A Little Bit Wicked (The Wickeds

by Melissa Foster

  When she reached Zander, he flashed a cocky grin and dragged his eyes down her body. “What I want isn’t on the menu.”

  Leah’s eyes turned serious and studied Zander’s face. Zander sat up straighter, puffing out his chest with an expression that conveyed, Oh yeah, baby, you know you want me.

  “Jesus,” Justin snapped. He reached over and swatted Zander on the back of the head.

  Zander ran a hand over the same spot and said, “Dude! Don’t touch the hair.”

  “Don’t be an ass,” Blaine said. He nudged Marly. “Women don’t like asses, right, Mar?”

  “Don’t get me involved.” Marly picked up her drink and said, “I love a good ass in tight jeans.”

  Blaine shook his head.

  “See? Women like my ass.” Zander rolled his shoulders back and winked at Leah.

  Leah’s stoic expression didn’t change. She was still studying Zander’s face like she was trying to figure him out.

  “Alexander.” Rob stared Zander down and shook his head.

  “Aw, come on, Preach.” Zander pushed to his feet and jokingly said, “Tell ’em, Leah. You like my ass, right?” He turned around and slapped his back pocket, grinning over his shoulder.

  “It’s not bad, but I’ve seen better,” Leah said evenly, brows knitted. “Maybe Zeke can help you study up on better butt exercises.”

  Everyone laughed, except Zander, whose grin faltered. He eyed Zeke, and Zeke held his palms up, shaking his head.

  Leah looked down at her order pad and said, “Who’s next?”

  Tank said, “I’ll take whiskey, neat.”

  Leah lifted her eyes to his, and the little color she had drained from her face. “I’ll go…I’ll get…Be right back with those drinks.” She scurried off toward the bar.

  “Geez, Tank. What’d you do to her?” Madigan asked.

  Tank looked offended. “Me? I didn’t do shit. It was Zander.”

  “No, that was definitely you,” Blaine said. “That poor girl looked scared.”

  “Yeah, dude. It wasn’t me. She totally digs my ass.” Zander chuckled.

  “You must have done something at some point,” Steph added.

  Tank scoffed. “I ordered a drink. What’d you want me to do? The shit Zan does?” His voice rose an octave as he said, “Hey, little lady, want to suck my dick?” Uproarious laughter erupted, and in his normal voice, Tank said, “Sorry, dude, but I’m not an asshole.”

  “Dude, I’m not an asshole,” Zander said. “I’m playful.”

  Rob glowered at Zander. “You just about crossed the line with that little gal, Zan. Watch it next time.” His eyes shifted to Zeke, who gave him a confirmatory nod.

  “In Tank’s defense,” Chloe said carefully. “He’s a big guy, and with all those piercings and tattoos, he can be intimidating. Tank, maybe you could smile at her sometime.”

  Justin leaned closer and said, “Babe, that steel don’t crack.”

  “Oh, come on. Tank has a great smile,” Evie urged.

  Baz gave Evie a sideways look.

  “It’s true,” Madigan agreed. “Show ’em, Tanky.”

  Tank bared his teeth, making a low growl. The guys chuckled, and all the girls spoke at once.

  “Oh my God,” Evie exclaimed.

  Madigan pointed at Tank and said, “Don’t ever do that again. Especially around Leah.”

  Steph said, “Yeah, save that for the dogfight guys.”

  “Your bed will be empty forever if that’s your come-get-me smile,” Serena chimed in.

  Serena’s comment spurred a ruckus of the other guys showing their come-get-me smiles and loudly debating the pros and cons of each.

  Madigan pushed to her feet and said, “Come on, girls! Let’s dance!”

  All the girls got up, except Sid. Marly and Madigan each took an arm and pulled her up despite her complaints.

  “Go get ’em, beautiful,” Gunner said to Sid, who rolled her eyes.

  Zander and Baz began chanting, “Sidney! Sidney!”

  Chloe got up, and Justin pulled her down for a quick kiss. “Show them how it’s done, sweet thing.” He smacked her butt, and she followed the girls to the dance floor.

