Cocky Soldier: A Military Romance (Cocker Brothers of Atlanta Book 6)

by Faleena Hopkins

  “I want to watch your muscles ripple and your huge cock swing around like that. That’s what I want.”

  At the mention of it, my flattered cock jumps to attention. “Oh really? What else do you want?”

  “Not what…who,” she smiles.

  Annnnnnnd now I’m hard. “It’s me or the eggs. We don’t have time for both.”

  “Eggs.”

  Laughing I straighten up and head for the refrigerator, which is right next to where she’s standing. But I act detached, ready to make breakfast.

  She grabs my length and I lift an eyebrow. “What’s this you’re doing? Thought you were hungry.”

  “I can grab something on the road,” she giggles, looking softer than she does on most days.

  I, being a man, love it.

  It makes me want to draw her in and lose myself in her softness.

  Melt into her.

  For years.

  “Come here, beautiful.”

  “I need to brush my teeth,” she whispers after I try and slip her my tongue.

  “I don’t care about your breath, Meagan. Do you have any idea of the stuff I’ve tasted in my life?”

  “But…you need to brush yours, too.”

  I crack up laughing, bend down, throw her over my shoulder and head for her bathroom. “Okay, I bet you have a whole department store of dental hygiene stuff in there. Let’s get this done.” I smirk, slapping her ass.

  She moans, bouncing on my shoulder as I stroll along with Aslan following us. “Does he have to go out?”

  “We got home late. He’s good for how long this is going to take.”

  “And how long is that?”

  Sliding her down my body, I whisper in her ear, “You’re the one who has to work.”

  She sighs before spinning and dipping to her cabinet below the sink. She rises and we hold a look in the mirror’s reflection. It’s the first time we’ve seen us together. From her expression she’s shocked by the image, too. We look like the perfect couple. Her eyelashes flutter nervously, so I slide my hands around her waist and on her stomach. “Don’t future-fuck yourself.”

  She gives me a confused smile. “What?”

  “Thinking too far ahead into the future. Let’s just take this one step at a time. The only thing you’ve gotta do now is unscrew that lid off and slug a mouthful. Then hand it to me.”

  She does what I said, then I slug and the two of us stare at each other in the mirror with chipmunk cheeks, sloshing the painfully minty liquid around for as long as we can hack it. She bends over and spits it out, which presses her ass into my erection. I grind against her while she rinses and she sighs from how good it feels. I lean over and spit. She reaches behind her and grabs my shaft, shooting a building fire into my groin.

  “We need some privacy, buddy,” I tell Aslan and shut the door as I reach around and finger Meagan. Her eyelids grow heavy and she bends forward, arching her ass up. I lock eyes with her in the mirror as I enter her from behind. Groaning at how tight and slippery she is, I grab her hips and push in deeper. Her lips part as she watches me in the reflection.

  “When I see you behind the bar tonight, I’m going to remember this.” Her eyes close as I slide in deep and pick up the pace. “Oh, God, you feel so good inside me.”

  My teeth grit together. “When you’re walking around the dining room, Boss, I’ll be thinking of how much I love your pussy. When you catch me staring at you, that’s what I’ll be thinking. And it’ll be hard to walk.”

  She laughs which makes her pussy contract and I groan under the heat it sends into me. “Oh God,” she moans, arching her ass up higher and moving with me. Giving me her profile she offers her mouth for a kiss. I latch onto it and everything goes primal.

  Meagan

  Predictably it’s a holiday zoo tonight at Le Marchand. I’ve already snaked Mira’s flask out of her purse while she was seating a wealthy family of four. I had to do the same for one of the bussers. Everyone’s on edge knowing tonight was destined for insanity. I get it. But I need them sober and alert!

  Bryan’s back from New Orleans, shouting in the kitchen as though that will solve our problems. The other chefs are moving fast but not fast enough for the whip-cracker. He’s barking so loudly I run in and whisper-yell, “We can hear you in the dining room!”

  He glares at me and shouts, “Get out of my kitchen!”

