“You really are the son my father always wanted, aren’t you?” And one day I’d give him the place he deserved.
He laughed, it was something he’d always teased me about. “I was a pretty good substitute, but you boys always had his heart. Some days, he’d talk and talk about you trying to get me to tell him things. He really grilled me when you enlisted. Damn, I thought he was going to pop a vein with stress. Remember that one on his forehead?
“Yeah, And the way he’d turn red.”
“Like he was going to fucking explode. Used to scare the hell out of me. I’ve never seen anyone so red, the devil maybe.” We shared a laugh.
“He was a devil alright.” I really missed my father, and it was good to have someone to talk to who knew him as I did. Missy and Blaine got too damned emotional, each on different ends of the spectrum, and it was then that I realized, why I was having a hard time letting go. At work, where my father loved to be, I felt closer to him than ever.
We finished up our day and sat with the team who showed us some really interesting and funny takes on Dax Scott’s idea. And by the time we were done, I had a few that were solid enough to present to him.
I headed home, eager to see my girls. My plan was to tuck Sierra in early and spend the night with my wife.
I found them both in our deconstructed kitchen and kissed them hello. Sierra was busy playing with Mystery, so when I got to Allison, I whispered softly in her ear. “I’ve wanted you all day. You owe me another round or two.”
“Sorry, baby. I asked Blaine and Katrina to come over. He had a last-minute meeting he couldn’t miss and called to cancel, but I thought there was no reason being so formal. We’re family and Katrina is my best friend. We can make it a casual thing. I thought we could eat take out on the patio since the house is such a mess.”
I pulled her in for a kiss and spoke softly, so Sierra didn’t hear. “Okay, Ms. Pouty Pants. But when you’re crying for attention and getting all sassy with me, I’m going to remind you of this night and how it was your fault we didn’t get our alone time.”
“Well, it’s not like I expected anything to happen.”
“Ouch, woman. You’re going to earn a spanking with that mouth.” I gripped her ass and made love to her mouth until Sierra screamed across the room. I turned to see she’d tripped over a piece of trim that the workers had left on the floor.
There was a trail of blood down her leg, and I ran over to scoop her up and take a look. It was a superficial cut and mostly scraped the skin, but my blood was boiling for their negligence. I’d be glad when they finally finished, and we could have our house back.
“I swear, those men.” I tried to hold my tongue as I brought Sierra to the counter and Allison was quick to get a cold rag and some bandages. “Let Daddy clean it.” Sierra’s cheeks were wet with fat tears, and I realized it was the first time she’d had an accident on my watch. I felt like such a damned failure and so helpless.
“It’ll be okay, Papa Bear. She’s going to be fine.” Allison tried to calm me down, but our kid was bleeding. I didn’t know how she kept her composure when all I wanted to do was grab that piece of trim and beat that pretty boy contractor over the head with it.
“You’re so much better at this than me.”
“You’re doing fine, too. I’ve just had more practice, and it’s not the first time I’ve seen her bleed. But I do know that if you overreact, it’s only going to make it worse.”
“I know that, but damn.” I held Sierra tight against me and rocked her as she cried. “It’s okay, angel baby. Daddy’s sweet girl.”
As her sobs got louder my need to lash outgrew. “I don’t want her in this room anymore. Not until this work is done. And I’m saying something to this GD crew! They need to have their stuff out of the way. There’s a child living here.”
“What’s a GD crew, daddy.” Sierra’s little hand reached out and stroked my beard.
Allison pulled her lips in tight and tried not to laugh as I stuttered to explain.
“It’s the kind of crew that these people are.”
Thankfully, I was saved by the ringing of the doorbell.
***
Allison
I opened the door for Blaine as David carried Sierra out to the sofa and held her in his lap.
Blaine came in, looking as sexy as ever in jeans and his signature white tee. He didn’t get too dressed up, but he didn’t need to. He could wear anything and still be as handsome as his brother, though the two were much different in their builds.
