Blocked

by Lisa N. Paul

  April released her bottom lip from the teeth that held it prisoner and looked him straight in the eyes. “I believe…”

  She then proceeded to blow his mind by leaning over, running her smooth hands over his freshly shaved jaw, and kissing him. It was no chaste peck on the lips either. So when her velvety tongue brushed against the seam of his mouth, Decker felt both begrudged and thankful for the console between them. Lord only knew how embarrassed he’d be if she felt how hard he’d gotten, and just how quickly, from the taste of her sweet lips.

  “Mmm.” The groan left his chest as he pulled her closer, placed one hand on her cheek, and the other on the back of her scalp, gripping her hair at the roots as she deepened their embrace. Breathless, he broke the kiss. “Babe, you have no idea what you do to me. You look beyond sexy sitting here in my car, and the fact you initiated that kiss… I like the take-charge April. It’s sexy as fuck. But we do need to stop if we intend to go in there and meet your friends.”

  “Oh, right”—her head bobbed—“we should definitely head in now.” A pale blush crept up her neck and over her cheeks.

  Part of him wanted to kick himself for stopping something that felt so good, especially when it led to the defeated look in her eyes. The other part knew stopping was the only right thing to do. However, pink cheeks he could handle, her embarrassment he could not.

  “Woman, I’ve been wanting you for months, kissing you for weeks, and dying to touch you since the second you opened the door tonight.” The way her chest rose and fell quicker with each breath indicated that his words were, in fact, being heard. “While you’ve initiated some pretty hot phone-play, not once have you brought that sweet little body over to me until now.”

  Deciding her reassurance was more important than his embarrassment, he reached for her hand and placed it between his thighs. Her eyes widened with desire as she gripped his hard cock through his jeans. Fuck. He watched as April pressed her lips together. Her grasp tightened as she stoked his length twice before releasing her hold.

  Decker nearly growled at the loss of her touch but instead smirked when she said, “I told you, Deck, I believe. You make me want to believe.” She shrugged. “I also wanted to make sure I was calling you big guy for the right reasons.” He chuckled when she gave him a flirty wink.

  “Kiss me, beautiful.”

  “You know if I do, it won’t be my move, it’ll be yours?” She eased her lithe body over to his, practically nestling herself on his lap.

  “I don’t give a shit whose move it is as long as your tongue is in my mouth… now.” He smashed his face to hers in a hungry kiss, not caring if they ever left his car.

  April’s cell began to sing David Guetta’s “Sexy Bitch.” “Oh shit, that’s Rori’s ring tone. We’re late.”

  Even though Rori was still a few minutes away, he and April took the call as a sign to stop fooling around. The last thing either of them wanted was to get caught in a compromising position in a public place. Once they stumbled out of Decker’s car, and he adjusted himself, the two walked hand-in-hand into Danny’s on Main.

  * * *

  “IT’S ABOUT TIME you guys got here,” Janie shouted from across the bar the minute she and Decker walked in the door. Her friend practically glowed as she waved them over to the corner she seemed to be occupying with her friends.

  With Decker’s fingers still twined around hers, they made their way through the thick crowd. Max was easily recognizable, being that Janie kept a picture of him on her desk. However, a picture did the man no justice. He was movie-star good-looking and ridiculously tall, especially in comparison to Janie’s tiny frame.

  “I can’t believe I finally got you here,” Janie bubbled, throwing her arms around April. “And it only took getting engaged to do it,” she teased. “Speaking of which, April, this is my fiancé, Max DeLucca.” April shook Max’s extended hand before Janie continued, “Max, this is April.”

  “It’s nice to finally meet you, April,” Max said in a deep, gravelly voice. “I was thinking maybe Janie had an imaginary friend at work.”

  When Max flashed his broad smile, April could see why Janie was captivated. However, its effect didn’t hold a candle to the smile on the man who stood beside her.

  “Hey, guys,” Rori greeted in a singsong voice, “sorry, I’m late. There was stuff at home I needed to deal with before I left.”

  While both April and Janie nodded in understanding, only April truly knew the extent of Rori’s home life issues.

