In Love (The Knights of Mayhem Book 5)

by Brook Greene

  “They’re?” she asks again, her voice a little shaky.

  The doorbell dings through the house again and I start for the door. “My dad too. You hang out with Jax and I’ll let them in.”

  “No, Matthew!” she shrieks, rushing to grab my arm. “I don’t want to meet them looking like this.” Her eyes plead with me. I want her to meet them, but I hadn’t thought about how to explain away her injuries, and my mother would ask a million questions.

  Her face isn’t looking any better, even though the swelling has gone down some. The bruises are a dark purple, with a hint of egg yolk yellow added in. Her eye is still almost closed, and what little can be seen of the white is blood red.

  “Okay, babe,” I relent. “Go on upstairs and wait there,” I tell her, nodding at the stairs. She turns and runs up, ducking around the corner to go back into my room.

  I answer when there’s another knock. “Hello, dear,” my mother says pulling me into her arms.

  “Hey, Mom.” I return her hug and look over her shoulder to see my dad, arms full of bags, looking like a pissed off pack mule. “Hey, Pops.” I smile at him, then lean back to look at my mother’s beaming face. “Mom,” I say, a slight warning at the amount of money she had obviously spent.

  She waves her hand through the air between us, batting my warning from the air. “Oh, nonsense.” She steps around me. “My boy needed clothes, and I wasn’t going to let him walk around in the rags that woman had him wearing.”

  ~~~~~~

  Tessa

  I gently close the door behind me, backing away from it like his mother is going to burst through it any minute, demanding answers as to why I’m here. Matthew had told me he was a mechanic, but looking around this room—hell, his whole house—I can tell he came from, and has a shit ton of money.

  His knowledge of expensive wines, food, and bourbon should have been a dead giveaway. Not to mention, the fucking car he owns and drives. Then the whole gunshot scar on his leg thing. I’d seen it the first time we’d been together, but not until last night had I felt comfortable enough to ask him what had happened.

  The pieces of his life don’t fit together. There are gaps in-between the portions, and neither one of the pieces compliments the other.

  I wrap my arms around my middle, staving off a chill that threatens to rock me. Or is it more realization of who I am and who he is? Two completely different people who live in and are from two very opposite worlds. No, I’m not white trash, but I wasn’t born with a silver spoon in my mouth either. My parents worked hard and gave me a wonderful childhood. We lived comfortably, had a nice house, good cars, and took the yearly family vacations, but nothing like what I’m sure Matthew is used to.

  I can just imagine what he really thinks of me—poor, pitiful little Tessa and her trailer park garbage husband. I slump down onto the bed and wonder what to do with myself. I look over at the bathroom and figure the only thing I can do is try to wash the stink of my past off me in the hottest water I can stand.

  I step into the shower, the steam from the hot water boiling around me. I lean my head back against the wall, letting the water run over me, hoping it washes away all these thoughts swirling in my head and the doubts about Matthew I have.

  ~~~~~~

  Matty

  I hear the shower in my room cut on, and so does my mother. She looks at me as she shifts Jax to her hip. “Is someone else here?” I rub the back of my neck, not sure how to explain Tessa to my parents, or the circumstances that have her staying with me. No, it’s not the ideal situation to have Jax in, as Tessa has told me many times, but I don’t want her without protection, and here is the best place for me to do that for her.

  “A friend,” I tell her with a flat tone. Tessa’s more to me than a friend. I feel things for her I haven’t felt for a woman in a long time, but this time, they seem stronger.

  “An overnight type friend?” she asks, raising an eyebrow at me.

  “Oh for God’s sake, Norma, he’s a grown man. So what if he has an overnight guest in his house?” My dad chimes in from behind me. He’d dropped the bags just inside the doorway and has taken a seat on the end of the couch. I smile at her, and she rolls her eyes at me. Who I was before Tessa wasn’t a secret, not even to my parents, and they were aware of the rules I lived that life by, so me having a girl in my home with my son is a big deal.

  “Is it something serious?” My mother moves to sit by my father and places Jax on her lap, wrapping her arms around him. He leans back onto her chest and snuggles into her.