Blaine was a tad smaller, still filling out from his drug days when he’d gotten too thin, but the slight bulk of muscles showed beneath his tee, and his arms were more defined than usual.
“Looking good, baby brother. I see you’ve got Allison’s attention.” David laughed and gave me a sideward look.
“What? I can’t notice how nice my little brother-to-be looks? You’ve put on a few pounds, in all the right places.”
Blaine blushed. “Thanks. I’ve been hitting the gym an extra day a week. What’s with my girl? Have you two been mistreating her?” He sat on the couch next to Sierra and his brother and held out his arms. She knew just who to impress and went to him. She curled up against him and sniffled, though she’d stopped crying minutes earlier.
“She cut her leg on some of the crap the men left lying around.” David was still pissed, and it showed in the set of his jaw.
Blaine’s eyes narrowed as he looked to see the bandage. “Who do we have to kill?”
“See, I’m not the only one. Allison thinks I’m overreacting.”
“You both are, but it’s adorable.” I walked over to join them. “We’re having take-out if that’s okay?”
“That’s great. Is Katrina coming?” His eyes looked hopeful, and I couldn’t help but wonder if he had a thing for my friend.
“Yes. And since Sierra’s already had her dinner and a rough night, she’s going to go stay the night at my parents so the adults can talk. It’s probably time she goes over.” I looked to David, who usually liked to do the honors, but Sierra spoke up.
“Can Uncle Blaine take me, Daddy? I’m all packed.”
I thought I could actually hear David’s heart breaking and he stuttered to answer. “Fine, I mean, sure if he wants.”
“It’s no trouble.” Blaine shrugged it off and stood up with Sierra holding on tight. “I’m good with my nieces.” He carried her to each of us so we could kiss her goodbye and then he lifted her up to his shoulders.
David gave his brother a dirty look behind his back, and you’d think the man honed in on his girlfriend or something as his eyes followed them all the way out the door.
“Doesn’t feel good, does it? When she chooses someone else over you.”
“No.” He crossed his arms. “When is Katrina coming?”
“Any minute now. She’s always late.” Katrina had done a lot of changing since she’d decided to better her life and go into business for herself with me and Greyson. She’d gotten her wild, red hair tamed and since she didn’t have to wear a diner’s uniform all day, we’d gone shopping for a whole new wardrobe. She was not only my crazy friend, but she had a style that was on the edge of sophistication.
“I think Greyson likes her.”
“What? No way. They’re all wrong for each other. It’s going to take a special man to be with that one. She’s a bit eccentric.”
“Yeah, but so is he.”
“Yes, but they’re too much alike in that way. Katrina needs balance. Trust me; they’re just friends.”
“They spend an awful lot of time texting is all I’m saying.” The doorbell rang and luckily, I didn’t have to continue the argument. Katrina was on the other side, and as I let her in, Blaine was crossing the road to come back to our house.
We made small talk and ordered takeout, and during dinner, which we’d taken out onto the heated patio, Katrina and Blaine flirted and laughed.
Their banter wasn’t lost on David,
and he gave me a sideward glance and nodded toward the house. “I’ll grab us some more wine. Baby, will you help me?” He got up and motioned me to the kitchen. “What’s up with your friend? First, she’s texting Greyson, and now she’s hitting on my brother?”
“They’re both hitting on each other, and I think it’s cute. They make a gorgeous couple.”
“I was pulling for her and Greyson is all.” He opened the wine chiller and grabbed a bottle of our favorite.
I shook my head and laughed. He was in such a strange mood, caring about his friend and brother. He was ridiculous. “Yeah, well that would never work out with Greyson. They’re business partners.”
“And my brother is here to talk about going into the business too, remember?” He stopped in front of me and looked down with a frown.
“It’s not the same thing.” I gave him a quick kiss, but when I went to pull away, he pulled me into his arms and kissed me much deeper with more aggression. My entire body responded as the warmth of need blossomed between my legs.
