by Harper Sloan
I am so busy looking at the marks, and trying to decide if he needs antibiotics or something stronger, that the rough, deep laugh that bursts from his lips catches me off guard. I jump slightly, correcting myself before my knees can do some serious damage to his manhood.
“No, babe. No shots. Although, if you want to play nurse, I won’t argue.”
“Shut up,” I laugh. “Seriously, do you need me to rough her up?”
“Jesus, you’re serious right now, aren’t you?” He quickly sobers when he sees that I will, in fact, go offer up a good twat punch or two. “Babe, I got this. If you see her, do not even go near her. If I’m not there, call me. I would say I don’t think she will be an issue, but after her little stunt this morning, I’m not really sure what she will do next. I can promise you, there is no fucking way she misunderstood me this time.”
“Let’s hope so. I don’t share. Never learned.”
“Never shared? Jesus, you kill me. Now, come here and kiss me and make it better.”
He wraps his arms around my waist and pulls me closer. Our lips seal together, and I immediately respond to this man. By the time I finish ‘making it better,’ there’s more water on the floor than is left in the tub. But, I climb out of that tub with some serious satisfaction that some psycho ex hasn’t ruined the morning.
CHAPTER 13
Melissa
True to his word, we spend the whole day Sunday wrapped up in each other. The times we manage to come up for air to refuel only end up with even more incredible sex in random spots around his house. I don’t want the day to end, but with Monday morning coming quicker than I wish, I know I have to get home.
“Stay,” he mumbles into my neck when I try to leave the bed. I am sore in places I have never been sore before. It is the best feeling.
“Can’t. I have to be in at 7:00.” I am trying, unsuccessfully, to leave his warm cocoon of sex.
“Leave in the morning,” he replies, while snaking his hand down my body and over my wet lips. “Stay.”
“Greg, really. I can’t stay, I have to be up, and I actually have to get some sleep to get up.”
His fingers stop their movement, and within seconds, I’m on my back with his hard body over mine. “Come back tomorrow?” His blue eyes are searching mine, and there isn’t anything but unspoken promise reflecting in them. “Come on, Beauty.” His hips start rubbing against mine. With each thrust forward, the metal through his dick hits my clit, and send shocks through my body, electrifying my skin and burning my blood. “If you won’t stay, at least say goodbye right.”
This man . . . it is glorious to knock him down a few notches on the ego scale. Watching his eyes spark when I give him a hard push off of me, then and jump on top is priceless.
“What did you have in mind?” I ask, rubbing my swollen sex against his hard body. “Did you want a goodnight kiss?”
“Yeah, Beauty, give me a goodnight kiss, and I might let you leave.”
With a laugh that is too loud even to my ears, I slide my hands up his corded arms and pull his arms above his head. “Don’t move.”
Leaning up, I run my hands down his hard chest, leaving red lines where my nails pass over his heated skin. Not hard enough to hurt, but it’s enough to make him feel the bite. “Ready for your kiss?” He’s close to snapping, and I fucking love it. Without giving him any warning to my intentions, I crawl off his body. He raises one dark brow as I kneel close to his shoulder. “Pucker up, babe,” I say, and with a little twisting and maneuvering, bring my lips to his, and my mouth wraps tight around his throbbing dick.
I lean up slightly when I feel his large hands grab my hips and pull me closer to his mouth, his fingers digging into my skin to make sure he doesn’t lose his hold.
“You aren’t following the rules.” I joke.
He gives me a sharp bite against my pussy, lifts his mouth off just enough to speak, and grunts, “Fuck the rules. Goddamn you taste so fucking good.”
When he brings his lips back and clamps down, I moan like a whore and bring my lips back down to his cock. The rings throw me for a second until I learn how to work them, and more importantly, how he likes me to work them. When I flick the ring through the tip, he moans. When I put my lips around both piercings and swirl my tongue, his whole body jerks and he growls against my clit. He almost flies off the bed when I take him deep in my throat and swallow around the tip.
