Sinners' Playground

by Caroline Peckham

  I gestured for Rogue to step past me and she scowled as she slid out of the truck and did so.

  “Morning, sweetheart.” JJ smirked at her and I didn’t miss how her eyes dipped to his naked chest before she gave him a smile with actual warmth in it before heading over to sit back on her towel with the mutt.

  Chase shook his head at me, muttering something to himself and I glowered at him.

  “If you’ve got something to say, spit it out. Don’t mutter under your breath like a little bitch,” I snarled and he pushed a hand into his wet hair, taking his sweet time to answer as he sucked on his cancer stick.

  I’d tried getting him off the things, but then he just turned to harder shit, so this was my way of compromising. Telling Chase what to do led to him acting out like a pissed off toddler. In fact, him and Rogue had that in common.

  “The whole beach just saw how weak you are for that chick,” he said coldly, jerking his chin in her general direction. “You wanna fuck her? Go nuts. But keeping her long term…” He tutted, toking on his cigarette again. “It’s gonna get you dead.”

  I moved forward and squared up to him, lifting my chin to emphasise the half inch of height I had on him but he stared right at me, not backing down like he should. “I don’t give a fuck if everyone on the planet knows she’s my girl. In fact, I’d gladly send them all a fucking warning individually. If you think a single motherfucker in this world could use her against me, you’re wrong. Because no one will get close to her without ending up dead at my fucking feet for it. When I’m done driving the message home, everyone in this town will treat her like she’s a live bomb fit to fucking blow.” My eyes shifted over his shoulder, landing on the back of Carter’s head as he walked up the beach toward the public restrooms. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m gonna go and hand out my first warning.”

  I caught JJ’s eye and silently communicated for him to watch Rogue to which he nodded his agreement. Then I walked away up the beach, my boots kicking up sand as I went, my fingers flexing as my thirst for blood grew to a tangible taste on my tongue.

  I slowed my pace as I entered the restroom, the sound of Carter pissing reaching my ears and I folded my arms as I came to a halt behind him, waiting for him to finish.

  “There’s another urinal right there, bro,” he said without looking over his shoulder. If he had, he would have realised that not only was I not his bro, but I was a goddamn predator out for its next meal.

  He finished pissing, shaking his junk and tugging up his stupid fucking harem pants before heading over to the sink and washing his hands. I followed silently and he stilled as his eyes met mine in the rusted mirror on the wall.

  “What part of mine do you not understand?” I asked in my deadliest voice and if the guy hadn’t just relieved himself, I was pretty sure there’d be a wet patch growing around his crotch right now.

  He turned around to face me, the blood draining from his face drop by glorious drop. “Look man, I d-dunno what’s upset you, but-”

  “What’s upset me, man-” I moved closer to him and his ass hit the sink as he backed away and I continued to advance on him with slow and measured steps. “Is that not only did you stare at my girl-”

  “She’s hot and I’m only human,” he gasped and I sneered, hatred slithering through my veins as I got close enough to smell the sweat on him.

  “You recorded her for your dirty, pathetic little spank bank.” I stuffed my hand into his pocket, wrenching his phone out and dropping it onto the floor. I slammed my heel onto it repeatedly until it was nothing but shattered glass and broken metal. I never took my eyes off his while I did it and his lower lip started to tremble, the cogs working behind his eyes as he tried to come up with some excuse that would save his pathetic ass from what was going to happen next.

  “She’s y-yours,” he stammered. “I get that now. I won’t go anywhere near her again.”

  “No,” I said, reaching out and calmly taking hold of his throat. “You won’t.”

  I cracked his head back against the mirror before throwing him to the floor. He screamed like an infant as I started kicking him, my mind going to the darkest, most twisted place it held as I kicked and stamped and made this asshole hurt for daring to even think about touching my girl.

  Footsteps pounded into the room and Chase appeared, his eyebrows arching for a second as he took in the guy I was beating the living shit out of. Then he continued walking over to a urinal, whistling as he relieved himself and I reached down to grip Carter’s hair in my fist, pointing a finger in his face.

