I get up softly, trying not to wake her, and go downstairs. I look in the kitchen, but he isn’t there. I walk down the hallway to his room, my heart speeding up. I should just go upstairs and crawl into a bed, I tell myself, yet my feet push me toward his room. I knock on the open door, peeking my head inside where the side lamps are giving the room a soft glow. “Brandon,” I say as I look around and see that he isn’t here either. I’m about to walk out when he walks back into the room, and I’m stopped in my tracks. He’s got a white towel wrapped around his waist as he holds the side, and his hair is still wet from the shower. My eyes roam down from his blue eyes to his broad chest, tiny little drops of water are still on his chest. His abs, so defined with not one ounce of fat on them. “Um, I knocked,” I tell him, trying not to sound flustered and failing.
“That’s okay,” he says, not even caring that he’s almost naked in front of me. “Is everything okay?”
“Yeah, I’m going to head to bed, and I just wanted to thank you,” I tell him. “I’m going to sleep with Cassie. The bed is big enough for both of us.”
“Baby, if you’re under this roof, you are in this bed.” He points at his bed. “Period. You try sleeping in another bed, and I’ll just pick you up and carry you back here.”
“This is silly. You already have us in your home; you shouldn’t give up your bed,” I tell him.
“Then I sleep with you,” he says, and I almost panic. “But you don’t sleep anywhere else.”
I cross my arms. “You’re very bossy.”
He shrugs his shoulders. “I have to work tomorrow night, so tomorrow before I leave, I’ll show you how to arm the house.” He turns to walk into what I think is his closet and comes back wearing black Hugo Boss tight boxers. Oh my god. “Go take a shower,” he tells me, “then you can wear one of my shirts.”
“Um.” I just blink, my eyes going to his package, and I can’t look away. I want to look away; I just can’t. My hands itch to touch him, itch to just trail my finger down his chest.
“I’m really holding myself back,” he says, and I finally snap out of it. “But if you continue just standing there and staring at me, I won’t care that your sister is upstairs or that you’ve had a bad day.”
“I’m going to go shower,” I tell him, walking into the bathroom and then looking around. What have I gotten myself into?
Brandon
My cock is harder than it’s ever been in my whole life. The fact she’s naked in my shower has me going crazy. I put on some shorts to cover the monster hard-on. Going around the house, I close up everything and then go back into my room. I get on the bed and turn on the television while I wait for her to come to bed, then I’ll go upstairs. I lie down, my eyes trying to fight my lids from becoming heavy.
I don’t know how long I sleep, but when I open my eyes, the room is dark, and I’m on top of the covers in my bed with an arm wrapped around my stomach. I look over and see that she’s under the covers with her head on my chest.
I put my hand on hers, rolling to my side to take her in my arms, and she moans a bit but just cuddles more into me. I lean down to kiss her head, and she buries herself more into my arms. We don’t move the whole night, and the next morning when my eyes flutter open, she is still in my arms. Her soft snores fill the room, so I don’t move.
I’ve never had anyone in my bed before, never brought a woman here. This is my sanctuary, my haven, and here she lies in my arms.
I would listen to my brother in law and his brothers all discuss their boom. How, when it happens, it just happens, and you have no control over it. It just kicks you in the ass. I thought they were joking; I thought they were exaggerating. Then she walked into my office and my world tilted, my heart finally started beating with a purpose, and that purpose was her.
“Good morning,” I tell her when I know she’s awake. She just woke up and tensed when she felt my arms around her. “I know you’re awake; you went from soft to solid in my arms.”
“You’re annoying,” she whispers. “What time is it?” She’s still not moving from the cocoon of my arms.
“I think it’s after nine,” I tell her, and she flies up to a sitting position.
“I start work at eight,” she says, getting out of bed, but my shirt is bunched around her waist, showing me her lacy booty shorts.
“Baby,” I say while she runs into the bathroom and comes out wearing her jeans from yesterday, “you aren’t going to work today.”
