“What happened today?” I go over to a couch we have set up in the shop and have a seat, opening my arms up for her to climb into them. Even at ten, she’s still little. I have a feeling she’ll be petite her whole life—like Hadley—and it kills me to know one day I’ll be sending her out into the world without me.
“A boy in class called me beautiful.” Her smile and eyes are bright with pleasure.
“What?” I bark, not able to keep the fear out of my voice. “Which boy?”
She shrinks back, and I tell my heartbeat to calm down, the pit in my stomach to fill, and realize she’s ten; beautiful is relative.
“Why are you yellin’? Aren’t I beautiful? You tell Mom she is all the time. Shouldn’t a boy tell me I am?”
Shiiiitttt, now she’s got me backed up against a wall. “Sprite, you are gorgeous, and one day you’ll understand this, but it’s a shock to your old man’s heart to hear a boy has called you beautiful. You’re too young.”
Her eyebrows draw up and a line forms in between them. Reaching forward, I push against the line, smoothing it out, hoping she understands.
“When will I be old enough?”
“When you’re thirty.” The answer comes out before I can bring it back in.
“But G tells Ana she’s beautiful, and they’re twenty. Why do I have to wait so long?” Her questions are more than I can take, I’m struggling.
“Hey, Riles.” G’s voice is like a voice from Heaven to me right now. “Why don’t you go grab your stuff and get Dec, I’m fixin’ to leave, and y’all can come with me to get Ana. Good plan?”
Seems as if she’s forgotten about what she asked me as she hops up from my lap. “Great plan!” she says and scampers up the steps, which are still a little big for her if she’s in a hurry.
“Thank fuck you got me out of that damn situation. Why is she worried about a boy calling her beautiful?” I run my hand through my hair, trying to keep the shaking to myself.
“She’s growing up, Trick.” G laughs. “It’s gonna happen, and kids are getting smarter at younger ages now too. You’re gonna have to face it sooner rather than later.”
“Not right now though.” I shudder. “Not right now. She’s still the little girl who was scared to give me her hand when I first met her. I just…” I shake my head, not able to put into words what I’m feeling. “She’s too young,” I finish lamely.
“We’ll keep her protected as long as possible, I promise you that.” G claps his hands on my shoulder.
I wonder as he goes to grab his stuff, watching as Riley comes down the stairs wearing a backpack, with Declan at her side, just how long that will be. Nobody told me caring so much for a child would make me terrified half the time and ready to commit homicide the other half of the time. I’ll do whatever it takes to protect my family, even if it means having a talk with a little ten-year-old and telling him where to keep his comments.
Hands too. His hands better never touch her.
“Y’all be good and listen to G. Sorry I yelled earlier, Sprite, but I’m not ready to hand you over to anybody else yet,” I walk over, giving her a hug. “Play with your brother.”
She rolls her eyes. “Duh Dad, I know it’s my job to show him a good example.”
And that right there brings tears to my damn eyes as I watch my kids walk away.
“Babe, let’s go.” I see my wife following the crew. “They left, so we’re on the clock.”
Now this is one beautiful woman, and as she takes my hand, pulling me towards the truck we normally drive in the cold, I know without a doubt I’ll follow her anywhere.
“What about this?”
I turn around when I hear my husband’s voice, glancing at the toy auto repair shop for kids. We’ve already caught Declan trying to play with tools when he’s down there with Trick and his employees. A smile crosses my face. “He would love it.” I cross it off my list, studying it to see what else we may need. I don’t know how other people with more than two children do this. Keeping it all together is hard, even for someone with the organizational skills that I have. “Okay, we need one more gift for Riles, and then we’re done.” I give him a squeal, completely happy that we’re almost done. Back when we’d started, it felt like it was going to be a never-ending battle. “Can you believe it?”
“Fuck, no,” he groans as he pushes the red cart in front of him, narrowly missing another guy who looks like he’s been dragged here by his wife. “Next year we start this shit early. Doing this the week before Christmas is for the birds.”
