That was odd for Oakley.
Plus, normally she met me at the door.
Thinking something might be wrong, I began to hurry up my front walk, only to come to an abrupt halt when two lumps on the front porch came into view.
I didn’t need them to sit up from their sprawl in the sun to know who they were.
My mother and sister.
“What are y’all doing here?” I growled.
Now I was angry.
As if this day couldn’t be worse, now they had to show up? No wonder my blinds were pulled and Oakley hadn’t met me out here.
My mother, in her string bikini, sat up.
I tried not to let my gaze fall below her neck.
My mom didn’t care about propriety. She also didn’t care that she looked like an extra out of ‘People of Walmart.’ She only cared about herself and possibly my sister at times.
“We’re out here because your new girl wouldn’t allow us inside,” my mother snarked. “Even though we asked her politely.”
Thank God.
“Y’all should leave,” I suggested as I continued up the front walk.
My mother stood up, and I was forced to take her in fully.
She had on a pair of daisy duke shorts that were so short they looked indecent, and a string bikini top that did a piss poor job of holding her clearly aging boobs in check.
My sister hadn’t fared much better, which was something that I noticed when she stood up as well.
She’d gained weight since the last time I saw her, but she was still wearing the same sized clothes. Now, instead of her belly being contained in the pink baby doll t-shirt, it was bulging out. Her shirt was also about two inches too short.
They looked gross, and I was embarrassed that Oakley had seen them like that.
“We’re not going anywhere,” my mother declared boldly.
I was in a piss poor mood and decided that I didn’t really care.
I needed a shower. I needed a cold beer. And I needed to fucking destress after the shit day that I’d had.
What I didn’t need was their bullshit.
“Suit yourself,” I said as I walked into the house.
When my mother and sister hurried to follow, I slammed the door in their faces and threw the deadbolt home.
When I turned around, it was to find Oakley standing there with a cold beer and a chagrined expression on her face.
“I put it in the freezer, so it’s extra frosty,” she said as she held it out.
Instead of taking the beer, I stalked toward her and pulled her into my arms.
When she was where I wanted her, I slammed my mouth onto hers.
She curled her arms around my shoulders and rested the beer bottle against my back shoulder. I could feel the frostiness through my shirt.
I didn’t stop kissing my woman, though. Not until we were both panting and she was pressing against me with need.
I pulled back and rested my forehead against hers.
“I’m sorry,” I said simply.
She patted my shoulders and then leaned back so that she could hand me my beer.
“Seriously, it’s exactly like you like it,” she said as she shook the bottle lightly in my face. “It even has slushy ice particles in it. It was in there for the perfect amount of time.”
Grinning like the Cheshire Cat, I took the bottle from her and took a swig.
She was right. It was exactly how I liked it.
“I was going to make dinner,” she said. “But I was thinking we could stay at my place one more time…and hope that they left.”
I was nodding before she’d finished.
“I was going to call the cops,” I said.
“I’m up for whichever,” she replied. “You tell me.”
I sighed and leaned my forehead down until it was resting against her temple.
“My mother and sister look like they’re in for the long haul,” I admitted. “Even if they get hauled off by the cops, they’ll just be back tomorrow. And the next day. And the next day.”
She squeezed my hand lightly. “Then we deal with it as it comes. But, just sayin’, I wanted to punch your mother in the throat. She said ‘you owe it to her for giving you life’ and I wanted to beat the shit out of her. You don’t owe her shit.”
I pressed a kiss to her hair. “My mother is different. She lives a gypsy lifestyle. Hell, I barely finished school. When I went into the military, boot camp was the longest that I’d ever stayed in one place. It was a really weird feeling.”
She smoothed her hand down the length of my arm and was about to say something when the knocking started.
“We’re not going away!” I heard my sister yell. “We’ll do this all night!”
“Better call those cops,” Oakley teased.
I didn’t hesitate.
I called into dispatch and did just that.
***
And, of course, none other than Sergeant Jackson pulled up in his squad car and got out ten minutes later.
Just. Fucking. Perfect.
“Oh, fuck.”
Oakley’s words mirrored my thoughts.
“Well hello, Officer,” Bella drawled in her sexiest voice.
I wanted to gag.
“Hello,” Jackson smiled. “Who might you be?”
I opened the door and stepped out onto the front porch, closing it firmly behind me.
I could hear Oakley on the phone, and I hoped that she was talking to her brother. Or hell, even dispatch again.
This was not going to go well.
I knew it just as well as I knew that Jackson hated my guts.
“I’m Rana Vineyard, and this is my daughter, Bella Vineyard,” my mother introduced them. “And who might you be?”
“I’m Sergeant Jackson,” Jackson grinned at me. “What’s going on?”
“Well, we’re here to visit my big brother, but he’s asking us to leave,” Bella pouted. “We came over five hundred miles.”
I barely kept the eye roll in check.
Last I’d heard, they were way farther than just five hundred miles.
