by Scott, Talyn
Another noteworthy interjection from her Mother, “I told you time and time, again,” Oh good, the ‘I told you so’ gun was primed, pointed, and ready for action. “That a proper wife does not refuse her husband. He wouldn’t have cheated if you were to have put out.”
“Dear, Lord,” Renee moaned under the cucumbers that topped her eyes. “Mom, did you just use putting out in a sentence? It is the apocalypse. Sorry, Moll, I don’t think the day will end in wedding bells.”
“Grow up, Renee,” Molly lifted a cucumber and bit the corner. “What? I didn’t have breakfast.”
Good, she dropped Mrs. Howell for the sex talk. “I had no problem putting out. He had a problem with delivery.” Tatum could play this game. In fact, she was going to send her Mother to the emergency room after this conversation was over. She threw a cucumber in her mouth, as she sat up. “He couldn’t satisfy a hooker, happy?”
Someone uttered the F bomb, as the room grew quiet. It was a repeat of Halloween, and Tatum was in charge of the ghost stories. “He was a dick, a prick, and he didn’t even know how to use it. He couldn’t get his hands dirty, hell, for that matter, his mouth dirty if he tried…not that he wanted to.” An elderly woman who looked suspiciously looked like Steve, Sven, dropped her polish.
“It was your attitude.” Her Mother could justify anything, as long as she could avoid defending her. “Definitely your attitude, as you are beautiful, with real boobs and a great ass. It was your mouth that killed the marriage.”
It was no secret where she inherited her bitchiness, “Thank you for those kind words.” Her Mother shuttered her eyes. Where was granny when she needed her? “You have no idea where my attitude is coming from. If I told you, you would be carted out of here in an ambulance and miss the wedding.”
Sven's Men had quieted down during the femme discussion of some poor girl’s life. The chickens were crowding and cackling, and Sven was laughing in the corner. Yeah, it was funny, but all the same; he could not stand the bastard. Sven had left the door ajar, and the voices were carrying through the barbershop aka, Sven’s Men. Jayce had a sinking suspicion, as he cocked his head for another listen.
“Spit it out, Tatum. If we end up crying, we’ll need hours to ice down our lids before the wedding starts.” Renee caved in and ate her cucumber slices.
Jayce froze. Should he stop them and save her the embarrassment? On the other hand, should he sit like the other dirty vermin and give a listen? He was in an internal debate interrupted by the unthinkable.
“I haven’t had an orgasm since I was eighteen.” There, she said it, the skeleton made an appearance from the closet. “But that’s not the worst part.”
“What could be worse than that?” Trixie held a sympathetic look of horror, as Perfect Peppermint Pink ran a stream onto the carpet.
“Oh, I can give you worse.” Tatum watched her mother clutch her chest. “Ready?”
Her Mother was suddenly lost in deep thought. With a pump to the hair, she signaled for Tatum to continue. “Without my knowledge, I was an internet reality star for two years. Possibly longer, I’m not sure.” She shrugged helplessly, “Troy had placed cameras everywhere, even the water closet.”
“What’s a water closet?” Steve's, Sven’s, mother peered over her glasses.
Molly answered, “The potty room. Continue, Tatum.”
“One day, I had a connection issue, and the cable guy checked the wires in the attic. Fortunately, he told me about the cable interference and showed me the problem.” Tatum fought against a tear. If the tide started now, it would never end. “My life has been an open book for everyone who paid Troy’s subscription fee. That, added to the fact that he was with multiple partners behind my back while neglecting me, was enough to send me packing.” Her eyes flared for the big finish. “He tricked me into signing papers. It’s my stupid fault; I signed them: student loans and credit applications galore. I am in so much high-interest debt that it will take years for me to rise above it. I’m paying for his girlfriend’s shopping trips, spa days, breast implants and college bills. He has cold balls of steel and a heart that matches them.”
“We have to call Wilson.” Tatum met Molly’s determined look and snatched the phone from her hand. “You’re forgetting that it’s your wedding day.”
“Tatum’s right. We need a plan, just not today.” Renee reached for a bottle of water and rubbed it across her forehead.
“We’ll be on our honey moon,” Molly stammered.
“It doesn’t matter,” she sighed. “I can’t afford it. I'm too embarrassed and can‘t discuss it with him.”
“So that’s it?” Mom took a break from her self-induced coma. “He gets away with hurting my baby?”
Oh, now she was the baby.
“No, he doesn’t.” Molly gritted her veneers. “I’ll agree to wait after the wedding, but you are facing this head on. Wilson would never charge you, and that fucker that you married is going to pay those bills, not you.”
Tatum wasn’t sure, but she didn’t think Mrs. Howell had ever sworn. “I told you, I’m not discussing it past these walls. I admitted the truth and need to move on.”
