Blue-Collar Bad Boys Next Door: The Full Eight-Book Collection

by Mazzy King

  “Is that okay?” I murmur.

  “It’s perfect,” she whispers, turning her head toward me. We lock eyes.

  Before I can stop myself, before I can talk myself out of it, I angle my head down toward hers. Her lips part.

  She wants it, too.

  Our lips meet in a kiss that’s light, explorative, but full of heat. Once. Twice. Then the tips of our tongues brush each other, and lightning flies through me.

  “Mommy?”

  Roxie and I break apart. I step back quickly, trying to catch my breath.

  “Yeah, baby?” Roxie says, her voice trembling slightly.

  “I’m sleepy,” Lexi says.

  “Okay, baby. Let’s do bath time, then I’ll read you a story, okay?” Roxie swallows and glances at me. Her eyes are like blue flames. “Say thank you to Maddox for dinner.”

  To my surprise, Lexi rushes toward me and hugs my waist. “Thank you, Maddox.”

  “Hey, you’re welcome any time,” I say, hugging her back.

  Roxie takes her hand and picks up her bag. I walk with them to the door, not sure what to say. How to say it. If I should say anything at all.

  She looks back at me, her cheeks pink, her lips curved up in a smile. “Thank you, Maddox.”

  Damn, I want to kiss her again. “You’re welcome. Hey, I’ll see you in the morning.”

  Roxie nods. “See you in the morning.”

  “Sweet dreams,” I add.

  “You too,” she replies in a low voice.

  I will have sweet dreams.

  And they’ll be of her.

  4

  Maddox

  I’ve been feeling a little guilty.

  But only a little.

  Roxie’s car ended up requiring not only a new bumper but a few interior parts to get it to run properly. My vendor’s experiencing a temporary shortage, which means her car’s been sitting at Roy’s for a couple of weeks.

  Which means I’ve been taking her to work, and Lexi to daycare, every day. The feeling of providing for them fills me with this indescribable sense, like I’m fulfilling some sort of purpose. It sounds stupid, but there’s a big hole I didn’t know I had inside me that’s filling a little more every day.

  We don’t kiss in front of Lexi. I’m not sure Roxie’s ready for her daughter to see that yet, and I totally respect that. When we’re in front of Lexi, we’re friendly. But when Lexi’s out of sight, we share kisses that are sometimes light and tender, and sometimes deep and full of need. But that’s where it stops—for now.

  I need her. I want her. And I’ll wait for her, as long as it takes.

  The best part of the day is picking up my girls. First, I pick up Roxie. Every single day when she walks out of the design studio toward my truck, her face breaks into this beaming smile, matching the one on my own stupid face, I’m sure. Then we get Lexi, who first flings herself at her mother, and then at me. And Lexi hugs are the best.

  We spend most evenings on Roxie’s side. Unsurprisingly, she’s a much better cook than I am and prepares meals that probably have more nutrition than frozen pizza and chicken nuggets. I buy the groceries, she does the cooking, and we do the cleanup together.

  It’s simple. It’s unexciting to most people, I’m sure. But it’s turned my life around, and I wouldn’t trade a single evening with them for any damn thing.

  We snuggle on the couch for a little while after Lexi goes to bed, watching TV, and then…the hardest part. I say goodbye and retreat to my own side.

  Then, after a night that feels like it lasts an eternity, I get up and do it all over again.

  Roy has even noticed a change in me, the light building inside me that’s starting to pour out. “You seem happier lately, boy,” he tells me one day, clapping me warmly on the shoulder. “That’s the kind of smile only a special girl can put on your face.”

  I can’t deny it.

  Tonight marks ten days since our little routine started. I leave work a little early to walk down to the flower shop down the street from Roy’s and buy a couple flowers—a big, bright-pink daisy for Lexi, and a beautiful fire-and-ice rose for Roxie—deep-red petals on the inside, white on the outside.

  The plain red roses just weren’t beautiful enough for her.

  It’s a little silly. And I feel silly doing it. But I know it’ll make my girls smile, and that’s all I care about.

