Coming Back

by Lauren Dane

  John grinned as he shook his head. “I don’t think you’ve done a boring thing your entire life.”

  They bumped fists before Mick backed down the driveway and headed to Adam’s.

  CHAPTER

  Nine

  Jessi had been wrapped up in a blanket on the back deck, stitching something, when she heard a knock on the door at the side of the house. It was late. Or, really early to be more precise.

  Her boys had fallen asleep just after two, but she’d always found it good to think while she worked, so she headed out to the deck with her materials and lit some candles for light.

  She put aside her things and headed through the house to the side door. When she looked out, a woman stood there, surprised to see Jessi.

  “Is Adam home?” she asked through the door.

  “It’s four in the morning. He’s sleeping.” Jessi didn’t know who the woman was, but it wasn’t too hard to figure out she’d come for a little late night booty call. Too bad for her, Adam’s booty was taken.

  “Who are you?” the woman asked.

  “I live here and you should probably go home now. Don’t bother coming back. Adam’s penis is spoken for.” She let the blind over the window in the door fall as she walked away.

  Everyone thought she was sooo nice. And she was. Usually. But that woman should have pretended she had the wrong house because clearly if she was there at four in the morning, she’d been with Adam and that was just plain rude of her.

  Adam and Mick were excellent catches. Jessi had no plans to let them go, and she knew being with them would entail watching some boundaries because she knew both men would have lots of men and women in their pasts looking for more.

  It took a while. Plenty of tears and heartache, but she’d made a claim and they’d done the same. For too long she’d left it up to others, but this time she was taking matters into her own hands.

  So they could knock on the door at four in the morning, and the next time she wouldn’t even bother answering.

  Adam awoke at six like he normally did on a Monday. But today was different because they were here with him.

  Mick looked fantastic naked, the sheets to his waist exposing his back and all that ink. Even sleeping he looked like a king. Jessi, though, wasn’t in bed, which meant she was either up or had curled up somewhere for a nap.

  She’d gone out to the living room when he and Mick had gone to bed, so he pulled on a pair of pants to go look for her.

  It didn’t take long. In the living room he found her curled up on the couch, and the sight sent a wave of tenderness through him.

  She wore one of his shirts and a tiny pair of panties, and her hands were clasped under her cheek. The blanket she’d been using had fallen to the floor, so he picked it up and covered her.

  “You had a guest earlier,” she said as she opened her eyes.

  Concerned, he picked her up, blanket and all, and sat, settling her on his lap. She snuggled into him, her face in his neck and he let it mean everything.

  “What happened? Why didn’t you wake me?” Adam kissed the top of her head, already used to her being back in his life.

  “It was four in the morning. She only showed up for your cock. I told her it was taken and to go home.”

  He cringed. It wasn’t usual for his partners to show up at four in the morning, but he knew who this was.

  “I’m sorry. That shouldn’t be happening. Blond?”

  “Yes. Six feet tall probably. Great taste in shoes.” Her voice was sleepy and not that annoyed, so he went with it.

  “She doesn’t like being told no.”

  Jessi laughed at that. “Since I know you sure don’t, I imagine this wasn’t a match made in heaven. Too bad, so sad for her. Are you going to work now?”

  “I have a client meeting in a few hours and I need to go in and make sure everything is ready. Although I’m seriously considering taking the day off and rescheduling the meeting because I like being here like this with you and would be totally happy right in this spot for the rest of the morning.”

  “Long as we had time for a doughnut break.” She ran a hand down his chest in her way and he moved into her caress. “But I have work to do too. I just went to sleep an hour or so ago, but I have a lot on my plate today.”

  “You need your rest, Jessi.” He frowned.

  “I had planned to sleep until nine or so and then go in to my studio. I’ll have time to nap later on.”

  “What time will you be home tonight?” he asked, brushing the hair back from her forehead so he could press his lips there.

  She shrugged. “Dunno. My mom is coming out to help me later. She’s so fast with things it really helps.” Jessi’s voice had gone dreamy. He stood and carried her up to bed and put her in next to Mick, who turned toward her without even waking.

  “Text me to let me know your schedule. Maybe we can grab dinner or something,” he told her quietly.

  Damn, he really wished he didn’t have to go to work because the two of them in bed looked a hell of a lot better than a day at work.

  “Okay. I’m always up for dinner.” The smile on her face said she expected him to join them, but he needed to get moving. So he contented himself with a slow kiss before tucking her in and heading off to shower and leave.

  When he parked his car before going into the office, Adam had a moment of thanks that he’d achieved all he had. After years of feeling like everything he did was because of his family’s money—that he hadn’t earned any of it except what he’d been given—it was something to be grateful for.

  Gulati Design was his. He built it with his hard work and dedication. It had helped that his father’s name brought in some clients. But that was the least his old man could have done. It was Adam’s talent that brought them back, made them refer friends, and had catapulted him into the place he was then.

  To have his business going so well and to have Jessi and Mick back in his life made him feel like humming a tune as he began to get ready for the meeting. He didn’t of course. He saved silliness for Jessi, who appreciated it like no one else.

