by Evie Harper
“Good,” Slater states in a loud and clear voice. He looks to Pacer, and when he does, his mouth turns down. “Pace, you got an answer for Della?” This time Slater’s voice is softer, with a soothing edge to his tone.
Pacer, who’s sitting between me and Mack, sits forward on the sofa and directs his attention to Della. “I’ve decided to leave the past where it belongs, behind me. Sorry, Dell, this is what I want.”
Della’s shoulders sag, and she untangles her arm from Dom. She perches forward, pressing her lips together. “Okay, Pace,” Della says with a bitter smile. “But if you ever change your mind, it will never be too late.”
Pacer nods and shuffles back and rests on the sofa. He stares straight ahead at his eldest brother. The second-eldest of the Kings isn’t a man of many words, but since meeting Pacer I’ve found him to be kind, caring, and someone who thinks about what he’s going to say before speaking. He’s also a lot like his brothers. Where they assume their emotions are locked up tight and no one can tell what’s going on in their heads, in reality all of them are open books if you look hard enough at their expressions and actions. And right now, I’m seeing Pacer impatiently tapping his foot, hoping the conversation changes quickly, because maybe, just maybe he’s come up with a decision he’s convinced himself he wants, but deep down he’s conflicted and has not yet worked out what it means for him or for the family in this room.
“One last thing,” Slater declares. “Piper’s been suspended from her job.” Gasps and curses ring out around the room. My mouth falls open in shock. Kelso’s told me about Piper and her position with child services. When Kelso mentions Jimmy, Quint, Conner, and Bridge, he has a gleam in his eyes. They’re all proud of Piper. Not to mention she’s dedicated her life to bettering the lives of children who don’t have the tools to help themselves, whose own parents let them down. Last time Kelso and I spoke, he mentioned Piper’s progress with the boys. Bridge was being taken in by Jimmy’s foster parents, and another foster family had fallen in love with Conner and Quint on a day visit and are determined to do anything to keep them in a safe environment instead of on the streets. How could the government think she was bad at her job?
Piper stands and steps beside Slater; he wraps his arm around her waist. They stand together, unified. Piper raises her hands in the air, suggesting we all settle down. “It’s only for the time being. They’re doing an investigation, and I’ll bet someone has let head office know who I’m dating. Once they look at my case and see my work has not been affected, but actually improved, they’ll reinstate me and everything will go back to normal.”
When everyone calms down, we all hear a cell phone ringing. Lana jumps up from the sofa. “That’s mine.”
For the next five minutes Slater discusses the guys’ work schedule for the next week. They’re busy and will likely have to work through Saturday and Sunday to get all the cars completed. He then talks about Speed Wars, which has my brows lowering in curiosity and confusion. What the heck is Speed Wars, and why is Slater telling Kelso and Pacer they’re both racing this month?
Turning to Kel, I ask, “What’s Speed Wars?”
Kelso gives nothing away with his expression. “I’ll fill you in later on tonight.”
Lana walks into the room. The first thing I notice is how she’s holding her cell phone, as though if she had the strength she’d crush it with her bare hands.
Mack must notice as well, because he goes straight to her. “What’s happened?”
With tightness around her eyes, Lana replies in a baffled voice, “I got fired.”
“What?” Mack almost yells.
“It was Craig. He told me the company had to let me go. I asked why, and was the company going belly-up, but all he replied with was ‘no.’ He let me know I would get a check in the mail for the hours I’d worked this week, and then hung up.” Lana throws her arms out in annoyance. “I mean, I know I had a few weeks off after Rex’s death, but since then I’ve worked my ass off to make it up to the owners. I’ve done double shifts three times this week, and that’s not even legal anymore.”
Mack takes her hands. “Settle down, Dove. We’ll sort this out.” Mack raises one of his hands and pushes Lana’s hair behind her ear in an intimate gesture. It’s beautiful to watch Mack calm her down.
“Piper suspended, and now Lana fired,” Pacer announces. “Coincidence? Or is someone messing with us?”
