by Lexie Davis
“Davy is informing everyone that I spent the night at Taylor’s house last night. I’m just curious as to how he knew what we were doing.”
Joe took a deep breath, staring at our brother. “I told you to stop stirring up trouble.”
“I didn’t say anything that wasn’t true.”
“You’re just pissy because I cut your pay for not working. I’m the one keeping this business from going completely under, so technically, I’m your fucking boss. Get over yourself.”
My father frowned. “What do you mean you’re keeping this business from going under?”
I cringed, realizing my father didn’t know everything. “The garage bank account was in the negative. I’ve been paying for the parts orders and past-due bills from my savings.”
My father looked crushed. I glared at my brother for making me bring it up. This was the very thing I wanted to avoid.
“Dad,” I started, but didn’t know what to say. “It’s not that big of a deal. With all the work Taylor and Joe did today, we’ve brought in a good amount of revenue so we’re slowly climbing out of the hole Mom left us in.”
“Taylor?” He glanced between us.
“Davy has been slacking all week,” I told him. “Taylor wasn’t even getting paid and he brought in more revenue than anyone getting a paycheck.”
“Why wasn’t he getting paid?” my father asked me.
“Because we couldn’t afford his salary. That’s why I let him go but you jumped all over me about it. He told me he’d work for free. The money didn’t matter. This place is his life. His family. He considered you a father figure and Davy and Joe as brothers. I don’t know what went on while I was gone, but Taylor didn’t do anything. And if he did do something, it’s been a bad day all around. Davy got on his nerves teasing him about sleeping with me. It’s understandable because he got on my nerves too.”
My father sat on a mechanic stool, keeping his head down. I watched him a moment before he started sobbing. I dropped my bag and went over to him while my brothers followed behind. I hugged him, slightly unsure of what else to do. My father never cried. He never showed any emotion. I knew everything had been tough on him. He was heartbroken over my mother and then completely in denial about her coming back. He didn’t understand the state she left the business and part of it was my fault. I didn’t want him to know.
“Dad, it’s going to be okay.” I rubbed his back. “We’re going to get this place back in order financially and it’s going to be back to normal before you know it.”
He shook his head, swiping his cheeks. “I shouldn’t depend on you to give me money.”
I squatted in front of him. “Dad, it’s okay. I don’t mind. I have it and it’s not that big of a deal.”
He shook his head. “Your mother took all that we have. I should have protected you from it.”
“Dad, you couldn’t. You didn’t know. She was sneaky about it.” I glanced toward Joe. “And it’s perfectly fine for us to help you out. You’ve taken care of us our entire lives. It’s time for us to take care of you, especially when you need it.”
“I just feel like a failure.”
“You’re not.” Joe moved closer. “Pops, you’ve kept this place going since Gramps gave it to you. It’s all you. Mom did what she did, but we’re going to fix it and soon enough this place will be back to business like normal.”
Davy took a step closer. “The stuff with Taylor was all my fault, Dad. I teased him and pushed his buttons. Then I got mad when Eve sided with him. I’ll work harder to help the family. I’ll apologize to Taylor and see if I can get him to come back and help us.”
Our father nodded and stood. I moved to the side and watched as he patted both of my brothers on the back as he walked off.
“I’ll keep an eye on him.” Joe followed him, leaving me alone with Davy.
I narrowed my eyes at my brother. “What did you tell him?”
My brother glanced toward my car. “I told him that Taylor had a thing for you. That you spent the night at his house. You’re all kissy with him at work.”
I stood. “What I do is none of your business. Besides, he is supposed to be your friend.”
“He is my friend.”
“Then why be an ass about it? I mean, seriously, Davy.”
“I don’t know. Maybe I’m jealous.” Davy folded his arms over his chest.
“Jealous?” I frowned. “Of him and me?”
“No.” Davy rolled his eyes and turned away from me. “Dad likes him. I mean like a son. If this thing works out with you and him, then I’m bumped down.”
