by Izzy Sweet
The thought of Naomi or any of those other bitches touching him, trying to seduce him just makes me sick.
I see Luther shifting from foot to foot out of the corner of my eye. I don’t’ want him to feel left out so I extend my hand towards him and pull him into the hug when he accepts it.
My two little brothers tower over me, but I won’t let a little thing like size keep me from protecting them. I’ve strayed from my duties. I’ve failed my family. Tonight, I’m getting my crap together so this doesn’t happen again.
“We’re grown now, sis,” Luther says as he hugs me. “We’re going to make our own decisions and mistakes.”
I shake my head, but still hug him back. “Not while you’re still in high school, and not while you still live in this house.”
I’ll be around to make sure they’re not tempted to do something stupid like this again. All they need is some supervision.
“You can’t protect us twenty-four-seven,” Luther grumbles.
I tip my head back and look him dead in the eyes when I tell him, “I’m sure as hell going to try to. Just watch me.”
“Damn, if I would have known it was going to piss you off this much,” Luther grumbles, “I would have just stayed home.”
Chapter Thirteen
It’s too late to send Colt home, so after everyone calms down, I take him to bed with me. We don’t get to sleep in though. Unfortunately, we have to get up extra early so we can head back to his place. Because there’s never been a reason to keep a set of clothes for him here he needs to pick up something fresh to wear into work.
I only get to see Luther and James for a couple of minutes before Colt and I leave for the day. They’re still apologetic, even if Luther wants to argue he’s legally an adult, legally eighteen. I don’t care how old he is, if I have to work to support him then to me he’s still a child, and that’s exactly the way I’ll treat him.
I had to grow up so fast, the last thing I want is for them to have to as well. After all, isn’t that what I’ve been busting my ass off all these years for? So they can have a childhood. So they can focus on school and make something of themselves. School is hard enough without throwing in working for your supper on top of it. Shit, just in the past couple of years since I’ve been out I swear they’ve doubled the homework load these kids have to deal with. I want my brothers to succeed more than anything, to break this cycle of poverty we’ve been trapped in, and I’ll work my ass off to make sure it happens.
Work is great, most of the day Colt and I are just doing our thing, like nothing happened. It’s not until we’re gathering up our stuff and calling it a day that the situation comes up again.
“What are you in the mood for tonight?” Colt asks me, gathering up his jacket and briefcase. “Chinese? Indian? Mexican?”
“I think I rather eat in. Maybe throw together a salad. Or BLT sandwiches. I’ve got a whole pound of bacon just wasting away in the refrigerator.”
Colt frowns, his brows pulling together in confusion as he makes sense of what I just said. “You have bacon in my fridge and I didn’t know about it?”
Slipping my purse over my shoulder and picking up my jacket, I shake my head at him. “No, in my refrigerator, in my apartment.”
He pushes his office door open and uses his back to hold it open for me. “Oh.”
“Is that alright?” I ask, pausing in front of him before we walk out.
His face looks so serious as he looks down at me and asks, “Am I invited?”
I lift up on my tip-toes and quickly peck him on the lips. “Of course!”
Brushing past him, I sense him following behind me. “You sure? I don’t want to intrude.”
Spinning around, I sigh and stop so quickly he bumps into me. Grabbing his arm to steady myself, I explain. “You’re not intruding. I just want to have dinner with my brothers tonight, and with you, if you’d like to.”
Wrapping his other arm around me, he pulls me closer, his briefcase bumping into my butt. “Because of last night?”
“Yes,” I sigh, tipping my head back to look up at him. “I’d like to spend more time with them… Spend more time at home. Is that cool?”
Colt’s grip tightens around me and he drops his chin, capturing me in a deep but tender kiss. As his lips press against my lips I completely forget that we’re standing in the middle of the office.
My world shrinks down to him, narrows down to the wonderful, knee-weakening sensation of his lips against my lips. I just can’t get enough of him. I push up, trying to give as good as I’m getting, but it feels like Colt is trying to make a statement as he pushes me back, almost tipping me off my feet. I sway precariously on my heels, my fingers digging into his arm to keep from falling. When he finally pulls away, all my senses turn back on and I experience a moment of sensory overload as my brain catches up to all the action I’m missing.
“It’s cool as long as you aren’t trying to get rid of me,” he says huskily. I love when he gets that gritty sound to his voice—it usually means good things are in store for me.
“Wouldn’t dream of it,” I half-giggle and half-sigh, then I notice the murmur of voices all around us. My cheeks warm and I avoid looking around, avoid the gazes of those who just watched me almost get swept off my feet, literally.
Colt grins, and with his arm still wrapped around me, pulls me into his side. Keeping me close as we walk out. “Good, because I’ve become quite enamored with you.”
That confession does all kinds of amazing things to me, and I definitely feel butterflies taking flight inside my stomach. Enamored… that’s such an awesome word. It kind of implies love, doesn’t it?
“I… lo…la…like you too,” I stumble out and shake my head.
Colt laughs, thankfully, finding amusement in all of this.
Whew, that was close, I think as he leads me out the door.
I almost told him I love him.
