by Green, Megan
I jump nearly ten feet in the air and squeal out when one of the buds pops out of my ear. Turning around, Benton is bent over at the waist laughing as hard as he can. “As much as I love the show, do you plan on working at all today?”
“For your information, I was laying the floor down, but I couldn’t help but jump up and dance when this song randomly came on.”
He tilts his head to the side in confusion and I pull my phone out of my tool belt. Tugging on the cord, the room is suddenly filled with Bubba Sparxxx rapping about Ms. New Booty. I can’t help it as I start shaking it around the room again laughing my ass off. Ben spends all of ten seconds laughing at me before he jumps right in on my impromptu dance party. It brings me back to high school dances all over again and his previous phone conversation is all but forgotten.
* * *
After our thirty-second dance party, Benton helped me lay the floor down, and we ended up finishing the room I was working on and another office as well. It was definitely a successful work day, and we’re ahead of schedule again, which gives me a little room to breathe. I might not be an owner of the business, but I still care about how the end result turns out. Plus, I know Barrett will bitch if we screw up.
We called it quits about ten minutes ago and Ben has been waiting around with me. I don’t know why Barrett insisted on picking me up. The office is on the other side of town closer to his house than City Hall. It makes absolutely no sense for him to drive all the way over here.
As we’re waiting, a shiny cherry red Mustang pulls up in front of us and I can’t help but admire the car. It’s older, not classic but late nineties by the looks of it, and isn’t in the greatest condition, but I’d still sell my right arm to have it instead of my beater which is currently wasting away in a junkyard somewhere.
“Hey Ben.”
Scarlett steps out of the driver side wearing cut-off jean shorts, a very tight tank that shows off her ample cleavage, and a pair of Chucks. Her hair is pulled up in a messy bun with little hairs flying all over the place. She looks sexy in that ‘I spent two seconds pulling myself together’ look which has Benton drooling all over himself.
His eyes mentally fuck her as he trails her from head to toe and he puts a cocky grin on his face. “Hey Scar, what are you doing here?”
“I’m kidnapping Monroe.”
Wait, what? “You are?” I ask in confusion.
“Yep, we’re going shopping.”
She probably feels bad about this morning and even though she doesn’t know I was pissed at her; I feel a little guilty for feeling that way. She didn’t do anything to my car. “Is this about my car? You don’t even have to worry about it.”
“What happened to your car?”
Interesting, so Barrett didn’t tell him? I would have assumed that they had a conversation since Benton didn’t seem all that surprised that I didn’t have my car with me today. Unless Barrett told him about last night which is super embarrassing. If he knew, he would have said something to me though. Especially about the part where I puked all over Barrett’s shirt and he threw it away. Not that I minded that car ride one bit. I might have been smashed, but I can appreciate his body whether or not I’m sober.
Just thinking about him pushes me even further to the side of not going shopping. The mall doesn’t give me orgasms, Barrett does. And watching Scarlett try on clothes, and take them off, sounds more like something Benton would enjoy.
Scarlett looks over at Ben with a smirk of her own and says, “My dad had it towed this morning.” Before either one of us can get a word out, she switches her focus back to me and adds, “I am not that nice. I mean, I feel bad it happened, but your car was a piece of junk anyway.”
Wow, she’s really working for those friend points right there. I know she didn’t mean anything by it, but it’s still my car and I have to pay money that I don’t have to spare to get it back. Why is everyone acting like it’s not that big of a deal? It must be nice to just be able to buy things.
Scarlett starts walking back to the driver side of her car and does a little finger wave to Benton. So random. She taps her shoe on the ground and points her finger to the invisible watch on her wrist. “C’mon we’re wasting time standing around. The mall is only open for a couple more hours and we have tons of ground to cover.”
I pause outside the passenger side as she starts getting in and I finally find my words after fantasizing over the car for so long. “I really appreciate you being friendly and all, but I have plans.”
She waves me off and says, “Just send Barrett a text and let him know you’re hanging out with me. No biggie.”
It wouldn’t be a big deal if I had money, which I don’t. At least not any that I’m willing to just blow on frivolous items at the local shopping mall. My priority right now is finding a place to live. Rather than being a complete bitch and blowing off her kindness entirely, I opt for the truth.
“It’s very sweet of you to want to go shopping, but I don’t have any money.”
“Is that what the issue is?”
I nod my head and she starts laughing. Wow, I guess my broke ass is hilarious to everyone. Maybe making friends with Scarlett isn’t that great of an idea after all.
She pulls something out of her back pocket and holds it over the top of the car. “Some crazy person upped my limit on my Victoria’s Secret credit card, so I’ve got money to burn.”
“I can go with you if you want but trust me, I don’t need anything from there.”
“Are you kidding me? We’re getting something to drive Barrett crazy. Trust me.”
I turn around and see Ben getting into his truck across the parking lot. Thank god he didn’t hear that. As I get into her car, I say, “I’m just staying with Barrett temporarily, there’s nothing going on with us.”
Scarlett starts laughing and says, “If that’s the story you want people to know, that’s fine, but you told me all about the mind-blowing orgasms last night.”