She stops moving and looks at me. “If I don’t work, I don’t get paid.” She crosses her arms over her chest. “You aren’t going to pay me to do nothing, so don’t even think about it, Brandon.” She almost glares at me, and I try to hide my smile to keep from pissing her off more, but I don’t get a chance to say anything because Cassie comes into the room.
“Good, you guys are up,” she says, coming to the bed and sitting on the edge of it. “I haven’t slept that good since before all this shit happened,” she says, and she doesn’t even blink that we slept in the same bed, or that her sister is murdering me with her eyes. She looks at me. “Can I make myself breakfast?”
“Make yourself at home,” I say, getting off the bed and walking to Aurora. “Now, if you will relax, I will explain.”
“Oh, this I want to hear,” she says with sass, and it takes everything I have not to toss her over my knee and turn her ass red.
“I have the computer set up in my office, so you can work from here,” I tell her, then turn to Cassie. “Can you go start the coffee?”
“On it,” she says, walking out of the room.
“Now, you will work today, but you can do it from the office,” I tell her. “Tonight, I have to go in.”
“Fine,” she says, “but I’m eating at my desk. And working till five.”
“Baby,” I say, getting closer to her, my hand on her face. “I’m trying to be a gentleman here, trying to ease you into this, but if you keep up with the sass, all bets are going to be off.” Her eyes widen. “Now if you don’t get out of here, I’m dragging you back to that bed.” I lean in closer to her ear. “And you’ll be screaming my name.”
“Um,” she stutters, “I’m going to go help Cassie make coffee and leave you to umm take care of.” She winks her eye at me with a smirk I want to kiss off of her till we are both out of breath and I’m buried deep in her.
“Good choice,” I say, and she walks past me. I adjust my cock that is straining to get out.
When I finally am able to walk in the kitchen, I smell toast and hear the sizzling of bacon. “Hey,” I say as they both move around the kitchen.
“I didn’t know how you took your coffee,” Cassie says, “so I left it black.”
“Thanks, Cassie.” I smile and then look over at Aurora, standing by my stove with two frying pans in front of her.
“I’m making eggs and bacon,” she says, looking over at me with her hair now tied up on top of her head. “How do you like your eggs?”
“Over is good, baby,” I say, walking to the fridge and grabbing the cream for the coffee.
“Do you want one slice of toast or two?” Cassie asks while she puts the bread in the toaster.
“Two is good.” I smile, taking a sip of coffee and thinking I could get used to this.
We sit at the table, the three of us, all eating together. “I have an assignment due tomorrow,” Cassie says when she finishes eating, then gets up and puts her plate in the dishwasher. “I’ll be in my room if you guys need me,” she says and walks back upstairs. We both hear the door slam.
“Are you ready?” I look over at Aurora, who nods her head. She tries to get up and take the plates, but I say, “You cooked, so I’ll clean. Go power up the computer.”
She nods and walks to my office. I grab our plates and put everything in the dishwasher. Making two more coffees, I carry them to my office. She already has the computer on, and she’s typing away at something. I put the coffee on the desk and watch her as she answers emails. Then s
he switches over to the deposits from last night. “From the past two days, things aren’t balancing,” she tells me, and I look at the spreadsheet in front of her.
“Tomorrow, when I go in, I want to go through the deposit slips and the machine slips. It’s short nine hundred dollars one night, and four fifty the night before.”
“I’ll put it on the desk tonight before I leave,” I tell her. We go over the schedule, and I teach her how to work it. “You have to have about twenty to thirty dancers on hand from Thursday to Sunday.” She takes notes and asks all the questions. When we finally look up, it’s after four o’clock.
“I have to get ready to go in,” I say, getting up. “Are you girls going to be okay?”
“Um, about that,” she starts saying as she shuts down the computer. “When do you think it would be okay to go back home?”
“When Jerimiah is away and can’t get to you anymore.”
She rolls her eyes. “That might not be for a long time.”
“I’ll clear out some drawers for you, and on Saturday, we will go and get the rest of your stuff.”
“Brandon, I can’t just let my apartment just sit there.” She looks at me. “It’s a waste of money.”
