by A J Storm
By the time her father had finished, Willow was in tears. “We’re good, Daddy. I’m sorry.” She threw her arms around him and cried on his chest.
“Don’t be. I know how she acts, and we discuss it. If I think she’s wrong, I tell her. I always had your back and still do. I pray this fellow has yours too.”
“I think he does, Daddy. I know he does.”
They sat watching the pond twenty more minutes, then rode back to the ranch. Her dad took the horses to the stables to groom both. Willow went inside her office and began to thumb through the bills, aligning them in order as to payment date.
She worked the rest of the afternoon and into the evening. Chaos called once, checking on her and to tell her good night. Her nose was stuck in her ledger book until her mother strolled in with a ham and cheese sandwich, chips, and an iced tea.
“You missed supper, so I thought you might enjoy a bite to eat. You got a minute to stop?” her mother asked.
“Yeah, I’m almost finished. Thank you, Mother.”
“What are you wearing tomorrow?”
Willow was puzzled at the question but gave her an answer. “I thought I’d wear nice jeans, a fancy shirt with ruffles at the collar and wrists, and my flats. Why?”
“Oh, Willow, no. I want you to wear a dress. It isn’t often we have guests at brunch. You should look and dress like a lady.”
Yeah, and I’ve got a big L across my forehead.
“Mother, I didn’t bring a dress. Good grief, it’s just Chaos.”
“I bought you one, and it’s hanging in your closet. It’s a yellow sheath dress with embroidered flowers at the hem. It should bring out all your wonderful assets. Please wear it.” Her mother then left the room, leaving Willow in shock, her mouth hanging open.
16
Willow woke early, showered, dried her hair, and put on what little makeup she usually wore. To her dismay, she tried on the dress her mother left for her, and it did look good. Yellow was not her favorite color, but this shade brought out her eyes with her dark hair. Okay, so this time she was right, but I won’t tell her. Her head is big enough.
She grabbed her car keys and purse, headed for the stairs, and stopped at the top. Her mother was standing at the bottom. Shit.
“Oh, Willow, you look very pretty. It’s perfect.”
“Thank you, Mother, and thank you for the dress,” she said, continuing down the steps. “I’m on my way to pick up Chaos. We should be back within an hour or a little more.”
“Brunch will be served in two hours, dear. Please keep that in mind.”
Willow rolled her eyes and walked down the hall and out the door.
At exactly nine forty-five, Willow and Chaos strolled into her parents’ home. Willow had wanted to arrive at nine fifty-nine, but Chaos said no. It wouldn’t be fair to him or her mother for them to be rude and not arrive before the function started. Her mother and father were standing in the front living room ready to greet them.
“Oh, here they are, dear. I told you I made sure they’d be on time. Willow knows how fussy I can be.”
Willow simply smiled at her mother and kissed her dad on his cheek. “Mother and Dad, you remember Chaos?”
As always, her father was the most gracious of hosts, welcoming him to their home. Willow’s mother, however, held her hand out to Chaos as if she was afraid he’d touch her.
Chaos, dressed in his best three-piece suit and always the proper gentleman, gently took her hand and kissed the top of it.
“Mrs. Maxy, thank you so much for the invitation to your lovely home. I’m honored, and I look forward to sitting down over brunch and getting to know you.”
Her mother quickly removed her hand from his and suggested they move into the dining room.
“John, darling, I put you at the head of the table, I’ll sit to your left, and let Willow sit on your right with Chaos next to her,” she informed them, stumbling over Chaos’ name.
“Mother, his name is Chaos. It’s easy to remember and say—Chaos,” Willow complained.
“Sugar, it’s okay. Your mother can call me whatever she wants,” he interrupted.
“Sugar. What a unique nickname. I’m not fond of nicknames, myself,” her mother said, dripping with sarcasm.
Willow sighed, but before she could argue, her father spoke up. “Barbara, does that mean I need to stop calling you Honeylips when we’re alone?”
