The UN Series Complete Box Set

by Shantel Tessier

  “I have labeled the boxes that I want to be donated. Do you think you could go and drop them off?” she says into my shirt.

  “Of course.”

  She pulls away from me and her green eyes look up into mine. “I just want to go home,” she whispers.

  I can’t help but smile. She wants to get back to our home in St. Louis. That makes a thought pop in my head. We haven’t really had time to speak about what happened in front of everyone yesterday.

  “Angel.” I reach up and cup her face in my hands. “I’m so sorry about yesterday.” She already has enough going on, I don’t want her to have to worry about or doubt the feelings that I have for her. “I was going to let you tell them, whenever you were ready.”

  “It’s okay, baby. I understand.” She pulls her head out of my hands and gets back to work.

  I find Micah back in the kitchen. “Is that like a never-ending cookie jar? Every time I see you, you have your hand in there,” I tease.

  “There are several bags in the pantry, so I just keep filling it up.” He looks down and grins. “I like it.”

  I guess he is talking about the cookie jar.

  “You can have it,” Angel says entering the kitchen.

  I turn around as Micah looks up. “Oh, no.” Micah’s face drops as he shakes his head.

  “Really.” She flashes him a smile. “You can have the cookie jar.” She shifts her attention over to me before he can protest anymore. “Where are Courtney and Josh?”

  “They stayed at Courtney’s last night,” Micah answers while shoving cookies in his mouth.

  “Where are Mom and Dad?” I haven’t seen them yet this morning. They had stayed here last night in the spare room.

  “They went to go grab lunch,” Holly states as she bounces into the kitchen. “You’re going to get sick from eating all of those cookies.” She laughs, smacking Micah on the arm.

  “It will be worth it,” he agrees through a mouthful, knowing she is telling the truth.

  “Micah, will you help me load these boxes? I’m going to haul them off while Angel continues to pack.”

  “Yeah, I’ll go with you.”

  “What are you going to do with all of the furniture?” Holly asks Angel.

  “I don’t know. I guess I could leave it here.” She gestures around the room, and then shrugs. “I am keeping the house, so I guess I could keep it furnished.”

  She reaches up and redoes her messy bun. A few stray hairs fall around her face. I take this chance to let my eyes roam over her sexy body. She has on a pair of black cotton shorts that are rolled down twice, and a white tank top that shows off her full chest and small arms. Her hair looks messy and she has no makeup on. I don’t think I have ever seen her look more beautiful. And I don’t think I have ever been more turned on.

  She looks over to me with those bright green eyes. They still have the power to take my breath away.

  “What do you think?”

  I mentally shake myself. “It’s whatever you want to do.”

  “I don’t know,” she says, frustrated. “I mean, will I ever come back here? Should I just get rid of it?” She looks down to the floor and rubs her forehead. She is starting to stress herself out.

  I walk up to her. “How about Micah and I take the boxes you are donating, while you and Holly finish packing up what you want to take with you. We can figure out the rest later. We can come back here next weekend if you want. Hell, we can come back as often as you want.”

  “That sounds like a good idea. I will worry about the rest of the stuff later.” She reaches up and gives me a soft kiss on my lips. “Come on, Holly. We have a lot to get done.”

  The girls leave as Micah and I grab some boxes.

  The day goes by quickly. Micah and I end up making four trips total, filling the Tahoe each time. Mom and Dad had shown up with lunch while we were making our first run. Dad ended up helping us while Mom helped Angel and Holly. We had just gotten back from our last trip when we hear the girls in the living room and I’m pretty sure they are laughing.

  “What are the girls doing in there?”

  “Oh no,” Micah says laughing as he walks into the living room before me.

  I come up behind him to see what is going on. The girls are sitting on the couches, each holding a glass of wine.

  “Are we invited to join the party?” I tease as I sit down next to Angel.

  “Absolutely.” She hands me her glass, letting me take a sip.

  “How did everything go?” I ask cautiously, handing it back to her.

