by Cole, Mila
“When we thought that the two of us had the day off, we planned a barbeque at my house. It was just going to be the two of us and our kids. Nothing special,” Tony explained.
“Well…” He paused. “That’s up to her. She’s eighteen, you know. I try not to tell her where she can go or what she can do.” I fought hard not to roll my eyes. Everyone in that room knew that he was a controlling asshole. “But that’s fine by me—if she wants to go with you. Lord knows I wouldn’t have to worry about her if both of you guys were there. And it might do her some good to get out of the house for a bit. She’s been working so hard lately.”
“Great.” Tony stood, clapping my shoulder. “We’ll ask her now. One of us will stay here if she doesn’t want to go.”
“Sounds good. I’ll email you more info on tightening up the security, but if anything comes about in the meantime, let me know. I don’t take threats lightly.”
“Threats?” I asked. He never said anything about threats.
“Yes. But it’s not serious.” His eyes narrowed in on mine. “If something changes, I will let you know.”
Sure you will.
We shook his hand and left the room, closing the door behind us.
“Are you out of your ever-loving mind?” I whisper yelled at Tony in the hallway. “Why the fuck would you do that?”
He shrugged. “What?”
I growled. “Don’t give me that innocent look. You know what you did.” I leaned in closer. “Why would you invite her to your house? She’s a spoiled little rich girl, and I don’t know about you, but I see enough of her on my days at work.”
“You’re being an idiot,” he said to me, like it was no big deal. “She’s a great girl. You know that. We haven’t had an ounce of trouble out of her since we started. I think you just got the hots for her, and you’re afraid to admit it.”
“Oh please,” I groaned. “She’s just a child.”
He snickered. “No.” He shook his head. “She’s an adult. Quit being such an idiot. I’m inviting her. If you don’t like it, well, too fucking bad.” He started to walk off toward the foyer but stopped midstride to turn around and face me once more. “I’ve known you a long time. A long fucking time, man. You can pretend there’s nothing there and hide behind that asshole mask, but I’m telling you, I see right through it.”
Bloody hell.
I stood there speechless while he marched away to the foyer.
“A barbeque?” Lighter asked, just as I walked up next to them.
“Yeah. We’re going to put some steaks on the grill and hang out. We want you to come,” Tony insisted as he hitched a thumb my direction.
“Really!” Her eyes lit up. “You want me to go?” Her eyes danced between the two of us, waiting for reassurance. You’d think we’d invited her to meet the queen. It was just a barbeque.
“Really,” Tony said. “Right, Slick?” His lips turned up in a smirk.
Eat a dick, man.
I shook my head. “Right,” I replied through gritted teeth. Tony was the only person in the world I’d ever called my best friend. He was the man who sent me stray pussy when I was feeling down, and who’d sat with me all night when Chloe had her first fever and I didn’t know what to do.
But right then in that moment, I could’ve put my knee into his ball sack.
“Okay, then. I’ll just go change my clothes and grab my hat.”
“Uh-uh.” I threw my arm out to catch her before she walked by. “If you put that Yankees hat on your head, you’re not going.”
“Fine.” She smiled up at me.
Damn that girl.
Once she was ready, dressed in a pair of jean shorts and a white lacy tank top, the three of us climbed into Knox’s jacked-up truck that Tony borrowed.
Lighter sat in the middle of the back seat and was quiet for the entire ride. If the radio weren’t playing, we all would’ve been sitting in awkward silence. The ride was about thirty minutes long and took us just outside the city. Tony had lived in the same place for almost twenty years. A nice place, but completely different than what Lighter was probably used to. You could say that she wouldn’t exactly fit in. The gold watch on her arm probably cost more than the electricity bill.
When we pulled up on the street in front of Tony’s house, I looked back at Lighter. “We’re here,” I told her. She scooted up next to the window, her eyes peering up at the house. She’d probably never seen row houses before.