I licked my lips. “Are you serious right now? You’re jealous of Taylor?”
“Dad thinks I’m like Mom.” Davy leaned against my car. “Joe’s like Dad. You’re the only girl. I’m like Mom.”
I rubbed my forehead. “You’re not like Mom. Not completely. Nothing is going to change if this thing between me and Taylor works out. Just go back to being his friend.”
“I will.” Davy met my gaze. “I’m sorry.”
“Give me a ride to Taylor’s house.” I picked up my bags. “It’ll give you the opportunity to apologize.”
“Yeah.” He nodded toward the door. “Let’s go.”
I followed him out to his truck and got in. I was worried about my father. I’d never seen him break down and it killed me. It didn’t take us too long to get to Taylor’s house. His truck was parked in the drive and I got out, carrying my bag with me to the door. I knocked and waited for him to answer.
Taylor came to the door with a beer at hand, taking me in before glancing over at Davy. He brought his beer up to his lips.
“Can we come in?” I asked him.
He stepped aside and nodded for us to come inside. I moved past him and sat my bag next to the sofa. Davy stood on the front porch with his hands in his pockets.
“Look, I’m sorry for everything today. It shouldn’t have happened.”
Taylor drank from his beer. “Yeah.”
“You still have a job if you want it.” Davy glanced over at me. “Eve needs her car fixed anyway.”
“Admit you were an ass,” I told him.
“I was an ass.” Davy snorted. “Are we cool?”
Taylor nodded. “Yeah.”
“A man of so many words.” I walked toward them. “Shake hands.”
Both men looked at me like I was crazy. I smiled. They were lucky I didn’t make them hug. Davy and Taylor shared a look then a fist bump. Close enough. Davy waved at us.
“I’m going home. See you tomorrow.”
Taylor closed the door and arched an eyebrow at me. “I’ve been fired and rehired by your family twice.”
I pressed my lips together. “I didn’t know about the second time.”
“It’s been a shitty day.” Taylor took his empty beer to the kitchen and tossed it before grabbing a new one. When he came back, he popped the top and took a drink.
“Do you want company?” I glanced at my bag. “I can go home if you’d rather be alone.”
He came to me, pressing his hand against my side, as he leaned in to kiss me. “Stay. Plus, you don’t have a car so I’d have to take you and I’m buzzed right now.”
“Are you hungry? We can order something in.”
“Sure.” He went over to the sofa and settled back, watching TV. I watched him a few minutes before retreating to the bedroom. This was real life. Two days of fantasy and reality hit harder than a boulder on a steep hill. I searched through my suitcase and found a pair of pajamas. I wanted a cool shower before getting into bed, so I went to the bathroom and did just that.
Afterward, I pulled my pajamas on and went back to the living area to find him in the exact same spot I left him. I contemplated my move. I didn’t really think he was still mad. He wasn’t completely drunk though I could tell he was getting there. I walked over to him and reached for the remote on his thigh and turned the TV off. He glanced up at me as I straddled his lap. Looping my arms around hi
s neck, I met his gaze.
“What do you want to do?”
He chuckled. “I’m assuming the right answer is you.”
I studied his face. His dark eyebrows were mostly straight with a slight arch. I ran my finger along one. “I don’t like seeing you mad.”
“I’m fine.” His hand slid along my back. “I just had a bad day. Everyone has a bad day at some point.”
“Maybe.” I chewed on my lower lip.
Even though I didn’t do anything, I felt responsible for making it better. The pressure of the business, the weight of my family dynamics, and whatever we called the situation between me and Taylor had my mind constantly going in circles.
Taylor shifted slightly. “I’m the one that’s upset yet you look like someone killed your dog.”
“I don’t have a dog.”
“Not my point.” He tilted his head slightly. “What’s wrong?”
I shook my head. “Nothing. I’ll leave you alone. I’d rather go to bed anyway.”