* * *
Dinner is fantastic. I love rolling my sleeves up and getting dirty in the kitchen. I cook us all BLT sandwiches and the guys just scarf them down. We eat our way through more than a pound of bacon, and it’s freakin’ delicious.
After dinner though is kind of awkward. I know Colt wants to go back to his place but I’m not comfortable leaving my brothers just yet. So Colt stays the night again, but as he tries to get frisky with me in the bedroom, all the squeaking of my twenty-year old spring mattress keeps me from really getting into it.
“I’m sorry, I can’t…” I sigh, grabbing him by the face and pulling his mouth away from the swells of my breasts. We haven’t even really done much more than make-out but all the noises from the bed is making me too nervous.
“We could get down on the floor,” he says hopefully, grinding his erecting into my thigh.
I can’t see his face in the dark but I know if I could he’d look as disappointed as I feel. “I can’t… It’s too weird. I just can’t get comfortable knowing they’re on the other side of the wall.”
Sighing with resignation, Colt seems to accept my hesitation. He pulls away, giving the tops of my breasts one more soft brush from his lips before telling me, “You’ll just have to make it up to me tomorrow.”
“I will, I promise.”
I make it up to Colt the next day in the office. Before we even get started on work, I drop to my knees, giving him the best blow job I ever given right then and there. Just before he comes, he bends me over his desk and fucks me hard.
The rest of the day I might be walking just a little bit funny but otherwise we work splendidly together. Colt is in a good mood—I guess I did manage to make it up to him—until I ask him to have dinner again at my place.
“Why?” he asks, palms hitting the desk as he leans over me.
I resist the urge to lean back in the swivel chair, and try my best not to squirm beneath his glare.
“I have the stuff for fried chicken.”
“We can just pick up a bucket.”
I wrinkle my nose with distaste. �
�That stuff is crap, and you know it.”
He can’t argue with me on that. Muttering something, he straightens, raking his fingers through his hair. “What are you making with it?”
“Homemade mac n cheese and garlic mashed potatoes.”
He lifts a brow, perking up a bit with interest. “Okay… but will there be gravy?”
I snort and roll my eyes at him. “Will there be gravy? Would ya get a load of this guy?” Standing from my desk, I grab up a stack of paperwork I plan to take with me and push it into a folder.
“Well?” he prods. “You didn’t answer the question.”
“You can’t have fried chicken without gravy. It’s sacrilege.”
“In that case I’m looking forward to it.”
That night goes much the same as the last. We have a wonderful dinner and Colt decides to stay the night with me. But when he starts to get frisky in bed, I just can’t do it.
“This is getting ridiculous, Whitney,” Colt growls, pushing his rock-hard cock into my butt cheek. He’s the big spoon and I’m the little spoon, and we’ve been doing this for the past eight nights. “Do I need to buy you a better bed?”
“No. It won’t help. We need to buy thicker walls.”
“We’re cutting out early tomorrow,” he groans, his hand squeezing my breast at the same time he rocks his hips. “I don’t know how much more of this I can take.”
“Why are we cutting out?” I ask, my voice sounding too soft, too breathless. I love the way he touches my breasts; I could almost come just from this.
“We’re meeting up with the agent. We will find a place, dammit. Or your brothers are moving in with me.”
I don’t even argue with him about it this time. He’s brought up us moving in with him before and it just won’t work. Colt’s apartment only has one bedroom, so my brothers would just be sleeping in his living room on a pullout. They need their own room, their own space, and I’ll be damned if they don’t have their own beds.
When I don’t answer, Colt brings up his other overly suggested suggestion. I don’t why he thinks I’m just going to change my mind on this stuff, perhaps he mistakenly believes he’s going to whittle me down until I cave in?
“Or, we could just spend the night at my place and check on your brothers in the morning.”
“I can’t.”
“They’re not going to sneak out in the middle of the night, dammit,” he snaps.
“You don’t know that.”
“You’re being…” he starts but catches himself.
“I’m being what?” I ask, turning to glare at him.
There’s a long, pregnant pause before he finally says, “Overprotective.”
I feel myself bristling at the label, but I can’t blame him for it. “Perhaps, but that’s how I am. They’re all I have…”
“You have me too. Am I not important?”
“Oh, god, yes,” I say quickly. “I didn’t mean it like that.” But I’ve already spoken like he isn’t, and I can feel there’s no taking it back. I can’t believe I just did that.
When he doesn’t say anything, I break the silence. “I’m sorry. You are very important to me.”
When he still doesn’t say anything, I scoot closer and wrap my arms around his neck. “Colt, I’m very sorry. Please don’t be angry with me.”
It’s dark in the room, I can only make out the outline of his face, so I can’t tell what he’s thinking or feeling.
I feel him press his forehead against mine. “I’m not angry with you, Whitney. I’m just tired of suffering like this. I need to be inside of you every night.”
He grabs me by the hips and thrusts forward. The bed makes a high-pitched squeak just as his erection grinds against my pussy.
I’m suffering too, it’s impossible to lay next to Colt all night and not want to ravish the man. I need him inside me.
His cock is so close; all it would take is for me to pull my panties to the side. I’m so wet, so aroused, it would be so easy to slide him right in.