  Roxie’s eyes light up as she climbs in the truck when I pull up to the studio and hold the rose out for her. “That’s for me?” she says, and sure enough, that beautiful smile I’ve become addicted to spreads across her face.

  “You’re going to laugh at me,” I say, “but tonight’s officially ten days since your accident. And…they’ve been the best ten days of my life.”

  She tilts her head, her smile growing wider as she takes the rose with one hand and touches my cheek with the other. “I think that’s quite possibly the sweetest thing anyone has ever said to me.” She leans in and kisses me gently, but the heat in it makes me shiver. She pulls back slightly, looking me in the eyes. “These have been the best ten days I’ve had in a very, very long time too.”

  We’re due for a thunderstorm tonight, but for now, it’s clear, so we grill steaks for us and hot dogs for Lexi. I pull the meat off the grill just as the first raindrop patters against my face.

  After dinner, we watch a movie until Lexi grows sleepy. Roxie gets up to put her to bed, and from her bedroom, I hear her little munchkin voice say, “I want Maddox to read me a story.”

  I get off the couch and walk to her room, hands in my pockets. Roxie smiles up at me. “You’ve been summoned.”

  I lean against the doorframe, grinning. “I heard. What do you want me to read you?”

  “The Day the Crayons Quit,” Lexi says firmly, like she’s been thinking about it all day.

  Roxie finds the book for me in a cardboard box filled with kids’ books. I make a mental note to get Lexi a proper bookshelf soon.

  “Okay?” she asks softly.

  I wink at her. “I definitely got this.”

  She grins. “Okay. I’ll be waiting in the living room.” She kisses Lexi goodnight and slips out, leaving the door slightly ajar.

  I sit on the edge of Lexi’s bed. She pulls the blankets and her stuffed rabbit close and watches me expectantly. I flip open the cover, angling the book so she can see all the pictures while I read to her.

  She zonks out before I’m even halfway through.

  Smiling, I replace the book, then drop a light peck on her temple. “Sweet dreams, buttercup.”

  I shut her door on my way back to the living room. A loud clap of thunder explodes outside, along with a bright flash of lightning.

  “Shit. That won’t wake her up, will it?” I ask Roxie, joining her on the couch.

  She shakes her head. “That kid sleeps like the dead.” She smiles at me. “You’re very sweet. I think she really enjoyed that.”

  “So did I,” I reply. Then, before I can stop myself, I say, “I could get used to that.”

  Roxie swallows and gazes at me.

  I scratch awkwardly at the back of my neck. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to overstep.”

  “You didn’t,” she says softly. “I just—I’ve never introduced Lexi to another man before. Not that I’ve dated all that much. I haven’t even wanted to. But you’re different, Maddox. I trust you. With her…and with me.”

  I say nothing, watching her closely.

  “I know it’s soon,” she says. “But—well, I meant what I said when I told you these have been the best days I’ve had in a long time.”

  “I know,” I say gently, reaching out to tuck a lock of her hair behind her ear. “I meant it too.”

  Her cheek warms under my fingers. “I guess what I’m saying is, I’d like to keep having them. If you want to.”

  My heart beats a little faster, a little harder. “I want to. And, Roxie…I want you.”

  As another huge bolt of lightning outside lights up the living room an
d another big clap of thunder rattles the duplex, Roxie launches herself into my arms.

  I hold her to me as her mouth lands on mine, desperate, greedy. I cup her head in my hands and angle my mouth over hers, sliding my tongue in deep as she returns my passion with everything she has. I’m halfway reclined against the arm of the sofa, and she’s pressed against my chest, between my legs…which means she can feel my cock growing rock hard under her belly.

  I did say I wanted her, after all.

  Panting, she pulls back just slightly. “Come with me.”

  Taking me by the hand, she leads me across the living room toward the other bedroom, the master. Inside, she shuts the door, then pulls me close again.

  Between deep, slow kisses, I murmur, “Is this a good idea? With Lexi close by?”

  “We’ll just have to be very, very quiet,” she whispers, her hands sliding under my shirt.Her touch makes me shiver. “Challenge accepted…” Then something occurs to me. “I don’t have any protection.”

  “I don’t, either.” She leans away from me. “I told you I trust you. I’ve been tested regularly in the years I was with my ex, and I’m good. I’m on birth control.”

