by Mj Fields
“Lick you where?”
“Everywhere.”
I shove her backward on the bike and start tugging down her shorts. When she raises her ass, I pull them down farther, seeing white panties. I can’t get them off fast enough.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
That One Is My Dad
Mandee
Every thought about someone driving by and catching us leaves my mind as Gray’s tongue runs up my slit and he hungrily nips at my sensitive flesh. I love the savage way he eats my pussy. No one has ever given me such pleasure mixed with the edge of pain my body craves until him.
My hips bucked into his face, and he grabs them and holds tightly as he sucks on my clit. I cry out as the blaze of another orgasm ignites into an inferno before bursting throughout my entire body.
He sits up, his chin slick with my juices, then bends down again and sucks harshly on my tits. Then he stands and steps off the bike. He pulls me off and bends me over, squeezing my ass that’s completely and totally bare, on the side of a road. My back arches as if it’s asking for more, and it is.
I love the way Gray handles me. He holds my hips, pushing against me. He shoves his finger into my pussy, and then he spreads the wetness up to my tight puckered hole.
“No one’s fucked this sexy round ass?” he growls.
“No—”
I feel a finger push against me, and then inside, stealing my breath.
It doesn’t hurt, not after a minute, anyway.
When he rubs his dick against me, I tense.
“Gray,” I whimper.
“Not yet. Just needed to feel you this way.”
He circles his finger inside me, and I tighten around him. He growls then pushes his cock into me.
His slow, deep thrusts matches the thrusts of his finger in my ass. The sensation is overwhelming and so damn good.
I come twice more before he finally asks, “Where do I finish?’
I pull away from him and carefully spin around. When I open my mouth, he hisses as I take him in it.
After he finishes, he pulls me into a hug and whispers, “Twice.”
I love that he doesn’t have to ask.
§
After picking up my truck, I drive home. Pulling into my driveway, I am exhausted and happy, and in love, so in love that exhaustion doesn’t matter.
Grayson pulls in behind me as I hit the garage door opener, and then we both pull into the two-car garage.
We walk inside, hand in hand, and Tritt scurries off the counter he knows he’s not supposed to be on, and then runs circles through my legs.
“I’m mad at you,” I tell him. “That’s a bad kitty.”
Gray laughs as he slides his boots off.
“It’s not funny,” I say, trying to be stern and failing.
Smiling, he asks, “What time do you need to be up?”
“Usually eight, but nine will work.” I yawn as I say it.
He opens the fridge and puts the crepes inside, then sets the popcorn tin on the counter and looks down as Tritt circles his feet, rubbing against him and purring. “That’s not for you, Orange Cat.”
He takes my hand and starts walking toward the bedroom. “I need a shower. Join me?”
Smiling, I nod.
Inside the shower, I laugh because it’s certainly not made for two, and he has to squat in order to get under the spray of water.
“Six-foot-three and two hundred and twenty pounds, hot lips. The struggle is real.”
I squirt some soap into my hands as he closes his eyes and tips his head back to wash his hair. He is so sexy I forget about the need to wash my body and run my soapy hands up his instead.
He leans forward and looks at me. “You have five hours to sleep; do you really want to start this now?”
“Just want to wash you.” I shrug, looking up.
“Yeah?” He looks confused, but in a sweet way.
I nod. “Yeah.”
“Then you’re gonna let me do the same.”
I can’t help smiling and nod. “Yes please.”
As I run my hands up and down his body, he does the same to mine. It’s not sexual, but it feels almost as good. I am not embarrassed or ashamed. I feel beautiful and adored.
Kisses, touching, rubbing, washing, it’s all very intimate, and oh, how I love being intimate with him.
Bam, Bam, Bam, Bam!
Gray and I both jump when we hear the sound against the door.
“Mandee! Open up!”
It’s Phoenix...in my house.
“Give me a second!” I yell back. “Is everything okay?”
“Just hurry, okay?”