Kelso sits forward then, and I look to Slater. He’s staring at Pacer, his lips pressed firmly together.
“Mack, head down to the liquor store and talk to Craig, see if you can get more information out of him. Pace, you go with him.” Slater points at Pacer. “If Craig lets on someone is playing games with us, don’t let Mack fuck him up. Word will get out, and I don’t want this person or people knowing we realize anything is up yet. Got it?”
Pacer lifts his chin, walks to the key hooks, and grabs his set. Mack says goodbye to Lana, and everyone disbands from the living room. Meeting over, I guess.
Turning to Kelso, I find him watching me carefully. “Someone may be playing games with you guys? With your livelihoods?”
He shrugs, stands, and pulls me up after him. “Welcome to the family, never a dull moment.” Kelso grins and leads me into the kitchen. “We need more ice cream.”
7
Let Me Prove Myself
Ivy
After two more bowls of ice cream, Kelso and I end up in his bedroom. We’re watching television on his big bed, which sits on a black wooden plank bed frame. I envy the simplistic style Kelso has to everything in his life, which includes his bedroom. White walls, except for one that’s a cool gray color. His bed is centered on the colored wall, and his television is mounted on the opposite wall. He has a desk and chair next to his bed, and on the other side a stack of books and CDs sit haphazardly on the floor. Kelso also has an en suite, the only one in the house. How he scored it out of four siblings, I have no idea. Perhaps they flipped a coin.
Staring up at the screen, I’m not sure what we’re watching. I’m too busy adjusting my position to appear sexy, and lowering my shirt to show more of my boobs. Since having the cast removed, I’ve been thinking about how tonight might go.
It’s been four months and one week since Kelso and I bonded at TK’s bar. I’m determined to take us to the next level. Kelso told me he wants to, but something’s holding him back. I know it’s his past, and I’m sure it has something to do with the stories I’ve heard of how he takes women. Knowing Kelso, without his past I’d call bullshit on those rumors, but hearing him talk about the horrors he endured, I’m almost certain the women are telling the truth. Who could walk away from such a terrible childhood and not be fucked-up? And maybe I’m nuts for not caring if Kelso may tie me up, but at this point I don’t care. I want to be with him, long to be with him. There’s a strong connection between sex and love. Without intimacy, we’re cruising along as close friends, and I want so much more with him. If it means sacrificing my freedom for as long as it takes for Kelso to have me, then call me the ditzy heroine from the movies who walks willingly into a trap, because in my heart I’m already there. I’m stupidly head over heels for the bad guy.
Kelso’s moving around the room. I know this routine. We’re alone in his bedroom, so he prepares for a shower and spends a fair while in there. He returns to the room with wet hair, dressed in a singlet, loose pants hanging deliciously on his hips. He cuddles me from behind, and soon after he’s snoring, appearing to be dead asleep. Not even a bomb would wake him; trust me, I’ve tried almost everything else. After a while, I played the same game, and I soon found when my eyes closed and my breathing evened out, Kelso would stir. He gets up and goes to the desk, then sits there for hours and reads his car magazines. He claims reading them is like a student studying. Cars are constantly evolving, and keeping up to date with the industry is important to him and his family.
One thing no one ever talks about is the Kings’ ability to build their own busine
ss from the ground up and keep it going successfully. These were children who never even went to school. Their passion and ability to stay focused is awe-inspiring.
Getting up from the bed, I stand behind Kelso and wrap my arms around his waist. Softly I place a kiss on his neck, letting my mouth linger on his skin long enough for Kel to understand what I want.
Kelso tenses, and my eyes close when I feel the muscles in his shoulders stiffen.
“Turn on something you want to watch, Ives. I’m gonna have a shower,” he says, and shuts his dresser drawer.
Kelso tries to move, but I clasp my hands together, not letting him go. Rising on my tippy toes, I whisper into his ear, “Fuck me, Kelso.”
He stills. Doesn’t move an inch. I take the opportunity and suck his earlobe into my mouth. Warmth floods through me, and electricity ignites my body as it comes alive.
