Reilly’s smile grew wider. “How’s that hand, sweetheart?” Reilly said and looked down at the bandage wrapped around my hand holding the ice pack to my knuckles.
“It will be okay. Doc said I didn’t break anything.” What else was there to say, he and Mr. Roark entered the hall and had witnessed my less than stellar moment.
“That’s my girl.”
“Reilly,” Olivia said in an exasperated tone.
“What? All my girls are tough. They have to be to put up will your unruly boys. You should have seen her take on Bear. Kicked him in the shin and when the big man bent over to rub his leg, she drew back and punched him. It was a beautifully executed move.” I wanted to crawl in a hole for losing it with Bear. Then again, I couldn’t feel bad for him because he wasn’t the one having to ice down anything. I clocked him good in the chin and all he did was take his hand and move it back and forth. It was the Lady Riders that were impressed.
Shady had yelled, “Damn, Mel, you need to come out west.” And before I could answer Bear found his voice
“Fuck no, her ass is meaner than y’alls.” The big man then turned and went back in with Bob.
I focused back on Falon’s parents as the couple bantered back and forth but when they looked at each other, the love they shared couldn’t be missed.
Olivia shook her head and smiled up at her husband. “They are always my boys when they do stupid things.” Olivia looked at me as if to explain.
“Of course.” Reilly chuckled and glanced at me and winked before he continued, “But they also have your good taste in things.” Olivia smacked his arm and he smirked at his wife and it was the first time I noticed, really noticed, just how much Falon took after Reilly. And his next words proved it. “You chose me, didn’t you?” I laughed out loud, I couldn’t help it, they were too cute together.
“Come on, let’s go round up everyone. Madeline is getting discharged and we may need to run interference for her with the kids. Judge Sanders is being released too. Plus, Bear and Bob need some quiet time together without everyone in and out of her room.” I felt bad as Olivia talked because I had been so worried about Falon that I forgot about Bob.
“Is Bob okay? Did she have the baby?” I looked at Reilly when he laughed.
“Bob is doing great, Bear and the other Ops not so much.”
“Stop it, Reilly. Those men will adjust and so will that sweet baby girl’s dad.”
“If you say so, sweetheart.”
“Awww, Bob had a girl?”
“Yep, and she is a tiny little thing. Six pounds even. And thank God she looks like her mother,” Reilly said and Olivia smacked his arm again.
“Woman, stop smacking me. I didn’t mean anything by that other than Bear is a large man, the sweet baby takes after her mother. Not like I said thank God the little girl didn’t come out looking like a linebacker.”
“Stop talking, Reilly, please,” Olivia begged and I bit the inside of my cheek to keep myself from laughing. Yes, Falon came by his outrageousness honestly.
“Fine, let’s go. Heaven knows we will have to help Anthony Sr. pry that baby out of Sonia’s arms.” They headed to the doorway and Olivia stopped and faced me.
“Call us if you need us, sweetie. The doctor said when we asked him about Falon that you had told them he was going home with you since he needs to be watched for a few days with that knot on his head.”
“Ummm...well, I said that because no one was around and they weren’t going to let him be released otherwise. I can bring him—” Reilly cut me off.
“Nope, no room between all the Ops and their women. Oh, and hope him staying for a little while longer than those couple days because Bear had Kink lined up getting Falon’s carpet replaced. So you got him and thanks ahead of time. The boy is a grouch when he is sick or not feeling well.” Before I could argue, they were out the door. What the hell?
When I turned back to Falon, his eyes were open and he was smiling at me.
I sneered back, bastard.
Chapter Four
Falon
By the time I was cleared to leave the hospital and we walked out of the doors of the ER, Mel hadn’t said a word.
“Are you going to talk to me?” After the doctor came back in and checked me once more, we were on our way. I held the prescription painkillers and my discharge paperwork in my hands as Mel drove us to her house. As I spoke I watched her out of the corner of my eye, she was not happy.
“How long were you awake?” she asked but never glanced away from the road.
“Which time?” I turned my head to look at her and noticed her jaws were clinched.
“Do not make me stop this car and put you out. You can sit on the side of the road until someone in your family picks you up,” Mel gritted out, glanced over at me, and then back toward the road.
“Alright, alright. Don’t yell, my head hurts.”
“How. Long.”
“I might have been coming to while you were throwing Fin and Tony out.” She slowed down and for a brief second and I thought she was going to act on her threat, but then she turned onto the side street.
“You are an asshole. I can’t believe you laid there and pretended to be unconscious... OMG, you heard everything your mother and father said.” She pulled into the driveway of a three story brownstone. The home had some years but had been very well taken care of.
“Damn, Tony must be paying you some serious cash. This place is nice.” I looked around the neighborhood and the houses surrounding it were just as big and the area screamed serious money. “And why did I not know you lived in this area? You’re only a few blocks over from Bry’s and Michael’s homes.”
“Really? I call you an asshole but your more interested in the neighborhood.” Mel shook her head and got of the car and slammed the door. I followed suit.
“You call me names all the time. This is something new I’m learning about you. You are a woman with many facets, aren’t you?” We walked the pathway up to the front door.
