by M. Merin
“There’s no way anyone can spend five minutes with her and think there’s anything off! She’s as sharp as they come; I mean other than thinking I’m perfect for you.” I narrow my eyes at him as he grins down at me.
“Not funny right now, Baby,” I say as he nuzzles me and nips my ear.
“Baby? You’ve never called me anything but Gunner?” He raises an eyebrow at me.
“Would you prefer Alex?” I laugh as he flinches.
“Put that way, I can live with Baby; just so long as you as only scream ‘Gunner’ when you come.”
“Deal.” I start kissing his neck, mewling when he pushes me back.
“Let’s talk this out before Round Two, Sweetheart.” He kisses my forehead as I sigh. “I spoke to Connal and there’s a solid truck he wants you to test drive tomorrow morning, so that’s step one.”
“Next, I’ve been thinking about the space downstairs; I want to talk to a couple people I know and maybe we pitch in together to rent the store? Anne has her jewelry line, my furniture, and I know a cousin of one of the other Ol’ Lady’s has a pottery / glassblowing line. If the three of us sell out of one space and split the rent, I think we will clear more than when we have to pay out in commissions to retailers carrying our designs. Flint has a strong head for business so I just want to get his perspective on how this would work. Do you have a sample lease that I can show him?” He asks, obviously having given this some thought.
“I think that’s a great idea! Like an artists’ cooperative? Gram told me what the rent should be for me to clear expenses, build a sort of maintenance fund for the building and have some income; but I can discount that…” I start, getting excited about his plan.
“No. Absolutely not. If the number doesn’t sound fair we’ll talk, but your Gram knows the going rates around here and we’ll stick to it.” He insists.
“Then I’ll use it to pay you for a dining set. Don’t roll your eyes at me! I’m serious. You work hard and if I can’t give you a discount, then I don’t get one.” I’m pointing my finger at him by the end of that outburst and he leans down to take it in his mouth.
As I struggle to turn to straddle him, he holds me still again. “Not yet, Ri. Third topic: your parents. I don’t want Kennelly parked outside day and night, you got to call them. They already know about me, so maybe we meet them for an early dinner somewhere tomorrow?”
“So handsome, so naïve,” I say, in my most condescending voice; patting him on his head like a child.
“Ha! Since I’m not handsome, I’m obviously not naïve either.” He says chuckling.
“I think you’re very good looking, Gunner. So don’t say that about yourself.” I gasp, actually upset about this trivial point.
“Sweetheart, I’m happy I do it for you but I wasn’t good looking even before I stopped a bomb with my face. Now, do you want to call them before or after I stick my dick inside you again?”
“After!” I eagerly respond.
“Promise?” He says as he stands up, setting me to the side he heads back to the bedroom. “Stay there, I’m not done with that chair yet!” He calls over his shoulder. “Just need more condoms.”
Well, I’m glad he likes my purchases; I smile to myself as I remove my skirt and bra.
Gunner
After teaching my Sweetheart about riding a reverse cowgirl on me, we slowly move to the shower. Before long, I’m on my knees before her bringing her off with my tongue and fingers, my thumb sliding in and out of her tight asshole I’ve yet to claim.
Looking up at Riley, head thrown back under the rain shower head; I’m again amazed at her capacity to give herself over to me so completely. Thankful for her, I pull her close, kissing her belly button and secretly hoping I got her pregnant the other night. Knowing how unfair that would be to her at this time in her life and feeling ashamed of myself.
“Are you hungry?” She asks, stirring me from my thoughts when I’m finally wrapping her in a towel. I guess I really only notice when towels are too small for me, but the ones she bought are huge and easily circle my waist so it nearly swallows her. “I marinated some chicken breasts; I can stick those in the oven.”
“Grill.” I get out, as I start to brush my teeth. “I got to get a grill for that deck; but sure, oven will work tonight.”
Slipping one of my t-shirts over her head she heads back out to the great room. There’s something else we have to discuss.