  I stand in front of my parents with my hands resting on my hips, a little hesitant to answer her question. “I would like for it to be. We just met last weekend.” I laugh because the way we met will always be a wonderful memory for me. “And we hit it off.”

  Jax wiggles out of my mother’s arms, going back to his trucks on the carpet. “Well enough for her to be here now?” She nods her head in Jax’s direction.

  “She’s not like the rest, Mom, I promise. You know if she was, she wouldn’t be here.” I slump back into the chair to my father’s right. We sit in silence, watching Jax play for a while, and the water cutting off upstairs catches my attention.

  “So, when do we get to meet her?” my mother asks, her voice sounding hopeful. My dad sighs, catching my mother’s attention. “What?” She turns to him.

  “Give them some time, Norma. I’m sure he’ll bring her around when he’s ready.” My dad nods his head at me, and I send him a silent thank you.

  I stand. “I’m going to go check on her. Can you watch him?” I ask, pointing to Jax.

  “Sure, son, but is she going to stay up there all day?” Mom questions, not being able to let it go.

  “Mom.” I sigh, rubbing my eyes with the butts of my hands.

  She throws her hands up in surrender. “Okay, okay. But you can’t blame me for being curious about her.”

  ~~~~~~

  I take the steps two at a time. Quietly opening the door, I peek my head inside. Tessa’s laid out on my bed in a fresh tee of mine with the remote in her hand, looking bored as hell.

  “Hey, beautiful,” I say, getting her attention.

  She lays the remote to the side. “Hey. Are they gone?”

  “No, not yet, but I wanted to come up here and check on you.” I cross over to her and lean in for a kiss. Tasting mint, I chuckle. “I see you found the extra toothbrush.”

  She smiles. “I did. It felt like my teeth were starting to grow fur.” She laughs when I lean my head back from her. “So they know I’m up here?”

  “The shower kinda gave you away.” I slide onto the bed beside her.

  She rolls her eyes. “Shit, I didn’t think about that.” She lays her head back on the headboard and closes her eyes. I take this opportunity to let my eyes drift down her body. Her nipples are pebbled, and the shirt barely covers the fact she has nothing on but the tee. I shift, pushing my palm down my hardening cock.

  “I wanna fuck you so hard right now,” I growl. Standing, I place a knee on the bed and lean in to take her mouth. But I go soft and slow, ever aware of her split lip. I reach up, taking one of her breasts in my hand and pinch the hardened nipple. She gasps into my mouth as she tangles her fingers in my hair. I let my hand drift down and pull up the tee, feeling that she is indeed naked.

  I push her thighs apart, then dip my finger into her soft folds. She’s wet for me already. I might not be able to fuck her, but I can make her feel good.

  I brush my finger over her budding clit and garner a moan from her. “Oh, Matthew.” She sighs. This woman is so fucking sexy. Everything about her turns me on. I don’t see the bruises or black eye anymore, I see the girl who answered the door one week ago. Her beautiful body writhes with my touch, and the quick way she responds to me is intoxicating. The smell of sex begins to fill the room, and I know she wants this. Fucking hell, after the past three days, she needs it. I need to show I want her still, even after everything.

  It wasn’t my
intentions to do this when I came up here. My parents are downstairs for fuck’s sake, but seeing her nipples and knowing she was naked, I couldn’t help myself. “You have to be quiet, Tessa. You can’t let them hear you,” I whisper against her lips. I take a quick look back to make sure I’d closed the door behind me when I came in, and I had.

  I adjust my stance so that I can push two fingers into her, making her back bow off the bed. I rub light circles with my thumb while I pump my fingers into her. I curl them up, hitting her spot, and she lets out a sigh that I swallow as I continue.

  “Oh, Matthew,” she sighs again, the sound only making my cock a rod of steel.

  “Shh,” I tell her. “Stay quiet, baby.” I feel her begin to tighten around me, her release making a fast appearance. It’s killing me not to be buried balls deep in her, and I will be soon. She has a checkup Monday, and I hope she gets the all-clear for us to resume all the sex.

  The silky smooth walls of her pussy clamp onto my fingers right as she falls over the edge. I feel a flood of liquid as it flows past my fingers and rushes out of her. I smother her scream with my mouth. Her back bows off the bed and her knees squeeze together as she rocks her hips into my fingers. I take my mouth away from hers and lower it to the tight nipple pushing at the shirt. I nip it with my teeth, making her gasp, and feel as her pussy presses tighter around my fingers.

  I suck her other nipple through the shirt and into my mouth, drawing out her orgasm for as long as her body will let me. She relaxes back into the mattress, and I feel as her body liquefies. I raise above her, looking down at her beautiful face. Her eyes are still closed, but she has a satisfied smile on her lips.

  “Thought I would come up and say hi,” I say against her mouth, not being able to fight a smile.

  “Oh, did you now?” Her smile is soft and satisfied, and her voice is breathy. I take my fingers from her, feeling her jerk from the aftermath. She slowly watches me place the two soaked fingers that had just been inside her into my mouth, licking her sweet juices from them.

  “So good, Ms. Kelly.” Her face blushes even more with the sight.

  “If they weren’t down there, and Jackson was asleep, I would ride you like a championship cowgirl,” she teases me, making me groan. That’s when the thought hits me that it might work with her on top. My weight would be what would hurt her more than the sex.

  I lay my forehead against hers. “I can make them leave.”

  She pushes against my shoulders, a soft laugh coming from her. “No, they’re your parents and you better get back down there.” I lean back as she sits up and stops, feeling the wet area under her ass. “Oh my God.” She covers her mouth with her hands. “Did I?” she asks, her words muffled by her hand.

  I smile and nod my head. “Yes, you did.” I have to restrain myself from puffing out my chest and beating it with my fists. “I made you come that hard.” She rolls off the bed and we both stand there, looking at the wet spot darkening the light blue sheets. I shove my hands into my shorts pockets, rocking back on my heels, extremely proud of myself.

  She turns, burying her face in my arm. “Wow, that’s never happened before.”

  “You’re stroking my ego again, babe; although, I wished you were stroking something else with your lips.” With a gleam in her eyes, I catch her before she drops to her knees, holding her against my chest as I grind my hard cock into her stomach. “Later,” I tell her before claiming her mouth.

  “But I want to,” she pleads, her small hand sliding up and down my shaft, rubbing me through my shorts.

  “I know, and I’ll let you, later. But right now, we have company.” I have to tear myself away from her. I don’t want to leave her up here alone any longer than I have to. I lay my hand over hers, stilling the movement, but keep her hand on my cock. The feel of her small hand against me has me almost exploding my load like a fucking teenage boy who’s never had a piece of pussy in his life.

