“What do I need to wear to this place? Is it at his house? What?” I asked Winter as I stood in front of my walk in closet with my phone tucked between my shoulder and face.
“He lives on the lake. So shorts and a t-shirt. Bring your bathing suit. It’s hotter than hell out; I bet we could swim if we wanted to. He’s actually pretty close to you. About thirty minutes or so. You know, I’ve never asked before, but why the hell do you live so far away from the station?” Winter asked.
I grimaced. That was a sore subject when it came to my brother. He wanted me to be closer to him, but I found a house that I could afford, absolutely adored, and bought it; even though I’d never seen it in person. It was about three quarters of an hour away from the station, but I didn’t mind.
My brother, who thought he was my keeper, wanted me closer to him. I, however, did exactly what I intended to do, and that was not to have my nosy brother breathing down my neck. That was one of the main reasons I’d left Wyoming. I was tired of my parents doing the very thing Luke was trying to do; even after six months of living there.
“This house was too good to pass up. And it had a pool.” I hedged.
Winter sighed over the phone. “You’re right. I’d kill for a pool. I’ll be there in about an hour. I’m just about to leave. Wear those cute little shorts you got at Cavender’s the other day. And a tank top. The one with the fringe and beads.”
My mouth curved into a smile. If that didn’t illicit a reaction out of the man, then I might as well move the heck on. I wasn’t saying I looked awesome or anything, but the thing was, I couldn’t change what I looked like; or, at least, I didn’t want to. I had muscular legs and arms due to my job and all the heavy lifting I did, but the roundness of my tummy spoke of my love of snack cakes and powdered donuts.
I could work short shorts though. My boobs were nothing to sneeze at either; the fringed top Winter spoke of really could accentuate those particular assets.
“Okay. I’ll wear those. Boots or flip flops?” I asked into the phone, as I dug into my closet for the bag I’d tossed there the week before.
“Boots. Make sure you put some lotion on those ashy legs. And maybe shave.” Winter suggested.
She wasn’t lying there. I hadn’t had time to do that since the day I’d met Sebastian nearly two weeks ago. Yes, I know, gross. “Okay, see you in a few.”
We hung up, and I rushed through my shower, shaved my legs, lathered my body up with my favorite lotion, and shimmied into my clothes.
The shorts were on the shorter side than what I’d like, but they’d do for my purpose. The top was a pretty teal color, and the beads around the low cut neck of the halter top were shimmery black. I’d fallen in love with the top as soon as I’d seen it; and, even better, it’d been on sale.
I made it to the front door with my bathing suit, towel, and purse with only seconds to spare. Winter blared her horn, signaling she was there, and I barreled out of the door, only managing to lock one lock with the excitement of seeing Sebastian again.
“Wow, you can nearly see your panties in those shorts!” Winter exclaimed as I slammed the door.
“Yeah, if I were wearing any, that is.” I teased.
Winter laughed, and I did the same. I knew better than to go without underwear. I also knew better than to wear dirty underwear.
You wouldn’t believe how disgusting our job could be sometimes. Let’s just say that there would never be a time that I would found myself without panties. No matter what.
“You’re such a liar. Now, put the address into the GPS. I’m gonna get lost without it.” Winter instructed.
Thirty-six minutes and two wrong turns later, we were pulling up to freakin paradise. No, really. It was named ‘Paradise.’ Or the street was anyway. It was really off the beaten path, too. If it weren’t for the GPS and Shiloh’s instructions on how to get there, we’d have been beyond lost.
“Holy shit. This house is awesome.” I breathed, as Winter found a spot off the side of the driveway.
It was what you would call magnificent. It reminded me a lot of my parents’ home. The only thing different was the lakeside view.
Sebastian’s house sat in a flat field at the top of a hill. You could see the lake down the hill from his home. The house was one story with stone finishing. The porch wrapped around the entire length of the house. Further down the hill was where the party must be being held. He had a large gazebo type thing with a dock that led about thirty feet into the lake with another large floating deck.