  “I’m good too. I got tested before I deployed and haven’t been with anyone since.” Being with someone unprotected is something I’ve never done before, but with Roxie, it feels right. I know in my gut I can trust her, and more than that…I want to mark her as mine, as deeply and intimately as a man can claim a woman.

  Our mouths meet again in a searing kiss as we strip off our clothes. Being quiet will be a delicious challenge, and I have some ideas on how I can test her control.

  I run my hands over her body. It’s petite and curvy, her waist tight and nipping in over rounded hips and a delectable ass. Her breasts are full and soft, her skin warm as I pull her against me.

  “Let’s see how quiet you can be,” I murmur against her mouth as I lay her on her back.

  Her satiny legs draw up around me as I trail kisses from her mouth down her throat to the space between her breasts. Then I skim my lips over to one nipple, teasing it with the tip of my tongue until it hardens there, and I suckle it slowly. She sighs, arching her back. I run my mouth to her other nipple to repeat the action, pulling another soft sigh from her.

  I trail my mouth down her flat belly, stopping to tease her navel and smiling at her giggle. But then as I dip lower, her giggling trails off into more sighs and murmurs lost beneath the storm outside.

  I kiss over her fleshy mound. She keeps herself waxed with a trimmed landing strip, allowing me to see her beautiful pussy with its puffy lips and sweet scent. I waste no time helping myself, sliding the tip of my tongue through her already wet slit. She shivers and moans quietly.

  “Ah-ah,” I tease, lifting my head. “Quiet, remember?” I return my mouth to her flesh, eating her slowly, tasting every inch of her. Her thick juice is sweet and heady, and I love the way she rolls her hips in time to my licks.

  I trail my tongue up to her clit and suckle as her body tenses up tight beneath me. Suddenly she yanks the pillow under her head up and over her face as her body convulses. A triumphant smile tugs at my lips as I make out her faint, muffled cry of pleasure.

  I slide up her body and pull the pillow off her face to find her panting and kiss her. “That was cheating.”

  “You’re amazing at that,” she murmurs. Then she pushes me flat on my back. “Okay, hot shot. Now it’s your turn.”

  My little arrogant smirk disappears as her mouth envelopes me. “Fuck.”

  She makes an “uh-uh” noise with me still in her mouth, and it vibrates around my cock, making me grit my teeth with pleasure. I slip a hand into her glossy dark hair, holding tight as she proceeds to practically swallow me whole. Her mouth is snug and warm and wet, and it doesn’t take long before I feel a warning tingle at the base of my cock.

  “Gonna come,” I pant, tugging her hair gently.

  She stays where she is, her meaning clear, and despite my best efforts I can’t contain a low grunt of pleasure as I come in her mouth, down her throat with a hard throb of my cock. She pushes herself up toward me and rests on my chest while I slowly come down.

  “I guess we both fail, huh?” she whispers.

  “We still have one more test,” I say. To my surprise, my cock hardens again, ready for her, to be buried inside her warmth. “I want to see you on top of me.”

  “Then it’s going to be impossible for me to be quiet,” Roxie says, but she’s already reaching down between us, grasping me and guiding me to her opening. She’s soaking wet and tight as a fist as I slowly make my way inside, grasping her hips. “Oh, god, Maddox,” she gasps into my mouth.

  I clench my teeth. She’s heaven. Tight, wet heaven.

  “Ride me, baby,” I whisper back, guiding her hips. “Ride me nice and slow.”

  Roxie braces her hands on my chest and obeys, rolling her hips in a delicious rhythm that makes my toes curl. Outside, the storm rages a little louder, as if to give us a little more cover to enjoy each other.

  My hands are everywhere—cupping her breasts, toying with her nipples, stroking her skin, teasing her clit with my thumb. She’s trying hard to keep her cries at bay, but the little gushes of juice spurting from her with every stroke of my cock deep inside her tells me she’s as mindless with pleasure as I am.

  “Come for me, Roxie,” I murmur, sinking my teeth gently into the side of her neck. “Come all over my dick.”