  “Well, you’re here now, Rori, and your timing couldn’t be better.” The mischievous gleam in Janie’s eyes combined with the “cat that ate the canary” grin warned April to brace herself. “Our girl was just about to introduce us to her man.”

  April felt Decker’s body quake behind her, no doubt finding humor in the scene he was witnessing. He then squeezed her hand in a quiet show of support. Even though he was letting her take the lead, the gesture reminded her that she wasn’t alone.

  “Janie,” Max playfully chastised, “you said this was the first time you’ve gotten her to come out in the five years since you two met. You think embarrassing the poor woman is gonna get her to come out again in the near future?”

  “Max, thanks for trying to look out for me,” April said genuinely before pointing at her two co-workers, “but working with these two for as long as I have… let’s just say this doesn’t even rank on the embarrassment scale.” She laughed when both Janie and Rori had the gall to look surprised. “Anyway”—she stepped aside, loosening her grip from Decker’s and sliding her arm around his waist—“this is Decker Brand.”

  She found herself swooning a little bit as she watched Decker introduce himself to both of her friends, as well as to Janie’s fiancé. Just another side of him she’d yet to see—such ease and confidence with new people, but with none of the arrogance that someone as wealthy and good-looking as he was sometimes possessed. She stepped closer to his side, breathing in his cedar scent and finding happiness in his warm body, especially when he draped his large arm around her.

  “I was telling April that the people you hired to rebuild this place did an outstanding job,” Decker stated, addressing both Max and Janie—who were two of the eight owners of the bar.

  “Thanks, man. They were personal friends of the original owner,” Max responded, “and they hired subcontractors that worked around the clock until the place was not only complete but perfect.”

  April wasn’t sure if Decker realized he was doing it, but as he spoke to her friends, he casually stroked her—her back, her arm, and even her hair, almost as if he reveled in the connection as much as she did.

  “Hey, baby, why don’t you take Decker and grab a pool table at the back bar? Ryan’s back there tonight, and Ashley said she’ll switch places with Ando right now so she can hang with us,” Janie suggested with a pleading look. “We’re just gonna do one round of girlie shots out here, and then we’ll join you.”

  “Whatever you ladies want. Just be careful—it’s a school night,” Max teased, tipping Janie’s mouth up to kiss him.

  “Seeing your cheeks flush and your eyes flash as you watch them kiss makes me wonder what you look like when you come,” Decker whispered in April’s ear. “I intend to learn the answer tonight.” Decker took her mouth in a rough kiss before following Max to the back bar, leaving April breathless, horny, and wet.

  “Holy shit, chica, whatever that sexy piece of man-meat just said to you must have been hot,” Rori fanned herself, “because you look like you need to be extinguished.”

  April’s skin burned as Janie announced, “No, what she needs is a lemon drop. Come on over to our corner of the bar, and I’ll introduce you girls to my family.”

  Rori and April trailed behind Janie until they reached the far left side, where they were introduced to Lyla and Cate, who sat in front of the bar, and Ashley and Kyle, who worked behind it.

  “Happy to meet you girls.” Lyla lifted her glass. “I’ve heard o
nly nice things, which don’t surprise me, since this one”—she pointed at Janie—“likes to see the good in people. I’m not nearly as sweet—”

  “Ly, don’t scare off my friends.” Janie poked her best friend in the arm. “Ash, let’s do a round of lemon drop shots, then we can all go into the back bar.”

  The bartender smiled and started to whip together the shooters, while April focused in on Lyla. She could tell the woman wasn’t trying to be mean or rude; there was just something about her that spoke of honesty, devotion, and kindness. Lyla reminded her of her own siblings, and there was nothing bad about that.

  “Janie, Lyla isn’t being scary, she’s being… protective.” She shifted her gaze to Janie’s friend. “My own brother and sister would act the same way if they worried about me.”

  Lyla’s mouth curved slightly as she lifted her glass once more. “To my ladies,” Lyla toasted with a gleam in her eyes. April had heard from Janie that Lyla’s toasts were always super funny, witty, and filled with sexual innuendo. “Let these shotties make mere men hotties, the liquid make us wicked, and the burn make us yearn. If one won’t do, fuck it, we’ll all have two.”