  “This is your one and only warning, do you understand me?” I growled.

  “Y-yes,” he sobbed and I released him, my upper lip peeling back as I headed outside and Chase appeared a second later, his shoulder brushing mine as we walked back down the beach together.

  “Look, if she means that much to you, I won’t say another word. I just care about you, brother. I remember how fucked up we all were after she left last time. I just…don’t want that shit to play on repeat. I’ve lived it once. We won’t survive it again.”

  I looked to him, finding a frown etched into his forehead. I wasn’t stupid enough not to realise JJ, Chase and even fucking Maverick had loved Rogue once. But I didn’t know exactly how deeply that love had run. We’d never spoken about it. All I knew was that we’d all fought over her enough times to make it clear she was under all of our skin. But it was obvious Chase had moved on and JJ wouldn’t step on my toes when it came to her. He didn’t do relationships anyway. For him, it was all about sex. But he wouldn’t cross any lines with Rogue now I’d claimed her. That didn’t mean her return wasn’t a headfuck for both of them though.

  “I know the risks,” I told him.

  “You’re always trying to convince me not to take risks, asshole.” Chase smirked at me, toying with one of the leather bands on his wrists.

  “Yeah well, when it comes to her, I have no fucking boundaries,” I said with a shrug. “I’ll do anything for her. And anything to keep her.”

  “I’m guessing that’s why you just laid out hippy McGee back there?” he asked.

  I blew out an amused breath and he raised his eyebrows knowingly.

  “Come surf with me, headcase,” he asked, grinning at me like a fucking idiot, but I shook my head.

  “I’m gonna go and…not be an asshole to Rogue,” I said and he laughed, throwing his damn head back.

  “Good luck with that.” He jogged over to JJ who’d attracted a little group of fan girls and I made a direct path towards Rogue.

  She was lying on her back with JJ’s sunglasses on, her dog curled up in the shade of her gym bag which she’d propped up with some old cola bottles.

  Yeah…no.

  I headed past her and her apparent new friends to where a couple were sitting under a large parasol. I ducked under it, plucking it out of the ground and the girl yelped in surprise, clinging to her boyfriend as I walked away from them.

  “That’s Fox Harlequin,” the guy gasped as I headed back to Rogue and planted it in the ground, meaning her and the mutt were shaded properly.

  “Who the fuck is sun-blocking me?” she asked without opening her eyes beneath the glasses and I snatched one of her friend’s towels, laying it down beside her and dropping onto it.

  She finally opened her eyes and huffed out a breath. “Come to badger me, Badger?”

  I tried not to let that petty little nickname annoy me, but it did. “I came to talk.”

  “Great, could you do it somewhere else though, you’re kinda killing my vibe.”

  “Rogue,” I warned.

  “Badger,” she sighed, pushing JJ’s glasses onto her head. “Why don’t you go surfing with your bros or something?”

  “So you can run off again?” I arched a brow and she stared me down for half a second, all poker face before she cracked a smirk.

  “You think you know me so well, don’t you, asshole?”

  “I do know you so well,” I said si
mply.

  “You don’t know this new version of me. She plays dirty. You won’t like her very much.”

  “I like her so far,” I mused and she frowned at me like I was dense.

  “Why?” Her nose wrinkled and it was so fucking familiar and cute and one of the million things I’d missed about her, I couldn’t help but smile. “I hate you. So what part of my attitude towards you is turning you on? Because if it’s the challenge, you need to get your head out of your ass because I am off limits to you. That is not an invitation to try harder. It’s an invitation to fuck off and take the Brady Bunch with you.”

  Her fiery tone was getting me hot and I realised I didn’t really give a shit how much she ran her mouth at me. So long as she was still fucking here, I’d take anything on offer. “I can read you just like I could always read you, baby. It’s why I call you hummingbird, remember?” I reached out to place my hand over her heart, but she slapped it away before I could get close.

  “I’m not your hummingbird. That little nickname doesn’t mean shit to me anymore. You’re really not getting the message, are you?”

