by Lila Rose
“Hey, Vice?” Pause. “Yes, I had a good day, but Mickey at school called me a douche. Do you know what that means?”
It was the first I’d heard of it, and I wondered why he hadn’t shared it with me. Although, hearing him confide in Vice about it tickled me pink.
It was times like those I felt the need to break out into song.
As I hit the living room, the front door opened, and Mom stepped in. “I have food.”
I placed a finger to my lips and scooted over to her. “Drew’s on the phone to Vice. Since my son thinks I’m no good with math, he’s asked for Vice’s help.”
“Oh my.” Mom’s eyes filled with tears. “And Vice was willing?”
Seeing the same emotions I felt mirrored in Mom’s eyes, my bottom lip trembled. I nodded. “He said with me comes Drew. He wants us both.”
Goose bumps spread all over my body at voicing what Vice had said. I honestly wasn’t sure it had sunk in until then.
“That man.” Mom wiped her eyes. “I knew he’d be the one.”
“Well, I’m not sure—”
“Shut up. He is. Now, help me with these bags.”
Smiling, I took some bags out of her hand. “By the way, all of us are going to Vice’s on Saturday after basketball.”
“Drew’s told me so much about Vice’s place, I look forward to seeing it.”
“Good.”
“Adalyn, what’s that smile about?”
“What smile? I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Adalyn Sage, you get back here and—”
“Shh, Drew’s on the phone, and I have to get dinner on our plates.”
“If you’re up to something, I will kick your ass.”
I only grinned back.
Chapter
Twenty-Two
On the way into the bathroom for a frantic shower, so we could make it to Drew’s game on time, I hollered, “I can’t believe you let me sleep in so late,” down the hall to Mom.
“You needed it. You don’t think I know how late you stay up working, but I do. A mother knows all.”
“Hear that, Drew?” I asked with a yell.
“If a mother knows all, then how come you didn’t know to set your alarm?”
That little monster. When I didn’t reply, he knew he had me and started cackling.
Just before I closed the door, Mom called, “How about we meet you there? I know how long you take.”
“No, I’ll be quick.”
“We’re going. Bye,” Mom shouted back.
“Mom!” I snapped.
“See you there, Mom,” Drew yelled, and then I heard a door slam. Dang it. I wanted to take the one car since we were all going to Vice’s after. I quickly got undressed and started the shower. Vice was going to meet us at basketball, and I didn’t want my mom and him alone for too long. I didn’t know what she’d tell him.
In record time I was done and drying myself. Since no one was home, I walked from the bathroom to my room naked, only that was when I heard a male voice speaking low.
I froze.
Shit, was there a robber?
My mind panicked before my heart, but it soon joined with a fast beat. Tiptoeing into my room, I grabbed the baseball bat I kept for those types of occasions. Not that we got robbed a lot. In fact, it was never, but I knew when moving into Mom’s, I would be the one who needed to do all the protecting. Mom would probably offer a would-be robber a cup of tea and a chat, while Drew asked them to play a game.
So, with my heart in my throat, I snuck down the hall. My ears pricked when I heard someone curse right before something was knocked to the ground.
I jumped around the corner with a battle cry. “Get the fuck out of my house.”
Then I screamed myself.
That was before I tensed. My eyes popped open, and I sucked in a breath only to stop breathing altogether.
Because Vice Salvatore was standing in the living room.
Vice Salvatore was standing there as shocked as I was with a phone to his ear.
“I have to go,” he whispered. After he hung up, he slid it back into his pocket. His eyes roamed over my body and heated. “I didn’t think we were at this stage yet, but I’m more than willing.” He reached for his casual tee and pulled it up over his head.
“Oh, my,” I mumbled, as my eyes scanned his body.
However, an issue soon registered in my head.
I was still holding the baseball bat up high.
And I was completely naked.
I let out a yelp, dropped the bat, and covered my breast with one arm, while the other went over my mound.
“OhmyGod, ohmyGod.”
“So, we’re not heading to the bedroom?” Vice asked. He sounded truly disappointed.