“John,” her mother shouted. Willow snickered, looking over at the grin on her father’s face. He knew exactly what he did—he had her back.
As the main course was brought out and served to all, Chaos looked around the table, spying several kinds of fruit, cheeses, and warm rolls with a bounty of butter and jam. Eggs Benedict was the main course and made his mouth water.
“Mrs. Maxy, your table is beautiful and filled with delicious offerings.” He waited for the first person to start eating before he took a bite of his. The Eggs Benedict was heavenly—toasted English muffin, topped with a slice of ham, an egg on top, smothered in hollandaise sauce. It melted in his mouth. Coffee and orange juice were in abundance. Looking up from his plate at Willow, he rolled his eyes in ecstasy and winked.
“Mrs. Williams, our cook, is excellent at her craft. The main course is my favorite. Try one of her yeast rolls before you get full. You’ll die,” Willow said and passed him the basket.
“Mr. Chaos…” her mother began when Chaos stopped her.
“Just Chaos, Mrs. Maxy.”
“Oh, very well, Chaos. Willow tells me your investigative service is quite successful. What types of jobs do you do?”
He smiled at her question, ready for the conversation. “Different jobs of all walks of life, ma’am. Missing persons, unfaithful spouses, background checks on regular people seeking loans or those involved in legal proceedings such as contesting wills, child custody cases, bodyguard duty, bail skipping, and criminal offenses are but a few. Basically, if you need something legally investigated, we’ll do it.”
“Interesting. Doesn’t that mean you’re busy all hours of the day and night, and doesn’t that take you into the dregs of society? I would imagine you work with and among poor and homeless people a lot,” her mother offered.
“On the contrary, Mrs. Maxy, seventy-five percent of our clientele are above the poverty line. While we do work with the homeless and poverty-stricken, they are mainly missing family members who are being searched for and wanted back home. Here’s an interesting fact. One-third of all the people we’re hired to investigate for one reason or another are ones who are in your salary range. It always surprises me.”
“That’s right, dear. You remember the Lawson’s were investigated for tax violations, and he went to jail,” Willow’s father threw out.
Her mother’s face turned ashen as she moved her napkin to her mouth. “Now, John, let’s not gossip about our friends. Chaos, Willow tells us your parents have a ranch near Austin. What do they raise? How many acres do they own?”
“Well, now, let me think, they don’t talk about it much, but I remember searching information for their lawyer when they updated their wills when we grew up and went out on our own. They own around three hundred fifty thousand acres of land. They raise Black Angus, thoroughbred horses for racing and breeding like you do, John, and of course, a few working oil wells on part of the land. I don’t remember what their total worth was at the time, but we never wanted for anything growing up,"
Willow’s mother dropped her napkin in her plate before she’d finished her food. Her eyes were huge, and her mouth hung open, staring at Chaos.
“Dear boy, why haven’t I ever met your parents. John and I belong to all the important social clubs in Austin. I chair on a few of them, and I don’t ever remember hearing their names.”
“You won’t, ma’am. My dad stays busy on the ranch. He’s a hands-on personality type and likes it that way. My mother, well, she takes pride in her family and doesn’t go in for all the social trappings of Austin. They’re simple
common folk—always have been. When they have a get together for family and friends, it a big bar-b-que affair with a mock rodeo for the children. I loved those things. I still go occasionally when they have one and I have time. You and Mr. Maxy should come out sometime. You’d love them.”
Willow’s mother appeared speechless. Chaos watched her, guessing she was surprised and very uncomfortable. He never liked to make anyone feel guilty or small, but this one time had been necessary. She needed to understand Willow’s choices were good ones, and the cover of a book doesn’t represent the content.
“We would like that very much, Chaos. Thank you,” her father said.
“You’re very welcome, John,” he returned, then winked. He looked over at Willow. “You’re very quiet, sugar.”