  She whimpers back softly in my ear, then bears down on me, grinding hard and deep until a moment later when I feel her pussy clench tight around my cock and pulse as she moans in my ear.

  “Fuck, yeah,” I groan as I explode inside her, filling her with my seed. “Shit, baby. You’re amazing…”

  “I’m ready for the next round whenever you are,” she pants back.

  “Then I hope you don’t plan on getting too much sleep tonight.” I kiss her shoulder, her neck, then her waiting mouth.

  We clean up a little, then cuddle up tight together in her bed. The storm rages on, but there’s nothing but peace in my heart tonight.

  5

  Roxie

  Forty-three.

  It’s been forty-three days since the day I got rear-ended. Since the day Maddox was there for me. Since the day…I fell in love with him.

  We’ve been together every day for forty-three days. And somehow, each day is better than the last.

  My car was fixed a long time ago, and unless I have an important meeting or need to leave work early, he still drives me and Lexi every day. Every day at five, my heart starts doing complicated floor routines, because I know I’ll be seeing him, and nothing makes me happier. Except seeing him with Lexi.

  She idolizes him. Adores him. Loves him. The best part is that I know the feeling is mutual. Seeing them together as they play games or run around the backyard or on Saturday mornings when it’s cereal time and he does a silly “It’s cereal time!” song and dance for her brings me a level of joy I never thought was attainable.

  It feels like we’re a family.

  My work at the design studio has been steady. I’ve run the daily to-dos and helped keep everyone organized and on schedule in a way that often results in unexpected lattes on my desk or packs of Skittles, my favorite candy, with big pink “THANK YOU!!!!!” sticky notes on them. Yesterday, when a design consultant was unexpectedly ill before her appointment, I took it over for her, guiding the client effortlessly through the process, providing her with all the information I’ve heard the design consultants say dozens of times. And since I work with the vendors, I’m well-versed on different types of components, appliances, carpeting, carpet padding, you name it, which helps me help the client make an even more informed decision. It all just rolled off my tongue so easily, and the client, a nervous first-time builder with a deployed husband handling the home design on her own, seemed to be grateful for the guidance. Best of all, I earned Sunny’s impressed approval.

  “I’
ve got some plans for you,” was all she said, tapping her chin and giving me an enigmatic smile. “I’m out of the office tomorrow, but let’s meet on Monday. I need the weekend to put something together for you.”

  An offer? My heart lifted with excitement and keeps doing it every time I think about it now, but I’m trying not to get my hopes up. But to say I’m looking forward to Monday for the first time in my entire life is an understatement.

  Fridays are pizza-and-dinosaur-nugget nights, and we all pile in the living room while Maddox finds a family-friendly movie. He’s stayed here every single night since the night we made feverish, quiet love in my bed while the storm raged. He only goes back to his side to get clean clothes.

  Maybe one day, we’ll have one bigger place…for all of us.

  “What’s that smile for?” he asks in my ear, kissing my cheek as the opening credits of Trolls plays.

  I shrug, still smiling. “I’m just…really happy. Really, really happy.”

  He gives me a slow, sexy grin. “That makes me really, really happy. Means I’ve been doing my job right.”

  “And what’s your job?” I tease, but I’m only half-kidding. We haven’t had the talk yet.

  He slips an arm around my shoulder, balancing his plate on his other thigh. “Being the man in your life who keeps you really, really happy.” He clears his throat, then glances at me. “The only man in your life. Because you’re the only woman in my life, and I want to keep it that way.”

  My heart catches. “You do?”

  “Yes,” he says seriously. “More than anything. What do you want, Rox?”

  “You,” I say simply, lifting a shoulder. “I just want you. And this. For…always.”

  His jaw tightens a little as emotion surges in his eyes. He draws me closer with a gentle fingertip under my chin. “Then you have me. And this. For always.”

  His lips are tender, sweet. If Lexi wasn’t sitting on the floor, laughing at the movie and eating chicken nuggets, I would climb in his lap right now.

  The three little words I’ve been wanting to say but have been too scared to say bubble into my mouth, but I hold them back. I want to tell him when we’re alone, when we’re in each other’s arms. And I want him to tell me the same, tell me what I already know to be true.