Suddenly Kel spins out of my arms, and in a heartbeat he’s on the other side of the room, leaning on the wall, his back rising and falling fast with deep breaths.
“Kelso.” My voice comes out low and timid as doubt crawls inside my mind.
He pushes off the wall and turns, hands jammed into his armpits. Kelso flexes his neck as if it's sore. His eyes bounce around the room, refusing to look at me. “I’ve been thinking, with life being hectic, your dad, our jobs, and my family’s going through something at the moment… maybe we should take a break until we know it's safe for you to be around me and my family.” Kelso’s voice is level and clear. There’s no sign of the man I thought would crumple at the thought of us separating.
My mouth falls open, and I struggle to pick an emotion. The warmth I was feeling turns ice-cold, and I attempt to find my bearings, trying to understand where this is coming from. His fears. Like a light bulb lighting up in my mind, I see through Kelso’s words.
“No,” I say with authority in my tone. “We’re either together, or I’m single to do as I please.”
Kelso grimaces. His gaze bounces around his room as if searching for an answer I know he will not find there.
Pissed off he even suggested a break after everything we’ve already been through, I walk to the bedroom door. I want Kelso to think I’m leaving; I want to scare him. It’s been tactic after tactic with him when it comes to avoiding intimacy. This time he went too far.
“Where are you going?” Kelso demands, grabbing hold of the door handle and not allowing me to touch it.
Turning my head, I look him straight in the eyes. “I’m leaving. The insecurities you hide so well have now turned into a game and I don’t want to play. Either talk to me or we’re done.”
My stomach churns and my heart pumps. I’m taking a huge risk. I don’t want to lose him.
Kelso’s eyes scan mine, and then he shifts nervously from one foot to the other.
My heart pounds hard against my chest as his hand moves on the handle. For a split second, relief floods my chest as I think he will finally open up and talk, but it’s short-lived. The door in front of me opens, and Kelso stands with his head bowed, holding it clear for me to walk through.
Holding my head up high, I walk out of the room, however my heart cracks wide open. My fears can’t change what my heart already knows. In the end, his fears won out, and sadly for Kelso if they did today, they always will.
Rounding the corner, Kelso grips my wrist. “You deserve better, Red. My lifestyle isn’t meant for someone like you.”
“Coward,” I spit out in a harsh tone. I twist my hand free from his grip and move hastily down the stairs. Plucking my tote bag from the front buffet table, I continue through the front screen door. Keep moving, Ivy. Do not look back.
“Ivy!” Kelso’s voice rings out in the night air.
I ignore him, stalking through the front gate and up the street. With trembling hands, I pull my phone out of my bag. Swiping to my contacts, I search for Becca’s name. It should be one of the first, but my thumb is moving too fast, and the screen continues to scroll. My heart refuses to calm down enough for me to stop and think. Pounding begins in my ears, and suddenly my sight goes blurry as tears prick my eyes.
Spotting Becca’s name, I press to call, but I end up calling the office instead. I hang up and growl, aggravated.
“Ivy.”
Screaming, I jump and spin around with my phone clutched to my chest. My poor heart tonight.
Kelso
“I’m sorry.” Ivy has no idea how much it hurt me to utter those words, and the strength it took to open my fucking bedroom door. Every cell in my body screamed at me to stop ruining everything we’d built. “I never want to hurt you.”
A bitter laugh escapes Ivy.
How can I explain this to her? To a woman who thinks she can tackle anything in life. “We’re two very different people.”
“Bullshit,” Ivy hisses, staring at me with a lack of warmth I don’t like. “You’re scared, you think I’ll run after we have sex for the first time.”
My breath catches. So she’s heard the gossip. I wasn’t sure. I especially didn’t know if she would believe it. Gossip around here is almost always exaggerated. “You know?”
Breathing, Ivy calms herself. “Yes.”
I scramble to understand as a tingling begins in my chest. “And you still want me?”
“Of course I do, Kelso. Stop wrapping me up in bubble wrap and trust I’m strong enough. You owe me at least that.”