“Simply listening to the interesting conversation and taking it all in.”
Her father’s face turned serious before he spoke. “Chaos, I wonder, have you made any progress with finding Nova?”
“A small amount, sir. We know she’s safe and well because she contacted Willow again. The thing is, sir, Nova doesn’t wish to be found until this Viper fellow is caught and contained. We have a lead we hope is good, but I can’t share the details. It’s too risky to the investigation.”
“Willow, why didn’t you tell us she contacted you again?” her father asked.
“Because I knew you both would be upset and hurt at the fact she refuses to let us protect her. I want her home too, Daddy, as much as you and Mother do.”
Her father rose from his chair and lifted his daughter into his arms. “We both know you do, kitten. It’s all right.”
“Oh dear, emotional gatherings can bring out so many emotions. I’m truly sorry, Chaos, you had to witness this,” her mother apologized.
“No, need, Mrs. Maxy. It’s just love, and with love, you get all the messiness that comes with it. It’s all good.”
An hour later, Willow made her excuse to leave to drive Chaos home. Her mother moved toward him and took his hand into hers.
“Thank you for coming, Chaos. Please come back to visit. We both would enjoy it.”
“Thank you for having me, and I will. You can be sure of it. I’ll let you know when my parents have one of their shindigs again,” he answered. “John, very good to see you again. Thank you for your hospitality.” Chaos took his hand in a firm grip, giving it a good old boy handshake. Her father returned the grip and smiled.
She let Chaos drive her Mustang home, and as soon as he was on the interstate, he opened it up, roaring down the highway.
God, I’d love to have one of these.
“Are you enjoying yourself?”
“Sugar, you have no idea.”
Speeding down the interstate and through the streets of Austin thrilled Chaos. He drove like he was a teenager again, hitting all the hot spots of the town before driving down the street in front of his building. He whipped the Mustang into the underground garage and parked near the elevator.
Chaos jumped out of the car and walked around to open Willow’s door. Her arms snaked around his waist as he took her mouth with his, crushing her lips. When the elevator dinged and the door opened, he pulled her inside, keying in the code to the penthouse. He unzipped her dress halfway down her back before he had to punch in the code once more. Inside the living area of the apartment, they kissed again, and his fingers took the zipper down past her butt.
“Your mother really did an excellent job choosing this dress. You may not like yellow, but sugar, it likes you. It highlights all your curves, hugging them in warmth—just like I intend to do right now.”
His arms were still around her as he pushed her slowly backward. That is until she lost her balance, almost falling over her own feet. So, the next best thing was to throw her over his shoulder and carry her into his bedroom.
She slid down the front of his body with her dress falling off at the shoulders, then on down to the floor. Chaos nuzzled her neck and proceeded to take his coat, tie, and dress shirt off.
“You know, I really am quite proud of you,” Willow bragged.
“What for?” he asked, sitting on the bed, untying his dress shoes before slipping them off.
“The way you handled my mother was brilliant. You politely put her in her place. Even my dad took part in her schooling. I think she actually felt humbled.”
Once he was free of his shoes and socks, he stood and unbuttoned his slacks.
“I know she did, Willow. I saw it in her eyes. Maybe she’ll grow from the experience. Everything I told her was the truth. She needs to see you are a person who makes wise choices and is a valuable part of other’s lives.”
A smile crept across her face when she saw his pants drop to the floor, showcasing what he had to offer. She wore a matching pastel yellow lingerie set made from lace. She slowly stalked her way toward him, walking her fingers over his chest and nudging the head of his cock with her hip.
“I’m valuable to others, am I? How valuable am I to you, Chaos?”
Willow started moving him back toward his bed, teasing him with several nudges from her hips.
“I would say you are quite valuable, sugar.”
She slapped him on his pecs and fussed at him. “Chaos, that’s a copout, and you know it.” She gave his chest a shove, but before he fell, his fingers were in the elastic of her panties, ripping them off her body.
