Tennessee's Whiskey (The Whiskey Collection Book 1)

by L. Loren

  I turned to see a groggy Whiskey with bed head. He was wearing a pair of sweats that hung low on his waist. Oh, you thought there was more? Nope. Just his bare chest, killer abs, erotic v and those naked feet that had me thinking about pouring syrup on them. Damn! I didn’t even like feet, but his were sexy. Oh snap! He didn’t put on any underwear. This was about to get awkward as soon as his son noticed the semi that was jutting from his sweats.

  “Good Morning. Something smells good.”

  He flashed me his crooked smile which caused a puddle to form in my jeans. I did not put my used panties on, so yeah. He stalked toward me with a hint of mischief in his eyes. He leaned in and whispered to me.

  “You really should stop eye-fucking me in front of my son. It makes my dick hard.”

  I started laughing as he walked over to Wes and mussed his hair.

  “Good Morning son. What do you say we eat at the table today since we have company?”

  “Oh, alright. Look Tensee made Frenchy toasts and it’s better than yours.”

  “Well thanks son. I have to say, it does look delicious.”

  The nasty man licked his lips while staring at my honey pot. Thank goodness Wes was too young to know what his dad was insinuating. I on the other hand choked on the orange juice I had just drank. The bastard smirked as I played it off and turned to set the table. Breakfast was a chat fest with Wes telling his dad everything that went on in school the day before. The boy could talk. It was too early for all that talking. I was used to waking up in my quiet space and meditating before starting my day. This was a shock to my system. I think Whiskey recognized my uncomfortable energy.

  “Babe, why don’t you go take a shower while Wes and I clean up? You know how women are, Wes. They take forever to get ready.”

  He winked at me letting me know he was just kidding. I could tell he didn’t want Wes to know I wasn’t feeling his motor mouth. Grateful for the reprieve, I stood to take my plate into the kitchen when Whiskey gently grabbed my hand and took my plate.

  “We’ve got it. Go ahead.”

  I started toward the bedroom when he stopped me again. I turned to see him staring at me intently. What’d I do? I was about to ask him but he told me what was happening.

  “You don’t leave a room, the house, my presence without letting me taste your lips.”

  Damn Daddy! That shit was hot.

  I leaned in and hovered over his lips, waiting for him to take what he wanted. He sat there challenging me. This was a power struggle between alphas. I gave in quickly because I needed to get into the shower and work out some sexual aggression. The man had me dripping with his rude behavior. Leaning forward, I pressed my lips to his. It was meant to be a sweet little kiss, but he licked my lips and then bit my bottom lip. I groaned loudly as my legs began shaking.

  Fuck!

  I was so drunk off his bravado that I came, right there in the dining room in front of his child. OMG! I was so ashamed that I couldn’t control my reaction to him. I pulled away from him, tucking my head as I sprinted off to the bathroom to hide my shame. I hoped Wes didn’t notice or ask any questions.

  After my shower, I joined the men in the living room as they sat at the coffee table coloring. I was surprised at Whiskey’s ability to stay within the lines. He definitely didn’t operate like that in his adult life. He looked at me expectantly as I entered the room. When I didn’t give him what he wanted, he spoke up.

  “Aren’t you forgetting something?”

  “No, I don’t think so. What are you fellas up to?”

  He glared at me as if I was being disrespectful. I knew he wanted me to kiss him when I returned, but that didn’t work out too well when I left the room. Besides, he only said I was supposed to show affection when I left his presence.

  “Tennessee stop playing with me. You know what I want.”

  “What? You only said I was supposed to kiss you when I left you. You said nothing about when I entered the room.”

  “Woman, you’re asking for it.”

  “I am asking for it. Are you going to give it to me?”

  “Later! Now get over here.”

  I laughed at the stern expression on his face. You would have thought I smacked him or something. I moved towards him and just as I was about to kiss him, I turned to Wes and kissed his cheek. I stood back up to say something smart, but before I could, Whiskey was on his feet and had me over his shoulder.