“Fuck!” he roars against my skin, turning his head and biting down against my thigh. The only thing he does is fuel my desire. I take him as deep as I can before slowly dragging my mouth back up. “Meliiii . . . ,” he trails off and after a few seconds of feeling his abs clench against my tits, he brings his mouth to my wet center again and digs in.
We continue to duel against each other for a good ten minutes, silently daring the other to come first, but when he takes one of the hands tightly gripping me, and runs a finger lightly across my ass, I know I won’t last long. He trails his finger from each end until he sinks it deep. With just a few deep stabs, I’m coming against his tongue. I pull my mouth free and scream loudly.
“You . . . God . . . shit.” He laughs lightly against my pulsing core, and before I can bring my mouth back down to his swollen length, he has me flying through the air and on my back in seconds.
“Can’t go slow, babe; you have me strung too tight.”
“Condom, Greg.”
“Fuck, I want to feel you.” I know what he means; I would love to feel him bare.
“You go make sure bitch-face Barbie hasn’t passed some nasty crotch rot off on you, and you’re more than welcome to it, but not until you get checked. Firm on that, Greg.”
He grumbles his way to the drawer that has fallen to the floor at some point during the day, scattering condoms across the room, pick one up, and in no time is pushing hard back into me.
Frantic would be a good word to describe how we come together. Our skin slick with sweat, slapping together. Nails biting into skin, and fingers digging deep. Lips colliding and moans dancing together.
It is magical.
* * *
“You sure you have to go?” He asks me from his position sprawled naked on the bed. My eyes zone in on his naked skin, wishing I didn’t have to leave but knowing I need to. I feel the connection, but I know we are moving way too fast. A little distance will be a good thing. Who knows, we might wake up in the morning and wonder what the hell has gotten into us. Doubtful, but it might happen.
“Yeah. I’ve got some things to take care of tonight, and then I have to go see Cohen tomorrow.”
“Nephew, right.”
“Oh my God! You’re jealous of a kid? That’s a good one.” I burst out laughing when he looks away, clearly embarrassed by his jealousy.
“Come over Tuesday. We can do dinner or something,” he throws back at me after a few moments of silence.
“Maybe,” I smile over at him and zip the back of my dress. Nothing like stepping into the previous days clothing. “I’ll call you.”
“Melissa, babe . . . that sounds like one hell of a brush off.” He runs his hand through his hair and looks me in the eye. “Don’t play that hard ass shit; you feel it, this connection we have isn’t going anywhere.”
“Fuck that.” He pushes off the bed and stalks over to me. It’s hard to remember my reasons for wanting to keep this just sex. Just amazing, mind-blowing sex, when he is standing in front of me completely naked. “I won’t let you keep running when this feels so right.” His voice rings out strong and firm.
“It’s impossible to have a serious conversation with you when your dick is bobbing all over the place. Want to put some pants on?” He just continues to burn his gaze all over my face, refusing to let my sorry attempt at changing the subject work. “You scare me,” I whisper.
His eyes lose their hard, demanding look, and he immediately softens. “Beauty,” he murmurs back, “just give it a try. You don’t get a connection like ours and just throw it away. Just try
.”
It’s moments like this, moments when all I want to do is be anyone other than the strong one, when I swear I can hear my sister speaking to me. Yelling at me to live. Yelling at me to stop letting her life and her mistakes pave the way for my happiness. The way to own my life and not let it be owned.
“Yeah . . . I can try.”
“Tuesday?” He asks again.
“Tuesday.” I echo.
* * *
I pull up at my apartment complex and sit in my car just taking in the lush ‘ghetto-ness’ of my life. I hate living here. Having spent the last day in Greg’s world, this is the last place that I want to be. I’m pretty sure there is a homeless man sleeping on the corner of my building and I’m fairly positive that the apartment across from mine is running some massive drug warehouse.