“No, yes, maybe. No, not yet. OhmyGod. I haven’t shaved, trimmed, and plucked. Don’t look at me. Are you hungry? Eat while I dress.”
“I’m very hungry.” His gaze again ogled my body.
“Um. I better dress, and you put your top on. You’re very distracting.” It would explain why I hadn’t run from the room and instead stood there speaking to his abs.
He ignored me. “I knew you’d be perfect under your clothes.”
Stunned. I was absolutely stunned by his words. However, my body wasn’t. My nipples hardened, and my clit pulsed, while my core clenched, and I felt, felt, my hoo-ha dampen.
“So fucking perfect,” he growled out and took the steps needed to stop in front of my dazed form. “Baby,” he roughly clipped. His hands came to my waist and brought my body against his. My hands slammed into his chest, while I stared up at him.
My body hummed. I wanted the man in front of me. Oh, so very much.
“Vice,” I whispered.
“Christ,” he bit out, then lowered his mouth to touch mine, once, twice and then on the third, he slanted his mouth over mine and claimed it.
Wrapping my arms around his neck, he slid his around and cupped my butt. I moaned against him. Feeling his naked chest against mine was consuming. Having his hands on my bare ass was tantalizing.
Up on my tippy toes, I curled my arms tighter and rubbed myself against him. He groaned, pressing his hardness into me more.
He pulled back. “Shit,” he puffed. “I didn’t come here for this.”
“I know.” I nodded.
“You need to get dressed,” he ordered.
“Do I?” I asked, because I wasn’t sure I had to at that moment. I was enjoying the touch and feel of Vice.
“You must, or I’ll have my mouth on your pussy next. Been dying for a taste, Adalyn.”
My body shuddered. It wouldn’t matter if I was a little late, would it?
“That, um, sounds okay.”
His eyes widened, and with his strong arms, he gripped my ass again, only he lifted me at the same time. With a huff of laughter, I wrapped my legs around his waist.
“Bedroom?”
“Second door down the hall on the right side.”
His steps ate up the floor in his fast pace. We were in my room in seconds. Next, I was lying flat on the bed with Vice looming over me, his eyes roaming over my body.
“Honey, as much as I like you looking at me like that, we’re going to have to hurry. Drew’s game,” I reminded him.
He nodded and nodded again. Then he kissed my neck, my shoulder, while I ran my hands over his amazingly wide back.
“Did you used to be a swimmer in school?” I asked, because his body was made to swim.
“Baby, now isn’t the time for questions.” He chuckled against my breast, only to then take my nipple in his mouth.
“Oh,” I moaned. My back pressed against the mattress, and I slid my hands into his hair. So soft. “Do you use product in your hair?” I asked.
His lips left my breast. Dang it. He was laughing again. “I can see I’m going to have to distract you more to make you speechless. But don’t hold back your moans or sounds of pleasure for me, Addy. I want to hear it all.”
He didn’t see my nod since he started to kiss down my stomach and then the top of my mound.
“I didn’t trim,” I confessed on a yell.
He snorted. “Adalyn, baby, you think I care right now?”
“Um, no?”
“No. Now widen your legs more. I want to see your pussy before I devour it.”
He slid to his stomach while I opened my legs, feeling suddenly shy and nervous. At his first touch against my center, my body jolted, and I glanced down to see his eyes were already looking up. “Goddamn perfect,” he gruffly said and then leaned in, while still holding my stare, to kiss my clit.
My breathing was erratic as he swirled his tongue around my clit. I bit down on my bottom lip. He shook his head. “No, baby. Don’t hold back,” he ordered. I nodded, and when he flicked his tongue up and down, then over my clit again, I arched and moaned. If I could have Vice’s head between my legs all day long, I would.
It was torture, but of the pleasurable kind.
He glided his hands under my ass and gripped before he tongued my center.