“How the hell does a firefighter afford this place?” I wondered aloud.
“Shiloh said he was single and didn’t have a place when he was in the Marines. When he moved back, he stayed in a rental property that their father owned. He bought this place about a year ago.” Winter said as she shut the truck off and opened her door.
That hadn’t been what I was expecting explanation wise. I imagined that he was a criminal that led a double life as a firefighter. In his off time, he pedaled flesh and had a titty bar he laundered money out of.
Willing the butterflies that were assaulting my tummy to stop fluttering so goddamned bad, I opened the door and hopped down. Sadly, my sense of balance was off, as always, and I landed awkwardly. I threw my hand out, managing to stop myself before I did a face dive by planting my hand on top of a sharp rock. The hand that caught me split open, and I knew instantly that I’d done something bad.
“Son of a bitch.” I growled as I lifted my hand to survey the damage.
The cut wasn’t too bad, but it was already bleeding. “Damn. Piss. Shit. Hell.”
“Jesus, what the hell?” Winter asked once she reached my side of the car.
“Cut myself. You got any napkins in there?” I asked, gesturing towards Winter’s massive purse.
“I’ve got a pad.” Winter smiled widely.
I hung my head, but accepted the pad with an extended hand. Winter laughed as I unwrapped it, wiped the blood that had run down my hand, and then placed it over the welling cut before making a fist to put pressure on the wound.
“Well, that’s one use for it.” Winter teased, as she grabbed my bag and we walked towards the party.
Although the front door was open, I’d thought it’d be best to make sure it was okay with Sebastian before I just started going through his house looking for bandages.
Then my heart sank in my chest as I finally spotted him among the masses.
He was sitting on the gazebo, shirtless, with his black cap sitting firmly atop his head. His chest was bare, revealing the lovely ab muscles I’d been dreaming about for over two weeks. His bottoms were a pair of jeans that were so full of holes, that they might as well be shorts for all the air his legs were getting. Those big beautiful arms of his were lined on the back of the bench.
Then there was the cute girl in a string bikini and knockers the size of Texas.
Sebastian laughed as the girl snatched the hat off his head and sat it firmly on her own, and my hopes for anything more with the man sank to the bottom of the Pacific. Head hanging in devastation, I shored up my defenses and smiled faintly at Winter who was looking at me closely.
“All right, I’m going to head inside to see if I can find something to get this stopped. If we’d taken the cutlass I could’ve taken care of it already.” I joked.
“If we’d taken your car, we’d have never made it here.” Winter shot back before I lost sight of her as I made my way into the house.
I bypassed the open kitchen and family room area, heading to the hallway where I hoped there was a bathroom.
“Can I help you with something, sugar?” I looked over my shoulder to see an older man with one hell of a beard coming out of one of the rooms I’d just passed.
He was also wearing a leather vest just like the one Sebastian wore.
If I was into older men, I’d totally go for him, but I was currently pining over a man that had a girl stuck to his body, and couldn’t fully appreciate the bounty that was
before me.
“Uhh, yes, actually. I need a Bandaid and a bathroom.” I explained hesitantly, holding up my hand for him to see the devastation.
“First door on your right, sugar.” He said before he disappeared back down the hallway.
The door I came to was actually a bedroom, not a bathroom, and I prayed it wouldn’t be Sebastian’s. There was no way I could handle that. Sadly, my luck was never good.
Chapter 5
I can tell by the way you park your car that I hate you.
-Female logic
Sebastian
“Shannon, do you think you can get the fuck off me? It’s too hot out here for you to be hanging on me. Go find somebody else to sit on, and give me back my goddamned hat.” I gritted through clenched teeth.
I’d been dodging the woman’s grabby hands all fucking afternoon, and if I had to deal with it much longer, I’d be saying something I’d regret. It didn’t matter if the girl was a brother’s little sister. I’d kick her ass out just as I’d do to anyone that annoyed me.
I dealt with enough shit on a daily basis in between the bullshit drama at work and the club to have to deal with other people’s shit in my own home.