“Let’s not keep them long. I can’t wait to get at you.” He kissed the top of my breasts and gave me a smoldering look.
“We can’t be rude, but we’ll feel them out.” We went back out to the patio to find that Blaine had moved his chair much closer and was leaning closer to my friend. The two stared at each other as if captivated by their conversation and mesmerized by their chemistry. It was so cute that I felt a sting of blush hit my cheeks as I looked at David.
David yawned dramatically. “It’s been a long one. I guess I’m getting old.” He shrugged, and Blaine laughed.
“Yeah, you are.” He turned to Katrina. “Maybe we should go grab a cup of coffee instead and talk a bit more about these designs?”
“I can do you one better,” said Katrina grabbing her bag from the floor. “Let’s go down to the café, and we’ll see what we’re working with.” The two rose from their seats and met eye to eye, close enough to kiss.
“I’d like that.” He put his hand on her back and turned to give us a polite smile. “Thanks for a lovely evening.”
“Yeah, thanks.” Katrina’s eyes were sparkling, and her smile was wide. “I’ll call you, Alli.”
“Sounds good. You two have fun.” They showed themselves out, and David gave me a devilish grin.
“Do you and your brother have some secret code? He was all over that big fake yawn.”
“Who cares, it worked. Besides, we’ve got the entire house to ourselves. A big empty bed upstairs, too.” He took my hand and grabbed the bottle of wine. “Come on, baby. Let’s go have a little fun.”
“No, let’s go have a lot of fun.”
By the time we were upstairs, He’d already managed to undress me, and I’d stripped off his shirt and undone his pants. He kicked them off at the foot of the bed and fell between my legs, his warm mouth closing over my mound as his tongue slipped down to lick and tease my clit. I cried out, the need so intense I couldn’t wait until he filled me up. “Fuck me.” I ground my hips against his face and his hand obliged as two fingers pushed inside my hole to stroke my most tender spot with a come-hither motion. He was ravenous as he feasted and one hand reached up to tug my nipple hard, causing a shot of pleasure to hit my core.
I stroked his hair and moaned, my whole body shaking as my first orgasm broke free, like a dam exploding, and as he rose up, pressing his thick cock against me, his phone rang at his feet.
He reached down to his pants to grab his phone. “Fuck! It’s Sierra.” He answered the phone before I could tell him to ignore it, and sat up and held out my hands.
“Hey baby girl, what’s wrong?” He paced the room, his thick cock bouncing around his hips in a taunting fashion as if telling me I could look and not touch.
“Tell her to go back to bed, David.” He held up a finger.
“Does it, baby? I’m so sorry. Daddy will come get you, and I’ll kiss it better, okay. Don’t cry, baby.”
He reached down and grabbed his pants and gave me an apologetic look. “I’m sorry, but she’s crying.”
“She’s playing you. You’re seriously going to fucking leave me like this?”
He leaned over and kissed me. “You came, didn’t you? We’ll finish as soon as she goes to sleep.”
“I don’t think so.” I got up and went to the bathroom and slammed the door.
He groaned in frustration. “I’ll be right back. Fuck.” I heard his footsteps as he left.
By the time he came home and got Sierra to sleep, I was lying back in bed.
He came over to me and kissed my neck, but I pushed him away and rolled over. “Not going to happen.”
It was the first time I’d ever denied him, and as much as it hurt, he needed to be taught a lesson.
***
David
I felt like a scolded dog for most of next morning, and though I’d known better than to try and make a move on Allison, I’d expected her to at least talk to me.
I arrived at work in a sour mood, and Greyson got the brunt of it. “Are you kidding? The little fucker didn’t like any of our ideas?”
“Not one. He said there wasn’t enough action and he really wants to see the rocket thing he mentioned.”
“Then get one of those guys to do exactly what he wants to show him what a fucking whacked idea it is.” I slammed my fist on the desk and then proceeded to knock over my coffee in the process. “Fuck!”
“What’s crawled up your ass, man? Not getting any at home?”