“Vice,” I gasped, already close to climaxing. “Yes, please.” Just when he inserted his fingers, and he paid special attention to my clit, I lost it, crying out as my walls convulsed and my body shook through my orgasm. He kissed back up my body, his smug grin coming into view.
“It’s been a while, so don’t think it was just you.”
He winked. “It’s all me.”
Scoffing, I then smiled, running my hands up his strong arms. “True, it is just you. But now it’s time for a nap.”
He laughed. “No, we need to get going so you should dress.”
Shifting one hand from his arm, I slid it between us and gripped his cock. He hissed. “I’d like to take care of this first.”
His eyes closed. He cursed low and sat back on his knees. “Next time. This was all about you.”
My head reared into the pillow. “Say what?”
He grinned, leaned down and kissed my lips quickly before climbing off the bed. “We have to get going, but I’ll be sure to take you up on that offer real soon.”
“But you’re hard.” I sat and grabbed the pillow to put in front of me.
“Very hard.” He nodded.
“So I want to help you relieve that hardness.”
Vice groaned and glanced back. “Soon, you will, but baby, we can’t miss Drew’s game entirely. I know once you start, I won’t stop until I’m deep inside you while you scream my name as you come over my cock.”
Oh, wow!
Vice’s grin turned into a smirk. He knew my thoughts, how I wanted all that to happen and right then. “Soon.” He walked to the door. “I’ll wait for you in the living room.”
“Hang on,” I called, and grabbed the shirt I wore yesterday, slipping it over my head on my way to him. Placing my hands on his chest, I leaned in. “You’re a good man, Vice Salvatore.”
The corner of his lips tipped up in a wicked smile. His hands once again landed on my butt, where he applied pressure. I gasped. Then he said, “You wouldn’t think so if you knew what I was thinking.”
“Um….”
“Yeah.” He grinned.
“You, ah, seem to like touching my bottom.”
“Been staring at it a long time, baby. I totally love your ass. Now kiss me and get ready.”
“Okay,” I whispered.
It was after the steamy kiss, one I wanted a repeat of a million times over, when Vice asked, “How come you had a bat when you came down naked?”
“Mom and Drew left, and I’d just gotten out of the shower when I heard a voice in the house. I thought you were a robber.”
His eyes shot wide. “And you were going for an attack while naked?”
Shrugging, I grabbed some panties out and nodded. “Sure.”
He chuckled. “If it’d been a robber, you would have made him very happy. But, Adalyn, next time, you get dressed and hide, then call for help.”
“Now there’s an idea.” I grinned, Vice frowned. He knew I wouldn’t do any different next time. I was fiercely protective of Drew and Mom. Even though they hadn’t been home, it was Mom’s house I was keeping safe.
“Adalyn,” he growled low.
A quick change of the subject was in order. “Hey, how did you get in?”
He sighed, shaking his head. “Was close by. Thought I’d call in to take you all to the game. Your mom let me in, saying you were running late and to wait for you while she took Drew on ahead.”
I groaned. “She could have told me you were here before she left.”
Another wicked smile. “Then we wouldn’t have had so much fun.”
Chapter
Twenty-Three
Drew was on cloud nine. His team won the game, so he was full of energy by the time we got to Vice’s. Mom pulled up out front with us. I smiled when she got out with her mouth hanging open, staring at the home.
She glanced at me as I made my way over to her car. “This is where he lives?”
“Yes.”
“Oh, my.”
“I know.”
“Nana, Nana.” Drew cried, running over from Vice’s car. “You have to see the game room, and the pool, oh, and the movie room. Vice’s house is amazing. Come see.” He took her hand and before she even had her car door closed, he dragged her off toward the house. Laughing, I closed the car door and made my own way up to the front where Vice was letting Drew and Mom in. Just as I went to pass him, with a warm grin, he grabbed my wrist.
“The entry code is 55478.”
He was giving me the code to his house.
So I could enter whenever I happened to be over.
My heart swelled with the amount of emotions that bombarded me.
“Okay,” I whispered.
“My sweet Addy is present.”
