"That's not a bad idea."
"Oh, leave her alone." I giggle. "It's cute how she worries about her big bad brother."
"If you knew the kind of pain I was in while I tried to end that call, you wouldn't call that shit cute."
I wiggle, my dress hiking up and allowing me to spread my legs. When his crotch falls against my hot sex, he groans and closes his eyes. "I don't know, Shane. You turned into a savage after, taking what you needed and giving me everything at the same time. If we need to schedule more phone calls during our sexy time, I'm not going to say no."
"Little vixen," he grumbles, smiling and betraying the seriousness he's trying to fake. "One day, you're going to do what I expect."
"I doubt that," I jest. "Kiss me, you fool, then fill my belly!"
His eyes spark, the golden swirls coming to life. "If I fill your belly, we're going to be late."
He kisses me, though, and pays me back for teasing him by taking me right to the edge before standing and adjusting the hardness of his dick then holding his hand out for me. I take it, my blood still roaring through my body, crazed for what he held back from me. I narrow my eyes and adjust my dress before calling him every version of mean I can think of. His gruff chuckles follow me out of his bedroom and through his house. Not once in the thirty-minute drive to the Italian restaurant does he stop smirking either, the big hunky tease.
"Is that her?" I whisper, clutching his hand and looking through his windshield at the beautiful young lady waving in the direction of his car when we pull up and park. "She's adorable." And she is. I didn't even really need to ask because there was no denying they're siblings. The feminine version of Shane, tiny and petite. "She looks like Tinker Bell with brown hair," I continue.
Shane chuckles, shutting the engine off and opening his door. Before he steps out, he looks over at me. "Have you ever seen what Tinker Bell looks like foaming at the mouth and trying to kill someone?"
"What? Of course not. She was sassy but not murderous." I scoff. "You need to brush up on your Disney movies."
"Cherie, I didn't mean in the literal sense. Humor me," he says with a smirk.
"Okay. Humoring. No, pumpkin, I've never seen that."
He nods, his wolfish grin in place, and steps out of the car. He walks around the back of his car to my door and opens it, offering me his hand and backing away so I have room to stand. I shimmy my dress down, biting my lip when he groans. One thing I've learned about Shane in our six weeks together was I was wrong when I thought he was all about the booty. No, he's made it clear that every single part of my body drives him insane, but when my legs are bare and on display wearing a short dress, he's bloodthirsty for my body. Something I've made no qualms about taking advantage of.
The first day of my unemployment, I purged my closet of all my teacher clothes. I packed them up all neat and tidy, stashing them in Shane's garage at his urging when he watched with laughter dancing in his eyes while I ranted and grumbled about the mean hags who made me resent the job I should have loved. One day, I'll bring them back out, but not until I'm comfortable with the environment of my next teaching position. For now, I'll wear my short skirts and low-cut tops, driving my man insane every time he sees me. Plus, it's not like my new charge, little Miss Quinnie-Q Reid, cares what I wear when I watch her so Ember can get all her projects painted for her next show.
I snap out of my thoughts when Shane shuts the door, his hand taking mine, and starts walking toward his sister. Now, I'm not a tall person, but I'm not tiny either. At five-foot-four, I'm the perfect little pint size to Shane's six-foot-three. However, his sister is tiny. When we step up to her, even in her heels, I'm guessing she isn't much over five foot even. Totally Tinker Bell.
"Libs," Shane says with affection painting that one word thickly.
"Hey there, big brother. You going to release her so I can say hi?"
"Maybe. Got a hug for your favorite brother first?"
She rolls her eyes but walks into her brother's arms when he releases my hand and hugs her tight. Her face pressed against his torso, low under his pecs. Her brown eyes smiling at me and open with her happiness shining bright.
Then Shane opens his mouth and wipes that off her face.
"I missed you, Tinker Bell."
Holy Hanson, he was spot-on. If Tinker Bell was a snarling vampire on the verge of starvation and the only available blood was her brother's, that is. Shane's laughter is uncontrollable while he playfully fights her off. His whole body relaxes as he looks at his sister with so much adoration I feel my throat get thick. Seeing him like this, I feel another piece of my heart become Shane's forever.