  It wasn’t until the afternoon that he finally had to face the situation at his door at four in the morning. Christina Paul had been a woman he’d played with a few times. For her it had been far more serious, and he hadn’t realized it until toward the end. He wasn’t looking for anyone permanent in his life. He’d been clear about that, but Christina was a beautiful woman with a beautiful body and a fantastic mouth. She didn’t like being told no and had shown up a few times to tempt him.

  It wasn’t okay for her to keep coming by, and it sure as hell wasn’t cool with him that Jessi had to deal with that, especially when he’d just gotten her to agree to move into his house.

  “Christina, I hear you were at my home earlier this morning,” he said by way of greeting when she answered her phone.

  “I bet you did. She seemed rather put out that I was there.” She put a purr in her tone and it bristled.

  “I’m rather put out about it myself. We talked about this several times. Things are over between us, and you can’t come to my home.” She wasn’t in stalker territory. Not yet. But she was edging closer every time she showed up after he’d told her to stop.

  “Who was she? At the door, I mean?”

  “Everything. So, I don’t want to be an asshole, I just need you to be respectful and appropriate. I wish you the best in life, but I won’t be part of it. Are we clear?”

  “Things are good between us, Adam. You’re fooling yourself to think anyone can do for you what I can.”

  He’d seen her and they’d fucked around no more than a few weeks. He’d broken things off five months before, and he hadn’t missed her.

  “Not really interested in what you think about my life at this point. So let’s dispose of the niceties and be real. Stay away from my house, my business, and my woman. You’re intelligent and beautiful, you won’t have any problem moving on once you make that choice.”

&
nbsp; Christina snorted. “You know where I am when you get bored.” She hung up and he sighed.

  If she stayed mad, hopefully she’d keep out of his life for good. If she came back again, he’d have to take more steps.

  Jessi woke from a super hot sex dream on the verge of an orgasm. But it wasn’t a dream, it was Mick, touching her slowly, caressing, as if he were trying to remember every single curve and dip.

  “I should apologize for waking you,” he said quietly when she opened her eyes. “But I can’t do it convincingly. I want you too much.”

  “I’m yours, Mick. Take what you want.” What was sleep compared to this?

  “It’s worse when you’re so fucking beautiful and responsive.”

  “Worse?” she managed to gasp out as he found her nipples and began a slow pinch and tug that she felt right to her clit.

  “I feel stupid. More stupid because you’re everything and I knew it. I had it and I ran.”

  “I’m here now. You’re here now. Touching me like I’ve wanted. It’s okay.” Reaching up to cup his cheeks, she held him and looked right to his heart. “I don’t want your guilt, Mick. I want your heart. And your dick very soon too.”

  He laughed, kissing her. He was sleep-warm and so substantial she never worried about floating away. He anchored her.

  And then his hands were on her sides, over her ribs, down her hips to her thighs, which he pushed open—with no resistance, obviously. He scooted down to kiss her belly and over her hips before he stood and pulled her from the bed and into the huge bathroom.

  “I need to shower for work. You do too. We should conserve water.”

  “I’m fine, but you’ll be needing to satisfy my insatiable hunger or we don’t have a deal.”

  His grin changed and made her shiver. “I promise.” But he made the X over her heart instead of his. “On your heart instead of mine because you gave it to me and I want you to know how seriously I take that.”

  Damn it. When he was like this, she had no defense. He broke down everything she’d thought she’d fixed and put away.

  He kissed her hard as he turned on the water and ushered her into the giant shower stall.

  “Benches will come in handy,” he murmured. “But first let’s get you all clean so I can dirty you up.”

  Like she’d argue.

  He drew her under the dual shower heads and as she got warmed up and wet everywhere else, he began to slowly wash her. Strong fingers massaged shampoo and then conditioner into her hair before he slicked her body down with soap. That part seemed far more detailed than was truly necessary to get clean, but she had no complaints because his hands on her were the only thing she wanted.

  Once she was rinsed off, she did the same for him, paying extra attention too as she fisted his slippery cock first in one hand and then the other.

  She had no real idea how big Mick was until she’d been with someone else. His cock was fat in her hands. Hard. She wanted it everywhere all at once.

  Soon enough he moved her hand and pushed her to sit on the bench before he went to his knees between her thighs, his hands gripping her ass to haul her pussy to his mouth.

  “Yes,” she managed to say as he licked over her clit before sucking it gently, abrading it with his teeth. She grabbed his head for purchase, but she didn’t necessarily pull him closer.

  Didn’t have to. He couldn’t seem to get enough. He ate her like there was nothing more delicious he’d ever tasted. Like he needed her on the same level as oxygen.

  Steam curled around them as he devastated her with his mouth. Licking every part he could reach, fucking her with his tongue, licking against her perineum and then over her asshole before coming back to her clit.

  Her back was arched as she held on, orgasm so close, so huge it built up like a fucking storm and when it hit, she actually yelled out his name.

  “I want that every time,” he said in a near snarl as he got to his feet.

