by Cat Mason
“What I read, when the plane landed, said someone ‘close with the band’ was spillin’ dirty secrets so I could only assume it was true.” Luke defends. Yanking a hand through his blonde hair, he looks at me. “Your track record isn’t very convincing either, asshole.”
“My past has nothing to do with now, asshole!” I roar taking a step towards him. “I’m sick and tired of your fuckin’ opinion. If I wanted it, which I don’t, I’d ask you for it.”
“She’s my sister!” Luke shouts pointing at me, ignoring everyone around us. “I love her.”
Anger floods my veins. I can’t hear anything other than him telling me that I’m not good enough for her. Tell me something I don’t know shitbrick. Sure I’ve done some messed up shit in my life, but it all led me here. To Chase. I wouldn’t change anything up to the minute I met her. She challenges me, completes me in every way I was lacking. And if I had walked away, it would have been the biggest mistake of my life.
“I fucking love her too, dipshit!” I yell, shoving him into the table. “I’ve never felt anything in my life like I feel for Chase. You and that well thought out opinion of me can fuck off. I mean, since you know so much about me and all.” Shoving my way around Luke I head for the doorway. “Now, I’m going to check on my girls. If you can’t handle this, maybe you should leave. I guess I was wrong thinkin’ you could put her happiness before the issues you have with me.”
My feet move up the hallway on a mission. If I were thinking clearly, I would have just walked out with Chase and Jazzie. Instead, I stayed and continued fighting with the hothead. I get that Luke is not okay with me. Hell, if my daughter wanted to date a prick like me, I’d ground her until she was thirty. The thing is, I am finally seeing clearly. I can’t give this up and I am determined to make this work. The last few weeks have been the happiest of my life. Having a taste of this, I can’t go back to empty and emotionless. Chase has opened the floodgates and dammit I like feeling this way. Whole. Sated. Like I don’t have to look for anything to fulfill my life, I already have everything I need. Right here.
Daisy and Gray are sitting on the couch with Jazzie between them when I walk into the den. “You okay?” I ask kneeling on the floor in front of Jasmine. She nods shakily. “You called me Daddy.” I say, remembering how she screamed for me. Not Hunter, but Daddy. Jasmine smiles shyly. “I like it.” I whisper, placing a kiss to her forehead. “I gotta go talk to Chase.”
Daisy sniffles. “Said she needed a minute, I think she’s in the basement.”
“I’ll be back in a few minutes, Princess.” Pressing another kiss to my little girl’s forehead, I stand and walk out of the room.
All the lights are off in the basement when I hit the bottom of the stairs. The only sound I hear is Bits barking at my feet. “Not now, buddy.” I shoo at him. “Chase,” I call out, starting to believe that maybe she didn’t come down here after all.
“Are you and my brother done pissing your names in the sand?” She asks turning on the light, making me jump. “I’m not some thing for you two to fight over, you know?” Her face is a hard line as she crosses her arms over her chest.
“I know.”
“No,” Chase says sternly, “I don’t think you do.” Her heels, click along the tile. I watch her hips sway through the kitchen even though I know I shouldn’t. She’s pissed, the last thing I should be doing is watching her ass in those tight jeans, but damn if I can’t help it. The denim stretches tightly as she grabs a beer from the fridge. “I make my own decisions, Hunter.” She clarifies, twisting the top off slowly. “I love you more than you know, honey.” Chase says, before taking a long pull from the bottle. “But, if my brother can’t…”
“Are you leaving me?” I blurt interrupting her, fear choking me like a damn fist.
Her eyes widen to the size of hubcaps, the shock of my question registering all over her face. Calmly, she sits the bottle on the bar. The sound of her heels clicking across the tile echoes through the room again, carrying her to me. Her hands meet my chest, shoving me hard. I stumble backward, falling onto the sofa.
“This isn’t a damn romantic comedy. This is not the turning point in the plot where I leave and you chase after me!” She exclaims, towering over me. “This is where I call you on your bullshit and we deal with it. It’s where we move on and I mean together. Where you finally get this through you’re fucking head… I. Am. Here. To. Stay. So, if I have to smack the shit out of you to make you see reason, I’m okay with that.” Leaning down, she is just inches from my face making it clear that I shouldn’t move from the cushions. “I. Love. You. What more do I have to do to make you believe I’m not fucking leaving you?”