  The band was great, and they danced to several songs Chloe had never heard before. Reba and Ginger joined them on the dance floor, giving Chloe a chance to introduce Ginger to Serena. She greeted Serena with the same welcoming embrace Reba had. Reba and Ginger knew how to work a dance floor. They had great moves and they weren’t afraid to show them off, which made Chloe like them even more. They joked and talked about the guys’ banter, finding boyfriends for the single girls, and the adoption event. The list went on, and Chloe enjoyed every second of it. She loved the group of close-knit friends who were starting to feel like family.

  Conroy and Rob broke through the crowd and swept their wives into their arms, slow dancing to the fast song. The love in their eyes was tangible, reminding Chloe of the way Justin looked at her. She glanced at Justin, catching him watching her with a protective and lascivious look in his eyes. She had no idea how he could show both emotions at once, but she loved it. She turned up the heat on her dance moves, just for him.

  Serena followed her gaze, dancing close so her words hit Chloe’s ears only. “He’s mad about you.”

  “I know,” Chloe said, taking stock in how good it felt to hear her sister say it.

  “They all are, Chloe. You fit here. I know you love our friends from Bayside, but I’ve never seen you look so comfortable in a big group like this. I’m seeing parts of you I’ve never seen before, and I’ve known you my whole life. It’s like you were treading water, and Justin pulled you out and set you free.”

  Chloe stopped dancing, meeting Serena’s gaze. She hadn’t been living underwater. She’d been living in the shadows of her past.

  Serena leaned closer and said, “I think you found your family.”

  Family. Chloe choked up. She looked at Justin, who was rising to his feet along with Drake and several of the other guys. They strode toward the dance floor, shoulder to shoulder, with Tank taking up the rear. Justin felt like family.

  “What a beautiful sight they are,” Chloe said, drawing Serena’s eyes to her husband, who was walking beside Justin with his eyes locked on Serena.

  Serena grabbed Chloe’s hand and said, “How many years did we dream of being this happy?”

  “I’d say forever, but our forevers have just begun. We dreamed of it for a very long time, Serena.” As the guys began pairing up with the girls, she said, “Now it’s our turn to live it.”

  Justin bowed his head to speak to Tank, their ever-present steady sentry, who stood with his arms crossed, eagle eyes taking everything in from the edge of the dance floor. Madigan ran over and tried to tug Tank onto the dance floor, but he was immovable. Justin said something as he patted Tank’s arm; then he headed for Chloe.

  “Hello, beautiful.” He swept her into his arms, his loving eyes holding her captive as they danced.

  “What took you so long, Mr. Wicked?”

  “I was savoring the view of my favorite girl, but you were busy checking out other views.” He kissed her softly and whispered, “The only man you should be looking at is the one holding you in his arms.”

  She knew he wasn’t jealous. He knew she was crazy about him, and he was letting her know he saw everything. Chloe was okay with that. She wound her arms around his neck and said, “I disagree.”

  His brows slanted in confusion.

  She leaned closer, never missing a step of the dance as she said, “When you’re falling for a man, you fall for his family and friends, too, his world. It’s perfectly reasonable for me to take pleasure in the happiness of your family and friends.”

  “In that case, darlin’, you can look your fill.” He nipped at her lower lip and said, “But are you ever going to stop fucking with me?”

  She whispered, “Probably not.”

  He lowered his lips to hers, taking her in an exquisitely long ki
ss. When the band stopped playing, everyone else left the dance floor. Chloe moved to follow them, but Justin held her tighter.

  “Not yet,” he said softly.

  An army of Dark Knights surrounded the dance floor, arms crossed. Just beyond them, Serena and the girls were huddled together whispering behind their hands.

  “Justin, everyone is looking at us,” she whispered urgently. “We should go sit down.”

  “I think that would be a really bad idea. They’re about to play our song.”

  Delight and curiosity bloomed inside her. “We don’t have a song.”

  “We do now.”

  Justin looked at the stage, where Zander stood at the microphone holding a guitar, and he nodded. Zander began strumming the guitar, singing a slow rendition of “Uptown Girl.” Chloe felt her cheeks flame and buried her face in his chest. Her heart was beating so fast, she thought it might break free just to get to him.

