I really don’t know how to answer that, so I’ll just take a stab at it. “Um, I guess I’m excited about being part of the family. I know that’s part of it. I mean, they’re both really good-looking guys―well, you know, Brock and Boone, and that’s kinda weird―but yeah, I guess so. I’m not sure exactly how this works, but I’m sure―”
“Oh, you don’t worry about that. You’ll figure it out pretty quick,” Kara says.
“So do either of you have plans tonight?” Gertie asks.
“Boone asked me to spend the rest of the evening with him tonight, so Misti, I guess you’re with Brock.”
“Okay. That leaves Blake. You okay with that, Melina?” Gertie asks.
“Sure. That’s fine.” It’s been decided―I’m spending time with Blake tonight. Okay, this is just weird, talking about it with their wives. I’m not sure how I’m supposed to feel. Just … weird.
“Good. Do the guys know?” Misti asks.
“I’m not sure, but I’m guessing they’re talking about it right now,” Kara says. “I would think that’s why they rode together. I think they’re trying to protect you, Melina. You know, like talking about it in front of you might make you uncomfortable or something.”
“Actually, I’d rather it was just out in the open and out of the way,” I say. “Just, you know, tell me what’s happening. I’ll go along with it. I’m not a boat-rocker.”
“That one is,” Misti says, pointing to Kara. That surprises me. She’s so fucking angelic-looking that I want to puke.
“Yeah, I guess I am. Misti asked Boone one night and I just said, ‘Nope. I wanted to hang out with Boone tonight. That okay with you, big boy?’ He said, ‘You girls just duke it out and let me know what’s going on.’”
“Hell, I didn’t care,” Misti says. “That was right after Marie left and he was feeling pretty low. Being more or less fought over was good for his ego.”
Kara nods. “Yep. He’s such an upbeat guy, but that whole thing laid him low.”
I sigh. “He doesn’t talk about it much, but I got that impression.”
“Yeah. Rough spot in history. He’s a Lawson. They try their best to hike up their britches and move on,” Gertie says with a frown.
The guys make it back first and they’re all standing around in the kitchen when we walk in. I hear Blake say, “So what’s on tap?”
“Kara, wanna go to the Space Needle?” Boone asks her.
“No! You know I hate heights!” she announces, and all the guys laugh.
“Okay. We can go to the planetarium if you’d rather.”
“I’d like that.”
“Can we take the kayaks out?” Misti asks Brock.
“Well, ugly brother, whaddya think?” he asks Boone.
“Sure. Help yourselves. Blake?” Boone says and turns to his older brother.
“Melina? Got anything you’d like to do?” Blake asks.
I just shrug. “I live here. You’re visiting. Is there something you’d like to do?”
“Actually, since my wife is no fan of it, I’d like to go to the Space Needle, if that’s okay.”
“Sure! And afterward, I’ll take you to my favorite gelato parlor, if you want,” I tell him with a smile.
“That would be great! We don’t have much gelato in Birmingham, honestly.”
Boone slaps his hands together. “Okay! We’ve got a plan. Mom, Dad, anything you want to do?”
Brannon waves him off. “Nah. We’ll stay here and spend time out on the grounds. This is a beautiful place, son. I’m sure we’ll be fine.”
In ten minutes, we’re all out the door. This should be fun.
* * *
Lunchtime on Friday brings the guys making burgers for us out on Boone’s big built-in grill. It’s beautiful outside, and Kara wants to go for a walk, but nobody else wants to go, so I finally say, “Sure. I’ll go with you.” I run upstairs, put on my athletic shoes, and head back down.
We walk along, looking at the plants and bugs―there are a lot of bugs―and chat. I find out she’s got two sisters and a brother, but her parents are dead, so she considers Brannon and Gertie her parents. I tell her about my family, and she pats my arm gently. “Just know that if you and Boone stay close, his parents will be your parents. If he does you wrong, they’ll stick to you like glue and kick his ass.”
“Good to know.” And it is. Fuck me over, buddy, and your parents will be mine. Oh yeah. I like it.
“Did you and Blake have a good time last night?”
