by VR Baucke
“That’s not what he told us. Gage introduced himself as your other half,” she replied with a cheeky glint in her eyes.
I felt my brows hit my hairline and a little pang wove through my heart.
Play it cool, dammit. Play. It. Cool!
“Did he now?”
Kimmie grinned behind Mum’s back, and Mum made an amused hum in her throat as I gathered as many condiments as I could carry. Then I got my butt out of the room before she could make any more borderline observations about whatever the heck was going on between me and Gage.
Finally seated with Dad at the head of the table, we prepared to say a quick Grace. Faith wasn’t an everyday occurrence in our family, but when Mum and Dad entertained a large group of people, we made an extra effort to be thankful for the loved ones in our lives.
As soon as my hand slid into Gage’s palm, the jolt of energy caused us to look at each other. Neither of us had come to terms with our connection yet.
Mickey popped into my head.
He’d evidently heard the now infamous story of Dave’s visit to A&E. I snorted while trying to swallow the urge to crack up. Kimmie—on my other side—gave my hand a warning squeeze.
I was delighted to see a grin straining Mickey’s pursed lips as his body shuddered, trying his hardest to suppress his own laughter.
“Amen,” we all said as one.
Our voices combined as bowls and platters of food were passed from person to person. I almost squealed when my eyes landed on Kimmie’s famous crab and pasta salad. I piled a generous serving onto my plate and stabbed as much as I could onto my fork. Cramming the load into my mouth, my taste buds erupted in euphoria. I swear to God they banded together and sang hallelujah at the top of their tiny lungs. I tilted my head back to savour every last morsel as it slid down my throat.
Unbeknown to myself, my foodgasm caused quite the stir; Gage stared at me with dilated pupils and looked like he was about to devour me instead of his meal. His hand landed heavily on my knee then slipped upwards until his fingertips applied pressure to my inner thigh—the soft part I always considered a little flabby. My breath hitched when he leaned close and murmured into my ear.
“You moaning like that is thoroughly distracting during my meal, Sunshine. It’s hard enough keeping my hands off you without you making noises like that, but now, you’ve got me planning all the ways I can get you to make those sounds while not eating food.”
Heat pooled between my legs and I felt heat creep over my cheeks. I utterly failed to regain composure as Gage strummed every cord in my body—starting with the one his thumb was coaxing where it flicked back and forth on my inner thigh. I put my body on lock down as I suppressed a shiver. If I wasn’t careful, I was going to make a right spectacle out of myself.
As it was, our exchange hadn’t gone completely unnoticed; Neek didn’t tend to say much, however he was incredibly perceptive. What he didn’t say, he made up for in observation skills. He was one of those guys that looked like he would have all the girls hanging off him with his smooth, tanned skin and dark hair clipped short in true Army fashion. Combine that with his emerald green eyes and cheeky grin, he was irresistible. Neek smirked across the table as he watched the interaction between me and Gage, knowing full well what was going down between the pair of us.
Gage chuckled softly when I subtly slapped his hand off my leg and attempted to give him my best ‘behave yourself’ eyes.
“How’s the pasta?” Kimmie innocently asked, her timing impeccable as always.
Gage barked out a loud laugh and I blushed furiously while avoiding her eye contact—wishing I could contact the Star Ship Enterprise and get Scotty to beam me the fuck up.
“Amazing as always, Kimmie,” I coughed.
Enough said.
She offered me the bowl. “More?”
Glancing at Gage and seeing him wink at me, I cursed Scotty for his delay with the teleportation beam. I backhanded Batman’s bicep while throwing a, “No thanks,” to Kimmie.
“Your loss,” she sang.
I wasn’t the only one losing out; Gage would have to be content with eating his meal without the added sexual innuendos.
As the evening wore on, our banter and laughter were swallowed up by the waning light as the sky darkened.
“Cocktail time,” Mum declared. “Who wants one?”