  Lyla’s words mixed with the high-pitched chime of the shot glasses clinking together, had the women laughing riotously as they got to know each other.

  “Hey, did I tell you that Larry texted me?” Rori informed the ladies as they made their way down the hall toward the back bar. “You remember him, the Priest of Poo?” She snickered. “Yeah, so he wanted to know…” Rori froze, and her sudden silence filled the crowded hall area, causing April to crash into her back.

  “Rori, what’s wrong?” April had never seen her friend’s latte-colored skin look so pale.

  “Ror, are you feeling okay?” Janie’s concern had April even more worried.

  Rori pivoted and stared mutely at the man in the staff shirt who’d just passed them on his way to the front bar. April thought she’d noticed him do a double-take when he saw Rori, but she hadn’t wanted to interrupt her friend’s story, so she’d kept quiet.

  “Um, who… who was that?” Rori asked, her voice shaky.

  “Oh, honey.” Janie rubbed Rori’s back. “That’s just Ando Perez. He’s a new bartender here, but we already love him, and so do the ladies.” She winked. “Shall I introduce you?”

  “No,” she snapped, wringing her hands together. “I’m sorry, Janie. What I meant was, no thanks.”

  Janie shrugged. “It’s okay, Ror, why don’t you take a minute to breathe, and I’ll meet you two over by the guys.” She threw a concerned look at April and headed to the pool tables.

  Once Janie was out of earshot, April took her friend’s hand in her own. “Rori—”

  “Not tonight, April. Please, for now, you just need to let it drop.” Rori’s tone was one that begged for time and understanding, and April had plenty of that to give to a person who’d shown her nothing but patience for years.

  “Then let’s put it aside and talk about how sexy my guy is,” April teased as the women continued their way to the back.

  “April, the man is hot, but so are all of Janie’s friends. What the hell is going on in this place?” Rori sounded truly perplexed. “It’s like every gorgeous guy in Charistown works in this bar. I think I may need to get a second job… here.”

  * * *

  DECKER TOOK A Swig of beer as Max took the reserved sign off the pool table and racked the balls. Decker was officially kicking himself for all the wasted years he and Ford could have been hanging out at such a cool place. Newly built or not, he had a feeling the vibe was probably the same regardless of the structure. Son, it’s the people that make success. His father’s often-used words rang in his ear each time Max introduced him to one of his partners. April was correct—this was a family-owned-and-operated establishment, regardless if it was blood bound or not.

  “I’ve been looking forward to meeting you, Brand.” Max’s words were smooth like the shot he’d just made on the table.

  Decker heard the clicking of the billiard balls and watched as several slid into the pockets.

  “Stripes,” Max declared.

  “Yeah? To be honest, I didn’t know much about you personally.” Decker shrugged, eyeing up his first shot. “But April and I don’t get much time together, and this was the only option I had.” He took his shot, landing one solid ball in the side pocket, and stood up straight, looking a pleased Max DeLucca in the eyes. “I will say, however, that I’m happy as shit to be here, and I look forward to coming back.”

  Max rounded the pool table and stood in front of Decker. While the man had at least a couple inches on him and was clearly in fit shape, he didn’t seem imposing. “I like your kind of honesty,” he said with a smirk. “You’re good people.”

  “Okay, so… are we gonna braid each other’s hair now or something?” Decker asked, confused by Max’s approval.

  Gruff laughter boomed from Max’s chest. “No, man. Here’s the deal. Janie and I are getting married, and we’d like to move into a bigger place, but there isn’t anything right here in Charistown that works for us.”

  Decker still wasn’t following, but he wasn’t going to interrupt either.

  “I own a piece of land just minutes off the main stretch that would be perfect for new construction, and word has it that BC is one of the best companies around.”

  Sound stopped around Decker as he tried to process what the guy in front of him, a man he’d just met, but one who’d clearly checked out him and his business, just said. “You wanna hire Brand Construction to build your house?”