  “Nope.” My gaze dropped to her mouth which was parted with panting breaths then to her chest which was heaving, the way her thighs were pressing tightly together and I just fucking smirked. Because I wasn’t deluding myself. She wanted me. Maybe just to fuck right now, but it would be more than that in time. It would be just like it was when we were teenagers and we were always so close to crossing that fucking line. But when I got my shot again, I wasn’t going to pussy out this time. I was going to claim her as mine so deeply, that she’d never dare deny to the world who she belonged to ever again.

  “You should put some sunscreen on,” I said.

  “And you should get some sleep. You look like shit, Badger.” She looked at my eyes which were no doubt heavy with dark rings, but I’d have gone a whole fucking year without sleep just to be sitting next to her here in the flesh again. I had no intention of closing my eyes anytime soon in case fate dared to steal her from me once more.

  I reached for the bottle of sunscreen beside her dog and the mutt jumped up, growling at me. I pointed at him and barked, “Sit,” in my sternest voice and the beast whimpered as its ass hit the sand, but it still glared at me like it was considering mauling my hand.

  I swiped up the bottle and Rogue pouted at me. “So you want me to lie under a massive fucking umbrella, in a t-shirt and put sunscreen on? Are you into pasty vampire ass or something?”

  “I’m into you not getting skin cancer,” I deadpanned, opening the bottle and squeezing some lotion into my palm. Then I grabbed one of her legs, rubbing it into her flesh and she only kicked once before she fell still and let me continue. I worked up her calves, my heart pounding hard as I reached her thighs and dipped my hand between them, making sure she was covered all the way up to the hem of my shirt. Though I was seriously tempted to reach further. But even as I thought it, her thighs clamped shut on my fingers and her eyes narrowed at me.

  “I don’t need your help.” She snatched the bottle away from me and my palm tingled with the warmth of her flesh.

  It started off a chain reaction in my skin as I hungered for more. I wanted to touch her everywhere, examine all of her tattoos, seek out her scars and mark her with my tongue and teeth. I always grew bored of the women I’d pursued in the past. But I’d pursued her in my dreams for year after year. I would never grow tired of her. Would never be fucking sated.

  “Stop looking at me like that,” she snipped.

  “Like what?” I asked in a low tone and goosebumps spread across her leg as my fingers brushed her flesh once more.

  “Like you want to drag me back to your castle and lock me in a tower.”

  “But I do want to do that.” I smiled darkly and she bit her lip for half a second before her expression turned to stone.

  “I’m not coming back to your house, Fox. I have a new home.”

  “Where? The fucking beach?” I snarled, my anger rising quickly again.

  “No,” she said. “Somewhere I like. Somewhere that’s mine.”

  I tsked. “Harlequin House is yours. And you’ll grow to like it.”

  “I don’t want to live with you. I didn’t come back here to be enslaved by my enemies.”

  “Enemies,” I scoffed.

  She scowled then pushed to her feet. “You know what, Fox? You wanna sit in the shade. Go the fuck ahead.” She grabbed her bag then kicked sand at me before walking off at a fierce pace down the beach. Her dog bounded after her and venom poured through my veins as I shoved myself upright and took off after her.

  “I warned you, Rogue!” I called after her and she raised her middle finger in the air in answer, but her pace noticeably quickened.

  Her friends were calling out for her to stop, but she kept walking, then broke into a fucking run.

  I cursed, taking chase as she sprinted down the beach at full pelt and the girl was fucking fast. I ran after her with a growl of frustration, locking her in my gaze like a damn missile as she turned towards a little group of beach huts and darted between them.

  I was two seconds behind her, racing between the huts and silence met my ears as I delved into the shadows.

  “Rogue,” I snapped. “Come out here.”

  There was no answer as I slipped into a cool space behind the huts beside a rocky wall and I moved along, glancing down the little alleys between the wooden buildings as I searched for her.

  I walked from hut to hut, swearing under my breath as my heart started to pound with the worry of losing her again. Why did she have to keep fucking running?

