by JP Sayle
“Poppyyyyyy, I’s need help,” River shouted from her bedroom down the hall. The little sneak was why I’d ended up agreeing to this. You keep believin’ that!
I’d not seen her come into the kitchen while I’d been on the phone, at her request, to invite Mason over for a barbecue. That had been bad enough, but now I was going to have to mingle with folks that would probably look down their noses at me and River.
I pulled on my boots and stomped up the bare wooden floor. My boots hit the wood hard enough to make the picture frames on the wall rattle.
“You’s can stop dat, we’s going Poppy. I’s like him. You’s do to, I’s sees the way ya smile at him,” she stated when I stopped in her doorway.
How the fuck could a five-year-old figure out this shit when adults couldn’t? I swallowed the sigh and asked, “What do you need help with, Spirit?”
I wasn’t sure when I’d started calling her that, but she often reminded me of Lizzie and how free spirited she’d been, so it seemed natural to call her Spirit.
Now, as she danced around doing a full twirl to show off her dress, my heart ached for what Lizzie was missing out on. The pink summer dress with tiny daisies on it flipped out before settling around her brown legs. On her feet she wore a pair of pink, sparkly jelly shoes. Her hair was braided and hung down her back. “Is dis ok for a party, Poppy? Does I look pretty?”
“You look beautiful, just like your Momma when she was your age.” I glanced over to the wall above her overly fussy pink bed. A massive picture frame with a collection of pictures of Lizzie as she’d grown up covered a large expanse of the wall.
I pointed to the one of Lizzie and me when she would have been the same age as River. “See, your Momma might not have had a pretty dress like you, but she still was beautiful.” The grief cut deep, but I kept my voice steady as I ran a hand over the top of her head, needing the connection.
“She was Poppy. I looks like her, don’t I?” There was a touch of sadness in her voice, so I crouched in front of her and pretended to look at her face.
I scratched my bristly chin, then flicked the tip of her nose. “You’re like two peas in a pod.”
She rubbed at the end of her nose and gave me a stern look. “No peas, Poppy, they’re yucky.” She gave a dramatic shiver before grinning at me. “Are’s we going? I’s ready.”
Seeing no way out of it, I let her tug on my hand as I stood.
Outside, River eyed my Harley I’d pulled out of the garage and then down at her dress. Her mouth set into a stubborn line I often saw in the mirror. “What?”
“I’s not getting on there, Poppy. I’s not messin’ me hair or getting bugs on me dress.”
She sounded so horrified that I struggled not to laugh. “But you love my bike,” I pointed out, already seeing it was a lost cause but needing to try and act like I was still the boss.
“Dat’s right, but I’s a lady goin’ to a party, Poppy. I’s can’t go all messed up. Well, dat’s what Mina says when she gets dressed up to go out and doesn’t want to go on Joe’s motorcycle.”
This time the laughter wouldn’t be stopped as she looked at me as if I was being ridiculous for even suggesting she get on my Harley, which she loved to ride with me. I wiped at my eyes and wheeled the motorcycle back into the garage, resigned to taking the truck I hardly ever used.
Once she was buckled in, I went to retrieve the present she’d made for Mason and the box of fireworks River insisted I take as a gift. The plan was to go and do what was needed and get out in the fastest time.
With that firmly fixed in my mind, I drove the twelve miles to Killeen. Although the place was close, I didn’t tend to visit, with it being a military town that I had no interest in. On a positive note, Killeen did generate a lot of business for both the auto’s workshop and my tattoo business.
If I went anywhere, it was usually up to Austin. It was far enough away that people didn’t tend to know who I was, so I could pick up a guy, scratch an itch, then head home without shitting on my own doorstep.
It had worked that way for years, and I had no intention of changing that, no matter how attracted I was to Mason. I’d have planned a trip to Austin by now, but with the tracker on my ankle, it made it difficult to get naked without explaining shit that I didn’t want to talk about.