"Okay, okay," he grunts, taking a jab of her elbow to the gut. Laughing through it, he puts his arm around her shoulder, spinning her to face me.
She runs her hands through her hair, grumbling about her brother and seemingly forgetting I'm even there. My smile grows with his, but my eyes are all for her.
"1Dis boujour a ma petite amie, Nikki, mon petit ange. Avec le monde entre mes mains et les deux femmes les plus importantes dans mon monde qui se recontrent finalement, mes jours sont tres brillants." he says softly, his sister's eyes getting misty as he continues to croon that delicious language. I have no idea if he's telling her I'm a slob who snores, but it doesn't matter when he speaks his beautiful language. He looks at me, eyes happy and carefree. "Nikki, this is my little sister, Liberty. I'm thrilled as fuck that you two are meeting."
"Holy crap." Liberty gasps, looking back and forth between her brother and me, her eyes full of unshed tears. "Hi."
"Hi," I mimic, smiling and itching to hug her.
"I knew you were different," she continues in awe, whispering so softly that I have to strain to hear her.
My cheeks heat, and I shrug. "I just let him think he's in charge is all."
Liberty, two tears falling, bursts out with the most adorable laugh, pulling out of her brother's hold and slamming into my body with a force that someone so small shouldn't be able to achieve. I rock back on my wedges, wrapping my arms around her just as tight as she's hugging me. I sense something a lot more powerful than her just accepting her brother's girlfriend here, and when I look up at Shane, seeing the same thoughts written all over his face, I hug her a little tighter.
"It's really great to meet you, Liberty."
"You have no idea," she whispers in my ear. "I've waited for so long to see the shadows leave his eyes. Thank you."
It takes so much effort not to let her words show on my face. Right then, in front of Altoberli's, I give another Kingston a piece of my heart.
"Party's here," I hear bellowed from behind us, recognizing Nate's voice anywhere.
Liberty releases me, and we smile at each other. "Before we leave, let's swap numbers and pick this up for lunch next week?" I offer.
"I'd love that."
"Little Tink," Nate jests, and I watch the beautiful Liberty turn back into a bloodthirsty pixie, laughing as she launches herself on Nate.
Ember gives me a hug, looking tired. She's been dealing with morning sickness all week, and I know firsthand from being at her house with Quinnie so much how hard it is for her to do just about anything lately.
"Feeling any better?"
She shrugs. "I'm about eighty percent sure I won't throw up during dinner, but only about twenty percent that I won't fall asleep."
"Well, Em, that's better than yesterday," I joke, smiling when she starts laughing.
Who would have thought that one dinner date with these four would make me feel like I've found something I didn't even realize I had been searching for. Shane pulls me into his side, his scent enveloping me. Yeah, this is what it feels like to be full.
* * *
1 Say hello to my girlfriend, Nikki, little angel. My days are brighter with the world in my hands and the two most important women finally meeting.
I WALK OUT OF THE local bookstore with a spring in my step. Having more time on my hands since leaving Rosefield has all
owed me to finally tackle my Pinterest boards. I've tackled all the DIY Pinterest projects I had collected over the years, read some amazing romance novels, and got to spend a ridiculous amount of time with my best friend and goddaughter. Sure, Ember and Nate are technically paying me to watch Quinnie while Ember works, but it's hardly work. Sitting with my bestie while she gets lost in her creations and playing with an angel? Not a hardship.
Shane's been busy at Dirty. It took a few more not so subtle hints about my thoughts for a Filthy night at Dirty, but he finally agreed it was a good idea. I could see it in his face when he agreed, though, that he's still worried about me not being able to handle his job and the women who surround him there. A small part of me is worried he might always have those fears. Lacey did a number on him, but I'm stubborn enough that I won't stop trying to prove to him that I don't get jealous. It's hot. He's not humping them; he's standing above them and dancing alone. Knowing that women want him but will never have him is delicious.