I stepped out of the truck and opened her door to help her climb down.
When I took her tiny hand in mine, I felt the electricity of our touch all the way to my balls. It was like that little zap you feel when you plug an old wire into a faulty line. Warm with just a little zing.
“Thank you,” she said. Her eyes fluttered in my direction.
Just as she was out of earshot, Tony whispered in my ear. “You want to tell me again how you don’t have any feelings for that girl?”
“Oh, fuck off.”
Sixteen
Lighter
As I walked up the steps behind Trim and Slick, I felt a little nervous.
“Are there many people here?” I asked to whomever was listening. I didn’t like large crowds, especially in a room full of people I didn’t know. I could turn on the charm when I had to, but this kind of setting was different. I was out of my element.
Trim opened the door. “Just our kids,” he answered me before stepping inside.
Our kids?
That meant that Slick’s daughter was there.
Crap.
My stomach knotted up even worse. It was one thing to meet the parents, but to meet the kid…
“Uncle J!” a small little girl with dark curly hair yelled as she ran into Slick’s arms. He picked her up and tossed her in the air before hugging her to his chest.
Oh my. Calm down, ovaries.
I wondered why she called him Uncle J. Was she not his biological daughter? And what did the J stand for?
Another guy walked into the room, and I knew immediately that he was Trim’s son. He was tall—taller than Slick. He had a full beard that hung down and two full sleeves of tattoos. He was very good-looking, a lot like his father.
“Knox,” Trim addressed him. “This is Lighter. Lighter, this is my son, Knox.”
“Nice to meet you,” I told him and shook his outstretched him.
“You too,” he replied.
“And this sweet baby girl,” Trim said, taking the little brown-haired beauty into his arms. She squeezed his neck and giggled. “This is Chloe, Slick’s sweet girl.”
I inched a little closer to her, and she smiled at me, tucking her head a little farther into his neck.
“Hi there,” I told her. The worries I had before were long gone.
“Hi,” she said in a sweet little voice. “I like your hair,” she said. My lavender-colored hair wasn’t a big hit with my family, but I loved it. Seemed Chloe did too.
“Thank you. I like your curls.”
“Really?” she asked.
“Absolutely. Mine is so straight.”
She lifted her head off his shoulder. “Do you want to come and see my new Slip ’N Slide? Clock bought it for me.” She grinned when she looked back at Knox.
Trim set her on the floor, and she reached for my hand. I looked at the guys briefly before she led me through the house and out the back door. I loved this kid already. She made me feel so comfortable in a home full of big, burly guys. Us girls had to stick together.
I didn’t even get a chance to look around inside Trim’s house. Chloe led me right through the kitchen and straight out the back door. We took the steps as fast her as little legs would pull me.
“See?” She pointed to the bright yellow plastic that was on the ground. Water was pouring down it. I think it was the first time I’d seen an actual Slip ’N Slide. I’d never had anything like it as a child. Hell, we never even had a yard when I was a kid. “Watch!” she yelled as she took off running and went belly-first down the con
traption. She laughed all the way down as she landed in a pool of water.
It looked like so much fun.
A round of applause sounded from behind us. When I looked back over my shoulder, all three of those men were clapping at her, and she was eating it up. There was so much love between them.
Man, was she adorable. No wonder why these guys loved her so much.
She ran back up the small hill toward me, laughing the whole way.
“That was so great,” I told her. “You make that look easy.”
“What’s your name again?” she asked.
“Lighter.”
She looked up at me, her head cocked to the side. It was certainly an odd name, but that was what happened when your mother was a movie star.
“Do you want to slide too?” She took my hand.
I looked down at my clothes. “I don’t think I should. I’m wearing a white shirt.” I rubbed the fabric between my fingertips. She’d have no problem whatsoever wearing white. I, on the other hand, would be allowing my two bodyguards to see the girls a lot more up close and personal than I’d ever imagined.
