Fire & Ice (The Locklaine Boys #1)

by Jessica Prince

  Then I took an ice cold shower, praying the frigid water would soften my raging hard-on. By the time I climbed out my entire body was an icicle. I pulled on a pair of underwear and crawled into the bed next to Pepper’s sleeping body, pulling her warm softness against me. The feel of her snuggling closer into me should have lessened the tension holding my body rigid, but memories of our earlier argument assaulted me. As I lay in that bed with her body heat seeping into my skin like the softest blanket you could imagine, I replayed that night from four years ago in my mind.

  Past

  HOLY SHIT.

  She was a fucking virgin.

  I’d just had the best sex of my life with a fucking virgin. And my best friend and partner’s little sister. I was going straight to Hell. But hot damn, was it worth it.

  Pepper let out the sexiest little moan in her sleep as she rolled into me. Her delicate arm slipping around my waist had my dick standing at attention. But it would have to wait. I’d already put her delicious body through more than she could handle for one night. I’d have to give her a few days to recoup before going back for more. And there would definitely be more. I didn’t know where this was going to go, or what I even wanted to happen; I’d never been a man who was a fan of committed relationships. But I knew I needed more of her.

  So much more.

  Wrapping my arm tighter around Pepper, I closed my eyes, hoping to get a few more hours of sleep when my cellphone started to ring. “Son of a bitch,” I whispered as I gently moved Pepper’s sleeping frame so I could slide out of the bed. I snatched my jeans from the bedroom floor and pulled the phone out of my back pocket with a mumbled, “Shit,” at the sight of Dex’s name on the screen.

  “What’s up?” I asked as I stepped from the bedroom and closed the door so I wouldn’t disturb her.

  “We got a call, brother,” Dex answered in a no nonsense voice. “I’m already on my way there. I’ll text you the address.”

  “All right, man. Meet you there.”

  I hung up the phone and went back to the room to get dressed, making sure to be as quiet as possible so as not to wake Pepper. She had a big day ahead of her with the store opening, and I’d already kept her up long enough. She needed her sleep.

  I spotted a crumpled napkin on the counter and quickly scrawled a note for her when she woke up so she wouldn’t think I’d bailed on her.

  My phone pinged with a text from Dex containing the address just as I stepped out and closed the door of Pepper’s apartment. It took about fifteen minutes to get to the scene and when the cab pulled up Dex was standing there waiting for me.

  “Where’s your car, dude?”

  “Had a flat,” I lied. I knew I had to tell Dex about me and Pepper, but it was something I needed to finesse. I couldn’t just open with, “I don’t have it because I spent the night at your sister’s apartment. Oh, and by the way, we’re fucking, hope you’re cool with it.” No, I needed to ease him into the thought.

  “All right, I’ll give you a ride when we’re finished here.”

  “Thanks man.”

  As we made our way to the rundown apartment complex where a known drug dealer had taken a bullet in the back, Dex struck up a conversation.

  “So, how long did you stick around the party last night?”

  “Oh, uh…” I stumbled, taken off guard by his question. My best bet was to tell the truth. One thing I’d learned on the job was that too many lies had a tendency to trip a person up. “I hung around to the end so I could help Pepper clean up. The place was kind of a mess once everyone left.”

  “Thanks for looking out for her, Griff. I appreciate it.”

  “No problem,” I answered, thinking that was my opening…until he spoke up again.

  “I’m so damn proud of her for everything she’s done with that store. She’s been busting her ass for years to get that shit off the ground. Feel like an asshole for even thinking it, but there were times I doubted it would happen. She’s just so young, you know?”

  I gave him a nod as we hit the staircase. “Yeah, I can see that. But Pepper’s always been stubborn. If anyone was gonna pull that off, it’d been her.”

  “True,” he laughed. “That girl’s always been hard-headed. That’s probably why I worry about her so damn much.”

  I paused right outside the opened door to the apartment. “What are you talking about?”

  “You know,” he waved. “She’s an overly headstrong twenty-one year old woman living alone in the Manhattan. I guess I’d just be more comfortable if she had someone watching over her when I’m not able to.”

