by Elle Aycart
“I’m tired of sitting on a chair. The most comfortable place around here is the hammock, so scoot over, Grease Barbie.”
Not waiting for an answer and without much finesse, he performed a controlled crash-landing onto the hammock, then lay on it. She tried to get off it, but he stopped her. “If you move, I’ll fall on my ass. Stay put or I’ll break the other leg. If you must leave, do it when I’m already settled.”
She pondered for a second. Fuck it. This was the best spot. No way was she giving it up. After some minutes of just swinging there in silence, she gathered enough courage to speak. “How’s your foot?”
“I’ll live,” he grunted.
“How long do you have to wear that bootie thing?”
“The walking boot? Three weeks, minimum.”
“And your chest?” she ventured, discouraged at his curt tone. “Any permanent damage?”
“No.”
Time to grovel. “I’m so sorry. I keep hiding the damn taser, but they keep finding it.” This one was new, though. The old one didn’t discharge any prongs, but she was going to keep that to herself. They were in enough trouble as it was.
“I want the taser in my office next Monday, first thing in the morning.”
“You got it. Thanks for not arresting us. Because you aren’t arresting us, right?” She didn’t dare to look at him.
It took several endless seconds before he sighed out loud. “It was accidental, or at least that’s what I choose to believe. And we have to take into consideration their BUI.”
She turned her head to him. “BUI?”
“Bowling under the influence,” he explained. “The neon lights got them high as kites. All the bedazzling didn’t help either.”
She burst into giggles. “You’re definitely not the asshole I thought you were.”
“I’ll keep busting the OGs if there’s need for it,” he warned her.
“We agreed to a truce, you and I, remember?”
Adrian ignored her words. “And if you get in the middle, I’ll bust you too.”
She thought about that for a second. “Fine. We’ll end up in the happy-hour cell. I can live with that.”
The hammock shook with his chuckles. “You’re impossible.”
“Didn’t you hear them talking with Nathan about the Eternal Sun resort? They seemed impressed by all the activities in that senior complex. You might get lucky and they might go check it out.”
His gaze was intense, scrutinizing. “Are you afraid they’ll stay in Florida?”
“No,” Rachel responded right away. “They may go for a week or two, but they will never leave Alden for good.” She was sure about that.
He had his other foot on the ground and used it to kick the hammock into a swing. “You whine about their shenanigans, but you can’t live without the OGs, Grease Barbie.”
She smiled, looking into the sky. “Your deductive powers are astonishing.” He was right, though. “Wilma is my family, and with her came Rebecca and her family, Greta, and the Bowens. I’m happy here. Much happier than when I lived by myself in Boston.”
“By yourself?”
She nodded. “My mom moved away. She’s the kind to chase after men.” And that was putting it mildly.
“What did you do in Boston?”
“Survive, basically.” She didn’t want to talk about her past. Thank God a loud scream and a laugh came to her rescue. It was Sara on the trampoline with XL. “Those two are hitting it off.”
“So it seems. You wouldn’t believe how much they bitched about you lending them to Sara, and look now. Did you tell her he’s a thug, and did you warn him that she’s much older?”
“Oh. My. God. Tell me, Boomer, how many years did you have on Jade?”
“Seven,” he confessed. “But I’m not a boomer, I’m just stating the obvious.”
“I rest my case,” she finished, rolling her eyes. Sara was twenty-three, for Christ’s sake. “Tell me about Jade. Was she the Sleeping Beauty in the ivory tower? Delicate and helpless and waiting to be rescued and flown to Europe for a shopping spree?”
He shrugged. “Probably.”
“What happened with her?”
“She expected a penthouse in the heart of the city, not to move to Alden in the old part of town, near my grandfather. She dumped me. And got quite offended, I might add.”
“I understand her. That’s false advertising.”
“What about you?” Adrian asked. “Any ex-boyfriends worth mentioning? Aside from bow-tie killers and such.”
“I dumped my last boyfriend, what, four years ago?”