There were already enough whispers getting back to me about what Nola had been mouthing off about. It hadn’t started to affect business, yet, but I wasn’t stupid. If this shit didn’t get taken care of, and soon, then it would only be a matter of time before it would hit financially.
I’d talked to Mason two days before about taking a step back from the shop and letting the guys take my bookings. Kyle could more than match my skill, if not my flare for design. Mason had been adamant that I should carry on as normal.
“Poppy, u’s ok? Ya making gruntin’ noises,” River asked in a serious tone.
I glanced at her and gave a smile I hoped looked real before looking back at the highway. “I’ve just got a lot on my mind is all. Nothin’ for you to worry about, Spirit.”
“I’s not worried, Poppy. Mason says he’s gonna keep ya safe.”
The utter conviction in her words struck at the walls protecting my heart, and for a brief second, I let the belief that Mason could keep me safe slip past the barrier.
Get over yourself, the only person you can rely on is you!
Several minutes later, I pulled into a neighborhood similar to the one where I lived. I parked on the busy street just down from the address Mason had given me. I exited the truck and went to help River out of the cab. Once she had her present, and I had the box of fireworks tucked under my arm, I took her hand and headed up the sidewalk toward the house.
I wasn’t sure what I expected, but I relaxed a little at seeing the house wasn’t some big grand deal but more similar to my own house. We’d reached the end of the path when the door burst open and a little boy of a similar age to River ran out squealing with laughter, quickly chased by Mason.
Having never seen him in anything other than a suit, I found myself staring. His green T-shirt was soaked, as were the beige cargo shorts. His legs were tanned and had a fine sprinkling of dark hair covering them. His feet were bare as they slapped against the ground, heading toward us holding a…water pistol.
I didn’t have time to register his intent as a wicked grin spread over his face and instead of aiming for the child coming toward us, icy water hit my chest. The feel of the freezing water hitting me with force had the air leaving my lungs in a rush.
“Poppy, Mason got ya,” River pointed out in glee as she bounced in her jelly shoes at my side.
It took a second for my lungs to catch up and let me suck in enough breath to answer. “He did,” I ground out breathlessly, while I gave Mason a menacing stare that did nothing as he went to take aim again.
I tried to hold up my arm holding the box and use it as a barrier as I growled, “Don’t you fuc—”
“Poppy, we’s in company,” River said sternly as she tugged on the hand she held, distracting me long enough for Mason to hit me with another blast of icy water. Had the stuff come straight from the freezer?
“Fucksake,” I hissed as the water that had soaked through my thin T-shirt slid down my chest and into the waistband of my jeans.
Mason laughed as the child stood grinning next to River said, “He said a bad word.”
“No shit, kid,” I muttered, and continued to glare at Mason, not quite believing he’d had the gall to soak me.
He held his hand up in submission, even as his eyes showed no remorse. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what got into me.”
“You better hope I don’t get you alone or y’all find out what got into you,” I muttered under my breath.
When Mason’s eyes widened then narrowed on me, I swallowed the sigh for not keeping my thoughts to myself. The light in his eyes was full of challenge and held my gaze. What the fuck is wrong with me?
“Ya dripping, Poppy,
and soaking my present,” River complained as she tugged her hand free from mine.
“Let’s take your Poppy inside so he can dry off. Declan, this is not over,” Mason declared, waving the water pistol at the kid still standing next to River.
“You’ll need to be faster, Uncle Mason, if ya gonna beat me,” he stated with childish confidence as he gave everyone a toothy grin.
He looked River up and down and I braced. “I’s Declan, I’s six. Who’s ya?”
“I’s River, I’s five, and dis is my Poppy,” she answered, sounding a little shier than her normal self.
“Hiya River, ya wanna come play with me? De others is all bigger dan me and don’t like to play with me, so I’s left with Uncle Mason.” He shrugged his tiny shoulder, his face full of hope at finding a new friend.
River looked up at me. “Can I’s go, Poppy?”
Seeing that there was no way to escape without upsetting River, and refusing to acknowledge the smug smile on Mason’s face that said he’d guessed my plan to leave quickly, I nodded, albeit reluctantly. “Just for a little bit, okay?”