Doing my best, I try not to roll my eyes. This is the same argument we had last year, and the year before. It’s always the same story for the two of us. “We tried to do it early, remember? But we kept getting sidetracked every time we were left alone.” I dig my elbow into his ribs, forcing him to pay attention to me. “Usually by you, if I recall.”
His smile is that of a predator seeking his prey. It sends a jolt of arousal through my stomach, and in between my legs. My eyes take a moment to rake up and down his body. Even though he’s wearing a leather jacket over his thermal shirt, I can still make out the tattoos on his hands. From memory I know the ones that skate up his arms, cover his chest, back, and abdomen. I’ve colored every single one of them with my tongue and traced all of them with my fingers. He lets go of the handle on the cart and closes his arms around my waist, pulling me into the space and heat of his body. He hasn’t shaved in a few days; the feel of his stubble against my forehead as he bends down to whisper in my ear is pretty hot. I’d love to feel it in other, more intimate places. I fight to keep my breathing level. It should almost be embarrassing the way the man can turn me into a pile of goo.
“Didn’t hear you complaining, babe.”
I tilt my head down before pulling back, looking up into those dark eyes of his. His thumb rubs at my bottom lip before he leans down, capturing it with his. The kiss he gives me isn’t exactly appropriate for a public outing, but Trick Tennyson has never been appropriate. Not from the first moment I met him has he conformed to social norms. He’s his own man, and damn anyone who asks him to be anything different. Probably one of the main reasons I love him. As his tongue tangles with mine and my hands grip the edges of the leather jacket he wears, I melt into his body, loving the feel of his hands in my hair. One kiss from this man all these years later, and he can still undo me. When I can’t breathe any longer, I pull away, letting my eyes lazily open of their own accord. The two of us may as well be the only people in the store as I reach up to wipe the remnants of the lip gloss I wear off him. He clears his throat, bringing my fingers in for a small peck.
“What do you say we get the last gift, grab some hot chocolate, and take a walk downtown.” His voice is deeper than it was earlier. The gravel he gets when he’s aroused is there, and I can’t help but love the smile that’s spread across his face. I did that, I made him want me with just a kiss. That kind of power is heady, but I know he wields it over me too, so I don’t let it go to my head too much.
A walk with my love? Holding hands, wrapped up in him without anyone else vying for either of our attention? Sounds like the best gift ever. “Let’s get the last thing Riley wanted, then we can be on our way.”
Suddenly, shopping the week of Christmas isn’t as much of a hassle as I’d made it out to be. If this can be an impromptu date night, I’ll totally take it. As a married couple with kids, you have to get them when you can, even if it is only for a few hours.
“You want your own, or do you want to share?” I point to the hot chocolate vendor with mine and Hadley’s entwined fingers as we stand in line with the downtown crowd. Looking around I can tell it’s a romantic set, seems to be a lot of people in the same situation as us. Hell, I see a few guys I do regular work for who wave, but thankfully keep their distance. Sometimes being the go-to guy for all things having to deal with motorcycles can be a mood killer when I’m just trying to spend a nice night with my wife.
“We can share.” S
he gives me a grin, one that makes me grin back at her. It’s a private symbol, one that reminds me of her up against the wall, my face in between her legs, licking her to a screaming orgasm. It’s her eyes as she chances a look over her shoulder when I’m doing her from behind. It’s the complete trust she has in me when I use one of my belts to render her helpless. Only we know what these grins mean, and I promise to keep it like this forever. I waited my whole life to fall in love with a woman like her. I’ll never take it for granted or treat it as something that shouldn’t be cherished.
It’s finally our turn. “One hot chocolate,” I tell the vendor, putting my arm around her waist, pulling her back to my front. Moments like this make me feel like a teenager on his first date.
“And a funnel cake,” her voice is impulsive and indulgent.
Both of us have been working on getting into better shape since we, as a family, became lax after Declan made his appearance. She turns slightly, giving me a wink that says we are nothing if not partners in crime. “I’ll run a few more minutes tomorrow.” She shrugs, leaning her head back against my shoulder.
