by K E Osborn
“Stop! Just stop, Lilah. You’re making a fool of yourself.”
She lets out a bemused laugh. “I’m makin’ a fool of myself? I’m not the one thinkin’ I can hang out with some famous people, thinkin’ it will get me the creds needed to get me to the top. I’m not sure what y’all are after, Kaden, but you won’t find it with her.”
Tension ripples through me and I spin facing her dead on while bringing my hand up and forcefully slamming it onto the wall. She jolts but doesn’t move as I lean in close to her face. She smiles slightly thinking I’m leaning in to go for a kiss, but she’s very wrong.
“You think I’m better off with you? Is that it?” I ask staring into her eyes. Her eyes dart down to my lips, and she licks hers in anticipation as I inch closer curling up my lip in disdain. “Well, I’ll let you in on a little secret Lilah…”
“Yes,” she murmurs pushing her chest forward slightly.
“You. Disgust. Me! I will never come back to you. Do. You. Understand. Me?” I grit out through my teeth, leering into her now heavily watering eyes as she begins to shake. Her bottom lip quivers and she lets out a small sob as she breaks eye contact, and shoves me hard in my chest making me step back from her as she bursts into tears and runs off down the hall.
I let out a heavy breath, as I run my hands through my hair and spin toward the exit to see Kiera standing there with her mouth agape. I stop and swallow hard watching her watch me. She furrows her brows and starts to walk toward me. I push my back against the wall of the hall feeling like shit that she had to witness that. I don’t know how much she saw, but knowing she saw any of it is making me regret my actions.
Kiera steps up to me, chewing on her bottom lip and exhales. “Well, that was intense.”
Letting out a long exhale, I clench my eyes shut tight and then open them to see her looking at me sympathetically. “How much did you see?”
She leans up against the wall next to me and bumps her shoulder into mine. “Enough to know you really need to deal with your issues toward Lilah. I mean she’s a bitch and all, but wow, that was some grade-A alpha shit going on there.”
Taking a deep breath, I sigh. “Was I too harsh?”
She snorts. “Hell no. I would have smacked her upside the head if it was me, but I’m a chick, and I’m allowed to hit her, you… not so much. The shit she was saying… not cool.”
“Maybe bringing Effa here was a bad idea?”
“Shut up! Don’t let one bad apple ruin the fun. You guys are going to have the best time here, the whole town will see to that. Everyone in Ligonier loves you, Kades.”
Chuckling, I wrap my arm around her shoulders and make a move off the wall to head back toward the dinner party. As we exit the hall, my eyes dart around the pub doing a quick once over for Lilah, but I see that she and Jaydin are no longer here, which is a relief as Kiera and I walk back to the table.
Effa looks up at me and smiles as I approach. “Everything okay?” she asks, as I let go of Kiera and we take our seats.
“Everything’s great, baby. How’s your head?” I ask rubbing her knee.
She smiles and shrugs. “It’s fine, still a little achy. Stop fussing.”
“Have you had enough fun for tonight?” I ask.
“Yeah, I’m ready when you are.”
Glancing over at Gran, she’s deep in conversation with Livvy. I don’t want to disrupt her, so I smile and nod. “As soon as Gran is ready we’ll head out.”
Effa nods and looks down at Luke who’s finally off his cell and chatting with everyone. “I’ll be right back,” she announces as she stands up and heads off to Luke. Effa whispers something in his ear, he nods and stands up with her, and they walk off to the bar.
Furrowing my brows, I wonder briefly what that’s all about.
Gran turns and looks to me with a wide smile. “… and that was when he told me he wanted to leave. I was so devastated but so excited for him,” Gran sighs and Livvy sniffs like she’s close to tears.
“Oh, I know the feeling. When the girls were leaving for their first tour, it was so hard to let them go out into the big wide world without us. Watching your babies grow up is so difficult,” Livvy gushes wiping her nose on a tissue making me chuckle.
“But they’re in good hands, Luke looks after them. He loves them like family. I know he’d never let any harm come to them… well, he tries anyway. What happened to Effa was no one’s fault really. Especially not Luke’s, so we don’t begrudge him that. I know he will be looking after your Kaden, too,” Livvy says reaching out grabbing Gran’s hand in support.