  “We finished. I packed everything that I want to keep. The rest will be here when I decide what I want to do with it.”

  “You’re not afraid something will happen to it?” Micah asks as he pulls Holly onto his lap.

  She shakes her head. “No, I’ll set the alarm. If someone breaks in or if there is a fire, the alarm company will be notified.” She takes a drink of wine.

  “Has anyone heard from Josh or Courtney?” I ask, looking at my dad who is drinking out of my mom’s wine glass. I smirk, knowing he hates that stuff.

  “Courtney called earlier,” Angel says with a dead tone to her voice, letting me know that conversation didn’t go very well.

  “What happened?”

  “What happened….” She pauses, and brings the wine glass to her lips. “Is she and Josh have been spending the day packing up her stuff.” She takes a deep breath and looks over at me. “She’s coming back to St. Louis with us.”

  She was serious? “She’s coming back with us?” I ask, somewhat shocked.

  “Yep. Guess she thinks I need a babysitter. Whatever! I told her she was not staying with us. I heard Josh practically beg her to move in with him.” She rolls her eyes and lays back onto the couch. “I told her if she wanted to, she could move into my rental house because my lease is not up yet. I told her she was not staying with us,” she repeats, showing me that the wine is affecting her.

  I lean back, placing an arm around her shoulder, bringing her into my side. “That sounds like a good idea.” I can’t wait to have Angel living with me. Just the thought of having her there, 24/7, has me grinning like a fool.

  “What are we doing for dinner?” Micah asks.

  Angel lifts up her wine glass. “This is my dinner.”

  “Mine too,” Holly says.

  My dad looks over to my mother. She holds up her wine glass, and announces, “I’m with the girls.”

  I wish Angel would eat something. She has barely eaten anything in the last three days. I can tell she has lost a few pounds and it worries me.

  “Well then, I will just eat cookies.” Micah stands up and turns around to face us. “Is there leftover spaghetti, Sam?”

  “Yes.”

  “Great, that was delicious. I’ll have spaghetti and cookies.” He beams at us, before making his way into the kitchen.

  “I’ll eat that as well,” my dad states as he stands up.

  I lean over and kiss Angel on the forehead before getting up to follow them.

  *****

  SAMANTHA

  My body is floating and my eyes are heavy. I feel as if I am mobile, but I can’t move anything.

  “Slade?” I whisper. I know he is close. I can smell him and it is turning me on.

  “I’m right here, Angel,” he answers quietly.

  “What are you doing?”

  “I’m carrying you to your room. You fell asleep on the couch.” I feel him bend down and then I hear a doorknob turn.

  Now I remember. As soon as the guys had left with their last load, I had lost it again. All my mom’s things that I didn’t want were gone. I would never see them again. Then there was the fact that Tate had come by today, plus there was no escaping Courtney’s plan to follow us back to St. Louis. It was just all too much. Vivian had gone to the liquor store and bought us several bottles of wine.

  I wanted to drown out the bad thoughts and memories. Holly suggested we toast to new beginnings: me moving i
n with Slade and her marriage into the Long family. We celebrated all right. Once the guys got back, we all sat in the living room while the guys ate dinner. Now I’m drunk and horny. I want him.

  He lays me down on the bed and I hear him move away. I slowly open my heavy lids and see him going into my bathroom. I feel a burst of energy surge through me. I sit up quickly, even as the room tilts. I take in a deep breath, pull my shirt up over my head, and then unfasten my bra. I let my body fall back onto my mattress as the room continues to spin. I close my eyes and shove my shorts, along with my underwear, down my legs. I toss them with my foot, not knowing where in the hell they land. I lay there, breathing like I just ran two miles, completely exhausted. I feel like I’m going to be sick.

  No! I take a few deep breaths to calm down. I am not going to get sick. I’m going to get laid. I feel a smile creep over my lips. I maneuver my body to get under the covers and wait for Slade to come to bed. It doesn’t take him long to emerge from the bathroom. I close my eyes, peeking out from underneath them and the covers. I watch him stand next to the bed as he takes off his Nikes. He unfastens his jeans and pushes them down along with his boxers. My eyes land on his dick and I lick my lips as I think about it being in my mouth. He reaches behind him and pulls his shirt up over his head. I watch his arm muscles work as they strain against his tight skin. I want to run my hands all over him.

