Rex is sporting a black leather jacket and a cross necklace. From what Cassidy has said, he’s the cool brother.
A mousy, dark-haired girl shyly waves at me. “I’m Carolina, Rex’s better half.”
Next to Rex is Trey, a guy around the same age as Cassidy. From what Cass has told me, he’s the half brother no one knew about until recently. He says hello with a simple chin jerk in my direction.
Chloe, the woman who smacked Kyle, introduces herself before elbowing Kyle to do the same. “I’m Chloe, this guy’s—who’s actually nice, I promise—girlfriend.”
Kyle snorts.
“Quit acting like a little prick,” she hisses underneath her breath to him.
“Don’t,” he says before his dark scowl returns to me. “Kyle.”
At least he doesn’t introduce himself as Officer.
It’s annoying when people do that shit.
“Sweetie, do you know what’s wrong with your car?” Nancy asks Cassidy as I drape the cloth napkin over my lap. “Did you tell your father, so he can get it looked at?”
Cassidy shakes her head. “I’m for sure not calling him. I’ll get it figured out.”
“I’ll get it looked at for you,” Kyle says.
“It’s at the bar, but I’m going to have it towed,” Cassidy informs.
“Send me the bill for the repairs,” Rex adds.
“Now, let’s get you some drinks,” Chloe comments, her voice overeager, as if she’s compensating for her boyfriend. “We have sweet tea, lemonade, water, or I can grab a soda from the kitchen?”
“Lemonade,” Cassidy replies before peeking over at me. “My mom’s lemonade is to die for.”
“Lemonade for me too,” I reply with a smile.
Our drinks are poured, and we devour Nancy’s rib eye.
“Not to sound like an asshole,” Maliki says, sitting next to me on the living room sofa, prepared to most likely sound like an asshole, “but I’m not sure if you two are good or bad for each other.”
After dinner, Nancy brought out the dessert. And when I say she brought out the dessert, good ole Nance brought her dessert game. There was a chocolate cake, a cherry pie, and cupcakes. All made from scratch. I’m so full that I could not eat for another week, and I still wouldn’t be hungry.
Maliki reminds me of my brother. He is closed off, isn’t much of a conversationalist, owns a bar, and is dating a woman the complete opposite of him. Sierra is outgoing, pushes people’s buttons, and loud. She and Cassidy share similar personalities.
I bite my tongue, holding back the urge to tell him I couldn’t care less what he’s sure of. Instead, I cock my head to the side and mutter, “Why do you say that?”
He grips his beer in his fist. “Cassidy tends to have a type … trouble, and no offense, dude, but you’re trouble.”
Here it goes. My past haunting me again.
I want to be trouble and tell Maliki to fuck himself and stay out of our business.
A criminal record shouldn’t automatically label me.
“I was trouble,” I grind out. That’s a lie. I didn’t break the law. I knew someone was breaking the law, and my silence bit me in the ass.
He drains his beer. “Told you, not trying to be an asshole. I get it, man. Your situation was fucked up, and not many people would do what you did for your family. I respect your loyalty. I’m only mentioning it because her cop brother and parents, who recently had to deal with her legal troubles with her ex, might not be as understanding.”
I slug down my lemonade. I’ve kept it strictly nonalcoholic tonight.
“Are you going to tell them?” I croak out.
Fear creeps into me like a shady snake at the thought of losing Cassidy because her family doesn’t approve of me. Losing her would be a slit to the heart.
“Not my business to tell.” Maliki levels his gaze on me. “All I’m saying is, if you haven’t told her your past, you should. Not only is one brother a cop but Rex can also hack into anything. Give the guy your first name, and in five minutes, he can provide every digital move you and your family have made your entire lives. Cassidy is a good girl—sarcastic and mouthy as shit, like her sister, but she has a heart of gold. Don’t fuck her over.”
Our conversation is interrupted by the sound of Cassidy arguing with someone in the other room.