“I’m sorry,” I apologize again and pull back my hips. “It’s not for much longer. We’ll find a place and this won’t even be an issue.”
“I hope so,” he says so sadly I don’t think he believes me.
I hug him tightly, afraid to let go until he’s snoring. With all this stuff going on, I’m beginning to feel like I’m losing him. I sleep fitfully, tossing and turning with the throbbing between my thighs making it difficult to get any peace.
Chapter Fourteen
The next day Colt takes me in his office, up against the wall. It’s rough and frantic. The orgasm is explosive. I’m surprised he didn’t pound me right through the plaster. It sure as hell felt like he was trying to.
I know every day he’s losing more and more patience with me. Every day the sex is harder, and he feels a little meaner. I don’t know what to do about it. I can’t just abandon my brothers but now I’m starting to feel like I’m pushing Colt away because of them.
We clean up and get a little bit of work done before we meet with a real estate agent. The rest of the day is spent looking at condos and apartments, but I can’t find anything I like.
We return to my place for dinner, again. Pulling up to the curb outside my building, it’s obvious Colt is not happy with me.
“What was wrong with the one on Mockingbird?” he asks, shoving the gearshift of his little red coupe into park.
Letting go of the door handle, I bite my lip as I turn slightly to face him. “It was too expensive.”
He shakes his head in disbelief. “I can afford it.”
“I’m not comfortable spending that kind of money…”
Colt throws his hands up in the air. “I’m not comfortable sleeping next to you every night with blue balls.”
I clench my hands, nails digging into my palms as I try to keep myself from snapping back at him. “You don’t have to stay the night. You can always go home.” And jerk off…
“Is that what you want?”
No, not really. My heart squeezes just thinking about it. But my mouth seems to have a mind of its own now. “Maybe a little space would be good for the both of us…”
Colt just stares at me like he can’t believe I’m doing this. “You want space, Whitney?” he asks, and the emphasis he puts on space feels like a slap.
I wince and pull back. Why am I doing this? I don’t even know why but I tell him, “Yes.”
He slams his hands into the steering wheel and then his head falls forward. His blonde hair falls into his eyes and all I really want to do is reach out and brush it back.
I’m such a bitch. I don’t want to hurt him, but I can’t take it back.
“I’ll see you tomorrow,” he mumbles and I feel myself nodding my head.
Clutching my purse, I reach out for the door handle to make my escape. Colt suddenly straightens and reaches over, grabbing me before I can pull it.
His mouth falls upon mine and he grabs me by the hair, winding it around his fingers so I can’t escape his kiss. He kisses me hard, his mouth moving over mine like he’s trying to devour me. His chin bangs into my chin and his tongue feels like it’s trying to pummel mine into submission. He kisses me for so long and so hard, I’m quickly running out of oxygen.
Dots flash behind my eyes and I push at him to keep from suffocating.
“Mine,” he growls, capturing my bottom lip and sinking his teeth into it.
I yelp and pull back. Touching my lip, it aches but thankfully it’s not bleeding.
“What the hell?” I ask, panting as I catch my breath. “What was that for?”
Carefully he detangles his fingers from my hair. “That was a reminder, it seemed like you needed it.”
I stare at him hard, really wanting to be mad at him, but I just can’t… He’s the greatest thing to ever happen to me and I’m pretty sure I’m ruining it.
“You can push me, Whitney, all you want, but just remember I’m going to push you back.”
&n
bsp; * * *
With Colt’s words ringing in my ears, I rush into my apartment and immediately head for my bedroom. I’m just not in the mood to cook, I’m too damn messed up. I don’t know what I want, and I don’t know what’s going on. Everything is going to shit and I feel like it’s all my fault.
I don’t know how long I’m curled up in bed before Luther comes knocking on the door.
“Whitney?” he asks softly, cracking the door open and letting a slice of the hallway light in.
The sun set two hours ago, and I’ve been sitting in the dark ever since.
“Yeah?” I mumble from beneath my ball of covers.
“You want something to eat? I made peanut butter sandwiches.”
“No, thanks. Do you need me to cook something?”
“Nah, it’s cool. We’re good.”
I sit up, pushing the covers down. “Are you sure? You should have a hot meal…”
“We got it,” he cuts me off. “We’re not babies. I sure as hell don’t need you here to take care of me.”
“You can take care of yourself when you go off to college,” I grump back.
“You should stop fucking things up with Colt.”
Fuck, so even my brothers know what is going on?
“You should mind your own business.”
“Get some rest.”
He’s closes the door, plunging me back into darkness.
* * *
I slept last night. I don’t know how but I did. Without Colt by my side it was too cold, too quiet. I think I ended up drifting off to sleep while fantasizing that I called him to come and pick me up…
But when I wake up, it’s six in the morning and I’m all alone.
I take a super-hot, super-steamy shower and try to figure all this crap out.
When did he become such a part of me that I feel incomplete when he’s not around? There’s this ache inside me, this sore emptiness that only he can fill. I’ve come to rely on him, and it goes beyond money.
I’m missing my other half… and this is the worse feeling in the world.