“So break the lease and move in, and when it’s time to find another apartment, you can do that,” I say because there is no way in fuck she is leaving this house.
“Why are you so stubborn?” She throws her hands up.
“I have no idea. You can ask my mother when you meet her on Saturday.” I turn around and walk out of the room, going to my bedroom
“Wait,” she says, following me. “What?”
“It’s my niece’s birthday on Saturday, and they are having a family barbecue.”
“I’m not going to that.” She shakes her head. “People are going to think we’re together.”
I throw my head back and laugh. “Baby. You met my uncle Nico and Kenton, so it’s already run through the family.”
“But we aren’t together. I work for you.”
“No, you work for my dad. You’ll meet him Saturday,” I tell her, going into my closet. She follows me in there also. I slide down my shorts and pull on a black pair of pants with a black button-down shirt. “It’s going to be fine.” I grab my belt and put it through the loops. “I promise.”
I stand here, tucking in my shirt as she looks at me. “I don’t think it’s a good idea,” she says softly. “I met you two days ago, and now I’m living in your house.”
“Three days ago,” I tell her, smiling. “Baby, doesn’t matter if it was ten minutes ago,” I tell her, my phone ringing and interrupting me. “Hello?”
“Hey, it’s me.” I hear Kenton on the other line.
“You going into work?”
“Yeah, I’m leaving in about ten.”
“Good, I’ll meet you there,” he says softly. “Your woman there?”
I look up at her. “Yeah.”
“Good. Keep her there.” The hair on my neck goes up when he says this.
“Something I should know?” I ask, my hand clutching the phone so hard I think it’s going to snap.
“I’ll see you in thirty,” he says, disconnecting.
“What’s wrong?” she asks, her voice going soft.
“No idea. Kenton is going to meet me at work in thirty minutes,” I say, looking at her and walking to her. “Can you promise me that you won’t go out?” I ask her, cupping her jaw. “Promise me that you won’t leave while I’m gone.” My thumb rubs over her lips.
“Promise.” She gives me what I need to hear; she doesn’t argue with me, and she doesn’t sass. She just gives it to me.
“I have to go,” I tell her even though my hands itch to be buried in her hair.
“Okay,” she says, and I lean forward, kissing her on her cheek, then walking away from her. “Can you call me,” she says, standing in the middle of my bedroom, “when Kenton leaves you? Just so I know you’re okay.”
I smile at her. “Yeah, baby, I’ll call you.” I walk out of the room and yell upstairs, “Cassie!”
She opens the door, coming to the railing. “Yes.” She smiles, looking down at me. “This is almost like I’m a princess and I’m up on my throne,” she says with her hand.
I shake my head. “I’m going to work. You two stay in, okay?”
Her smile disappears, and she just nods her head. “Okay, Brandon.”
I nod at her, walking out and arming the doors from my phone. Getting into my truck, I call my father.
“Hello,” he says after one ring.
“Hey, Dad.”
“Finally, he calls me back,” he bitches while I roll my eyes.
“I was busy,” I tell him.
“I heard all about it,” he says and then lowers his voice. “Your mother is freaking out and picking out mother of the groom dresses.”
I laugh at that, and knowing my mother, he isn’t even stretching the truth. “She’s coming on Saturday, so you can meet her then.”
“So,” he starts, and I know he’s waiting for something. “What else do you have to tell me?”
“Who called you?” I ask, knowing his tone.
“Nico and then Kenton.”
“Jesus,” I huff out. “I’m meeting Kenton in about twenty; I should know more then.”
“You call me after, yeah?” he says, and I hear my mother shouting in the background. “I have to go; your brother’s dog just ate her new shoe.”
“Later,” I say, and we both disconnect. I walk into the club five minutes later; the music is blasting, and I see Treasure on the stage. I start at the first bar, telling them I’m here and touching base with everyone.
I walk to my office and find Aurora’s backpack on the couch.
A knock on the door makes me turn around and Kenton walks in. “Hey,” he says, giving me a chin up and coming in.
