I couldn’t help but laugh. “What’s so funny?” she asks coming into the living room. “Oh, God no.” She covers her face when she realizes what I am reading.
“Mistletoe Evelyn Jones. Seriously, that is your name?” I couldn’t contain my laughter.
“Shut up. Yes, I hate that name with a passion, Torren,” she says, emphasizing my name. I am a little stunned she remembered.
“Why would your parents name you Mistletoe?” I ask. That is not a name you hear often.
“Gosh I hate that name. My parents loved Christmas so much so that they named me Mistletoe,” her voice softens when she talks about her family.
“So, does that mean you love Christmas as much, I noticed you don’t have any decorations up?” I ask, wondering why she has no pictures of her family around.
“No, I honestly dread Christmas. My parents died when I was ten, after that Christmas was never the same. After they died, I bounced from group home to group home. Having a name like Mistletoe you can obviously tell kids can be cruel, so I didn’t really have an ideal childhood after that until I aged out at seventeen,” she rushed out. “Wow, Missy, way to go ruining the mood,” she chastised herself.
“No, I want to know everything about you,” I say pulling her into me.
“It’s okay. It was a long time ago,” she says, pulling away from me.
“Dinner was amazing, thank you.” I collect the dishes and head to the sink.
“So, do you live at the compound?” she asks, curling up on the couch.
“Sometimes, but I have a place in Clayton on French Creek. I bought it about three years ago. I stay at the compound mostly, it’s a lot of house for one person.” I tilt her face upwards.
“Missy, I promise we will do this together.” I lean in and place my lips against her forehead, her warm soft skin feels like heaven against my lips.
“I believe you,” she says just above a whisper.
My body fought to control itself, I lean in deepening the kiss. I pull her on top of me. “Look I am under Mistletoe.”
“Shut it,” she says, leaning down covering my lips with hers.
When she pulls away, she is breathless, her pupils are blown, and our breathing is mingled.
She straddles my lap, I slowly peel her shirt up over her head. “You look beautiful, lips swollen, breasts heaving. I want to taste you everywhere,” I whisper against her lips.
“Then taste me.” The level of wanton in her voice has my body strung so tight.
I graze my lips over her ear lobe, slowly my hands roaming her body, feeling her pulse race, her breathing picks up. She grinds against me, her leggings causing friction causing her to moan.
She leans forward, her lips on my ear. “You want it so bad, come and take me.” her words shoot through me straight to my dick. I gripped her ass in both hands hard enough to leave a mark and carried her off to the bedroom.
“I can’t wait to taste you.” I latch my mouth over hers, our tongues clashing, teeth gnashing, her fingers in my hair pulling.
Hell yes, my girl likes it rough, I think to myself.
Chapter Thirteen
Missy
I am warm, too warm, my body is trapped by the heavy blankets. I look over to find Ranger sleeping peacefully. I turn over to watch him, I stretch causing my body to protest. I ache not in a fever and flu kind of way but, in a he used my body as a weapon and now my joints hurt in a delicious kind of way.
“Morning, beautiful,” his sleep riddled baritone voice fills me with warmth.
“Morning.” I snuggle into him. “What time is it?” I ask, dreading getting out of bed.
“Seven-thirty,” he says into a yawn, reaching his arms over his head stretching all the muscles in his arms.
“Shit, seven-thirty!” I jump out of bed running for the shower. “I’m going to be late.”
“Babe, it’s okay. I can drive you, I got my bike,” I hear above the sound of the shower.
“Me, on the back of your bike, seriously?” I ask incredulously. I never thought about being on a motorcycle. I had never been on one before, Can I ride a motorcycle being pregnant? I think to myself.
I walk back out. “You can stay in bed if you want, I have a meeting and then I have to submit the plans for the compound.” I bend over to slip on my black pumps when I feel his hands grip my hips forcing me backward into him. He growls as I bump against his hardness. “This skirt with those shoes, baby, this could be the perfect angle,” he says pressing his hard shaft against me.
“I can’t, I have to get to the office.” He bumps into me again hitting that sweet spot causing me to moan.
“Tonight, do you want to go out? I could show you the house and we could get dinner?” he asks, nuzzling my neck.
“Sounds perfect, but I really have to go,” I tell him, pulling away. I am going to catch so much shit from Claire for being late to work.
“Come on, I will give you a lift. I promise I will go slow,” he says, tugging my hand.
Once at work my legs are still vibrating, the way I felt on the back of his bike. My legs wrapped around him; I could feel our pulse.
“Where have you been and what the hell happened to your hair?” Claire greets me at the door of my office.
I walk over to my round, crystal encrusted, jeweled mirror and shriek; my hair is one giant rat’s nest. I have helmet head, just as I open my mouth Ranger walks in. fuck me now, he is going to be the Only topic people are going to want to talk about and when I say people, I mean Claire.
“Babe, you left this, thought you might need it.” I look down and I had, at some point, set my bag down with the new plans for Cara inside and forgotten them. Is this shit my real life? My brain screams.