“He’s a fucking criminal, Cassidy,” Kyle roars from down the hallway.
He managed to keep things casual the rest of dinner but didn’t mutter a word in my direction or glance at me again. I had no doubts that he was waiting for the perfect moment to get Cassidy alone to warn her about me.
“Oh shit,” Maliki says, shaking his head. “And here we go.”
I stand and head in the direction of their voices.
“How do you know that?” Cassidy asks.
“Everyone knows who the Callahans are,” Kyle replies. “They were all over the news!”
“You don’t know the entire story,” Cassidy argues.
“What don’t I know?” Kyle’s voice rises. “He was in prison. Did he tell you that?”
“He did.”
I reach the doorway of the room they’re in to find her facing off with Kyle, her arms crossed.
“And in case you forgot, I was also arrested,” Cassidy adds.
Kyle shakes his head. “Big difference. You didn’t go to goddamn prison.”
“White-collar prison,” Rex corrects, and my gaze tears across the room to find him sitting in the corner, watching the show in front of him. “Dude, you know that’s two different things. He didn’t fucking murder someone.”
Rex, I fucking like you.
“Prison is prison,” Kyle snaps.
“I’m not having this conversation with you,” Cassidy says.
Kyle crosses his arms, mirroring her stance. “Do you want me to call Dad, so you can have that conversation with him instead? We can let him know you’re hanging out with convicts.”
“Oh, don’t try to bullshit me.” Cassidy snorts. “You wouldn’t call Dad if your dick was on fire and he had the last glass of water to put it out.”
Rex scoffs, shaking his head. “That was a good one, sis.”
Having had enough, I place my knuckles against the door, tapping lightly to make my appearance known. This isn’t how I wanted to meet the fam, but I’m not going to sit back and allow Cassidy to take the heat for my actions.
“Don’t give her shit,” I say, leveling my eyes on Kyle. “Yes, I’m a felon. Yes, I was in prison. My father had committed a crime, and I’d refused to snitch on him. Call me whatever you want for it, but I’d do it again if I had to. My past will not hurt your sister in any way. I’m not trouble. I work at the bar, keep my nose clean, and that’s it.”
Kyle looks at me, shocked, as if he expected me to sit back and allow Cassidy to fight my battles.
“I can vouch for him,” Maliki says behind me, and I’m not sure when the hell he arrived, but I’ll take his support. “He’s Archer’s brother. Dude has kept it real with me since the day he was released. I met him a few times before he was locked up. He’s a good guy.” He shrugs, sipping on his beer. “We all know our past shouldn’t come back to bite us in the ass.”
Kyle runs his hands through his hair. “Fine, whatever.” He looks at me, and in the same tone he used with Cassidy, he says to me, “A quick word.”
I nod. “Sure.”
Kyle waves me out of the room and down a hallway, so we’re alone.
We land in a bedroom, and he shuts the door behind us.
“I wasn’t trying to be a dick,” he automatically says.
I chuckle. “You failed at that.”
“I’m just … worried about my little sister, you know?” He strokes his jaw. “The last thing she needs is to fall into trouble again. She might’ve managed to end up with community service last time, but she has a record now, which could result in a harsher punishment.”
“I swear to you, I have nothing but your sister’s be
st interests.” I silently pray he can see the honesty in my eyes, the deep care I have for Cassidy, and that he’ll trust me with her. “I get wanting to protect your sister, but I won’t get her in any trouble.”
“What are you?” He blinks. “Dating? Friends?”
I feel stupid when I say, “I have no idea actually.”
He nods as if he understands that complicated time in figuring out what you are with another person. “Look, I’m giving you the benefit of the doubt because I know your family was good until all that shit went down. I’ve met Archer, and he seems like a cool-ass dude. Just don’t get my sister in trouble.”
“That’s the last thing I ever want to do.”
“Sorry for the interrogation, bro.”