Speaking of Lacey, ever since that run-in on our first fake date, she's been keeping a low profile. From what Shane says, he doesn't think that's the last we'll hear of her, and I hate to say, I agree. Seth, on the other hand, moved back home to Iowa last I heard. I guess Shane's just more intimidating, and Seth tucked his tail after their run-in. Even though I got what I wanted, knowing that Lacey is still in town doesn't fill me with gumdrops and rainbows. However, she can keep her crap on the sidelines as long as she keeps her nose out of our relationship.
My phone rings, so I stuff my purchases from the bookstore into my large tote and pull my phone out, smiling when I see Liberty's name on the display.
"Hey," I greet, smiling while unlocking my car and tossing my tote in the passenger seat. "I'm on my way to the restaurant now. Are you already there?"
"Sure am. I got us a booth and ordered you a Coke."
"I'll be there in five, Tink." I laugh, a snort escaping when I hear her feminine growl.
"I'm going to kill my brother."
"Please don't, babe. I'll miss him a whole lot."
She grumbles, and my smile grows. "Order me chicken fajitas with extra rice and sour cream, okay? I got a little zoned out in the bookstore and didn't realize I was running late, but I'm literally five minutes away."
"Sounds good. There's plenty of eye candy having lunch outside, so I have a nice view while I wait."
"What happened to Tommy?" I ask, referring to the guy she told me she had been dating for a few weeks earlier this week during one of our long phone calls.
"Ugh," she gripes. "It seems that Tommy was more interested in Michelle, the girl who lives in the apartment next to mine. He needed an in, and I was the best thing. I'm single and ready to mingle."
"I know some pretty good-looking single guys," I confess, thinking about the younger Cage boys. They're a little older than Liberty is, me as well, but I've known them long enough that--even if I hadn't seen them through high school being great boyfriends--I'm positive they know how to treat a woman. You aren't a son of Greg Cage's without learning how to worship the women in your life. I'll just have to deal with Shane if he has a problem with his sister dating someone who's almost a decade older.
"You'll have to fill me in at lunch," she exclaims excitedly.
I don't remember being that boy crazy at twenty-one, but Liberty has quickly become someone I care about, and I want nothing more than those I care about to be happy.
"Promise."
We hang up, and I toss my phone in my bag and pull out of my parking spot thinking about Shane's sister. We haven't even known each other for a full week, and you would think we had known each other for years. She confessed during one of our chats that she had always hoped her brother would find someone she could form a relationship with. We both agreed that Lacey had not been that person. I was shocked to hear how nasty Lacey had been to Liberty, driving a wedge between the two Kingstons that caused Liberty to back away because she was unable to see her brother stuck with someone who made him miserable. Clearly, Liberty is wise for her age to be able to see that and not have the adult knowledge of a relationship's many layers.
She was finishing her degree in graphic design, but her apartment was close to her campus, almost an hour outside Hope Town. It made it a lot easier for her to brush off Shane when he wanted to get together with her while Lacey had still been in the picture. Over the past year and a half of him being single, they had grown even closer. And now, I hope they continue to build that bridge back to what they had been before Lacey's nasty filth got their relationship dirty. Even if I wasn't tumbling head over heels quickly for her brother, I would still adore her.
When I pull into one of my favorite Mexican restaurants, I see Liberty through the window behind their outdoor dining area. She's practically drooling at the men eating and laughing outside. I sneak a look and feel giddy with my luck. What are the freaking odds that the very young men I had been thinking about would be here?
I park, grab my bag, and skip across the parking lot. The guys don't see me, and I don't stop to say hello. I know them through my long friendship with Ember--her family's connection to Cage's going way back before she was born. To her, they're like her cousins. I know it's rude to ignore them, seeing as I'm basically an honorary Reid myself and I've known them forever. I hadn't been to a huge extended family gathering with Ember in years, but the Cage twins look like they grew new muscles each year that had passed since I saw them last.