Oh crap, I grab the bag from him. “This is why I can’t ride on the back of your bike in the morning.” I go back to detangling my hair, glancing over at Claire. I can tell by her eyes she has about a million and one questions but right now I just don’t have the time or the energy.
Thank you, Ranger, or should I call him Torren? I put that mental note aside and I will readdress it later.
He spins me around just as I open my mouth to protest. His lips crash over mine, nothing outrageous, no this kiss was slow and sweet, tender and delicious. By the time he pulled away I couldn’t breathe.
“Wow.” We both look toward Claire still standing in my doorway.
“Sorry, Ranger this is Claire. Claire this is Ranger.” I introduce them knowing if this works between Ranger and I then he will be around a lot and Claire and Ramona are my only family. Just then Ranger places a hand on my belly somehow reminding me that no they are not my only family anymore.
“See you after work, just call and I can clear my schedule, okay,” he says, brushing his fingers down my cheek and placing a chaste kiss on my forehead.
I couldn’t speak, my throat too constricted by his loving gesture, so I just nod.
I look up to Claire who is watching Ranger leave, once he is in the elevator she turns.
“Okay, one, what the hell happened? Two, where can I get one, does he have brothers? Three, they moved the meeting back until nine, so we have about two hours.” She pulls out the chair in front of my desk and puts her head in her hands eagerly awaiting my answers.
“For starters, that is a bitch move, you could have started out with hey they moved the meeting, I came in here running my ass off, so I wasn’t late for it.” I heave out a breath and take a big swig of coffee. “God, I love this stuff.” “Can you have coffee when you are pregnant?” I ask, taking another drink. The warm liquid flowing through my body sending a chill down my spine.
“No clue, keep going,” she says, giving me the I won’t stop till you tell me stare.
“Yes, he has brothers. How many of them are biological no idea, and yes, I believe some are, but Ramona might know more than me about how many are single.”
“I went to the compound yesterday to show Mrs. McKenzie the new plans, she loves them by the way
and wants me to redesign their house.” I know she doesn’t give a damn about that last part but I like to make her squirm.
“Great! Get to the good stuff,” she says impatiently.
“Ranger was there, and I tried to ignore him, but he was very adamant on speaking to me.” I lean back into my chair. “He told me that he wanted to make this work and he wanted to be a part of this baby’s life. He was just so sweet yet demanding about it, he came over for dinner, we talked and are getting to know each other.”
“Fuck that sounds hot, I want one,” she says, fanning herself.
“It was, he was very caveman, like he growled and said YOU ARE MINE.” I bit my lip remembering how it felt with his hands on my body.
“Lucky bitch,” she laughs out.
My phone pings I look to see who it is.
BABE: How’s your day going?
Me: You put your contact in my phone as BABE?
BABE: Yes. Just like in my phone you’re Babe.
Me: How did you even hack my phone anyway?
BABE: I watched you open it, I know your password.
Me: Great now I need to change it.
BABE: No, I will give you mine if you want.
BABE: *1991*
Me: Aww that’s so sweet, I didn’t need it though.
BABE: Now you have it just in case. Are you ready to head to the house? I can come pick you up if you want.
Me: Sounds good, I need to change clothes, I can just meet you at the apartment. It’s maybe a five-minute walk, it’s okay.
BABE: Okay, I will meet you there. Are you able to take tomorrow off? I figure we could stay in Clayton for the night.
Shit, can I take the day off? I pull up my schedule and I don’t have anything super important due until next week. So, I decide what the hell, yes I can, I don’t take days off ever.
I pick up my phone and call Claire’s office, “Yo, lady, what’s up?”
“Hey, I am going to be out of the office tomorrow. I will have my laptop and stuff with me so you can still reach me.”
“Wow, you take a day off, hell has frozen over.” She cackles at the other end as I hang up on her.
Me: Sounds good, I just cleared my schedule.
BABE: Great, be there in fifteen.
I set my phone down anticipation filling me, maybe he is the one I have needed.
I head out of my building wrapping my coat around myself to save me from the chill in the air.
Chapter Fourteen
Ranger
“Fucking Santa! Nope count me out,” I bark at Ramona.
“Listen, ass, you already said you would do it,” Ramona huffs at me, arms propped up on her waist tapping her tall black boots on the concrete.
“Yeah before I knew it was her fucking company.” I tap my foot back at her mimicking her sass.
“Listen, asshat, you are doing it because if it wasn’t for me giving her the “he really is a wonderful guy” speech she would have dropped your ass when you fucked up the first time.”
“I am eternally grateful, you helped her give me a second chance but why the fuck do I need to be Santa for a bunch of adults?”
“Because it will be fun and they asked so I said yes. YOU. OWE. ME. End of story.” She sticks her tongue out at me.
“What the fuck are you twelve?” I ask, grabbing a beer from the fridge.
She answers me with rolling her eyes. “How are you and Missy anyways?” she asks.
“Fine, why?” I ask, refusing to give her any details just to piss her off.
“You know she tells me everything,” she says, rapping her fingernails on the table and my blood goes cold.
“Yup!” she says, popping her lips on the last P.
“I hear you make Texas look really nice, back there,” she jokes, tossing me a wink as she leaves the room.