“Sebastian!” Shannon whined as I took my hat back from the little hoochie and replaced it back on my head.
“Hey, boy. You got a girl inside that cut her hand. Looks pretty bad. Maybe you should go take a look.” My father, the president of The Dixie Wardens MC, said as he took the seat beside me.
I sighed. I was tired. “What’d she look like and where’s she at?”
His father smiled and looked out over the lake. “Sent her to your room. Cute little thing. Short shorts. Tight top. She’s got blonde straight hair all the way down to mid back. Muscular.”
My heart sped as I listened to my father explain exactly the way Baylee looked to me. I’d hoped she would come, but wasn’t sure if she’d be able to make it. Nor was I sure if she’d even want to be around me anymore. Her brother had to have said something to her regarding me. Hell, I would have.
“Thanks, pops.” I said as I strode toward the house.
I passed quite a few people wanting to chat, but I only gave them cursory nods as I walked in through the sliding glass door and walked hastily to my bedroom.
I found her bent over the sink, letting her hand hang over the porcelain bowl as she applied pressure to the dressing. Her legs looked fucking remarkable in those short shorts with the rhinestones on the ass. The shorts couldn’t be much longer than maybe three inches past her crotch, and just that little bit of knowledge had my dick raging to be let loose.
“You need some help, Baylee?” I finally asked when her head remained hung.
She startled and squeaked, whipping around quickly as her unhurt hand flew to her chest. “Holy shit, Sebastian. You scared the ever loving shit out of me.”
I smiled, and then let my eyes roam from her pretty face to her cleavage that the low-cut shirt she was wearing exposed. “You look...” I hesitated, not even able to place the words.
“Like a mess?” Baylee supplied with raised eyebrows.
“Edible.” My overstimulated brain finally managed to blurt out.
She snorted and spun back around to the sink.
Walking up behind her, I placed both of my hands on either side of her and leaned in, surveying the damage.
I could smell the cool, sweet smell of her lotion, and that alone made me hard as a pike. Which, in turn, made me put a little more distance between our bodies just in case she leaned back accidentally. I didn’t want to scare her.
“What’s the damage?” I asked.
She shivered slightly and turned her hand over, removing the dressing from her hand. Or what I thought was a dressing. “Is that a pad?”
She laughed. “Oh, God. This is embarrassing. Yes, it’s a pad. It’s all Winter had.”
I joined in her laughter as I surveyed the cut. “I’ve got some 4X4s in the cabinet in front of you. Some alcohol in there too. Would you rather a Bandaid or vet wrap?”
She thought for a minute as she reached forward and took the alcohol down, removed the lid, and poured it wholly on her hand. She hissed in her breath and something in my chest twinged when I saw the pain she was in, but I tamped it down.
Moving closer to her, erection forgotten, I held her hand close to my face and blew on it.
“You know, that’s not very sanitary. There are thousands of germs in your mouth, and you just blew them all over my open wound.” She provoked.
I rolled my eyes, grabbed a 4X4 gauze pad and ripped the packaging open, placing it on her hand firmly. “Does this have medication you can take?”
“This is with medication. You should see how it was without. Are you a medic, too?” She asked out of the blue.
“Ahh, no. I’m a firefighter and EMT basic. Why?” I asked.
“I saw your picture in the paper. Just wondering if you were a medic and firefighter.” She explained.
“Oh,” I said, ignoring the part about the picture. I was pissed that night, and, even now, I was still pissed. If I wanted to stay in this good mood, it’d be best to avoid that conversation if I could help it.
“Yeah, I’m certified as a basic, but that was a while ago. I was a firefighter in the Marines. Then came home and joined BFD.” He explained.
“BFD?” She asked with a smile starting to break out on her face.
I rolled my eyes again. “How old are you, again?”
“Hey!” She snapped. “It’s not my fault that that’s the acronym for ‘big fucking deal.’ And I’m twenty eight, thank you very much.”
