“Use a napkin,” Graham said as he tossed a few at him. “I’m not going to clean up after you.”
“You will, but it’s because you love me.” Murphy wiped himself up and took another big bite. “Tell us why you’re all surly.”
Graham clenched his jaw. “I’m fine.”
“You’re lying,” Owen said as he took a bite himself. His brother chewed and swallowed before speaking again, unlike dear old Murphy. “Is it Blake? Because I think it’s Blake. If it were the other thing, we’d have seen you go into your cave like you usually do. Instead, you’re mean. So it’s got to be Blake.”
“I’m with Owen on this one,” Jake said.
“Yeah,” Murphy added.
Graham sighed. Now he remembered why he didn’t have his brothers over as much anymore. They saw too damn much. “Just drop it.”
“So there’s something to drop,” Murphy said.
“Of course, there is,” Owen added. “He slept with her, I can tell that much. But why he’s acting like a bear with a thorn in his paw, I don’t know.”
“Will you stop fucking comparing me to a bear?”
“What, you don’t like Goldilocks in your bed?” Jake asked with a laugh.
“Blake’s not blonde, and fuck you three.”
“No, thanks. I’ve got Border and Maya for that,” Jake teased.
“Anyway, if you want to talk about Blake, we’re here,” Owen said softly.
“If not, turn on the damn movie so we don’t talk about it,” Murphy added. “That’s how these things work, you know.”
Graham groaned and turned on the movie. “Fine. Just no more questions okay.” A pause. “Let me figure out what I’m doing.”
“If you knew what you were doing, you wouldn’t need us,” Owen whispered.
Graham closed his eyes. “I’ll remember you said that when you find a woman.”
Owen was quiet for so long, Graham was afraid he’d stepped in it. Only he didn’t know what he could have stepped in since Owen didn’t have a woman. That he knew of anyway. Instead of talking about it like he should, Graham went quiet when the title came on the screen. They’d focus on this and not on what was important. Because he and Blake were too important to talk about just yet.
He’d figure it out…soon.
At least, he hoped he would.
And if he didn’t, well, the Gallagher brothers would be there for him when he fucked it up.
Again.
When the doorbell rang, Graham cursed. He hadn’t set an alarm that morning because he was allowed to sleep in. It was the damn weekend, and he was off. But hell, it seemed there would be no sleep for him. Whoever had woken him up would just have to pay the price of his general grumpiness due to lack of caffeine.
“What?” he growled when he opened the door.
“Good morning,” Blake said and handed him a cup of coffee in a paper to-go cup. “I’m sorry for waking you up. I forgot people don’t work weekends like I do.” She cursed. “Hell, I need to head into the shop soon since Austin is opening by himself, but I wanted to say good morning, and I’m sorry for leaving like I did. I was silly and overwhelmed and trying not to think about how good it was. And in the end, I ended up being a dork about it and hurting you in the process.”
“Blake.”
“And,” she continued as if he hadn’t said anything, “now I’m thinking I might not have hurt you at all because, hello, self-centered for even thinking that. Hell. Okay. Well, there is coffee, and I need to get to work. But before I do…” She closed her eyes, took a deep breath. “There’s something I need to tell you.”
Her eyes were so intent, he knew it had to be important to her, but right then, he could only feel the relief that she’d shown up. She might have run, but she’d come back. He’d worry about what that meant later. Without a word, he took her by the wrist and dragged her inside and off his porch.
“Graham…it’s important.”
“Okay. You can tell me after.”
“After what?” she asked, her eyes wide.
“After this.” He crushed his lips to hers, needing her taste. When he pulled back, breathless, he took both coffees and put them on the table next to him.
“What are you doing?”
“This,” he said again and went to his knees. “Thank you for wearing a dress for me. It makes things easier.” He slid his hands up her thighs and gripped the edge of her panties before pulling them down to rest right under her ass.
She gasped and put one hand on the top of his head, the other on his shoulder. “Graham, it’s going to be hot today, so I wore a dress. What are you doing?”
“What does it look like I’m doing? I’m having breakfast.” And with that, he pulled her panties to her ankles and nudged at her legs. When she moved, he set her underwear to the side and flipped up the hem of her dress.
“Graham…”
“Shh…let me taste.” He spread her then, loving the way the hood over her clit swelled, and yet he could see the tiny nub peeking through. He leaned forward and licked it. When she moaned, he slid one of her legs over his shoulder and sucked on her clit while using his free hand to massage her thigh. She tasted sweet and salty, the perfect combination. Her pussy was pink, wet, and his.
He loved eating pussy. There was nothing like watching a woman come hard on your face while you tasted every drop of her. Of course, he knew women liked it when his beard scraped their inner thighs as he went to town, and Blake was no exception if her cries were any indication.
He licked her clit, then down her labia before shaking his head from side to side.
“Holy hell,” she gasped. “Your beard, on my clit. I didn’t know that was a thing, and hell, was that a thing!”
He smiled before truly giving her the whole of him. He sucked, licked, bit down. He speared her with his fingers, ran his thumb over her clit, and worked her until she was panting on his face. And when he pulled his hand away and covered her bundle of nerves with his mouth, flicking his tongue back and forth over her, she came, her gasps turning to screams, and her body shaking.