She skipped over to Mason, not answering me. “I’s made dis for ya.” She thrust the colorfully wrapped box at him before she followed Declan up the path. She giggled as Declan whispered something in her ear as they went into the house without a backward glance.
My heart raced as she disappeared.
“She’ll be fine. My family aren’t monsters that eat children,” Mason stated light-heartedly as he walked toward me. The strain I’d noticed the last time we were together was no longer evident as he offered me a relaxed smile.
“I really am sorry about getting you all wet.” He slapped a hand over his mouth and started to laugh. “That sounds dirty, right?” he choked out past his laughter. “I take that back. I wouldn’t mind getting you wet under the right circumstances.” For a second, I couldn’t quite believe that he’d said that aloud, and so close to the house his parents lived in.
His face became flushed and the laughter died from his eyes as I struggled to find a response.
“Sorry, you’ve already pointed out you’re not interested.”
He went to swing around, and I took hold of his bicep in a firm grip, being careful not to hurt him. “I didn’t say I wasn’t interested, I said it was a bad idea. It still is, but fuck, I want you. My gut burns with the need to fuck you, fuck you hard into whatever surface is nearest.” As I’d already lost my mind and better judgement, I stepped into his body, crowding him.
I lowered my mouth to his ear and mouthed, “You wanna be my bitch?”
Chapter Ten
Mason
Thinking my brain had been fried with the heat traveling through me, I sucked in a muggy breath. Had he just asked me to be his bitch?
“Oh, Lincoln, it’s so good to see you. Was that River with Declan?” Dad called from behind me, saving me from having to answer Linc.
I kept my lower body twisted away from my Dad, so as not to alert him to the problem I was having. He stood on the porch, his eyes alight with a warm welcome.
“Yeah, that was River,” Linc answered, showing no signs of being affected by our conversation.
My Dad eyed Linc’s top with some amusement. “You look like you got caught in the battle.”
“It appears so.” He stiffened at my side, as if he was reminded what we’d been talking about.
“I was just about to bring him inside to see if we could find him a shirt while his dries.”
Dad chuckled. “We might have one of Hudson’s left in a box somewhere in the guest room. He’s the only one that would match Lincoln for size.” He waved at Lincoln, “Come on in, and I’ll see what I can rustle up for you.”
“It’s fine, Dad, I’ll find something for him.” The second the words left my mouth, Lincoln, who’d started to walk toward the house, stopped. His eyes pinned me in place and the silent message he relayed in those few seconds could have melted the blacktop faster than the heat of the Texas sun in a heatwave.
Had I phrased it like that on purpose?
“Fine, make sure you hurry though, the food’s just about ready and you know your brothers won’t wait.” He shifted his gaze to Lincoln. “It’s real good to see you and River. I’m glad you could come.”
The real sincerity in his voice left me grateful for the man he was. With that, he headed back inside, leaving me with Linc, who looked like he’d been stunned by a taser. All his muscles seemed to be locked in place, then it was as if he suddenly remembered where he was, and his face became an unreadable mask.
My gut twisted into greasy knots at what could possibly happen next as I led him into my family home. Silently, he followed me into the house. His presence dominated all my thoughts as I dropped the water pistol and River’s gift down on the hall table. Leading the way up the polished wooden staircase, it creaked and moaned as Linc came up behind me. He was so close behind me, I could feel the heat rolling off his body.
I walked to the end of the long passageway, to the door that had been Hudson’s bedroom as a child. Opening the door, I stepped into the room and glanced about. It looked nothing like it had when it had been Hudson’s. When he’d lived at home, it had been a complete mess, his clothes strewn about the place, along with magazines, games, and whatever else he could place on the floor.
Now the room resembled a showroom out of one of those fancy magazines my Mom loved. The walls were a muted lemon and the furniture was all white. The large bed that dominated the room was covered in a sunshine yellow cover with massive white daisies on it. There were candles and knickknacks placed precisely apart from each other on pieces of white furniture.