“Her ass is mine,” I yell, hoping Ramona hears me.
I grab my phone, sending a text to Missy after I left her this morning. The only thought I have been able to process is when can I get her on the back of my bike again.
Me: How’s your day going?
Babe: You put your contact in my phone as BABE?
I smile when I see her instant response.
Me: Yes. Just like in my phone you are Babe.
Babe: How did you even hack my phone anyways?
I laugh she isn’t very observant; I knew her password since the first time she came to the clubhouse.
Me: I watched you open it, I know your password.
Babe: Great now I need to change it.
Me: No, I will give you mine if you want.
Me: *1991*
Babe: Aww that’s so sweet, I didn’t need it though.
Me: Now you have it just in case. Are you ready to head to the house? I can come pick you up if you want.
Babe: Sounds good, I need to change clothes, I can just meet you at the apartment. It’s maybe a five-minute walk, it’s okay.
A thought pops into mind, forty-eight hours of uninterrupted time together.
Me: Okay, I will meet you there. Are you able to take tomorrow off? I figure we could stay in Clayton for the night.
Babe: Sounds good, I just cleared my schedule.
Me: Great, be there in fifteen.
I grab my keys to the cage; I would love to take my bike but I know we can’t with lord knows how much crap she will want to bring.
“Yo. Boss,” I yell as I see him walk past.
He stops and turns back. “You get that shit figured out?” He pins me with his stare.
“Yeah, it’s all worked out, that’s what I wanted to talk to you about. I’m taking Missy to Clayton today and I figured we would stay a few days, since the shop is all caught up.” I shove a couple shirts into my bag.
“Brother, just take care of your shit, claim your woman, we got this for two days. As long as you bring me back a bottle of maple whiskey.”
“You got it, brother,” I tell him, heading to go pick up Missy.
“You ready?” I look around wondering where her bag was seeing nothing in the living room.
“Yes, everything is on the bed. I just need to grab my chargers and stuff,” she yells from the bathroom.
I walk into her bedroom, on the bed there are three bags. “Damn, babe, we are just staying one night. Why do you need three bags?” I ask, walking into the bathroom where she is leaning into the mirror on her tip toes taking out her contacts.
“I know but I need just in case stuff. Just wait until the baby is here there will be twice that much.” She turns planting a kiss on my lips, then scurrying off to finish packing.
Fuck me, I say to myself.
“Speaking of the baby, when is your next appointment?” I ask.
“I have to go back next week, but that one is just blood work nothing serious. You don’t have to come to that one,” she tells me, packing the last of her stuff.
“That’s everything,” she says with a smile clapping her hands together.
“Oh, thank God, I figured four bags should be enough,” I say sarcastically, we grab all the bags and head downstairs.
“Should we take my car? None of this will fit on your bike,” she says, looking around.
“No, I brought the cage,” I say, nodding toward my SUV.
“Oh, perfect!” she says, making her way toward it.
Chapter Fifteen
Missy
Sometimes I forget there is a world outside the city and just how beautiful it could be.
“It’s so beautiful here, it’s so peaceful,” I say, staring out the window.
“That was part of why I picked Clayton, my family used to come visit during the summers,” he says, reaching over and interlacing his fingers with mine.
We pull up to a large wrought iron gate, he pulls out his phone, punches in his password, and the gate opens.
“Wow, how did you do that? You don’t need a code?” I question, all this is foreign to me.
“Yeah, there used to be one, now
everything is controlled by an app on my phone, Tech is a wiz at this shit,” he says, placing his phone back on the charging mount.
He drives up the long-paved road, until we come to a large, chocolate brown house with green trim and shutters on the windows. The house is surrounded by what appears to be a wraparound deck.
“Oh my, this is your house? It’s gorgeous.” I am in aww at the beauty of it.
“Just wait till you see the back,” he wiggles his eyebrows, hops out of the SUV, and opens my door.
He does not stop to grab the bags, he drags me by the hand and pulls me toward the deck.
“Holy fuck,” I blurt out. We stand out back, the scenery before me is one on the back of a post card.
His house sits on four acres of lush green grass surrounded by trees in the front but the back butts up to the most beautiful cerulean blue waters I have ever seen.
“Ranger, this . . .”
“Torren,” he bites out.
“What?” I say thrown off by what he means.
“Babe, you got my kid in you, you call me Torren not Ranger. That is a name everyone else calls me, but you call me Torren,” he says, holding my cheeks.
“Okay,” I say, closing my eyes letting his touch sink into my bones.
“This place is magical, Torren,” I whisper, instantly I imagined our kids playing and running around the yard.
“Come on, let me show you around,” he says, wrapping an arm around my waist leading me inside.
I wandered around the grounds, the past two days have been amazing. I don’t want to leave but I know my work must be piling up, plus we have the Christmas party next week.
“Are you free on Tuesday night?” I ask on the ride back.
“No, unfortunately, I have a prior engagement that I can’t get out of,” he says a small smile on his lips deepens the dimples.
“Okay,” I tried to keep the disappointment out of my voice.
“I have to play Santa that night,” he says.
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