So Much Trouble: Bad Boy Forbidden Love Romance Collection (So Wrong It's Right Book 4)

by Jamie Knight

  “You're not going to leave me for Grandma Dixie, are you?” Shae asked as we made our way to the house.

  I hummed a minute as I held her hand. “Well, she clearly likes younger guys and, judging by her portfolio, could definitely use some younger models.”

  She gasped playfully. “I knew it! You're trying to steal my grandma away!”

  “Guilty as charged.”

  We both laughed, and I kissed her gently. It was the most fun we'd had in a while, the stress of the upcoming reunion weighing down on both of us. The worst of it was over, and we had made it out alive. It felt terrific to be making such a close connection to Shae and her grandma. I was starting to see where Shae got some of her wildness that was beginning to show itself.

  We went to our room and I penny locked the door, putting a chair under the knob for good measure to keep us from being disturb. Particular if Shae was feeling frisky. Alone, at last, we gently undressed each other until we were both naked.

  Shae took my hand, leading me to bed, where we cuddled until we fell asleep. She was a bit too drained for any funny business. As I listened to her softly breathing beside me, I realized that I had gotten a hint of what it might be like to be in a family who really understood me and my mad devotion to art.

  Chapter Eleven - Shae

  I was awake first. It was something of a rarity but I was so excited I could understand why. Chris had morning wood like he usually did. I gave a moment's thought to climbing up on him for a nice wakeup call but decided to just let him sleep.

  Undoing Chris's extra security, I pulled on some sweats and a T-shirt over my wonton nakedness, left the safety of our room, and ventured downstairs. I knew I was going to have to have it out with Ellis eventually, and I might as well get it over with and out of the way. He would probably be upset and definitely huffy, but I didn't care. I'd seen him huffy before and was no longer afraid of him.

  There was no one around when I got downstairs. It must have been very early indeed. Both Mom and Dad were used to waking up with the rooster. I checked out the window to make sure it was actually light, confirming I hadn't just imagined the whole thing. I was, in fact, in the living room of my family's lavish two-floor lake house.

  Through the almost total silence, I heard a light brushing sound coming from the dining room. Figuring it to be some poor creature trapped somewhere, I went to free it, finding Grandma Dixie instead. She had everything set up for painting and was sitting at the head of the table near one of the big windows.

  “Oh, good morning, darlin'.”

  “What are you doing, Grandma?”

  “Paintin', what does it look like?”

  “Now?” I asked, going around to see what she was painting.

  “The light is best at this time of day.”

  I had nothing to say to that and not only because Chris was the subject of her most recent painting. I comforted myself with the fact that at least he wasn't naked. His body was actually a bit of a blur at the time, but the face of the painting was very well rendered and immediately recognizable.

  “I would like to see some of his advertisements,” Dixie said, not looking away from her work.

  As though it were a magical command, I got my phone from the pocket of my sweatpants and looked for some of the firm's work online. There were a few still images from billboard campaigns and a handful of videos of Sure Things’ advertisements. I wasn't sure what to show her until I came across a sort of montage, including several pieces from the last few years. It was part of a series called The Art of Advertising hosted on a free streaming site.

  “Most of the animated bits were done by Aden, based on Chris's storyboards,” I pointed out, handing her the phone.

  “This wonderful!” Dixie exclaimed as the video ran. “They kind of remind me of the old days.”

  “I think that's the point. Chris is really into old advertisements, back when they were like art. He has a lithograph of an illustration of the logo for Bayer's heroin from back when it was a company brand name.”

  “That's great!” Dixie exclaimed with a hearty laugh.

  “He certainly is an odd duck — ”

  “But, you love him to bits, right?”

  “Yeah,” I said blushing.

  “That's certainly understandable, sweetie. He's a real catch. After seeing this, I think I might marry him.”

  “Grandma!”

  She grinned. “Or at least have him do the posters for my next exhibition.”