  He plugs his phone in and crawls in bed next to me. I pretend to stay asleep. I want to wait until he’s on the brink of sleep before I pounce.

  I watch him close his eyes as he exhales a deep sigh. He must be stressed out. Well, I’m going to fix that.

  It doesn’t take more than a few minutes for his body to relax and his breathing to even out.

  I crawl my way under the dark covers. I place my hand on his ripped abs, travelling over his defined V, until I grasp his cock. His body jerks a little as he starts to harden.

  I lean up and run my tongue along his length. I feel like I haven’t tasted him in ages. Just as I wrap my lips around the tip, I feel his hand make its way into my hair, and I smile around him. That’s right baby. Tell me what you want. I love when he takes control, how he tells me what he wants without saying the words.

  I pull away from him and lick my lips. I bend down and suck him into my mouth. His hips come up off the bed a bit as he pushes himself deeper down my throat. I moan and I feel the shiver that runs through his body.

  His hand tightens in my hair, almost untangling my messy bun. I frown as he pulls me off of him.

  Then the covers are pushed back to reveal his face looking down at me. I smile. He sits up a bit and puts his hands under my arms, pulling me up to lay on top of him.

  “Why did you stop me?”

  He ignores my question as his baby blue eyes roam my face. His features are expressionless like he’s in deep thought.

  “God, you are so gorgeous.” He reaches up and pulls my bun out, letting my hair fan over my back and fall over onto his chest. “You know that? I have never seen someone as perfect as you,” he whispers, running his knuckles down my cheek.

  I just stare at him because I don’t know what to say. That’s the way I see him, too. Perfect.

  “Your beautiful skin, soft lips.” He then takes his thumb and runs it over my bottom lip. “Mesmerizing green eyes.” His baby blues land on mine and I feel lightheaded. Those eyes have always had the power to see into my soul. “So perfect,” he whispers as he pushes a strand of hair behind my ear. “My Angel.”

  I can’t speak. He still has the power to render me speechless when he talks to me as if I’m the only woman he’s ever seen.

  I place my hand on his muscular chest and shut my eyes. I love to close my eyes and touch his body, just feel as my hands rolls over each muscular curve. I let my fingers trail down his sides. I reach in between our bodies and take his still hard dick in my hand once again.

  “Angel,” he breathes out.

  “Slade.” I sigh as I bite back a smile.

  I want to drive him wild. He’s been standoffish for the last couple of days. I love how gentle he can be, but I’m at my breaking point. I want him to take me, to show me that I am still his. I want him to dominate me, letting my body know where it stands, under his control.

  “Angel,” he murmurs again as I feel his fingers in my hair. He pulls me closer into his chest as he slowly pumps his hips into my hand.

  I flick my tongue out, letting it run along his collarbone until I come to his neck. I lightly nibble on him.

  He tugs on my hair, lifting my face away from his chest. “Open your eyes, Angel,” he commands softly.

  I obey and look down at this gorgeous man that I call mine. He releases my hair and places both hands on either side of my face, holding my hair back.

  “How did I ever get you?” he whispers in awe.

  “Just lucky, I guess,” I tease playfully.

  “I must be very lucky.”

  “You’re about to get lucky.” I wiggle my hips, rubbing my most sensitive part against his erection.

  “I don’t think—”

  “Why not?”

  He moves and places me on my side, facing him. “I want to just lay here with you. I want to hold you while you fall asleep in my arms.” He reaches up and runs his hand up my side. “Nothing in this world compares to holding you in my arms, Angel.”

  I give him a small smile.

  “You know the first night I met you?” I nod my head. “I drove you home in your car and placed you in your bed. I hated leaving you.” He grins. “I wanted to crawl in bed next to you and hold you all night long.”

