by Webster, K
Druggie dude starts making out with Lacy and she seems into it. Maybe she doesn’t want help. I dart my gaze to my plate, avoiding their make-out session, and blurt out my confession. “I just lost my virginity to an older man on Friday. Way older.”
“What?” she exclaims. “You bitch.” She laughs and slaps my hand. “Here I was feeling like the only naughty girl at this school. I knew I liked you.”
Cracking a smile, I meet her gaze before quickly scanning the lunchroom to make sure nobody is looking. “He’s the father of the boys I babysit for.”
Her electric blue eyes widen. “That’s hot. I need the details.”
I’m not sure why I’m confiding in her. Maybe because I have nobody else? Regardless, I’ve watched River the entire school year. She has a don’t fuck with me attitude and basically does whatever she wants. River isn’t a gossip or a snotty bitch. She’s a rebel and for once in my straitlaced life, I’m feeling a bit rebellious.
“He’s so hot,” I say, my voice nearly a whine. “I was crushing hard over him.” I bite on my lip and my cheeks burn. “I just didn’t know he liked me like that.”
“Oh, the men in this town love them a young one,” she confides with a wicked grin.
“He came into my room the second weekend I stayed over and...”
“What?” she screeches.
“Touched me. Kissed me. Made me orgasm. Then he was inside me.” I close my eyes as I remember the way he seemed to tear me in half. “He was so big. It hurt but...”
“It felt as though he filled you up with him? Totally fucking consumed you?”
I blink my eyes open and nod. “Exactly that. The sex was interesting and scary. It felt good. But it was more than that.”
“I completely understand,” she assures me.
My mouth opens to discuss it more when someone plops down beside me and slings an arm over my shoulder.
“Miss me, babe?” Chad asks.
River’s eyes are wide as she darts her gaze over to Chad. I let out a nervous laugh when he slides his palm down my side and settles his hand at my waist. He’s casually side hugging me as if we’re a couple.
“Hi,” I squeak out.
“We were having girl talk,” River sasses at him. “You interrupted.”
He laughs and hugs me tighter to his side. “I’ll be quiet. Carry on, ladies. Don’t let me interrupt your conversation about how hot I am.”
River snorts and I giggle. When he’s not being a jerk, he’s not so bad. He launches into a hysterical story that has both River and me laughing until we cry. For the first time in a long time, I feel included. My heart does a little flop in my chest. I have friends.
* * *
“There they are,” I say to Chad as I point to the gate by the football field.
I wave to Anthony and Aiden. Anthony ignores me, his eyes on the ground. Aiden waves back. When they start our way, Chad takes my backpack and tosses it in his trunk. Then, his arm is back around my waist. His posture stiffens when the boys reach the car and I don’t miss the possessive way his palm splays at my waist.
“Get in, kiddies,” Chad says, his normally playful voice carrying an edge.
Anthony jerks his head up and glares at Chad. At nearly fifteen, Anthony is every bit as tall and fit as Chad. “I’m not a fucking kid.”
His tone and the curse word causes me to gasp. “Anthony!”
“Does Dad know we have to ride with this douchebag? I hardly believe he okayed this,” he bites out, his voice cold and hard. God, he sounds just like Quinn right now.
“I, uh,” I stammer, embarrassment overcoming me.
“Don’t be a snitch,” Chad threatens. “We all know what happens to little bitches who snitch.”
Aiden and Anthony both growl. Crap!
“Enough,” I breathe and break from Chad’s possessive grip. “We’re letting Chad give us a ride. Let’s go.”
The boys pile into the back and I take the front seat. Once the loud engine is fired up, Chad flashes me a smoldering grin before resting his palm on my upper thigh. I grip his wrist and the edge of the seat to hold on when he tears out of the parking lot. Chad laughs and Aiden hollers with excitement from the back.
I’m not sure how Chad wormed his way into my life but he’s here.
And when my gaze meets Anthony’s furious one in the side mirror, guilt surges through me.