I step out of the shower and look back. “Just stay in here?”
He nods and whispers back, “For now, but not forever.”
He grabs my robe, and I slip my arms inside it. Then I wrap my hair in a towel.
I walk out and shut the door behind me.
“Where the hell have you been?” Phoenix spats as she throws clothes at me.
“Easy, babe.” I hear Gage and look toward the door.
“Out,” I answer quietly, feeling guilty that I haven’t said anything about...anything.
“Well, not with Blue. I called him after calling you a hundred times.”
“I left my phone in my truck,” I explain. “What’s going on, Phoenix?”
“Get dressed. There’s been an accident...two fucking hours ago,” she says, voice now trembling.
“Who? What?”
“Your dad.” Her voice cracks. “And—”
“A friend of his,” Gage interrupts.
“Is he...? Is he...? Oh, God. Phoenix, is he okay?”
Tears rush down my face, and I look up when I hear Grayson clear his throat from behind me.
I turn around and look at him. He’s dressed in the same clothes and his arms are open.
“Come here.”
“What in the fuck!” Phoenix yells. “I told you to leave her the fuck alone!”
“Mind your business,” he grumbles at her as he hugs me.
“She is my business, asshole!”
“Babe,” Gage says. “Easy.”
“Easy? I’m gonna rip off his balls!”
“Let’s get you dressed and—”
“I’ll help her!” Phoenix’s voice breaks. “She’s my friend. She’s—”
“She’s my everything,” Gray says in calm voice.
“Your what!” Phoenix gasps.
“Gage, get her out of here,” Gray says, remaining calm.
“No!”
“He’s got her. Let her get dressed,” Gage says as calmly as Grayson.
“But...but—”
Grayson grabs something off my bed, and then he pulls a shirt over my toweled head. “Not gonna hurt her. Gonna love her.”
I close my eyes when I hear them leave the room. Then I look up at him and whisper, “I can’t go through this again.” Then the tears fall.
“What’s the deal, Gage?” he yells over me.
“William’s in surgery,” Gage says back, and I close my eyes
“What else you got?” he asks as I feel him lift my ankle.
“Not much, man, but we’re an hour and a half away. Let’s go,” Gage replies.
I stand there, feeling numb, as he dresses me.
“I can’t go. I can’t.”
“You can, and you will.” He pulls the towel off my head and runs his fingers through my hair.
“Someone wanna feed the cat?” he asks as he walks to the bathroom. “Phoenix, you can come in now. Pack a bag for her.”
The door opens while I stand unmoving as people move and talk around me. Gray’s brushing my hair then turning me toward the door.
In the kitchen, he tosses my keys to Gage. “Grab her phone. Get a charger, too.”
“Shoes,” he says calmly, and I step into them.
We walk outside. Phoenix has a bag and is getting in the passenger side. Gage is in the driver’s seat. Gray opens th
e back door. “Let’s go.”
He holds me close as we drive toward the highway. I can’t look up. I can’t look at him, at Phoenix, at anyone. All I think about is that a few weeks ago, my dad told me that when he tried to move forward, everything that happened with me at school, he blames himself for. I can’t help thinking maybe he was right, because now...now he’s…
I can’t even think about it. All I know is right now, if it’s him or Gray, he wins. He wins because he chose me. And then all the beautiful things in life, the things I always wanted but never dreamed I would have, are going to go away.
I feel Gray wiping my face and pull away, shaking my head.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Crashed
Grayson
“Gage, more information,” I snap. Something isn’t right. She’s distancing herself. Her last words were one hundred percent her truth—I can’t go through this again.
She can, and she will, but dammit, she needs more.
“What the hell happened?”
“Phoenix, this is your call,” Gage says, and I see him squeeze her hand.
“I’m gonna tell you both, whatever it is, she can fucking handle it. So spill it or so help me God...” I warn.
“He’s in bad shape.” Phoenix turns back. “They’re doing surgery to put rods in his legs because they were crushed.”
