James raised his hand. “As someone who has bought more furniture than I can ever realistically sit on, let me just welcome you to the world of female shopping.”
“Sophie doesn’t do that,” Grady said. “She’s got a couch, two chairs, and a kitchen table. I had to buy a bookcase, which confused her, because she doesn’t understand why anyone would buy books.”
“She did miss the shopping bug, didn’t she?” James mused. “You got lucky, man.”
“I know that,” Grady said, grinning.
“Oh, you’re the love muffin,” Finn teased.
Grady leaned forward and punched his brother in the arm. “You’re the one running around with a goofy look on his face because he finally told his girlfriend he loved her.”
“So are you.”
Grady shrugged. “I’m fine with that.”
“So am I.”
“We’re all fine with it,” James said.
Jake cleared his throat uncomfortably.
“Except Jake,” Finn said.
“Yeah, when are you going to tell Ally you love her?” Grady asked.
“I … .” Jake’s face was flushed with embarrassment.
“Leave him alone,” James said. “He and Ally haven’t been dating that long.”
“And you’re still getting used to him sleeping with her,” Finn said. “If they start procreating together, it’s going to be really hard for you to pretend they’re just cuddling up on the couch and watching movies every night.”
“I don’t do that,” James protested.
“Oh, come on,” Finn teased. “In your head, they actually are going home and playing Hungry Hippos.”
The bell above the front door rang.
“That must be Maverick.” James made a face. “By the way, I told you to forget that conversation.”
“Oh, don’t worry, I’m not going to tell Mandy you called her a hippo.”
“You called me what?”
James cringed. Maverick wasn’t the one standing in the archway between the lobby and office. “What are you doing here?”
Mandy’s eyes were blue slits as she regarded the four men in the room. “Who called me a hippo?”
“No one called you a hippo, baby.”
“Someone obviously did,” Mandy said, her lower lip jutting out.
“Baby, it’s not what you think,” James said. He cut Finn with a dark look. “This is your fault.”
“Mandy, it’s not bad,” Finn said. “James was just making a joke yesterday about playing shark, and Emma didn’t get it, and he didn’t want to explain it and … .”
“He said I’m a hippo. I get it.” Mandy turned to leave. “I’m going to go.”
James rubbed the heel of his hand against his forehead. “Baby … .”
“Whoa, who’s the babe?”
Mandy took a step back as she regarded the hipster ogling her from the lobby dubiously. He was short, a full two inches shorter than she was. His black hair was long and floppy on top, and it looked like he had something shaved into the back of it – but it was too overgrown to tell now. “Who are you?”
“Who are you?”
“I’m leaving.”
“Oh, don’t go,” the man said. “You should stay so I have something pretty to look at.”
“Thank you, Maverick,” James said, moving to Mandy’s side. “The laptop is on the desk. I’m so glad you got to us first thing in the morning.”
“No problem, dude,” Maverick said, not picking up on the sarcasm. “I’m all about customer service. Seriously, though, who is the babe?”
“She’s my wife.”
“Not for long,” Mandy muttered.
“Hey, if you’re looking to trade up, I’m going to move out of my mom’s basement any day now,” Maverick offered.
“Oh, you wouldn’t be interested in me,” Mandy said. “I’m a hippo.”
“You can rub those fine hips against me any time,” Maverick said, smiling.
James snapped his fingers and pointed toward the laptop.
“Yeah, I get it,” Maverick said. “You’re in a hurry.”
“Stop hitting on my wife and get to work,” James growled.
“She says she’s not going to be your wife for much longer.”
“She’s going to be my wife forever,” James said.
“Then you probably shouldn’t call her a hippo, dude,” Maverick said.
“Go in there,” James ordered.
“I should be going,” Mandy said.
“Where are you going?” James asked.
“The gym.”
James sighed. “No, you’re not.”
“Haven’t you heard? I’m a hippo.” She was obviously pissed. Unfortunately, the pouty set of her jaw was turning James on.
“Why don’t we go upstairs and talk about this?”
“I don’t want to talk.” She crossed her arms over her chest obstinately.
James reached forward and grabbed Mandy around the waist, hoisting her over his shoulder. “We’re going to be upstairs … .”
“Arguing?” Grady asked.
“Probably,” James said. “I’ll be back down in a few minutes. Just … don’t make a plan for whatever Maverick finds until I get back.”
“Good luck.”
“Thanks,” James said grimly. “I’m going to need it.”
Mandy fought being carried the whole trek. James didn’t put her down until they were safely inside of the apartment and the door was closed so she couldn’t easily escape.
“Calm down,” James ordered.
“No.”
“I did not call you a hippo,” James said. “I … I was making a joke about playing shark. Emma didn’t get it. I was too embarrassed to explain. She asked if it was like playing Hungry Hippos. I said it was exactly like that.”
“And that’s all you said?” Mandy looked skeptical.
“I might have made a joke about feeding my hippo,” James admitted.
Mandy shook her head. “I’m going on a diet.”
“You are not,” James said. “I love your body the way it is. Stop … you know that I love you just the way you are. You’re being purposely bratty now.”