I moved off him and went to the kitchen to grab a bottle of water before going to the bedroom. His bedroom was like everything else about him. Neat and organized. I’d spent the night with him yet I didn’t recall when he made the bed. My suitcase sat on the far side of the room near the window and was the only thing that looked out of place. Maybe I should have gone home.
“What are you doing?” he asked me.
“I was wondering when you made the bed.”
He laid his chin on my shoulder. “You were in the shower.”
“This morning?”
“Yeah.” His hands slid around my body, his fingers linking at my stomach. “I picked up the clothes you threw all over the bed. I like those teal panties you have, by the way. And that black barely-there bra. I think you should definitely plan to wear those soon.”
I laid my head on the doorframe. “We never talked about what happens after this week. Are we a thing? Was this just fun?”
“You want to have this conversation when I’m drunk?” he asked. “Fine. Go sit down.”
He let me go. I glanced over my shoulder at him and he nodded toward the bed. I slowly pushed away from the doorframe and went to sit on the end of the bed. He rubbed his hands over his face.
“We’re whatever you want us to be.” He leaned against the dresser. “I don’t care how you define it. I want you at my house. I want to sneak away during work and kiss you. I fantasize about fucking you on the damn desk. Maybe that’ll happen one day. I told you that your family was the only family I’ve got. If that means you want to date, then we’ll date. You want to be fuck buddies, then we’ll be fuck buddies. You want marriage, then let’s get married. I don’t care what we fucking call it. I just want you here with me. That’s what I care about.”
I glanced over at my stuff. I was chaos in his organized world. I wasn’t sure how long we’d go before he started complaining about my mess. Or he’d get tired of picking up after me.
“What’s wrong?” he asked me.
“I don’t know. I’m not good at this stuff. To be honest, I’ve always been afraid I’d find someone and they’d do exactly what my mother did to my dad. It’s not just the stealing. He loved her and she used him.”
I shook my head. “He cried tonight. He thinks he’s a failure. And it sucks because he’s not. I don’t know if the business can be saved. She took a credit card out in his name. The business credit is shot due to past-due bills. His credit is shot because of her. He couldn’t get a loan if he wanted one. My savings is basically gone. I don’t make the kind of money I would if I just worked at my regular job. I can’t do both jobs yet I need to. I don’t know what to do.”
Taylor came toward me and sat on the end of the bed next to me. “Sell your house and move in with me. You’ll have the money you need and everything else will work itself out. You don’t have to close the garage.”
“You want me to move in with you?”
Taylor gave me a small smile. “I want you here with me.”
I licked my lips. “Are you going to remember this in the morning?”
He reached for my hand and linked our fingers. “Let me take care of you.” He brushed his finger along mine. “You take care of everyone else all the time. You never stop. I don’t have much to offer. I’m not rich, but I do know that I’ll be there for you. I can do that. I think I can do that well. I can give you safety and security. I’m good at that too.”
He paused a moment. “Love… I’m not really good at that one but I’ll give it my best shot. I’m nothing great, but you’ll never have to worry about me being anything like your mom. I want to protect you from that. To make you feel safe and cared for. I don’t want you to ever wonder how I feel. Like it or not, we’re family. I prefer a relationship that involves me fucking you daily, but if you want to call that quits, then we can be friends. I’d hate it, but I’d do it for you.”
He glanced up at me. Tears streamed down my cheeks. He gave me a grimace. “Why are you crying?”
I shook my head and wrapped my arms around his neck. We sat like that for a moment. I clung to him and he pressed his face against my neck. He was exactly what I wanted and I wouldn’t let my self-doubt get in the way of that.
****
“Come on, sleeping beauty.” I dragged the blanket off Taylor’s naked body and smacked his bare ass. “We’ve got a lot to do today.”
He groaned, burrowing his face into the pillow.
“Come on.” I leaned over him, kissing his cheek. “I need to be at work and you need to jump in the shower.”