Mandee covers her mouth and sobs. I hold her tighter. She’s not going to fall apart, not on my watch.
“Go on,” I tell Phoenix.
“Look at her,” she gasps. “She’s—”
“Strong, and this is her father. Continue,” I all but demand.
I look up at the rearview to see Gage is giving me a look. I give it right back.
“The passenger is in serious condition,” Phoenix continues. “Will’s just...Worst case, he’ll be in a wheelchair.”
“But alive,” I say, hoping to put Mandee at ease, if only just a touch.
“Yeah, he’s alive,” Phoenix answers then turns back around.
I lift Mandee’s chin to look at me. “He’s alive. He’s gonna be okay.”
She finally speaks, “He’s my daddy.”
Phoenix looks back. “So he’s gonna be more of a miserable asshole.”
Mandee closes her eyes and sniffs. “He’s alive.”
“Yeah, it’s a great day for being alive,” I tell her, hoping to get a reaction, a smile. All I get is a nod.
“Where were you?” Phoenix asks, looking back. “We looked everywhere. We thought something happened to you. I thought...I thought—”
“Please don’t,” Mandee whispers.
“You’re a grown woman, Mandee,” I tell her, looking at Phoenix. “We were on a date.”
“Where?” she asks, as if she’s exasperated. “In a bed somewhere?”
“In Wildwood,” I answer, trying to remain calm yet hating the inquisition.
“And you left your phone, Mandee? How many times do I have to remind you—”
“That’s enough,” I interrupt her. “Not that it’s any of your business—”
“You have no idea what she’s been through,” Phoenix lashes out at me.
“I know more than you think,” I lash back.
“For the what, week you’ve been—”
“Guarantee I knew her before you.”
“Pft, please.” Phoenix laughs.
“I don’t need to defend myself to you, but I’ll defend her. We met a long-ass time ago. I didn’t know her, she didn’t know me. She stole my cat. So yes, I do know her, and she’s a lot stronger than any of you give her credit for.”
Phoenix looks at Mandee, whose head is down, that hair hanging in her face. She’s hiding.
I push it back and tilt her head up. “We—you and I—we’ve got this.”
She takes a deep breath and nods once, then looks at Phoenix. “I didn’t steal the cat.”
To that, I laugh and see a small smile come and fade away.
“So, you two?” Phoenix asks.
“We are together,” I answer.
“But my dad...” Mandee whispers.
“Will be happy you’re happy.”
“Like hell he will.” Phoenix now smiles, just a little. “He’s gonna gut you.”
“He’s gonna be fine when he knows my intentions,” I tell her.
“And what are they?” Phoenix asks.
“To love his daughter.”
She shakes her head. “For how long?”
“Didn’t know there was an expiration date on love. Pretty sure when it’s real, it’s forever. And if I’m wrong, and she wants me gone, then you’ll be right, and he will hate me, because I’ll still be sticking around that long. But I’m not wrong.”
§
“Ten minutes out,” Gage tells us, and Mandee takes in a deep breath, straightens, and leans forward.
“Phoenix, I would have told you. It’s just so new, and...” She stops. “Not new, but unbelievable?”
Phoenix nods. “Okay.”
“I still need you, okay? I do. And I love you. You are my best friend and—”
“I know. I’m just...pissed at him.” She throws her thumb back at me.
“Rather have it that way than at her,” I mumble under my breath.
“I’m gonna need you to go with me, Phoenix.”
She sighs. “Not Grayson?”
“No, I’m not sure how he’ll take it.”
I get what she’s saying, but I’m not cool with it. What if she fucking passes out, or loses her shit?
“Gray.”
I look up and see Gage looking at me in the rearview.
“She’ll be fine.”
When we walk into the hospital, she drops my hand. I don’t like that either, but it’s what she wants.
We all head to the desk and are directed to the surgical floor waiting room.
In the elevator, she leans against me and looks up. “Sorry.”
