  “What?” he questions, his expression telling me he’s invested in my story.

  “They blew it. Spectacularly.” I breathe out heavily. “They bought a mansion and some fast cars. They bought my sister and me all kinds of things we didn’t need. They were irresponsible as hell. The money didn’t last long and at the end of the day, the four of us ended up living in a trailer park. They could barely provide for us.”

  “Wow! That fucking sucks, Firefly. Your parents really fucked up.” He scrubs a palm across his chin.

  Firefly? My belly tingles when he calls me that but I’m too much of a chicken to ask him what it means.

  I continue speaking. “Was I disappointed? Definitely. Was I angry? Sure as shit. But did I stop loving them? Not for one second.” I hold his gaze. “I think your family feels the same way, Eli,” I venture to say. “They might be angry with you on some level. But I think there’s nothing they want more than for you to know they still have your back.”

  The man goes quiet. He stares off across the dark room for a long moment.

  When his eyes come back to mine, he half-smiles. “I’m gonna have to review your employment contract because I’m pretty sure you aren’t supposed to bop your boss upside the head with logic like that.”

  I grin. “Just think about it.” His gaze holds mine and when I can no longer withstand his brown-eyed intensity, I turn back to the snacks. “How about an eclair?” I reach for an oblong pastry stuffed with marshmallow frosting.

  Eli grabs the package and it makes a loud crinkling sound. Wanting to help, I reach to take it from his hand but when I clasp my hand around his, one end of the wrapper pops open and filling squirts out, covering my fist.

  And I know it’s dumb and so very immature but it really, really looks like we’re fisting a little penis together.

  We pause.

  We glance at each other.

  Then we break out laughing. Like teenagers in Sex Ed class. It’s ridiculous.

  "Shush! You're gonna wake Callie!" he scolds me playfully through his own laughter.

  "Sorry," I snort, drop my head and slap a hand over my mouth.

  But there's frosting in my hand. So now, there's frosting in my hair and on my nose and on my cheeks.

  "You're making a mess," He says sternly. He throws my words from earlier back in my face. "You're no better than Callie."

  I pout. “Hey! This mess is your fault.”

  “Sure.” He grabs some paper towel off the roll and folds it up into the perfect little triangle. "Sit still." He cups my chin and starts gently wiping the frosting off my face.

  I squirm and titter at his touch. "Stop moving,” he demands.

  "It tickles," I whine. He glares and I do my best to sober up. "Okay. Okay. Fine."

  Cradling my jaw, he slowly drags the napkin along the ridges of my cheeks, down the bridge of my nose, across the oh-so-sensitive slopes of my lips.

  He’s staring. Shamelessly. I feel a blush begin to bloom on my cheeks. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

  He lifts a shoulder and lets it fall. “Just wondering if you know how fucking beautiful you are. Inside and out.”

  My heart is fluttering all about, not even bothering to keep up a rhythm. I coyly lower my chin…

  And one corner of the paper towel triangle goes up my nose.

  On instinct, I snort and bat his hand away. "Eli!"

  “Oh, fuck. Sorry. Total accident," he says between chortles.

  “If you’re so sorry, then stop freaking laughing.”

  “I told you to stop moving.”

  “Stop laughing!” I hiss again.

  But the fact is, we’re both laughing. Huddled close, shoulders rocking with our muffled guffaws, forcing ourselves to keep quiet.

  Gradually, we grow sober. Our eyes lock. Something ignites in the air. Something electric and consuming.

  Eli gives me a look that says he’s barely restraining himself from pouncing on me.

  Then he leans back and exhales a stuttered breath. He drags a hand down his face. I can see his reluctance when he looks away from me, toward the microwave. "Fuck—it's late,” he says in the most unconvincing tone ever.

  I glance over my shoulder at the clock with out even seeing the numbers displayed. “Wow. It is late.”

  We both know that our pulling away has nothing to do with the time.

  “Let’s clean up,” I mumble, hoping he can’t see my disappointment.

  Together, we dump empty wrappers into the recycling bin and store sealed packages in the pantry and wipe crumbs from the counter. Then, we stand toe-to-toe in the middle of the kitchen.