My phone buzzes in my pocket and I quickly retrieve it.
I have to work late. Make sure the boys are fed, do their homework, and get to bed at a decent hour. You’ll probably have to stay over. It might make sense to keep some clothes over at my house.
His text is innocent enough but it causes heat to surge through me. Where Chad sparks some normal teenage girl feelings, Quinn burns through me like a forest fire.
I’m about to reply when red and blue lights flash behind us.
“Fuck,” Chad complains as he removes his hand from my thigh and slows down to pull over.
Anthony snorts, earning an angry glare from Chad.
“Were you speeding?”
He nods shamefully and rolls down the window just as Sheriff McMahon walks up. “Acres,” Sheriff barks in greeting. “How many times do I have to bust your ass for speeding?”
Chad scowls and his cheeks are pink with embarrassment. “Sorry, sir.”
Sheriff bends over and places his forearms on the window ledge as he peeks in. His aviator glasses hide his eyes but he doesn’t seem pleased to see me and the Blakely boys.
“The ’Stang doesn’t have safety belts?” he asks, his jaw clenched in an angry way.
Chad stammers out his words. “I—I was going to have t-them installed this weekend, sir.”
Sheriff’s nostrils flare as he directs his words to Anthony. “Your daddy know you’re joyriding with Acres?”
Anthony sells us out. “Nope. Our babysitter here thought it was a good idea.”
Sheriff turns his head to stare me down. “That right?”
I’ve never been in trouble my entire life. And after one day of hanging out with Chad, I already have the sheriff breathing down my neck.
“I don’t have a car. I... I...” I burst into tears because I’m terrified he’s going to haul me off to jail or something.
Sheriff softens his features. “You’re Judy Prince’s kid, huh?”
I nod as tears roll out and hastily swipe them away.
“Listen,” he says, irritation seeping in his tone. “Here’s what’s going to happen. Prince and the twins are going to ride in the squad car. We’ll follow you to your house so I can make sure you arrive in one piece,” he says to Chad. “Then, you’re not to drive this vehicle until you get it fitted with safety belts that meet code. I’ll be checking soon so you better make it happen quickly.”
“Yes, sir,” Chad croaks.
“And for the love of God if I catch you flying through my town at that speed again, I’m going to haul you into the station. Deputy Adair loves it when I give him something to do. I think that boy goes stir crazy from boredom. He’d make you his special project,” he warns. “And Christ Almighty, you do not want to be Gentry’s special project. Last person we hauled in got the lucky task of cleaning every damn toilet in the station.” He slaps the top of the car. “You hear me, Acres?”
Chad nods rapidly before shooting me an apologetic stare.
“As for the rest of you,” Sheriff barks. “My squad car. Now.”
Chapter Nine
Quinn
I’m flipping through an ad set mockup one of my designers handed me earlier when my phone starts buzzing. Without checking to see who it is, I answer, with a distracted hello.
“Blakely,” a gruff, familiar voice greets. “It’s McMahon.”
I smirk and abandon my file. “Well I’ll be damned, Rick. How in t
he hell are you these days, man?” About ten years ago he and I worked on a Homes for Humanity project together. I like the guy and over the years we meet up for drinks or bowling from time to time.
“Honestly,” he says, a smile in his voice, “never been better. I heard about you and Sammie. Real sorry to hear that.”
I grit my teeth, my mood quickly souring. “She’s going to be a movie star,” I utter dryly.
“Is that right?” He snorts. “Listen, I hate to call you out of the blue like this and not have better news but I just picked up your boys.”
My blood runs ice cold. “What?”
“I was patrolling through town when I saw Eddie Acres’ kid hauling ass in that ’Stang they rebuilt,” he says, a little jealousy in his tone over the car. “Anyway, you remember Eddie? Dumb as a bucket of rocks but a nice guy. Well, his kid isn’t too damn smart either. A bit of a troublemaker if you ask me. I’ve pulled him over too many times to count for speeding. You’ll never believe who he was toting around.”
