by Harlow Brown
"Whiskey, dude, are you ignoring me?"
"No, I was… uh…."
"Daydreaming about night things? Well, stop. Charlie’s calling for you."
"No, I wasn't, and is she okay?"
"She sounded fine. You want me to go home or stay here with y'all?"
"Both."
"Huh?"
"I want you here so there are more eyes on Charlie. I just don't know where that crazy fucker is. But I'd also like you gone so I can just be with her."
"Oh, I get it. It makes sense. I'll stay here. There's plenty of room. And I can go to the club for a while so you two can be alone."
"Thanks, I'm going to go see what she needs. See you in a little while, yeah?"
"Yeah, in a few hours."
I made my way up the stairs and heard Charlie say into the phone, "So I might kinda-sorta-maybe need a massive favor."
"What would that be?" Jazz answered over speakerphone
"I might need you guys to drive my Mustang all the way to Destin. I need you two here. We’re having a meeting with Chief and Fury about our plan."
"What plan?" said Briar.
"Can't talk about it over the phone, but we need you here."
"Is this the sorta-maybe-possible favor you needed?"
"Maybe."
"Baby girl, all you have to do is say 'I need you' and I'm there. You know that. Jazz will tell her boss that she’s taking off, or she quits. We’ll be there."
"And you'll get to watch me play!"
"I can't believe I was going to have to miss it," Jazz chimed in. "I would’ve never forgiven myself. I'm so glad I get to watch you! I'll see you in a day or so, Charlie. Take care of yourself and Whiskey. Love you, mean it."
"Love you, mean it back." She hung up the phone and turned to me.
"Do you think Hensley will follow the Mustang? Is he really that crazy?" I asked.
"You know, it wouldn't surprise me because he is crazy, but honestly I doubt he’s going to show up. One, because he thinks we expect him to and two, he’s never stepped foot on a bleacher to watch me or cheer me on. The closest he’s ever come was the other day when I was practicing and he was in his car waiting for me. It would surprise the hell out of me if he showed up. I'm not saying he won't come to Florida, but he won't go to the complex."
But what if he didn't show up in Florida? What would we be heading back to at home? What if he did come? How would that impact Charlie and her game? How would I handle it? How would she take care of it? How and when would he strike?
Fuck me seven ways to Sunday. Now I know a little bit of how Charlie feels. The guessing and uncertainty are overwhelming and gut-wrenching, and I've only experienced it for seconds, not years. I will do everything in my power so she never worries or feels that way again.
"Whiskey, why the long face?"
"Oh, sorry, I was just letting my thoughts run wild. You know, putting the cart before the horse and shit. No biggie."
She searched my face from left to right and up and down. Shit, can she tell I’m lying? "Charlie, I'm okay, seriously. I was just thinking about how sweet revenge will be, running different scenarios through my head."
"Okay. I believe you."
MAGNUM SAID WHISKEY didn't cook, but he could’ve fooled me. My steak was to die for. Was he just being a shithead to Whiskey? Was he just giving him a hard time? He had to be. How could he not cook all the time? Why would he start that for me? What made me so special? How did I change him so much, and why?
"Whiskey, thank you for dinner. It was seriously the best steak I’ve ever had."
"No problem, glad you liked it."
"Did you really never cook before for anyone else? Why did Magnum paint this picture of you being a jerk to everyone?"
He stuck his last bite of steak in his mouth and looked at me funny. Once he finished chewing, he said very calmly, "Because I was."
"Well, let's not beat around the bush. Why did you change?"
"You."
"Me? Why? I'm nothing special. Why would I turn your world around and change you?"
"Two reasons. One, you don't act any different towards me than you do anyone else. When you met me, I was a biker. You knew I could be dangerous, yet you still knocked me to my knees. You’re the kind of woman I want, fearless and damn near flawless. You’re the best person I’ve ever met. You don’t even realize the impact you have on others. Me especially."
"I'm anything but fearless."