With a deep sigh, I drag myself out of the car and make my way up to my apartment. Passing the drunk unconscious man in the bushes and the neighbor’s door that smells like a pot factory, I curse my financial status while throwing the door closed and locking all seven locks. I’m not paranoid, just smart.
Not surprising, the message light is blinking; I’m shocked that my house phone wasn’t ringing constantly all weekend. I realized too late Saturday that I had left my cell at home. With a mother like mine, that isn’t something you want to do. Having already lost Fia, she tends to go into crazy mode when she can’t get ahold of me after too long.
I toss my keys and purse down on the counter, before pressing play and settling in for a good time.
“Meli-Kate, where are you, baby? Cohen misses you. Call me baby.” My mother’s voice echoes through the room, making me feel slightly guilty for not being home when she called.
“Meli-Kate, where are you? Call me.” Not even an hour later.
“Meli, baby? Please call me . . . you know I will worry.” At least she waited until Saturday night for that one.
Five more messages and the increasing unease that laces her tone has me reaching for the phone until the last one begins playing. Her words immediately stop me.
“Melissa. Baby, they’re at it again. I don’t know where you are, but they sent another letter.” Click. She doesn’t need to say more because I know exactly who she is talking about and I know exactly who they want.
“Fuck,” I hiss, quickly picking up the phone and calling my mother.
“Baby, where have you been?” she rushes out. Not even a full ring and she has the phone in her hands.
“Jesus, Mom, I told you I had the wedding for my friend and wouldn’t be around this weekend.”
“I know, I know. I’m sorry but you should keep your cell phone on you.” She takes a deep breath and seems to hold it for hours before letting it out in a rush. “They’re at it again, Meli.”
“What did the letter say this time?” I question.
“Susan claims that with my old age, and with you working too many hours to care for Cohen, that she should have sole custody. She claims that Sofia’s will was incorrect and that Simon wouldn’t have ever agreed to that, regardless of the fact that his signature is on the contract.”
“How can she argue that son of a bitch didn’t agree with it when Fia had all the proper paperwork drawn up? She wasn’t stupid, mom. She knew what would happen if Susan got her hands on him.”
“I know. She isn’t going to stop easily, Melissa. She wants him. I don’t know why she is so determined, when best I can tell she didn’t give two shakes about her own son. Probably why he ended up crazy and possessed.” I can hear her starting to lose her patience.
“She won’t get him.” I promise. No way in hell, I would snatch him up, and run off to Mexico quicker than she can blink.
“Come over tomorrow? I need to see you; he needs to see you. I would feel better with my baby home with me.”
I laugh but it holds no humor.
“Alright. I’ll tell Dr. Shannon that I can’t stay late and come over for dinner.”
“Love you to pieces, Meli-Kate.”
“Love you too, Mom.”
That night, nightmares of Fia’s life, her insane mother-in-law, and shadows stealing my nephew haunt me until the light of dawn filters through my shades. My blissful weekend and the man that has wedged himself in my heart after such a short time are long forgotten.
CHAPTER 14
Greg
For the last two years, I have watched one of the most important people in my life find herself, and then find love. After that, I started second-guessing everything that I thought I was okay with in life. A relationship was never something I wanted; I was happy to spend my time with bitches like Mandy.
Well, that might be a stretch. I have definitely misjudged her, big fucking time. Watching Izzy and Axel find each other again and overcome so much shit to be together, makes me crave what they have. I want someone to lift me up, someone to go home to, and someone to have children with. I am ready, and for the first time in my life, I have a woman I feel might be worth making those changes for.
I won’t go so far as saying it was love at first sight, but it damn sure was hard on at first sight. That motherfucker doesn’t have selective taste though, so I can’t rely on that alone.
The first time she opened her mouth and started throwing her attitude, is when I knew that she is worth it. She won’t be easy. I know that she’s hesitant to start something and I am willing to bet it isn’t because of someone burning her. When she told me about her sister, and I realized just whom she is connected to, I knew . . . I knew whatever issues she has are because of that motherfucker.
