Fighting Me (Shaft on Tour #5)

by Cat Mason

  “Hey, you okay?” I ask, walking over and grabbing a sippy cup and tub of baby wipes from the floor.

  “Fine,” she snaps, fumbling through the pile of stuff.

  Her hands are trembling, causing her to drop things as she picks them up. Reaching out, I grab her hand, and she jumps nervously. Her hands are sweaty and clammy. Sure it’s hot, but not hot enough for this. “Hey,” I say, grabbing her arms as she wobbles. Rae staggers unsteadily, worrying me immediately. I watched everyone last night like a hawk and she didn’t drink anything but water after the one shot. She wasn’t so off balance last night after drinking, so why now?

  Then it hits me.

  “Have you checked your blood this morning?”

  “Why didn’t I think of that?” she slurs sarcastically, trying to push free of my grip. “Lemme go.”

  “Don’t go lightin’ your fuse on me now, Firecracker,” I say, hoisting her up into my arms and laying her on the end of the bed. “Let’s get you handled.”

  “You’re bossy,” she huffs, lying back on the pillow.

  “That’s no newsflash, babe.”

  Digging through the stuff on the bed, I come up empty handed. Turning to the bedside table, I dig through the drawers before spotting the black bag on the floor between the table and the bed. Picking it up, I unzip it and get everything ready like I’ve seen her do several times in the last two weeks and notice a laminated card. When the meter beeps, it flashes and the number beeps red.

  “Oops, red isn’t good,” she babbles. Sitting up, she takes the meter from me and stares at it. “It’s been fun, Bear, but I should probably get some juice.” Turning her legs, she slips from the bed. Her knees wobble as she pads across the room toward the mini-fridge before she crumples to the floor. “Twatfacedasswhore,” she mutters under her breath.

  Stepping around her, I open the door to the mini fridge and grab the insulin pens and a small bottle of orange juice before closing the door. Turning around, I lift her to her feet and help her back to the bed. “Keep your ass put, woman,” I say, plopping her back on the mattress.

  Grabbing the card from the kit, I read what to do in the event of an emergency. It lists symptoms of both sugar dropping and spikes, and explaining what to do depending on her glucose levels. There is also an in case of emergency contact with a number to call Joshua Dillard. Opening the juice, I hand it to Rae, helping her hold it when her hands shake causing it to spill onto her.

  Tears begin to stream down her cheeks and she pushes away the bottle. “I can do it.” She sniffles, grabbing for the pen. She squints and rubs her eyes, blinking furiously as she shoves the lid back on. “No shot, just juice. I got this.”

  “If you say so,” I chuckle, putting the insulin back into the fridge and throwing away the trash. When I come back out of the bathroom, I see that she hasn’t moved from the bed. “I’ll be back with some breakfast and I’m gonna sit and make damn sure you eat it.”

  “I’ll handle it myself,” she argues, but doesn’t move. “Once I get my bearings back.”

  “I’ve got it,” I reply, heading for the door. “You know, it’s okay to rely on someone else in a situation like this, Rae. It’s all right for you to need people.”

  “That’s funny coming from you.” She snorts, meeting my eyes. “When is the last time you relied on anyone for anything? Who takes the burdens off the big bad bear’s shoulders? Sorry babe, but no one believes the man standin’ behind the pulpit when he doesn’t even practice what he’s preachin’.”

  I don’t say a word. There’s no point in arguing with her about it when I know she’s right. Hell, she’s known me all of two weeks and she even knows she’s right. Instead, I shove down the hallway, heading straight for the kitchen to find her something to eat.

  It’s no secret that I keep everyone at a distance. You can only get so close before I’m shutting down and pushing everyone away. Rae’s different, she’s not afraid to call me on it.

  When I walk into the living area, Hunter is sitting on the couch, his eyes widening in shock when he spots me. Fumbling around frantically, he shoves something into the front of his shorts before tying the drawstring. “Hey, uh, Big Man. Thought everyone was on the beach. How’s it goin’?” he asks nervously, covering his crotch with one of the big throw pillows on the couch.

  “What the fuck are you doin’?” I ask, shaking my head. “I don’t have time to put a cone of shame around your neck to keep you from lickin’ your junk. Do us all a favor and leave your hammer in the tool box.”