Noise from the party in the back garden carried into the room. I looked back at Linc who remained in the doorway, not entering the room and looking completely out of place.
“I’ll see what we’ve got. If you give me your shirt, I’ll put it in the dryer. Shouldn’t take but a few minutes to dry it,” I rambled, thinking I sounded like an idiot.
I went to the closet, opening the door to search through the couple of boxes marked with Hudson’s name on them. Folded at the bottom were a couple of old T-shirts, so I pulled them out and spun around with them clutched in my hand.
All thoughts fled from my mind as Linc stood inside the room, his tanned, hairless chest now bare. My whole body reacted to the visual of firm, rippling muscles. The dips and undulations looked like they’d been air-brushed into his skin. The cum gutters that disappeared into the low-slung jeans were a thing of beauty. A tingling started in my fingertips at thoughts of being able to explore the body in front of me. My gaze drifted back to the two tattoos covering the whole of his upper chest. They were so different, yet equally beautiful.
The calligraphy script with the name ‘Lizzie’ tattooed over his heart had tendrils coming off the letters and on the ends were tiny flowers in bold colors. The other side of his chest was covered with his club logo.
“Who…” I swallowed past the dryness in my throat as the words got stuck. “Who did the artwork?” I asked, meeting his gaze.
The gold threaded into the brown of his eyes seemed to glow as he cut the distance between us down in just a couple of steps. The tension inside me matched the electrified feel of the air in the room. A dark, sexual energy snapped between us. Unsure who moved first, I found my arms wrapped around Linc’s warm, scented, naked upper body.
His mouth claimed mine in a ruthless kiss that left me brutally aroused. His taste flooded my senses as his tongue thrust into my mouth and duelled with mine. He fought for dominance as I fought back, matching his hunger with my own. Teeth clacked together as I got lost in the passion, in Linc, until I couldn’t think about anything but him, feel anything but his body pressed against mine.
“Fuck, I don’t know why, but I want you,” he growled against my mouth, his hands sliding down to my ass and squeezing before he shifted me to grind his dick against mine.
“We…shouldn’t…oh fuck.” I los
t my train of thought as his mouth moved across my jaw to my neck, his teeth raking at the skin, creating tiny flames of desire.
When his teeth sank into my flesh and he bit hard enough to mark me, I had to forcibly think about something else to stop from embarrassing myself and coming in my pants. This is your parents’ home, get a fucking grip. You can’t fuck your client.
My chest heaved as I staggered back and held up my hands to ward him off, only then noticing I still had hold of the T-shirts. They were now a crumpled mess, but there was little I could do about that. I threw them at Linc in defense and they fell to the floor at his feet when he made no move to catch them.
“I…we…this can’t happen again.” I added as much conviction as I could when Linc’s gaze became an impenetrable mask. “I’ll take your shirt and meet you downstairs.”
He said nothing as he bent and picked up the shirts at his feet. He held out his wet T-shirt, and the coward in me wanted to tell him to bring it down himself, when his gaze challenged me. Instead, I stepped forward and reached out. He didn’t immediately hand it over and I sucked in a shaky breath, meeting his gaze head on.
“This isn’t over,” he growled, then let go of the shirt.
A wild fluttering started in my chest as I took the coward’s way out and said nothing. I saw no point in arguing when he’d already felt my arousal against his. I just wasn’t ready to face up to what that meant to me, to my job, and to Lincoln.
Instead of going back downstairs after I left Linc to get dressed, I went to the family bathroom. I locked the door behind me, going directly to the double sink and staring in the mirror above. What the fuck had I just done?
Kissed Linc like you’d never kissed another, that’s what!
I didn’t miss that.
I buried my head in my trembling hands, unable to look at myself a moment longer. My lips were still puffy from Linc’s none-too-gentle kiss and his taste lingered in my mouth. I didn’t even want to think about the dark, lurid mark I’d noticed on my neck where he’d bitten the skin. The fucker had marked me.