They were in Rhode Island, which was clear across the country.
“Geez, Vineyard.” Jackson frowned. “Why would you want to kick your family to the curb after they traveled all this way?”
I did not want to explain my whole life story to Jackson.
I didn’t have to have a reason to kick them to the curb. Needless to say, if I wanted them off my property, they should be off my property. There didn’t need to be an explanation.
“I want them gone,” I said. “Now.”
Sergeant Jackson crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against my porch railing.
“Maybe we can discuss an alternative,” he suggested. “Get y’all back to being friends.”
I gritted my teeth.
“There will be no making friends,” I said. “I. Want. Them. Gone.”
My mother huffed. “Jesus, baby boy. All I want to do is visit you. What have I ever done to you that was so bad?”
I whirled on them, then. Out of patience.
“What about when I was fourteen and you suggested that I try to fuck that store owner and then rob her blind?” I said. “Or what about when I was thirteen and you left me and Bella alone for six months while you ‘tried to find yourself a sugar daddy?’”
She dismissed that with a wave of her hand.
Bella laughed.
“Or what about you, Bella? How about when I was in boot camp, and you came to the graduation only to show up drunk and fucked up on drugs and embarrassed me on the one fuckin’ day that I managed to get all on my own?” I asked. “You passed out in the middle of the floor, vomited on yourself and three other people, and then got up when the ambulance arrived, refused treatment, then went to sit back down beside our drunk mother to finish the ceremony with vomit all over your clothes and not a care in the world?”<
br />
Bella rolled her eyes.
“Those are just the instances that I can remember off the top of my head,” I said. “That’s not including all the times you stole every single dollar out of my pocket. All the times you stole my car. All the times you hocked something of mine that I managed to buy on my own.”
Sergeant Jackson laughed. “Those aren’t very good reasons to tell them that they can’t be here, Vineyard.”
“That’s not how it works, Jackson,” I heard called. “And you damn well know it.”
Surprised since I hadn’t heard the newcomer arrive, I looked up and spotted not Ford, but someone better—at least when it came to this particular situation.
It was Luke Roberts, the chief of police.
“Um, Chief,” Jackson said, straightening.
“If Pascha Vineyard wants his mother and sister off his property, then they have to go,” Luke said, ignoring his greeting.
I winced at the use of my first name.
Another squad car pulled up then, and an officer that I’d seen before but hadn’t actually been introduced to, got out.
“Officer Marks, please take these two women to a hotel in town,” Luke asked politely. “If they can’t afford the hotel, take them to the shelter.”
My mom and sister, realizing that they’d lost this round, went with Officer Marks without another word.
Luke waited until they were in the squad car before he turned to Sergeant Jackson.
“One more instance like that, and you’re gone,” he said. “I’m tired of hearing that you’re not doing your job nowadays.”
Jackson stiffened imperceptibly at the reprimand.
“Sir, I…”
Luke held up his hand. “No. No more. You and Vineyard need to be at least five hundred feet apart at all times.”
Relief flooded through me.
“And I don’t want you taking over any more calls just because it has to do with Vineyard. I’ve caught onto your game. This is harassment,” Luke continued.
Sergeant Jackson’s lips thinned.
“Head out,” Luke ordered.
The moment that Jackson stepped off of the porch and headed to his squad car, the door to my back opened and Oakley stepped out.
I felt her come up behind me and lean against my shoulder. Her face rested against my bicep as she said, “Hello, Chief Roberts.”
Luke grinned down at Oakley.
“Thanks for your call,” he said. “Though, I could’ve done without the ‘get your ass here fast or else’ comment at the end.”
Oakley shrugged. “I’m tired of dealing with him.”
I stiffened and looked down at her.
“Why do I get the feeling you’re not telling me something?” I asked carefully.
“Because I’m not.” She sighed. “He’s been showing up at random places where I’ve been all week. So not only has he been doing it to Pace, but he’s been doing it to me, too. Along with his wife.”
Luke groaned and let his head fall back for a few short seconds.
I took that time to lift my arm and wrap it around Oakley’s shoulders. “We’re going to talk about this later.”
Her smile was soft as she said, “I figured we would.”
“Fuckin’ hell.” Luke sighed. “I’ll deal with it. I’ll reiterate that he needs to leave your girl alone, too.” I held out my free hand, which Luke shook. “Sorry, man. He’s normally not so shitty.”
I shrugged as I let go of his hand. “I have a feeling that I’m just special.”
Luke rolled his eyes and headed down the steps toward his cruiser, but stopped and turned to regard me.
“How’s the job?” he asked.
I thought about it for a moment.
“The uniform gets a lot of looks,” I said. “Other than having to deal with the cell phones shoved in my face around every corner, it’s not too bad. I like it a lot.”
Luke grunted. “Good. And the uniforms stay, sorry to say.”
With that, he left, leaving me along with my woman on the front porch of our home.