“What did the poor fellow do?”
“It was my birthday and—”
“He forgot to buy you a present,” he finished for her.
Oh, he had gotten her a present. Just the wrong one. “He got me a boob job.”
“What?” he choked, turning to her.
“He’d arranged for me to get a boob job. Can you believe it?” The hammock was shaking so badly from his chuckles that she was in danger of falling. “He said I’d be happier with a D-cup. If I’d have known that was coming, I would have given him one of those machines that you pump to enlarge your dick.” He kept laughing, which somehow pleased Rachel. He looked like the Adrian she’d seen in Boston. “He didn’t understand why I broke up with him. Seemed offended, even, the asshole.”
“You need to block that app of yours.”
“I didn’t have the app back then. I managed to find that prime specimen all by myself.” She couldn’t blame the OGs for that, no matter how much she’d like to. “I’ve always had lousy taste in men. My exes invariably got me into trouble.”
“Oh, so it was invariably your ex-boyfriends’ fault?”
She couldn’t hide her grin. “Truth be told, I was very skilled at getting into deep shit myself, no help required.”
A smile flittered across his face. “I figured that much, Grease Barbie.”
They were quiet again, listening to the chatter around them, until they heard Kyra speaking about Amantis, the famous music group she worked for as a dancer. She was their lead choreographer, and in a couple of weeks, they were heading to Alden so that Kyra could teach their dance crew the new choreography for the summer tour.
“Fuck me,” Adrian cursed, breathing out loudly.
“What?”
“Every time someone from Amantis comes for a visit, Alden becomes a mess, with groupies and fans and whatnot on their tail. I’m so not looking forward to that. Impaired, on top of that.”
Rachel liked having Amantis’s members in town—especially Josh, the lead guitarist. They’d turned out to have quite a bit in common, and they’d become good friends since he first came to town a year ago. “The dance crew is discreet. Amantis’s members are too. They come here to unwind. I’m sure they’ll keep a low profile.”
“Yeah, yeah. You’re going to have to be at my beck and call until I’m back on my feet, literally,” Adrian warned her. “So you know, Monday is grocery-shopping day.”
“Anything else?” She and the OGs were indebted to him, so if he required grocery shopping, grocery shopping it would be.
“Probably. Just give me a second to think,” Adrian said. “Can you help me out of this contraption? I need to go to the bathroom.”
She jumped out of the hammock and helped him right himself, then watched how he limped in the direction of the house. She lay down again for quite a long time, until she realized Adrian wasn’t back yet. She scanned the backyard. He wasn’t there, so she got up and headed for the house.
Once inside, she walked toward the only bathroom that was downstairs—until she crashed into a hard chest. Adrian’s.
“You trying to sneak into the bathroom with me?” His tone was amused.
Rachel tried to take a step backward, but Adrian was holding on to her, so she couldn’t. “Please, I was afraid you’d fallen on your face. I already have to be your servant for three weeks. I shudder to think what I would have
to suffer if that happened.”
She was probably as red as a frigging tomato, because her face was burning. His arrogant smirk didn’t help matters.
Before she could say anything else, sudden laughter came from the patio doors. Motioning to her to be silent with a finger on his lips, Adrian turned them around and closed the door between them and the newcomers, who went in the kitchen and grabbed something from the fridge. Ice, by the sounds of it.
Rachel was now caged between the door and Adrian, looking into his blue eyes. “Why are we hiding?” she whispered as he turned the lock. “Afraid to be seen with me in a compromising position?”
He snorted softly. “Of course not. And this isn’t a compromising position. This is,” he added, putting his hand in the small of her back and pulling her flush to him. At the sudden movement, she almost lost her balance and grabbed him to steady herself.
She’d known he was fit, but she hadn’t had a chance to cop a feel before and wow, he was ripped, bulging muscles flexing under her touch. She removed her hands and averted her gaze. It didn’t help, though. Her heart was trip-hammering at his closeness and his scent was filling her nostrils. He smelled woodsy. So damn sexy.