  “Yeah.” Max shrugged nonchalantly. “I looked into your company, and you do both commercial and residential, right?”

  Decker tried to shake off the surprise and slip into business mode as his brother would have, but that was why he wasn’t in the suit and tie, and Ford was. “Yeah, we do. And we have for three generations.”

  Max’s face softened. “I know, man. When I mentioned building a house to my dad, he told me to look into you guys. Apparently our fathers knew each other a long time ago. And your dad left a lasting impression on mine.”

  Stunned, Decker ran his hands through his hair. “Well, that is a story I would love to hear.”

  “Perfect. How about if I call your office and set up an appointment?” Max suggested. “I know you guys are busy, but if we hire BC, I’d really like for you to be the one in charge. We aren’t in a mad rush, so we’ll wait for you if we need to.”

  Decker wondered if he looked as surprised as he felt.

  “I’ve done a lot of research on you, Brand. No matter how nice of a guy you are, I wouldn’t trust my woman or my life to just anyone. According to what I heard, you’re the best.”

  Overwhelmed, Decker shook Max’s hand. “Look, I think we have the best team working for us, but you have no idea how great it is to hear.”

  Max chuckled. “Gotta love the honesty.”

  “Hey, baby, did you talk to Decker about the house?” Janie asked, weaving her arms around her fiancé.

  The puzzled look on April’s beautiful face told Decker this was the first she’d heard on the subject.

  Janie shrugged bashfully. “Sorry, girlies, I didn’t want to say anything until Max talked to Decker. But we’re looking to build our dream house, and we were hoping to hire Brand Construction, and for Decker to personally do it.”

  Happiness floated through April’s eyes as a smile took over her face. “Gah, I’m not sure who to congratulate first: the two of you”—she looked pointedly at Janie and Max before returning her gaze to Decker—“or you.”

  “How ‘bout we divide and conquer,” Rori suggested, throwing herself at the couple.

  The feel of April’s soft body crashing against his as she wound her arms around his neck made him feel fifty feet tall. “I’m so happy for you, big guy. I know how much you love doing custom homes.” She nuzzled his ear. “You’ll be able to get nice and creative during the design stage and then down and
dirty during the build.”

  The tip of her tongue flicked his lobe. Fuck, he wanted her in a way that was so much more than carnal. The fact that in such a short time, she seemed to grasp that his work was a part of who he was, a part of his soul, that made her special. Hell, it made her invaluable.

  “I’m a pretty creative man, dimples,” he murmured as he pulled her tighter, lifting her chin so her eyes met his. “And it just so happens thoughts of getting you dirty turns me on.” He ground his hardened length into her, whispering hoarsely, “You game?” Her sultry smile and pink cheeks had his dick pressed so tight against the fly of his jeans, that he swore there’d be zipper marks on the sensitive skin when he finally removed his pants.

  * * *

  THE NIGHT WENT quickly, too quickly in April’s opinion. She had a wonderful time, not just being in the company of adults but surrounded by friends. While having an evening alone with Decker would have been incredible, being with him around others was amazing. She had spent most of her life watching couples interact with one another and wondered why her relationship with her ex never resembled what she saw. When Ben left, she assumed the problem was her—maybe she was unfriendly, cold, unlikable… unlovable. But each time she’d been in Decker’s company, he made her feel special, wanted, and appreciated. While his words were flattering, romantic, and sexy, it was the small things that got her attention, like the way he was at IHOP. He knew how hard that situation had been for her, someone new meeting her son for the first time before they’d had a chance to discuss it, yet Decker was amazing with Elijah and even better with her. Subtle strokes on her back, a soft rub on her thigh, tiny gestures told her he was by her side but not in her face.

  Here in the bar amongst friends, April had no questions as to Decker’s feelings toward her. No, he wasn’t inappropriate, overly possessive, or nauseating, as she’d witnessed some couples be over the years. He was able to communicate his interest and desire with hungry glances, stolen kisses, naughty words, and sexy promises. Her body had been simmering for hours, and it was time to bring it to a boil.