"You are fearless. Now part two, I think you deserve to be treated well. You wouldn't let me get away with acting like a douche. You make me accountable, and you force me to be a better guy."
"But why me?"
"I don't know why our paths crossed. I don't particularly care. They did, and that's that. I'm just grateful."
"Daddy said, 'Sugar Bean, we don't meet people by accident. They come to us when we need them. There’s a bigger plan that is yet to unfold. We need every person we meet. We just don't always know why.’"
"He was a smart man."
"Yes. Yes, he was."
"So see, listen to him. Obviously, I'm supposed to be in your life and you in mine. Don't ask questions. Just let it be what it is and enjoy the ride."
He was right. What did it matter? It wasn’t like I was going to give him up. I couldn’t imagine my life without him anymore; just the thought made me nauseous.
Funny how that works. I'm used to being nauseated when I think of men coming around, not at the thought of them leaving. Hensley didn't even have that effect on me in the beginning, back when we were good. That's something brand new to me, and I kind of like it.
"What are you thinking? You’re awfully deep in thought."
I wasn't about to tell him I was missing him when he was sitting right across from me. He'd really think I was a head case… or would he?
“You only live once, Sugar Bean.” Daddy taught me YOLO before it was cool. And again, Dad was right.
"I was thinking of how I used to feel nauseous when a guy was coming to me and how now I'm nauseated at the thought of you leaving," I rushed out. Then I watched his face.
His eyes locked with mine and he stood. Coming to me, he stuck his hand out. I grabbed it and he pulled me up. "You have my word that I'll never leave you. Not unless you want me to. You own me."
Before I could even think, I replied, "I love you."
"Charlie?"
"No questions. Just let it be, yeah?"
He picked me up and kissed me like he was trying to confess his undying love for me or something. He walked us over to the bar and sat me down, never separating our lips. As our tongues dueled and fought for possession of one another’s, I had the urge to feel him. I broke the kiss and removed his shirt, unashamedly running my hands over his abs. Holy hell, feeling his soft skin atop hard muscle, the dips and ripples as they slowly began to glisten with sweat, was almost my undoing. Until he spoke.
"I need you. I need to feel you, and I don't want to do it on the kitchen bar. I'm going to show you how this is supposed to be done."
He picked me back up and carried me to my room—our room. He stood me up, and my eyes immediately went to his chest, as did my hands. He let me feel around and trace every line his muscles made. As I was getting more turned on by his physique, he said, "My turn." And off came my shirt. His big strong hands touched and caressed my tummy, paying just as much attention to my body as I was his. A small whimper escaped my lips.
"Charlie, that sound drives me wild," he said roughly as he unfastened my bra and watched it fall to the floor, his eyes riveted to the sight before him. I knew I should feel embarrassed and ashamed, but oddly I didn't. I felt beautiful. For the first time, I felt somewhat confident that I looked good, that I was sexy. With that newfound confidence, I started to make my way out of my bottoms. The matching panties to the bra that lay on the floor were all that remained on.
"Perfect" was all he said. I slowly reached out for his button so I could undo it and remove his pants
, but I was stopped. "No, ma'am, I'm controlling this situation tonight. I'm showing you how it’s supposed to be done".
"Whiskey," I whined.
"Let me do this for you, babes. I want to do this." He kissed me again.
"Okay."
He picked me up and carried me to the bed, laying me down before propping himself atop me with one arm, caressing my face ever so lightly with his free hand.
"You're beautiful, Charlie, do you know that? How did I get so lucky to call you mine?" He stopped abruptly when he realized the error in his words. "I mean how did I get so lucky that you would choose me? What did I do to deserve you?"
No words would form, only tears.
"No crying, babes," he whispered as he wiped a stray tear from my face with his thumb. "No more tears from these eyes."
"You have managed to make me cry happy tears. No one has ever said such sweet things to me. I'm not sure how to react."
"Just start believing them. You are perfect. Heart, mind, soul, body." He paused, "Especially your body. You’re more than I could’ve ever dreamed I'd have. I'm not sure if God exists, but I thank him every time I think of you."