It’s that pure trust I get from her and the kids that makes my heart soar. It makes me want to beat my chest like a caveman and dare some motherfucker to try and take them from me. It almost happened when Sprite’s biological dad tried to come at us for custody of her. Fucker didn’t win, and I ended up adopting her as my own. I’ll fight to the death for our family, and everyone in our lives knows it. Having everything you’ve always wanted and then being threatened with having it taken away makes you appreciate it all.
We stand there quietly enjoying each other’s company until we’re handed our drink and food. Turning around, I wonder where we’re going to be able to eat it, until I hear Hadley’s soft voice.
“Let’s go sit over here and eat the funnel cake, then we can walk it off,” my gorgeous wife suggests, and as I follow her, I can’t help but admire her ass in the jeans she wears. After another kid, she’s not as small as she was when I first met her, but she’s voluptuous in a whole other way now. Curves suit both her and me, and those hips she’s got? They give me something to hold on to. I wouldn’t trade her for anything in this world.
I watch as she straddles one of the empty picnic tables and swings her other leg over. Damn, I wish it was warm enough to have her straddle the back of my bike. To have her arms wrapped around my waist and the press of her entire body against mine. It’s the most intimate act we can do besides make love. It feels like forever since we’ve taken a ride together. First day it gets warm enough, I’m getting her on the bike, and we’re not getting off until there are smiles on both our faces that can’t be wiped off by anything.
“Sit next to me?” Her lips are tilted in an almost shy half-grin.
Like she even has to ask. “Wouldn’t be anywhere else, babe.” I tug my long leg over the side and situate myself next to her.
Watching her closely, I see her pinch a small piece of the funnel cake between her index finger and thumb. Instead of putting it in her own mouth, she lifts it to mine. Taking advantage, I slip her finger into my mouth, along with the sweet treat, nipping against the tip of her flesh. She giggles, leaning into me, her side brushing against mine. “Stop it, we’re in public.”
“Never stopped us before.” I chew slowly, leaning in to kiss her on the cheek. Mimicking what she did, I give her a bite of her own. It’s cold tonight, so I scoot her closer and throw my arm around her shoulders. “You cold?” I check, as I reach forward and take a drink of our hot chocolate.
“Never, when you’re wrapped around me like a blanket.”
Those are the best words she ever could have said to me. They make me feel like the baddest fucker around and have me puffing my chest out. In moments like this, I hope every man gets to have the love of a woman like I do.
“It’s like a winter wonderland out here.” She holds my pinkie with hers as we stroll along the downtown area doing window shopping here and there. The kids don’t need anything else for Christmas, and I think we’ve both figured out what we’re doing for each other. This shopping is just for fun.
I try to look at things through her eyes. It could be seen as a winter wonderland. Trees twinkle with Christmas lights on them, a layer of snow is still everywhere from the accumulation we had a few days ago, brightly colored bows are dotted here and there throughout the landscape, and couples walk together everywhere the eye can see. Before Hadley and Riley came into my life, I never would have enjoyed this, never would have even thought about doing it, but I find myself turning into another man for my wife and daughter. There’s not much they could ask me to do that I’d say no to. As we finish our stroll, ending back up at our truck, I throw away the Styrofoam cup we’ve been drinking from. “Guess it’s time to go pick up the kids.” I back her up against the truck, stealing a kiss in the darkness we’re shrouded in, letting my hands travel down to her ass, cupping it in the jeans she wears. I pull her close, so she can feel how much I want her, how much I always want her.
“Yeah.” She runs her cold hands up under my thermal shirt, causing me to shiver with desire and not cold. “Too bad we can’t have a few more hours.”
I think about sending G a message, asking if he can watch them a little longer, but then I realize we’ve been gone for five hours, and chances are the kids are already asleep. “Another time.” I move in, kissing her thoroughly again.