  “Wes, we will be right back. I need to teach Tennessee a lesson.”

  His voice boomed throughout the room as he began to carry me to his room. Wiggling and squirming, I trying to get free. I had no idea what lesson he was about to teach me, but I knew we didn’t have time enough to fully explore it. That meant I would be horny all day. Your girl was not down for that. Before we got two steps out of the room, Wes began crying. He ran to his father and tugged on his pants leg.

  “Daddy! Don’t hurt Tensee. She’s my friend. She didn’t mean it. Please.”

  The boy was so hysterical in his anguish that Whiskey almost dropped me on my ass so he could calm him down. It scared the bejesus out of me. What had this child seen that would cause such a panic? He really thought Whiskey would hurt me. It made me want to know more about this man who was fast becoming my heart.

  “Son look at me. You know I would never hurt Tennessee, right? We were just playing a game. I wasn’t going to hurt her.”

  “But she was scared and trying to get away.”

  I decided to step in since Whiskey appeared to be struggling.

  “Wes, your daddy and I were just playing. I promise you he was not going to hurt me, and I wasn’t afraid. We were just joking. It’s something adults like to do.”

  “You promise he wasn’t going to disappear you?”

  What the? Stay cool, Pat. I shot the sweet little boy a soft smile and gave him a hug to put him at ease.

  “I promise.”

  “Okay, Tensee.

  He took me by the hand and led me back to the coffee table to help him finish coloring his masterpiece. I sat there in shock, trying not to let it affect me, but I could feel Whiskey’s eyes boring into me. He was watching for a reaction that he would not get. If I learned one thing while in foster care, it was to hide my true feelings and show people what they wanted to see. That skill sure came in handy at that moment. My nerves did get the best of me causing my foot to tap on the floor. I hoped he didn’t notice the little tick, but knowing Whiskey, he saw it.

  We spent the rest of the day out of the house. I was thankful to be away from the closed environment. Ever since Wes’ revelation, I was feeling claustrophobic. The walls seemed to be closing in on me and I needed fresh air.

  Whiskey took us to this indoor playland where Wes ran until he was played out. Then we had lunch and a movie at this theatre that had beds for seats. We snuggled into the bed and ate hotdogs, French fries and drank root beer floats. Wes made sure to insert himself between us, which was fine with me. I was feeling a little awkward. After our outing, we headed back to their house, where Whiskey instructed Wes it was time for his nap. I expected the child to put up a fight, but he acted like he welcomed it. He must have been tuckered because he was out like a light in seconds.

  When Whiskey returned to the living room, he came up behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist. I jumped at first contact. My body was shaking a bit, but I tried to control it. I couldn’t lie. I was a little afraid to find out what Wes was talking about.

  “I thought he had forgotten about that incident. He was only three. The nanny tried to kidnap my son and ransom him for money. She was insane. I lived another type of life back then. My family is connected to organized crime. The nanny had no idea. All she knew was we had money. She and her boyfriend orchestrated this scheme to extort $100,000 from me. It was the last thing they ever did.”

  Shit! Did he just admit? Never mind. Not my business.

  “I’m not sure what to do with that information.”

  “You don
’t have to say or do anything. I just felt like you needed to know. I hope it doesn’t change anything between us.”

  I turned so I could look him in the eyes. He allowed it, though I could feel he was uncomfortable, but I needed this from him.

  “So you said this was when you lived another life. I didn’t think you could leave that life unless it was being carried by six. Are you still in and the bar is just your cover?”

  “No, I left that life behind. My father is a Don. He wasn’t happy, but he refused to have his first-born son killed. He understood the fear I felt when my son went missing. I couldn’t allow anything to happen to Wes. I left my legacy. Walked away from the wealth and everything that came with that lifestyle. I still look over my shoulders from time to time, but my son is happy. Mrs. Johnson is a former marine. She is not only his nanny, but the woman can kill a grown man with her bare hands. I vetted her myself. She is the real deal and she loves Wes. She would never let anything happen to him.”