His lips were on me again, claiming mine. He started kissing my neck, trailing his way down until he reached my panties. He gently removed them from my body and dropped them beside the bed. "I want to see all of you, Charlie, every single inch." He gazed up and down my body, then bent down and gently placed a soft kiss on my hip bone. Ever so quickly he moved to the center of my waist and kissed a line all the way down until his lips were teasing me, wasting no time getting to the sweetness that awaited him. Nope, he dove right in and sucked my clit relentlessly. With all the control of a well-practiced man, he threw my leg over his shoulder and licked, nipped, and sucked until I came apart on his tongue. Once I stopped shaking from the pleasure he had just bestowed upon me, he slowly and steadily moved up my body with his tongue, from my still-pulsating core up to my swollen breasts. "That's a way to start."
With those last words, he wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me to him. He put the head of his dick against me, just enough to tease, then inched it slowly inside. I assume it was to allow me to stretch to accommodate such girth.
"Just come on already. I need you," I said, practically panting with desire.
"I won't hurt you. I'll give it to you hard, but not till you are dripping for me. So for now, it's nice and slow."
Whiskey’s going to be the death of me. Death by anticipation, that's how I'd go out. After all the shit I’ve been through, yet Whiskey will do me in by making me wait for his cock.
All at once, my world was rocked, and back to reality I went. Gladly.
"Holy shit!"
"You totally relaxed, and I took advantage. I can stop."
"Good God Almighty, don't stop."
"Hand me that pillow."
I did as he asked and he swatted me playfully on the ass. "Up."
So I did, raising my hips. With him inside me filling me to the hilt, he hit a spot and I immediately came around him.
"Don't stop, please."
He let go of the pillow under my ass and started grinding his hips into mine. The circular motion caused friction in all the right places, and his cock hit every single one inside.
Breathlessly, I rasped, "Whiskey."
"Not yet, Charlie."
"I can't control it."
"Yes, you can." Sweat beaded his forehead as he ground and thrust harder and faster.
"No, I can't." I wrapped my legs around his waist and let him take me on a ride.
"Fuck, Charlie, are you ready?"
"Yes! Finish what you started and fuck me already."
He slowly pulled all the way out to the tip and then rammed back in. Total and utter bliss encompassed me and swallowed me whole. I had never felt so satisfied.
"Ahh, don't stop!"
"Hang on, I'm almost there."
Our bodies were slick with sweat and fueled by pure lust and desire. He pounded us towards the end we both so desperately needed and craved.
"I can't hold it back anymore. I need to come."
"Go… now." He thrust back into me and hit the spot that sent me over the edge. I came with such force that I was sure his dick would be sore from my core clamping down on him, just as he stilled and pumped his release into me. As he was riding out the last of his orgasm, he said, "God, Charlie, you are amazing. You feel like what I imagine heaven feels like."
"Well, there are no words for what I just experienced, sorry."
"What?"
"That was the best thing I've ever felt. To say it was awesome or amazing is an understatement and degrading. I refuse to take away from that."
As we gazed into each other's eyes, we heard the roar of Magnum’s pipes. "Perfect timing."
"I don't want you to get up. I like being connected to you like this," I admitted.
"I like it too, but trust me, Magnum won't leave us alone until we tell him we’re going to bed."
"Fine, let's go talk to him so you can come back to hold me and give me my after-sex cuddles."
"I'd love nothing more, Charlie."
CHARLIE TAMED DOWN her just-fucked hair and put her Braves pajamas on, and then we went down to meet Magnum.
"Hey, you two, did you finally get to remedy that situation that was started upon arrival?" he asked with a cocky grin.
"Maybe. What's it to you?" Charlie playfully jabbed back.
"That's a yes. Look at her. She glows, fucking exudes joy and reeks of happiness. Or female pheromones, whatever. Dude, you're a rock star."
"Magnum, are you ever going to find a girl?" Charlie asked.