Suddenly, the laughter and the sound of ice stopped, and she heard something she didn’t recognize at first. Wait, was that … smooching? Rachel and Adrian looked at each other.
“This may not be the greatest idea,” Sara mumbled in a groan.
“This is a fantastic idea,” XL replied, his voice hoarse. “I want you so fucking badly.”
Rachel saw in Adrian’s face what he was going to do. Before he could come out and make a mess, she covered his mouth with her hand and shushed him.
“Not our business,” she whispered, shaking her head.
“You won’t get further than first base,” Sara warned XL.
“I wouldn’t dream of it.” And then the kissing sounds and the panting grew louder. They dropped something to the floor. They didn’t care, though, because they didn’t stop making out.
Rachel wasn’t going to be able to keep Adrian still. So, using the fact that he was injured, she pushed him to sit on the toilet and sat on him, her hand never leaving his mouth. “Not our business, Boomer,” she repeated. “He’s nearly eighteen, and she knows he’s a street thug with multiple arrests under his belt.”
“You’re killing me,” they heard XL say. Steps and then a thump against the door. Their door. “What base is dry humping?”
Adrian closed his eyes and shook his head, but he didn’t look angry now. “I’m so going to kick this punk’s ass,” he mumbled through her fingers.
Sara laughed and groaned at the same time. “Dry humping? Not sure. Should we check the Urban Dictionary?”
“Fuck it, gorgeous. Get your legs around my waist.”
More sounds and moans and rhythmic thumps against the door.
“Jesus fucking Christ,” Adrian whispered once Rachel released his mouth. “This is like watching a porn flick in 5D.”
No shit. It was giving her hot flashes to go along with the palpitations she already had from Adrian being so close. “Not seeing it makes the imagination fly.”
“We need to stop,” Sara pleaded between needy whimpers. “Before someone comes in and I get arrested for abusing a minor.”
“The minor is more than willing. Besides, I think he’s doing all the abusing.”
“That’s right,” Adrian muttered.
Some kisses and laughter and then some more cajoling from Sara until XL stopped. Finally, they grabbed the ice and left.
By then, Adrian was sporting a huge erection, on top of which she was sitting.
The silence was deafening.
No point in avoiding the pink elephant. “Is this… thingy poking at my butt because of them?”
He took his time answering. “The soundtrack didn’t help. Neither did you sitting on me and wiggling.”
She moved to stand, but he stopped her. “Stay.” He brushed the tips of his fingers over her face, then his thumbs over her mouth. He leaned into her until they were breathing into each other’s lips.
“What are you doing?” she asked in a frail thread of voice, confused and excited.
“Not sure,” he admitted. Yeah, she could tell. It was in his face. He wanted her and was dumbfounded about it.
Rachel didn’t know whether she should be offended or pleased. Then his cock jerked against her ass. Pleased. She was going to go with pleased and let the chips fall wherever they may. “The beer and the pain medication mixed with the porn soundtrack?”
He laughed softly. “Maybe.” He moved his index finger from her face down to her throat and then to her chest. His touch was barely there, yet it felt like fire marking her. “Before, when I saw you, I used to get aggravated. Now I get…”
“Hard?” she offered.
He nodded. “Very.” His finger was now on her breast, passing over her already puckered nipple.
She fought to get words out. “This isn’t something included in the list of favors and errands to compensate you for not suing us, is it?” She doubted it was, but she had to be sure.
He stopped dead in his tracks. “Of course not. You’re free to stand up and leave. I’d rather you didn’t, though.” He looked so damn handsome, his expression sheepishly pleading.
She hadn’t drunk any alcohol, nor was she on any medication, and yet her body was melting at his touch. At his words. She wanted him. Had wanted him for a while already, never mind all the pep talks to the contrary. But he was the sheriff, the Condescending Asshole she’d been butting heads with since forever.