“Let’s go buy some moving boxes,” I said. “And get started on getting you over here.”
She squeezed my waist.
“I have a better idea.”
That better idea included her mouth, my bed, and a whole lot of curse words as well as stress relief.
Chapter 17
She can’t be left alone with cake.
-My jeans
Oakley
I groaned when I felt lips travel up the length of my belly.
Lips that had a tongue dart out between them every few seconds as he made his way up the length of my torso, inch by inch.
I bit my lip and opened my eyes, unsurprised that the first thing I saw was Pace’s wild hair in front of me.
His mouth was at my breast now, his tongue circling one nipple.
“Good morning,” I said huskily.
He looked up from where he was now sucking on my nipple and winked.
I squirmed underneath of him, smiling when I realized what day it was.
It’d officially been a week since I’d been on my birth control, meaning that today would be the day that we could finally go bare for the first time.
I was beyond excited.
Even more, I hadn’t told him that I’d started the script at all.
Meaning when I rolled him over and rode his cock, I would surprise him.
But for now, he was doing delectable things to my body, and I was going to let him do his thing for a few seconds.
“You taste good,” he said.
“What do I taste like?” I teased.
“Like mine,” he growled.
I swallowed hard and shifted my hips wider, loving the way he took advantage of the new position by sliding his body even more solidly between my legs.
“I am yours,” I agreed. “I’ve been yours since the very beginning.”
“Damn straight,” he said, trailing his tongue along the valley between my breasts. “You’re always going to be mine, too.”
I smiled at that.
I loved that he didn’t mince words.
I loved even more that he didn’t hesitate in telling me how he felt.
He told me every single day that he loved me. He showed me every single night—and sometimes in the morning if he had time.
Like this particular morning.
One of his hands moved down to grasp his cock, and I bit my lip when he started to run the head along the bud of my clit.
Things inside of me clenched at the soft but firm touch.
“I love it when you do that,” I gasped, my hips shifting slightly.
The head of his cock notched at my entrance for a few long pulses, then he pulled back and continued rubbing at my clit.
I nearly groaned.
“Hey, Pace?” I reached up and ran my hand along his nape, waiting for his eyes to meet mine.
“Yeah?” he asked, lips glistening from his mouth being on my breast.
His eyes were full of lust, and so gorgeous that it was hard for me not to get lost in them.
“I’ve officially been on my birth control now for a week,” I breathed.
He froze, his hand on his cock and his cockhead once again notched at my entrance.
I lifted my hips and tried to lodge him deeper inside, but his hands went to my hips and stilled me instantly.
“One more time?” he rasped.
“I’m on birth control,” I repeated, this time with amusement lacing my voice. “You can come inside of me.”
That was all it took for him to shift his entire body.
One moment, he was poised at my entrance, not moving an inch, and the next, he was filling me so completely that I gasped and clutched at his head.
It wasn’t a bad feeling, but it was one that I hadn’t felt before in my life.
I was so wet, though, that there wasn’t
anything hindering him from sliding all the way inside.
One second, I was empty, and the next—bam.
“Jesus fucking Christ,” he gasped into my neck. “Oh, God.”
I smiled against his neck and lifted my mouth so I could whisper into his ear.
“Is it as good as you thought it would be?” I whispered.
We’d discussed having sex bare. We’d both been tested—obviously seeing as we’d just had surgery. And we knew that we were exclusive and planned to be for a very long time. The logical next step was to go in this direction.
And oh, God. What a direction.
I’d, of course, known that there would be a difference for him. What I hadn’t realized was that there would be a difference for me.
I hadn’t given it much thought, him being in me with the condom. Of course, he made sure to always have me wet. That I was enjoying it. But, the other problem was that there was always the feeling of something artificial. I hadn’t realized that the intrusion of the extra layer of latex would make a difference in the way he felt inside of me until there was no condom.
And Jesus Christ on a cracker, the feeling of him skin to skin? It was nothing that I could ever imagine.
He felt hot, and I was so wet. It felt right.
“Pace, are you going to move?” I whispered into his ear. “Or answer me?”
He grunted something, still holding still, and I laughed.
“Does it feel that good?” I teased.
“It feels like what I would imagine euphoria feels like,” he rumbled deeply. “Like a shower after the end of a long, hot, exhausting day. Like the way it feels when you have a cookie for the first time in a week. Like a sip of water when you’ve had nothing to drink for hours.”
I started to rub his head, oh, and tighten my muscles around him.
He groaned into my neck.
“I’m about twenty seconds from coming like a little boy,” he said. “I’ve never come this fast, even when I lost my virginity.”
Pace had explained that he’d never once gone without a condom. Hell, neither had I.
And it was safe to say that we’d both very much enjoyed not having to use one.
“Just fuck me again when you’re done,” I teased. “Extra lubrication.”
He pulled out of me and went up on his knees.
I'd Rather Not Page 17