“Anthony and Aiden?” I ask, fury building in my chest. I’m already rising from my chair and slamming my laptop closed. So much for working late.
“Yeah,” he says. “And they had a sweet little girl with them claiming she was their babysitter. I didn’t call them out on their lie but—”
“Ava Prince. She is their babysitter,” I snap. Not for long. Fuck.
He laughs. “Well, I’ll be damned. Babysitter? You do realize both them boys are as big as you and me both.” Another chuckle. I’m glad someone is amused because I’m fucking livid. “Anyway, I scared the poor girl half to death. Started bawling her eyes out when I looked at her. Her momma’s Judy Prince. You remember her? Pretty little thing I went out with a few times but she’s kind of a bitch. Daughter seems sweet though.”
My blood is bubbling over with rage. I’m pissed at her for taking a ride with that Acres boy and bringing the twins along with. What was she thinking?
“Where are they at now?” I demand as I charge out of my building.
“The boys went on inside the house. I’m parked out front. Poor girl is still crying her eyes out sitting on the front steps. I don’t know what the fuck’s wrong with her.”
I grit my teeth. I know exactly what’s wrong. She knows she screwed up and the wrath of Quinn Fucking Blakely is about to be brought down upon her. “Thanks, Rick. I’ll be there shortly.”
* * *
Once Sheriff McMahon drives off, I storm over to where Ava sits with her face buried in her hands. Her whole body trembles as she cries. You’d think her cat had been run over or some shit by the way she’s carrying on. I want to be pissed at her but truth is, my chest aches a little to see her so upset.
I don’t have to punish her because she’s already punished herself.
But she needs to know this isn’t acceptable.
“I’m not going to fire you,” I grumble as I come to stand right in front of her.
She sniffles and jerks her head up. God, she’s so fucking beautiful with the afternoon sun catching the golden strands in her hair making them sparkle. She’s pulled her glasses off and her face is splotchy from her tears. The poor thing is vulnerable and broken. It kills me seeing her like this.
“I’m sorry,” she sobs.
Another tear races down her cheek. Scowling, I drop to one knee in front of her and swipe the tear away with my knuckle. “For someone so mature, you really didn’t use your head with that one.”
Shame flickers in her eyes. I hate the look. I hate the fact I gave her that look. Letting out a sigh, I grab her clammy hand and bring it to my mouth, making sure to kiss each knuckle. Her swollen red lips are parted in confusion.
“I’m pissed. Furious as fuck.” My tone causes her to wince. “But it’s my fault.”
Her brows crash together. “W-What?”
“I promised you I’d sort out the transportation and I failed. You were simply trying to get my boys home. I get it.”
“Okay...” Her brown eyes search mine for a hidden agenda.
There’s one fucking hiding all right.
“But.”
Her lip wobbles. So goddamned sexy.
“But,” she mimics.
“But everyone is still getting punished.” My tone is firm.
“It’s not their fault,” she yelps out. “Don’t punish them for me.”
I shrug and shake my head. “They know all it would have taken was a phone call to me. They didn’t have to get in that car. They wanted to. So now they will be punished.”
She frowns. “You’re so strict.”
“I have to be. If I want them to turn out right and not run off to fucking Hollywood at the first sign of trouble, I have to be.” I don’t mean to snarl at her but this all points back to Samantha. She made me this way.
“How will you punish me?” she whispers, her eyes fearful.
I love the fact that she knows she is getting punished. It’s not if, it’s when.
“Well I can’t take away anything you do for fun, because you don’t do anything for fun.” I grunt. “I’ll make the boys do some yard work but that doesn’t seem like a fitting punishment for you.”
She bites on her lip again, worry flickering in her eyes. “And you won’t fire me?”
I kiss her hand again. “You need this job. I’m not going to fire you.”
“So what then?”
An image flits through my mind, fast and dirty. One of her bent over my knee with her bare ass in my face. My cock jolts in excitement.
“To my office,” I order in a husky tone.
When she stares at me for too long, I bark out, “Now.”
