by Bijou Hunter
Raven laughed and kissed me softly. After she fixed my hair that she’d mussed during the kiss, I took her hand and slid the ring over her finger that was still bruised around the knuckle.
“If you piss me off, I won’t leave you,” Raven said, caressing my cheeks. “I’ll just train you to be less annoying.”
“Oh, will you?”
“I’ll do whatever I have to do to make a life with you. I know who you are and I won’t expect you to be someone else. But yeah, I’ll train your ass when necessary.”
“Now, that’s wife material right there.”
“The ring is beautiful,” she said, staring at it with bright eyes. “Did you choose it?”
“Why?”
“Larry had his secretary choose my mom’s ring. He said guys can’t pick things like that.”
“I don’t have a secretary.”
“No, but you know girls who could help.”
“Did all the heavy lifting myself.”
“That’s so sexy,” she said, wrapping her arms around my neck. “You are so multifaceted. Mmm…I need you inside me.”
As Raven sucked at my neck, I lost the ability to think of anything except her naked under me. We hurried back to the cabin where she stripped down, flopped on the bed, and stared at the ring.
“I’m going to be the wife of a good man. I never thought that was possible.”
Kicking off my boxers, I frowned. Raven noticed my hesitation then rolled her eyes before turning over and wiggling her butt at me.
“Fine, you’ll be a good husband. Feel better, drama llama?”
Shuddering, I thought of how many times I’d tormented Judd with that insult.
“Don’t forget what I am.”
“The sexiest fucker in creation. A man who makes sure I’m happy because my feelings matter to him. I’ve never been with a man who did that. Not after they got in my pants anyway.”
Smiling, I stroked my fingers along her pussy. “You poor thing. Only a good hard fuck will help you forget those shitty men from your past.”
“Might need two or three hard fucks actually,” she said, throwing her head back and laughing like a giddy child. “I want to be mush when you’re done with me.” Raven glanced at me over her shoulder and gave me the most intense expression. “Own me, Vaughn.”
“Hell,” I muttered, caressing her with my cock, “you’re mine. If you leave, I’ll chase you. If you run, I’ll chase faster. If you let me catch you, I’ll make you my slave.”
“I’m not leaving you,” she said in a soft voice.
“No,” I murmured, caressing her hair. “No, you’re not. This is forever.”
Raven turned around and tugged me onto the bed. “I love you and I will forever.”
What began as a one night stand had turned into forever and I couldn’t wait to get started. Our life was bigger than just the two of us though. So while I wasn’t a party type of guy, Raven deserved to celebrate our engagement with friends.
Lark promised to make the get-together special and swore she and the girls could keep everything a secret. I put the planning in her hands except for one request. When I told Lark, she fell silent on the phone then burst into laughter. A part of me worried she wouldn’t go through with what I asked, but I didn’t want to nag. Not when she laughed every time I mentioned it.
Arriving at the bowling alley, I was relieved the girls didn’t go fancy. Engagement parties for rich fucks were at seafood restaurants or steakhouses. Maybe that was the right way, but I wanted to have fun, not show off. Well, besides showing off my hot fiancée and the ring she kept staring at in wonder.
The crew rented out the alley for a private party, so the parking lot was full of our friends’ cars and Harleys when we arrived. I walked inside with my arm around Raven’s shoulder and her snuggly against me. Our friends yelled surprise even though we knew they were there. Raven still faked like she was shocked, staggering and screaming. A laughing Lark immediately ran over and checked out the ring.
“I called this,” she said, glancing back at the others. “We all called it.”
Tawny nodded. “We wanted to bet money on you two hooking up, but no one was willing to put money against it.”
Kirk sat nearby with Jodi on his lap. “I would have bet it’d take you two less time. You dipshits took forever.”
Even wanting to put on a little bravado, I was fucking happy. Raven was everything I never knew I wanted. If I’d dreamed up my perfect girl, she wouldn’t be as amazing as what I found with her. Raven smiled at me like she knew we were blessed to have fumbled our way into each other’s lives.