  Eli speaks first. “Well, this night just cut ten years off of my lifespan.” He exaggeratedly rubs his belly. “I hope you can explain that to my daughter when you guys are singing Amazing Grace and sprinkling my ashes into the river out back.” I offer a little laugh at his joke. “But I really needed it, Jessa. After that conversation I just had with Callie, I really needed a reason to laugh.”

  “You deserve to laugh, Eli.” My hand gently brushes the centre of his chest. “You deserve all the good things.”

  His forehead creases. I know he has so much more he wants to say. Instead, he gives me a gallant bow. "It was a pleasure being in your company this evening, Miss Robson."

  I sigh shakily. “Likewise, Mister Kingston."

  The man turns his back and heads down into his damp, lonely basement. I stand there wishing I could have him with me in my bed.

  31

  Jessa

  I twirl left to right in front of the mirror and Callie giggles at the way my floor-length chiffon dress swishes around my legs.

  “Look, I can do it, too, Jessa.” She wheels around to demonstrate and her rose petal pink flower girl dress sweeps around her little body. Iris, Lexi and I are wearing bridesmaid gowns in the same color although ours have sexy plunging necklines, a daring thigh slit and an X strap at the back.

  “Wow, Cal! You look like a little angel!” Mrs. Kingston aims her phone at her granddaughter and a bright camera flash cuts through the room. “Come take another picture to send to Papa! Then, we’ll get you changed and we’ll go borrow some new books from the library.”

  “Yay!” The child runs off with her grandmother. Within minutes, the duo come ambling back into the room in their street clothes. They say their goodbyes and Callie gives me a big hug. Then they’re out of the shop, on the way to the library.

  I watch after them as they go and my heart smiles. I’m so happy that Callie has made a full recovery from the chicken pox and is back to normal now. I hated seeing her miserable and itchy.

  All of us girls are at Lexi’s bridal shop today. Our gowns for Penny and Walker’s wedding have arrived and my sister has taken charge of our fitting.

  “You look so beautiful, Jess.” Penny squeals from where she’s sittin
g on the chaise lounge, breastfeeding Mayor.

  Iris sits next to her, gently massaging Luke’s belly. It’s hard to believe how much the babies have grown over the past few weeks. “You always look beautiful but for the record, you look extra juicy today.” She laughs.

  Lexi circles around me, tape measure and pin cushion in hand. “Yeah, this color looks amazing on you, and I really resent how good your boobs look in this cut.” We both laugh.

  My big sister is always moaning and complaining about her small chest, much like I whine about my butt not looking the way I want it to. I guess every woman’s got that one thing that makes her a little insecure.

  Lexi stands back and scans the garment thoughtfully. “I’m gonna have to adjust the hem, though. And your straps are about a half-inch too long. I’m going to tighten those as well.” She turns her attention to Iris. “Okay, you’re up next, babe.”

  Iris stands and hands Luke over to me. I drape a thin blanket over my shoulder and grin down into his sweet, sleepy face.

  Penny stares longingly out the window at a group of women walking by, talking and laughing, each holding an iced cappuccino in hand. “I could drink a gallon of caffeine right now.” She yawns deeply then grins at me. “Girl, I sure miss when you used to work at the coffee shop.”

  I huff. “You mean, you miss the free coffee and delivery service I provided?”

  “That, too,” she snorts. “But seriously, there’s nothing but high schoolers working there now. They’re all snooty and rude. One of them called me ma’am.” She shudders.

  “Oh, the audacity.” Iris feigns offence from where she’s getting her measurements taken by Alexia.

  Now seems like as good a time as any to mention this. “Speaking of my employment ‘situation’, I may have applied for a kindergarten teaching job…in Cowersville.”

  That earns me a glare from my sister. “And you didn’t think to tell me?”

  “Slipped my mind…?” I wince.

  I’m so full of bullshit. The truth is, I’ve been conflicted about this job. On one hand, I really want to move forward with my career. On the other hand, I don’t want to leave the life I’ve built here in Crescent Harbor. On the third hand, after my late night junk food session with Eli, I don’t even know what I want anymore. Last night, I spent time with the silly, funny playful side of him and now my crush on the man has gone through the stratosphere. He’s all I’ve been thinking about all day.