  We spent the next few hours going through everything with a fine-tooth comb before finally heading out to go back to the station.

  “So…” I started as Dex drove. “You wish Pepper had a boyfriend?” I asked, feeling like I’d suddenly grown a vagina. What the hell was I doing?

  “Huh?” Dex glanced from the wheel momentarily to look at me in confusion. Yep, I’d definitely grown a vagina.

  “You know, you were talking earlier about worrying about Pep being alone in the city and stuff. Do you wish she was in a relationship or something?”

  Oh, sweet fuck. So much for finesse.

  He gave my question some thought. “Well, I was thinking more along the lines of a roommate or something…” Fucking hell, I’d misread that one.

  “Well, I mean, if she were dating someone he’d probably be more protective of her than a roommate, right?” I could literally feel my testicles retreating into my stomach.

  “I guess,” he shrugged. “I mean, if he was good enough. She’s had a tendency to pick some real fucking losers in the past.” It was completely irrational, but the thought of her with another man twisted my gut into knots. “Wendy’s actually been talking about setting her up for a while. I just haven’t approved of any of the douchebags she’s had in mind.”

  Here goes nothing. “Well what about someone you know?”

  For some reason, that idea had Dex howling in laughter. “Are you fuckin’ kidding?” He bellowed like it was the funniest goddamned thing I’d ever said. “Yeah, and who’d you have in mind? Rowan?” More hysterical laughter.

  “No,” I gritted, my jaw ticking at how hard I was grinding my teeth together. Just the idea of Rowan touching her made me want to punch his face in.

  “If any of the guys I know were to so much as lay a hand on her, I’d be forced to shoot it off. No offense, man, you know I got nothing but love for you, but I’ve known you guys for way too fucking long. I’ve seen the shit you’ve pulled. Hell, I was there for most of it. It’s a wonder Wendy ever looked twice at my dumb ass.”

  That knot in my gut tightened as a strong sour feeling caused it to flip and roll, nausea threatening to take over. “Yeah,” I grunted noncommittally. Jesus, what the fuck had I been thinking? There was no way Dex would ever accept me and Pepper in any way.

  “Luckily,” he continued, twisting the knife just a little bit deeper, “You’re allergic to monogamy so I don’t have to worry about you going near her.” He laughed lightheartedly, completely oblivious to the turmoil swirling around in my head. “You’re a brother to me, man. Hate to have to kill you.”

  The small laugh I let out was totally fake. Fortunately he didn’t seem to notice. I’d already betrayed his trust by being with Pepper the first time. I couldn’t risk losing it completely be carrying on, no matter how much I wanted her. My friendship with Dex ran deep. I cared about the man. He was my brother. Even though the thought of hurting her killed, I just couldn’t do it, not now that I knew just how adamant he was about it. It wasn’t right.

  “Hey, what do you think about Thai for lunch?” he asked.

  “Sure.” And just like that, the conversation was over. I was a complete coward. I was going to hurt one person to spare another because I had no backbone. I was a shitty friend and an even worse man.

  The only thing I could hope was that Pepper didn’t hate me forever.

  Present
/>   PEPPER STIRRED IN HER sleep against me, drawing me back into the present. “Mmm, Griffin?” she mumbled in her sleep.

  “Shh,” I soothed, running my fingers through her hair before wrapping my other arm tighter around her. “Sleep baby.”

  “You’re still here?” she whispered quietly, her arm squeezing gently.

  I pressed my lips to her forehead, inhaling the subtle, sweet smell of her hair. “I’m not going anywhere, sweetness. Sleep.”

  “’Kay.” Seconds later her breathing slowed and I knew she was deep under once again. As I waited for sleep to finally take hold, I couldn’t help but wonder how in the fuck I’d been lucky enough to get the beautiful, strong-willed woman lying beside me not once, but twice in my lifetime. I didn’t deserve her, no goddamned doubt about that, but after how badly I hurt her the first time, there was no way in hell I was going to do that again.

  I just had to figure out what the hell I was going to do. If I thought the situation had been messy the first time, well… it was about to get a million times worse.

