“They’re on the move again,” Brutus said as we wrapped up the work for the day.
“Are you sure?” I asked. “Where are they going?”
“We think they’re going to circle around. They know she’s here, they have to,” Brutus replied. “Javi spotted another truck full of men he recognized on the East side. They’re making a loop so they don’t have to cut through town, but coming in on the other side.”
“That’s not going to fly,” I said. “We need to get everyone in and set up a perimeter around town. These fuckers aren’t going to get in on our watch.”
“We don’t have enough manpower for that Prez,” Brutus reminds me. “I’ll send out an alert to the guys in our northern chapter. Make sure they know what’s going on, and they can keep an eye on things as well,” I didn’t look up from my phone as I spoke. I was already thinking about how I would tell them and what to instruct them to do.
“That’s an idea, but we’re going to have to act fast,” Brutus said. “Javi told me they looked nervous, like they are aware that they’re being watched.”
“They are,” I said simply. “And I hope that does make them nervous. I’m not putting up with any of that shit in my town.”
“Well, that might mean they’re going to do something bold, or stupid,” Brutus said. “Don’t think that we’re safe because we’re up here.”
I gave him a look. “Thanks for the heads up.”
“I’m just saying. You’re getting pretty cozy with that girl. I’d hate to see that turn into complacency,” he said with a shrug.
“Just make sure you get the message to the guys,” I replied, a tone of annoyance in my voice. He shrugged and headed out the door, leaving me in the office alone. I sighed as I sat back in the chair. I hated the thought of the cartel members closing in, and I worried what that meant for Megan’s safety. Would I really be able to protect her from them if it came to war? If they really hated Cutter that much, why not take him out directly?
Because his sister is all he’s got in life, and they want to hit him where it hurts most. Killing him would be too easy. Shit, that’s the same reason why you know you don’t have a chance in hell with her.
I closed the doors and shut off the lights, getting ready to leave for the day. Normally, there would be a lot of excitement in my chest as I got ready to head back to my place and see Meg, but today, there was a heaviness.
It didn’t just bother me to know the cartel was there, it also bothered me to think about what Brutus had just said. He was right. I was getting really comfortable with her. Though they hadn’t seen the half of it, it was starting to become known throughout the shop.
I could deny it all I wanted, but there was no denying the connection she and I shared when we were in the same room, or the fact that I was on my phone with her so much throughout the day.
I was torn. I wanted her, I knew that, but I couldn’t have her. I shouldn’t. She was the one woman in the world I knew was off limits, but she was the only one I wanted, and I had a feeling nothing was going to change that.
18
Megan
I lit the candles I’d found and set them on either side of the table. It had been difficult to come up with a way to make a romantic dinner with a what I had on hand, but I felt proud of what I’d put together. Trip didn’t have a lot to choose from in his pantry or refrigerator, but I knew how to get creative.
I’d managed to put together spaghetti and meatballs, with a side of garlic bread, and green beans. I nodded, satisfied with the result.
Setting the candle’s I’d found in a drawer on the table with the food added the perfect touch. There was even a nice bottle of red wine in the cupboard that I pulled out and was letting breathe.
Then, I hurried to check my makeup once more. I didn’t have anything fancy to wear, and that was okay. I didn’t want to go too overboard with what I was doing. Hell, it was going to be obvious enough that I was putting on some sort of show.
But I did my hair nice and my makeup as nicely as I could manage, then I put on a clean shirt and pair of jeans. It wasn’t fancy, but I did look put together, and I was proud of how the ensemble looked.
I heard him in the hall before he walked through the door, and I quickly rushed to the kitchen. Though I wanted to see the look on his face when he came in and saw how the table was set, there was another part of me that was a little embarrassed. I’d never done this for anyone before, and I wasn’t sure what to do with myself as he came inside. Besides, what if he didn’t like it?
“What’s this?” he asked as he walked into the kitchen.
“I thought I’d put something together as a bit of a thank you for what you did for me,” I said with a smile. “I found everything in the cupboard, and the candles in the drawer.”
“Looks great,” he said.
“You’ve got about twenty minutes,” I smiled. “If you want to take a shower it’ll be ready by the time you’re done.”
Though he didn’t break into the big grin I thought he would, there was the hint of a smile on his lips as he headed to his room to grab something to put on after the shower. He’d answered the door in nothing but his towel that one day, but ever since then, he’d always dressed directly in the bathroom after his showers at night.
I wondered if he did that because he didn’t want me to see, or if he thought that I didn’t want to. Hell, there was a good chance I would have tried something if he walked through in nothing but a towel night after night, so it was probably a good thing he was careful about exposing that much of his body to me.
I finished putting dinner together and set it on the table, then I put all the pots and pans in the sink. I was still nervous, eager for him to try what I’d put together, but still apprehensive about how good it was going to be.
I really just wanted him to know how much I appreciated what he was doing for me and to apologize for being such a colossal pain in the ass about everything in the beginning. It was a small gesture but being cooped up 24/7 didn’t leave me with much choice. I just wanted him to enjoy.