  “I wish my tool was in the box right now. Fuckin’ woman and her goddamn traditions,” he bitches. “I have traditions too that include keepin’ my pounder lubricated in pussy juice at all times.”

  Ignoring him, I head into the kitchen and grab a small plate from the drainer. Digging through the fridge, I manage to find some fruit already cut in a large bowl and then grab some oatmeal from the cabinet. Pouring it in a bowl with water, I stir and pop it into the microwave. Searching through the cabinets below the sink, I find a tray and start arranging things on it.

  “The mother-in-law will be here tonight,” Hunter says, walking into the kitchen, adjusting his crotch. Climbing up onto a bar stool, he rests his elbows on the island countertop. “Luke and Mack are setting out to pick her up before dinner. That way when they head back it’ll be dark.”

  “Yep. That’s the best way to do it,” I reply, already having heard the plan from Mack and Luke this morning. Taking the oatmeal from the microwave, I stir it again before adding butter and placing it on the tray. Scooping some fruit out onto the plate, I place the bowl back in the fridge. “Just don’t get caught jerkin’ one out and you’ll be just fine. I’ve got shit to do.” Picking up the tray, I turn to leave the kitchen.

  “Where ya takin’ that, Big Man?” he asks, the stool creaking letting me know he’s pushed to his feet.

  “Rae’s blood sugar dropped too low. Makes her sick,” I explain. “I’m taking her something to eat, then I’ll go out and see what is going on with setting up and make sure the kids are okay until she’s able to take them. Why aren’t you helping?”

  Hunter stalks around the island and shrugs his shoulders. “I was distracted.”

  “I bet,” I deadpan, making a mental note not to sit on that sofa the rest of the trip.

  Walking through the doorway, Hunter heads for the door. Something falls from his pant leg onto the floor, catching my eye. “Normally,” I say, placing the tray down on the table. Scratching my chin, I walk toward him as he freezes mid-step. “I’d ignore this, or try my fuckin’ hardest to forget that I saw somethin’ fall out of your ass,” I say, eyeing the piece of bacon at his feet. “I’m thinkin’ that this means you didn’t sneak in here to beat the meat, you were eatin’ it.”

  “Hunter, I need you to…” Chase walks in from the deck, stopping dead in her tracks. Her eyes go to the floor, lighting up in amusement. Pulling out her phone, she points it at us before the flash goes off. “I can’t believe you.” She giggles. Walking over she reaches out and grabs the waistband of his shorts, shaking them. A half dozen pieces of bacon fall to the floor. “What does this look like to you, honey?” she asks, barely able to contain her laughter as she takes another picture.

  “Fuck,” Hunter says under his breath, staring down at the scattered meat on the floor. “The struggle is real, all right? I’m having a dirty affair with Oscar Mayer, he gives such a good porkin’,” he admits, yanking a hand through is hair. “I’ve been denied pussy and bacon. Let’s be honest, it was only a matter of time before somethin’ had to give.” Shrugging, Hunter leans down and kisses the corner of Chase’s mouth. “It was a dark time for me.”

  “Not touchin’ that.” Chase laughs and I turn and grab the tray, heading down the hallway toward Rae’s room.

  “Looks like you and I both just got a bit richer,” I say, walking in and kicking the door closed behind me. “Hunter was busted smuggling pork in his ass.”

  Rae is
n’t where I left her in bed, her room is empty. Lying the tray on the mattress, I look around the room. “Rae?”

  My eyes fall on the cracked bathroom door and I hear the faint sound of water running. Stepping closer, I stop just outside the door and hear the shower running. It’s barely been thirty minutes, what the hell is she doing? She could fall. Hell, she could have slipped and hit her head and be unconscious right now. I listen for a minute, but don’t hear a sound. Nothing except the spray of the shower head.

  Flinging open the door, I step inside. “Rae, what in the hell do you think you’re doin?”

  “I’m learning to sword swallow,” she fires back, cracking the frosted shower door open enough to meet my eyes. “What in the hell does it look like I’m doing?”

  “Very funny,” I reply, propping my arm on the wall. “Is that more Bitchenese?”