“Is it that fucking obvious?”
“Seriously? I was just kidding.” He held up his hands defensively. “Want to talk about it?” He got up to get a roll of paper towels we kept in the cabinet of the coffee bar and tossed them to me.
“I fucked up. We finally had a night to ourselves, and Sierra called. She was crying. She’d cut her leg earlier and said it was bothering her.”
“She couldn’t tell her grandmother about it?”
“She called me from her cell phone. I thought she had. Turns out, she hadn’t.”
“You bought her a cell phone?”
“So she can call me when she needs me. You sound just like Allison. She said it was a horrible idea.”
“I don’t understand a seven-year-old having a cell phone. I mean, what’s there to look forward to?”
“She plays games on it; it’s fun. Anyway, that’s not the point. I left Allison hanging and went and brought our daughter home. I told her I’d be right back, but when I was, she told me it wasn’t going to happen. She shut me down.”
“You left her hanging in the middle of fucking, and you expected a different reaction?”
“I expected her to show a little compassion for the situation. It’s the first time Sierra’s had a scratch so sue me if I’m a little protective.”
“You better start giving her attention before she finds someone else who will.”
“Not my Allison. She’d never fucking do that.” I hated him for even putting the thought in my mind, though I knew her better than that. She’d loved me her whole life.
“Did you ever think that Sierra’s playing you?”
“That’s what Allison said. I don’t see it though. She was crying. I can’t just ignore her when she’s crying.”
“What would you have told Blaine when he was a kid?”
“I’d have told him to suck it up and go to bed, but that’s not the same. I can’t tell Sierra to suck it up. I’m her father. If she has a need—
“But Allison is her mother. She’s been her mother a lot longer—
“Which is why she should fucking understand. I’m new to this, and I’ve missed out on half her damned life. I’m trying to catch up.”
“And Sierra knows that. Allison would have told her to talk to her grandmother, and the woman would have taken care of it, and you could have taken care of your wife. You’re spoiling her.”
“Fuck. I love her though. You should have seen her big tears. She had a fucking huge cut on
her leg.”
“A cut or a scratch? Because you called it a scratch a minute ago.” He was clearly amused with a shit-eating grin.
Maybe I was exaggerating it a bit. “Fine, it still bled a lot.”
“What are you doing here, man?”
I’d come in because of the Dax Scott account. “I’ve got work to do. I work here.”
“Well, that’s debatable, but what I’m trying to say is, Sierra’s in school, right? Go home and fuck your woman. I’ve got this.” He picked a piece of lint from his shirt and flicked it. He really didn’t need me. But I needed my girl.
“Thanks, man. I think I will.” I gathered my shit and headed down to my car and called her. But Allison didn’t answer her phone.
I tried a few more times on the way and grew more and more frustrated. She hadn’t said she was going anywhere.
I pulled into our drive to see the men at work and Allison’s car in the garage. Thank God, our upstairs offered privacy, because with any luck, and a little forgiveness, I was going to need it.
I walked into the house and heard Allison’s flirty giggle, and though it brought a smile to my face, it faded fast at what I saw next. She was coming down the stairs with Ethan, the contractor who was eye fucking her so hard she had to feel it.
“Thanks so much, Ethan. You’re a lifesaver. That wouldn’t have waited until David got home.” My blood pumped so fast; I would have sworn she’d heard it as she looked up. “David?”
Ethan wasn’t happy to see me, especially when I crossed the room and met him at the foot of the stairs. “What couldn’t wait until I got home?”
Allison’s eyes went wide. “I broke the handle on the faucet in the bathroom. There was water everywhere, so Ethan came up and fixed it.”
Ethan cleared his throat and scrubbed his beard. “Yeah, it’s fine now. I turned off the shut-off valve, and my plumber was here with his tools. We got you all fixed up.”
I deflated a bit and stepped back. “Thanks for helping my wife.”
Mister Big Stuff: A Single Mom Friends to Lovers Novel Page 21