“Your man,” Lark said, wrapping an arm around Raven’s waist and pulling her away from me, “was very specific on the cake’s inscription. I want credit for following instructions, even though the baker laughed at me. No doubt, they’ll be laughing at me for a long time.”
Raven walked with Lark to where the chocolate cake was set out next to Bailey who appeared to be guarding it. My friends were all laughing at me as I followed. As long as Raven liked it and got the joke, I was fine with the mocking.
The cake read, “Congrats on your engagement, Crouching Cock, Hidden Pussy!”
Raven not only got the joke, but she nearly pissed herself laughing and high-fiving everyone. Finally, she jumped into my arms.
“You finally found just the right nickname,” she murmured in my ear. “You’re the only man for me.”
Pressing my forehead against hers, I smiled. “And you’re the only hidden pussy for me.”
Raven’s grin faded and the look in her eyes turned predatory. “It won’t be hidden once we get back to your place.”
Shivering, I wanted a quickie right then. My jeans could barely contain how badly I needed to be inside Raven, but we had friends waiting to celebrate.
“Later,” I whispered then sucked at her lower lip.
Soon, we were bowling and playing games. The adjoining game room was all ours and I beat Judd badly at pinball. A better man wouldn’t have rubbed this fact in his friend’s face, but I hadn’t matured past twelve apparently.
Nearby, Raven and the girls talked wedding plans. When Jodi offered the property if we wanted something outdoors, Raven glanced at me with hope in her eyes.
“Anything you want, I’m game.”
“Really?” she asked, nearly breathless. “It’s always been my dream to have a Tinker Bell and Peter Pan themed wedding. How do you feel about wearing green tights?”
Before she finished, I knew I was in for some serious ragging from the guys. Judd was already rubbing his hands together and Cooper smirked at Aaron. I was doomed to suffer, but in the best possible way.
A loner wouldn’t have friends so ready to hassle him for years on end. No outlaw could imagine a long life with a badass babe like Raven. Yeah, doomed never looked better.
Chapter Twenty Five – Raven
Farah Smith was an easy chick to understand. She was hot for her husband. She wanted to be a teacher. She loved her little sister and hated talking about her past. Easy peasy. Tawny was something else.
Since I’d met her, Tawny was several different people. Sulky one day, grumpy the next, then relaxed and smiling often. I realized it might be years before I knew the real Tawny. Despite her moods, she gave me great advice about Vaughn. She was also hella funny in the right mood like during dinner with Judd and Vaughn.
Tawny opened the door to her new condo and gave me a smile I’d never seen on her. None of the worries from before were on her beautiful face as she waved us inside. Inside the brand new and sparsely decorated luxury condo, I noticed Judd at the windows, looking out at the dark evening. He gave us a smile and looked less grumpy enforcer than happy husband.
“We finally moved in a few days ago. This is baby Opal,” Tawny said, picking up a young gray and white cat. “Pearl is perched near the window. She’s pretty psyched about the move.”
“Your place is banging, man,” Vaughn told Judd who nodded in his manly equivalent of du
h. “I hear the unit across the hall is available. Raven and I should get it, so we can double date every day. Show up at all hours of the night. Borrow all your sugar. Really be neighbors.”
“No,” Judd said quickly.
“I don’t know, man,” Vaughn continued. “This place is swanky and I’ve got a woman to spoil. I should ask the sales dude downstairs about buying it.”
“No,” Judd said with more force. “Find your own damn place.”
“I have,” Vaughn teased. “It’s right next door. It’s going to be fucking awesome.”
Tawny set down the cat and cuddled with Judd instead. “Let them join us. Better than having strangers as our neighbors. I’ve been praying it wouldn’t be some lame trendy types who play Jenga on the weekends with their dork friends.”
Judd smiled at his woman. “Vaughn plays Jenga. Candyland too.”
“Lame,” she cooed.
“Should I be defending you?” I asked Vaughn who frowned at Judd and Tawny until they unglued their gazes.
