by L. P. Maxa
Luckily, Wyatt had been a good distraction. We’d taken the little monster to his shark-themed bathroom. He’d poured a whole pitcher of water onto the tile floor, then shit in the tub. After I’d rocked him to sleep, I had a hard time keeping him that way when I placed him in his crib. Every time his tiny body touched the mattress, he’d wake up and start crying. Then I would start the whole process over again.
This happened three times before Marley had taken over, put him in his crib, and immediately started to rub his back in soothing circles.
“Is he asleep?” I was whispering, speaking as quietly as humanly possible.
Marley nodded, carefully slipping her hand through the bars of Wyatt’s crib. We’d both sat in front of his bed, taking turns rubbing circles on his back for the last thirty minutes.
I stood to leave and Marley grabbed my arm, jerking me back down to the floor. She shook her head and then crawled slowly out of the room, giving me a spectacular view of her ass. She was seventeen, but she was well on her way to mine. That meant it was okay to look, right? As long as I didn’t reach out and palm one of those perfect ass cheeks the way I wanted to.
I closed my eyes, groaning silently as I crawled out after her.
Marley held her hand out, helping me to my feet with a smile on her pretty face. “Never stand. They can sense the shift in the air.”
I chuckled at the mock seriousness in her tone. “You’re like the baby whisperer.”
She snorted. “If I was the baby whisperer, it wouldn’t have taken us an hour to get him to sleep.” She plopped down on the couch, kicking her feet up on the coffee table.
I went into the kitchen, grabbing a beer and a bottle of water before joining her. I handed her the water and she narrowed her eyes on my beer. “What?”
“Why can’t I have a beer?” She glanced at the water but didn’t take it from my hand so I sat it on the table in front of her.
“Uh, because you’re incredibly under age?” As soon as I said it, I winced. “For alcohol.” Was that hypocritical? Old enough to date a twenty-five-year-old, but not old enough to have a beer?
“This is the Devil’s Share compound, social norms don’t apply, remember?” She took the beer from me, taking a long swig and handing it back.
“Social norms, laws, none of that matters when you’re the kids of famous-as-fuck rock stars.” I chuckled as I took a drink, liking that my mouth was where hers had been. “Was it as crazy growing up out here as it seems?” I leaned back against the opposite side of the couch, trying and failing to remove myself from temptation as I pulled her legs into my lap.
She bit her lips together, like she was trying to hide her reaction to my touch. “I don’t know. I guess I don’t really know how other kids grew up.”
“Well, we certainly didn’t have sleepovers with girls once we hit puberty.” I’d been beyond jealous earlier, listening to her talk about spending the night with Jett. But I wanted to move past that. I wanted her to feel like she could talk to me. Like she could be honest with me. Marley was already hiding so much from so many people the last thing I wanted was for her not to have me to talk to. We’d be doomed before we even got started if that happened. “Did you guys ever tour with your parents when you were younger?”
“No.” She shook her head as she held her hand out for my beer, and begrudgingly I passed it over. “Our parents were mostly done with all that once us kids started showing up. I think Landry and Halen traveled with them for a bit, but not the rest of us. They didn’t ever want us in the public eye. Which is why they built homes here, raising us all together. I guess they figured as long as we were on the compound, we were safe.”
After she took another sip of our beer, she handed it back.
“And? Were you?”
“We were safe from the media, and safe from people who wanted to use us for our fame and money. But living here didn’t stop life from happening, you know?” She licked her lips, making my eyes linger there as she started to speak again. “Hearts still got broken, along with a lot of laws. Halen and Beau went through a miscarriage. Crue cheated on Avory and abused his relationship with Cash. Evie got addicted to pills and lost herself for a while. Landry got pregnant by a guy she barely knew, and Jett and I started an illegal grow operation.” She laughed lightly. “You can’t stop the world from spinning, no matter how much distance you put between you and it.”
The way she spoke, she hypnotized me. I could listen to her talk for hours and never grow bored. I loved the way she saw things, her outlook on life, and the deep way she thought.
I rubbed my hands up and down her bare legs, my heart rate increasing with each pass, my need for her increasing with every touch. It didn’t matter if it was a sarcastic text or a heartfelt letter. Reading her words affected me as much as hearing them.
I wanted Marley, every way a man could want a woman.
“You’re trouble.” I inhaled deeply, trying to get my pounding heart under control.
“You keep saying that.” She took my beer, draining the small amount that was left.
I couldn’t help but enjoy her defiance. “You’re currently sitting next to me, drinking a beer. You started an illegal grow operation under your parents’ noses. And you’re so fucking tempting, I’m finding it hard to breathe.”
“I’m a lot of things, Talon, but I’m not sure tempting is one of them.”
I shook my head, pulling on her calves and bringing her small body closer to mine. “You are tempting, M, everything about you tempts me.” I was playing with fire, but I so desperately wanted her to see herself the way I saw her. “Your brain, your defiance, your compassion.” I let my hands sit on her thighs, unable to help myself as my fingers played with the frayed hem of her shorts. “Your beautiful face, your body, your vintage concert shirts, and your scuffed-up boots.” I took another deep breath, filling my senses with all things Marley. “You are trouble, and you are tempting. You’re everything, Marley, and I can’t get enough.”
