by Layla Frost
“I didn’t.”
We sat in silence for a few minutes, his hands stroking along my spine soothingly.
“Didn’t think you were gonna come,” he said so quietly I almost didn’t hear.
“What?” I tried to sit up but he put pressure on my back, keeping me against him.
“Edge called to tell me what went down and said you’d already taken off.”
“Yeah, I wanted to talk to you, and it wasn’t really a texting kinda conversation. Did you think I was just going to haul ass into the night and never speak to you again?”
“The thought might’ve crossed my mind.”
“I told you I’m not running anymore. I’m just relieved you don’t twist your dick into balloon animals.”
“What?” he asked, his laughter rocking my head.
“Nothing, never mind.” I pressed my nose to his tee, breathing him in. “I’m sorry, Kase.”
“It was a lifetime ago.”
“I’m still sorry,” I whispered.
“Made me who I am,” he whispered back. “I’ll never take for granted all the good I have in my life because I know how fast that can change. Seen the bad, the dirty, the fuckin’ ugly, which means I can really, truly appreciate the beauty for what it is.” Gripping my ass, Kase stood, taking me with him. “I’m thinking now’s a good time to do just that.”
Taking the stairs two as a time, Kase carried me up to his bedroom, his mouth and beard teasing my neck.
After such a heavy conversation, I wasn’t sure what he’d want. When he set me on my feet, I waited, ready to follow his lead.
His lips went to mine, his kiss bruising and frenzied. Bunching the skirt of my dress up, he pulled away just enough to yank it over my head. With his mouth back on mine, he reached behind me and unhooked my bra. His rough hands trailed up my sides, pausing to cup my breasts over the fabric. Moving slowly across my chest, he pushed the straps down my arms.
I released my grip on his shirt, letting the bra fall between us.
Kase wrapped his hands around my waist and lifted me, tossing me gently on the bed.
Leaning over the bed, he hooked his fingers into my panties. When I raised my ass, he slid them down my legs, his feather light touch causing goosebumps to spread across my exposed skin.
He reached behind his neck, pulling his shirt off with one hand as he used the other to shove his pants and boxers down. I only had a second to enjoy the view before he followed me down, his body covering mine.
His hand moved between us, gliding easily through my wetness as his thick finger entered me. The pad of his thumb circled my clit with a firm, steady pressure. Reaching above me with the other hand, he grabbed a condom packet and brought it down to my mouth.
I carefully bit the corner as he pulled it back, opening it.
“So fuckin’ hot,” he murmured, his eyes glued to my lips.
I tossed the wrapper to the side and handed him the condom. My hips raised instinctively when he took his fingers away.
Thankfully, he replaced them with something much better as he dropped between my spread thighs, the head of his cock nudging against me.
Now. Faster. Harder.
Now.
Fast!
Moving frustratingly slow, Kase filled me, inch by glorious inch.
I clutched the sheets tightly as I fought against moving.
He dipped his head down to my ear. “Beauty,” he whispered, the sound raw and rough. Reaching up, he gripped the edge of the mattress. Using the leverage, he thrust so hard my body shifted up the bed. Moving one hand to curl over my shoulder to keep me in place, he repeated the action with even more force.
I wrapped my legs around his thighs, keeping hold of the sheet as his movements became savage.
All the pain that’d whirled around us earlier became a searing heat. Our hearts pounded, our breath coming faster as we moved together. Every nerve ending felt awake.
Alive.
Coming undone, I closed my eyes and savored it for what it was.
Beauty.
*******
Kase
“How’d it go?” Jake asked two point five seconds after I walked through Hyde’s door on Monday.
“I’m not shitfaced, right? And you know if shit went sour, you’d be peeling my ass off the bathroom floor right now.”
“True.” Standing up, he flipped a wrench around in his hand. “I know you hate talkin’ about this shit, but Piper—”
“It’s cool. Harlow came over and I told her everything.”
“All of it?”
I nodded.