Turning away from me, Chase paces the floor. “Damn men, always thinking running is easier. If I wanted easy I’d get a goddamn dog.” Bits barks in agreement from the corner. “Shut up asshole. You’re not a dog; you’re a holy terror who loves to eat my underwear!”
Watching her cute little ass pace the room, I can’t help grinning. She’s completely prepared to kick my ass in a pair of five hundred dollar silver heels. Not because I’m being a jackass. Which I am, I know that, but she’s pissed because she loves me beyond all the bullshit. Instead of focusing on that, I’m preparing for her to give up on me. “I love you too.” The words come so easily, I could swear I was dreaming.
“I know I freaked out today when all that media shit blew up but I just needed to process it. I just needed to remind myself that I don’t even give a shit what any of them think of me, of us.” She explains, then stops mid-step. Whirling around to face me, Chase stares at me. “What did you just say?”
Well, I put it out there. I’m now in the most vulnerable position I’ve ever been in. It’s like jumping off a cliff into the abyss. The moment I accept my fate, when I believe there is no hope, her eyes tell me all I need to know. They pull me back, breathing a totally different life into me. Pushing to my feet, I own the words that I should have said so many times already.
“I’m in love with you, Tiger Lily.”
It’s a douche! It’s a moron! NO, it’s Super Dumbass!
Chase
My feet can’t carry me to him fast enough. I know how much saying those three words mean to him. Hunter wrote a song with Grayson and Aiden just so I would know how he felt, because he didn’t think he could give me the words. Then they flow so easily from his lips, he could have sung them.
Hunter’s eyes soften, the minute I reach him. Jumping into his arms, I kiss him as we tumble back onto the couch. Surrendering everything I have all while taking what he gives. His fingers caress my cheeks before running down the sides of my body, holding me to him. The heat of his hands burn through the thin fabric of my strapless green blouse, almost as if it wasn’t there. I nip his lip with my teeth playfully, making him hiss. “I want nothing more than to make love to you right now, Tiger Lily.” He groans, rolling his hips against me so that I can feel how much he wants me. “But when you get all feisty, I just want to make you scream.”
“Love isn’t all soft and sweet Hunter. It can also be hard, rough and all-consuming. It doesn’t instantly make us something that we’re not. We’re inappropriate and completely over the top. I can’t see that changing any time soon just because we love each other. Now, shatter me, over and over.”
“Good, because I don’t think we’re cut out to be like the spooners.” He chuckles, running his thumb over my bottom lip.
“No we’re not.” I reply before sucking his thumb into my mouth, tasting him. I scrape my teeth along the pad, teasing him of what’s to come. His head lulls back against the sofa, eyes closing, a loud groan escaping his lips.
“We’d be faking it.” He whispers.
My hips roll against his, the denim of his jeans rubbing against me. “Ah, that’s against everything Shaft stands for.” I tease, running my hands down his chest.
“If you two are done fucking around, Henry’s waiting in the dining room.” Aiden shouts from the top of the
stairs, killing the moment.
“If we were fucking right now, you’d know it shit stain.” Hunter shouts up at Aiden while winking at me wickedly. My entire body trembles in anticipation. “Just you wait, Tiger Lily.” He whispers, “Grade A forkin’ is on the menu for tonight. I don’t expect either of us to walk without a limp tomorrow.”
“I wouldn’t expect you to get soft on me now.” I murmur against his lips and climb off of his lap.
Taking Hunter’s hand in mine, I walk up the steps. Everyone is gathered around the table, even Jasmine, who is sitting in her chair double fisting cookies. “If that kid doesn’t sleep tonight, Auntie Daisy, it’s your ass.”
“Oh be quiet, we’ve been feeding her six a day for weeks now and the kid is always in bed by nine.” Mack says, reaching up to grab a cookie from the plate.
“Since we’re all here now, I’ll make this short and sweet.” Henry says as I sit beside Hunter. “Someone is feeding the media monster. The way the tabloids make shit up, I figure a lot of it is speculation.”
“Mack, go take Jazzie to get a milk refill okay?” Hunter asks, knowing this conversation is about to get serious.