“Luke’s very protective, but don’t worry, we all look out for each other, right guys?” I call out.
“Hell yeah!” Andi and Tank both cheer out as the others all nod.
“We’re about as tight-knit as you can get,” Kristy says, wrapping her arm around Alana and squeezing her tight.
“Yeah, we’re looking after each other and are in each other’s space even when we don’t want to be,” Casey snorts.
“See, nothing to worry about,” I advise and they both purse their lips at me and sigh.
“We’re parents, Mercs, we’re always going to worry. Right, Daphne?” Livvy replies.
“Always,” Gran affirms.
Effa and Luke step back to the table, and Effa smiles down at us. “The bill’s taken care of. I just want to thank everyone for coming out tonight, and to thank you all for your support recently. It means so much to me.”
Gran gasps. “Oh, Effa, sweetheart, you didn’t have to do that. But thank you. And, of course, we’re all here for you. You’re a part of the family now.”
I take that as a cue to stand up and so does everyone else. “Well, I guess I’d better get this one home, she needs to rest.”
“It was so nice to officially meet you, Livvy and Donny. We’ll have to catch up more before you go back to Australia,” Gran tells them.
“Absolutely,” Livvy agrees pulling Gran in for a hug.
I take Effa’s hand glancing over to Kiera, her eyes droopy and her face pale. She needs her rest. This is all a little too much for her. “C’mon ladies, let’s get you home,” I announce, reaching out for Kiera and wrapping my free arm around her more to support her than anything. She catches on to what I’m doing but doesn’t fight me, instead cuddles into my side.
“Sounds good to me,” Effa mumbles.
“We’ll catch up with you soon guys,” I call out as I lead two of my three favorite ladies out of the pub followed by Gran.
Effa turns to me and swallows hard. “So, I couldn’t help but notice, Lilah left in quite a state. You wouldn’t know anything about that… would you?”
Fuck!
Chapter Nine
EFFA
Mercs weakly smiles as Kiera looks over at him, but says nothing. He looks down at me and shakes his head. “She was probably emotional about something. Seeing us all here might have brought up some old crap, but that’s not for us to worry about. She’s of no concern to us. All I care about is getting you back home and in bed… resting.” He smirks.
He definitely knows more than he’s letting on. But I’m sure he doesn’t want to talk about it in front of Kiera, or he doesn’t want to talk about it… period. Either way, I’m going to let it go for now. “Okay, let’s go home. Kiera’s had a big night, her eyes must be hurting.”
Kiera snorts and glances to me scrunching up her face. “Huh?”
“I think Raoul must have holes burned through him with all the staring you were doing tonight, girl!” I tease and she giggles.
“Shut up! He’s totally into me—”
“Fucking hell,” Mercs murmurs under his breath as he walks with us down the street toward the house as I giggle along with Kiera.
“Anyway can’t a girl have a little fun? He’s only in town for a short while then he’ll be gone. Think of it as a fling Kaden, not as a boyfriend you’ll have to watch over and beat up when he wrongs me,” Kiera jests making me grin so
wide as Mercs rolls his eyes.
“If he touches you, I will Taser his balls! I am not kidding.”
Kiera bursts out laughing. I run my hand up his chest cuddling into him. “I like this protective side of you, Mercs, it’s kinda turning me on,” I joke leaning up and kissing his cheek, as Kiera grunts and detaches herself from her brother screwing up her face.
“Ewww, too much… too much…” She moves ahead of us.
The house is on the same street as the pub, so we walked. Gran isn’t too far behind us, as I look back to see her casually strolling along.
I cuddle into Mercs’ side, placing my arm in with his as we walk. It’s a nice night, the moonlight shining in silver streaks through the sassafras trees that line the streets. The gentle chirp of cicadas echoing through the silent air as a soft breeze tickles my skin. The mild fall time chill in the air sends my senses into overdrive as I snuggle closer into Mercs for warmth, not just for temperature but for comfort. Being with Mercs makes me feel safe, cared for, wanted. He makes me feel loved. And I adore that feeling.