“Yes.” Going up to my toes, I pressed my lips to his. “I think my sweet side will stay for the rest of the day since you gave me an orgasm.”
“Hmm, I’ll have to remember that when fiery Adalyn is about.”
Giggling, I leaned into him and kissed his neck. “Come on, we’d better save Mom from Drew.” He started in the door with my hand in his, until I stopped. He faced me, and I admitted, “I know it’s still new, but giving me your code means a lot, Vice.”
“You mean a lot, Addy.”
“Thank you.”
His head jerked back. “What for?”
“For being you.”
His lips twitched. “Okay?”
He didn’t get it, and I knew he wouldn’t. But I’d had to say it and I meant it. If Vice wasn’t Vice, he wouldn’t have annoyed me, charmed me, and consumed me in ways where I couldn’t keep him out of my mind. If he’d been different, I wouldn’t be standing in front of him with the feels I had for him.
Once again, I touched my lips to his.
Maybe Kenzie was right: people did eventually find their own happily ever after. And I had a feeling Vice was mine. Not that I wasn’t happy already; he just made life that much better.
Although, I could just be feeling extra happiness because I got a little somethin’, somethin’ that morning.
Heck, whatever it was, I was going to run with it.
“Come on, we’d better get lunch started before everyone arrives.”
“Baby, it’s a barbecue, not much to do.”
My eyes widened. “Not much to do? Oh snap, the groceries are still in the car. Mom and I loaded them this morning. We’ve got all kinds of things for pasta salad, Waldorf salad, potato salad. Then there’s dessert. We have—”
His hand covered my mouth. “Adalyn, all we need is meat and bread. We may be well off, but we’re simple kind of people.” He snorted. “By the way your eyes near came out of your head, I’m going to say how wrong I am right now. You’re still going to make a shitload of salad no one will eat.”
Glaring, I nodded, then grabbed his hand, removing it. “We’ll see if no one will eat it, Vice Salvatore.” Turning, I stomped b
ack to Mom’s car, grumbling about how we weren’t in the prehistoric times any longer. I also heard his manly chuckle as he followed to help unload the car. At least he still had manners.
A few hours later, Molly and Clint were the first to arrive for the late lunch. I was in the kitchen finishing up the last salad and the dessert. The rest were all done in the fridge, waiting. The whole time Vice had sat back looking amused and drank beer. Though to start with, he did ask if he could help, but I refused and told him I’d preferred having his company as I worked. Drew and Mom were in the pool mucking about. It was lucky Vice had messaged me the night before to remind us to bring our bathing suits. Though, I wasn’t sure I would get in.
“What’s cooking, good-looking?” Molly chimed in.
“I see you let yourself in,” Vice deadpanned. “Remind me to revoke your access.”
“Pfft, please. You adore me too much to do that.”
“Hey, Addy, Vice, how you both doing?” Clint asked, walking around the bench to kiss my temple.
“I’m good, babe. How’s work?”
Clint worked for the government. A couple of times he’d explained what exactly he did, but he went into too much boring detail, and I admittedly zoned out in the end.
“Same old. Vice, you want another?” Clint helped himself to the refrigerator for a cold beer. I was surprised Vice didn’t say anything. Though since Clint had been around for longer than I had, he probably felt at home in any house of Molly’s family.
“All good, thanks. Molly, please tell my woman we don’t need salads and desserts for a barbecue.”
His woman…. Swoon!
Molly scoffed. “Are you still trying to pull that crap? Mom and I kept trying to tell you barbecues aren’t just about the meat, but did you listen? Nooo. However, you will now.” She smirked. Molly knew the Sage family liked side plates to go with meat. I was a salad queen. I loved all types and as much as I enjoyed desserts.
Vice rolled his eyes and met my amused stare. “You know I’m only giving in because of you.”
Grinning, I nodded. “I know, and I appreciate it.”
He stood, leaning over the counter. “Kiss me before I go check Drew hasn’t drowned Jenny.”
“Good idea.” I pressed my lips against Vice’s. We pulled apart when we heard Molly cooing.