“Yeah, yeah.” He mutters standing to his feet. Jazzie squeals, laughing loudly when he tosses her over his shoulder. “Let’s go find the ice cream Daisy had me get at the store.”
“Yay!” Jazzie shouts as they leave the room.
“With two pregnant women in this house we need that ice cream.” Daisy says winking at me. “I’m so excited that someone else is going through this besides me.”
“What? You’re pregnant,” I reply. “Not me.”
Daisy’s face is priceless. “But, it said.” She stutters. “I thought…”
“Gotcha!” I shout, reaching up to bump Cam’s fist. “Get started on baby names Cam, gonna be greatness!”
“I can’t believe this.” Daisy argues. “No, this isn’t how…”
“Deal with it later. That boy’s name is going to be Henry anyway.” Henry interrupts. “This leak shit has to be talked out before Katheryn gets here.”
“Yeah, but…” Cam interrupts.
“Let me finish.” Henry says putting up his hands. Everyone nods in agreement, letting him continue. “Some things that have gotten out look to be deliberate reports and I’ve been on the phone the last hour or so trying to find out who is responsible.” He pauses and looks at Hunter. “My first thought, naturally, was Xandra. Turns out she’s rather happy with what she’s got.” I smile my agreement. Knowing I am happy with what Xandra has too. More so with what she gave up.
“Anyway, my next suspect is Katheryn.” Henry sighs, running a hand through his black hair. “I’ve not allowed someone to become involved with you, through me. Hell, only one woman other than Katheryn, has ever gotten that close to me ever, but I trusted her with my life. It was my job to protect hers.” Yanking his shades off his face, Big Man tosses them to the table. “So, naturally, I’m not happy with the possibility of compromising your safety or privacy because I was slacking in any way. I don’t just consider this my job. You’re my family. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do to protect every single one of you.”
“Henry, none of us blame you.” Cam says, standing to her feet.
“I say we test her. If she’s not an issue and you want her to stay, fine. We’ll get over our shit, for you.” Hunter shrugs. “If not, tell her to hit the bricks. Plenty of pussy for the D.”
“That’s plenty of fish in the sea, Hunter.” Daisy corrects.
“If you want to swim with stinky fish, that’s your problem.” He laughs. “I’d rather… Ouch!” He yelps when I smack his arm. “Meeeeeeeoooooooow, don’t be a grumpy pussy. See, Aiden, now you can believe I wasn’t fu… Shit, that hurt!” He yelps from slap number two.
“You know that little thing inside your head that keeps you from sayin’ shit you shouldn’t?” Aiden asks, while everyone laughs. “You know because you need to think about what comes outta that mouth.”
“Had mine removed,” Hunter tosses out. “I gave a fuck once, man, it was horrible.”
“Anyway,” Henry interrupts. “Katheryn is on her way here, so I say we put together a plan.”
“How do you propose we pull one over on her?” I ask curiously. “If she’s behind all of this shit, then wouldn’t she be expecting us to catch on?”
Mack chuckles from the doorway as Jazzie climbs back into her chair. “I know the one thing that will do it for sure.” Without another word, he disappears.
“Duh… duh duh duh, Super Dumbass away!” Hunter sings standing to his feet. “Onward Doucheboy and Cumstain. Knights of the Shaft table assemble!”
“I made that up months ago, not you Cunterman!” Daisy shouts. “My awesomeness is often imitated, but never replicated.”
“She did.” Gray and Aiden say in unison.
Mack shoves through the doorway interrupting the laughs at Hunter’s expense, tossing a box to the table along with crayons and a stack of coloring books. “It’s tradition.”
Looking down at the Scrabble box, I laugh. “Hell yes it is and I’ve never got to play. All I got to hear is stories of X-rated words, and crazy ass wagers. Hell, I want Hunter’s ass on that pole again so I’m in.”
“Alright,” Henry says, clearing his throat. “Girls versus the guys. Mack, Luke, and I will be the judges, in the event of a tie breaker it goes to a coin flip.”
“The bet?” Daisy asks, twirling a piece of her blonde hair between her fingers. Suddenly, it becomes clear to everyone what Mack has planned. Mack nods, while setting up the board and racks.
“Yep, let’s go all flashy, shall we? Someone needs to get naked and I’d prefer it not to be Hunter.” Mack suggests, turning his eyes to Daisy, Cam and me.