“Nah, it’s cool. Thanks for hearing me out and giving me a chance, instead of letting my past define who I am.”
“If it makes you feel any better, Cassidy has never brought a guy home since high school, so she must really like you. She seems happier than she’s been in months. Don’t break her heart.”
“Did you enjoy meeting your future in-laws?” Cassidy asks when we get back to her place.
I nod and smile, both of them overexaggerated. “Oh, yes, I definitely enjoyed it. I don’t think it could’ve gone any better.”
She laughs, shaking her head. “Of course, my brother had to know you’ve been in trouble with the law.”
I slump down on her bed. “It was all over the news. I tend to be more shocked when people don’t know or don’t recognize my last name.”
It’s humiliating when I see the recognition cross people’s faces when they figure out who I am.
What I am.
It’s no secret that Cassidy deserves better than someone with a record, but if she’s okay with it, then why would I run away from my own happiness?
I want that life—the life that Archer, Cohen, and Maliki have. A relationship. Another half. Someone to come home to. Someone to be my everything and vice versa. Never have I wanted a relationship before. Never has someone slid into my life, into my head, and—dare I say it—into my heart.
Cassidy joins me on the bed, perky and ready for conversation. “Other than that, what’d you think?”
“They’re cool. Your mom is a kick-ass cook.”
She smiles with pride. “My mom is a kick-ass everything.”
I shift to face her, leaning in, and kiss her cheek. “Just like her daughter.”
She smiles harder before it slips. “What are we?”
Now, if that question doesn’t nearly knock me on the ass. It’s not the turn I expected this conversation to take so quickly. It is the turn we need to take though because there’s nothing worse than not knowing where you stand with somebody—with someone you want to stand next to, love, and be with.
“What do you mean?” I choke out.
For people who like to talk about everything, we’ve done a poor job of broaching serious topics. It’s almost as if dragging out the complicated questions will change something and ruin us.
Nervousness covers her face as she plays with her hands. “I mean, my sister asked me what we were tonight, and I had no idea what to tell her.”
My chest tightens. “I guess we’d better clear that up then, huh?”
She raises her gaze, her eyes searching mine. “We should definitely clear that up.”
My heart turns in my chest. “I’m whatever you want me to be.”
I want to be her everything.
I want her to want every piece of me for the rest of our lives.
Some might say having feelings so strong with someone you’ve known for only a few months can’t be real. Some might say that there needs to be a longer period to truly fall for someone, but I’ve spent enough time with Cassidy to know who she is, to know how my day brightens when she’s around and how my mind constantly wanders to her when she’s not.
“Hmm … anything I want you to be.” She scoots in closer, nearly on my lap. “I’d say my husband, my baby daddy, the man obsessed with me.”
I chuckle. “Give us some time, and I can be all of those things, baby.”
She chews on her lower lip, excitement and nervousness prevalent in her expression. “I’m scared, though.”
I raise a brow. “Scared of what?”
“Scared to take the leap with you, to hand myself over to someone and then end up broken. My feelings for you are stronger than what they were with my ex, and what he did tore me apart. If things ended badly between us, it’d kill me, Lincoln.”
I stretch out my legs and nod in understanding. “That’s why I didn’t jump right into having a physical relationship with you.” It’s something we could’ve easily done from the beginning, that could’ve also ended messy. “I wanted to be certain I was comfortable enough for more than sex so that I wouldn’t hurt you. And that time wasn’t to realize how much I liked you; it was if I’d be good for you, if I’d be able to make you happy … and keep you happy.”
“I appreciate that, and I think we both needed that time before jumping into something. My parents’ marriage was a complete joke. High school sweethearts. She invested everything into them, only for him to have an affair and completely screw her over. I don’t want that to be me.”
“I give you my word that I’ll never screw you over. Do you hear me? We’re alike in so many ways. We both are big on loyalty and honesty. I went to prison for having someone’s back. I promise, I’d do the same for you. And I have concerns too.”
