by Tory Baker
Licked
Getting Dirty Series, Book 3
Tory Baker
Contents
Prologue
1. Berkley
2. Ryder
3. Berkley
4. Ryder
5. Berkley
6. Ryder
7. Berkley
8. Ryder
9. Berkley
10. Ryder
11. Berkley
12. Ryder
13. Berkley
14. Ryder
15. Berkley
16. Ryder
17. Berkley
Epilogue
Epilogue
What’s Next?
About the Author
Also by Tory Baker
Copyright © 2020 by Tory Baker
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
Please respect the author and do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials that would violate the author’s rights. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
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“Love isn’t something you find. Love is something that finds you.”
— Loretta Young
Prologue
Ryder
One Month Earlier
I look around the kitchen. Everything is going as smoothly as it can be for a Friday evening. The sous chefs are working, waitresses and waiters are hustling their tails off. Now to the part I least enjoy, mingling with patrons. It’s bullshit and the only part of this job I hate.
Who wants to work in a kitchen, get hot and sweaty, then meander out and see if everyone likes their food? My fucking luck, there’ll be a damn food critic here tonight. That would be the icing on the cake.
“Ryder, are you ready?” the owner of Melody’s Steak House, who is, in fact, Melody, asks. She’s lucky she’s my damn sister, or I would tell her to buzz the fuck off.
“I don’t know why you insist on this. You’re the front runner.”
“Oh hush. You do this once a week and have for the past three years. Tonight won’t kill you.” She slaps my arm. I may be bigger and taller than she is by a head—something I still give her shit for—but Melody is still older. Though she has her head on straight even when the sperm donor took off the day her daughter, Sienna, graced the world. That little girl has me wrapped around her finger. She knows all she has to say is, “Uncle Ry-Ry,” and I’m fucking toast.
“Whatever. Let’s get this shit over and done with.” I change out of my dirty white top, exchange it for a black one, and then follow Melody out to the dining room.
“Are you sure you don’t mind watching Sienna tomorrow? I know it’s your day off. I hate to even ask.” Melody knows without a doubt I’ll always keep Sienna. Not like there’s much else to do on my day off besides hit the gym, grocery shop, and be a couch potato. At least with Sienna, going to the store will be fun, something that usually ends with her picking out food that I know her mother hates, yet I allow it anyways.
“That’s a dumb question if I ever heard one.” Melody had Sienna six years ago, when she was twenty-nine years old, just starting out with her restaurant. I was twenty-seven. Now she’s thirty-five, a successful business owner, an amazing single mom, and I help out where I can.
“I’m just making sure. I don’t want to intrude on your life any more than I already do.”
“Hey, don’t think like that. I’m not going anywhere. I told you the day that deadbeat walked out on you that I’d do whatever I can to help you both.” Melody nods her head, which I take that as my cue to shut up and follow her lead.
“Smile a little, would you?” She smarts off after we make it around a few tables.
“Like this?” I give her my goofiest and cheesiest grin, trying to get her to relax.
“God, you’re so annoying. How are we even related?”
“Shit,” I mumble before darting to the table in the corner. There’s a woman sitting by herself. She’s beating on the table, her other hand at her throat. She’s fucking choking. On what I have no idea. I just know she needs help.
“Oh my god,” I hear my sister say behind me, but I’ve already reached the table, lifting the gorgeous fucking woman out of her chair and performing the Heimlich maneuver. It takes a few tries before she finally stops choking. I may have only gotten a glimpse of her as I was hustling my ass towards her, like her honey-golden blond hair falling down well past her shoulders, sleek and straight, which wasn’t even the half of it, but what I saw had me wanting to see more. I’m an asshole to even be thinking these thoughts while she couldn’t breathe.
“Are you okay?” my sister asks the woman who’s still in my arms, my body wrapped around hers. I can feel every curve, especially her ass that’s rubbing against my lengthening cock without her even knowing the effect she has on me.
“I think so. I’m so sorry to have caused a scene.” Her voice has a roughness to it. One that I’m sure is a result of not getting enough air and having food lodged in her throat.
“Melody, I’d take her to the hospital or a walk-in clinic, just to be sure.” I reluctantly let her go. My hand moves to her hip, holding her to make sure she’s okay. That’s when I’m ruined. The noises around me stop. The clattering of utensils hitting plates isn’t there. There’s no whispering. And there’s no way in hell I’m going to ever let this woman go.
“I’m okay. I promise.” She still holds her throat. I nod my head, silently telling Melody there’s no fucking way she is.
“Please let me take you, just in case. No charge. We’ll cover it, and of course your meal is on the house.” Melody reads my mind.
“It’s better to be safe,” I input. She looks up at me, and when she does, those hazel eyes search mine. Her eyes are so much like the leaves changing in the fall, brown in color, but you see the glimpses of green that come and go.