Shit. I did that?
She pats my hand while turning the key in the ignition. “Don’t worry babe, your secret is safe with me. Now let’s go get us some sexy lingerie. You for Barrett and me…” She trails off and looks into her rearview mirror at the same time. I don’t think she realizes that she did it and she has a far off look in her eyes. Shaking her head, she continues, “And me for myself…for now.”
As soon as my seatbelt is clicked into place, Scarlett floors it out of the parking lot. What the hell am I getting myself into?
Chapter Eighteen
Barrett
I pull up in front of City Hall, my face immediately falling when I see the dark facade of the building. My meeting with Ash had run twenty minutes longer than expected, and I’d broken a speed limit or two in my rush to get here and pick up Monroe.
And it was all for nothing.
Apparently, it was too much to ask for her to actually stay here and wait for me like I’d asked. Though, to be honest, am I really surprised? That woman has done nothing but push my buttons since the moment I first spotted her on that bar stool. I might’ve actually fallen over dead from shock had she actually been here like she was supposed to be.
I pop the car into park and slide my phone out of my pocket, tapping Benton’s name on my favorites list.
“Yo.”
I resist the urge to roll my eyes at my eternal frat-boy of a brother, instead getting straight to the point. “Where the hell are you guys? I told you I’d pick up Monroe today.”
Benton chuckles lightheartedly. “Not my doing, man. Scar showed up about ten minutes ago and kidnapped Monroe. Said something about taking her shopping. And you know how that woman gets when she gets a bee in her bonnet. There was no way I was going to even attempt to talk her out of it.”
My brow quirks at his expression. “Bee in her bonnet? When the fuck did you turn into Grandma?”
“Fuck you. You know what I mean.”
I sigh. “Do you know where they went?”
Benton is quiet for a long moment, and I immediately regret the question. I shouldn’t give a shit that Monroe and Scarlett took off to go shopping. As far as Benton knows, I was only stopping by to get her to save him the trip out to my place. What I intended on doing to her once I got her there was an entirely different story.
Disappointment floods through me as I realize Monroe’s field trip is going to put a damper on the ideas I’d been dreaming up all afternoon. I’d been so distracted during our meeting, thinking of all the different ways I planned to take Monroe when I got her home, that Ash had had to repeat himself multiple times, growing more and more agitated with me with every passing second.
I couldn’t blame him. Our asses were still on the line here. City Hall was coming along great, and for the first time, there was some light shining through at the end of what had been a very long, very dark tunnel. But one minor mishap was all that stood between our salvation and the ruin we’d so narrowly averted. Until the job was done—and that final check deposited safely into our account—we all had to be extra vigilant in our work. Which meant no slacking off. No screw ups. And definitely no daydreaming about our new foreman while I’m supposed to be focused on our profit margin.
Maybe this was for the best. Maybe the letdown would help me get my fucking head on straight, and I could finally realize there were much more important things at hand here than my dick.
“I overheard Scar say something about Victoria’s Secret before I got in my truck. My guess is they’re over at Winchester Mall.”
And just like that, my level headedness flies right out the proverbial window. Two words out of Benton’s mouth and my dick springs back to attention, all my dirty thoughts from earlier coming front and center in my mind. Namely, Monroe clad in nothing but a scrap of lace, her body flushed and ready for me to do with as I pleased.
I’m so far gone in my own thoughts that it takes me a moment to realize Benton is talking.
“You still there? You’re not thinking of going over there and crashing their little girl’s day, are you?”
“Of course not,” I say immediately. Though, now that he’s mentioned it, that doesn’t sound like such a bad idea…
“Good, because that would be fucked up. I don’t know what’s going on with you two—”
“Nothing!” I spit out, cutting him off. “There’s nothing going on between us.”
Benton is silent for a moment, something that seems to be happening more and more whenever we talk. It’s like he assesses my every word, looking for some sort of hole, some missing link that will suddenly make everything make sense. Fortunately for me, he doesn’t seem to find whatever it is he’s looking for.
“Whatever, bro. I’m just saying. She deserves to have a little fun. And Scar is nothing if not fun. Don’t go ruining this for her just because you have some weird hero complex.”
“What the fuck is that supposed to mean?”
I don’t have to be with him to know that my brother is shrugging right now. “I don’t know, man. You’re just different with her. I thought I’d have to beg and plead to get you to let her stay at your place. Especially with how much you two butt heads. You two can’t stand each other, yet for some reason I get the impression that you’re, I don’t know...protective of her, I guess.”
“She’s your friend, Ben. What kind of asshole would I be if I made her keep staying at that shithole motel?”
“The kind of asshole you’ve always been. You don’t exactly have the track record of a priest, bro. You’ve always been a ‘love ‘em and leave ‘em’ kinda guy. And hey, I’m not knocking it. I know my ass isn’t one to talk. I just get the sense that something with Monroe is different. If I didn’t know for a fact that she hated you, I’d say you might even be in love.”
“You’re insane,” I scoff, but I don’t miss the pang that seeps through me at his words. Not the part about me being in love with her—though, really, he’s lost his damn mind—but the part about her hating me. “What do you mean you know for a fact she hates me?”