“Umm...sure.” Mel unlocked the front door and stepped into the house with me right behind her.
“Why don’t you use the garage?” I asked as I closed the door and threw the lock. When I looked over she was beside the door disarming the alarm.
“Because my things the army shipped, which still need unpacked, are in there. Any other questions?”
“About a million but I’m kinda hungry and tired.” Mel’s face softened when she looked at me.
“Come on, I’ll fix you something to eat and you can take your meds, then I will show you where you can crash while you’re here.” I followed her down the hall and took in my surroundings. As I walked passed the living room a playpen with baby toys sitting inside caught my attention and I stopped.
“You have a kid?”
“No, that stuff is for my nephew. I watch him sometimes when I’m off to give my sister a break,” Mel spoke as she continued toward, I assumed, the kitchen. I started to follow in the same direction and when we entered she waved me to a stool at the bar. I sat down and laid my meds and paperwork to the side while she opened the refrigerator and started pulling items out.
The kitchen was large with stainless-steel appliances and black granite countertops and enough room to hold the table for eight that sat at one end.
“Geez, Mel, I’m sorry.”
“What for?”
“For not getting to know more about you.” I felt shame for that fact too. She drew my interest the first time I met her and every day after, I had wanted her more. There were days when we went back and forth, that I didn’t know if I wanted to kiss her or turn her over my knee.
Mel shrugged and sat a plate down with two sandwiches on it along with a soda in front of me and did the same in front of the seat next to me.
“Thanks, Mel, looks good. So you have a sister? She your only sibling?” I asked and then took a bite of one of the sandwiches.
“You’re welcome. And yes, I only have the one sibli
ng. Cecilia and my nephew, Luis, are the reason I left the military and moved back. I wanted to be close to help her while her husband is on assignment and I couldn’t do that across country or overseas,” Mel said and pushed two of my pills toward me. “Doctor said to take these with food.”
“Not a lot of people would do that,” I said, then swallowed the pills.
“Family is everything. You of all people should know that. Plus, we only have each other since our parents died.” I could hear the love for her sister in her voice.
“You mentioned your brother-in-law being on assignment?”
“Emilo is an undercover DEA agent. His assignments can last weeks to months to a year or so. They can’t tell where they are or what the assignment entails even to family. He’s been on his current one for just over a year. My sister’s hoping that he is close to finishing. He does check on her when he can but assignments like that make visits far and few between because he can’t take the chance of blowing his cover.” Mel shrugged like it wasn’t a big deal.
“That has to be rough on you sister, especially with a child. How old is he?” The headache was at least dulling and I was enjoying talking with Mel. Being alone with her was nice, we’d never had that before today.
“She stays busy between Luis, who is fifteen months, and teaching kindergarten, which doesn’t leave her much time to worry about Emilo.” Mel stood and carried her plate to the sink.
“I could see wanting to do that. So what about the house?”
“What about it?”
“This place is big for one person. Why would you rent it?” Place had to have five or six bedrooms.
“Cecilia and I grew up here. This was our family home. After our parents died, it was left to us. It stayed empty for a while with me being away and Cecilia in Baltimore. After she met Emilo and married, they bought their own place here when he was transferred to the New York office. She said this place was too big for her so I moved into it when I got back, not for the space,” Mel chuckled, “more for the fact it was empty and available. Figured I would live here until Cecilia and I decide what to do with it.”
“Why get rid of it? Don’t you want to get married and have a family?” Mel’s head lowered and she looked at me through her lashes before she turned and stared out the window over the sink. I’d never seen this side of Mel. I knew she was interested. I also knew my history with women kept her at arm’s length.
Mel cleared her throat before she answered, “Yes, I want a family. I’ve just never found a man to hold my interest long enough to consider that with him.” When Mel spoke, she never looked over at me and I didn’t know if it was the tone of her voice or the weeks upon weeks of sexual tension between us, but whatever it was, had me off the stool and moving toward her. I stepped up behind her and placed my hands on each side of her body and rested them on the counter.
I leaned down till my lips were just a breath away from her ear, “Maybe you were never in the right place to find him before.” Mel never moved, nor did she flinch when I pressed my body flush against hers and waited for her to reply. When she didn’t, I pressed my lips to the skin right below her ear and laid soft kisses down her neck to her shoulder. The shiver I felt from her body, let me know the effect I was having on her. And my hard-on proved just what being close to her did to me. “Turn around, Mel.”
As she turned into me, I let my lips continue across her skin, kissing across her collarbone and up until my lips touched the corner of her mouth, then my tongue laved across her bottom lip and she opened letting me in. The first taste of her assaulted me and I damn near lost what little hold I held.
Mel’s hands opened and closed at my waist as if she wasn’t sure what she wanted to do with them. I broke the kiss and worked my way down the other side of her neck. Each move had her tilting her head to give me better access. I’d yet to move my hands that now gripped the counter as a lifeline, which I guess it was since the action was the only thing that kept me from devouring her. The aches from my body, the tiredness, the mild throbbing in my head all but forgotten. I worked my way down until my lips touched the material of her top. I wasn’t done, I wanted more. My hands left the counter, one to her hip to steady her while the other moved the offending material down.
