Constructing the Soul

by Annabella Michaels

  Travis tilted his head and scratched his chin as if he were giving my question a lot of thought. “There was one night a few months ago when Jasper had too much to drink and I had to go with him to make sure he made it home okay,” he responded.

  “Yeah, but have you forgotten what happened after you tucked me into bed?” Jasper asked with a frown.

  “Oh yeah! What was your neighbor’s name?” A slow grin spread across Travis’s face.

  “Tony,” Jasper answered darkly.

  “Tony, that’s right.” Travis snapped his fingers. “His mouth was fantastic. He had this thing he did where…”

  “Stop right there,” Jasper demanded, covering Travis’s mouth with his hand. “I can’t believe you hooked up with him, I have to live across from the guy. He still asks about you every time I see him. It’s awkward as hell!” Travis batted his hand away with a laugh.

  “I can’t help it that I leave a lasting impression on the guys I fuck.” We all groaned at Travis’s cocky attitude, but the truth was, we knew he could back it up. Travis had always oozed confidence and sexual prowess. Picking up guys was as easy as breathing for him and I think we were all a bit in awe of him.

  “Well, next time leave your impression somewhere other than where I live, okay?” Jasper warned.

  “Fine,” Travis pouted and we all laughed. I waited for them to step out of my apartment before shutting and locking the door behind us.

  “God, that was fantastic! I feel so relaxed after the way you three worked me over,” Travis suddenly said in a loud voice. “And you, with your tongue,” he said as he swept Jasper into his arms and tilted his head up, pressing his lips firmly to our other friend’s mouth. My eyes widened in shock, but then narrowed when I realized he was putting on a show for Mrs. Stevenson who was spying on us through her doorway.

  “Okay, Romeo. That’s enough for one night,” I growled as I pulled Jasper away from him. Jasper still looked bewildered and a little uncomfortable as we stepped outside into the chilly night air.

  “Apparently, Travis likes to make things awkward with everyone’s neighbors,” I explained. I could see the understanding dawn in Jasper’s eyes.

  “Mrs. Stevenson?” he asked. I nodded in answer. He turned and slapped Travis on the chest. “Don’t ever do that again. It was like kissing my brother,” he said, disgust clearly written on his face.

  “Aww, boo, don’t be mad. I was just having a little fun. Besides, you should be proud, your lips are so soft and that metal ring is a real turn on.” Jasper let out a growl, but I could see the humor in his eyes.

  “Too bad you’ll never find out how it feels on other parts of the body,” he said saucily.

  “Damn, I need to find a guy with a lip ring tonight,” Travis muttered.

  “Don’t forget the tongue piercing. It can drive a man wild,” Jasper said, sticking his tongue out at Travis, the metal rod through his tongue glinting from the streetlights above. Travis’s jaw dropped and his eyes widened. It wasn’t often that one of us was able to leave the man speechless and Jasper smiled proudly as Garrett and I each took turns high-fiving him.

  I flagged down a cab and we all piled in. Minutes later we were standing in line outside of Lush-Us as the bouncer checked IDs. As I neared the front of the line, I saw that the bouncer was my friend Jakob. I hadn’t seen him in several weeks and I was glad to see him back at work. A thought occurred to me as I stepped closer to Jakob and I grinned at him before leaning forward to whisper in his ear.

  The smooth voices of Little Big Town floated through the speakers as they sang about having a girl crush. Growing up in the hills of Tennessee, I’d been raised with an appreciation for bluegrass, but I preferred country music. A lot of people thought that country music was all about beer and trucks or cheating, but some of the coolest stories had been told through country music.

  The song ended just as I saw Akio’s car turn into the lot. I ignored the way my heart sped up as he pulled his car alongside my truck. I was surprised at how excited I was to see him again, given that I barely knew him. I turned the key and pulled it from the ignition before sliding out from behind the wheel. I could hear the thumping bass of some hip-hop song blaring through his speakers before he shut the car off and climbed out.