Kimmie and I chorused ‘yes’ in response, and I added, “But make mine minus the fun, please Mumzie.”
She gave me a thumbs up and entered the house with a renewed sense of purpose. I smiled happily to myself; Mum was so full of life and, now that I was an adult, she felt like more of a friend instead of a parent—most of the time.
Dad spied her when she returned with a tray of cocktails. He hastened towards her to help and plucked up the last pretty drink with a flourish. He took a sip before handing it to Mum with a cheeky smile. I grinned when she playfully slapped him on the arm then pouted her lips to receive his kiss.
Seeing them happy together after all these years made me wistful about my own future. I wanted to grow old with someone who I’d spent almost my entire life loving, and be loved just as hard in return. Maybe that was why I had jumped headfirst into engagement with Jono without truly thinking it through. My parents had been together since High School, so it seemed natural for me to follow the same pattern.
I scanned over the group until my gaze landed on Gage. Running my eyes over his body, I couldn’t get over my instant attraction for him—albeit, I had mistaken that for annoyance at the time. There was never that breathless spark with Jono. Looking back in hindsight, he had simply been what I thought was a failsafe option.
Sure, Gage looked on the rough side and could cuss like a sailor, but there was something about him that felt like he was specifically made for me. Behind the arrogant façade, I caught glimpses of a reverent and unpretentious personality that I respected greatly. Gage being here, amongst my nearest and dearest, made all the bullshit in my past irrelevant now that he was in my present.
I watched him from where I danced with Kimmie, Trav and Mum. He looked at ease interacting with the guys and Dad, as if he felt he belonged with us—with me.
The angel on my shoulder told me to proceed with extreme caution because we hadn’t even dated once yet and I was getting ahead of myself. The devil on the other shoulder told me to drag him to the nearest unoccupied room and jump his bones—which right now was the laundry. Obviously, my devilish side severely lacked all romantic notions.
~
It was nearing midnight when Dad turned down the stereo and informed us that party time was over, and to piss off home.
Since Mickey was sober driving the Crab Bucket back to Kimmie’s then going clubbing with Trav, Dad insisted that someone accompany me home to make sure I got there safely. I rolled my eyes at his over protectiveness but truth be told, I really didn’t like arriving home late at night when Mickey was out or on shift at the station.
Since Mickey and the rest of the crew were going in a slightly different direction than me, Mace offered to tail me home on his bike. For that I was grateful.
We all went through the goodbye process then made our way to our various modes of transport.
I hadn’t even taken two steps when a scuffle broke out between Trav and Neek calling shotgun over the front seat of Kimmie’s mini. Kimmie didn’t even get a shoe in the passenger door before she was manhandled into the back of the tiny car. Trav lucked out, again, since Nico was bigger in strength and stubbornness.
We convoyed down the road then peeled out onto the highway where I tooted a tune as I sailed past the four of them squashed into the Crab Bucket. I was graced with their middle fingers and crude gestures. I chuckled out loud, envisioning Mickey with his foot flat to the floor and cursing the shitty little car to pick up speed.
As soon as I had pulled back in
to the left lane, the rumbling of motorbikes thundered past me at a much more sedate speed than earlier.
EIGHTEEN
GAGE
I HAD ONLY been waiting for a few minutes before Lil’s little Mazda pulled into her driveway and cruised to a stop. She slipped out moments later.
“You drew the short straw, huh?”
I sniffed a smile. “So to speak.”
I wasn’t going to admit that I had been locked in a battle of wills with Mace over who would see her home safe. And over my dead body would she find out that I resorted to bribery to get my own way; I now owed Mace lunch every day next week, and that’s not including the bet I lost earlier in the afternoon.
I followed Lil around the side of the house and noted the location of the spare key despite being thoroughly distracted by her bare legs. Turning the key in the lock, she gave me a thankful smile and pushed the door inwards.
I halted her then brushed past to enter the house first. Flicking on lights as I went, I did a quick walk through, checking each room like I was on Magnum P.I.