"Nope," we both said in unison.
"I bet you do. Some girl will come by and totally trip your trigger," she assured both of us.
"So, you see Chief or Fury?" I asked him, getting back to the important topic.
"Yeah, both. Told them we had a problem and gave them a rough rundown of what was going on—minus the premeditated murder part, of course—and that Briar and Jazz were on their way down for a meeting with all of us."
"I assume they were cool with it?"
"They know you’re here and that your girl has a situation."
As we made our way back out to the patio again, the whole situation played in my head—the cliché love at first sight, the current predicament I found myself in. I smiled to myself and watched my girl and one of my best friends talk and get to know each other. I took great pride in the fact that my brothers had her back. They would love her and protect her as if she were their own. That brought me peace.
I wasn’t sure what they were talking about, but it had to be funny because they were both in stitches. It was quite a sight—Charlie, that was. Everything about the girl made me happy. She was everything I’d never known I needed.
She is the one thing that forced me to rethink using again. God, it'd feel good to have a snort of blow right about now, but I know Charlie isn't cool with it, and I don't need it if she’s by my side.
"Whiskey, you okay? You look like you’re contemplating how you’re going to conquer the world," Charlie asked, breaking me from my reflection of personal needs.
"I'm fine. I was just thinking," I answered honestly.
"So that’s where the smoke was coming from!" Magnum joked.
"You're a dick, you know that?"
"So you've said, " He took off towards the house, calling over his shoulder, "I'm going to bed. Do me a favor and keep the mattress dancing quiet. I don't want to hear you two tango, two-step, cha-cha, or whatever it is you do on a dance floor."
"Dude, you're an idiot. It's called sex. No one calls it those lame-ass names. I'll talk to you tomorrow."
"Good night, Magnum," Charlie said sweetly.
"Night, Charlie."
Once he was gone, I walked over to Charlie and grabbed her around her waist, lifting her so her eyes were level with mine. "Charlie, I need to warn you about Chief and Fury. "
&nbs
p; "Okay."
"They’re good guys, but they’re rough. They’re no-nonsense and will make no bones about telling you what's on their mind. And as our leader, what Chief says goes. He can come across as a giant douche bag, but he means well. We’re all he has, so he takes all of us very seriously. If one of us is in trouble, he finds a way to get us out."
"What are you talking about?"
"If one of the brothers gets into any trouble, whether it be legal or personal shit, he’s always there. Same will probably happen to you since you’re an extension of me, and any of the other women who belong to a brother."
"So what about Fury?"
"He's even tougher. And he doesn't speak much. There's a reason we call him Fury, and it's because he’s pissed off ninety-eight percent of the time. I’ve only seen him laugh and cut up one time, and he was drunk."
"Why is he so mad?"
"Only Chief knows. He hasn't told anyone else, and no one talks about it. We all just kind of know not to go there."
"Okay, so you’re telling me that tomorrow I get to tell my shit-storm life story of the past three years to a couple of scary, cranky men who could potentially be real dicks to me. Can't wait. Sounds like a fucking blast." The sarcasm practically dripped off her.
"I'll be right there beside you. So will Briar and Jazz. You’ll be okay. I more than promise." I put her back on her feet after I kissed her forehead.
She yawned. I knew she had to be wiped. Hell, so was I.
"Come on, Charlie. It's time I got to hold you till we fall asleep."
"I'd love nothing more."
Once we made it to our room, she flipped her head over and tied her hair up in one of those messy bun things on top of her head. I had already pulled mine back for the night as I laid my head on the pillow, waiting on my girl. That still had a nice ring to it—my girl. She flipped and flopped and fluffed her pillow before it was just right.
"Is your nest made yet?" I asked, thinking it shouldn't take so much effort to go to sleep.
"Yes. Well, almost." She turned over, gently put her hand on the back of my head, and pulled me towards her. After giving me the sweetest series of kisses, she flipped back over, fluffing her pillow again. "Good night, Whiskey."