  “Hi!” he said cheerfully over the roof of his car. He wore a pair of stylish sunglasses and the freckles across his nose were even more prominent in the sunlight. His full lips pulled up into a smile and I saw a flash of white teeth. He really was a stunning man.

  “Hey! How’ve you been?” I asked, wearing a smile of my own.

  “I’m good. Excited to get this project started.” He gestured to the large building. I opened my mouth to respond, but the sound of another vehicle approaching drew our attention. “That’s Matt. He could only spare an hour away from the center, but he really wanted to walk through the plans with us one more time before you start working,” Akio explained.

  “That’s great. Like you said on the phone, everything will run smoother if we’re all on the same page from the start,” I said and Akio nodded his head in agreement.

  We watched as Matt pulled up in his Jeep and parked on the other side of Akio. A younger guy climbed out of the passenger seat and I recognized him as the man I’d met when I’d first gone into Agape House. I remembered him introducing himself as Isaac. It had been a very shrewd decision on Matt’s part to place Isaac at the front desk. He struck me as a very calm, gentle, and caring person and it probably put the teens at ease to have his face be the first one they saw as they arrived. Matt had described for me just a few of the situations that would send teens their way and the horrors some of them had been through made me physically ill. The pain that humans could inflict on others, sometimes within their own families, was mind-boggling to me and I was thankful once again for the loving family I’d been blessed to be a part of.

  After talking with Matt and having him show me around to see what his work was doing for the kids of Chicago, I’d been more determined than ever to make this project my own and to give the kids the kind of place they deserved. I was also extremely proud of my family and their friends for the volunteer work they’d done throughout the years to help keep the place running. I had the greatest respect for them for wanting to expand and improve the center.

  “Hey, Isaac! I didn’t know you were coming. It’s good to see you,” Akio said, hugging the man.

  “I asked Matt if he’d mind if I saw the plans too. I promise to stay out of the way,” he said quietly, fidgeting with his hands.

  “You won’t be in the way at all,” Akio rushed to assure him. “We’re glad to have you here to give us your opinions. I know how much Agape House means to you and you’ll be able to give us some great insight if there’s anything we need to change.”

  “See, I told you they wouldn’t mind you being here. We need your input,” Matt told Isaac gently as he rounded the front of his car. I watched as the young man blushed so hard that his ears turned red and he smiled up at Matt. It was obvious that Matt’s opinion meant a great deal to Isaac, but Matt seemed unaware of the impact his words carried as he looked up at the large warehouse and then back at me.

  “Oh, I’m sorry. Matt, this is Morgan Greene. Morgan, this is Matt –.”

  “We’ve met before, but it’s a pleasure seeing you again,” Matt said. I could sense the surprise and curiosity emanating off of Akio as Matt and I shook hands.

  “It’s great to see you again, Mr. –,” I told him.

  “I told you last time just to call me Matt,” he scolded with a smile.

  “It’s great to see you, Matt,” I said with a smile. “Would you like to go inside so I can show you where I plan on putting everything?”

  “Yes, please. I can’t wait to see everything you have planned. I’m terrible at trying to visualize it off of a blueprint, I need to see the actual space,” Matt told me.

  “I understand. I used to be the same way until I started working with blueprints
all the time,” I said.

  We started moving towards the warehouse, but Akio stopped me when he placed a hand on my arm. Just like the first time we touched, I felt a tremor through the thin layer of my t-shirt where his hand pressed against me. He jerked away as if he’d felt it too and my eyes darted to his. He’d slid his sunglasses on top of his head while he’d been talking with Matt and Isaac so I was able to see the warm chocolate color of his eyes, their depths locking me in place.

  “When did you meet Matt?” he asked curiously.

  “Before I drew up my plans and placed my bid,” I stated simply. Akio narrowed his eyes at me and I knew he wanted more of an explanation. “I like to meet the person I’ll be working for, get a feel for who they are and what they’re about. In this case, I wanted to know more about the kids that would benefit from a project of this size.”

  “And?” Akio pressed.