“Riley, I came here today without really asking.” She looks up at me with her eyebrows knitted together. “How do you want this to work? I want to be with you, but this is your place and I don’t want to crowd you, so what should I plan on? A few nights a week here? Do you just want to take it day by day?”
Getting dinner in the oven, she’s avoiding eye contact and I’m not sure why.
“I should probably call my parents now. You sure you want to meet with us tomorrow? I can do it alone.” She says quietly.
Reaching out for her phone, I take it and hold it above her head as she tries walking past me. “Riley, what’s going on in that head of yours?” She shrugs.
“Don’t fucking shrug at me, tell me what you want.”
“Don’t yell at me!” Ok, now I do see her eyes misting over.
“Hey! Hey, don’t get mad. I’m just trying to figure out what you expect from me, when I should give you space? You know?” I try to wrap an arm around her.
“Flint said you would want ‘space’, I just didn’t think it would happen in the first week.” She storms down to her bedroom and I have no idea what just happened. Taking a deep breath, I lower the temperature on the oven and as I brace myself to head after her, her phone rings. It’s her father.
What the fuck, might as well do this now.
“Riley’s phone.” My answer is met with silence.
“Who is this?”
“Gunner, Riley’s in the other room.”
“Alexander “Gunner” Sorenson, I’m having you investigated for statutory rape.” Funny how this man’s voice makes me what to pull him through the phone and beat the shit out of him.
“Yeah, good luck with that. We got together for the first time last Saturday; say, how’d you spend your daughter’s birthday?”
“Go to hell.”
“Look, we’re getting off on the wrong foot here.” I look up to see Riley watching me from the hallway. “Riley was actually about to call you and your wife. We’d like to have an early dinner with you both tomorrow; here in town, sort of clear the air a bit.”
“We don’t want you anywhere near her, Riley can come out here to discuss…”
Holding the phone away from my ear, I loudly ask Riley; “Sweetheart, they don’t seem to want me around you, do you want to talk to your father?” He and I wait for her reply.
I surrender the phone, as she comes towards it. “Hi, Father.” She says in a softer voice than I’m used to hearing from her, one devoid of any emotion. Keeping her eyes on me as she listens, I can hear indistinguishable words and his voice getting louder and louder. Finally, there is silence until she replies using that same hollow tone of voice.
“I’ve been very disappointed by you and mother over the years, so I can, indeed, understand how you feel right now. Perhaps you’ll get over it, like I did?
“If so, text me a restaurant and time you would like to meet Gunner and I and we will sit down with you and mother. In the future, I would ask that you keep a civil tone and language when speaking to me. Good night.” She disconnects the call. I stand staring at her in amazement. I would never have been able to keep my cool, through what I expect, was quite a tirade.
“Please tell me why you’re upset with me?” I open my arms to her, not making a move otherwise.
Throwing herself into my arms, she says; “I’m sorry. I, this, you, it’s my first relationship and I just want to be close to you. I just want you here. Flint said something that upset me the other night and I just, well, do you want to be here? To stay here with me?”<
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“It’s pretty much my first relationship also; I just didn’t want to basically move in with you without asking. I want to be with you too. What did Flint say?”
“Just asked what I would do the next time you get drunk and end up fucking someone else. That it would happen, ‘it’s just the life.’ Bree told me he was an ass and to forget it. But I stood up for you to him and he looked at me like I was so naïve.” Taking a deep breath, she continues. “I don’t want to be cling wrap, so if you want to stay at the club I get that you might need space, just remember your promise. And also, Bree said she’d help me hide your body if you cheated on me.”
Chuckling, though I’m sure Bree would junk punch me at the very least. “I’ve had space. Years and years of space. Can I just be here with you and you’ll tell me if I’m annoying the crap out of you?” She smiles up at me, nodding.
“Only if you tell me when I annoy you?” She says, cupping my cheek.
“That’s not how this works, Sweetheart! If you annoy me, I’ll take you over my knee.” I wiggle my eyebrows at her, knowing we’re back on track.