  I made it to the final hut, finding the last alley void of life and my teeth snapped together as I strode down it back onto the beach. I gazed along the sand, but she wasn’t anywhere in sight. So I turned back to the huts, narrowing my eyes. The window of the closest one was ever so slightly ajar and I smirked as I walked up the steps onto the little porch, resting my ear to the door.

  “Shh, Mutt,” her voice reached me and I threw my shoulder against the door, sending it flying open.

  Rogue screamed dramatically and I launched at her, grabbing her around the waist and throwing her over my shoulder. She kicked wildly, thumping me in the back as I strode out of the hut and the dog barked and nipped at my heels as I headed off down the beach, yanking her shirt down over her ass to make sure no one got of view of what was mine.

  She fought me all the way back to my truck and I was glad when I noticed that JJ and Chase had returned to the water so I didn’t have to bother explaining to them why I was kidnapping Rogue. But if she hadn’t run, I wouldn’t have had to.

  I walked around to the back of my truck, reaching into the bed and taking out a length of rope before dumping her into it face down and climbing in to straddle her.

  “You fucking prick!” she screamed as I bound her wrists behind her back and tied her ankles for good measure. Then I stood up, lifting her again and jumping out of the truck before planting her in the passenger side of the cab. The dog bit deep into my ankle and I swore, dropping down and grabbing him by the scruff, lifting him up so he was on eye level with me.

  “Are you and me gonna have a problem?” I snapped at him and he growled, his eyes flicking to Rogue with a desperate plea in them.

  Call me fucking crazy, but I kinda related to the lovesick little creature in that moment so I tossed him into Rogue’s lap while she continued to curse me with every colourful word she knew before I shoved the door shut in her face and strode around to get in the driver’s seat.

  I yanked my door shut and she fell silent at last, glaring at me in all her sandy, rainbow sweetness and she looked so fucking hot I leaned over and crushed my lips to hers. She bit my lip so hard I tasted blood and I laughed as I drew away and started the engine.

  “You taste like sunshine, hummingbird.”

  “You taste like a dead man,” she growled.

  “No, I taste like your new roommate. Get used to it.�
�� I drove down the beach, beeping my horn at JJ and Chase out on the water and they waved goodbye.

  We were soon out on the road, heading home. And I didn’t care if Rogue was as pissed off as a bobcat in a bees’ nest. She was my fucking bobcat. And I would find a way to tame her until she was purring in my lap.

  “I am always, always going to hate you, Fox Harlequin,” she said in an icy tone aimed to scold. And it did. I just didn’t believe her. Because there was too much between us. Too many days in the sun, too many secrets shared, too many memories that were etched into my heart as deeply as they were etched into hers. She just needed to remember why we still belonged to each other.

  I refused to talk to Fox again the whole way back to his house while the taste of his blood lingered on my tongue and the heat of his kiss left my lips tingling. Fuck him. Fuck his stupid washboard abs and his fucking beautiful tattoos and his carelessly perfect hair and his I'm-the-king-of-the-world bullshit.

  My wrists were tingling from the tightness of the rope that bound them behind my back and Mutt kept whimpering softly as he nuzzled against me, like he was trying to apologise for not taking down the big bad wolf for me. But I didn't need any help taking on this asshole. I was perfectly capable of doing that all by myself.

  We pulled into the underground garage and Fox hopped out of the truck, rounding it to open my door and smirking at me as he hoisted me into his arms again without so much as a do you mind?

  He threw me over his shoulder like I was a sack of potatoes and I had to fight the urge to scream over him treating me like some fucking possession that he could just haul around at his whim.

  We headed up into the house with Mutt following close behind and Fox tossed me down on the white couch, my face smooshing into the cushions while my ass was left sticking up into the air.

  I cursed him out, but my voice was muffled by the fabric beneath me as I tried to wriggle upright and I mostly just succeeded in thrusting my ass up even higher like I was a baboon looking for some action.

  "If you want me to fuck you, you could just ask, baby," he teased, grabbing my hips and yanking me backwards so that I was tugged upright and fell back into his lap as he sat down on the couch.