Jake rubbed across his jaw. “How’d that go?”
“It sucked to tell someone who shouldn’t have to hear about that kinda ugly shit. But she’s not an uppity bitch, so her concern was on me.”
“That’s good, man.”
I grinned. “Better than fuckin’ good.” My smile faded as my hands squeezed into fists. The tension that’d been lurking in my bones since Harlow told me the whole story made itself known. “Now to deal with that fuckhead Eddie and whatever ass he’s kissing in an attempt to drown himself in pussy and blow.”
“What’d Lars say?”
“I haven’t talk to him yet. Harlow spent the weekend, and I wasn’t giving up time with her to deal with this shit. I figured I’d duck out early and—”
He put the wrench down. “Not much left to do here. Let’s go.”
I shook my head once. “I got this.”
Ignoring me, he walked to the door that opened into the hall. “Sweets!”
“What?” I heard Piper call out.
“Bring your sweet ass over here.”
“No.”
Jake let it swing shut and stepped back to the work bench.
“She’s gonna smother you in your sleep,” I said, shaking my head.
Despite her protest, a flour covered Piper slammed through the doorway. Crossing her arms, she nodded her head and wiggled her nose. “You beckoned, master?”
When Jake started stalking toward her, I turned away and pulled my phone out. Trying seriously fuckin’ hard to not overhear their murmured conversation, I texted Harlow.
Me: Hey ipo.
Harlow: Hi, what’s up?
Me: Trying to ignore the possibility that Jake and Pipe are about to fuck while I’m in the room.
Harlow: Maybe run with Xavier’s idea and keep a spray bottle or something close by to separate them.
Me: How’s your day?
Harlow: Hectic. I just grabbed a coffee and am heading to class.
Me: I’ll let you go. You got the station tonight?
Harlow: No, but I’m working Rye.
I rubbed the back of my neck as I blow out my breath.
Me: Fuck. Had you to myself all yesterday, guess I can’t complain.
Harlow: If it helps, I’m only swinging through the dinner rush tonight, not closing.
Me: Yeah, that helps.
Harlow: Plus, only three more days at the station and then I’m done until the fall… Well, if I get accepted for the fall session.
Me: You will. I’ll pick you up from Rye. Miss you.
Harlow: Miss you, too.
Smiling to myself, I put my phone away and cleared my throat. “I’m turning around now.” Moving slowly, I shifted and saw Jake’s back where he had Piper pinned to the wall. “Dude, I’m gonna get going before they open. Stay with your wife.”
“Where are you going?” Piper asked.
“Strip club,” Jake answered right away, surprising me.
“Cool, can I come?” she asked, which should’ve been shocking, but wasn’t really.
“Fuck no.”
“Why not?”
“Because I’m not fuckin’ stupid enough to bring my hot ass wife to a titty bar, even if it isn’t open right now.”
“Even though that’s twistedly sweet, I still wanna go.”
“No.”
“Move, Mr. Bossy Pants,” she ordered, pushing at his should
ers, though he barely budged.
Jake stepped back and whispered something to her. Her face flushed in response, her body leaning into him.
“Meet you outside,” I said, leaving the room as he curved his hand around her neck and dipped his head.
Though none of the jealousy I used to feel was there, I still didn’t want to see them all up on each other. Getting into my ride, I put on some music and checked my messages.
A minute later, Jake opened the passenger door and got in.
“Is she gonna tail us?” I asked, only half joking.
“If she hadn’t taken another cake order, she’d probably be gatherin’ her girls and all the dollar bills from the safe. But she’s too busy.”
“Dude, your wife is fuckin’ awesome.”
He grinned, looking at the shop as I pulled away. “Yeah.”
“But as awesome as she is, there’s some shit that you might hear today that you can’t tell her.”
His smile faded. “I hate it, but I get it. Not my place.”
“Wasn’t mine either ‘til that douche dragged my woman into it.”
“Why’d Eddie come to Harlow about Lars?”
“Short answer, they know each other.”