Mandy’s eyes flared. “Oh, now I’m a bratty hippo.”
James straightened. “Well, I can see only one way out of this.”
“Oh, and what is that?”
James cupped the back of her head and slammed his mouth to hers. Mandy fought the kiss for an instant, but then she gave in. She was gasping when they separated a few minutes later.
James grabbed the back of his shirt and yanked it over his head. “I’m going to show you how much I love you.”
Mandy glanced around, a mixture of emotions warring for supremacy on her conflicted face. “This isn’t our apartment anymore.”
“It is today.” James moved back toward her. “I’m going to do the one thing we never did in this apartment.”
“We did everything in this apartment,” Mandy countered.
James inclined his head toward the pool table. “Not quite.”
“I told you, I don’t want to do it on that because I know you probably did it with a hundred different women on it.”
James unbuttoned his pants, kicking off his shoes as he let them slide down his thighs. “I’ve never done it on that table.”
“I know you,” Mandy said. “You wouldn’t want women to sleep in your bed because that would be like invading your personal space – and that isn’t what you’re about. You would have had sex with them out here so you could keep them out of your bedroom. That doesn’t leave you with many options.”
“Wrong,” James said, tugging his boxer shorts down and letting Mandy get a gander at his raging erection. “I used to have a problem with women invading my personal space. Now? Now I want you in my personal space every chance I get. Just you.”
“James … .”
“I never brought anyone back to this apartment,” James said.
�
�Never?”
“Never.”
“I … .” Mandy bit her lower lip. “This is Finn and Emma’s apartment now.”
“Not yet,” James said, reaching for her shirt. “This is still our apartment.”
“Are you sure you want to have sex with a hippo?”
James pulled her shirt from her shoulders. “I want you.” He reclaimed her mouth, heat pooling between them. “I always want you.”
James lifted her up and settled her on the pool table, pushing her skirt up her thighs and smiling when he saw that she was bare – except for the garters he loved so much – under the black fabric. “Did you go commando for me today?”
“Yes.”
“Did you come looking for me at the office early for a reason?”
“Judge MacIntosh let us leave early since the docket was done,” Mandy said, moaning as James slipped a finger inside of her. “I … thought I would surprise you.”
“You did.” James grazed her neck with his teeth. “You’re not really mad, are you?”
“Oh, I’m mad.”
“No,” James said, kissing his way up her neck and sucking her earlobe into his mouth. “You’re just trying to get me all fired up.”
Mandy ran her hand through his hair, tugging it back hard so she could meet his gaze. “And why would I do that?”
“Because you want me to do this.” James surged inside of her.
Mandy’s hands dug into his lower back as he tilted her body so her pelvis was on the edge of the table. “James.”
He tightened his arms around her, licking her lips with his fervent tongue. Mandy moved her hands down his hips, trying to spur him forward, but he refused to move. He was still inside of her – his length twitching for action – but he wasn’t done playing quite yet. “Tell me the truth,” he whispered.
“What truth?”
“Tell me you just baited me into a fight because you wanted to make up.”
“Are we making up?”
“Tell me,” James urged, teasing her with a soft move inside.
“I was hoping we could spend a little time together this afternoon,” Mandy conceded. “You did hurt my feelings by calling me a hippo, though.”
“Did you really think I called you a hippo?” James probed with both his words and his erection.
“I … oh, just make love to me.”
“Not until you tell me the truth,” James said, nipping her jaw lightly.
“I didn’t come here to fight with you,” Mandy said. “I was planning on seducing you – but I was hoping for a little desk action. I just took advantage of the hippo comment.” Mandy moaned as James rewarded her with a forceful thrust.
“You know I love everything about you, right?”
“I … come on,” Mandy whined, kicking her heels into James’ hips to spur him on.
James smiled evilly. “Tell me that you know I love you just the way you are.” He was relishing her impatience – and the power flowing through him because due to her need. He knew exactly how she felt. He needed her, too.
“I know.”
James rewarded her again, rubbing her clitoris as he pumped between her thighs twice. “Tell me you know that I only want you – that I’ve only ever wanted you.”
“I know I’ve only ever wanted you,” Mandy said.
“That’s not what I said.”
Mandy bit her bottom lip. “I know you love me.”
“And I only want you,” James said, spreading her thighs wider as he slammed inside again. “Repeat it.”
“You only want me,” Mandy whimpered, her head lolling back on her shoulders as his fingers worked their magic. “Just you and me,” she said, breathing heavily. “Forever.”
“Forever,” James agreed, giving in to their mutual need. “Forever.”
He pumped steadily, smiling when Mandy’s body began to convulse. She came hard, and still James continued to rub her. Mere seconds after the orgasm overtook her, she cried out as she came again.
James groaned in pleasure as he exploded inside of her, lowering her body to the green felt of the pool table as he rested on top of her.
“Hey, are you two done fighting?” Grady opened the door, his eyes going wide when he saw the tableau in front of him. “Holy shit!”
“Get out,” James ordered.
