by Ella Goode
“You put some panties on? I think I saw your ass.” I open my eyes to look up at him.
“Did you?”
“One way to find out.” He wiggles his eyebrows at me. I roll my eyes at him. “Knew you’d be here.”
“Did you two keep fighting after I left?” I don’t want anyone getting hurt over all of this. That’s the last thing that I ever wanted to happen. I did notice that Berkley was not swinging back at Davis. Davis is a power house on the field and spends a lot of time in the gym, but Berkley is built like a tank. He doesn't need to go to any gym. His make-up came from his genetics. I’m guessing from somewhere on his mom's side of the family.
“His hand was over your mouth. I reacted. Took me a moment to put together that you were into it, and of course I know Berkley would never force himself on you. I won’t apologize for it.”
I swallow in understanding.
That wasn't the first time Davis has turned a corner and found another man all over me. The first time wasn't welcome, and luckily Davis got there before anything could actually happen. It scared the crap out of both of us. It took three people to pull Davis off the man who had tried to corner me in the gas station. What started out as a regular walk to the gas station to get some snacks turned into a day that I’ll never forget.
That was the day that Davis had staked a claim on me. I’d been jumpy around the opposite sex and he made it his mission to make sure none of them ever came too close to me. Now everyone thinks we’re a couple. In reality Davis is a very protective brother. One that I love and adore for all he’s done for me. But now there is a man in my life that I don't want him scaring away.
“I’m in love with him.”
“Fuck.” Davis runs his hand down his face.
“He thinks you’re in love with me.”
“Well, I am.” I smack his chest. He falls back on the sofa, pretending that my little hit actually hurt him. “Berkley—”
I hold my hand up.
“I don’t want advice about Berkley and why I should or shouldn't stay away from him. Just like he shouldn't need to talk to anyone about if he wants to be with me or not. He should know and I sure as shit am not chasing him.”
“You shouldn’t have to chase anyone.”
“I know,” I say in agreement, making him smile bigger. He dragged his feet with us in the beginning, and I’d be a liar if I didn't admit that shit still stung. I get it. He doesn't want anyone getting hurt, but the result is he is hurting not only me but himself too.
“I know this will change things. No matter the outcome. I can’t stop or change my feelings.” He lets out a deep breath, knowing I’m right. “I love the three of us. I do. But if this thing Berkley and I are making is the forever kind of thing, then he always has to pick me, and I will always have to pick him.”
“And you should have that,” Davis says instantly. “So you think this is the forever kind of thing?”
“I think it is. It hurts when he’s not close. I know we’re young, but—”
“I don’t want to see you get hurt.”
“I’m too far in at this point to not get hurt.” Davis puts his head on his elbows and drops his head as a few more curse words leave his mouth.
“I need to talk to him.” He starts to get up, but I grab him, pulling him back down.
“No.”
“When did you get so bossy?” He gives me a half smirk.
“Berkley needs to work it out himself. You’re not running over there and talking him into being with me.”
“What if I spent some time talking him out of it already? Might have even dug at a few of his issues he’s got in that hard head of his.” He looks at his red knuckles. “Harder than I thought it was going to be.” I give him another hit to the chest.
“Good.”
“Good?” Davis looks at me as though I’m nuts.
“Yeah, good. If Berkley isn't going to fight for me, it’s better I know now than years down the road.”
“All right. We do it your way. I’ll stay out of it. I’m a little shocked how quickly he bought into us being a thing. He’s never seen us so much as kiss.”
“He believes it. Gets all kinds of jealous over it too.” It’s terrible, but I smile thinking about it. It’s hard to get Berkley to show emotions a lot of the time.
“Damn. Maybe I should try the big screen instead of the football field.”
I snort. “Maybe so. If anything I should be the one worried about you being in love with Berkley and getting mad at me.” Davis’s eyes go round, and his whole body stills. “But I don’t think he’s your type.”
He grabs my hand, giving it a squeeze. “I think we can still do this ten-year plan. Just hear me out.” I start to laugh, ready for whatever ridiculousness that is about to come out of his mouth, but the sound of Berkley’s angry voice cuts me off.