  “Speaking of Mrs. Johnson, have you and she ever…”

  “Hell no! I would never sleep with my son’s security. It would put his life in danger. Besides, she’s gay.”

  “That’s good to know.”

  “Now that you know about my past life, are you staying or leaving?”

  I tilted my head to the side to see if he was showing any emotion at all in his eyes. He was afraid. Huh, I didn’t figure him for that.

  “I’m not going anywhere, Whiskey. This thing between us feels too right for me to walk away. You say that was in your past. Now I know. It doesn’t change how I see you. You did what you had to do to protect your family.”

  “You’re my family now Tennessee. I will protect you with the same fierceness. Don’t ever doubt that.”

  He pulled me into a steamy kiss. Once our lips parted, he placed his forehead against mine and just held me. We stood like that for what seemed like forever. Eventually we ended up lying down on the couch and taking a nap together. Whiskey laid on his back and called for me to lay on top of him as he wrapped me in a sexy cocoon. I woke up when it felt like my arm was being pulled out of its socket.

  “Tensee, I need to potty and I can’t get these pants off. Help me.”

  Happy that he trusted me, I helped the little man unbutton his pants and hung out in the hall as he did his business. As I stood guard at the door, Whiskey made his way to where I was waiting.

  “What’s going on?”

  “Wes needed help with his pants so he could go to the bathroom.”

  “Why didn’t you wake me?”

  “He asked me to help him. I didn’t think you would mind. I’m sorry if I overstepped.”

  “No, its fine. If he asked you to help him, it means you’ve earned his trust. My son has really taken to you.”

  “Well, I see it for him too. He’s a sweetie.”

  Whiskey

  I thought I was going to lose her. I hope she couldn’t smell the fear on me. When she kissed me instead of walking out, it felt like I had won the lottery. I had never told anyone other than my security team about my past. I only informed them, so they were prepared if something went down. The non-disclosure agreement they signed kept them from discussing my situation with anyone.

  I moved here, opened my bar and lived a quiet life. I knew my father was aware of my location, but he left me alone. Never once had he contacted me to come home and take my place at his side. I was grateful that he loved me enough to allow my son to have a better life. Wes didn’t need to worry about a bounty on his head. He was a baby. Too damn young to be a pawn in the underworld. That didn’t stop me from worrying though. I wanted him safe, so I enrolled him in a school where his teacher was former military and knew how to defend his classroom.

  Exhausted after Wes’ breakdown, I was happy to pull Tennessee into my arms for a quick nap. I didn’t mean to sleep so long, but I was tired from the night before. The woman wore me out, but I damn sure wasn’t complaining. I half expected her to be gone when I woke up. She was scared. Tennessee’s body told on her, but she tried to hide it from me. My girl was good at masking her emotions. She must have learned at a young age like I did. However, fear has a way of manifesting itself. Her tell was in her feet. The slight tapping of her foot exposed it. I spent the rest of the day watching, waiting for the moment she would bolt, but to my surprise, she never did.

  Now we stood outside the bathroom waiting for my son to finish his business. It shocked the shit out of me that he went to her for help. Wes wouldn’t even go to Mrs. Johnson if he needed that kind of assistance. Usually, he would try his best to hold it. My boy was getting attached to Tennessee, and it worried me. What if she decided we weren’t what she wanted? I mean, we are quite a handful, especially for someone just starting out in life. Tennessee had goals and dreams to achieve. A readymade family wasn’t what she needed, but she was exactly what we needed. Was it selfish to want her anyway?

  “Thanks for waiting Tensee! I’m all finished. Daddy, Tensee helped me with my pants. I don’t like this belt. I can’t do it right.”

  “Alright son, we’ll get you a different one that you can unbuckle.”

  “Yes! Daddy, can Tensee make dinner for us? I like her food. She lets me help in the kitchen too.”

  “That’s up to her. She might be tired of cooking for us. We don’t want to overwhelm her.”

  She smiled up at me and shook her head.

  “I would love to cook dinner tonight, Mr. Wes. What would you like?”

