“Called after I got off the phone with you. He’s sending a message to Lane’s attorney,” he informs, pouring some coffee into a cup and stirring, and then he looks at Sage and me. “I’m thinking about hiring someone to run the office. I don’t have time to do callbacks and run checks. You guys cool with that?”
“’Bout time,” Sage mutters, taking a seat in one of the chairs. “You have someone in mind?”
“Not yet, and do not mention it to my mom. The last thing we need is her coming in here and taking over.”
“I love Aunt Lilly.”
“You want my mom up in your business all the time?” he asks Sage, who looks at me and grins. He mutters, “She’ll make sure we always have coffee, and I have no doubt she’ll make us cookies.”
“My mom’s out. I’m gonna put the word out and see if I can come up with someone.”
“Whatever,” Sage grumbles, leaning back. “What’s on schedule for today?”
“I need the paperwork from the purchase of June’s house,” I say, going to the fridge and grabbing a premade shake.
“Why?” Sage asks, and I look between him and Jax.
“I want to know who she bought the house from. The situation isn’t sitting right with me. I’m wondering if the intruder wasn’t looking for someone else when they came across June, were surprised, and took off.”
“Have you had a chance to talk to Brew?” Jax asks, and I close the fridge and move my gaze to him.
“That’s my next stop.”
“Could still be Lane trying to scare her,” Jax says, studying me.
“No, he wouldn’t do that. He’s not going to do anything to risk not having her back in his life. I read the letter he wrote her, and he believes he’s doing what he can to protect her. He said he broke up with her so she wouldn’t get swept up in his mess, and as much as that shit pisses me off, I believe him.”
“Does June know you read the letter?” Sage asks, and I pull my eyes from Jax and look at him.
“What do you think?”
“I don’t know. You seem to keep a lot of shit to yourself.”
“Sage,” Jax rumbles, and Sage moves his gaze from me to focus on his cousin.
“You know as well as I do that he”—he jerks his chin towards me—“hasn’t been honest. Who’s to say he’s not the one who sent someone to June’s to make a play at getting her back?”
“Seriously?” I ask.
“Just sayin’. It’s the perfect fucking play. Weeks ago, she wanted nothing to do with you, and now you’re suddenly sleeping in her bed, buying a dog, and getting domesticated.”
“Fuck you.”
“No, man, fuck you,” he says, coming off his chair, and Jax moves between us as I push forward.
“Stand down,” Jax orders, looking between the two of us.
“We’ve known Evan for over a year, and still don’t know shit about him,” Sage growls, and I move toward him, stopping when Jax’s hand hits my chest.
“You’re right. You don’t know me,” I say quietly. “You don’t know what the fuck I’ve seen or done. You’ve got no fucking clue.” I lean forward. “And I don’t need to prove shit to you.” I turn and leave the office, slamming the door behind me when I go.
Getting in my truck, I head for June’s block. Seeing Brew’s bike in his driveway, I shut down The Beast, hop out, and head across the yard so I can ask about the previous owner of June’s house, when what I really want to do is trade my truck for my bike and ride out.
Chapter 8
June
Looking at the bedroom door, I pull my legs under me to sit Indian-style and grab my lotion from the side table. As I squeeze some into my hands and rub them together, I let my mind run away with me while waiting for Evan to come into the room. Something is wrong. I don’t know what it is, and I don’t know what to do about it, but the second Evan picked me up from work, I felt it. I knew, without him saying anything, just from the look on his face, that something had happened.
When I asked him if he was okay, he just said, “Yeah,” then put his truck in drive and drove me home. I figured we could talk about whatever it was that was bothering him when we went to dinner, but when we got back to my house, he told me Wes and July were coming over to keep me company while he went to take care of business. When he said that, I asked him about dinner, and he told me we were going to have to reschedule.
It wasn’t long after that July and Wes showed up, and the second they arrived, Evan took off, giving me a short kiss before leaving. I didn’t like that. Since he pushed his way back into my life, he’s been just that, in my life and in my space, but I could feel the distance he was putting between us like a physical thing.