“Okay, I’ll go, but I’ll pay for my meal. And I have health insurance. So, please don’t worry about that.” Her voice seems to come out more clearly now.
“Ryder, I’ll take her. You can handle the kitchen, and I’ll be back to close down,” Melody inserts before I get the chance to offer. I see the stern look she’s giving me. Fucking big sisters are the bane of my existence tonight. I give her a look. One she knows all too well. “Thank you,” the beauty before me says.
“Anything for you.” The words slip past my lips. I squeeze her hip one last time before Melody is taking over. Fuck, I hope that’s not the last I’ve seen of her.
One
Berkley
Present
Today is the day I take over full time in my first grade class. The elementary school told me when they hired me that I’d transition into my own class after they did an in-depth training, so I was basically a teacher’s aid until I found my groove. Some people would think that’s weird, but honestly, it was refreshing to see a school care about not only their students but their teachers as well.
Moving to Texas was hard but also amazing. I couldn’t have found a job like this in Virginia. Saying goodbye to my parents was the hardest part, as well as living with Aspen and Jasper for the first couple of months while they were full on in their honeymoon phase. Not easy, but they found a house shortly after, and I took over the lease from them. Smartest decision ever. I’
m sure they were happy too. I love my cousin, but hearing her and Jasper trying to be quiet, that was not fun.
I will say I’m probably one the youngest teachers right now. That’s only because I was an overachiever all throughout my high school and college career. I knew from the time I was a little girl that I wanted to be an elementary school teacher. No way was I going to teach the older grade levels. That would just beg for me to pull my hair out. So, here I am, waiting for my kids to come in this morning after I spent all weekend turning my classroom into something exciting, fun, and cozy all at the same time.
Truth be told, I probably went overboard, but when your cousins come down on a whim and we all get together, it’s like a smorgasbord of craziness all wrapped into one. We all ended up painting the walls, placing signs here and there, creating a reading nook, and a plethora of other stuff. Well, it came out looking ridiculously amazing. It’s something I’m beyond proud of and I hope will give my class a good start. The fact that they’ve had to merge two classrooms while I was in training instead of having three teachers really sucks. I have my fingers crossed that none of the kids got lost in the shuffle, which happens much too often.
I stand by my door as the first bell rings. The children walk in one at a time. Some parents drop them at the door, some come in to say goodbye. The one who stops me in my tracks is the little girl holding what must be her mom’s hand. She’s leading the way, telling her, “Hurry, we can’t be late to Miss Jennings’ class. She’s our new teacher.”
Holy moly, I’m in trouble. It’s Melody from the steak house where I choked and almost died. She was quiet the entire time we were at the walk-in clinic, and only once the doctor gave me a clean bill of health, I got her to finally leave—without paying the bill. I was already on as a teacher, but my parents’ health insurance was still overlapping. So, there was no need for Melody or her husband or maybe boyfriend to worry about paying the bill or me suing.
“Hello, you’re not late. That was the first bell, so you have plenty of time.” I squat so Sienna can be eye to eye with me, something I’ve learned to do from years of my parents doing it for me and my cousins. It was the best way to keep our attention with all the energy we had running around. In the past week, I’ve visited the two classes my room was split into, so I’ve met every student, giving us a chance to get to know each other. That way, they weren’t just thrown into a pool, so to speak, and be expected to sink or swim.
“Hi, Miss Jennings. Mommy, this is my new teacher.” She tugs on her mom’s hand, letting her know she wants to introduce us. I stand up and hold my hand out. Melody takes it even though we already know each other.
“I know who this is, Sienna. She came to dinner one night.” I can see the love and adoration Melody has for her daughter. It warms my heart even though my stomach is dropping because surely the guy who helped me must be her significant other.
“Oh, well, she’s really nice. I love you, Mommy. Have a good day!” She hugs her side and then darts off to class.
“Thank you again.” My smile is warm, not showing that the man who saved my life left me with memories of the way he held me, not to mention something that brushed up against my backside.
“I’m just glad you’re okay. It sure is a small world, huh?” she questions.
“You’re not kidding.” The final bell rings, both of us standing there in limbo until I close the awkwardness down.
“Well, I better get in there. I’m sure we’ll be seeing more of each other.” She nods her head, leaving it at that. I walk into my classroom ready to start the day even though there’s dread seeping inside of me. Too bad I seem to have no luck at all.
“Good morning!” I tell the children. They’re all sitting in their designated spots. Something Peyton helped me do was create cute name plates for each of their desks. She really does have the best handwriting and took over that project with more excitement than she probably should have.