Thirty minutes later, I’ve polished off three chicken breasts plus her sautéed garlic spinach and I’m looking for my phone.
“What are you doing?” Riley tilts her head at me in question.
“I have to text Connal,” I say, with my last bite still in my mouth.
She frowns at me, “Anything wrong?”
“No. He wanted to take you up on that home cooked meal you offered if I vouched for your cooking. This was fucking good!” She’s laughing at me while I text Connal. Getting up I set the first house rule – the cook doesn’t clean the dishes.
Chapter 19
Riley
The next morning I slide out of bed as Gunner lies snoring. Grabbing a Diet Coke and heading to the couch, I call the town police department and ask for the Sheriff. Turns out, Sunday mornings are very slow and the Sheriff answered the phone himself.
“Oh, I thought I’d be on hold forever!” I say after announcing myself.
“Huh. Do Maddocks get put on hold anywhere? Especially not a Riley-Maddock in this town, I’m guessing?” Was hardly the reply I was expecting.
“Um, well, I have a concern and wanted to discuss it with you, without any fallout.” I start, and he grunts. “So I just turned eighteen,” Another grunt on the other end of the line. “My Gram, well she gave me one of her properties and it had an apartment above it; so I immediately moved into it.”
“Jesus Christ, Girl. I’m the Sheriff, not a relocation specialist.” He growls.
“Wait! Please. My parents, well, they’ve been working with Officer Kennelly and he came here yesterday when I had buzzed delivery men in and said something about a wellness check that was on record for me. I had dinner with my Gram on Friday night, so that was ridiculous. I don’t think he would have left so easily if the man I’m seeing hadn’t arrived.”
“Who are you dating?”
“Gunner Sorenson. My Gram’s known him forever.” I throw in, trying to diffuse the MC connection. “Then my father calls last night and tells him that he’s having him investigated for statutory rape. Which is untrue, I approached Gunner on my birthday last Saturday.”
“And now you’re ‘dating’ him?” I swear I hear him drawing circles on a paper out of boredom.
“Please. I need you to take this seriously. Does Kennelly have any right to come into a building I own, without permission, and ask me questions?” After a brief sigh, he asks me to hold on and then I hear him typing for a few moments.
“No, there aren’t any notes in the system about you; I will speak to Kennelly about this and put a notice in his file. You are correct, he had no right to force his way in; can anyone else, other than Gunner, verify this?”
“Yes! The three delivery guys were within ten feet of us and definitely listening.”
“I have to ask you about the statutory rape issue, Miss Maddock. What will your parents find?”
“Nothing, Sir. There is nothing to find. Again, my Gram will vouch for Gunner; but my parents are upset with me and I don’t think they’ll back down easily.”
“You sound reasonably intelligent; and while Gunner has never been tried or convicted of any crime, you must know something about the MC? About what kind of man he is?” He asks, although he still sounds slightly bored.
“You mean other than him being a decorated Vet?” I ask and get another sigh in response. “He’s a good man, Sheriff, and now he’s mine,” I look over my shoulder to see Gunner watching me.
Walking towards me, he holds out his hand for the phone. “Sheriff Michaels? Everything alright?” He listens to the Sheriff for a few moments. “Not just going to be my Ol’ Lady, Sheriff,” Gunner says, looking at me without blinking. “I’m going to marry her. I already cleared it with Mrs. Riley.”
My jaw is gaping open. Then I scream at him, smacking his shoulder.
Seriously, he announces it to the Sheriff before asking me?! He grunts out, “Shit, gotta let you go,” He disconnects the call as I try to swat him again.
He swings me up into his arms and tries apologizing. “I told you, you are mine! Of course, I’m marrying you, Sweetheart.”
That doesn’t really cut it right now.
“No, you have to ask. I have to say yes. You don’t get to tell anyone shit like that before we decide it together, you freaking Caveman!”
“I think I like ‘Baby’ better.” He smirks at me.