He lapped her up, his cock rock-hard, but he wasn’t going to fuck her against the door today.
He’d keep her waiting.
Keep himself waiting.
When her body quit shaking, he stood up carefully, making sure her feet were firmly planted on the ground even in her very sexy wedges, and kissed her.
“Good morning.”
She mumbled something he couldn’t quite hear.
“Huh?” He smiled even as he said it.
“Good morning. Work. I need to work.”
He laughed. “You okay to drive, baby?”
She nodded, closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and opened them. “Yes. I’m good. I’ll just chug that coffee. I’m late now I think.”
He kissed the tip of her nose. “Sorry about that.”
“You’re not. And because I’m late for work, I can’t help with that very thick lead pipe in your boxers.”
He grinned and rocked said pipe into her hip. “No problem, baby. See you tonight?”
She paused for a moment. “Yeah, I’ll see you tonight.”
He kissed her goodbye and watched her walk to her car and pull out before he went back inside. She was right; it was going to be a hot one today, but not as hot as it had been a moment ago.
As he went back to his bathroom to take a shower and rub one off, he frowned. She’d said she had something important to tell him, and he’d distracted her. Oh well, he’d hear it later tonight if it was that important. He hadn’t been able to keep his hands off her, and frankly, he didn’t know why he should.
The fact that he had a spring in his step from seeing her, tasting her, told him he had more problems to worry about than his schedule for the day, though. He was starting to rely on her for his mood, and that was something he’d promised himself he would never do.
Yet, he wasn’t sure he could stop it.
And with those confu
sing thoughts, he got into the shower and thought of Blake. Because with a hard cock and a whirling mind, he couldn’t think of anyone or anything else. He’d deal with everything later.
Much later.
10
Graham really, really, wanted to bend her over the pool table and fuck her. But as they were in public, that probably wasn’t the best idea. The fact that they were out at a local pub having a calm, pleasant date, should have reminded him not to act like a crazy, lust-starved man around her. Apparently, when it came to Blake, Graham didn’t know how to act or rein in his emotions.
He’d been every kind of asshole to her, then every kind of man who wanted to get her into bed. Yet beyond all of that, he wanted to know her. That should have scared him since he’d done the whole serious relationship thing in the past, but his mind wouldn’t be stopped.
Not for Blake.
Not now.
Blake turned around from her spot near the pool table and raised a brow. “It’s your turn, but if you’re going to spend the entire time staring at my ass instead of the balls, then maybe I will win this round.”
Graham’s mouth lifted in a small smile. “Yeah? You think you can beat me at pool? I don’t know, I’m pretty good.”
Blake put her hands on his hips but kept space between them. “So you tell me. I know you have the air hockey table at your place, but you don’t seem to have a pool table.”
Graham knew he shouldn’t get too close, get too serious, but he couldn’t help himself when he tucked her hair behind her ear. He needed to see her face, and he wanted to touch her, even if it was just a bare brush of skin against skin.
“No pool table. We just come here if we want to play. Owen never wanted one in his house since it wouldn’t fit the feel of it or whatever. Murphy would rather come to one of our houses than stay home.” He didn’t mention why, but he knew if he kept on with Blake, he would eventually. “Jake doesn’t have room since he built his studio inside the house. I like air hockey and got a good deal on the table, so…that’s what we have.”
Blake tilted her face as she studied him. “I like how it’s about the four of you, not just yourself. I asked why you didn’t have a pool table, and yet you mentioned each brother, not just you.”
“Is that a problem?” His brothers were part of almost every aspect of his life. They’d had fantastic parents who cared for them, loved them, and helped them grow. But no matter what, it had been the four Gallaghers against the world. They each had other friends and people in their lives, but no matter how hard the Montgomerys tried to adopt Jake, it would always be the Gallaghers.
She just smiled up at him and ran her hands through his beard. Hell, he loved when she did that. “I think that is really, really cool, Graham.” She went to her toes, her body leaning into his so her breasts brushed against his chest. “And now it’s time to see if you have any talent with…balls.”
He snorted and gave her a quick kiss. “Only my own, sweets, but let’s see what we can do.” He turned from her and took stock of the table. He was solids, and had a decent shot at one or two balls. He wasn’t the best pool player in the family—that title went to Jake for some reason—but he was decent enough.
He got in three before he missed because Blake had bent over the other side, her tank top riding low so he caught a glimpse of lace and sweet, creamy skin, as well as that ink he loved on her side when she stretched up. Damn woman knew what she was doing. But since she had a smile on her face because she was teasing, he didn’t mind. He got to look at his woman and have a good night.
The fact that he thought of her as his woman after such a short time should have worried him, but for now, he’d let it ride.
She sidled up to him and stuck her hand in the back pocket of his jeans. “Good job.”
He snarled, though he didn’t mean it. “I could have done better if you hadn’t been bending like that.”
“You like it when I bend.”