  The two of them walked off into the kitchen as I stood there amazed at the way they got along. My son did not take to women very often. A side effect of having a worthless mother. It warmed my heart to see how much care Tennessee gave him. You would think she was the boy’s mother for how tender she was. Loving on him with hugs and kisses. He needed that from a woman. Mrs. Johnson was great, but she wasn’t the affectionate type.

  Since my son was picking what to have for dinner, of course we had macaroni and cheese. Tennessee informed Wes we had been doing it wrong all this time. The woman created this bubbly, cheesy concoction that made me want to ask her to marry me just so I could establish Mac n Cheese nights. I couldn’t get over how she convinced Wes to eat broccoli. The kid had an aversion for green food. It would have taken me all night to get him to put it on his fork and another night to get him to taste it. Tennessee simply told him that if he wanted girls to like him, he needed to start eating green food because they helped him grow strong.

  “No girl likes a wimpy man, Wes. Look at your dad. He’s hot right? He’s got muscles and he’s big and strong. That’s one of the reasons I like him so much.”

  She was lucky my son was sitting there because I loved it when a woman genuinely stroked my ego. If we were alone, I would show her just how big and strong I was. I managed to control myself, keeping it PG for my boy’s sake. The rest of the night went off without a hitch. Wes took his bath after dinner, and then we watched a movie until his bedtime. We were like a regular family sitting there on the couch curled up together under a blanket. It felt right. This was what I wanted for my son. He deserved a normal life with parents who loved him and each other. It was the reason I left my past life behind.

  For the next few months, things between Tennessee and I were great. I practically kidnapped her and moved her into my house. I wanted her close to me all the time. Wes had gotten used to having her around and missed her when she wasn’t there. I can’t even lie, on the nights she stayed at her place, I missed her like crazy. Waking up to her in my bed was one of the best feelings in the world, even if she did snore the paint off the walls.

  Work was going great with Tennessee making changes here and there to improve the business. I didn’t care one way or the other. Of course I wanted a successful business, but that wasn’t the reason I opened the bar. I needed to feel like a normal man in a world I knew nothing about. I got a kick out of being around the bikers. They gave me a taste of the rowdy life I missed a bit. If I hadn’t had
Wes, I would have gladly stayed in the family business, but I loved my son too damn much to raise him in the lifestyle.

  My girl had been working her ass off the last couple of weeks getting ready for her focus group she was hosting at the bar. Tonight was the night. The bar was closed to the public and she invited the guys from the Lords of Death, as well as some people she knew from school, to come out to sample her three blends that she had been working on since before we met. She was so excited. Wouldn’t let me help her in any way. I insisted on being present, but she made me promise to stay in the background and let her do her thing.

  “Hi baby. Come over here and greet your man.”

  Tennessee had just walked into the bar with her best friend and a few more people who all looked my way when I called out to her. She looked delicious in her pantsuit. The pants were tight across her juicy ass and thighs but expanded out into what she called wide legs. Whatever that shit meant. Her top was fitted and showed off her plump breasts. She barely got out of the house this morning. When I first saw her in the outfit my cock sprung to life and I took her on the bathroom counter. Seeing her in that power suit did something to me. I was used to Tennessee walking around in shorts or jeans and tank top or t-shirts. I had never seen her look so professional and it was sexy as hell.

  She swayed her beautiful ass over to me and wrapped her arms around my neck. I smiled at my baby. She was turned on. I could see the pulse in her neck throbbing. Rubbing her body against me like a cat in heat, Tennessee purred her greeting.

  “Hi baby. I missed you. I was just thinking about this morning in the bathroom. That shit was so hot. After this focus group ends, can we do it again?”

  “Darlin’, you know all you have to do is ask. This dick belongs to you, and I’ll give it to you anytime you want.”

  A sweet little giggle escaped her lips as she leaned up and planted a steamy kiss on my mouth. Our tongues tangled for dominance. We ran our hands all over each other’s body. Damn this woman knew how to turn me on. I groaned when she pulled away. Attempting to pull her back in for another kiss, I was halted by Jazz’s voice.