  Rolling her eyes, she pushes the door closed. “Maybe.”

  “Is twatfacedasswhore Bitchenese too?” I ask, chuckling.

  The water shuts off and the door flies open. Reaching for the towel, Rae wraps it around herself before stepping onto the bath mat. “Don’t try to understand Bitchenese,” she says, turning her back to me and looking into the mirror. Taking another towel from the rack, she bends over, her long brown hair tumbling down in front of her as she towel dries it. “One false translation is all it takes for all hell to break loose.” Straightening back to her full height, she looks up and meets my eyes. “You don’t want to be on the business end of that shit, trust me.”

  “I see,” I say, taking a step towards her. I can’t stand the distance between us since last night. I can’t stand knowing that I upset her the way that I did. It’s all too clear in her eyes that I hurt her by shutting down when she was only trying to help me. All she wanted to do was understand. “Well, who do I ask to help me with translation? Maybe something like, ‘Hey, I was an asshole last night’.” Gripping the towel to her chest, her face softens a little as I take another step toward her.

  “Hmm,” she says, chewing on her lip. “You wouldn’t need to translate if someone had kept their opinions to themselves. Still doesn’t mean I like the instant hot and cold switch you flip on me.”

  “How would I say, ‘Sorry?’?” I ask, running a finger down her arm. Taking her hand in mine, I say, “I’m still trying to figure this out.”

  Her eyes search mine as I pull her closer to me. My arm slips around her waist. “Bitchenese?”

  Pressing my lips to her wrist, I feel her pulse thumping wildly. No one has ever seen through things like she seems to. Sure, I confided in Katheryn, and even Jenn until I had to leave, but Rae sees it without even knowing what lurks there. “No,” I reply, dropping her hand. “Trusting someone enough to let them in.”

  “I have my own demons, Bear. I just refuse to let them own me anymore.”

  “It’s seems like I’ve been fighting with myself my entire life,” I say, blowing out a breath. I try to find the words to answer some of the questions I see in her eyes, but I come up empty handed. “I don’t want to keep hangin’ on, but I can’t make myself let go.” Brushing her damp hair over her shoulder, I lean down and inhale the sweet smell of her skin. “I don’t know what it is about you, Rae, but kissing you, touching you… it makes it easier to breathe.”

  “What’s stopping you?” Her tongue darts out to taste her bottom lip. “I want you, I’m not denyin’ that, but I can’t take you being hot then cold with me. I’m also not standing here as some added duty to attend to. That’s one thing I’ll never allow myself to become. Not to anyone, ever again, that’s just me and my shit.”

  “You’re not an obligation to me, Rae.” Yanking the towels away, I throw them to the floor, leaving her standing naked in front of me. Cupping her ass, I pull her flush against my body so that as I lift her off the ground, I can feel every inch of her body against my chest until her face is level with mine. “The last thing I need is another one.”

  Wrapping her legs around my waist, she slides her hands up my arms. Ripping off my sunglasses, she tosses them to the vanity before slamming her lips to mine. My hands fly into her hair, yanking at the damp strands. Her taste is so fucking sweet, so addictive. Her lips just aren’t enough. I need more and I can’t wait.

  As if reading my mind, she opens her mouth. Without hesitating, I dive and take what I want. Pressing her back to the wall, I fight with her for control of the kiss, desperate for more. Rae’s fingernails scrape down my back and I lose it. A growl rips from my chest and it’s like she’s unleashed an animal.

  Releasing my hold on her hair, I fumble with my shorts to free my cock. I need to be inside her, to feel her clamp down on my dick. “God yes,” she moans, rocking her pelvis into me.

  Shoving my pants down my thighs, I grab her hips and slam her down onto my dick without so much as a warning. Any other time, I would work her up and make her come at least once so she was nice and wet for me first, but fuck I can’t wait another minute. Rae screams, her nails digging into my back, no doubt leaving marks and drawing blood.