He lowered his face so he could whisper in her ear. “I fucking love it. I want to bend you over this table and fuck you so I can watch your tits bounce in the mirror they have on the other side. I want to feel your cunt clamp around me when you come, and I want you to scream my name so every guy who has his eyes on you right now knows you’re mine.”
She shivered next to him and took away his cue. “Let’s get something to drink,” she said, her voice breathy. “And maybe some nachos or something. I don’t think I can concentrate right now.” She’d moved her hand from his butt to rest on his forearm, and he craved more of her touch.
Dangerous thinking, Gallagher.
“Since my hands are shaking, yeah, let’s quit for now.” Her eyes danced, and she kissed his jaw over his beard. “Go find a table. I’ll clean this up.” He wrapped her hair around his fist, tilted her head back, and kissed her. Hard. She moaned into him, and he pulled away.
“Possessive much?” she asked on a laugh.
“Just making sure these hooligans know you’re mine.”
Her brow rose. “Really? Yours? Talk about caveman.”
“I’m a Gallagher, baby, I’m as caveman as they come.”
She just shook her head, a smile on her face, and strolled toward the tables. His eyes were glued to her ass before he forced himself to look away and back to the pool table.
“All yours,” he growled to the two college-aged boys who were also staring at Blake’s ass.
The two looked at him, eyes wide.
“The table,” he corrected. “The woman? She’s mine.”
They nodded slowly, and he went after Blake. Though he knew she’d be safe in here and was still in his line of sight, he didn’t like the idea of her being alone for too long. That might be on him, but still, it was a pub.
Blake snorted at him when he sat down at the high top she’d found for them. “Really? Warning off little boys from me?”
He shrugged and took a look at the drink specials on the table. “They were old enough.”
“I’m thirty-two, Graham. I’m not looking for some fresh-faced college kid who doesn’t know how to move his hips.”
Graham stared at her and shook his head. “The words that come out of your mouth…” He shook his head again, but a smile crept over his face.
“I thought you liked my mouth.”
He reached under the table and slid his hand over her thigh. He didn’t get too close to the seam of her jeans as there wasn’t a tablecloth to hide them, but she got the idea.
“I like your mouth,” he agreed. “A whole hell of a lot. And I like the words that come out of it. And while you might not want a twenty-something-year-old kid, those guys just see a very sexy woman at this table. So, yeah, I went a little caveman.”
“I guess you could have been worse, but still, I can fight my own battles. If, you know, there’s an actual battle to fight.”
He squeezed her thigh once. “I know, but that doesn’t mean I won’t help.”
She just rolled her eyes. When the waitress came, they each ordered a beer while she ordered nachos and he ordered wings. He figured they’d share since he kind of wanted both. Not the healthiest meal for them, but hell, he’d eaten well during the week, and if he wanted to indulge once in a while, he would. He and his brothers were doing better about that at home too when they were around. Hence the stir-fry a couple of nights before and not another round of pizza. He winced. Yeah, he’d forgotten about the pizza with Blake he’d already had earlier in the week.
“What was that wince for?”
“Just thinking that our next date needs to be at a place where I’m not eating grease.”
She nodded. “Yeah, I get you. I don’t usually eat so much crap, but I was craving nachos.” She tilted her head. “And next time? You want to keep doing this?” Something passed over her face, but he couldn’t quite figure out what it was.
“Yeah, don’t you?” he asked as casually as he could.
She played with the paper napkin in front of her and gave him a
slight nod.
He’d have to take that because he wasn’t sure what else he could do right then when they were in public. The waitress dropped off their drinks and plates for their meals while he and Blake talked for a bit about nothing important but important enough to be talked about. They didn’t go deep into their pasts or what they were feeling, but he was okay with that since they were in a bar. What he liked was that he talked about how his day had gone, and Blake seemed genuinely interested. And when Blake spoke of the small tattoo she’d done that day and the nose ring she’d done for a woman’s fiftieth birthday, he couldn’t help but be enraptured. There was a tension in the air he couldn’t place, though, and no matter how he tried to steer the conversation, he always felt like he was missing something.
After he was stuffed with cheese, meat, and grease, he sighed and finished his glass of water. They’d each only had one beer since he had to drive them to his place where she’d left her car. He found it weird that she hadn’t wanted him to pick her up at her place, but he figured that was just Blake. She was secretive about her past and who she was beyond the shields she wore, but he hoped one day soon he’d figure her out.
He’d told her about Cynthia and Candice and everything that had gone on with that. He may not have mentioned his parents or Murphy, but he felt as if he’d opened up more than he ever had before with another person.
They’d met the first time because of her family’s home, yet he didn’t know why she’d left it the way it was, or why she hated the place his company was rebuilding so much. Maybe that was what she’d wanted to talk about when she’d shown up, and he’d had his very tasty breakfast against the front door. He wouldn’t ask her now as they were in public, but when they got back to his place, he would. Honestly, with so much going on, he’d forgotten about it. But he’d ask her tonight.
“Ready to head back to my place?” he asked once she’d finished her water, as well.
She looked up at him with wide eyes and nodded. “Yeah,” she said softly. “I guess so.”
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