“Good morning, Miss Jennings,” a chorus of voices says back. And that’s how we start our day, introducing a bit about one another until it’s time for us to officially start our school day. I shove my emotions aside, and something else I’ll deal with later. Much later. With a big heaping glass of wine.
Two
Ryder
“Hey, you’ll never guess who I saw today.” Melody walks into the kitchen while I’m prepping everything for the evening rush.
“Who’s that?” Melody has been in her own head lately, something to do with I’m sure is Sienna’s dad calling and trying to reconnect, or so he says. I don’t even hold my breath. That guy comes and goes when the state is after him.
“That cute girl you demanded I take to the walk-in clinic when she choked in the restaurant,” she smarts off. My sister clearly needs a weekend away, do something for her, because she’s been biting everyone’s head off.
“Oh, the girl who could sue not only you but also me? You’re not the only one who has an investment in this restaurant, Melody. Thanks for thinking solely of yourself. You wanna tell me what the fuck you have crawling up your ass?” I love her, would do anything for her, but this is bullshit.
“I’m sorry. You’re right. I don’t know what’s going on. I’ve been a raging bitch, and the icing on the top is that Joseph lawyered up. Anyway, the girl, her name is Berkley Jennings, and she’s Sienna’s first grade teacher. Sweet as pie. Sienna is already halfway in love with her.” This is the sister I know, calmer and more centered.
“Come here.” I drop what I’m doing, knowing what she has to deal with is not easy. Melody clearly needs a hug.
“I’m a mess. I don’t know why you put up with me.” She wraps her arms around my waist. I bring it in, and we hug it out. This is the shit our mom made us do when we were younger. We’d go off blaming one another for something the other didn’t do. Start running around. Usually, Melody was doing the chasing. Those long fingers of hers, when she’d attack, they would slap the dog snot out of me.
“You got this. Why don’t you take the afternoon off? I’ll pick up Sienna. Our day shift manager can handle things. I need to grocery shop for my house, and you know how much our girl likes to do that. Then I can drop her off at your place after homework and dinner, come back here, make sure things are going well. Go get a pedicure or drink a bottle of wine or something.” I see the slow smile appearing on her face.
“Sure, you can do that, but we all know why you really want to pick up Sienna.” She arches her eyebrow.
“I highly doubt that. She probably doesn’t remember me. I’m more worried about your mental health right now. You do need to make an appointment with your attorney. If you need money, I have it. Not that I think he’ll actually follow through. This is just another hurdle.”
“You’re right. Are you sure you don’t mind getting Si?”
“I wouldn’t have offered if I did. Now, go on and get outta here.” I use my hands to move her along.
“Thanks, Ry. I appreciate it.”
“Not a problem. Now, let me get back to work so our little princess won’t be kept waiting. You know how she gets when the diva doesn’t get her afternoon snack.” Sienna puts hangry to a whole other level. She’s truly just like her mom in that area.
“Yeah, yeah. I hear what you’re not saying, you know?” Melody laughs. My face must be showing what I’m thinking.
“You can’t deny it.” I get back to work, already coming up with a plan about what I’ll do when I see Berkley Jennings, how I’ll make her mine. Damn, one touch of her body touching mine had me jacking off like a teenager this past month. The way her lush ass curved into my groin perfectly. She’s on the taller side, and with those high heels she was rocking, it put her at the perfect height. All I’d have to do is get rid of the layers of clothes we had on, bend my knees, and we’d be at the perfect level. It’s one of the fantasies I’ve used multiple times—her bent over a table, ass in the air, face down on my bed, me holding her against the wall while my cock surges deep inside
her. It’s been on repeat. I never thought I’d see her again, but it looks like today I’ll be getting what I’ve been dreaming of.
This thought puts a pep in my step. I fly through all the prep work that’s needed for this evening, let the other chefs know I’ll be out, and so will Melody, but to call me if they have an issue.
Once that’s done, I head out the door, climb into my truck, and drive my ass home for a quick shower and change of clothes. I’m off to get my girl, and nothing is going to stop me today. Even if it means using my niece as an in, which I’d usually be completely against, but desperate measures and all that. Plus, knowing Sienna, she’ll barter something in the way of dessert or a toy. It’ll all be worth it when Berkley is mine.
Three
Berkley
My first day was a success. Sure, there were some rocky parts, but for the most part it was smooth sailing. Lunchtime was our only hiccup, partly because I noticed a certain little girl forgot her food in her mom’s car. The waterworks were coming on, and we had to avert that crisis. I snuck some money to the lunch lady and let her know Sienna’s lunch was covered.
Now, the kids are playing in the corners the girls and I’ve created in my room, a reading nook, a toy area for building things, and then another for fictional play. I figured if we got through our curriculum for the day, there was no reason why they couldn’t spend their last twenty minutes doing something fun, and it seems to have worked out so far.