“Dream on Super Dumbass.” Daisy snorts.
“Duh… duh duh duh.” Cam teases, bumping my fist.
Jazzie sits coloring while Cam, Daisy and I, sit across from Gray, Hunter, and Aiden. Henry and Mack pace around us while we sort our tiles, Luke sits watching from a chair in the corner. I know he and I are going to have to hash this shit out; but, right now, I want to have fun. The inevitable drama of that conversation can wait, for all I care. “Ladies first,” Hunter says sweetly.
“The Big Bad Wolf rears his ugly head.” Daisy teases laying down her tiles.
“Little Red, Little Red, that’s a mighty fine ass you have.” He purrs, winking at me.
“The better to tease you with, my dear.” I taunt him making every one laugh.
“Hmm,” Henry says looking at Daisy’s tiles. “F-U-C-K.”
“That’s gotta count,” Mack replies while Henry calculates the score. “Even though it isn’t very creative.”
“If you can’t get creative with the word ‘F-U-C-K,” Aiden says, while looking at Jazzie, being careful to spell out the word. “Then, my friend, you’ve got problems.”
“Alright cumstain, allow me to tickle your pickle.” Grayson chuckles, lining up his word.
Luke leans up and eyes the board, raising an eyebrow. “L-U-B-E.” He nods his approval. “I’d say that’s essential.”
“Yeah, yeah maybe if you’re packin’ like I am.” Mack says sitting beside me. He tosses his converse covered feet onto the table and wraps his arm around the back of my chair.
“Just because the ladies in produce tell you that honey, doesn’t mean anything. It is right next to the geriatric section they don’t see much of the under sixty crowd.” I reply, shoving his feet off the table to look at my tiles.
“Damn, someone call nine-one-one to put that fire out!” Daisy teases.
“Y’all come on, be nice to the Silver Shagger.” Henry laughs.
“Hey, sorry I’m late.” Katheryn says, walking through the doorway. “Didn’t think I was comin’ back tonight.” She tosses out, no doubt still pissy about the conversation this morning.
“Nah, you’re just in time for X-rated scrabble, with triple X-rated wagers.” Henry says, wrapping
an arm around her.
“Yeah,” I add. “When we win, boys, you’ll have to strip at the Spurs and Studs club downtown. All three of you, tomorrow night after the concert is over.” Leaning in I meet Hunter’s eyes. “Full frontal this time babe.”
“Really, now that’s a juicy bet.” Katheryn replies, smiling brightly letting me know she’s bit the bait. If she truly is the one giving up details to the tabloids and that damn website, she’s cashing in on this one.
“Holy shit,” Aiden argues. “No fuckin’ way.”
“Scared you’ll lose?” Cam taunts. Daisy makes clucking noises, earning us an entire table full of middle fingers.
“Okay, fine.” Hunter shrugs. “No biggie, since my losing streak is over. When we win, you ladies will be struttin’ your stuff at that joint instead of us. Chase’s stripper name could be Scarlett Pullmyhaira.”
“Get ready to eat those words, babe.” I growl, my competitive nature kicking in.
“Oh, Tiger Lily, I’m dyin’ to eat somethin’.” He spits back playfully.
“Well, that’s enough sexual innuendo about my sister to make me impotent for life.” Luke groans covering his face with both hands.
“B-I-T-E,” I say laying down each letter, not taking my eyes from Hunter. The heat from his gaze raking over my body makes me burn for him.
“Chase, I’m thirsty.” Jazzie says shaking me from my thoughts.
“I, um, I got this.” Luke stutters jumping from his chair like he has been granted a stay of execution. “I brought you something too. Chase says you like princesses.”
“Yes!” Jazzie jumps up and down. “Can I, Daddy?” She asks turning to Hunter.
“Yeah, Luke’s good people Jazzie.” Hunter says, making my heart melt. After everything that has happened between them, Hunter can be the bigger person. They may never sing songs in the moonlight or whatever Hunter said, but they can be civil.
“Let’s go Dollface.” Luke says leading her from the room.
“Daddy bought me a wiener.” Jasmine says, excitedly. “It’s in a cage in the basement, wanna see?” Luke’s eyes fly back to mine at the end of the hall and I can’t help but laugh at the shock on his face.