“You’re not going to be around in ten years if you don’t get your fucking hand off my girl,” Berkley shouts. I jump up, blocking him from getting to Davis by holding my hands out. Berkley comes to a stop right in front of me. His warm dark eyes drop down to mine, and I can see the pain behind them.
“Berkley.” I breathe his name. He falls to his knees in front of me and wraps his arms around my waist.
“I wish I was a better man. You deserve a better man, but I can’t let you go. I’m sorry. You’re mine.” He buries his face in my stomach, melting my heart.
Epilogue
Berkley
“I can’t believe it’s raining this hard. How am I going to get to prom in the middle of a hurricane?” Baker wails.
Her mom pats her on the shoulder. “The rain will die down.”
“It’s not a hurricane because we don’t live near any body of water. It’s a thunderstorm,” Mav says flatly, not looking up from the book he’s reading. I think it’s Nietszche or some other unpronounceable philosopher whose works I don’t understand. How I ended up with such a brainy kid I don’t know. I was smart enough in high school and managed to get a master’s in business, but I’ve got nothing on this one. He doesn’t even look like a braniac at six four and two hundred plus pounds, but to the high school coaches’ dismay, he doesn’t have any interest in sports. If his nose isn’t in a book, he’s sleeping—unlike my daughter, who’s all motion, no rest.
She spins around and points a finger at her older brother. “It’s a metaphor.”
“Metaphors are figures of speech describing something abstract. Rain is not abstract.” He flicks to the next page.
“I hate you.”
“You’re irritated.”
Baker stomps her foot, looking more like six than sixteen. I lean back against the wall and try to hide my smile. I’m glad for the rain and the prom cancellation.
“If I don’t get to go to the dance tonight, I will literally die.” Baker throws herself down in the chair, crushing two thousand dollars’ worth of tulle, satin, and silk. Chandler had the dress made in Paris. I think she’s living out her own missed senior prom—the one that got canceled because of the pandemic.
“We didn’t die, and we had the whole pand—”
“Please don’t say it,” Baker begs her mom. “You bring that up every day.”
“Every day? I don’t think I bring it up every day,” protests Chandler. “Do I?” she asks.
“No. Never,” I say even though Chandler does bring it up every now and then. Why wouldn’t she? It impacted our lives for two years. Granted, most of the time we spent screwing each other’s brains out, so whenever Chandler mentions it, I get slightly hard. Even thinking about it now...I angle myself away from the kids.
“Let’s have people over here,” Chandler suggests.
“No.” Baker gets up to peer out the window again as if she can stare the rain away.
“Why not? We can turn the library into a dance floor. It’s large enough if we push all the furniture to the walls. We’ll get a caterer to come in and make punch and finger food. I can whip up some pastries.”<
br />
Baker scrunches her nose and shakes her head.
“It’s because of you, Dad,” Mav informs me.
“Me?” I point a finger at my chest.
“Yeah, she wants to make out with her boyfriend and can’t do it when you’re around. If the party was held here, you’d be around,” he explains.
“Of course I’d be around. It’s my house.” I frown. Boyfriend? “Did you say boyfriend?”
“God! Mav. Do you have to have such a big mouth?” Baker picks up the skirts of her dress and runs down the hall. Chandler takes off after her.
“Boyfriend?” I swivel back to big-mouthed Mav, who is not actually real talkative. He must not like the bastard. “I’ll kill him.”
I start for my bedroom.
“You can’t. You don’t know who he is.”
What did Baker once call Maverick? A know-it-all? That fits. “Tell me then.”
“No.”
“Why not?” How did I go so wrong with my kids?
“Because then you’ll call him and make threatening noises which will make Baker cry. Baker crying will make Mom cry and then you’ll be in a terrible mood because you hate to see Mom cry. Mom crying and Baker crying and you being in a piss-poor mood means a bad day for me, so no, I won’t tell you who he is.” Mav shuts his book and gets to his feet.
I’m always mildly surprised when I see him standing in front of me, eye to eye. In my head, he and Baker are still tiny tots, with Mav chasing after Baker with a worm dangling from his hand, yelling that worms are very industrious, and she shouldn’t be afraid.