She blinks at me. “Like what?”
“You recently got out of a bad relationship. Are you sure you’re ready for another?” Just as scared as she is that I’ll hurt her, I’m scared of putting myself out there too.
“Do you plan on us having a bad relationship?” She furrows her brows.
“Fuck no.”
“Then why would I hold my ex’s actions against you? Our relationship will be a clean slate.”
I shudder. “Other than those few things, which we’ve now settled, you got anything else?”
She shakes her head before releasing a deep sigh. “I’ve got nothing.”
My confidence beams. “So then, take something.”
With that, she grins, crawling into my lap, her weight distributing to my body. Her lips crash into mine, making me come alive, and without hesitation, I dip my tongue into her mouth.
Tasting her and the sweet desserts we devoured after dinner.
Tasting what I keep wanting and wanting and wanting.
My heart thrashes against my chest as I reach around and grip the back of her neck, feeding more of her to me. Kissing Cassidy is a rush I’ve never experienced. As a man who’s had his fair share of women, I’ve never had these emotions climb through me with just kissing.
The want.
The need.
The urge to give her all of me.
I want to grab Cassidy in my arms and make her mine.
Keep her underneath me while we forget our problems.
I grunt when she grinds into me, her jeans rough against mine, and my cock hardens with every movement. She yelps when I curl my hands around her waist, then turn and ease her onto her back, her hair fanning over the pillow. Luckily, she didn’t make her bed this morning, so there’s no messing with undoing the bedding to make her comfortable.
I draw back, smacking my palm to the mattress to hold myself up, and stare down at Cassidy. Her chest heaves in and out as she peers at me in expectation, in challenge, as if saying, What are you going to do with me?
Slicing my hand up the bed and between her legs, I jerk her thighs open before sliding between them, making enough room for my heavy body. I tip my head down, kissing her, before lowering my mouth to her neck and sucking on the sensitive skin.
“Stop teasing me,” she groans. “We’ve done plenty of foreplay. It’s time to get to the main event.”
I chuckle. “There’s never too much foreplay, baby.” My sex game has always been to pleasure the woman first,
so that’s what I need to make sure I do with Cassidy.
With a strength that surprises me, she hooks her leg around my waist and attempts to flip me over on my back.
Stopping her, I shake my head. “Oh no, baby. Nice try.”
She frowns. “I’m going to bite you in the neck and possibly stab you if you don’t get me naked soon.”
“Oh, I like it kinky, babe.” I click my tongue against the roof of my mouth. “And since you were such a good girl today, I’ll give you what you need. Let’s get you naked.”
She glares up at me. “Let’s get us naked.”
“I like the way you think.”
Giving her what she wants—what we both need—I hurriedly undress, and she does the same. This isn’t how I expected our first time to go, but she’s right; we’ve been waiting for this for what seems like months. Within a few breaths, we’re naked, in the same position we were before—her underneath me, me situated between her legs.
Reaching down, I massage my hand between her pussy lips, separating them with my fingers, before slipping down the bed. Her legs tremble when my face reaches her core. I bend my neck and suck on her clit, sliding my tongue between her folds.
I could eat Cassidy for every meal and still be hungry for her.
“More,” she moans, writhing underneath me. “I need more.”
“I can do that,” I reply with a sly smile, moving back up her body.
I take my cock, gripping it, and slide it against her opening.
Back and forth through her soaked slit.
Back and forth before I dive into heaven.
She moans, her back coming off the bed. “Mmm … I like that … more.”
“Jesus, you sure are needy.” I slide down and take one long, straight lick against her slit.
“Needy for your cock,” she gasps.
“Tell me you want it,” I say, flicking her clit before sliding two fingers inside her. “Tell me how bad you want my cock.”
“So bad,” she moans. “I want your cock so bad, Lincoln. I want to feel your big cock inside me, filling me up in every way.”
Her words are my undoing.
“Condom?” I rasp out.
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