The lace bra that was revealed I would appreciate later, not then. My lips moved across the skin above the bra while my hand moved down and, in a practice move, popped the hook that held it closed. Her breasts spilled out and the shirt stretched just under them, holding them out as an offering to me.
When my lips reached the first nipple and my tongue circled the barbell piercing, I sucked the peaked bud into my mouth and used my tongue to roll the metal, Mel’s head fell back and she moaned. The sound broke the last of my hold. My hand moved to match the other at her opposite hip, I lifted her and spun at the same time, her ass landing on the bar where we had just eaten.
Mel leaned back on her hands and my mouth went back to my feast on her breasts as my hands moved to her thighs and down to her knees. She spread her legs and I moved in between them, her heat was felt through the material of my pants as I pushed my hardened erection against her core.
I’d never seen anything more beautiful than Mel, her head thrown back, her breasts pushed out with the light shining off the metal piercing, which for a brief second I wondered if she had any others, but that thought was gone when she shifted her hips and rubbed up and down on my covered cock, the friction almost caused me to shoot my load as if it were my first time.
“Falon.” My name came from her lips and all I wanted to do was give her what she needed. I released the breast I had been suckling and moved my hands to the waist of her knit pants. The elastic waistband moved easily as I gathered the material and started to roll it down her hips. It was my turn to groan when I didn’t encounter panties.
“Fuck me, sweetheart, commando?” Mel raised her head and looked at me. Her face flushed, her breath panted out, and when she went to speak the doorbell rang.
“Oh my God, Jet!”
“Jet? What the fuck?” I asked as I tried to comprehend why Jet would be at her house. It was hard to think with most of the blood from my brain filling my dick.
“Yes, move. I forgot that Fin had texted that Jet would drop you off some clothes and personal items.” She pushed against my chest as the bell buzzed a couple more times and I stepped back while she slid off the bar until her feet hit the floor. Mel righted her pants, stuffed her breasts back into the bra, and clasped it. On the way out of the kitchen, she was righting her shirt. I followed, grumbling, as we made our way to the front door. Mel swung the door open just as the bell rang again.
Chapter Five
Mel
“What the hell took you so lo—” Jet stopped talking and his eyes traveled from my face to my feet, then back up. He shifted his eyes to the side and did the same to Falon. The smirk followed along with, “Son-of-a-bitch!”
“What?” I didn’t know why I asked. I knew what he saw, which only made my face heat up more.
“Oh please, it’s about time. It was getting to the point when you two were in the same room the fucking air conditioner had to be turned lower from the damn heat.”
“Dude, some tact?” The words were barely out of Falon’s mouth and my head jerked in his direction. He looked down at me, “What?” I lost my ability to speak and my eyes grew wide. I’d been around these men for months and they still could shock me with the things they said.
“My guess is she’s speechless because you used the word tact.” Jet then laughed out loud.
“Fuck you, I have tact when I want to use it. I can’t help it if I say what everyone is thinking just afraid to spit out.” Jet palmed his face and I finally shook my head and came out of the daze I stood in.
“Christ, just give me the bag, Jet.” I reached for the bag he held in his hand.
“What? Not going to ask me in?” He cocked his brow and held the bag out to me. “Lord, I cannot wait for the others
to find out.” I snatched the bag out of his hand and winced. Falon saw it and took the bag from me.
“Shit, Mel, I forgot about your hand earlier when we were—”
“Stop!” I yelled and Falon quit talking but stared at me while Jet chuckled. My eyes narrowed when I looked at Jet.
“One fucking word to the others and the next time you train it will be with me and I will not hold back.” When I hired on they had tested me to see what I could do. I gave and took with the best of them but I didn’t give a hundred percent because working and training with men, arrogant alpha men, who wanted to take care of the women, they held back. I didn’t do it because I thought I could take them, I was tough, trained, and if I had to admit, maybe a little too competitive. I wanted them to treat me as the others, I couldn’t hone my skills if they didn’t give their all because they were worried about hurting me.
“Come on, Mel. Everyone has been watching this play out for months. You are no fun.”
“No fun? Seriously. Asshole, there is nothing to tell. Falon is here to recuperate because he has proven he cannot be left on his own. So fuck off, Jet.”
“Hey, I take offense to that!” Falon yelled and Jet and I looked at him.
“You can’t be trusted so it wasn’t like I told a lie.” Falon placed his hand over his heart at my words.
“Darlin’, you wound me. I was referring to you saying nothing to tell. You could have at least added yet to that since technically we were interrupted and didn’t g—”
“Stop talking, Falon!” Between Jet’s chuckles and Falon, I could feel a headache starting. For my own sanity it needed to be stopped. “Jet, will you inform Tony and Fin that the man who was under guard at the hospital is named Boris Elston?” The change in Jet was immediate, he went from joking to down to business in one breath.
“Are you sure?” Jet asked.
“That was the name on the chart. Why?” Jet frowned in thought.
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