“What’s up?” I say as I watch him sit.
“DEA caught Jerimiah breaking into Cassie’s apartment last night,” he says, and my blood runs cold. “They didn’t bust him; just followed him to make sure everyone was okay.”
“What the fuck?” I say, running my hand through my hair. “Why didn’t they arrest him for trespassing?”
“My friend called me. All eyes are on him, and he’s feeling the heat.”
“What if they were there? What would he have done?” I ask him.
“We will never know. The good news is she’s taken care of now; the bad news is he’s starting to go off the rails.”
“He’s getting desperate.” I nod at him. “I need someone to watch Cassie at school now.”
“Already on it,” Kenton says. “I put a tracker on her phone already.” He stretches out his arm over the back of the couch. “Where are they now?”
“Home,” I say, perching on the front of my desk, crossing my feet at the ankle.
“So she’s the boom.” He throws his head back and laughs when a knock comes on the door.
I smile as I think of all the times I rolled my eyes when they would discuss the boom. “She’s the boom.”
“Does she know?” he asks me, folding his tattooed arms over his chest.
I shake my head. “Has no idea, but she’s coming on Saturday, so I guess she will find out.”
“Shit, you are all in.” He shakes his head, getting up. “I’ll let you know if I hear anything else.”
“You better,” I tell him when he walks out of the office. I then go and gather what I’m bringing home. I don’t give a shit if she huffs and puffs; she can work from home. I’m not letting her out of my sight.
The night goes by at a fucking snail’s pace, and when two o’clock comes, I grab my shit and head out. “Night, guys.”
“Oh, you’re leaving early,” Rebecca says from the bar when I walk by. “I hardly saw you.” She smiles, and I just nod at her.
“I’m out,” I tell everyone and walk to my truck with two bags of stuff for Aurora. When I pull up to the house, the outside lights are
still on, but inside is dark.
I disarm the alarm from my phone, unlock the door, and quietly walk in. I put the bags in the office and then see a soft light coming from the living room. When I walk in, I see Aurora curled on the couch, the television playing softly in the background. She has a throw blanket on her, but her legs are sticking out, showing me that they are bare. I move the hair off her face as her eyes flutter open and she sees me. “You’re home,” she says softly. “I wanted to wait up for you.”
“Baby,” I whisper; no one has ever actually waited up for me … well, my mother but …
“I made dinner, but I didn’t know if you would eat at the club.” Her voice is soft and sleepy. I make another plan to eat at home before work.
“I ate at the club,” I say, squatting down in front of her. “I missed you.” I tell her the truth. I’ve known her three fucking days, yet every single time I think of her, it feels like it’s been forever, like we’ve been together since we were both little kids.
“It was quiet without you,” she says, sitting up now, her legs opening on the side of my hips. “I borrowed your shirt,” she says softly, and I look at her, the white t-shit hanging on her, her nipples pushing against the cotton. “It smells like you.”
My hands go around her, pulling her to me. “I can’t begin to tell you how much that means.” Her legs open at the side of my ribs. “It’s been three days that I’ve thought of your lips on mine.” My hand comes up, my thumb gliding across her lower plump lip. “I’m going to kiss you,” I tell her, leaning in. “Now is your chance to say no.” I wait for a half a second, but she does better than that … she wraps her hands around my neck.
“I don’t know what I did to get you.” She leans in closer, my hands going to her sides, squeezing, and when her lips touch mine, it’s like electricity just went through me. She sighs, and my hands go to into her hair, fisting it and pulling it just a bit. Her mouth opens, and my tongue slides in with hers.
We both moan this time as our kiss grows hungrier and hungrier, my hand pulling her hair more as she presses her tits into my chest. I kiss her till I can’t breathe anymore, then pull away from her as our chests heave. She has razor burn around her lips from my beard. “Let’s go to bed,” I tell her, then pick her up so her legs wrap around my waist. She buries her face in my neck.
Happily Ever Alpha: Untitled Until Brandon (Kindle Worlds Novella) Page 4