Trip came back out of the bathroom freshly showered and dressed, though his hair was still damp when we sat down to eat.
“I really wanted you to know how much it means to me that you got me that job,” I said with a smile.
“I thought you might be going crazy here,” he shrugged. “Getting out of the house might be a good idea.”
“Going from here to the shop and back again does make for a small world,” I admitted. “But I like hanging out there, too.”
He glanced up and nodded, but there clearly seemed to be something on his mind. Trip wasn’t ever inclined to talk to me about the things that were bothering him, just as I had been so careful to keep my own problems under wraps. But, sitting across from him at the table, I could see something was wrong.
I tried not to let the anxiety get to me. Had I overstepped a boundary by making a dinner like this? Did he think I was growing too attached? Was there something else on his mind that was bothering him?
The longer our dinner wore on in relative silence, the more my mind got away from me. By the time we’d finished, I couldn’t take it any longer. I rose to clear the dishes, and Trip sat back in his chair.
“Thanks for that, it was very nice,” he said.
I put the dishes on the counter and smiled as I returned to the table. But, on sudden impulse, I didn’t return to my seat. I walked right up to him, put my hand behind his head, and kissed him.
Just as it had been in the hotel room, I wasn’t sure how he’d react. It was a sudden and impulsive gesture, that was for sure, but it was what I wanted. I knew it was what he wanted, but neither of us had been willing to act on it before. I was so tired of the guessing games. Walking around each other, but never touching, knowing that the tension was there but never acknowledging.
Something had to happen and despite my wanting him to make the first move, I couldn’t wait any longer.
He didn’
t pull back or turn away. In fact, he started kissing me in return. It didn’t take long for our kiss to grow heated, and I started undressing him right there in the chair. His hands were at the buttons on my shirt. When he couldn’t get them undone, he merely tore it open.
I was so wet as I pulled his t-shirt over his head, then he rose from the chair, taking me in his arms, kissing me all over. He unclasped my bra, freeing my breasts as I fought to get his jeans undone and to the ground. He did the same to my own pants, then he shoved the rest of the dishes out of the way on the table, lifting me up and setting me there instead.
His arousal showed through his boxers, and within seconds, he was pulling me to the end of the table and toward him. I spread my legs, kissing him, dragging my fingernails down his back as he took his cock and teased me with it. I was sitting right on the edge, waiting for him, needing him.
Trip pushed himself inside me, stepping forward and giving me his full length. I let out a loud gasp, letting him spread me, filling me completely. He pushed himself inside and held himself there for a moment, his hands wrapped around my body and on my ass, pulling me onto him.
Then, he started pumping himself into me, thrusting in and out with a hunger that I’d only felt the last time we’d fucked. There was something so feral, so primal about him, it was hotter than I’d ever had before. I moaned, pulling him toward me, letting his body ride over mind on the table.
I was so wet, it was easy for him to slide in and out. We were moving fast and heavy, taking each other, enjoying each other. I sank my teeth lightly into his pec, causing him to growl in a low rumble. He put his hands on my lower back, supporting me as I leaned back on the table.
My tits bounced up and down with each thrust, and I let my head fall back, my eyes closed and my mouth slightly open, taking the pounding, relishing in every second of it. I couldn’t get enough of him, and I knew he felt the same for me.
In and out, in and out. He was pushing me toward climax. Closer and closer I got until I couldn’t take it any longer. Then, with one final cry of pleasure, the waves let loose throughout my body. It was electric, exploding out from my very core.
My body felt on fire yet relaxed as utter ecstasy washed through me. At nearly the same time, Trip also came hard. He let out a cry of his own as his cock pulsed inside me, filling me with his load, spreading a new warmth through me. Nothing compared to the feeling of his cock coming inside my pussy, giving me all that he had.
I stayed at the end of the table, keeping him inside me for as long as I could. I knew he’d pull out, but I didn’t want that to happen. Just like before, I wanted to stay in his arms, forgetting the rest of the world, letting life pass by while we held each other.
There was no need to part. There wasn’t any need to face the real world. We had each other, and we were happy in the moment, so why do anything else?
But that was nothing more than a fantasy. I knew he had to go, and only moments after he came, Trip pulled out of me.
“I’ll be right back,” he muttered, quickly heading for his bedroom. He closed the door behind him, and I merely smiled to myself, easing down off the table and grabbing my clothes from the floor. I was sure the night would continue as we always did.
He’d have a beer or finish the wine, I’d settle in with some water or tea and we’d watch a movie. We’d pretend that it wasn’t as domestic as it was, or that we didn’t care for each other nearly as much as we truly did, but I knew there wasn’t any hiding the facts.
He fucked me like he cared about me. It wasn’t just sex, there was a connection there, and I didn’t have any doubt in my mind what it really was. He might not want to admit it. Hell, he might openly deny it, but I couldn’t. Not anymore.