“Oops, I’ll pay for those,” he promised, lying flat on his back.
“You better believe you will. I bought those for you, and they weren’t cheap,” Willow complained.
17
With Willow having crawled up his body, he was lying on his back, gazing up into her face. All at once, he burst out laughing and couldn’t stop.
“There is nothing funny about my panties being destroyed.”
“That isn’t what I’m laughing at. I just remembered how your dad horribly embarrassed your mother. I almost laughed out loud at the brunch table. Where on earth did your dad get Honeylips for her nickname? Can you imagine the scene?”
Willow was laughing with him, then thought better of it. “No. I don’t think they were normal in their hippie days. Don’t ever call me honeylips.”
As his hands gathered her ass cheeks, he squeezed them while she leaned over and licked his lips. He moaned, deciding to let her have control of things until he couldn’t stand it anymore. She kissed her way down his neck and over to his earlobe, licking and nipping it.
His cock was jerking in the air, and it didn’t go unnoticed by Willow. He watched her turn several times as if she were evaluating what actions caused what results. The thought made him hotter. He was about to explode. His grip on her ass became stronger. As she completely straddled his hips, she slid her core up and down his length.
By this time, he was groaning and moved his hands up to her bra, unhooking it in the back. His hand moved to the front, cupping her breasts, bringing them together in the middle of her chest. Licking her nipples quickly between the two, he finally sucked one into his mouth, twirling it with his tongue while he thumbed the other.
Willow’s nipples had always been sensitive, and the attention he was giving them shot electric sensations straight to her core. Rubbing her body against his shaft grew frantic until he grabbed her hips again, slamming her down on his cock. She whimpered at the same time Chaos growled deep in his throat. They stayed still for a few minutes, then Willow rocked her hips, and Chaos joined her rhythm.
Monday morning, Creeper was up before anyone else in his townhouse, which was on the far side of Austin. He insisted on having his own place apart from the family business penthouse, especially when his sniper duties were involved. His time at the penthouse was mainly when a job demanded he work in close quarters with his brothers. Usually, things became crazy when the brothers were all together.
He liked being at his townhouse. It was simply easier to meet with his guys to make plans. He loved being with his close friends, and they understood his quirky nature. He o
ften had a houseful staying with him. Sometimes, it was men working with him on a job, but at other times, it was left over from celebrations together. He was hardly alone unless he was on a sniper job. That was part of his life very few shared.
Creeper intended to let Lyle sleep for another hour while he sat in the quiet, drinking his coffee. He’d already showered and set out his suit, preparing for his meeting with Mr. Kenneth Williams. He and Lyle would wake the others before they left.
After an hour of silent meditation, he woke Lyle and got him into the shower. Back in his bedroom, he dressed, then made a cup of coffee for his friend. He left everyone else asleep.
The townhouse contained four bedrooms and two full bathrooms upstairs. The living room, kitchen/dining area, plus a half-bath were downstairs. It was large enough to accommodate his needs and desires.
Lyle walked out of his room thirty minutes later, dressed in his suit, ready for a cup of coffee.
“We ready to do this, dude?” Lyle asked.
“Yes. We won’t get any more ready. We know the script front to back. We’ve got this, Lyle. It’s going to take us thirty-five minutes to get to his law office, so that gives us twenty minutes to de-stress before we go into the appointment. We’d better leave soon. I’ll wake the others.”
The two talked very little on the drive into the city, each were going over their own script in their head.
When they checked in, Creeper and Lyle were taken into separate rooms where they were grilled about their life histories growing up, being gay and how they handled the stigma, where they met, and when they moved in together. Creeper wasn’t expecting this, but he didn’t think it would be a problem for either one of them.
Both were then taken to a central room where coffee and scones were on a tray for them to help themselves to. No one else was in the room with them, so it gave them an opportunity to talk. Creeper knew the two were either being observed or recorded.