“Hmm,” I said as I reached for the large Band-Aids I kept in the drawer that Baylee’s leg was currently blocking.
Using my hand, I wrapped it around her lower thigh, and pushed her gently backwards until her back was plastered up against my front.
I couldn’t help but wish that her top was gone, allowing us to be skin to skin. However, that was too soon, seeing as I hadn’t even spoken to her about anything of significance since I’d met her.
“Watch your leg. Band-Aids are in this drawer in front of you.” I instructed.
I reluctantly let the smooth skin of her thigh go and opened the childproof lock on the drawer.
“Why do you have childproof locks on your drawer?” She asked curiously.
“My son is a curious little shit. Most of the time I keep my door closed, but there are times he likes to sneak in here when I’m not paying attention and dump all my shit down the toilet.” I said absently as I peeled the wrapper.
“Isn’t that what you’re supposed to do with shit?” She teased.
My eyes went from the cut I was covering, to her face. Her eyes were full of mirth, and I smiled back at her. “Yeah, I guess you’re right. However, it’s kind of nice to be able to flush the toilet if I need to.”
“Yeah, I can see how that’d be a plus. I didn’t realize you had a son. Were you married?” She said breezily.
She said it so nonchalantly that I realized that she was truly interested in the answer, although she didn’t want to be.
“No. Johnny never knew his mother. Lindsey died in the same motorcycle accident that I was speaking about the other night.” I expounded.
“Oh, Sebastian. I’m so sorry. That’s terrible.” She said sadly.
As she apologized, she turned in my arms so she could see my face, and I found myself nearly pinning her in. “I wasn’t that close to Lindsey. It made me feel awful that she died, but there was nothing I could do to change the outcome.”
She nodded in understanding. “Where is your son? I didn’t see him as I made my way inside.”
I stared at her. Her eyes were rimmed with black eyeliner. Not so much that she looked trashy or anything, but enough that it made her eyes pop with color. Today, those eyes looked more gray than blue, as they had the other day, and I wondered if they changed with her mood. She didn’t look like she was wearing anything else though, an
d that made me happy.
I wasn’t a big fan of primping. I liked when a woman looked natural.
“He’s with Lindsey’s mother. They have him every other weekend and Wednesdays.” I told her before backing away before I did something stupid like kiss her, and then fuck her against the counter.
“That’s nice of you. You don’t have to let them see him.” She said, sounding grateful that I’d given her space.
“Yeah, they’re good people. Older, but they have fun with Johnny.” I agreed as I held the door open.
“Thanks for fixing my hand. It happens a lot. I should be better prepared than I am.” She said to me as she walked through my bedroom to the door.
We both studiously ignored the large bed that dominated the master bedroom and walked back out into the family room. My place was a fucking mess already, and I hated that I’d have to clean all this shit up by myself later. Those stupid fucking so called friends of mine didn’t know how to find a trashcan if it was right in front of their God forsaken faces.
Baylee absently grabbed empty beer bottles and used paper plates as she walked past them, and tossed them in the trashcan as she headed out onto the deck.
“You have a nice place here.” She observed as she took in the new deck chairs.
“Yeah, I’ve been saving up for this place since I turned eighteen. Had it built on a plot of land my dad owned. He deeded it to me when I left the military.” I told her.
“When I got out of college, my parents offered me their house. They wanted to move into something on the lake there. I didn’t want it though. It was fucking massive and I didn’t want to mow the lawn.” Baylee laughed.
Hand on her lower back, I led her down the hill, heading for my spot I’d vacated earlier in my quest to get to a hurt Baylee. “Yeah, this place looks like a fuckin’ jungle if I don’t mow it once a week. Can’t deviate from that either, or there would be a ton of snakes hiding in the yard, using the taller grass as cover.”
“Hey, I wholeheartedly agree. Snakes are not my friend. Nor are frogs. Or bugs. Or rodents.” Baylee’s laughter tinkled, causing everyone to stop their conversation and stare as we made our way down the hill towards them.
Lights to My Siren Page 5