* * *
As soon as I hear the lawn mower and the weed eater going, I close my office door and turn the lock. Our eyes meet. I know my gaze is predatory and she looks every bit the terrified mouse caught in a trap. Today, she’s cute as fuck in another one of her nineties grunge outfits. This time, the No Doubt shirt she wears under a new flannel is just short enough that I can see a strip of her flat stomach any time she lifts her arms. Her jeans sit low on her narrow hips and have so many holes I can’t tell if it’s the style or if they came from years of use. To some, she might be seen as frumpy or tomboyish. I see past the clothes and right to her.
She’s fucking perfect.
From her small button nose down to her tiny-ass feet.
A little girl who likes taking big cock.
My dick aches in my slacks as I stare at her with a cool expression. We only had sex the one time but I certainly have thought about it a fuck ton. This girl is an addiction I’ll probably die from because I can’t seem to quit her. She’s carved herself inside my head.
“What now?” she squeaks.
I love when she seems afraid.
When she’s timid and unsure.
I love that her inexperience is every bit as much a part of her uniform as her eclectic wardrobe.
It’s what draws me in and has me salivating for her every second of every day.
“I don’t understand what’s going on between us,” she says in a wobbly voice, although she lifts her chin in a brave way. “But it confuses me. It scares me. Talk to me.”
I love when she shows sparks of a hidden fire too.
I smirk and sit down in my office chair. Threading my fingers behind my head, I lift a brow at her and lean back. “To be honest, I don’t know what the hell we’re doing but I’m not ready to stop.”
Her cheeks redden. “You’ve sort of ignored everything that happened the past two days. I’m not sure where that leaves me.”
“As long as I’m putting my dick inside you, you’re mine,” I snap.
Her eyes widen at my fierce proclamation. “Like friends with benefits? Chad’s my friend—”
“And you’re mine.”
She shifts uncomfortably in the chair across from my desk. “Yours how?”
I lift a brow. “You want clarification on the definition of ‘mine’?”
“Are you making fun of me?”
“Do I look like I’m joking about anyfuckingthing right now?”
She swallows and shakes her head. “I’ve never had a lover or whatever you want to call this. I wouldn’t even know what to do with one.”
My lips turn up on one side. “He’d know what to do with you. Is that what you want, mon petit oiseau? To put a label on us?”
Her shoulders lift up as she shrugs. “Maybe.”
“There is no maybe where I’m concerned. It’s yes or no. Do you want to be fucking mine?”
She huffs and cocks her head at me. “Anyone ever tell you you’re mean?”
Smirking, I nod. “All the damn time. And you,” I point a finger at her. “Get turned on by it.”
“I do not,” she lies as she squirms in her seat.
“It’s nothing to be ashamed of,” I assure her with a wolfish grin. “I think this is why I can’t stop thinking about you. Your eyes plead with me. They speak to an alpha part of me that begs to dominate you. You want someone to take care of you, don’t you?” My eyes skim along her slender throat to her perky breasts hidden beneath her T-shirt. Breasts I know still wear my mark. I dart my gaze back up to hers. “You want to be conquered. You want to be mine.”
She scowls but presses her lips together to keep from speaking.
“Come.” My demand is quiet but firm.
Like the good little girl she is, she stands despite the frown she’s wearing. Slowly, she walks over to my side of the desk.
“Take your jeans off.”
Her eyes widen but her small hands immediately set to unfastening them. My dick jolts in my slacks. I love how compliant she is. See, this is why Sammie and I didn’t make it. I crave to control things—people, my company, my family, finances. And she couldn’t fucking take it.
But mon petit oiseau?
Ava wants to be caged by me. She wants to feel safe and loved. To be coddled and adored.
Jesus, do I fucking adore her.
Her jeans fall to the floor because they’re baggy as fuck. She kicks them away along with her shoes. The pink knee high socks she wears are so cute. I definitely want her to leave those on. When my gaze skims up her creamy thighs to her panties, she clasps her hands in front of her to hide them from my view.