“You’re moving on, alright, back to sunny Fort Myers. You are not getting on that plane. Your graphic-design business goes anywhere that you do. Maine is going to miss you because you’re staying in Florida.” Tatum blinked at baby Renee. “P.S., you can live with me.” Well, that sealed the deal.
Tatum fought not to roll her eyes. If they weren’t attacking her life, they were taking it over.
“Shut the door, Sven.”
“It’s just getting good.” Everyone was in agreement with Sven, so Jayce was going to have to negotiate his terms.
“I have my legal department on speed dial.” Jayce rose from his chair and gestured towards the door. “If you don’t shut that door, I will throw so many liable suits against you that it will be twenty years before you reopen. By then, those pretty roots of yours will be grey.” Sven shut the door. Jayce thought he saw a pout on his lips, but he wasn’t sure.
“I can’t talk. I have a mix up here,” Bren released a defeated sigh.
“What kind of mix up?” Jayce slid on his designer shades as he settled into the limo.
“Madeline’s staff single handily screwed up two weddings and a bachelorette party. I’ll probably be sued. I’m looking at baskets of sex toys, condoms that have been blown into balloons, a cake with coconuts as testicles, alongside an angry minister.”
“You want me to head your way, give you a hand?”
“What, so you can laugh at my misery?” Bren handed the hysterical mother of the groom a box of tissues and stepped away.
“I found out something interesting about Tatum. We need to change the plan,” Jayce rubbed his forehead to fight an oncoming headache.
“Shit. Oh, my apologies Reverend,” Bren furthered himself away from the deck. “Change the plan. I don’t think I’m going to make the wedding, anyway.” He felt guilty, as Wilson was a close friend.
“I’ll make your apologies. Grab one of those baskets, would you?”
“Yeah, it’s on the top of my ‘to-do list'. I have to go; the strippers are here. You’re at the wrong place.” Bren shoved his phone in his pocket and trudged up a sand dune. He was frustrated and hard, and that was a potent combination for a man with his needs.
“Why did you do it? Why?” Bren stomped his foot forward, and Tatum jumped behind Jayce.
Chapter 4
Tatum could not believe that she was walking down the aisle with Jayce Jordan on her arm. He was a groomsman, who knew? Of course, she didn’t know her new brother n law well enough to know his friends. Jayce was the last person she expected to see on this trip. The last she heard, he was stinking rich and ‘living it up’ Miami style. That would be fitting. He grew up wealthy and always got what he wanted. Well, not always. He had wanted her one night. Unfortunately, she had turned him down and regretted it five minutes later. After that, it was too late
She loosened her grip on his forearm as they neared the end of the aisle. People were sniffling, smiling, and looking at their watches. Tatum couldn’t think of her sister or the wedding. Although selfish, all she could think of was Jayce. He always had that way about him. If he were close to her, then she would feel his heat, an inner explosion of lust. Interesting, she had never kissed him, not even once. Before she could finish removing her fingers from his arm, he caught her in a firm clasp.
“How many times are you going to let me go?” His breath was soft against her cheek. She glanced around to ensure that no one noticed.
“I’m not sure what you mean.” She licked her dry lips as they entered the vestibule. She tried to stop, but he pulled them down a corridor into an awaiting, darkened alcove. He still hadn’t released her.
“You know exactly what I mean.” He was tall. His shoulders, they were a mountain into themselves.
“Do you eat small children for breakfast?” She blinked a couple of times to adjust to the dimness of their surroundings. “You’re huge.”
“You’re not changing the subject, not this time, not ever.” He still didn’t let go when she attempted to pull away from him. Jayce shook his head at her efforts, “Where’s your husband?”
Tatum dragged in a breath, “If you’re at this wedding, then you know the truth. It is not like my family not to embarrass me and keep something quiet. My divorce shamed them all, and you must have heard. You know, perfectly well, that I no longer have a husband.”
Yes, he did. After hearing of Tatum’s arrival from Bren, Jayce even canceled his date for the long weekend in Fort Myers. She smelled the same, looked like a grown-up version of her teen self, and still had a temper. He wanted to rip that stupid, pink dress off her and give her a much-needed orgasm. Obviously, quickies could not occur in this situation. Unlike the other women who floated in and out of his life, he was going to have to work for it. Of course, she would be worth every effort. Nope, Tatum Shirley still was not fawning over Jayce Jordan.
For years, he had tried to convince himself that it was a novelty. He mentally ground out, the only one that said no. It was a challenge and an insult to his masculinity. To no avail, those inner pep talks only made him angry and increased his determination. Not to mention, they left him with an eternal hard on. He would have never approached her after her wedding since he did not play around with other men’s wives, not his style. Things changed, and she was fair game now. If she didn’t know it, she would soon.
He met her look of determination with one of his own. “After the wedding, it’s you and me. We have some catching up to do, and I’m not wasting any more time with you or without you.”