Okay, so not ever imagined. It’d be okay if Slick wanted to get a closer look.
“That doesn’t matter. Uncle J or Tony will let you have another shirt.”
Good thinking, kid.
“C’mon,” she coaxed. Those big eyes of hers were hard to say no to.
It did look like fun. I contemplated it for a moment longer.
What the hell.
“Will you show me how?” I asked her. I glanced over my shoulder again, hoping the guys had nonchalantly moved away and weren’t staring. Yeah right. Three sets of eyes were glaring right at us.
You only live once, right? When would I ever get the chance to do something like that again?
“Watch me closely,” she said in a serious voice.
Her tan little legs took off in a sprint, and she threw herself belly-first, sliding quickly to the end. You could hear her laughter ringing out. There was no way I was going to make it look that good. I’d probably wind up making a complete fool out of myself. I hoped those guys were ready for a good laugh.
My insides fluttered when I moved over to the running spot. I slipped off my sandals and tossed them to the side. “Your turn,” Chloe insisted. I could hear someone whistling from behind me, but my face was already so red that I wasn’t about to turn around and look. “You can do it!” Chloe clapped.
I blew out a deep breath and got into a running stance. My subconscious was telling me what a bad idea this was, but I wasn’t listening.
Please don’t let me break a leg.
“On your mark!” Chloe yelled. I squeezed my eyes together and hoped this was as fun as it looked. I was crazy with a capital C. “Get set… Go!”
I ran toward the yellow plastic, my tiny boobs flopping up toward my face. They’d never hit it though. Too little. I stuck my hands straight out in front of me like I was diving into a pool and hoped for the best. The cold, slick material rubbed against me all the way to the bottom where I landed in a puddle of cold water.
Oh, that water was freezing! But that was the most fun I think I’d ever had.
When I stood up, that’s when I heard the roar of laughter and the clapping going on up the hill. I was laughing too. I couldn’t stop myself. It was a blast. No wonder Chloe loved it so much. It made me realize that my childhood wasn’t much fun. Having a nanny take me to the pool facilities in our building was nowhere near as fun as this.
I glanced down at my top, and the thin white material was stuck to my skin like glue, suctioned like I’d pasted it on. You could probably see right through it. Pinching the material, I pulled out and away from my body, hoping it wasn’t too bad, but what could I do at that point. Too little, too late.
Chloe was waiting at the top of the hill wearing the cheesiest grin. “You did it!” She jumped up and down. She was as proud of me as I was of myself.
“That was so much fun. Thank you for letting me ride on your Slip ’N Slide.” I bent down on my knee next to her and gave her a high five.
“You’re welcome. You want to go together this time?”
“I don’t know if we’ll fit on it together.” It wasn’t but a couple of feet wide at most. I’d likely knock the poor girl out.
She grabbed my hand again. “I can sit on your lap,” she suggested.
That could work.
For the first time, I looked up in Slick’s direction. The guys had made their way from the deck down to the patio area, not too far from where Chloe and I stood. My thoughts were running at full speed, wondering if it was bothering him that I was playing with his little girl, or his niece. I hadn’t figured out that story yet. This morning when Trim asked me to come, he didn’t seem so thrilled by the idea. It seemed almost like he was suckered into agreeing.
I found his eyes, and my stomach flipped over. He was lounged back in a chair, his T-shirt tightly fitting his biceps, and his eyes were glued to me. I couldn’t tell from his gaze if he was mad or about to fuck me silly. Either way, I was loving it a little too much.
I offered him a tiny smile, not too much, just to see what I’d get in return.
A few seconds later, he winked.
For the love of all things holy. That aggravating bastard.
One minute he yelled at me, the next minute he acted like he wanted to take me to bed.
I couldn’t read him.
Me.
The girl who’d read every romance novel known to man.
Men!
Chloe tugged on my hand, and I followed her over to the slide. She told me to sit down with my legs out in front of me. She was a little bossy pants just like her dad, but I found it endearing. She climbed over my leg and sat down, letting her legs stretch out above mine.