  Jessi licked her lips as she took his cock in from eye level, but he clamped a hand on her shoulder. “Don’t. You’ll make me come before I’m ready and I want to fuck you.”

  He arranged her, on her knees facing the low tiled wall and the glass through which she could see everything in the mirror that took up the opposite wall.

  “Brace your hands on the ledge,” he said. Ordered.

  She did, waiting, excited for whatever he had planned.

  The condom wrapper ripped and Jessi shivered.

  Then he was back, pressed against her as she held on. It was a good thing she wasn’t standing, though, because when he thrust into her in one hard movement she might have fallen over with pleasure.

  “Love you like this,” he murmured before licking over the edge of her ear. “Soft, willing, open to me. You’re so fucking hot inside. I want that all over my dick.”

  She exhaled on a sound because she was out of words. She loved it when he talked dirty. Loved it because she knew it was just for her, not a script. Loved it because it was theirs.

  He thrust, deep and slow, taking his time. The air was warm and the water rushed over one side of her. The ledge she held on to was smooth and cool, a contrast to the scratch of the wiry hair on his thighs against the backs of hers.

  She lost all sense of time, all there was was his cock inside her, his hands at her hips, fingertips digging into the muscle there would leave a mark, and she loved that.

  He kept up a stream of sweet words mixed with the dirty ones. He loved her body. Wanted to touch her all the time. These compliments settled in, and she believed them.

  He made her feel beautiful. Sexy. Desired. Loved.

  “You need to come again, baby,” he rumbled as he sped his pace.

  “I do?”

  He bit her shoulder, just to the side of her throat, and pleasure she hadn’t imagined stole through her. Breathless, she pressed back, wanting it again.

  “Gonna leave a mark,” he said, but it was a question. Did she really want more?

  “Make me yours. Mark me,” she answered, and he did on the other side.

  Damn. What was that? It was so good.

  “Hand on your clit. I want you to make yourself come all around me.”

  She did, not needing to be told again.

  “Do you have any idea how hot it is? Feeling your pussy all around my cock, knowing your fingertip is on your clit? You tighten and get even hotter and it kills me. But I want that. With you. Jesus,” he snarled as she realized she was far closer than she’d thought.

  Climax tore through her this time as she tried to move away and yet get closer to him. Her wrist hurt because she worked her fingers on her clit so hard and fast. She let go after the first big bloom of climax but he took her through another, smaller one as he began to fuck her in earnest. Hard. Hard and fast and deep. She grunted with each thrust and it was fantastic.

  Pain hovered nearby, but all he gave her was sharp pleasure as he came at last, sinking his teeth into the muscle of her back.

  “Damn. I think living here is going to make me be in a far better mood going to work every day.” He kissed the top of her head and helped her to stand.

  Outside the shower stall he wrapped her in a towel and dried her carefully before he did himself.

  Muscles loose, heart full of love, she got dressed for work with him. Really glad she’d made the choice to stay with Adam and give this living together thing a try.

  “Want a ride?” Mick asked as they headed downstairs. “One of us can pick you up later. I’ll probably be at work until seven or so. But it’s Monday so sometimes it’s much later. But I can make a run to swing you home at any time. And I’d like that,” he added before she could argue.

  “I don’t want to have to interrupt anyone’s work.”

  He took her hands. “I want to. I want to take care of you. You don’t have to, obviously. But I want to or I wouldn’t have offered.”

  “Okay then. Sure.”

  “Car this morning instead of bike. It’s rainy and
you don’t need that.”

  “I’m not made of sugar,” she told him. One of her mother’s favorite sayings was that a little rain never hurt anyone and her kids weren’t made of sugar, so they wouldn’t melt.

  Mick grinned. “Maybe not. But you sure are sweet.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Sometimes.”

  He cupped her pussy. “Right here? Always.”

  She had to close her eyes a moment and he stole a kiss before they left.

  CHAPTER

  Ten

  Mick strolled into Twisted Steel with a smile on his face. Things were so damned good he was afraid to trust it. But he had no choice because once he’d allowed himself to admit how much be needed Jessi and Adam, there was no way he could deny it any longer.

  That morning, waking up to her snuggled beside him only underlined how fucking good a thing he had. He would not fuck that up.

  He stopped by Carmella’s office to check in. They had their Monday morning staff meeting every week to discuss timelines and shop projects, and Carmella was so fantastic at keeping them all in line it made Mick’s job as shop manager a thousand times easier.

  Today she looked so pretty, as she often did. Her red hair was twisted up in a bun at the back of her head and the blue and white she wore only brought out her eyes. It was easy to see why Duke had fallen in love with her so hard.

  “You’re the second best thing about this morning, Carm.” Mick winked at her as he picked up the paperwork waiting for him.

  “Only the second?” She winked. “Does that mean the first is lovely Jessilyn?”

  Mick nodded. “Yeah. Jessi’s been the best thing about every day since I met her.”

  “You should tell me the whole story. I love happily-ever-afters.” And she should, since she and Duke had one of their own.

  “I will when we have the time.”

  “I’m excited to get to know her.” They both stood, gathering their things to head to the break room for the meeting.