I shake my head. “It’s fine.”
She nods, and then heads out when door opens.
After a few minutes of her pacing the floor, a female doctor comes out.
“Miss Carlin?”
Mandee stops and looks back at me. I walk over and take her hand. Phoenix takes the other.
“Your father is in recovery. He’s going to be fine. His left and right leg femur bones were broken when the SUV was hit and flipped.”
“He has a truck,” Mandee says in confusion.
“He was in the passenger seat of a SUV,” the doctor explains.
“Oh, right. How is the other person?” Mandee’s voice is full of concern.
“She’s in surgery.”
“She?”
“Miss Carlin, I can’t discuss the other patient with you. Her family hasn’t been contacted yet.”
“But, is she okay?”
“She can’t tell you,” I say, squeezing her hand. “If they show up, we’ll let them know you asked.”
“Can I see him?”
“He’s asleep still, but you can come sit with him.”
She looks up at me and nods. “He’s gonna be okay.”
I lean down and kiss the top of her head. “I know, and I’ll be right here.”
I watch her and Phoenix, holding hands, as they walk away. Then I sit down and roll my neck, trying to release some tension.
Gage comes over and hands me a cup of coffee and sits down.
“She the one you had in the lake?”
I look at him and nod as I take the cup. “Thanks.”
“You love her?”
I nod again.
“When you said you’ve known each other...how long?”
“Saw her coming out of the lake six years ago. Thought about her ever since.”
“You two together back then?”
I shake my head. “She heard me singing the day her mom died. Said it was like I was sent to her.”
“That’s cool.”
Silence.
“The cat?” He asks.
I laugh then tell him, “Stupid thing followed me around for a month. Then, one day, he was gone. Same day she heard me playing, he followed her out. She took him.”
“So, you sticking around?”
I turn and look at him. “I am.”
“Need a job?”
“No, man, but we need to talk.”
“We got time. Shoot.”
I sigh. “This may not be the time or place.”
“That worries me, but I wanna hear it now.”
“Secrets, man, stupid, fucking sick-ass secrets. You’re gonna be pissed, but Garrett...Fuck, Gage, Garrett, it’s gonna crush him.”
“Go on.” Gage’s voice is stern.
“I’m not broke. I drained my account. The old man fucking lied.”
“Why didn’t you tell me yesterday?”
“Because I was just gonna fucking shoulder it and leave. But I can’t leave her. I tried.”
“I get that. So, the old man lied. Where’s the money?”
“In the woods.”
“Come again?”
I tell him about the treehouse, that I go there, it’s my place. It’s the easiest part of the conversation. Hate fucking talking about this shit, but it’s got to be done.
“The rest, Gage, the rest is ugly.”
“I’ve dealt with ugly, and I’m still standing. Let’s have it.”
Fucking hate this. Fucking hate that my family is once again going to be fucked.
“Don’t know how old I was when I caught him fucking that girl.” I sit forward.
“That girl? And who is he, Dad?”
“Yeah, Dad. The girl”—I look up at him—“Afanso’s daughter.”
Gage’s face doesn’t change, not one bit. “Dead Afanso?”
I nod.
“Dad was fucking his daughter, and he was fucking Garrett?” Now he’s pissed.
I nod and take a deep breath. “They have a kid.”
“Are you fucking—” He stops and gnashes his teeth together.
“DeFalcon is still his. Reason he’s fucking with me is because, this time, he knows I’m not draining my account for him.”
“Wait. You’re telling me that he’s in Portugal, doing the shit he should have been doing here?”
“Why do you think we moved? That’s exactly what I’m telling you.”
“Why the fuck is this the first time I’m hearing this?” he whisper-hisses.
I knew this shit was coming.
I turn and look at him. “The shit he did to me. I don’t wanna talk about it, but I was scared to talk. Then I was scared you two would be hurt. Then I was scared you’d all want to destroy her—Gloria, our sister.”