My sister noticed, but didn’t bring it up. Wes noticed too, and also, thankfully, kept his mouth closed, but I could tell they wanted to ask. Now, sitting on my bed, I feel my heart start to pound in my chest and nausea fill my stomach. I never imagined Evan and I would be together again, but since the moment he came back, my feelings for him came back with a vengeance—or maybe they were never gone to begin with.
Feeling the bed shift and Ninja nuzzle my hand, looking to where he’s lying near my hip, I run my fingers through his soft coat and sigh. I didn’t want a dog, but I can’t lie and say I don’t like having one. Ninja has stuck to me like glue since I got home, and his constant presence has made me feel not so alone. Looking from Ninja to the door, I see the lights in the living room go out then hear soft footfalls coming toward the room. Feeling myself brace for what’s to come, I sit up a little taller.
“Hey,” I whisper, relaxing minutely, studying Evan as he comes to stand in the doorway.
“Hey,” he whispers back, then moves toward me and stops at the end of the bed as he drops his eyes to my hip. “Ninja, off,” he commands, and Ninja lets out a huff but hops off the bed, stopping to get a rub before wandering out of the room.
“Um…” I pause, watching him drop his gun to the nightstand then take off his shirt before he tosses it to the chair in the corner of the room. I watch him unloop his belt and unbutton the four buttons of his jeans, exposing a pair of form-fitting black boxers that look really good on him.
“Evan,” I say quietly, watching his jeans fly across the room and land in the chair.
“Fucking tired,” he mutters, dropping to the bed, reaching over, and turning out the light.
“Um…” I repeat, blinking into the dark.
“Sleep, June.”
Okay, one could say Evan and I had our fair share of arguments when we first started out. Some were heated, others were just bickering, but we never just went to sleep without figuring shit out.
Not once.
“What’s going on?” I ask, still sitting up in bed.
“Tired,” he mutters, and at his words, I feel my fear start to turn into anger.
Flipping on the light on my side, I watch his eyes come to me, and then I straddle his waist and lean my face toward his. “What the hell is going on?”
“Nothing, go to sleep,” he says, as his hands wrap around my waist.
“Go to sleep?” I repeat, studying him, and his eyes narrow in a way that sets my teeth on edge.
“Baby, we’ve been up since six. It’s after midnight. I’m fucking beat.”
“Maybe you need to get out of my bed and go to sleep in your own,” I suggest in a way that doesn’t sound like a mere suggestion at all.
“Don’t start your shit,” he growls, sitting up taking me with him as he twists and puts me in the bed at his side.
Getting up on my knees in the bed, I push against his chest and yell, “You don’t start your shit. This morning, you were all over me. Then you cancel dinner, and come home tonight barely looking at me?” I lean forward. “I don’t need this kind of heartache in my life. I don’t need games and back-and-forth.”
“I had a fucking shit day,” he roars, and I shake my head. I don’t care, not even a little.
“You left me! You married me, promised me t
hat our lives would be intertwined until the end of time, and then you fucking left me. So, I’m sorry, but I don’t give a fuck if you’ve had a bad day. I don’t care, not even a single bit, because I’m here. Stupidly, I’m here, so if you have a shit day, we talk about it. You don’t shut me out!” I shout.
“Baby,” he says gently, and I watch his face soften and his hands come toward me.
“You don’t get to do this to me again,” I whisper. “You don’t get to come back, make me fall in love with you again, and then decide that because you’re having a bad day, you can’t handle being with me.”
“June.” He tries reaching for me again, but I lean back out of his reach.
“I hated you,” I whisper, scrambling off the bed. “Or at least I was able to make myself believe I did enough that I was able to move on. I won’t do this again, Evan, and I won’t lose you again. Not with you right in front of me,” I whimper, fighting back tears.
“My brother broke into your house,” he says, and my lungs freeze, my lips part, and my heart topples over inside my chest.
“What?” I whisper after a moment.