“Long answer?”
“She worked for him.”
“Like…”
“Yeah. I went in to see him a few months ago and saw her on stage.”
“Shit.” He shook his head, but was smiling. “That must’ve thrown a fuckin’ wrench in your plan to pretend she didn’t exist, yeah?”
“I’d already decided that was out the window. Seeing her there just sped up the process.”
“Good. You were draggin’ your fuckin’ feet.”
I clutched the steering wheel, hating the reminder of how much time I’d wasted. “Anyway, she told me that Eddie was streaming security footage to his personal shit. Which is bad for business and fuckin’ skeevy as shit. I told Lars, and now Eddie’s name is off of everything and he’s banned from Wicked.”
“Fuck.”
I filled him in on what little else I knew before pulling into Wicked. After parking in the rear lot, we got out and I was about to knock on the back door when it swung open.
“Fuckin’ shit, man,” Lars said, his unlit cigarette hanging from his mouth. “Gonna give me a motherfuckin’ heart attack.” Looking behind me to Jake, he smiled. “Spank my fuckin’ ass and call me Lucy. Mister Marriage is not about to step foot in a titty bar.”
“You’re not even open right now,” Jake said.
“Give me a second, I’ll glitter up.” Lars lit his smoke. “Since I know neither of you lucky bastards are here for a dance, what’s up?”
“Eddie,” I said, the one word enough to make Lars go alert.
“What’s that fucker done?”
“Edge didn’t say anything?”
“Works been out of control. I’ve got a list of messages a mile long to get through. Why?”
“Eddie got in Harlow’s face while she was out with her girls at Voodoo on Saturday. Since, one, it happened in his club, and two, one of her girls is Ray, Edge is fuckin’ riled up.”
“Shit.” Lars rubbed the top of his head.
“That’s not all. He told her to tell you that he and Nash will be in touch, like some wannabe covert mobster bullshit.”
“That dumb prick lives his life like he’s in the fuckin’ Sopranos. He’s like one tenth Italian, but wants to be a walking, talking stereotype. And Nash? What the fuck is he doing with that crazy fuck? Shit.” Stubbing out his smoke, he flicked it across the parking lot. “Thanks for the heads-up. I’m sorry Harlow had to deal with that shit.” He looked to Jake and shook his head. “And since you’re here, I’m assuming your woman was there, too. So I’m fuckin’ sorry to all of you.”
“Not on you,” Jake said.
Lars raised his chin. “It is. He’s my dumb fuck cousin. I’ll get it taken care of.”
“Let me know what you need,” I said, hoping for Eddie’s sake he dropped all the drama bullshit.
“If it involves Nash, I’m gonna have to get Nox involved.”
Reluctantly, I nodded.
“At the risk of enduring your jealous boyfriend wrath, how’s Harlow doing? This shit didn’t shake her up too bad, right?”
“Other than Eddie blabbing that I did time, she was a rock.”
“You’ve gotta fuckin’ be kidding me,” Lars muttered, his eyes sympathetic as he lit another cigarette. “Brother, I’m sorry, I—”
I waved away his apology. “I was gonna tell her soon anyway.”
His brows shot up. “No shit?”
I nodded. “Told you before I thought there was something big there. Now I know it.”
“Seriously, man, good for you.” Lars looked between Jake and me. “Maybe it’s the hair. I should let mine grow out so I can meet a fuckin’ cool woman.”
“At the very least, it’ll hide your lumpy head.” Taking out my phone, I checked the time and ignored Lars giving me the finger. “All right, we’ve gotta go get some shit packed up and transported to the new place.”
“See you at the opening, if not before then.” He looked at Jake before adding, “Let me know if you need more hands to get the last bit done.”
Jake gave him a chin lift. “Will do.”
“Say what’s up to Harlow for me!” Lars called to my retreating back.
I flipped him off, but shouted, “Keep me in the loop.”
As we pulled out of the parking lot and turned toward Hyde, Jake looked at me. “Nox?”