  “I'm sure he would. I mean, he's pretty good at drawing, particularly in the old style, but if you had the company do it, there are some really great artists on staff.”

  “Do you have anything of his?”

  “Yeah, actually. Turns out, I'm one of the few who ever go on his tumblr.”

  I pulled up the page and gave the phone back to Dixie, who started scrolling through the images. I thought she might cry.

  “I don't know what dame fool told you he wasn't good, but these are beautiful!”

  “He did actually. Or at least he wasn't as good as Aden or the other illustrators at the company.”

  “Hogwash! I mean Aden's work is good, but I've never really liked computer graphics. Chris's work has soul to it.”

  I certainly could argue with her there. I wasn't really sure what Chris was talking about when he said he wasn't very good either. Though it was possible he meant compared to others, which is a perilous thing to do. Dixie always said the only fair comparison is to your former self.

  “People are trying to sleep, you know!” Ellis shouted, stomping into the dining room.

  “So sorry, your eminence!” Dixie quipped, not looking up from the phone.

  “You’re getting really fat,” Ellis said to me with a disgusted grimace.

  I pulled up my shirt even more with a big smile, actually making Ellis turn away at what was apparently the horrible sight of the beginning of my baby bump.

  “I have a real man to get me pregnant,” I said, glad I no longer had to play nice. I was free of his influence or vengeance and could enjoy ruffling his feathers.

  “I—”

  “Then again, his cock is so huge I wouldn't be surprised if I was having triplets!”

  “Knew it,” Dixie smirked, not looking up from the phone. I tried not to think about what kind of R. Crumb monstrosity she might be adding when she got to the anatomical portion of her current painting.

  “C-can we go for a walk, please? Shae?” Ellis asked, suddenly minding his manners.

  “You can follow me to the kitchen. I'm getting orange juice.”

  He groaned. “Are you sure you wouldn't prefer a stroll by the lake? It's so lovely this time of day.”

  “Positive,” I said, crossing my arms.

  “When did you get to be such a bitch?” Ellis spat, his frustration overcoming his attempts to be charming.

  “Sometime in the last five years. My weapons of bitchiness were forged in the fires of your massive narcissism.”

  “That's really not fair. I did my best to —”

  “What? Make my life a living hell? Well congratu-fucking-lations, gold star work.”

  “W-we need to try again. I-I've changed-”

  “Your manipulation tactics? Not as far as I can tell. Sorry sunshine. I'm immune from your powers of charm. Although there is one thing I guess I have to thank you for. One advantage of being a bitch is that it is a lot easier to see right through smooth-talking assholes. You took advantage of me and my innocence, you creep! Well, not anymore!”

  “Will you at least give me back my signed NFL helmet?”

  “It's mine now. By judges order.”

  “Fine, I'll buy it from you then.”

  “No. You can’t,” I said, leaving him standing there dumbly as my mom came in signaling to him.

  “What's the good news?” I could hear her asking Ellis as they walked out.

  I felt pretty frustrated but not actually angry. I knew first-hand how convincing Ellis could be when
he got going. Particularly when he was selling bullshit that people wanted to believe, truth be damned. For Mom, all that was really true was what was written in the Bible and the insanity bouncing around in her own head. I was glad that madness didn't seem to be genetic in our family.

  Chapter Twelve - Chris

  It was an odd feeling. I had woken up alone so many times I would have thought I'd be used to it. I hadn't been with Shae for very long, but I had already gotten used to her warmth beside me, particularly in the morning.

  It was then that my overactive imagination kicked into gear. I had done my best to secure the room, but Ellis did have a key. Was it possible he had broken in at night and stolen her away, dragging her by the hair, Diane keeping the car running to make their getaway? Possibly but with a bit more thought, I realized this was unlikely. I wasn't sure if Shae could have fought him off, but she would have tried, and I wasn't so heavy a sleeper that I wouldn't have heard it. Let alone the sound of the chair falling over. No. The most likely scenario had he tried such a thing, would be Shae and me out in the woods with flashlights and shovels digging a very deep hole. I really didn't fuck around when it came to the people I loved.