“Kiss me.” She let her teeth scrape across her bottom lip, and it felt as if those teeth were scraping against my soul.
My breaths were coming in shallow pants, my pulse pounding. “M…” I’d made a promise to myself, and a silent promise to her that I wouldn’t touch her until she was eighteen. That I couldn’t cross that line. I wouldn’t give either of us another secret to keep. “Baby, I—”
“Please, Talon.” She pulled her legs out of my lap, curling them underneath her, and went up on her knees. I straightened, my hand snaking around her lower back to bring her tighter against me.
The need to feel her, to hold her, was becoming too hard to fight. My brain wasn’t in control anymore. The moment her hand settled over my pounding heart, I knew I’d never be able to deny her anything.
I swallowed past the lump in my throat and leaned forward, placing my lips on hers. I had every intention of kissing her slow and soft, giving her the lead to move at her own pace. But then she had to go and whimper against my lips, tightening her fist in my shirt.
I moved my hand to the back of her neck, deepening our kiss and moving my tongue against hers. She tasted like the beer we’d shared, and it was strangely intoxicating. I kissed her long and hard, taking way more than I had intended. She threw her leg over my lap, moving to straddle me with her hands on my jaw. I slid my palms up the back of her thighs, stopping just before her perfect ass.
“Baby.”
I smiled as she hovered above me, a wicked little gleam in her eyes. “Yeah?”
“I clearly don’t have any control when it comes to you, so maybe straddling my dick isn’t the best idea?” She laughed as she slowly lowered herself down into my lap. “M, you’re kill—”
We both froze at the sound of the keypad, the small beeps causing us to shoot apart moments before the front door opened and Brody walked in with Landry thrown over his shoulder. He smirked at me, and then frowned when his eyes traveled down to the other end of the couch and realized Marley was
here too.
He sat Landry on her feet, spinning her around to face us as he pulled her back against his front. “Hey, MVP, what are you doing here?”
Landry put her hands on Brody’s forearm where it was resting across her chest. “Did Talon need help? You guys had to crawl out of his room, didn’t you?” She shook her head, laughing lightly. “Brody, I told you that was a terrible habit you adopted with that little stinker.”
I felt guilty as fuck. Could they tell that I was breathing heavy and lust was running through my veins? Could they see that Marley’s lips were beautifully pink and swollen from my kisses? “I, uh—”
“I’m the one who needed help.” Marley got up, shrugging in the casual, aloof way that only she could. “I came here looking for Brody, but Talon agreed to come help me tomorrow.”
“Help with what? Did I miss out on new stuff?” Brody was whining a little, causing Landry to giggle and Marley to roll her dark eyes.
She stepped around the coffee table, patting Brody’s cheek. “If you’re nice to T, maybe he’ll share.”
“T?” Brody turned his head, speaking to her as she opened the front door. “Since when is he T? And wait. Didn’t you call her M the other day? When did you two become besties?”
I stopped breathing, instantly nervous that my best friend was going to put two and two together. But Marley was unflappable with her dismissive response. “Don’t worry, Brody, no one is replacing you as my number one product tester.”
He smiled at that, all suspicion leaving his blue eyes. “Good. So long as we’re all clear on the pecking order.”
Marley waved bye over her shoulder, not even bothering to turn around before she shut the door behind her. I cleared my throat, trying like hell to take a page from her book. “How was date night?”
Brody picked Landry back up. “It’s not over.” He moved down the hallway, calling over his shoulder. “Take that baby monitor to bed with you, yeah?”
I nodded, knowing that he didn’t need a response to know that I’d heard him and that I had his back. Once I heard their bedroom door click closed, I collapsed against the couch. My best friend had almost caught me with my hands full of Marley’s seventeen-year-old ass.
Yep. Tempting trouble, one hundred percent.
I picked up the baby monitor and made my way to the guest room I had stayed in when I had visited before. I shot a quick text to Dane and Brax, letting them know that I wouldn’t be back to the pool house tonight. And then immediately typed one out to M.
Talon: You make it home?
Marley: Do you think this compound is overrun with monsters after the sun goes down?
Talon: I think you have a barn basement full of cannabis, and little regard for your own safety.
Marley: Can’t really argue that, I guess.
Talon: Brody and Landry almost caught us.
Marley: But they didn’t.
Talon: Are you okay?
Marley: Why wouldn’t I be?
Talon: I don’t know, that went farther than I intended and it got intense. I just, I want to make sure you’re okay. That you don’t hate me, or regret asking me to kiss you.
Marley: I more demanded than asked, to be fair. And I enjoyed every second of it.
Talon: I did too.
Marley: Meet me tomorrow? At the basement after dinner. I need to transfer some seedlings.
Talon: You really think that’s a good idea?
Marley: I think it’s an amazing idea.
Talon: I’ll be there. Good night, M.
Marley: Good night, T.
I plugged my phone into the charger I kept here before I lay down on the bed, staring at the ceiling. So far, my plan to keep my damn hands to myself for the next six months was not going well. I was older, more experienced. I was the one who needed to have the control. I needed to have her best interest in heart, always. And tonight, that had slipped a little.