  THE FIRST THOUGHT THAT ran through my mind once the cobwebs began to clear was why is someone rubbing sandpaper against my cheek? The second was red wine is an evil bitch-whore.

  Hadn’t I just told myself not long ago that I was never drinking again? Why didn’t I ever listen to myself? With a grunt of pain, I slowly peeled my eyelids open, desperate to stop the spinning in my head and the rough grating thing against my cheek. What I saw when I opened my eyes gave me pause. Was I dreaming? Was it possible I was still drunk?

  “Uh… hello,” I croaked out.

  Meow.

  Pushing myself up onto my elbows, I squinted my eyes and stared. “And where did you come from?”

  Meow. The fat ginger cat butted its nose into my cheek and proceeded to lick it. So that explains the sandpaper. “Where the hell am I?” I asked myself as I gently pushed the orange fur ball away so I could sit up… and maybe save some of the skin left on my cheek. My cloudy eyes took in the unfamiliar room as growing panic began to churn in my belly. What the hell had I done last night? The cat let out another meow before hopping into my lap. I absentmindedly patted its head as I looked around the space for something that would tell me where I was.

  Then I saw it.

  “Ah, shit,” I groaned. At the sight of the badge laying on the bedside table, the night before crashed into me like a massive wave that pulled me under. I remembered a rather insightful game of Fuck Marry Kill. I remembered wine. I remembered the bathroom. Oh God, the bathroom. I remembered acting like a brazen hussy, all but using his leg as a humping post. I’d completely thrown all of my concerns out the window at the thought of sleeping with Griffin again. Jesus, I was such an idiot. I remembered Wendy booing and Griffin hailing us a cab, but after that, it’s all blank.

  Did we have sex? I jerked the comforter up and let out a relieved sigh at the sight of my shirt and panties still in place. I mean, he wouldn’t have slept with me then put half my clothes back on… right?

  Before I could think about it further, all of the air was expelled from my lungs with an ooph as the cat launched its mass onto my belly.

  “Jeez, ginger.” I sat up and began rubbing behind the cat’s ear, and ear that looked like it had been cut with a pair of crimping scissors. It let out a loud, rumbly purr as it plopped down and flipped over onto its back. “You really are a sweet thing, aren’t you?” I asked. “Ugly as hell, but sweet.” Its burnt orange hair was thinner in some places and its tail looked like it had been cut off at some point. If I had to guess, the thing had to have been at least a good five pounds overweight, but it seemed happy, nonetheless.

  The clanging coming from what I could only assume was the kitchen and the blissful aroma of coffee was enough to drag me from the bed. With the cat cradled against my chest, purring contentedly, I made my way down the long hall surprised to find the soft gray walls covered in framed photos and artwork, all subtle and perfectly spaced. It wasn’t something you’d typically see in a bachelor’s house. I would have questioned where I was just then, had some of the photos not contained Rowan and Dex. Hell, there was even one of me there, wearing the cap and gown from my high school graduation. Dex had one arm thrown over my shoulder and was looking down at me with a bright smile. My head was tipped back in laughter, my eyes squeezed closed and my smile beaming. It was a surprisingly fantastic picture, and my fingers itched to steal it.

  The smell of coffee grew stronger the closer I got to the end of the hall, and once there, I froze in place at the sight before me. Griffin wasn’t wearing anything other than a pair of loose gray basketball shorts that hung deliciously off his hips. His back was to me and the muscles beneath his smooth, tanned skin bunched and flexed as he reached into a cabinet over his head to retrieve two coffee mugs. His dark brown hair was damp from a recent shower, making the glistening strands look black in the kitchen lights above him.

  As if he sensed me standing there, he turned around to face me, doing a double take at the cat in my arms.

  “Of course she likes you,” he mumbled as he rolled his eyes skyward. “You’re both red devils.”

  “Hey,” I snapped then cringed as the sharp sound pierced through my throbbing brain. “Don’t be an asshole when I’m hungover.”

  He stared at me, a smirk teasing at the corners of his mouth as I slowly made my way to one of the barstools and sat down, still holding the cat.

  “As opposed to being an asshole when you’re healthy?”