  I hiss, “Like I was ever in it!” turning on my heel and fuming back into the throng. As soon as I become visible to the guests I plaster a perfect smile on my face and walk more slowly, and with more composure than I feel.

  Cathy is at the far station making drinks for the servers since she’s faster than Lana. Jeremy is always on the far right, closer to the kitchen’s door where I can spend the most time with him, though I’ve never given away that it’s the reason I always station him there. So Lana is at the center of the bar tonight, and she glances to me as I walk out. I meet her eyes after looking at Jeremy and see the concern she’s feeling. I nod to her and she gets back to work. The bar is five deep, and everyone wants a drink. It’s the night of keeping Moms happy, which often makes Dads nervous, the perfect prescription for more booze.

  Jeremy glances to me as I walk past. He gives me a wink and I know what he’s thinking. A deep blush fills my cheeks and I regain my real smile.

  It’s been like this for the last three hours. So many errors coming from the kitchen, a dozen dishes sent back at the wrong temperature or things missing from plates, like fucking mashed potatoes. How do you forget the side dish on an entrée you’ve cooked a hundred times? The chefs are losing their shit with Bryan riding them so hard.

  And then I’ll see Jeremy and everything will feel good again. Right. Like nothing else matters.

  I rush into the kitchen trying to appease a disappointed guest, the potato-less plate in my hands. “Philippe, forget something?” He grabs it, slaps a wad of mashed down and hands it back. “That looks terrible.”

  Bryan’s attention is caught and a volcano erupts. “What the fuck? I’m surrounded by idiots! Philippe, did someone drop you as a child?”

  My heart drops as I stare, remembering the day he texted that to me. What was I thinking, sleeping with him?

  “And you!” he shouts at Lewis, the food runner. “How the fuck did you take that to a table? You’re fired!”

  I throw my arm up, pointing toward the dining room. “You can’t fire him right now! We’re bursting at the seams!”

  Lewis is frozen as fresh dishes are slammed onto the steel counters for him to take out. Nobody knows what to do. The chefs are glancing to each other.

  Bryan shouts, “You do it!”

  “Me?” I cry out. “Who’s going to watch the floor?”

  His eyeballs bulge. “FUCK!!!!”

  “Get ahold of yourself!” I hiss at him. “This is Mother’s Day, Bryan! There are families out there!”

  He snarls and points at Lewis. “What are you waiting for? Those plates won’t carry themselves!”

  Lewis is shaking, but he’s a pro. He grabs the right napkins and special spoons for the dishes he has to take, and off he goes. The other runner races into the kitchen past him, his face saying that he heard the chaos and is going to keep a low profile.

  I throw Bryan a disgusted glare and he sneers at me on my way back out. “You’re ridiculous!”

  “Watch yourself, Meagan!”

  I flip him off before I’m visible to the main room, dropping my hand and smiling again at the crowd. I walk past the bar. Jeremy glances over and gives me a look. He crooks a finger and rushes to whisper in my ear, “You can do this, Boss. Keep your head up.”

  Tension slides off me. My smile becomes real and I catch Lana watching me again. Why does she keep doing that? She’s looked at me more tonight than she ever has. Am I imagining it?

  Finally the night slows as time ticks toward a later hour when families want to be home on a Sunday.

  No more on the waiting list.

&n
bsp; No more mistakes.

  No more screaming.

  Hidden in the farthest server station, I cover my face and take deep breaths. Now that it’s over I want to break down and laugh like a lunatic, or sob, just so I can release all the damn tension.

  “Hey,” his deep voice interrupts my mini-breakdown.

  “You came to check on me?”

  “Yeah. I saw you slink back here and thought you might need this.” He pulls me in for a hug and I burrow into his chest. He tightens and hugs me with all of himself.

  “Heads up,” Mira whispers as she passes.

  Jeremy and I separate quickly and he drops to the ground, scooping up coffee grinds with his hand while I tell him, “Get a dustpan and a broom!”

  Bryan appears as Jeremy mutters, “Sorry boss. Where are they?”

  “In dry storage. Go!”

  He tosses the grinds from his cupped hand into the trash and mumbles, “Sorry,” again.