  Pulling on my suit pants and a t-shirt, I went out to look for her. Though I was somewhat surprised to come across Chester checking his blood sugar readings in his study.

  “Chris,” he said, looking up suddenly, “Come, sit down.”

  Politeness overriding my self-preservation instinct, I sat down across from Shae’s dad, noticing that his reading appeared to be healthy. I would have to make sure to tell Shae that when I found her. She was probably right about the reunion being a farce to get her back with her ex. Chester's blood sugar issues being just another arrow in her mother’s quiver of guilt.

  “You know we don't mind having you here,” Chester said, making it sound like he very much did mind, “but you should try not to upset Diane so much.”

  “I will. I'm sorry if I have upset your wife, it certainly wasn't intentional,” I said, trying to remain calm.

  “Good, the last thing we need is another blowup.”

  “Like the one Ellis did over the room assignment yesterday,” I pointed out.

  Chester had to stop to think for a moment, tripped up by the sudden attack of objective truth. I wasn't trying to bust Ellis down. Not openly, at least. It was clear that Shae's parents preferred him, and I wanted to make a good impression. All I was really trying to do was point out the relative differences in how Ellis and I handled the situation.

  I wanted them to like me so they could see what a blunder it was trying to get Shae back with Ellis as well as the fact that I was hoping to make my relationship with Shae permanent. We had already gotten my family on our side. It would be nice if hers was too.

  I scanned the room, mostly looking for any weapons I might have to watch out for, Chester seemed like the hunting type and likely had at least one gun around the place. Instead, I saw a half-finished Rolls Royce model sitting on the table behind his desk.

  “That a Bandai?”

  “Why yes, it is, do you build?”

  “I dabble. Mostly Jags and MGBs. Just finished a Triumph last month.”

  “No kidding.”

  “Not a bit. I've always thought of model building as a sort of domestic sculpture. It should be considered a serious craft, if not an art form.”

  “Here, here!” Chester agreed emphatically.

  “What have you got up next?” I asked, taking a seat next to him.

  “Well now, that's a tough one. I was thinking a '62 Corvette, but I've always wanted to do a Model-T, despite the cost and complexity.”

  We continued chatting in a similar vein before being interrupted by Diane, who just came swooping in without knocking. I looked at my watch and realized that we had been talking for more than an hour, and Chester was smiling in a way that was not forced. I hadn't expected to win him over so quickly, but that certainly seemed to be the case. Diane, on the other hand, was still glaring pretty hard.

  I excused myself, nodding to her as I left, but I lingered around the door after she closed it. I couldn't help but smile when I heard Chester say that inviting Ellis had been a mistake and suggest to Diane that she not push so hard for Shae to get back with her ex-husband. He was no longer sure that Ellis was the best guy for her.

  “Who cares about matching?” Diane protested. “They made a vow before God. They need to be together. Until death. Those are the rules!”

  “Certainly, the only reason I'm still with you,” Chester observed.

  I had to stifle a laugh. I knew I had him, but I also knew that Diane was going to take a lot more work.

  I finally found Shae in the dining room, hanging out with Dixie, who had turned the area into her studio. I was surprised but really shouldn't have been at that point. It was a genuine surprise, however, when I saw the canvas and realized that it was my face she was paining. My body was still a bit of a blur, which was something of a relief.

  Feeling awkward, I kissed Shae on the cheek and went to brew us all some coffee.

  “What kept you?” Shae teased, as she followed me into the kitchen.

  “Talking to your dad about model cars.”

  “Really?”

  “Yeah, he seemed really interested.”

  “You build model cars?”

  “Oh, yeah, my bedroom is full of them.”

  “I guess I was a bit distracted,” Shae said, blushing.

  The button on the machine clicked, and I placated my lady love with some gourmet coffee. She smelled it and took a sip, making a sound that I rarely heard outside the bedroom.