“Fuck.” He snarls, running his hands down his face. “Last time we spoke, he was trying to get his shit straight. I told him he could come to Tennessee, but that he had to be ready to move on in a way that would mean he would be clean and actually find a job and get his shit together.”
“Ev,” I whisper, taking a step toward him, then pause when his eyes lock on mine. “Today, he showed up at the compound, telling me he was ready to make a fresh start and work his shit out.”
“Honey.” I move closer.
“Ten minutes after I left him in my room to settle in, I get a call from one of the local cops letting me know your shit showed up in one of the pawn shops in town. I went to check it out and watched the tapes. Lo and behold, my fucking brother was on the tape, selling your shit.
“Oh no,” I whisper, slumping back to sit on the side of the bed.
“All fucking day, I’ve been living with the knowledge that, because of me, you’ve been fucking violated again.”
“This isn’t your fault.”
“He followed me to your house!” he roars, tearing his hand through his hair. “My fucking brother broke into your house and scared you.”
“I’m fine, and it’s just stuff. It’s not a big deal,” I tell him quietly, as I stand and move within reach of him but stop when his eyes darken.
“Not a big deal,” he repeats in a tone I’ve never heard from him before, one that has me thinking I should have chosen my words more wisely.
“You ran out of your house in a towel, clutching a pair of scissors to your chest scared out of your fucking mind.”
“Okay, that was bad, but I was okay, and what happened is not your fault. You didn’t tell him to break in to my house, and you didn’t help him do it.” I rest my hands against his chest and press closer to him. “Stop beating yourself up.” His eyes move over my face and his arms wrap tight, holding me close. “You should have talked to me,” I scold him softly.
“I didn’t want this to affect you.”
“Yeah, well, when you act like a jerk, that kinda has an effect on me,” I point out the obvious, watching his lips twitch, but then all humor leaves his face and he closes the scant distance between us until his breath is mingled with mine.
“You’re falling in love with me again?” he asks, and I feel my body tighten.
“Evan.” I press against his chest, not ready to go there again, not even close.
“It’s okay, baby. I’ll wait,” he says quietly, holding me more firmly.
“E—” I don’t even get his name out before his mouth is on mine and his hands are on my ass, lifting me up. My legs automatically twine around his hips, right before the bed is under me and his body is covering mine. “I thought you were tired,” I breathe, as his hands move from my ass, up the back of my nightie, ripping it over my head.
“Not anymore,” he mutters, right before his mouth is back on mine, his tongue sweeping in as one of his hands roams over my stomach and down between my legs. The first touch of his fingers to my clit has my mouth pulling from his, my back arching off the bed, and my head pressing deeper into the mattress.
“Give me your eyes, beautiful.”
Dipping my chin toward my chest, our eyes lock and I watch him kiss his way down my body. His wide shoulders push my thighs apart, and then his mouth is a breath away from my pussy. Raising my hips toward him, I see him grin then drop his face lower and bury his tongue inside of me. I lose his eyes when mine close and a moan climbs up my throat.
“Is this why you didn’t wear panties to bed, June?” he asks against me. “Did you want my mouth between your legs? Did you want me to eat you, baby?”
Pressing my core closer to his mouth, I hear him chuckle before he latches on to my clit, and I move my hands from the sheets to his hair, and my legs attempt to tighten.
“Look at me,” he commands, and I mewl in disappointment at the loss of his sweet torture. “Eyes.”
My eyes shoot open and my head lifts when two thick fingers plunge into me and curve up, hitting my g-spot. Moaning, I move up to my elbows and watch his mouth go back to work.
“I’m so close,” I whisper. My legs start to shake and my eyes start to slide closed. His free hand slides up my inner thigh, over my belly, and then his thumb and middle finger tug my nipple hard. Just like that, I’m done. The orgasm that was building explodes, rushing through my blood stream like wildfire, burning every part of me from the inside out. Falling to my back, I hold on to the sheets and try to catch my breath as my body comes back to itself.
“You taste good,” he growls, as my eyes slide open and the fingers of his right hand wrap around my calf, curving it around his waist. “So fucking good.”