“Yeah. It seemed awkward at first, but he made it easy. I guess I’m spending the evening with Brock?”
“I would assume so.”
“Anything I need to know?”
She shakes her head. “If there is, he’ll tell you. That’s not my place.”
Uh-oh. I stepped in it, I guess. “Oh, Kara, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to―”
“No, no,” she says, shaking her head. “No problem. That came out a little harsher than I meant it to. It’s just that your time with Brock is yours. It’s not mine, and what you do is none of my business. That’s all I meant.”
“But how can you―”
“Because I trust him, Melina. I trust him more than I’ve ever trusted anybody in my whole life. He wants you and Misti to feel like you can come to him with anything if there’s a problem. And yeah, if anything happens that I need to know about, he’ll tell me. Does that makes sense?” she asks as we walk along, enjoying the sunshine.
“I suppose. And I trust Boone.”
“Good. You should. He’s a very, very straight-up guy.”
I give her a little chuckle. “I’ve figured that out.”
“Plus I have it on good authority that he’s about to go mad dog on Marie and tell her about you.”
Ohhhh. That’s such a bad idea―a really, really bad idea. “He shouldn’t do that.”
“If you want to be around when Baker’s around, then he’s pretty much going to have to. I guarantee by now Baker’s told his mom that his dad has a girlfriend. She’s going to start asking questions, and the guys believe it’ll be better to meet it head-on than to sidestep it and wait for her to strike. Look, Misti’s the closest thing to a sister I’ve got. It’s killing us that the company has caused us to live so far apart, us still in Birmingham and Blake and Misti in Mobile. I know that’s not even four hours apart, but sometimes it feels like a million miles. But Marie? No. She was never close to either of us. Matter of fact, she despised us. I think it’s because she thought that since the family does the bonding the way it does, we wanted her husband. That wasn’t true, but she just couldn’t understand. And the way she did Boone? No. That was beyond wrong. So she needs to know.”
I shudder. That can’t be anything but bad. Suddenly, I wish there were a way I could change my name so she couldn’t ever track me down, but I know she’d still manage. A sense of dread fills me like nothing else ever has. I can’t get it off my mind.
Dinner is nice. Millie and Maurice join us, and I see the playful side of Brannon and Gertie while Millie’s with us. They talk about Millie’s late husband, but the attack and the fire are never mentioned. I can tell they think a lot of Millie, and she thinks a lot of them too.
We spend the evening sitting on the patio, drinking whatever we decide we want and talking. Misti and Kara are really close, and I find myself wishing I was part of that. Will I ever be? I guess time will tell.
It’s my evening with Brock, so I’m a little excited because I’m so curious. How much like Boone is he? Doesn’t take me long to find out when he asks if I want to go to a street fair that’s going on downtown. It’s art and food and music and craft beer. It’s actually where Boone and Kara ended up the night before, and they said it was a lot of fun.
We get back about eleven, late enough that Brannon and Gertie say their goodnights. Boone and Misti haven’t gotten back yet, but Blake and Kara have. The guys are talking about their high school football team when Boone and Misti walk in. The gi
rls wind up deep in a discussion of the kids’ swim classes. I have nothing and no one, no history with this group, nothing to fall back on. I’m staring at my drink, thinking about how my family would be behaving if they were all together like this―a knock-down, drag-out, I’m sure. There I sit on the sofa, my mind a million miles away, when I feel arms wrap around my neck from behind and his breath tickles my ear. “Are you ‘bout ready for bed, babe?”
“Uh, yeah. Sure. You?”
“I’m tired. These girls have worn me out!” he says with a chuckle.
“You’re just getting old,” Misti says and laughs.
“Hey! I resemble that remark!” Brock shouts. That sets Blake laughing.
“Goodnight, y’all. See ya in the morning,” Boone says and pulls me up from the sofa, my hands in his. “Time I had this one all to myself.”
“Goodnight,” I say quietly.
“Night, honey. See y’all in the morning,” Blake answers.
“We’re goin’ up too. The kids will be here tomorrow, so we’d better get rested up,” Brock adds.
“Oh, shit. That’s right. Come on, baby,” Blake says and reaches for Misti. “We should get to bed too.”