  “The strength of those kids is inspiring and the work Matt is doing for them, providing them with a safe place to go and a fresh start at life,” I shrugged my shoulders, not sure how to put it into words. “It’s amazing and I decided that whether my bid was chosen or not, I wanted to be a part of it.” Something passed over Akio’s gaze and I wasn’t sure what he was thinking, but he simply nodded before turning and heading into the building without another word.

  I followed him, admiring the tight fit of his pants as he walked ahead of me. He was dressed in black jeans, black work boots that looked brand new, and a light blue polo shirt that looked beautiful against his skin. There was no denying that I thought Akio was sexy as hell with his tight little body, soulful eyes, and full lips. I quickly adjusted myself in my jeans before the others could catch onto the fact that I was sporting wood as we began our walk-through. I certainly didn’t need to start the project off on the wrong foot with the men I was working for.

  I spent the next half hour showing them around the building and describing what each bit of space would be used for and what the finished product would look like. Both Matt and Isaac seemed very pleased by the time they got ready to leave.

  “You’ve done an incredible job with the use of space, I don’t think even an inch will be wasted,” Matt exclaimed.

  “I can’t wait to see the kids’ faces when they walk in here for the first time. This is going to mean so much to them,” Isaac added with a happy smile on his face. I smiled too, glad that they approved of the plans and thought they would work well for the center’s needs.

  “Let us know if there’s anything you need from us. Anything at all,” Matt offered, sticking his hand out for me to shake.

  Akio followed them out to the parking lot while I locked the door and I waved goodbye to them as they pulled away. Akio turned to face me then and I could feel the sudden shift in atmosphere. It was like there was an arc of electricity flowing between the two of us, connecting us together whenever we were near each other. Having the other men there had helped to distract me from its intensity, but it was always present.

  I could only imagine how explosive it would be if I ever got him underneath me…or over me as he rode my cock. Akio’s gaze turned molten as if I had spoken my thoughts out loud and I watched, transfixed as he swallowed, his throat bobbing in the most tantalizing way. He cleared his throat and my eyes darted to his.

  “Are you ready to go?” I stared at him blankly as I tried to remember where we were supposed to be going. A sexy smirk lifted the corner of his mouth. “We need to get you set up on the line of credit at the home improvement warehouse,” he reminded me.

  “Yeah, sure. Of course,” I said, still trying to clear my head. “Do you mind if we take my truck? I need to pick up a few things while we’re there.”

  “Fine by me,” Akio answered, using the key fob to lock his car and then circling around to the other side of my truck and climbing up into it.

  He snapped his seatbelt as I started the engine and then we were off. Sitting side by side in the cab of my truck, I was suddenly surrounded by the fresh scent of his aftershave and something that reminded me of suntan lotion and I drew in a deep breath, enjoying the intoxicating mixture. Akio pointed out places of interest as we drove through the city, acting as my tour guide.

  “Have you always lived in the city?” I asked.

  “No, actually, I grew up in a little subdivision. My parents thought it would be safer to raise me outside of the city limits. Still, they wanted me to have the best of everything so we lived outside of the city, but close enough that we could drive into it and spend the day taking in a play or visiting the art or history museums. They’d take me to the local parks so I could run and play.” Akio chuckled. “Come to think of it, we spent more time in the city than at home so they might as well have raised me there.”

  “Do you have any sisters or brothers?” My eyes shot back and forth between the road and his face and I wished I could just pull over so I could study his expressions as we talked.

  “Nope, just me. My parents decided when they were first married that they didn’t want children.” I looked over at him and he must have caught the question in my eyes. “Don’t worry,” he said, holding a hand up in a placating gesture. “It wasn’t like that. I might not have been planned, but that didn’t mean they didn’t tell me every day what a blessing I was to them. Trust me, I know how much I’m loved by my parents.”

  “That’s good,” I said, feeling my shoulders relax.