“I will tell you that if he gets out of hand or hurts Baker, I’ll pound his face in and feed his dick to the fish in our pond.” He slaps me on the shoulder with his book. “I got this, Dad. Might as well call up the caterer since the hurricane is going to keep us from the party.”
“I thought it wasn’t a hurricane.”
My son arches an eyebrow. “You’re going to argue with Baker? Good luck.” He’s laughing as he walks away.
Chandler returns soon after. “Were you two telling jokes?” she asks, gliding over to me. I catch her up in my arms and place a kiss on her lips.
“Yeah.” We were bonding over him pledging to make a eunuch out of Baker’s boyfriend—a boyfriend I didn’t realize she had.” I give Chandler a look because I’m certain she knows of this boy’s existence in our daughter’s life.
“Leon is not her boyfriend exactly. Just a friend that she likes.” She glides her fingers up my shirt until she reaches my neck. I’m being buttered up for something—probably the party here. She isn’t aware that Mav has already talked me into it, and I don’t plan to enlighten her any time soon. I enjoy being bribed with sex. It’s one of my favorite activities.
I put on a stern face. “That sounds like a boyfriend to me.”
“We were young lovers, too,” Chandler reminds me.
My eyes widen. “L-lovers?” Real alarm skitters down my spine.
“Shhh.” Chandler presses a finger to my lips. “It’s going to be okay. Just like we were okay.”
“But we got married. My baby can’t get married. She’s sixteen.”
“She’s not getting married. She’s just exploring young love.”
“This sounds like the worst thing I’ve ever heard.” I no longer want to be bribed with sex. I need to have a talk with my son. Maybe buy him a sledgehammer. And a knife. Possibly a chainsaw?
“Baker is a smart girl. We raised her well and she will make good decisions. My question is whether you’re going to do anything about this.” She pulls my hand down inside the waistband of her skirt. Instinctively, my fingers find her hot sex. My eyebrows go up when I find her wet—extremely so. “Thinking about our first time has made me a little excited.”
I’m torn. I want my wife, but there’s also maiming to be done. Chandler’s lower lip comes out. “Are you not interested? I guess I can take care of it myself.”
I jerk to attention. “What? No fucking way.” Chandler hasn’t had to take care of herself since the first time I touched her. “This is my pussy. I take care of it.” I shove a hard finger inside of her.
She gasps and clutches me tighter. “Then get to work, big boy.” She pulls my head down until my lips are sealed against hers. With her mouth on mine and my fingers deep inside her pussy, all thoughts of parties, proms, hurricanes, chainsaws, and kids fly out of my mind. I’ve got my sweetness to take care of—and I do.
My loves!
It’s an FU High story. This one takes place a little after our last crew graduates and it’s set in the pandemic time because, well, it’s hard to ignore what is happening around us.
If you’re new to me, I have other FU High books that take place a few years before this one. This trio of books are some of my faves so give them a look: Ace of Hearts, Deuces Wild, and Two of a Kind
I hope you are all staying safe. I’ll have another story for you next month. Please be well.
Ella
Also by Ella Goode
Protecting Her
Built for Love
Against the Rules
Always Loved You / Still Love You
Killer Love / Killer Crush
King’s Castle / Alpha’s Castle / Beast’s Castle
Secret Baby / Love’s Secret Baby / Rock ’n Roll Baby
Oh Snowy Night
FU High: Ace of Hearts, Deuces Wild, and Two of a Kind
Loyalty Card
She’s the One & My Only One
Spark
Priceless
Smooth Kisses, Sweet Kisses, Saved Kisses
Finding Home & Bring Him Home
Captured, Kept, Stolen
Make Me Yours
She’s All Mine
Pretty Prize
Three of Us (Twins #1) and Belong Together (Twins #2)
Their Private Need (Michigan, Easy and Annie)
His Bold Heart (Chelsea & Wrecker)
Her Secret Pleasure
Captive Ride
The Last Christmas Present: Billionaire Holiday Romance (a Daddy story)
The Wolf’s Mail Order Bride
Beauty in Summer
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Copyright © 2020 by Ella Goode
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