“I guess you finally got to have sex on the pool table,” Grady said, grinning. “We’ve got some information when you two are … done.”
“Get out!”
Nineteen
“You two look … refreshed,” Finn said, looking Mandy and James over when they returned to the office.
“We are,” James said, sitting in one of the open chairs and pulling Mandy onto his lap as he shot his brother a lazy grin.
“Do I get to come to your house and have sex with Emma now?” Finn asked. “I mean, fair is fair.”
“Knock yourself out,” James said. “Just stay out of our bedroom, and out of the bedroom next to Mandy’s studio. We’ve already christened both of the guest rooms.”
Mandy’s blonde hair was tousled, but she didn’t appear to care. “I told him we shouldn’t do it up there.”
“Yeah, you put up quite the fight, baby,” James said, tickling her ribs.
“Hey, I thought we were going to do it on the desk,” Mandy said. “I had no idea that you were still waiting for Maverick.”
“Perfection can’t be rushed,” Maverick said, his eyes roaming up Mandy’s thighs as James rubbed her skin under the fabric.
James realized what he was doing. “Don’t stare at my wife’s legs.”
“I wasn’t, dude.”
James rolled his eyes.
“He’s been dying to do it on that pool table since he bought it,” Grady said. “I knew he would figure out a way to get what he wanted before he handed the apartment over.”
“I still don’t believe you didn’t do it with anyone else on that pool table,” Mandy said.
“He never brought anyone back to that apartment before you,” Finn said. “He’d spend the night – one night – at a woman’s house. It made it easier to one-night-stand her if she didn’t know where he lived.”
Mandy scowled.
“You’re the only woman who ever spent the night in that apartment,” Grady said. “And in that bed. You were special.”
“That reminds me, we’re going to have to replace that bed,” Finn said. “I can’t sleep on that mattress knowing all the filthy things you two did on it.”
“Whatever,” James said. “I’ll take the mattresses to the house.”
“Where are we going to put it?” Mandy asked.
“Well, I have an addition planned for down the road,” James replied. “I’ll find a place for it there. I’m not giving it up. That was our second bed, and we found a home for the first.”
Mandy narrowed her eyes. “What addition?”
“It’s a surprise.”
“You know I hate surprises,” she grumbled.
“You loved the one I just sprung on you upstairs,” James countered.
“That wasn’t much of a surprise,” Grady said. “She’s had that … sprung … on her quite a few times, if I’m not mistaken.”
James fixed him with a scorching look. “I think she likes it.”
“It’s my favorite surprise,” Mandy agreed, kissing his chin. “Well, other than the shark tour.”
“Yeah, I’m going to have to figure out something good to top that,” he said. “I don’t want to rest on my laurels.”
“Maybe the surprise you’re planning will do it?” Mandy suggested. “Why don’t you tell me, and then I can let you know if you’re going in the right direction?”
James reached under her skirt and squeezed her rear. “No.”
“Not that I don’t like the verbal foreplay for your next round – awesome, by the way – but I have a date tonight,” Maverick said. “We need to get to business.”
“What’s her name?” James asked.
“Is that hyphenated?”
“I’m playing Halo.”
“Oh, well, fun,” James said, raising his eyebrows dubiously. “So, what did you find?”
“Someone was trying to access your financial records,” Maverick said. “And they weren’t poking around blind.”
“Meaning?”
“They had a rip drive.”
“Like what you gave us for when we try to break into people’s computers?” James asked.
“It wasn’t as sophisticated,” Maverick said. “My stuff is top of the line. Dude, where is your hand?”
James quickly pulled his roaming hand from beneath Mandy’s skirt. “Did she get anything during her search?”
“I set up your firewalls,” Maverick said. “No one gets past my firewalls.”
“So, what did she look at?” James asked, shifting uncomfortably as Maverick licked his lips and stared at Mandy’s legs.
“After she failed to get into your financial information, she tried to access your payables.”
“Why?”
Maverick shrugged. “I’m not an investigator, dude. That’s your job.” He got to his feet. “If you need anything else, you know where to find me.”
James nodded.
Maverick paused at the door and glanced down at Mandy. “Are you sure you don’t want to trade up?”
“I’m sure,” Mandy said, pursing her lips to keep from laughing.
“I’ve got a real nice setup in the basement,” Maverick said, trying one more time. “I can promise absolute privacy.”
“Don’t make me beat your ass,” James warned.
“Whatever,” Maverick said. He strolled out the door, flashing a peace sign over his shoulder as he disappeared.
“Well, we know what she was after,” Grady said. “Now we need to know why.”
“How do we find that out?” Jake asked.
James focused on Finn. “We ask her.”
“THIS place looks expensive,” Sheila said, looking over the menu with bright eyes. “They have three different kinds of steak.”
Finn was fighting the urge to strangle her. He knew Emma was desperate for familial contact – but a rattlesnake would be warmer than Sheila Archibald. “I’ve never eaten here before, but I’ve heard good things. Grady brought Sophie here a week ago, and they both loved it.”
Deadly Addition (Hardy Brothers Security Book 9) Page 14