Benton sighs. “Really, man? You’re going to act surprised that the woman isn’t exactly beating down the door to be your friend? You’ve treated her like shit since she got here.”
“That’s not true!” I bark, my defenses rising way too quickly. I lower my tone. “I admit, I was a jerk when we first met. But I’ve apologized. Monroe accepted. We’re good now.” Very, very good, I tack on silently, thinking back to the taste of her lips on mine this morning.
“I hope so, because I’d sure like to keep her around for a while. City Hall will be done soon, but I think she’s been a great asset to our team. Her current contract is only for this job, but I’m hoping I can convince her to stay and work with us long term.”
Monroe leaving is the last thing I want, especially since we’re just getting started. “I’ll do what I can to make that decision as easy as possible for her.”
Like give her so many mind-blowing orgasms she won’t be able to see straight long enough to leave.
“Thanks, bro. I appreciate that. And I appreciate you trying with her. I know she’s not what you were expecting, but I think she’s been good for us.”
Benton’s right. Monroe hadn’t been what I was expecting when he hired a new foreman.
She’s so much fucking more.
“Talk to you later, Ben,” I say, hanging up the phone and tossing it on the seat beside me.
And then I flip the car around, heading straight toward the one place I just told Benton I wasn’t going to go.
* * *
Well, I feel like a total fucking creeper.
I’m standing behind a group of mannequins, lacy bras and panties the only barrier between me and Monroe. She and Scarlett are sorting through racks of lingerie, Scarlett pulling out a garment every so often and saying something I can’t quite make out to Monroe, causing her cheeks to flush furiously each time.
It’s the cutest damn thing I’ve ever seen.
I’d intended to show up here and snatch Monroe away, deposit her in the front seat of my car, and then drive her home so I could spend the next several hours worshipping her beautiful body.
But then I’d seen her, smiling and laughing with Scarlett, her eyes alight with happiness and amusement, her demeanor so relaxed, so comfortable, so unlike anything I’d ever seen from her before.
I’d been transfixed, and I hadn’t looked away a single time since I stepped into this shop ten minutes ago.
She is so goddamn beautiful.
And I am a fucking stalker.
I move around the mannequins as Monroe and Scarlett shop, ensuring she can’t see me, knowing I should leave, but unable to make myself move. I watch as she purses her lips, her nose scrunching in the cutest way as she eyes every piece of lingerie Scarlett holds out to her before dismissing it.
But when Scarlett pulls out a little red number, Monroe’s eyes flash for just a moment, and it’s all the signal Scar needs before she’s shoving the garment into Monroe’s hands and ushering her toward the dressing room.
I can hear Monroe’s protests as she tries to avoid entering, her feet digging into the carpet as Scarlett all but drags her into the stall and pushes her inside. Satisfied that she’s not going to try and escape, Scar dusts her hands together before turning and heading back out to find something for herself.
An idea springs to my mind, a devilish smile spreading across my lips as I look around the store. I shouldn’t do this. I can’t do this.
But I’m going to.
After ensuring nobody is in the immediate vicinity, I head into the dressing room and rap lightly on Monroe’s door.
It swings open after only a second. “Scarlett, I don’t know—”
I push my way inside, Monroe stumbling back in surprise as I close the door behind me. I turn and snake my arm around the small of her back, catching her before she falls. Once I’m certain she’s steady on her feet, I take a step back, my eyes traveling the length of her body in severa
l long, slow seconds.
The red lace she’d held out in the store had looked sexy as hell. But on Monroe?
Out. Of. This. Fucking. World.
The red contrasts amazingly against her tanned skin, the sexy cutouts on the sides causing the one-piece to expose more skin than it covers. The deep V of the top dips down almost to her belly button, putting those beautiful tits on nearly full display.
In short, it’s the most erotic thing I’ve ever seen.
And I have to have a taste.
“Barrett, what are you—”
I step into her, pushing her back against the wall of the dressing room, hiking one of her legs up on my hip and pressing my erection into her core. The words she was about to speak are forgotten, and Monroe lets out a loud moan as her eyes roll back, her lids fluttering shut as her head hits the wall behind her.
“You look so fucking perfect, Monroe,” I husk as I bend down, running my tongue up the length of her neck. “Taste fucking perfect, too.”
“Barrett, we can’t—”
“We can. I know you want this, Monroe. I can feel how wet you already are, even through my pants and this scrap of lace. You want me. Let me make you feel good.”
“But what if someone hears us?”
I give her a wicked grin. “Well, I guess you’re just gonna have to be quiet.”
I close my mouth over hers, sucking her tongue greedily inside, my hands sliding down to her ass and hiking her the rest of the way up so that she’s pinned between me and the wall. She groans against my mouth as I grind into her core, my cock aching to be freed and to plunge inside of her.
But not yet.
Bringing one hand up to her hair, I lock her face in place, keeping her mouth exactly where I want it so that I can continue ravaging her lips. I lower my other hand between us, my fingers sliding the lace to the side and working their way through her slick folds as I find her center.