“Night, y’all,” she replies toward all of us. We all climb the stairs, us first, followed by Brock and Kara, with Blake and Misti bringing up the rear.
When the bedroom door closes behind us, Boone turns and wraps his arms around my waist. “Did you have a good time with Brock?”
“Oh, yeah. He’s fun. The street fair was awesome.”
“I knew you’d like it. That’s why I suggested it after Kara and I wound up there last night.” When he leans in and kisses me, the only thing I can think about is how his lips are all I’ve wanted all day. Well, that and other parts of him.
Fifteen minutes later I’ve had my first orgasm of the evening, but it won’t be my last. With him, that’s only one of so many things that are never-ending.
Chapter Eleven
There’s a growing tension in the house and I’m not sure what it is. But I find out at about eleven. There’s the sound of a car in the drive, and I hear Boone say, “Grab her and take her upstairs.”
Kara’s at my side in an instant. “Come on.”
“What?”
“Just come with me. Boone’s orders. Come on right now.”
“What the hell is―”
I don’t even get the words out when I hear a voice yell, “Girlfriend? You have a girlfriend? And you exposed our son to her without even telling me first? What the hell, Boone?”
Oh, shit. Marie.
Kara’s dragging me by the arm and into the bedroom, slamming the door behind us, but we can still hear everything.
“I have the right to have a relationship with whomever I want. You’re the one who left, not me.”
“But you have a woman coming around my son!” she screams.
I can also hear Baker’s little voice at the back of the house. “Grammy! I didn’t know you were here.” Worse yet, Maurice and Millie pull up with all of Brock and Blake’s kids with them. Now there’s a real spectacle going on.
“Yes. I have her around my son! And you should know I wouldn’t do anything that would hurt him, and I most certainly wouldn’t have anyone around him who wouldn’t be good for him!”
“He said she bought him a Gadget? What the hell, Boone! You know I don’t like him having all that electronic stuff!”
“That’s fine when he’s with you. Here, he can have what I say he can have. And I say he can have a Gadget. Otherwise, none of your business.”
“Are you carrying on your weird sex stuff around him?”
Another voice pipes up. “Marie, this is neither the time nor place,” it says, and I’m pretty sure it’s Blake.
“Oh, I think this is absolutely the time and place!” she shrieks.
“No, it’s not,” another voice says, and I know that one is Brock. “These are my kids you’re carrying on in front of, and you don’t have that right. So shut the fuck up and get gone. We don’t have to listen to this horse shit.”
“No, we don’t,” another male voice says, and everything goes quiet. Brannon―has to be. “Marie, you know our family traditions. That’s how it’s going to be. We’re not doing anything that will hurt anyone, especially these children. You know that. So go on to work. Baker is perfectly safe here with us.”
“He says her name is Poopsie Chucklebutt? Is that some kind of weird stripper name or something?” Now I’m getting pissed at her.
“No. He likes to give his friends funny little names that are all his. That’s what he asked her if he can call her. Her name is Melina, and she’s a lovely person.” Shit, I wish he hadn’t told her my name. “So you run on to work like Dad said and we’ll talk about this some other time and place.”
“Oh, yeah, you can bet your ass we will, buster. We sure will. And I’ll be talking to my attorney too. You got that? So you’d better call yours, because you’re gonna need him. Poopsie Chucklebutt my ass,” I hear her say just before her car door slams shut. For an extremely well-built house, you sure can hear through the walls of this place.
“That went well, don’t you think?” I hear Boone grumble, and then there’s the low hum of voices as he and his brothers converse.
“I think we can go downstairs now,” Kara says and heads out.
“Poopsie! You’re here!” Baker yells and runs straight for me when I make it to the den. “I didn’t think you’d be here! I want to give you a kiss!” he says, so I bend down to let him kiss my cheek. “There. Now you’ll remember that I love you.”
“I couldn’t forget if I wanted to. And don’t you forget I love you,” I tell him and kiss his cheek.
“Whoooo-weeeee. I’ve got a girlfriend named Poopsie Chucklebutt!” he says, laughing and rolling his eyes.