“No way, sugar. Candyland is awesome. You ever play it drunk? The game’s pretty hard actually.”
As I grinned at Vaughn and pressed my body against his, we were already imagining picking up beers on the way home along and enjoying a wasted game of Candyland.
“My candy girl loves playing games,” Vaughn murmured, kissing my nose.
“And my pixy stix loves being inside me.”
“We’re not making it to dinner at this rate,” Judd said, rubbing the back of his neck while Tawny detached herself from him.
“Let me show you around,” she said, taking my hand. “Then, we’ll go eat.”
While Vaughn and Judd stood at the large windows and played who could be silent longer, I followed Tawny around the condo. The place was pretty empty, but I didn’t mention furniture shopping. She seemed too happy to finally be in their new place. I hadn’t seen Tawny this happy since her wedding in Vegas and I refused to do anything to ruin it.
When we walked into the larger spare room, Tawny looked around the empty space.
“This room might be a nursery one day,” she said, sounding immediately uneasy.
“You’ll want a baby. I can see that you have the urge. You just want to do it on your terms and schedule. No reason to let anyone push you around. Your man and you are on the same page. That’s all that matters. Everyone else is static.”
“I know. It’s just that people think I should do certain things.”
“What people?”
Tawny shrugged and stared out the window. “People.”
“Like Farah?” I asked, pushing her because I sensed she wanted advice, but was afraid of what I might offer.
“No,” Tawny said quickly. “Never Farah.”
“Cooper’s family? Judd’s mom?”
“I know Zaria would like a grandchild, but she doesn’t pressure us. She knows we’re not ready.”
“Then, who?”
Tawny ran her fingers through her hair and tugged at it hard. I wondered if I should to stop pushing. Anyone else would have backed off. I wanted Tawny to be happy and hiding from her feelings was making her miserable.
“Who?” I asked again.
“I have a grandmother who conned some old rich guy and ended up having money. We’ve always kissed her ass because of that money. She’s a bitch though. Always nitpicking us and getting my name wrong on purpose.”
“And she wants you to have a kid?”
“Farah is married and has a baby on the way. It’s like she’s doing all this great stuff. College too. I’m not doing those great things. I’m just trying to get my high school diploma online. I feel like I’m failing and she’s judging me.”
“Do you see her a lot?”
“No.”
“Why do you care then?”
“She’s judgmental and I don’t want her thinking my life isn’t as good as Farah’s.”
Glancing around the empty room, I finally smiled. “So she’s not hounding you, but you think she’s thinking it.”
“I know she is.”
“This grandmother conned an old guy?”
“She was a grifter. It’s how she got his money and now she lives off the interest from what she conned from him.”
“So she’s greedy, right? Like money is what matters to her.”
Looking on the edge of losing control, Tawny nodded. I reached out and took her hand before continuing.
“A woman like that would think this place was awesome. Like Vaughn said, it’s swanky. Everything is new and modern. People are always talking up that granite and hardwood floors on those TV house shows. This place wasn’t cheap, right?”
Tawny shook her head.
“Don’t you think that rich bitch would dig a place like this? Anyone else in your family got money?”
“Just Farah.”
“So you have this swanky place and don’t have to work like a slave for it. You just have to love a really hot guy.” When Tawny’s gaze narrowed, I grinned. “I’m not going to mess with your man. I’ve got a hot one of my own.”
“I’m territorial.”
“Because he’s worth keeping. You’re thinking about your life in this negative way and assuming she’s shitting on you. A woman like that doesn’t care about kids. She doesn’t care about inner happiness. She’s about the bling. You have a hot man with an ugly job that pays well. You have respect because of Judd and your job with Cooper. You have what a woman like her cares about and that’s money and power.”
I saw her considering my words. For whatever reason, she had allowed a nasty bitch get into her head.