  “You did?” I question, somewhat shocked.

  “Yes.” He removes his hand from my arm and places it in my hair. “I couldn’t wait to hold you like this.” He wraps his arms around me, pulling me as close as we can get. “I knew then, that you belonged in my arms.” He gives me a gentle kiss. I close my eyes as I kiss him back. When he pulls away, I keep my eyes closed and I think of how right he is. Nothing compares to being in his arms.

  *****

  I groan as I wake to my alarm going off. I had set it for six-thirty again.

  I shower, dry my hair, and put a little bit of makeup on. I want to look as good as I feel. Because other than a small headache, I feel okay. One of the hardest parts is over, going through all of her belongings. Today is a new day, a day to start fresh, and one more day closer to going home.

  After I finish getting ready, I tiptoe downstairs to make a pot of coffee. I am going to need it. Once again, I didn’t sleep well last night.

  I make my way into the kitchen and start the machine.

  “Good morning.”

  I look up to see Holly standing there. “Do you always wake up this early?” The last two days she has been up before me.

  “Yeah, I’m a light sleeper. So every morning when Micah gets up for work, he wakes me up.” She shrugs, sitting down at the table. “So I’m used to getting up early.”

  I pour her and myself a cup of coffee before joining her at the table. We sit there quietly for a few minutes before Holly speaks.

  “Can I ask you something?”

  “Sure,” I say, taking a sip.

  “What are you going to do with your dad’s house and the vehicles he left you?”

  “The house, I don’t know.” I set my cup down. “There are two trucks there as well and I haven’t even thought about what I’m going to do with them.”

  She nods before taking another sip of coffee.

  I sit back in my chair and sigh. “I don’t know about anything.” I run my fingers through my freshly washed hair. “On one hand, I feel it’s all sentimental and I should keep everything. On the other, I also feel like it’s a part of my past, just weighing me down. Something that I need to come to terms with and move on.”

  “But?”

  “But I’m moving in with Slade.” I peer up at her. “If Slade ever chose to leave me, I wouldn’t stay in St. Louis. I would come
back to Tulsa. It would be too hard to be that close to him,” I whisper. “If I keep the houses here, I’ll have a place to come back to. To start over fresh…again.”

  “Well, that makes sense.” She’s silent for a few seconds until I look up at her. “But he’s not going to ever let you leave.” She smiles, bringing her cup to her lips.

  I laugh at her while shaking my head, and finish drinking my coffee. “Guess I will start loading the truck with the boxes.”

  “Oh, Slade and Micah did that last night after they ate dinner.”

  “Oh.” I stand there, thinking, before I feel my phone start to vibrate.

  “Hello?”

  “Miss Hall, this is Mr. Hopkins at the funeral home. Your mother is ready for viewing,” he says as nicely as possible, but it still breaks my heart.

  “Oh, um, okay.” I take in a shaky breath. “When may I come by?”

  “Sometime today is fine. You’re having the service tomorrow at your house, correct?”

  “Yes.”

  “Then anytime today is fine.”

  “Okay, I’m already up and around. I will head on over.”

  I hang up and stare at my phone for a few seconds.

  “I’ll go with you.”

  I look up to see Holly’s sad face, and I just nod. I don’t want to wake Slade and this time I don’t want to go alone.

  I stand up from the table and follow her out of the house. I get in the driver’s seat of my rental car and we head to the funeral home.

  The drive is silent as I replay the good memories of my mother from when I was younger. She used to bake for me and Tate. Sometimes several different things a day. She would sit on the back porch and watch as Tate and I jumped on the trampoline or swam in the pool. There were times that Tate would stay with us for days. My mom would even buy him clothes when she would take me shopping. As a kid, I didn’t understand much about that at the time. Tate was like an older brother to me. I never asked any questions about his family or why he had his own room at our house. I would only overhear phone conversations every now and then when my mom was talking to his. My mother would usually say, ‘it’s okay. You know he can stay here as long as he needs to’.