“You’re still arrogant.”
He could see the fire behind her eyes, even though they were secluded in the shadows of the hall.
“I’m not arrogant, well maybe a little. But I’m not waiting for another fourteen years.” There was a deafening silence.
A throat cleared.
“Tatum,” Renee’s voice echoed, “we have to take pictures.”
“Of course we do,” Tatum stepped aside and immediately felt bereft. Fourteen years of not being around him had suddenly slammed her down. Of course, she heard about him. He never married and lived a life of luxury. The one she turned away. She mentally kicked her ass, because, it did not make a difference. Not now, no matter what he said. It was his game, no doubt, and she was too naive. Bren came on to her and now Jayce. They were playing games. Tatum’s eyebrows scrunched on one snag. In the past, Bren never knew that Jayce had made a play for her. He at no time knew of his revenge, revenges. He never knew the agony Jayce put her through, because she had cut ties with him, with them. She let out a long sigh. It would not have benefited Jayce to divulge any of their history. What was going on?
She had to remind herself that they were strangers. Just because someone crossed your social circles more than ten years ago, did not mean that you still knew them. Considering that, Tatum had to distance herself from both of them.
Picture taking time was over. Time had flown. She didn’t remember smiling, but she did remember her Mother cultivating another crummy encounter. Preparing for it, she did the only thing that she could think of and snuck out the back for some fresh air.
“Finally, we’re officially alone.” The sun had set, and Jayce, determined as ever, was right in her path, as he checked the messages on his phone.
“Stalker.”
“Would it hurt you to play nicely?”
“I will if you go away.” That was extremely rude.
“You’re rude,” he scowled.
“That’s what I was thinking.”
“What?” He put his phone away and intently studied her.
“I’m acting rude because I don’t know what you want, and quite frankly, I don’t care.” She held her face to the setting sun. Tatum had missed everything about Florida. Its heat, beauty, salty smell, and gulf waters called to her. She did not come here to start trouble or be in the middle of it. No, she came for her sister’s wedding, and that was the plan she was not going to change.
“You owe me.” Blue eyes blazed against blue eyes, a mating dance. Caught in a barrage of lustful thoughts, she looked away - embarrassed.
“Funny, I heard that the other night.” Were he and Bren comparing notes after all?
“A make-out session," he curled his lip at the thought, “yeah, with a grown-up twist.”
“Go away,” she thought twice. “No, I’ll go away. I have to go to my sister’s reception.”
He gripped her elbow, “How did he get your underwear?”
She sucked in air, “He told you?”
“So, it’s true,” he stared at the apex of her thighs and met her eyes, again. “I want them.”
She played dumb, “You want what?”
“Stop playing games that you can’t win. I want your underwear,” he waggled his hand towards her middle.
“Pervert,” she was furious.
“I’ve graduated from stalker to pervert in a matter of minutes. That’s progress.”
That arrogant smile was back, “I can’t give you my underwear.”
Jayce’s head filled with steam, “Why not?” Bren got her underwear, but not him. Who was she to say no to him when no one else did? She was as stubborn as ever, and he knew how to break her of it.
“Because I’m not wearing any panties,” she flashed a smile. Before she reached the door, Tatum seductively turned back and licked her lips. If two grown men played childish games, then so could she.
“There you are.” A despairingly voice invaded Tatum’s ears, painfully so.
“Mother.”
“Chop, chop, the reception is not going to wait for you.” It was not as if her Mother could help the cluck of her tongue. She was the proverbial pecking hen.
“Hello, Mrs. Shirley, it’s so good to see you, again.” Jayce’s voice was masculine and proud, just like the rest of his body, and echoed in the Sanctuary.
Her Mother gave her a shrewd look, as she glanced between her, Jayce and the back door. “Hello, Jayce. I’m glad you could make the wedding and participate in the service,” she did not smile. Undoubtedly, she was thinking about the rumors of Jayce’s virility.
“I would have never, ever missed it,” he would have never missed her. In fact, Jayce was going to have his head between her legs before the night was over. Bren could lick her panties all night if he wanted to, not good enough for Jayce. He followed them into the reception hall and stared at Tatum’s magnificent ass the whole way. He only wanted the panties to throw in Bren’s face. He wanted Tatum, forever. Yeah, he was getting what he never had before - from her. Sure, he could take things slowly. Somewhat. Especially, after he listened to the conversation that took place at Sven’s shop. He had the need to taste her, the little hellcat, and he was not waiting another night for that.
“So,” Renee began, “what you’re saying is that you’ll give me a thousand dollars to make sure my sister is riding home with you. I just have to be certain, since I do not understand why you would part with a thousand dollars like that. It’s not as if you were to have to buy girls, is it? I mean, what kind of weirdness are we talking about?”
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