  Bryan steps to the right to make room for his exit, blue eyes locking onto me as soon as we’re alone. “Why isn’t he behind the bar?”

  “Someone wanted Irish Coffee.”

  “I said no Irish drinks! We’re a French restaurant.”

  “I know,” I shrug, heart beating way too fast. “I’ll remind him. But you can’t say no to a guest, especially tonight when there have been so many mistakes. And it’s just Jameson and coffee. We’re not raising the Irish flag or anything.”

  He glares at me and jams his nubby finger in the tense air. “I want to see you in my office after closing tonight.” He storms away and I grab onto the counter to steady myself.

  My legs are shaking.

  He might find out about us soon.

  I saw how Lana was staring. She knows.

  Mira, too, apparently. She wasn’t surprised. Just warned us.

  But Bryan can’t find out tonight.

  That would be the worst timing.

  We’ve got an hour until closing and then we’ll all clean up, I’ll get bitched at, there might be screaming, but at least we’ll be alone when it happens and I can tell him what I really think of him.

  And then I’ll go home and get the best night of sleep I’ve ever had. And it will be in Jeremy’s arms.

  I just have to get through this last hour.

  And I need coffee to do it. Good thing I’m here.

  Jeremy

  Lana eyes me as I return to the bar. “Get caught?” she whispers.

  “Caught doing what?” I casually ask.

  She eyes me but then a cacophony of voices turns our attention to the front door. My eyes go wide and I burst out laughing as my whole fucking family pours into the restaurant. Mom and Dad and four of my brothers—Jaxson, Jake, Jason and Justin, and their wives and children. Too many cute little kids to count. Everyone’s locked on me as they spot me across the elegant room. Most have their arms in the air, especially the children.

  “JEREMY!”

  “UNCLE JEREMY!!!”

  Then the biggest surprise explodes out from where he was hiding behind the group, Jett, my biker brother who’s always on the road and who we rarely see, is the surprise guest. “Look who’s in Georgia!” he shouts, oblivious to the upper class, subdued conversations around him. “Hey little brother! Bet ya didn’t expect to see my handsome mug, did ya?”

  Laughing and strolling out from behind the bar I head over to say hello. My eyes dart quickly around, searching for Meagan. I want her to meet everyone.

  Bryan is storming away from where he almost caught us, and his eyes lock on me, then flit to my family. His expression changes as he recognizes my father, Congressman Michael Cocker and my brother, Senator Justin Cocker. He immediately smoothes down his chef coat, his eyes locking onto me as he realizes I’m related to them.

  Guess he never put that together before.

  Meagan walks out from the server station and we lock eyes as I draw my family back near the host stand where there’s room to hug everyone. I grab tow-headed little Hannah and set her on my hip as my brothers clap me on the back in man-hugs. Dad’s hands are stuffed in his pockets, but he looks proud. Mom squeezes me and touches Hannah’s cheek with a soft look in her eyes. This pretty little niece is the one I’m closest to, since Aslan has been her playmate many days. She and I both have something in common, both feel a little on the outside.

  “What are you guys doin’ here?” I grin.

  Dad announces, looking handsome and sophisticated in a fine suit, “It’s your mother’s special day and since you had to work she wanted to bring the party to you.”

  I beam at her pretty face, “Mom, you cancelled the BBQ for me?”

  Jason calls out, “Which means I don’t get my fresh ginger-ale! So you better be flattered.”

  I laugh as Mom waves his remark away. “You haven’t invited us to see your new job! And I wanted to have all my boys together, since I so rarely get to these days.” Her eyes are filled with love as they travel across all of our faces.

  Sarah, bouncing their child on her hip, slaps his arm as Jason calls out, “But I bet they don’t have Mom’s chili here.”

  “Oh, Jason, be quiet,” Mom mutters.

  “They sure don’t,” I chuckle. “Jett, where’s your wife?”

  “In my pocket,” he smirks, then rolls his eyes, admitting, “I wish! I’m in hers. Honey Badger’s lady is popping out a baby and she wanted to be there to help. They hired a mid-wife to come to the house. She called Mom and asked if she would mind.”