But when I get into the driver’s seat in the truck, I’m pulling my jeans away from the tightness in my crotch. Another time is going to have to come sooner rather than later.
“What do you mean it won’t be ready?” My voice is shrill as I rapid-fire question the person on the other end of the phone line. Normally I’m a go with the flow kind of girl, but this is the gift I ordered for my husband two months ago. The gift for the man who constantly puts himself last and us first, the only thing he’s asked me for in the almost four years we’ve been married. These custom leather saddlebags are the only things I’ve ever seen his eyes light up for, besides me or his kids. “I ordered them with plenty of time to be shipped here for Christmas, and I paid extra for expedited everything!” I argue with the person telling me what I don’t want to hear. “I’m confused as to how they’re not going to be here in time.”
“Ma’am the demand was higher than we expected…”
I cut off the man, holding my hand up, knowing he won’t see it. The gesture at least makes me feel better. “I know all about supply and demand. I run my own store on Etsy, but you know what? When demand gets well beyond my supply, I shut off orders and make sure I do right by the customers who have already placed theirs. You’ve screwed me now. I don’t know what I’m supposed to get for a husband who never asks for anything. This was all he wanted, and I paid for it to be here in time, with plenty of lag time built in.” I sigh and hold in the four-letter words I want to use. Declan’s walking around the living room, and he already hears enough from Trick. “Bless your heart, and have a good Christmas.” That’s passive aggressive enough.
Sliding the screen with my thumb, I wish hardcore for an old landline so I can slam it down with force. Instead, this is the age of cellphones, and I don’t get the luxury.
“Daddy, daddy, daddy,” Declan chants as he runs around, pointing to a picture of him and Trick.
“Daddy’s gone to get Sissy.” I glance at the clock to confirm I’m right. Riley still takes piano lessons every week, and usually Trick goes and picks her up. It’s where they bond and talk about stuff going on in their lives together. It makes me a little sad, because for so long the ritual had been mine and Riley’s, but she’s a daddy’s girl right now. I know one day she’ll come back around to me—like all kids she plays favorites to get what she wants—so for now, I let her and Trick enjoy the time they spend together. Theirs is a bond I’m not sure even I can grasp the depth of half the time.
Out of nowhere, I realize now’s a golden opportunity for me to ask G if there’s anything
Trick’s been eyeing for Christmas, or hinting at wanting. Sometimes he’s more talkative about stuff like that with his friends. Grabbing up Declan, I hand him a sippy cup, and we make our way downstairs.
The guys are working hard, even without Trick there to manage them, when I descend the stairs. There’s talking going on in the background of the sound of power tools. There’s a certain smell about this place I love. It takes me back to when Trick and I first met, and I was starting my Etsy store and branching out into professional organization. Thanks to me organizing his office, posting before and after pictures, I got very popular in the professional organization field. I can now pick and choose the jobs I want to take. Since we had Dec, I haven’t taken on many, but I’m looking to get back into it now that he’s a little older and able to be left with Trick and the guys.
“Hadley, to what do we owe this pleasure?” G asks, as Declan reaches for me to let him down. When I do, he runs over to one of the other mechanics, babbling about wanting to learn. I watch for a few minutes, making sure the other guys aren’t put out, before I turn to face G.
My voice is low, yet urgent. I want him to get the same urgency I do. This feeling of failure regarding Trick’s gift seriously pisses me of. “Giovanni, I need your help.”
His eyes widen before he looks around, acting like I’m talking to someone else. “Me? What did you need me to do?”
He and I, we’ve come a long way from the kid who thought he could be tough and threaten me. Just like he and Trick have a good relationship and have moved past the bullshit, G and I have as well. I consider him not only a friend, but a member of our ragtag family. “Christmas is in a few days, and the gift I ordered for Trick won’t make it here in time. Something about supply and demand.” I get angry again just thinking about it. “Either way, I’ve got to come up with something else, and I’m at a loss for what he’d want. The man has basically everything…” I let the words trail off.
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