  “Like it?” I asked, with a chuckle.

  “Oh yeah,” she said ecstatically.

  “There’s one for you too, Dixie,” I added as we joined her at the table again.

  “Thanks, darlin' I'm just a bit busy right now. Speaking of which, could you please take off your britches for me?”

  I just about choked on my coffee. Apparently, Dixie had heard what I said about modeling for her, not realizing that I had been kidding.

  “I-I don't really think—”

  “Oh, come now, dear boy, don't be a prude. I've seen hundreds of naked people, and obviously, Shae has seen what you've got and likes it quite a bit considering she's pregnant,” Dixie added, believing Shae’s lie.

  I gasped. My head spinning. “How about you take some pictures? With my clothes on.”

  “Deal,” Dixie said, talking out her smartphone.

  She handled the camera like a pro, clearly having no trouble with new technology. I found myself falling in platonic love with Dixie the more time I spent with her.

  Shae took me by the hand, getting my attention back to her. I finished my coffee in record time, putting the empty mug down in the sink and filling it with warm water.

  “We're going for a walk, grandma,” Shae announced.

  “Have fun, kids,” Dixie said, focused on her newly taken photos.

  Liberated from the house, Shae lead me down to the lakeside, the grass, soft and cool under our bare feet. I had wanted us to put our shoes on, but she seemed to be in something of a hurry. I could tell something was going on but couldn't tell if it was good or bad.

  There was a peddle boat sitting on the shore of the lake, pristine and alone, rocking gently on the tide without ever actually being taken out onto the water. I had a good chance to look at it as this was where Shae was leading me.

  Helping her into one of the seats, I pushed the boat out and ran around the side, jumping into the other chair before the water got too deep. No wonder Shae hadn't wanted her shoes.

  We peddled well out into the lake, barely able to see the house anymore. A fact which filled me with a sense of quiet relief. I was okay with Dixie and Chester, but that was also where Diane and Ellis were, neither of which were terribly healthy for Shae to be around.

  “Well, this is a first,” I said when the boat came to a stop.

  Shae shrug
ged. “Well, things are advancing quickly between us. Why not just give in?”

  “Makes sense to me. Things seemed to be going pretty fast at first. I really wasn't sure we were up to peddle boat level, but here we are.”

  “Yup, here we are.”

  “Seriously, I do feel like things are going well and not just with your family. Though that is a pretty important factor with what I want to do.”

  Shae looked at me. With the serene smile on her face, it was like she was softly glowing in the morning light. “Oh, and what might that be?”

  “Be with you for the rest of my life.”

  She giggled. “What a coincidence! I feel the same! Probably why I shot Ellis down this morning when he tried to charm the pants off me again.”

  “Literally?”

  “Well, no. I think he just wanted his slave back, but I made it clear that it wasn't happening.”

  “That's my girl!”

  We kissed as passionately as the seating arrangement would allow. I stroked Shae’s cheek the way I knew she liked.

  “I wonder how Dixie's painting will turn out,” Shae said.

  “I'll probably be naked,” I sighed.

  “Oh, definitely.”

  “Oh?”

  “Don't worry too much, it will only be from her own imagination and previous experience. She likes you, and I might have let slip about your cock size when telling off Ellis. She'll make you look good. Besides which, you'll probably come out so wrinkly and saggy no one will recognize you anyway.”

  I laughed hard. “Well, that's a comfort.”

  Chapter Thirteen - Shae

  The reunion went better than I could have imagined. Even if Dad's blood sugar was fine, and Mom had just been using it to guilt me up there to try and set me up with my ex. The only one who was still being awful and unreasonable, really just sticking to character if anything else was my mom. She made it clear at every possible opportunity that she hated Chris despite not really knowing him and preferred Ellis, despite him being a lazy, lying, manipulative, creeper. She didn't see any of that, of course. She only saw the poor, betrayed man I made a promise too, and then coldly abandoned. I really was morbidly curious to know what it was like to live in that delusional head of hers.