“She’s not judging you, Tawny. She’s probably sitting around thinking shit about the rest of your family. Thinking how you and Farah turned out well and deciding she’s the one who gets the credit. She’s thinking why can’t your loser relatives be like you? I know uppity fucks like your grandma and she’s not stressing you being childless. Hell, she’s probably thinking Farah got knocked up so fast to keep Cooper. Bitches like her always think the same crap because they don’t feel anything real. Love is a con for them. What you have with Judd isn’t something she can understand. This condo and your big wedding ring are things she understands.”
Tawny pulled at her fingers. “You think I’m stupid to worry about her.”
“No. I think you got that bitch’s voice in your head and can’t get it out. I have the same problem with my shithead dad. I know he’s an idiot. I know it, but I hear him sometimes telling me that I’m a loser or a jinx. I hear my mom too. It’s work to keep them quiet.”
“Therapy makes it worse. I mean, I know it’ll help in the long run, but right now, it’s hard. I talk about things in the doctor’s office and I feel safe. Once I leave, I don’t feel safe. The words I said to the shrink follow me. The memories too.”
Tawny glanced at the door then back at me. “I wish Judd was still coming with me to the sessions.”
“Why isn’t he?”
Shrugging, Tawny stared at her hands. “I was doing better, so I said he didn’t have to come. If I ask him to take me again, he’ll think I’m getting worse.”
“Or he’ll be happy to help his woman. I’ve seen the way he looks at you and you’re his heart. He knows you’re hurting and probably doesn’t know what to do for you. If you ask for help, I bet he’ll be relieved.”
“You should be a shrink,” Tawny said, giving me a smile.
“Hell no. I’m too bossy. I would give someone advice, they wouldn’t listen, and I’d freak out on them. Why keep coming to me with the same problems? I already gave you the solution.”
Smiling wider now, Tawny took a deep breath. “I wanted permission to ask him. I hinted with Farah, but she didn’t get it. Like she thought I wanted her to tell me I was doing well, but I’m not. Farah doesn’t like thinking about the past and she avoids dealing with it. When I look miserable, she wants to give me a pep talk and say everything is okay. That works for her, but I’m dealing with the pa
st and pep talks aren’t enough. She’s not ready to deal with it. That’s another thing. If I tell her therapy makes it worse, she won’t go and she needs to go. She needs to try at least.”
“Well, I give you permission to ask Judd for help. He wants you to be happy and feels helpless when you’re not. You’ll be doing him a favor by asking.”
Tawny laughed. “Who am I to say no to such perfect advice?”
“I wouldn’t suggest you do. I’m really bitching about people ignoring my awesome ideas.”
Taking my hand, she walked out of the room where we found Vaughn and Judd playing pool in the dining room. The guys were deep in silent competition, so we admired their hot bodies quietly. Our giggling finally drew their attention.
“Where are we eating?” Vaughn asked, hitting a ball.
“We should eat somewhere that preggos can’t enjoy,” I suggested and Tawny grinned. “I think they can’t eat deli meat, but I don’t want that crap.”
Tawny searched info on her phone then smiled. “Sushi is supposed to be iffy.”
“Barf,” Vaughn said and Judd grimaced.
“We should go to a fish place and share a little sushi to celebrate our powerful birth control.”
Judd smiled at this comment. “Poor Aaron.”
“Screw Aaron,” I grunted. “Lark’s the one carrying two babies.”
Vaughn and Judd looked at each other then burst out laughing.
“What’s so funny?”
“He hooks up with a chick whose birth control is defective and ends up with twins,” Vaughn said, walking to me. “Dumb fuck probably didn’t know what hit him.”
“He gets to spend his life with an amazing person. Fuck you for laughing at his good luck.”
“Don’t go big sis on me, daffodil. One day, I’m knocking you up with twins too. No harm in making double the hot kids.”
“I’m still mad.”
“Wanna make a baby right now?” he whispered in my ear.
“Sushi first.”
“Barf.”
“We’ll see.”
Thirty minutes later, Vaughn proved me wrong. He hated sushi and nearly threw up after trying a bite. Watching him freak-out nearly killed me. I laughed so hard I couldn’t breathe. Tawny was also in hysterics. Like any good friend would, Judd took a picture of a gagging Vaughn with his phone.