But fuck if she didn’t feel so damn good pressed up against me. I closed my eyes, remembering the moment she’d whimpered against my mouth. The way she looked as she climbed into my lap, the danger in her eyes as she’d started to lower herself down onto my dick.
It was a good thing Brody and Landry had come home and interrupted us. But I was still hard, still aching for her. There was no way I’d be able to sleep, not until I took care of the aftereffects of having my hands on her body.
I grabbed up the baby monitor and headed to the shower. If I didn’t take care of the massive hard-on knocking against my jeans’ zipper, I didn’t know if I could remain even somewhat responsible for my actions.
Chapter Fourteen
Marley
Before
I’d gone to bed with the biggest smile on my face, and I felt like a total tool for wearing it like a frilly prom dress. I wasn’t girly. I was never giddy. But I’d looked in the mirror when I’d gotten home and placed my fingertips on my mouth. My lip were still swollen from Talon’s kiss. My first kiss, well, my first real kiss. I’d had pecks here and there when I was younger. But I’d never been as thoroughly kissed as Talon had kissed me last night.
I’d been the one to push. I’d been the one to demand more. But I knew that Talon had probably been the one who lay awake last night, overanalyzing every touch, move, and motion, and then beat himself up over it.
To him, my eighteenth birthday was this magic date that made everything okay. Made it okay to want me and to touch me. But it was only another day, only a number. I wasn’t really into rules and regulations. Laws. I’d always felt like what was right and true should always prevail, should win the day regardless of archaic laws created by people who frequently knew nothing about what they were legislating.
Right and true should always guide your actions and your path. Talon and I? We were right. We were real, and we were inevitable.
I picked up my phone, taking it off its charger and opening the screen to check on Talon.
Marley: You okay? Or were you up all night flogging yourself?
Talon: I was doing something to myself, but it certainly wasn’t flogging.
My cheeks heated as his meaning registered. He’d touched himself after he’d gone to bed. Had I really affected him that much? Why did knowing that make me want to jump around and do a happy dance?
Marley: Does that mean you aren’t going to give me some lame excuse as to why you can’t see me today?
Talon: I’ll meet you at the basement after dinner, baby.
“Why are you smiling at your phone like that? Did you have someone fired? Or killed?” Jett came into my room, climbed into bed with me, and snuggled under my covers.
I bit my lips together, trying to get my resting bitch face back in place. “Our contractor emailed over the budget sheet for the lighting in your tunnel. It was under what he’d originally estimated.” A big job coming in under budget would certainly cause me to smile. That would cause anyone to smile.
“Oh, cool.” Jett wrapped his arm around my waist and rested his head on shoulder. “You want me to help you plant those seedlings tonight?”
I ran my fingers through his hair, my gaze catching the two of us in the mirror over my dresser. I knew that Talon was probably right, that my relationship with Jett was a little unconventional. I could also see what our parents saw, what my dad worried over. We were so close. We were cuddled in my bed, completely at ease with it and each other. But Jett was something I’d never give up, not for anyone. Without Jett, I wasn’t sure there would be a Marley. It was as if the universe had created us to exist together, and apart, we’d both disappear.
“MVP? You hear me? You want help or not?”
I tugged at his hair. “Nah, the rain has cleared up, you giant baby, you should go out.” I knew the thought of partying would be too tempting for him to pass up. “Besides, there are a couple orders that need to be put together. You could pack those up before you leave and take them with you.”
“Okay, will do. I also have a phone interview this afternoon. We ne
ed a distribution team ready to go before the new facility is done.” Jett was going to be handling most of the hiring. He did people. I did plants. He sat up, dramatically throwing my covers off the both of us. “Your mom is making breakfast.” He pushed my legs off the side of my bed. “Let’s hurry and get to my house before she tries to make us eat it.”
I laughed, pulling on a pair of jeans and stepping into my bathroom to brush my teeth. I piled my long hair on top of my head and turned off the light. It didn’t take much for me to get ready for the day. I didn’t fuss over my appearance like my sisters. Avory took over an hour to get ready, even if all we were doing was family game night. Halen was a little less ridiculous, but she still cared more than I did.
Jett was sitting in my bed when I came out, scrolling through his phone with a smirk on his face.
I tossed a pillow at his head, then bent to slip on my boots. “Stop watching porn in my bed.”
“I wouldn’t watch porn in your bed. I’m not an animal.” He climbed out from under my covers, putting on his shoes as well. “I was sexting.”
I opened my mouth to give some snarky sarcastic reply, but a question came out instead. “Sexting? You do that a lot?”
He chuckled, his thumbs flying over his phone. “Yeah, why? You want some pointers?” When I stayed silent, he pulled his attention away from the screen, looking to me with a small frown on his face. “Where’s the bitchy reply? Why are you being quiet?”
“Maybe I am…curious.”
Talon wanted to wait until I was eighteen for anything physical, and I was pretty sure I’d never get him to budge on that. But a text? That was virtual, no actual human contact. Maybe there was a loophole.