“Whatever, ALEX,” I say, launching myself off his lap.
I head to the bedroom to get dressed. This calls for a Ray’s Diner #6, and I will eat it all. He pads back to the bedroom, checking to see if it’s safe and I give him three minutes to get dressed and join me for breakfast.
“I love you.” He calls as I head up toward the door. The tone of his voice makes it sound an awful lot like, ‘I’m sorry’.
Gunner
What the hell did she think I was playing at here? I wonder as she shoots me another glare over a fork full of pancakes. I smile at her, I learned my lesson last time; no way I’m ordering the #6 again.
“And my Gram?” She mutters to herself, taking a hard bite into a sausage link. I’ve decided silence is the best answer right now. She’s so damn cute all worked up like this; I can’t help the smile on my face. Noticing Margie staring at me, I tone it down and dig back into my own breakfast.
Looking around the diner, I notice a couple guys from the MC; looking the worse for wear after the night before. They give me a nod, which I acknowledge with a glare; catching Riley’s attention in the meanwhile.
“Please, don’t tell me Kennelly is back there?” She asks as her shoulders tense up.
“No, Sweetheart, just some of my Brothers. They’re all straining to get a look at your face now, so it’s kinda funny.” I smirk at her.
“Should I stand up and let them check me out?” She smirks right back at me.
“Hell no, they want to act like nosy old women, don’t make it easy on them!” I stare across the room until they take the hint to mind themselves. “So, this truck today, Connal’s done all the work on it and its really low mileage. I think it’ll be just what you need. Um, I forgot to ask but did you bring the money? Or how do you want to arrange that?”
“What? Oh, no. I already gave the money to Connal,” My jaw has dropped and I don’t know what to say. Seeing how frustrated I am, she quickly continues. “Gunner, what if he found something and couldn’t get a hold of me right away?”
“You just handed him seven thousand dollars? Sweetheart, you have to be more careful.” I pinch together the bridge of my nose. I know she doesn’t view money like the majority of us and we will have to have this discussion, gently, another time.
“Gunner, you said I could trust him! I wouldn’t give it to just anyone.” She sounds exasperated and I’m slightly dumbfounded by this statement.
“So if I tell you someone is trustworthy, you’d just let them hold o
nto thousands of dollars for you?” I choke out.
“Not at all. But the way you talk about Connal is different, than, well, say, Wrench, for instance. I haven’t met Wrench yet, and you haven’t said anything bad about him but you don’t talk about him the same way you do Connal. Besides, Connal flipped out when I gave him the money before he had anything lined up for me, so that confirmed it that he wasn’t going to swindle me.” She explains and her reasoning stuns me.
“You aren’t wrong; I trust Connal completely. Jesus, even the thought of you driving around with that kind of money freaks me out. People have killed for less, Sweetheart. I just need you to be cautious, alright?” Suddenly, she seems really interested in her empty plate and I just know I don’t want to hear what she’s thinking. Especially not with people around us, I wave Marge over for the check and settle up.
Reaching over to help her stand, and still seeing a sheepish look on her face; I pull her straight up to my mouth and take complete possession of hers. My Brothers, down on the other side, start hooting and soon most of the customers start laughing along with them. Over the ruckus, Margie yells at me to keep it PG. Pulling back, Riley’s cheeks are all pink and I realize I’ve done nothing but frustrate myself, there’s no time to stop home to take care of the intense pressure in my pants.
Getting into the truck, I turn to look at her as I start it up. “Do you happen to have a stockpile of cash at the apartment?”
“How did you know?”
“From the look on your face back there. Fuck.” I groan.
“I had always put my allowance in the bank but have been slowly taking it out the past few months. As a minor, my father’s name was on my account. I took the balance of it out last week. I bought a lockbox for it when you were out of town.”
“Tomorrow morning, we’ll drive to the bank near your school and deposit the bulk of it there, ok?” She readily agrees and leans over to kiss my cheek, as we pull into the lot for Connal’s Garage.