He turned his head, narrowing his eyes. “Why are you up before me? You’re never up before me. You’re usually jumping in the shower seconds before you have to walk out the door.”
He pushed up from the mattress and stared at me. “You’re already dressed?”
I chuckled. “I am an adult. I don’t need a caretaker.”
“Yeah, right.” He rolled to his back and covered his eyes. “I didn’t drink enough to have a hangover, but damn, my head is killing me.”
“I’ve got a few minutes.” I pushed his legs apart and moved between them. He dropped his hand and frowned at me as I reached over him for a hair tie I left on the nightstand.
“What are you doing?”
“Waking you up properly.” I pulled my hair back and glanced down at his cock. “Don’t get cum on my clothes. That would be very difficult to explain to clients.”
He smiled as I moved over him, kissing along his stomach. The cocky, sleepy man hadn’t woken up yet, but he was getting there. The strip of hair leading to his cock was so damn tempting. He had chiseled abs that led to a defined V. I kissed the area just above his cock and he shifted slightly. I glanced up with a grin while he watched me.
I kissed the length of his cock, working slowly until I reached the tip. His cock was perfect. Thick and long. Beautiful. I slowly circled the thick head with my tongue before opening my mouth and taking him inside. His eyes darkened while he watched me. My lips tightened around his shaft and slid down, taking as much of him as I could. I closed my eyes.
Last night had been a lot. He pulled me to him in bed and held me until I fell asleep. I thought a relationship was complicated, but Taylor made it easy on me. I didn’t feel pressured to do anything with him. If I wanted to sleep, he let me sleep. If I wanted to suck his dick, he let me do that too. He propped himself up on his elbows and dropped his head back.
He was good for me. I had a bit of anxiety about our first fight. He didn’t seem like the type to leave me, but I worried about it. Opening up to him felt natural and I knew that if he chose to walk away, it would hurt. I gripped his cock and stroked upward from the base while sucking lightly on the tip. I didn’t want to date. I wanted to believe that I could live the single life without regrets. Instead, I grew attached to him fast. I liked how he held me. Even drunk, he managed to make me feel sheltered. I liked that feeling. It’d grown into an addiction I didn’t know I wanted.
“Feel better?”
He dropped his arms and fell to his back, eyes closed. “Actually, yes.”
“My work here is done, then.”
I made a move to get up and he grabbed my arm. “Where are you going?”
“I’ve got to go to work.”
“I’m your ride,” he told me.
“I’ll call my brother.” I glanced at my watch. “Seriously, I’ve got to go.”
He reluctantly let me go. “What time do you need me to pick you up?”
“I’ll get a ride from a coworker.” I stood and straightened my outfit. I left the room to brush my teeth before coming back to find him standing next to the bed. “Take a shower and get some aspirin. Drink some water. Eat some toast. Your head will feel better in a couple of hours.”
He ran his fingers through his hair. “Will you be at the garage for lunch?”
“You act like I’m never going to see you again.” I walked over to him and kissed his cheek. “I don’t know when I’ll be there, but you’ll see me when you see me.”
He huffed a breath. “Fine.”
“Fine.” I grabbed my bag by the dresser. My schedule was busy for the day and it had the potential for being horrible. Hopefully, the next time I saw him, I wouldn’t be a grouchy ogre.
Chapter Eight
Taylor
Work proved to be a bad idea with the pounding in my head. The sounds alone made me feel like someone kept striking gong in my skull. Eve’s hangover method didn’t work. I took the shower and aspirin. I ate the toast and drank the water. The only thing that gave me slight relief was the blowjob and that definitely wasn’t going to happen at work.
I pulled a tire off the car in front of me and cringed as I sat it aside. My muscles ached. I felt like the fucking flu had taken over my body.
“What’s wrong with you?” Davy asked me. “You haven’t said anything all morning and you grunt every time you lift a tire.”