“I think Grammy has some lunch for you in the kitchen, you and your cousins,” Boone tells him as he comes through the house to find me. “Me and Poopsie here have to go have a talk. I’ll be back in a few minutes. Give me a hug.” He bends down and opens his arms and Baker runs straight into them. “Love you, buddy.”
“I love you too, Daddy. Why is Mommy so mad?”
“I think she’s jealous that Melina is here with us and she’s not.”
“She can come too. Why doesn’t she just come too? She can come here.” Baker’s so innocent and everything seems so simple to him. Sometimes I wish I were like that.
“Because she chose not to be part of our family. We’ll talk about this later. Let Grammy and Miss Millie get you some lunch. Bethany, Barnett, Benjamin, Brad, it’s good to have you here. Grammy and Miss Millie will get lunch. Go on in,” he says to the rest of the kids, and they file in quietly. They just witnessed that cluster fuck, and I’m sure they’re wondering what’s going on. “I’ll introduce you to Melina in a little bit. Babe?” He reaches for my hand and I take his, letting him lead me down the hallway to the office. Once we’re inside, he closes the door and turns to me. “I guess you heard all that.”
“Couldn’t not hear it if I wanted to. She’s loud.”
“Yeah, and she’s determined to cause trouble. I just don’t want you worrying about this, okay? I’ll handle it and it’ll be fine.” But I can see some kind of concern in his eyes and that concerns me. I just hope I have nothing to worry about. “Did you look over the contract?”
“Yes, sir. I did. And it looks fine just the way it is.” I pull the envelope from my back pocket, folded in half, and hand it to him. “I signed it.”
“Thanks.” He doesn’t move toward me, but he looks into my face and says, “I love you, Melina. If I learned anything over the past two evenings, it’s that I don’t want anybody but you―ever. Yeah, they’re fun, but you’re the one I’m supposed to be with.”
“I feel the exact same way. But at least now I feel like I’m in the family.”
“Good. We’ll go to dinner tonight and make it official. Until then, let’s try to forget
about Marie and have a good day, okay?” I nod, and when I rise, he steps up to me, takes my face in his hands, and kisses me. That’s where I’m supposed to be, near him. “You’re my Angel. Don’t you forget that,” he whispers to me and I kiss him back.
The afternoon is good. The other kids are sweet and funny like Baker, and I thoroughly enjoy myself. It’s like I’ve always been here, and I know if push comes to shove, they’ll be there for me. Kara and Misti are even warmer toward me, and Gertie treats me just like she treats them. This is my family. I have a family!
Dinnertime rolls around and Boone takes us all to the biggest, nicest steakhouse in the area. They’ve got one steak that’s five hundred dollars! That’s just amazing to me. We eat and laugh and talk all the way through the meal, nestled away in a private dining room he reserved. When the server comes around to ask about dessert, Boone cuts her off. “Could you give us about twenty minutes and come back? We’re going to want dessert, but right now we have some family business to take care of.”
“Certainly, Mr. Lawson. No problem. Take your time.” We watch as she walks away and I wonder what’s about to happen.
Boone stands. “As you all know, I gave Melina a contract last week and asked her to look at it and read it over. She returned it this afternoon, unchanged and signed.” He pulls the envelope from his pocket. “And now it’s my responsibility to respond.” Gertie produces a beautiful gold pen from her purse and hands it to him, and there, in front of his whole family, he takes the contract from the envelope, signs it, and dates it. When he hands the pen back to her, he turns to Brannon, who pulls a box out from under his seat. “Melina, I present this to you and ask you to be my submissive from now until the end of time. Please accept this as a token of my love and protection.”
He takes the box from Brannon. When he opens it, I recognize the handiwork. It’s a collar, and it’s obviously made by the same craftsman who made Trish’s, but the design is different. Instead of all the little creatures cut out of hers, this one has delicate scrollwork, a filigree so fine it almost looks like lace, but it’s a platinum overlay covering yellow gold. Quietly, Brannon says, “Melina, please stand.” As soon as I’m on my feet, he asks, “Submissive, do you accept this gift of love and protection from your Dominant?”
Undeniably His: Bliss Series, Book Five Page 20