Simon-fucking-Wagner.
The reason I don’t have Grace by my side anymore is the same fucking reason she doesn’t have her sister. I am man enough to admit that it worries me about what will happen when she finds out about that connection.
* * *
Monday morning comes way too fucking soon. I have spent the night hugging the pillow that still smells of my Beauty like a little bitch. Every time the scent of vanilla hits my system, it is like a signal straight to my dick to salute the heavens. Every dream is about her. How her blue eyes spark with fire and lust. How they go wide and lost there when she comes. And how when she forgets to be scared, she gazes at me like she knows I hold all the answers.
Yeah, I am officially hooked.
A clear sign of my distraction is my missing Sway’s presence when I pull up at Corps Security. I am busy picturing Melissa bent over my kitchen counter, but when I look up and see Swag waving like an idiot, the hard on I have been sporting all morning dies a quick death.
What the fuck?
Over the last few years that I have known this man, I have learned he is as unpredictable as they come. But the sight that meets me this morning is like nothing he has ever done before. There he is, standing on the sidewalk wearing those camouflage skintight pants things that chicks wear. The ones that make a man fall all over himself to follow her ass around the world, but on this man, they might scar me for life. If that isn’t enough, the sparkling burgundy shirt hugging his round stomach might get a good laugh. Then, I notice what he is doing.
“Sway? Why are you painting the sidewalk?” I question, looking down into the bucket of golden shining paint, “Is that fucking glitter?”
“Don’t you start with all your alpha hotness, Gregory. Of course, this is glitter! You can’t paint the sidewalk gold without glitter!” He’s serious, bobbing his head left and right, and waving his hands all over the place.
“This is for real? You’re painting the sidewalk fucking gold? Does Axel know about this shit?”
“Of course he does, my king of hotness. Don’t be such a tight ass. Actually, never mind that darlin,’ be a tight ass . . . just let me see it.” He starts laughing like a loon and all I can do is look around and notice the explosion of fucking glitter.
“Sway, my man, you wouldn’t know what to do with me.” He sobers instantly and I kick myself for encouraging him. “Forget I said that. Tell me why you feel th
e need to throw glitter all over the damn place?”
“Because my hunk of fine, glitter makes everyone happy!” When he starts dancing around his paint bucket, I have to leave. There is only so much Sway that I can handle when he is acting like this. I might joke, but that man is the funniest little shit I have ever met.
“Right. You know who loves glitter?” I question, noticing Coop’s jeep pulling in. “Coop loves glitter. Why don’t you go give him a good morning that will make his day, Sway? I’ll even hold your brush.”
“Ohhh! Yes, right away, Sir Sex-o-lot!” He bends over, grabs a handful of glitter, and runs across the lot as fast as his heels will take him. I can see Coop’s eyes widen when he takes in the man running full speed at him.
At this point, I couldn’t stop laughing if I try. The second Coop steps out of the out of the jeep, Sway attacks, throwing glitter in the air and screaming ‘good morning.’ When he leaps into Coop’s arms, I fear I might hurt something, laughing as hard as I am.
“Good morning, asshole!” I yell over at Coop and make my way inside.
“What the hell is going on out there?” Beck asks, stepping up to the front window. When he sees Coop trying to untangle himself from Sway, he throws his head back and his laughter booms through the room, causing Emmy to jump in her seat behind the front desk.
“You are all so immature.” I hear her mumble under her breath.
“Cheer up, Em. It’s only Monday . . . way too soon for that.”
When I see the look in her eye that clearly screams ‘don’t mess with me,’ I make quick work at heading to my office and a mental note to find out what is weighing on her mind.
First thing I need to handle is calling that bastard Derrick. Rounding my desk, I slam my body down and listen to the legs of my chair protest before picking up the phone and dialing a number that I won’t forget. After all, when you call it daily for almost two years, you don’t forget that shit easily.
“Johnson,” he says in an impatient tone.