“Okay. You ready?” I asked. I wrapped one arm around her waist and held her tightly against me.
She giggled. “Yes.”
I counted to three and gave us a little push with my hand on the grass. The two of us went flying down the wet path. We flew right past the pool of water at the end and slid through the grass. She was bent over laughing her head off, and I couldn’t help but laugh too.
“Again,” she said.
We must’ve ridden down that hill a hundred times, each time having more fun than the last. I completely forgot that the guys were even there, until Slick walked over to tell us that the food was ready.
It was the first time I realized just how sore I was. Going up and down the hill was a real workout.
“Here.” Slick held a black T-shirt out for me.
“Thanks.” I smiled. His eyes were firmly glued to my chest, and it made my cheeks flame. “Next time, I’ll be sure to bring a bathing suit. I mean… Not that there would be a next time. You know what I mean,” I stammered. Then I slid the oversized shirt over my head. I looked like I was wearing a dress instead of a T-shirt, and that dark, intense stare was back in his eyes.
I had to look away. My blood was pumping so hard I could hear it.
He smirked but didn’t reply. “You ready to eat, Little Bear? Clock made some mac and cheese just for you.”
She thrusted her fist in the air. “Yes!”
That kid was something else.
We trekked over to the patio area where a huge spread of food was covering it. There were steaks, potatoes, salad, corn on the cob, and mac and cheese.
My gosh. I’d never seen such a delicious array of calories. My mouth was watering.
“You can sit next to me, Lighter,” Chloe said.
I nodded. “Okay.”
“What about me?” Knox asked.
Slick followed suit. “And me?”
She rolled her eyes at Slick. “You sit next to me all the time.” Then she looked at Knox. “You can sit on my other side.” She shrugged as if to say “problem solved.”
I stood next to Trim as everyone started to fill their plates. “The food looks great. Thanks for inviting me over. I�
�ve really had a great time.”
He tipped his head to me, smiled, and said, “You’re welcome anytime.”
Overjoyed couldn’t even begin to describe the way I was feeling. I’d been to some of the most expensive places in the world, dined at the most renowned restaurants, but nothing compared to this. Even if the food tasted like shit, I would’ve still preferred this life to mine any day.
We sat around the table and ate while Knox and Chloe entertained us. The two of them had the cutest friendship. These guys would have their work cut out for them in a few years. She was going to give them a run for their money. She was already beautiful, but that sass. My goodness. Look out, world.
“Mmmm,” I moaned as I took a bite of my steak.
Then I coughed when all eyes found mine.
Geez.
Thankfully, Chloe started chatting again and the moment was forgotten.
After the meal, I helped Knox clear the table even though Slick gave me shit about it. He said I’d probably never touched dirty dishes. Dirty dishes were a real thing when I lived in my NY apartment with a slobby roommate. We could’ve hired a maid, but I wasn’t completely useful. Slick obviously pictured me as this spoiled, rich girl who wouldn’t know hard work if it hit me in the face. Typical stereotype. Yes, I was rich and probably a little spoiled, but I was in private schools by the age of thirteen. The physical hard work might not have been my thing, but mentally, I was smarter than he gave me credit for. Maybe a little stronger too.
I helped load the dishwasher and then walked back outside to the patio. Chloe was curled up on Slick’s lap and was sound asleep. My breath caught at the sight of them. It was picture-perfect and made me wonder what kind of dad he was to her. He seemed so attentive. He gave her his full attention every time she spoke to him. Just seeing them together made me want him even more. For such an arrogant asshole, it was nice to see that sweet side of him. I was beginning to wonder if it was even possible.
I sat down next to them, still watching intently. He swiveled his chair in my direction, and I reached over to touch her cheek. She was so warm and sweet, and she looked so young there sleeping in his arms.
“She’s a sweet kid, Slick.”