Lil was leaning against the bench with her arms folded across her chest when I wandered back into the kitchen.
She raised her brows. “Finished?”
“Yes. I take my responsibilities very seriously.”
Coming to rest against the bench beside her, I noticed for the first time the various photos that peppered the walls. My eyes were drawn to the selection of candid shots on a pin board. I stepped forward to look at them closer as she spoke to my back.
“From what I just witnessed, I don’t doubt it.”
The selection of photos was much like Mace had on his fridge—random snaps of the crew. I stared for longer than I should have, trying to absorb everything there was to Lil.
Hearing the jug fill, I spun to see her looking over her shoulder at me. Her hair was wild from dancing the night away, and her mascara had slipped from her lower lashes again. It took all I had to hold myself back from running a finger over the dark smudges.
“Do you need to get going, or would you like to stay for a hot drink?” she asked and worried her lower lip with her teeth.
“Coffee would be great, thanks.”
“You sure you want a caffeine hit this late? You’ll be up all night.”
“That’s the plan, Sunshine.”
Her eyes lit when I called her that. To see if I could add to her disposure, I winked and raked a smouldering gaze over her body. She took my meaning loud and clear, and I chuckled when a cute as hell blush hit her cheeks.
Lil turned quickly and mindlessly busied herself. Having been here once before, I walked over to the mug cupboard and grabbed two out.
We made small talk while making the drinks then settled at opposite ends of the couch. I couldn’t tear my eyes away as she tucked her legs under herself. I relaxed into the comfy cushions and took a sip of coffee.
“So, did you have a nice time tonight?” she ventured.
My brows raised in surprise. “I did actually. You’re a clone of your mum, all wild and crazy, dark red hair and sparkly hazel eyes to boot. And Mickey is like your Dad, that’s for sure. A fucking hard ass.”
I could totally see what Uncle Dave had been getting at. What I didn’t tell her was how unexpectedly welcome I had felt; definitely not like the outsider I was.
Lil nodded while giggling at my description. “That about sums them up.”
I saw the real Lily tonight; spirited and free, loving and fierce. I couldn’t take my eyes off her as she danced—I was fucking mesmerised. She had roused more dead and buried feelings from the bottom of my soul, and she ignited a lust in me that was extremely hard to ignore. The way she had moaned while eating left me fisting my hands under the table in a tremendous effort to stop myself from touching her. In my heart I already knew she was mine, I just had to convince my head.
I felt a small nudge on my leg which broke my thoughts. My hand found Lil’s ankle and squeezed lightly before she pulled it away again.
“They’re younger than I was expecting, too. Fucking funny when Mace gave your dad jip about pushing fifty.”
Lil slapped a hand over her eyes and groaned. “Oh my God! One of these days someone is going to take the banter too far and actually offend someone. Like Dad grilling you about your tats and jail time. I’m still really sorry about that by the way.”
I waved off her apology and indicated for her to carry on her story.
“My parents have been together since they were sixteen; they met at High School and Mum fell pregnant at eighteen. So, Dad’s parents said that since he would be responsible for a child, he had to get a decent job. He completed his Police Recruit Training before Mickey and I were born. Family has always been important to them. They’ve had their ups and downs, just like anyone does, but really are meant for each other. You can see how they light up when they’re together. They are definitely role models for the relationship I want for myself.”
At the last sentence, Lil gave me a shy smile and smoothed a hand over her dress. This shyer side of Lil intrigued me; I’d really only experienced her being outgoing and sassy. She gave me a glimpse of her inner insecurities while in the spa, and this was another peek at her on a different level. She was beginning to trust me enough to let her guard down a little, thus letting me in.
“Well, we had better get to know each other better then, hadn’t we?” I stated, and saw her raise a brow. “Not like that… yet.”
I checked her reaction and was pleased to see her cheeks pinken as she hid her smile behind the mug.
“How about twenty questions?”