  “How about you try not being an asshole to begin with?” I tried my best evil stare but the squinting just made my head hurt worse. “You can start by getting me a cup of coffee.”

  He gave a chortling snort as he turned back to the coffee maker. “Your wish is my command, sweetness,” he said mockingly. Once I had the cup of hot goodness in front of me, I sniffed with appreciation and brought it to my lips.

  “Thanks,” I finally offered as the warm liquid began heating me from the inside out. “So…” I wasn’t quite sure where to start. My brain was a scrambled mess.

  “So…” he mimicked, and it was apparent he was trying his hardest to keep the smile off his face.

  I narrowed my eyes as much as they’d allow without pain. “What happened last night?”

  “Well,” he started casually as he turned back to pour himself a mug. “Depends. Are you talking before or after I nearly fucked you against your brother’s bathroom wall?”

  I swallowed a mouthful of coffee, hoping to wet my suddenly dry mouth. “A-after.”

  “Nothing,” he shrugged, coming back and resting on hand on the counter between us as he took a sip. “You passed out about a second after we got into the back of the cab.”

  “So why not just take me back to my place?” I asked around the rim of my coffee mug.

  “Because my house, coincidentally, is stun gun free.”

  It was my turn to roll my eyes, only I did it with a wince. “Oh, please. It was one time. And I thought you were an intruder!”

  “It was twice, actually.” He leveled me with a glare. “And only one of those times did you think I was an intruder.”

  I couldn’t stop the small grin from curling my lips. Just remembering his huge body twitching on my kitchen floor made me choke on the laughter I was trying to hold in. “Sorry, sorry,” I giggled when his face got darker. “But you could have just dropped me off, you know. It’s not like you had to stay and risk bodily injury.”

  He sucked down the last of his coffee and placed the cup in the sink before turning propping both hands on the counter and leaning in slightly. “I needed to be wherever you were when you finally woke up.”

  “Why?”

  “Because I think it’s pretty goddamned clear, after yesterday that we need to talk.”

  I let out a sigh and looked down at the ginger cat in my lap, running my fingers through its hair to give my eyes something other than Griffin to focus on.

  “Will you put the cat down, plea
se?”

  “But she’s comfy,” I argued, giving it a little squeeze and earning a loud purr. “We can talk with me holding the cat.”

  “No we can’t,” he shot back.

  I looked at him in bewilderment. “You’re being ridiculous.”

  “Am not,” he objected with a glare in the cat’s direction, like a big, ridiculous baby.

  “What’s your problem with the cat? It’s your damn cat.”

  “Because,” he answers vaguely, turning his head away, and uncomfortable expression on his face.

  I lifted one brow high. “Because why?”

  He pretended to wipe his mouth and mumbled something behind his hand before taking my coffee mug. “Need a refill?”

  “Oh, no you don’t.” I hopped off the stool with the cat in my arms and followed after him as he hurried away. “What did you just say?”

  “I’m scared of her, okay?!” I he practically shouted as he threw his hands in the air. There was no stopping it. I burst into laughter so loud the cat in my arms jumped, emitted an annoyed warning meow then settled back in.

  “You’re scared of your own cat?!”

  “Now who’d being an asshole?” he grumbled and he crossed his arms over his sexy, bare chest. “It’s not that damn funny. She was a rescue, all right? I found her in a dumpster on one of the scenes I was working. She was hurt and nearly starved to death. I felt bad so I took her to the vet and then brought her home with me when the vet couldn’t find a home for her.”

  “Awww,” I cooed, because that was just too damn adorable. “That’s so sweet, Griffin! How could you be scared of cats after taking such good care of this one?”

  “I’m not scared of all cats,” he replied with agitation. “I’m scared of that one. She’s an evil devil cat who hates me and gets a kick out of clawing the living fuck out of every human being she comes in contact with. Except you, apparently,” he finished with a disgruntled huff.

  “She can’t be that bad,” I teased, bringing her close for a hug. “She’s so soft and cuddly. Looks like she hit every branch on the ugly tree as she fell out of it, but she’s sweet. I’m sure she doesn’t hate you.”