"Hey," I breathe, scooting into the booth and stifling my laugh when Liberty startles, looking a little sheepish for being caught drooling over the guys outside. "Been a while since you saw a hunky man?" I ask, wagging my brows.
She waves me off, dipping a chip in the salsa. "You might be happily taken, but you can't deny they're worth drooling over."
I hum my agreement, not letting the cat out of the bag that I know them just yet.
"So what's new?"
She leans back and huffs. "I gave some serious thought to murdering my roommate yesterday but decided I was too pretty for prison. Other than that, just studying more than I sleep and eating more than I study."
"Sounds like my college years." I laugh.
"Not too much longer and I can get the hell outta dodge and move back to Hope Town. The day I can move out of that apartment, I'm going to buy myself a gift for putting up with Samantha for the past two years."
"She can't be that bad," I challenge. I loved my roommates. The only time we got into arguments was when they stole my string cheese.
"Last night, I sat down to pee. My eyes were all tired and blurry because I had spent almost ten hours studying for a big test. When I sat down, there was something ..." she trails off, looking on the verge of throwing up. "Her asshole boyfriend missed the trash with his used condom, and I sat on it. Lubrication wasn't what was gooey, if you know what I mean."
"Oh, my God. Libs, that's disgusting."
"Tell me about it. I stormed into her room after grabbing the gloves we wash dishes with and threw it right in her face. I was too grossed out to enjoy the fact it stuck to her forehead, the open end dangling right over her mouth."
I make a gagging sound then we both start giggling.
"Enough about my disgusting roommate and sad, single life. How are things with my big brother?"
"Pretty amazing, to be honest. He's got a lot going on at Dirty, but we pretty much spend every chance we get outside of that together. We're going on a little vacation in a few weeks to the mountains. I can't wait to get away, just the two of us, and spend some time together."
"Don't make me gag again," Liberty jokes.
"Did you know he hasn't taken a vacation in over ten years?"
Pain slashes across her face, and I shiver. I knew he wasn't telling me everything when I asked him why he had waited so long.
"Sounds about right. We took a big trip with Mom before she got too sick right after he graduated college. I was still a little bratty teenager, but that was one of the bes
t two weeks of my life."
She gets quiet, and I reach over the table, taking her hand. "I'm not close with my parents. When I was born, they were both in their late forties. Accident of the century, I was. They didn't know what to do with me, never have. When I turned seventeen, they moved to Florida, and I finished high school with no parents. I call them a few times a year, you know all the important dates, but we're basically strangers who share DNA. I won't pretend to know what it feels like to lose a parent who cares, but I have a feeling she's with you every day, Libs, and the memories she left with you will never be able to pack up and leave for Florida."
"Damn, Nik, that's some shit."
I laugh. "Old news, but I don't want you to think that I'm not sensitive to what you and Shane have lost." I lean back when the waiter comes over and places our food down. When he walks away, I look back up at Liberty. "Shane told me you haven't spoken any French since she passed." I keep my voice low, holding her gaze and making sure I don't push her into something upsetting.
She's quiet, moving her food around with the fork. Just like her brother, I can tell when she's deep in thought. They both nibble on their bottom lip and frown with their eyebrows. When she looks back in my direction, I was relieved to see her eyes dry. I had been worried all week about bringing this up in order to ask her for a favor.
"At first, I refused because I was angry she left us. How shitty is that? She was the one who died of cancer, not like she had a choice. Then, over time, I just got used to not speaking in any language other than English. None of my friends know French, so it wasn't unnatural that I didn't continue. Every now and then, Shane tries to force my hand and only speaks to me in French. I can see it hurts him when I refuse to reply in kind. I think now it's more that I'm afraid it will hurt him to actually hear me speak our mother's language again than not."
I shake my head, placing my fork and the tortilla down. I take her hand in mine, holding her gaze across the table. "Sweetheart, he loves you so much, and all he cares about is you being happy. You two and the relationship you have ... it's something incredible. I think the day you give him that gift, you'll be healing something in both of you."