  “Eyes up here, Uptown Girl.”

  He kissed her forehead, and she met his elated gaze. “You’re crazy!”

  “Crazy about you, sweet cheeks. I have a feeling we’re going to be spending a lot of time here. Take a good hard look at all those men. They will always keep you and Serena safe, even when I’m not around.”

  She choked up again, and they continued swaying, though she no longer heard the music. The emotions in Justin’s eyes drowned out everything else.

  “I hope I’ve found an acceptable way to stake my claim.”

  Her emotions reeled, and nervous laughter bubbled out with her words. “You definitely did. Now kiss me before I climb you like a tree right here in front of everyone.”

  His eyes went dark as midnight as he lowered his lips to hers. Cheers, whistles, and whoops rang out. The band started playing the song at normal speed, and friends and family poured onto the dance floor. Chloe added another night to her best nights ever list. With Justin in her life, she had a feeling the list would be never-ending. And there in his arms, with the beat of the music pulsing between them, surrounded by the people they loved most, she gave herself over to the sweetest kiss she’d ever experienced—and to the man she adored.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  THE WARM DAYS of June gave way to an even balmier July. It had been eight blissful days and seven sexy nights since that wonderful night at the Salty Hog. Busy days had led to full evenings for Chloe and Justin. They tried to visit with Shadow and Sampson as often as they could. Sampson’s adoptive family was working with Sidney to try to acclimate him to their current pet. Justin continued working on the sculpture for the rally, and Chloe made an album of Gracie for Starr, as promised. Chloe was also working with Madigan to flesh out a long-term puppetry program in hopes of the funding for the trial being approved. Chloe and Justin had made time for breakfast with their friends at Summer House one morning, and last night they’d met Serena and Drake at Gavin and Harper’s for dinner. She’d enjoyed spending the evening with them. But what she’d enjoyed even more was when they’d gotten back to Justin’s house and he’d led her around to the deck, where they’d danced beneath the stars, just as they’d done a month earlier at Chloe’s cottage. It was another unforgettable night. It didn’t matter how busy or tired they were, they ended each night tangled up in each other’s arms.

  While Justin was working in his studio the afternoon of July Fourth, Chloe headed to her cottage to pick up a few things. “Seriously, Serena, life is more beautiful than ever,” she said through her Bluetooth. “We spent the whole morning in bed.”

  “No way. You’ve never slept in. Not even when we were kids.”

  “I know, and I learned something about myself now that weekends have become our time. I always told myself I liked getting a jump on the day and staying one step ahead. But after spending lazy mornings lying in Justin’s arms talking, making love, or just being, I think I’ve always been running, afraid to slow down and just enjoy life. I’ve never felt safe enough to slow down before. Does that make sense to you?”

  “Yes. You were always taking care of me or planning things for work or making something for someone. I’m glad Justin’s got you loosening up and letting yourself relax. He really sees who you are, Chloe, even better than I do. He’s bringing out parts of you that you had to shove down deep in order to survive. Not all guys are like that.”

  “I realize that. I got lucky,” Chloe said as she parked in front of her cottage.

  “I’m happy for you, but I’m not gonna lie, sis,” Serena said. “It feels weird to spend the Fourth without you.” Serena was spending the Fourth on Drake’s boat with their friends from Bayside, and Chloe could hear them chattering in the background.

  Chloe had a fleeting pang of guilt about choosing to spend the evening with Justin instead of their friends, but it disappeared as quickly as it had come. This was a first for her and Justin, and they deserved it. “I know. I’m sorry. It is for me, too. But I’m excited to watch the fireworks alone with Justin tonight. Please don’t hate me for it.”

  “I could never hate you, and I don’t blame you one bit. But I do have to say this.” She began singing, “Chloe and Justin sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G—”

  Chloe climbed out of the car, laughing as her sister sang the silly song. She felt like she hadn’t been home in a month. She and Justin usually went back and forth between houses. But lately Justin had put in more time sculpting and Chloe had projects set up at his place, so it had been easier to stay there. Although they’d spent Wednesday night at her place since Justin had attended church.