He looks down at me with a soft smile and leans in kissing my temple. “You doing okay? The walk isn’t too much?”
“I’m fine, honestly. But you need to stop teasing Kiera.”
“Who’s teasing? I’m fucking serious. She shouldn’t be lusting over a guy in her condition.”
“Kaden, she’s sick. She should be spending her time doing whatever she wants, living life to the fullest, not being cautious and reserved. She needs to live every day to the max. Don’t you think? Have no regrets.”
A definite shudder runs over his body, and he swallows hard. I know that look. He’s thinking the worst. I didn’t mean to bring it to this point. So, I quickly change the subject. “Hey, how about when we get back, you take me to bed? I’m tired and want to lay in your arms for a while. Can we do that?”
“Yeah. Sounds like the best idea I’ve heard all night.”
We reach the steps of his home, Kiera’s already beaten us there, unlocked the front door and made her way inside the house. We step up the front porch and inside to see Kiera has already taken residence in the living room and plonked herself down on the baby blue sofa as she pulls the white throw rug over herself settling in for the night. The television flicks on to re-runs of The Big Bang Theory, and I chuckle remembering that was what she was watching when I first met her.
Gran enters the house and shuts the door behind her as we head for the stairs. “What a lovely evening,” she calls out, and I smile and turn to face her.
“It really was. Thank you so much for letting me stay here with you guys, Gran. It means so much.”
She waves her hand through the air walking toward us and steps in front of me with a smile. “Nonsense, I wouldn’t have you stay anywhere else. When Kaden rang and asked if it was a good idea to bring you and your crew down here, I thought it was the best idea in the world. We love having you here, sweetheart. Now you need to rest and recover. That’s the main aim in all of this.”
“Yes, exactly, and you’ve had a big day. So, let’s get you up to bed. Thanks for everything, Gran. We’ll see you in the morning,” Mercs urges leaning forward and kissing Gran on the cheek.
“Goodnight my loves.”
“Night, sis,” Mercs calls out, but Kiera doesn’t answer or move on the sofa. I think she’s already asleep.
Smiling as I look at her, I grab Mercs’ hand as we head up the stairs toward his room. He’s quiet, but I guess he would be. He’s had a big day too. As we approach his room he opens the door for me, I walk in and over to the bed plonking myself down on his mattress. The softness is like heaven beneath my butt, and I let out a small groan of delight. He chuckles as he moves over to our luggage and starts to forage about for our nightwear.
“So… Lilah,” I murmur.
He halts his movements briefly but then continues, pulling out my lace nightgown. Moving over, he sits down on the bed beside me and shakes his head. “I don’t want to fucking talk about her… ever.”
I snort and grab my gown from his hands placing it beside me as I move my hands to my top to pull it over my head. “We have to talk about her… sometime. She was a big part of your life.”
“But she isn’t a part of my life anymore, nor will she ever be again. Effa you’re my life now, so why bring her into it?”
Placing my shirt on the bed, I nod and reach around to unclip my bra. I can’t help but notice his eyes shift to my breasts as they reveal themselves. “Are you going to tell me what happened with you and her at the pub tonight?”
He stills and runs his hand through his short hair. “I might have had some choice words with her.”
Smirking, I raise my brow as I stand to face him and unbutton my shorts. “Might have?”
He looks me up and down, I choose to ignore the slight bulge in his jeans as he rearranges his crotch and focuses his eyes on mine. “She came to me in the hall and starting mouthing off about you and the rest of the gang bringing drugs into town. I set her straight. Told her you didn’t overdose but were drugged, and then politely told her to… go away.”
Bursting out laughing, I slide my shorts down my legs, kicking off my ballet flats. “So she was crying and rushed out of the pub because you were… polite to her?”
His hands move out embracing my hips, the warmth in his hands ignites a fire inside me as I chuckle looking down at him. “Effa,” he warns.
“Mmhmm?” I murmur stepping closer to him.