  Nancy Cocker waves her hand like it’s totally fine. “What better Mother’s Day present than to become a mother? She should be there for her friend, and she promised to bring Sofia to see me soon. I need my grandchildren around me more often!”

  “There aren’t enough here?” Justin smirks.

  “Hey Jett,” I smile, glancing to our father. Seeing them in the same room together is a fucking miracle since they don’t get along, polar opposites with a lot of bad blood between them. “What’d you do, slip Dad a pot brownie so he’d relax and let you come to the party?”

  Justin shakes his head, “Tsk tsk tsk.”

  Jason and Jake make hissing and Oooooooo noises.

  Jaxson, the oldest and always the rock, cocks an eyebrow at me, smiling with respect that I called out the pink elephant in the room.

  Dad, he just grumbles to himself without actually making a sound.

  Jett cracks up which is what I wanted.

  “Had to poke the bear, didn’t you?” Mom sighs.

  “Where’s Grams?”

  “There were some women at her Senior Living who were spending the evening playing Gin Rummy since they didn’t have visitors. She wanted to win some money. Said to send her love.”

  “I’ll give her a call tomorrow. Let’s get you guys to a table. Mira! Somewhere close to the bar. Everyone, this is our hostess, isn’t she pretty?”

  Jakes’ wife, Drew, rocks Ethan with a smile. “Oh, are you two dating? I heard you have a woman here you like.”

  I laugh, “Where’d you hear that?” eyeing Jake, who shoves his hands in his pockets and looks away. “And from the lack of surprise on everyone’s faces, I’m guessing word got around.”

  Justin slips his arm around his wife’s back and she gazes up at him. “We’ve given up on trying to stop the grape vine. It was me who told everyone.”

  “What?!!”

  “Sorry.”

  “Well, you told me,” Drew, the only one with a true Southern drawl, says to Jake, “Justin didn’t. It was you, when you came home from having beers together.”

  “Baby, you’re not supposed to rat me out.” Jake goes to slap her ass, but Dad grabs his arm.

  “We’re in a public dining establishment.”

  “Establishment?” Jett mutters, mocking the snooty word.

  “Don’t start,” Jaxson tells him.

  His wife, Rachel, tells our hostess with a warning look, “Lead the way. We’ve got hungry kids and the adults are worse.”
/>   Mom takes Dad’s hand, and he relaxes a little.

  Justin hits his twin’s shoulder so hard that he pushes Jason off balance. “And if this jackass doesn’t eat fast no one’s food is safe.”

  Mom rolls her eyes, “Since Grams isn’t here to say it, I will.”

  But we all say it with her: “Language!” And everyone cracks up.

  What an amazing clusterfuck this will be. I wave over two of the bussers and they come running. “Can you put three tables together? And get some highchairs? I’ve gotta get back to the bar. Cathy’s waving at me.”

  “You got it, Jeremy.”

  I hand Hannah to her dad and tell my family, “Guys, I have to get back to work. Try not to get me fired. No fighting.”

  Jeremy

  The restaurant is only half full now. You can finally hear the ambient classical music playing in the background. I jump behind the bar and say, “Sorry, ladies.”

  “Totally okay, hon,” Cathy calls over. “Those all your nieces and nephews?”

  “Yep. One’s not here tonight. And you can see one’s on the way.”

  “So cute! How does that little redhead carry that huge belly?”

  “Ask Jason. He keeps knocking her up.”

  Next to me Lana is checking out my brothers and their wives with intense interest.

  I throw a balled up napkin at her. “Your mouth’s hanging open.”

  She snaps it shut, whipping her long hair over her shoulder to cut a quick look my way.

  “What?”

  “Nothing. We’re doing our show for them, right?”

  A grin spreads from deep within. Hadn’t thought of it, yet, but now that she’s brought it up, I know they’re going to love it. “Yeah, but not yet. I’ll say when. Pass it on.”

  She nods and slips the bottle she was pouring away before she walks to whisper in Cathy’s ear. I get a nod and the three of us go back to normal until the time is right.