  “How many drinks have you had?” Chloe asked as she headed up the walk.

  “Only two. It’s gorgeous on the water. In all seriousness, are you going to get matching tattoos and start driving a motorcycle?”

  “No.” Chloe laughed. “But if I were to get a tattoo, I’d have Tank do it. You should see the angel he tattooed on Justin’s back to honor his mother. He finished it this week, and it’s gorgeous.” She unlocked her cottage door and said, “Want to hear something weird?”

  “Sure. I love weird.”

  “You know my cottage has always meant everything to me.”

  “Yeah…?”

  “I used to feel like being home was my reward at the end of every day. But I just got to my cottage to pick up a few things, and it doesn’t feel that special anymore.”

  “That’s not weird. You’re spending almost every night having crazy monkey sex in your secluded love nest overlooking a pond with a man who treats you like gold. That love nest has become your home.”

  Chloe looked around her cottage at the fine furniture and color-coordinated decorations that had once meant so much to her and she said, “I don’t think it’s that. I think I’m having an epiphany. I worked so hard to buy my cottage, to have nice things, and to create a perfect life. It took years of planning and saving money, being careful with every penny I spent. Then this incredible guy finally breaks down my walls enough for me to let him into that life, and in a month he shows me that I hadn’t been living a perfect life at all. I’d been stacking things in my favor, trying to prove with material things that I’m not Mom. It’s like I was still trying to prove that I survived our childhood.”

  “Wow, you’re so much deeper than me,” Serena teased.

  “Shut up. I’m being serious.”

  “I know you are. I was, too. You are deeper than me. You always have been. You’re my responsible big sister. It’s your job to be more of a thinker and mine to be…me. I don’t think any of that is bad. What did you go home for anyway? Your mail goes to a post-office box, and you must have half your closet at Justin’s by now.”

  “I do,” she said. It was an amazing feeling seeing their lives blending together in so many ways. “I’m making him a present for our one-month anniversary, and I needed some of my crafting supplies.”

  “Seriously? Your one-month anniversary? Chloe Mallery, have you gone all swoony girl on me?” Serena laughed.

  “I can’t help it,” sh
e confessed a little giddily. “I’ve never allowed myself to be a swoony girl, but with Justin it’s not even a choice I’m making. It just happens. When he looks at me, or touches me, or just…God, Serena, you know what I mean.”

  “Of course I do. You look at him like he’s hung the moon. I love Justin for making you so happy. But I have to tell you a secret.” She lowered her voice and said, “I can’t see him without hearing Long Dong Naked Man in my head.”

  “Ohmygod! No!” Chloe snapped, but she was smiling so hard it hurt. “Do not think about my boyfriend that way.”

  “I’m trying not to. But Emery made such a big deal out of how big it was when she saw him naked, that…you know. I can’t just turn that thought off.”

  “Well, you have to, because he’s mine now. And I’ll freaking bring in the Men in Black to erase your memory if you don’t stop.”

  Serena laughed hysterically. “It’s so fun teasing you! I don’t really think of that every time I see him. Just almost every time.”

  “I’m hanging up now.”

  “Wait! How wicked is Long Dong?”

  “Goodbye, Serena.” Chloe ended the call and said, “Very wicked, but I’ll never tell you that, baby sister.”

  JUSTIN SET DOWN his pneumatic chisel and blew the dust from the stone. The sculpture for the rally was coming along nicely, though it would take another few weeks before it was complete. He checked the time and realized the afternoon had flown by. He put away his tools and headed up to the house to see Chloe. She’d stopped into the studio when she’d come back from her place, and after they shared a few steamy kisses, she’d gone up to the house to work on a project.

  His phone rang, and Levi Steele’s name appeared on the screen. “Levi, how’s it going, man?”

  “Really well, thanks. It was great seeing you again and meeting Chloe. Sorry Joey was so mouthy.”

  Justin squinted against the sun, dragging his forearm across his brow as he walked up the hill and said, “Joey was great. She always is. Did she get the album Chloe sent?”