  ~~~~~~

  I stand outside the closed door to my bedroom with my forehead laid against the cool wood, trying to calm myself before I go back downstairs. I just want to go into the bedroom, pick her ass up and carry it downstairs. To tell my mother why she looks like she does, and tell Tessa who I really am. But I can’t, not right now. I have to keep those parts of my world separate for just a little bit longer.

  I take in a deep breath. Stilling myself, I turn and head back downstairs.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Matty

  After another two hours, I walk my parents to the door. “Yes, Mom, I promise I’ll bring her for dinner.”

  She turns and hands Jax back off to me, but not before she covers his chubby cheek in her red lipstick kisses. “I love my boys,” she coos before I lean in and let her place a kiss on my cheek.

  “We love you too, Mom.” Jax throws her an air kiss, as Dad ruffles his hair and slaps my shoulder. He’s always been a man of few words, but I could tell him anything. He’s known the lengths I’ve had to go to in life concerning Jax and everything else, but he never judged or offered suggestions.

  “Bye bye.” Jax waves at them as they close the door behind them.

  I turn him in my arms. “Let’s go get Tessa,” I say to him, but stop, needing a moment to take in my son. His sandy blond hair is a little too long, and his bright hazel eyes stare up at me. I’ve known love in my life, but not the kind I feel when I look at him. There’s no word in the English language to describe the way I feel about him.