“This should be interesting,” I chuckled and bent my knee in the space between us on the couch.
“Rules are simple. Either of us can ask a question, but we both must answer.”
I nodded while she took a slow sip of milo. A slight furrow between her eyebrows appeared, making my finger itch to smooth it away.
“Ok,” Lil declared. “How about favourite animal?”
“Velociraptor, without a doubt.”
She gave me a condescending look. “Is that even an animal?”
“Do bears shit in the woods?”
Lil snorted. “You’re ridiculous. For me, I would definitely say pygmy goats.”
“You’re bullshitting me, right?”
Christ, this girl was all over the place; so much for a ‘one size fits all’ approach to females.
“What’s so great about a goat?” I demanded.
“They are freaking hilarious,” she grinned. “What about pet hates?”
“Flannelette pajamas,” I countered without hesitation. That was met with disbelief.
“What’s so wrong with flannel PJs?” Lil exclaimed.
I leaned towards her. “Everything.”
My comment lit a little spark of attitude in her gaze and I smirked knowing I had provoked it.
“Yeah, well, my pet hates include arrogant men.”
“I wouldn’t expect anything less from you, Sunshine,” I drawled and set down my mug.
Aware of the time, I decided to push my luck and shoved my phone at her.
“Add your number.”
Lil raised her brows at my demand.
“Please,” I added.
She scoffed. “I thought Batman didn’t beg,” she said in a stupid-ass voice while her fingers tapped against the screen. “I’m only going to do it because you have a hot ride.”
“You have no idea.”
Her eyes hit mine, brimming with lust that burned so brightly I had to force myself not to look away. Blood roared in my ears as I recognised exactly what it meant.
“How presumptuous of you,” Lil whispered, barely loud enough for me to hear. She studied me from under her lashes. “Text me.”
“I will,” I whispered back gravelly. “I should get going.”
“You should.” Again, with her whisper.
Lil locked her gaze onto mine before making a move to take our empty mugs to the k
itchen. I followed closely behind, practically being pulled along by her wake.
She set them in the sink then went to breeze past me again. My hand flew out on its own accord and snagged her wrist. Before I could register what was happening, my lips were on hers and her tongue was meeting mine.
Desire roared through my veins so fast that it was impossible to stop, even if I wanted to. Lil’s hunger took me by surprise and her tenacity added to my already heightened craving. Everything around me faded, all other thoughts vanished purely from tasting Lil.
“Got to go,” I mumbled against her mouth as my hands gathered the hem of her dress.
“I know,” she whispered back.
I picked her up by the back of her thighs and found the nearest wall. “Goodnight,” I growled between kisses.
She giggled into my ear and squirmed against the scratch of my beard on her neck.
“I had fun.”
“Want tucked in, Sunshine?” My lips sought hers again.
I hissed as she bit my lower lip and pulled back without releasing it. “Only if you’re good at it.”
My breath came out as a grunt as I ground my dick between her legs.
“The fucking best. Where’s your room?” I demanded while tightening my grip on her ass.
“Upstairs on the left.”
Pinning Lil in place with my hips, I tugged her arms above her head. She took my hint and kept them there as I peeled her dress up and over her head. Chucking it over my shoulder, I ignored the noise of something clattering to the ground; I was too busy focussing on her breasts filling my hands.
“Hold on,” I rumbled.
No further words where needed. I all but ran up the stairs with her body locked against mine, her fingers working at the buttons of my shirt. My hand dragged along the wall as I kissed her, instinctively feeling for her room. We fell onto the bed where her body became pinned under my large one. Her hands resumed frantically tearing at my clothes.
“Light,” I demanded, wanting to see all of her.
“Scared of the dark, Batman?” she giggled, which turned to a gasp when I ground my erection into her again.
Lil’s body turned under mine and I felt her stretch for the bedside light. Once the temporary blindness subsided, I couldn’t help the rumble that resonated from my chest… That ass!