“Get dressed before I can’t help myself.” His fingers slide up and down my hips as I lean forward and grab the thin lace. The short gown slips over my head and positions itself against my skin. His hands are still on me, under the nightgown as he pulls me forward. I gasp as I fall, my legs dropping either side of him on the bed, so I’m straddling him. My chest lining up with his face as I look down.
A deep throaty growl erupts from him, his hardness pressing into my pussy from beneath his jeans as he looks up into my eyes. “You’re supposed to be resting, that’s the only reason I’m not going to take this further with you tonight. But don’t think I don’t want to. I want you. So bad. But the time will come, Effa, when you’ll be screaming my name again... I will make sure of it.” He leans up, his hand leaving my side, running up my back and into my hair. Mercs’ fingers lace through the tendrils as he clenches his fist pulling my head down to his, his lips attacking mine forcefully with such need it knocks the wind from me. A tingle shoots all the way through me, and I love he still has the power to do this to me. Every. Single. Time.
Grinding my pussy down onto his cock, I groan into his mouth as his tongue dances with mine. Taking possession of me for the first time since I woke from the coma. His kiss is hungry, full of need, full of want. It’s nice to know his desire for me hasn’t waned. His teeth grab hold of my bottom lip clenching down on it, not hard, but forcefully enough to send a jolt of pleasurable pain right through my body as I clench my eyes tighter in desire. My hands run up into his hair as I rock on him, grinding myself into his crotch as he moves back in, kissing me full of passion.
His hand grips tighter in my hair, while his other firms on my hip and suddenly he stands, lifting me. I squeal as he flips me over and lands on top of me as he throws me to the bed. Both of us bouncing as we fall to the mattress. I giggle against his lips as he continues to kiss me, his body moving in between my legs as I wrap mine around his waist as he nestles in on top of me. I like where this is headed, but he seems to be slowing the kiss. He pulls his head from mine and looks down into my eyes, his hand coming to the side and wiping a strand of hair away from my face in a more subdued, tender moment.
“You need to rest!” He sighs as he leans in kissing the tip of my nose.
I huff and run my fingers through his hair as we stare at each other. “We’re really going to stop this?” I ask, and he smiles at me.
“Yes, we are. Because you’ve only been out of a coma for a week, and I won’t be responsible for delayi
ng your recovery. So, no… no sex tonight—”
“But what if I just lay here and let you do all the work? I won’t exert myself… promise,” I tease and he groans as he hoists himself up and off me.
I frown exaggeratedly as he jumps up from the bed pulling his shirt up over his head. His abs looking in fine form as his tattoos stand out against his barely tanned flesh. “Just get in the bed already, Miss Trouble Maker.”
“You’re no fun,” I berate only half joking.
He chuckles pulling down his jeans as I slide into the bed. “Stop it, or I’ll have to punish you.”
Opening my eyes wide I smile. “Oh, promises promises.”
He slides into the bed next to me. “I can’t fucking win with you woman,” he grumbles as he moves in beside me pulling me into his arms.
Resting my head on the nook of his shoulder and neck, I take a deep breath. “Nope, I’m too headstrong. You’ll never win with me, Kaden, best to just admit defeat now while you can.”
His hand moves in to caress up and down my arm in a soothing way, and I smile at our closeness. I like this, in his childhood bed, in his hometown, us, together. It’s nice. It’s how it should be.
“Babe, I’m the fucking winner here… I have you, you’re alive, and we’re together. There’s no defeat in that.”
My stomach flutters and my chest swells with pride as I glance up at him, a huge grin on my face. “Well, fuck! When did you become a sweet softy?” I ask, and his lip turns up in a sly smile.
“Never!”
I chuckle and shake my head, grabbing his hand and placing it on my boob making him smirk as he squeezes, massaging it tenderly.
“Mmhmm, keep telling yourself that, lover boy… while you play with my boob,” I demand and he chuckles tweaking my nipple through my lace.
“You know, I think I’m gonna like having you here.”
I snort and raise my brow. “Well, I should hope so, you’re kinda stuck with me.”
He nuzzles his nose into my hair. “Good. Now sleep.”
“You’re so bossy,” I tease.