  I look past him to see Tessa standing at the foot of the steps, smiling at us. She walks over and reaches out to comb her fingers through Jax’s hair, making him turn to her. When he leans out, he holds his arms out to her and she takes him in her arms. “Hey, baby,” she coos as she places kisses on his cheek.

  There was a time when I thought I wanted this with another woman, but now, I know it would have been all wrong. Because this, what’s going on between me and Tessa, is more right than anything in my life has ever been.

  “Hungry?” I ask, pushing back the flood of unfamiliar emotions.

  “Yes, and I’m sure it’s time for this little man to eat too.”

  I snake my arm around her shoulders, leading her to the kitchen. “How about grilled cheese sandwiches?” I ask, watching Jax light up as he begins to clap his agreement.

  “Cheese,” he squeals.

  “I take it he likes cheese?” She sits him down in his booster seat at the table and secures him in.

  “I’m pretty sure he would eat a turd wrapped in cheese.” I duck into the fridge to get out the butter and cheese.

  “Eww.” She gags. “That’s disgusting, Matthew.”

  I look at her laughing and shrug my shoulders. “What? It’s the truth.”

  “But still, that’s a gross mental image I don’t want to carry around with me.” She comes around the table. “Can I help?” she asks.

  “Sure. Get some plates if you don’t mind.” I tell her as I begin to put together the sandwiches. I look at her over my shoulder and figure now is as good as time as any to break the ice about her place. “Eno came by yesterday when you were napping.” I start with a soft tone.

  “Oh yeah? What did he want?” she asks, busying herself setting the table and playing with Jax.

  I clear my throat, suddenly uncomfortable with the conversation. I know how proud she must’ve been of her house and her freedom, but that asshole stepped all over what she had built for herself, and he would pay for that. “I’m just gonna cut to it. Your house, the things inside—” She stops what she’s doing and turns to me, plate halfway to the table. “It’s a complete loss.”

  Her shoulders slump, along with her body into the chair. She sighs and looks up at me, the emotions on her face swirling the drain between anger and sadness. Her cheeks are rosy and her eyes are glassy. I place the pan on the stove and go to her. I take her up in my arms and hold her to me. Her body’s shaking, and I’m not sure if it’s from fear or anger, but I don’t care. Once we find him, sh
e’ll never have to worry about him again.

  His family is wealthy—not that Tessa saw any of that fucking money—but my family is wealthier, and he has no idea who he’s fucked with. He will soon though, and I’ll make him pay for putting his hands on something that belongs to me.

  ~~~~~~

  Tessa

  I want to fucking punch something and cry the whole time I’m doing it. I always knew what Jake was capable of, but maybe in the months I’d been away from him I’d let myself forget, replacing the fear I always carried with hope. When I’d moved into this little town, I thought that this was where I could put down roots, work a real job and make a life for myself, but he’d found me, which means he can find my mother, if he hasn’t already. She had come to the hospital, and if he is around, he knows she is too.

  Matthew’s rubbing circles on my back, but he isn’t saying a word. “So what do we do about that?”

  He takes in a deep breath and exhales loudly. “Well, I could take you over there to see if you can find anything worth keeping and hire someone to come in and clean it all up. Do you have insurance?”

  “Yes, my mother has it for me.” At least there’s that, I think to myself. Thank God for my mother.

  “We’ll need to take pictures and file a claim first thing Monday morning,” he tells me matter-of-factly.

  “Oh shit, I hadn’t even thought of that.” His eyes roam over my face, and I feel his hand smooth down the back of my head.

  “That’s what I’m here for, Tessa. You got a shit ton of stuff on your mind, and I’m here to muddle through it, to get the mundane things done for you.” He leans down, placing a quick kiss on my lips.

  This can’t be real, he can’t be real.

  I turn to see that Jackson has been watching us intently the whole time. He’s a very quiet child, unusually so. But Matthew doesn’t seem to be bothered with it, so I’m not going to worry. He looks completely healthy, and I guess that’s the only thing that matters.