“And if you run? What if you hate me afterwards?” My voice deepens, turning ragged.
Ivy reaches out and wraps her fingers around my wrists, squeezing them with determination in her eyes. “I won’t.”
Unease stirs in my gut, but before it can grow too deep, I reach over and take Ivy’s hand. Not saying a word, I lead her back into the house and up to my bedroom, and lock my door. This will be a first, having sex in my bedroom. I haven’t had a woman in my bed before. This room is my sanctuary; apart from my nightmares, this is my safe place. Sex is not a safe place for me. Sex is a burning need my body craves from time to time. It became a chore; it’s never been something I enjoyed. It’s a dirty secret between two people.
Ivy stands in the middle of the room, her eyes searching mine.
“Strip,” I demand, my voice hard and edged with dominance.
Ivy’s soft lips part at my words, but she doesn’t argue. She keeps strong eye contact with me as she removes her jean shorts, top, and then her bra and panties. Ivy releases her ponytail and her hair falls down her back in a smooth, layered curtain.
She looks fucking… delicious. My mouth waters as I continue to stare at her naked body. My heartbeat spirals out of control as my eyes cling to each sensual curve of her body. A pair of full high breasts that I know would be a handful for me. I’ve appreciated women’s bodies in the past, but they’ve only ever been a means to an end, a way to push my body into overdrive to get the long-awaited release I’d fought hard against for months. This is different; never have I had to hold myself back from wanting to have my mouth on her tits and her pussy. Never have I wanted a woman to touch me back.
Ivy steps forward, and suddenly I’m torn from paradise and thrown back into reality. Panic rises and my muscles twitch. “Against the wall.” My voice is deep and has a husky tone, one I’ve never heard before.
Ivy stills and doesn’t move. Just when I’ve concluded she’s not going to follow my order, she shifts, striding to the wall between my bathroom and bedroom. She stands facing the wall, her head tilted to the side, watching me carefully.
I strip off my clothes, my cock jutting free, and I spot Ivy licking her lips while staring at my dick. Throwing my head back, I groan internally. Fuck. My blood feels as if hot lava is flowing through my veins. I’ve had sex so many times it’s become automatic, but right now, this is as far from mechanical as I have ever felt.
My next instinct is to put a condom on, except I don’t want to. Ivy has assured me occasionally that she’s on the pill. Any other time I wouldn’t care. I never get my dick wet with
out a condom, but for the first fucking time in my life I’m thanking the gods for that damn pill some hero out there created. I ache to be skin to skin with Ivy.
The hairs on my skin stand up as my fingers ache and my breathing quickens. I’m close to losing all control and I can’t allow it, because what happens if she touches me and I can’t handle it? What if she does something, and it reminds me of my past? What if I go back there and forever condemn us? Because it’s something I can’t handle, I cannot go back. I can’t look into Ivy’s eyes and see a monster.
One shaky leg follows the other, and suddenly I’m at her back. I slide Ivy’s silky red hair over her shoulder exposing her flawless and freckled naked back. Ivy moans, and my cock jerks, skimming her ass cheek. Molten heat hits deep in my gut, and I know I can’t handle any more waiting.
Grasping Ivy’s waist, I pull her ass backwards and her cheeks rub up against my cock. We both groan.
“Are you wet?” I ask, sliding my right hand over the soft skin of her stomach and down between Ivy’s slick folds.
She moans, hangs her head forward, and holds on to the wall as if she’s struggling to keep her body upright. Wrapping my other arm around Ivy’s middle, I hold her steady as I slide one finger inside her while my thumb presses and swirls her clit. “Jesus,” I growl. She’s soaking wet and panting, all for me.
Ivy leans her head back, resting it on my shoulder. From the corner of my eye I watch as her lips part and she draws in deep, shuddering breaths. Her eyes close and she whimpers. Her soft, lust-driven tone is all it takes for my cravings to turn into a furious hunger. Releasing her pussy, I lift Ivy up, both my hands grasping her thighs. Ivy gasps as she’s pushed up against the wall. There’s no room for her to move, only for my body to control hers.