  It’s nothing to do with emotions, or the questions left hanging in the air about the demons that we both have. This is about release, plain and simple. It’s about taking what we need from each other and that’s all that matters. Her eyes burn into mine; they could easily destroy me if I let them. The brown is sizzling hot and I can see how much she wants me, but beyond that are things that I can see, but can’t begin to comprehend. She is concerned for me and isn’t afraid to show it. If the group worries about me, they keep it to themselves out of fear of me snapping. Not Rae. She’s gone toe-to-toe with me from day one. I’m not used to that.

  Rae arches her back, leaning more into the wall. “More,” she pants, sliding her hands up to grip my shoulders. “You’re not going to break me, Henry. Get lost in me. Give me more, please.”

  Sliding one hand up to the middle of her back, I grip her ass with my other hand and drive into her balls deep. Her eyes roll back in her head before closing as she gasps my name between breaths. Unable to help myself, I bend down and capture her nipple between my lips and suck hard, flicking the little bar with my teeth as I slam into her relentlessly.

  Those piercings are so fucking sexy.

  Thrusting my hips, my cock pistons in and out of her, unapologetically milking every ounce of pleasure from her body. Rocking her hips, she silently begs for more friction. Her tits bounce, slapping into my face with every thrust and I fucking love it.

  My dick is throbbing painfully and the way her pussy clamps down on me has my knees about to buckle. My balls tighten, slapping her ass, the sounds echoing off the walls with every sexy as fuck moan she makes. I go off like a fucking rocket. Rae screams my name, her orgasm causing her whole body to jolt.

  Gripping her tightly, I turn so that my back is to the wall and slide to the floor. The minute my ass hits the cool tile, I begin thrusting upward into her. Arching her back, Rae grinds down on me, palming her tits in her hands. It sends me over the edge. Grabbing her behind the neck, I slam my mouth to hers, swallowing every cry she makes as I fill her with my release.

  Rae melts into me. Sliding her hands up to cup my face, she kisses me deeply. Wrapping my arms around her tightly, I hold her to me so that I can feel as much of her body as possible. My heart thumps violently in my chest, even though my breathing is normalizing. I smile against her mouth, breaking the kiss. Burying my face in the crook of her neck, I laugh. My entire body shakes violently with every breath. The fuck? I haven’t let loose and laughed like this in so long.

  I’m damned near in a fit of hysterical giggles like the girls have.

  Leaning back, Rae brushes her thumbs over my cheeks, staring at me with wide eyes. “You okay?” she asks, biting her lip to keep from laughing right along with me.

  “Yeah.” Sliding my hands into her hair, I pull her to me for another kiss. I can’t get enough of her taste. It’s addictive. No one has ever gotten to me this way, not even Jenn. I have always
been able to separate myself from what needs to be done versus what I want. Rae? She leaves me in a constant state of confliction. It’s like she is slowly pulling every ounce of control from me, leaving me powerless to do anything but drown in her.

  By the time Rae and I get cleaned up and dressed, my phone is going off letting me know that the girls need me to help on the beach. Rae packs up the bag for the kids, and, after eating and checking her blood to make sure it’s leveled back out, I walk her down to the beach to get on with our day.

  16

  To Have and To Shaft

  Rae

  I can’t help but get emotional at weddings. It’s something that has always pulled at my heartstrings. The coming together of two people to create one, the love that surrounds the entire ceremony… it’s a beautiful thing.

  Yesterday morning was a bit hazy. When my levels get too low, it’s a crap shoot. My moods are all over the place, I get shaky, and honestly, no one except Joshua would willingly handle me when I get like that. I can remember Henry arguing with me and then the explosive sex in the bathroom. After that, my day was busy on the beach with the kids while wedding decorations were being put up and the girls went through the menu list.

  Today has been more of the same; hectic and busy as everyone gets ready for Hunter and Chase’s wedding. Chase’s mother, Audrey, walked in last night and banished all the men to the back house, immediately calling for traditions to be followed. This morning, she caught Hunter trying to sneak into bed with Chase and I swear his screams woke up the entire island.

  Henry and I haven’t seen much of each other let alone talked about what is going on between us, and I didn’t expect to. Whatever is going on in his head, is something he is going to have to be ready to share with me. I’m not going to go digging when I want him to trust me with it. I want him to let me in. That isn’t something you can force, it just has to happen. I can’t forget the look in his eyes; there was something softer there as he moved inside me.