Rachel stared into his eyes for a long, long time, weighing her options. What the hell. She got up and straddled him, his pulsing erection nestled between her open legs. “This position will work better. First base?”
Letting out a chuckle, he nuzzled her nose, brushing his lips with hers, slowly running his tongue over them. It was so fucking sexy that it took her breath away.
He reached for her pin and unraveled her hair, watching as it cascaded all over her shoulders. He fisted it and brought her closer to him. He liked being in control. What a surprise. She resisted, relishing how the sting of pain heightened her senses. “I’m sure your valley Barbies went along with your macho ways. I like putting up a fight,” she informed him, digging her short nails into his shoulders.
Adrian applied more pressure, and she gave in. He must not have felt like shaving that morning, because his five o’clock shadow was thick—stubby enough that he wouldn’t feel the roughness of her hands, so she cupped his face and gave herself over to the kiss, which was no longer tentative or concession-giving. He aggressively took her mouth, while his free hand went to her ass and pushed her against his erection.
She moaned and, slowly at first, began riding his cock, sinking her fingers in his hair.
“Fuck, you’re killing me here,” he said in a groan. “Let’s also assume that dry humping is included in first base.”
Rachel was pretty sure it wasn’t, but whatever. Too late for technicalities.
She nipped at his lower lip and then soothed it with her tongue, shivering at the feel of his cock jerking against her open folds. “Have you noticed you’re paraphrasing a seventeen-year-old punk?”
“Don’t remind me,” he muttered, his pained expression melting the last of her defenses.
Their dry humping got more intense as his dick, which had gotten even bigger, perfectly rubbed her clit with every thrust. The sweatpants were too loose to really offer any protection, and her shuddering intensified.
Adrian didn’t seem to be faring any better, because he was as tense as a bowstring and sweating. His hips lifted rhythmically, trying to get deeper into her open core, which by now was drenched and begging for more than just dry humping.
“I want you so badly,” he said, kissing her neck, both hands on her ass, opening her cheeks to control the strokes. “And you want me too; I can smell your need. I can’t wait to get in
side you.”
Rachel understood the sentiment. She’d only have to reach down, open his zipper, and move aside her sweatpants. She was dying to feel him stretching her as he entered her. She’d probably start coming at the barest touch.
A knock on the door broke the spell. “Who’s in there?”
It took her a while to regain her bearings and recognize the voice. Rebecca. “It’s me,” Rachel said at last, her voice shaky.
“You constipated again?”
Rachel grimaced, closed her eyes. Talk about bursting the romantic bubble. “Yes.”
“Okay, I’ll go upstairs. Good luck, honey. If you feel like you’re going to faint, give us a shout. I’ll tell your grandma to be on the lookout.”
Adrian was staring at her, his eyes already crinkling with laughter. She shrugged. “What? I eat too much pizza and burgers and shit like that. Constipation should be the least of my digestive tract’s problems, don’t you think?”
“And the fainting?” He was grinning now.
“That only happened once.” Which she wasn’t going to discuss with him while rubbing body parts. “We need to stop. Before we have all the OGs on the other side of this door.”
He groaned, not pleased at all, but didn’t stop her as she peeled herself away from him. He just closed his eyes and grimaced. It was so damn difficult to move away from him; her whole body was yelling at her to stay. And her pussy… her pussy was on fire. Her nipples too.
“I’ll leave first.” She stood up and tried not to rub her legs together. Coming like that in front of him would be too embarrassing.
But he was reading her perfectly. “Not yet. There’s something you need to do for me before that.” He stood up and palmed her pussy through her pants, his fingers sinking between her wet folds.
She came on the spot, shuddering, her legs almost giving way, muffling her sounds against his chest and clawing his arms.
“Now you can go,” he whispered afterward.
Rachel lifted her head and met his intense gaze. “Hmm… thanks?” she offered, not sure what to say.
He broke into laughter. His expression changed to a wince as he rearranged his massive erection. “Go. Before I fuck you right here against the sink.”