My jaw clenched as my gut twisted. “What someone who didn’t earn the time but had to do all of it turns into.”
“Fuck.”
“That about sums it up.”
Eddie seriously better let this shit go.
Chapter Thirteen
Orange Jumpsuits and Foam Swords
Harlow
“Lars says hi.”
Well, that’s in the top five weirdest post-sex pillow talk starters.
Lifting my head off Kase’s naked chest, I looked down at him. “Did you see him today?”
“Yeah, stopped in about the Eddie thing.”
When everything went down with Eddie, my mind had been pretty stuck on the Kase part of things. Since I had the answers to those questions, new ones began to form. “What’s Eddie’s beef with Lars? I thought they’re business partners.”
“They were.”
I took a wild stab in the dark. “The camera thing?”
He nodded. “It was a long time coming, but that was the last straw.”
“I don’t get why he was working with him to begin with.”
“They’re cousins.”
My brows shot up. “Really?” I pictured Lars and Eddie standing next to each other, but couldn’t see a single shared characteristic, physical or otherwise. “They don’t even seem to like each other.”
“They used to be close.”
“Wait.” I sat up and brought my knees to my chest.
Kase’s eyes slowly travelled down my body, though my legs blocked most of it.
I exaggeratedly cleared my throat. “How do you know Lars?”
Kase inhaled deeply and weaved his hands behind his head. “We did time together.”
I slammed my hand down on his abs. “No way. Why was he in?”
“He has a quick temper and an even quicker left hook.” He rubbed his stomach. “Though nothing compared to you.”
I rolled my eyes. “That’s crazy.”
“When he got out, he didn’t wanna work for anyone else. Unfortunately, banks are less than willing to get into business with a dude fresh out of an orange jumpsuit. He and Eddie were tight, so Eddie became the face of Wicked.”
My nose scrunched as I tried to imagine Eddie as the face of anything other than a strong topical cream or an extra strength pest control.
“He wasn’t like that before,” Kase said, clearly reading my thoughts. “Power, pussy, and blow change peop
le.”
Not wanting to even think about Eddie and pussy in the same sentence, I cringed.
Kase took pity on me, wrapping the conversation up. “Anyway, Lars said he’d handle him. But if you see Eddie, let me know right away.”
I nodded, hoping like hell I never saw him again.
Dropping a hand to my knee, his thumb stroked across it. His face softened. “Jake came with me to see Lars.”
“Okay,” I said, drawing out the word until the invisible light bulb flickered over my head. “Which means Jake now knows I used to work for Lars.”
“He gets that it isn’t his place to tell anyone. That said, ipo, he really fuckin’ hates keeping shit from his wife.”
I hated feeling like I was keeping a secret from Piper. Knowing that I was also making Jake keep one didn’t sit well. Opening up the little bit I had was well worth it, even if it hadn’t been easy.
It’s not like she’s gonna judge. Just handle it like any other important conversation.
Build up the courage.
Practice a succinct delivery.
And then awkwardly blurt it out at an inopportune moment.
“Piper and I will go for drinks soon.” I thought about it for a moment before adding, “Strong ones.”
Kase didn’t respond verbally, but the smile he gave me said plenty.
Biting the inside of my cheek, I gathered my nerve before inhaling and forcing the words out in a rush. “Can I ask you something?”
“Anything.”
“Why do you always call Piper ‘Jake’s wife’ or ‘his wife’?”
“Why you asking, ipo?”
I shrugged. “Just curious.”
Kase sat up fully and shifted to face me. “Jake’s like a brother to me. He had no issue giving me a job, even before he knew the full story of why I did time. His shop is worth a fuck ton, but he’s never treated me like I needed to earn his trust, or like I was less than him.”
“Piper said you two are closer than brothers.”
“We are. Without a doubt. And in all the time I’ve known him, I’ve never seen him happy like he is with Piper. Since the first time she walked into the shop, that was it. And every time I call her his wife, he smiles. And I like that for him.”