There was no changing my mind now. I might not say it out loud, and I was sure I’d argue with myself about it later.
But deep down inside, I knew I was falling in love with Trip Parker.
19
Trip
I woke to the sunlight pouring in around the drapes in my room and stared up at the ceiling, a storm of emotions stirring deep within me. There were so many things that I felt, I didn’t know where to begin. Often, when I was dealing with shit like that, I would do the one thing I found easiest: I’d ignore it.
It had been four days since I’d hooked up with Megan the second time, and I didn’t know what to do with myself. Common sense, life, and what I wanted were all clashing with each other inside me, and I didn’t know how to deal with any of it.
I wished Mercedes was still alive. If there was anyone who would have the answer as to what I should do, it would be her. She had always been the one for a good, honest talk. She’d not sugar coat anything, but she was always kind in the way she presented her advice.
She could point me in the right direction, all the while not bending on what she thought was right, and I responded to it better than I thought possible. Hell, if there was one person on this planet who could get me to do anything, it was her.
I tried to see a bit of my sister in most people. But, the fact of the matter was that most people didn’t have any of the same qualities Mercedes had possessed. They were selfish, they were greedy, they didn’t care who they hurt, and they were always looking out for themselves.
It was a sad way to live life, and there were times I feared that I’d turned into one of those very people.
Hell, I could slap myself upside the head for what I was doing with Meg. I genuinely liked spending time with her and there was nothing in the world like being inside her. She fit me like a glove and the way I filled her body was unlike anything I’d ever known before.
But it was destined to end. Wasn’t it? She was my worst enemy’s little sister and Cutter would cut my balls off and shove them in my mouth before he slit my throat if he knew I was fucking her.
Not to mention, even if she wasn’t Cutter’s sister, she had a life down in Barstow that she wanted to get back to. As soon as this bullshit with Cuter and his crew was dealt with, she’d be gone, and where would that leave me? Holding my heart in one hand and my dick in the other. It was a no-win situation.
So I ran. I told her that I would be right back, but I didn’t return after going into my room for the night. I had a tv in there, so I merely settled into bed and didn’t head back out into the living room until long after I knew she was asleep.
She hadn’t said anything about it to me since. She didn’t seem to be angry about it at all. Quite the opposite, in fact.
Ever since we’d fucked again, it was blatantly obvious to me how she felt. She had taken to flirting with me openly – not only through text or when we were at the apartment, but when we were at the shop, too. She would pay me compliments for many of the things that I did, and she didn’t complain about anything.
Hell, she had changed a lot from the woman that she was when she first came, but in all the ways that I would have asked. She still had the fire, still had the independence, but without the bitchiness or negativity as before.
And it was driving me crazy.
My alarm started blaring on the night stand, and I sighed, letting my arm fall to hit the snooze button. Shortly after, I heard her out in the living room, getting up and getting ready for the day. She had gotten settled right into her work at the shelter with Amanda, and she loved going there when I was at the shop.
There were a couple days a week when Amanda didn’t need her and she’d come with me, but I was glad today was a shelter day for her. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to see her.
It was the fact that all I wanted to do was see her. And I knew that had to come to an end if we were going to get through this without either of us getting hurt.
I stared at the tattoo on my wrist, once more wondering what my sister would do. Then, I sighed. Who was I kidding? She’d tell me that I had to do the right thing, even if it hurt to do it. I knew that was true. Hell, it was the single biggest piece of advice she had given me when we were teenagers, and it was the one piece of
advice I would give women who came to me about their relationships.
It didn’t matter how much it hurt. If the relationship wasn’t right, then it was time to move on and do what was right for everyone involved. And, that might be far from easy. Hell, I knew it was going to crush me, and from the looks of it, her too.
But I couldn’t stay in bed all day and ignore it. I had to get to the shop, and first I had to get Megan down to the shelter.
So, I dragged myself out of bed and got dressed, then I put on a straight face to head out into the living room. I tried my hardest not to do anything to encourage her and it was damn hard. My voice stayed even, my face stayed impassive, and I physically steered clear of her as much as I could.
I got my things together in the living room, glad Megan was still in the bathroom putting on her makeup. It was the other thing she had started doing since the last time we hooked up. She often wore her makeup minimal and light.
But since then, she had been taking the time every day to put on both eyeliner and mascara – neither of which I saw much point to her wearing. She was beautiful without it, so why paint it on? With my need to pull back from her, however, I kept my mouth shut.
I couldn’t give her feedback one way or another, or she was going to feel encouraged to keep doing it; to keep coming for me.
“Are you ready?” I asked when she came out of the bathroom.
“Yeah,” she said. She gave me the warm smile she always did in the morning – the smile that made me want to throw her up against the wall and have my way with her like I did on the table. But I only gave her a small, distant one in return.
Hers faded slightly, killing me in the process, but I knew it had to be that way. It was life, and life wasn’t always pleasant.
Men in Charge: A Contemporary Romance Box Set Page 55