  The next few minutes were spent with Akio directing me to the store since I’d never been there before. We went inside the warehouse which was set up pretty much like any other home improvement store and went to the customer service desk where a friendly woman was waiting to help us. It didn’t take long to get my name added to the line of credit and I was given a card that I could scan whenever I needed to make a purchase for the project.

  The amount of credit available was staggering, but I remembered that they weren’t your average business owners I was working for. Working for Lachlan Edwards had placed me smack dab in the big leagues. Not to mention, Carter and his bandmates, but it was harder for me to see Carter as someone famous. To me, he would always be my bratty little cousin that annoyed the hell out of me and Landon. I loved him to death, but he and Caleb had been little shits when they were younger.

  I’d spent some time making a list of supplies that I would need to get started, and after looking it over, the woman assured me that they had nearly everything in stock. My order would be delivered to the job site first thing the next morning and everything else would arrive within two days after that. I thanked her and then headed towards the front door. I felt bad because it had taken longer than I thought and I knew that Akio had to have been bored out of his mind.

  “Wait!” he said. I turned around to see what he needed. “I thought you said you had stuff you wanted to get while we were here.”

  “That’s okay, I’ve taken up enough of your day. I can come back another time now that I know where the place is.”

  “Don’t be ridiculous. There’s no reason to make a separate trip when we’re already here. I wasn’t planning on going into the office today since I knew we were meeting with Matt and then coming here so I have time if you want to go ahead and pick up the things you need,” he insisted.

  I must have taken too long to respond because he let out a huff as he pivoted on his heel and headed to the corner of the store where the shopping carts were kept. He struggled to yank one free of the chain of carts, finally realizing that he needed to pull up on the one in front of it to release it from its hold. I fought a grin as he returned to where I stood, but the frown he wore told me I had failed.

  “Just shut it,” he said and I barked out a laugh. “I don’t normally shop in places that require a cart,” he said, sticking his nose in the air which only caused me to laugh harder.

  “What about the grocery store?” I countered.

  “Okay, so I use them there, but that’s it. Besides, those are normal-sized carts. Why do they have to h
ave such big-ass carts here?” Akio complained. I thought he was fucking adorable when he was being grumpy, but I liked my balls where they were so I kept my thoughts to myself.

  “Because they sell big-ass items here,” I said instead.

  “I prefer firm, round asses myself.” He gave a playful wink as he handed the cart over to me and we began making our way down an aisle.

  “Kind of like your own?” I shot back, grinning when his steps faltered. Bantering with Akio was quickly becoming my favorite pastime.

  “Oh, honey, nobody has an ass like mine,” he drawled before taking off in front of me, adding a purposeful sway to his step. I knew he was joking, but I had to agree. His ass was small, tight, and looked like it would fit in my palms perfectly. I pulled my shopping list from the back pocket of my jeans to distract myself from the direction my thoughts were headed and began marking items off as I filled the cart.

  “What is all of this stuff for?” Akio asked as we walked down the third aisle. I looked at him, trying to see if he was bored, but all I saw was genuine interest in his face.

  “I like to build things in my spare time,” I told him.

  “You mean like picture frames or something?” he asked.

  “No, more like furniture,” I explained.

  “Seriously? What kind of things have you made?” He sounded excited.

  I shrugged my shoulders. “I’ve made cabinets, rocking chairs, tables. Basically, whatever I feel like at the time. It’s just a hobby of mine.”

  “That’s amazing. I’d love to see your work,” he exclaimed.

  “Maybe I’ll show you someday,” I said quietly. My workshop was my sanctuary. The one place where I could shut out the rest of the world and just be myself. Someone would have to be very special for me to let them in there. The thought occurred to me that I’d never let David into my old workshop even though we had shared a home. That alone should’ve told me he wasn’t the one, but I’d ignored all the signs.

  I finished my shopping quickly after that and paid for my stuff before heading out and loading the bed of my truck. Neither of us spoke for several minutes as we drove back through the city and I was surprised at how comfortable it felt. I’d had fun with Akio, but there also wasn’t the need to fill the silence like there often was with other people.