His fingers, wet with my essence, swipe across my lips.
His mouth comes down on mine.
His tongue slips between my lips, his taste mingled with mine coursing over my taste buds, as he thrusts deep inside of me.
Ripping my mouth from his, my fingers dig into the muscles of his biceps and I gasp from the feeling of being full of him, stretched by him, and surrounded by him in every way.
Taking my hands from his biceps, he laces our fingers together, placing them above my head as his thrusts slow. His face moves to my neck, where he whispers softly, “I’ll always love you enough for the both of us. Always.” The sincerity in his tone has unexpected tears climbing up my throat and, doing the only thing I can do, I wrap my legs tighter around his hips, hold his hands more firmly in his grasp, and turn my head toward him, opening my mouth when his covers my own. I may be too scared to tell him how I feel out loud, but my body is his, just like my heart. His mouth leaves mine as he rolls to his back. “Ride me, baby.”
Blinking at our new position, I bite my lip and move my hands to rest against his chest.
“Ev,” I breathe, lifting ever so slightly.
“Fuck, baby.” His hips buck up into mine, making me gasp again. In this position, he’s so deep I can feel him against my cervix. Leaning back, I roll my hips, panting when his hands move, one to cup my breast, and the other down between my legs, where his thumb circles my clit. My head falls back, my eyes close, and my hands move behind me to hold on to his thighs.
“Jesus,” he groans, rolling his thumb faster. “Look at me.” My head dips forward, and I pull my eyes open to meet his. “You look beautiful taking my cock, baby.”
Moaning, I fight to keep his gaze, but I feel it building and I know it’s going to be huge. “Come for me, June. Come on my cock.”
Whimpering, “Ev,” my eyes slide closed and my body falls forward.
His hands move to hold my hips tight and his hips thrust hard into me, making my orgasm take on a life of its own. Moving me to my back, his hips piston into mine hard and fast. I cry out and lose my breath. My head lifts and I latch on to his chest with my teeth. His roar fills the room as
his thrusts slow to a glide for one…two…three…four…five strokes, and then he plants himself deep inside of me. My mouth releases his flesh as I fall back onto the bed exhausted, out of breath, and completely sated.
“Fuck, but I could seriously live in your pussy, baby,” he growls, pressing his hips deeper into mine.
“I love your penis,” I mutter, and I feel him shaking. My eyes fight to open, and when they do, I see he’s fighting laughter. “What’s so funny?” I ask with a frown. His head shakes and his face dips, so he can place a quick kiss to my lips.
“You love my penis?” he asks, and I scrunch up my nose, because I can see he’s trying not to laugh. “No one calls it a penis, baby.”
“Um, that’s what it is,” I tell him, putting pressure against his chest, which he ignores as he drops to his elbow and pushes my hair away from my forehead.
“Cock. You love my cock.” He grins.
“Whatever,” I mutter, rolling my eyes and pushing at his chest to no avail.
“Only medical professionals call it a penis.”
“Fine, I love your cock.”
His grin turns smug. He slides his cock out of me, only to push right back in. “Fuck yeah, you do. You’re soaked.”
“You’re so full of yourself,” I mutter.
“Wrong, you’re so full of me.” He presses his hips farther into me while running his nose along mine.
“This is about the time I stop talking to you,” I grumble, and the bed and I shake as he buries his face in my neck and laughs. Feeling him laughing while still inside of me is something I’ve never felt, yet something I love immediately. “It’s late,” I remind him, and his face moves back to hover over mine.
“I love you,” he says gently, running his fingers along my hairline. “Never going to stop loving you, baby.”
“Ev,” I breathe, feeling tears burn my throat.
“I’ll wait for you to find it again. I’d wait forever for you.” He leans in, covering my mouth with his before I can reply. When his mouth leaves mine, he pulls out of me slowly then rolls, taking me with him. He adjusts us in the bed, with my cheek to his chest and his arms wrapped tight around me. Closing my eyes, I wonder why his brother did what he did, and then wonder where he is now.