***Maci***
You’re getting off birth control. It’s a fact, he popped a vein during the wild fucking.
“Uhm, no I’m not.” What the ever-loving-hell?
His whole face changes, as if he’s reminded of something. His nose scrunches up and he shakes his head. “Fuck. I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking. You’ve been raising your brothers as your own. You’ve never had any time for yourself. I didn’t…”
“Hey.” My hand shoots out and I cup his face. “It’s not like that. That’s not why I’m saying no. That thought didn’t even go through my head. It’s more like…we just met. It might seem like we’re both into this together, fully committed, as if it’s meant to be; you and me against the world. But for real, can we just enjoy being us before we dive head first into popping out kids one after another?”
His soft chuckle caresses my heart as he turns and kisses my palm. “So, we’re gonna have more than one, huh?”
“No worries, biker. I hope you get to knock me up more than once,” I honestly promise him.
Music for the future, that’s what it is. We’ve got so many things going on right now, I wouldn’t even start to feel safe being knocked up in all this.
“Can I ask you something?” Xerox’s voice brings me out of my thoughts.
“Anything.” I nod.
His tongue traces his bottom lip, clearly thinking about something, or distracting me, because it’s working.
“Go on…let’s hear it.” I give him a smile, hoping that will push him to spit it out.
His eyes are fixed on mine. “What were you doing in my office? The papers?”
With one finger, I tap on his forehead. “Away with those worry lines already. You’ve got enough wrinkles, Old Man.”
His eyes widen in fake shock while both of his hands go to his chest, acting all wounded.
“Not that old, handsome.” A tiny giggle leaves my throat. “But yeah, I was trying to take away some of your worry. Corban filled me in on some things. With me losing my job, I kinda have free time and skills. Skills I can put to good use for the club. We’ve managed to find a great location for a new gallery. I’ve talked to a lot of people and pulled a few strings. We were able to save the exhibition…yours…since all your work was still here and only Barlow’s was lost. We cancelled that exhibition. No saving that one…but yeah…I didn’t want to…I mean, shit.”
“Go on…let’s hear it.” The asshole mimics my voice.
He knows exactly how to push my buttons.
I smack him across his biceps. “I didn’t want you to think I was butting in. Sticking my nose into club business and all.”
“Oh, gorgeous.” He shakes his head. “As if. You’re the Prez’s Old Lady, it’s your fucking job to stick your nose into club business. Otherwise I’d have to keep you locked away from this clubhouse and that’s never gonna happen.”
Yeah, he’s right. Well, since he basically said I could stick my nose into club business… “Will you let me see some of the pieces you’ve finished for the exhibition?”
“No,” he snaps and his ass is off the mattress with my next breath.
Pushing myself off the bed, I follow him into the bathroom. “Why not?”
“I said no.” Xerox doesn’t even look at me. He switches on the water and doesn’t even wait for it to heat up before he steps underneath the spray.
I don’t even think, my hand flows through the air and hits tight muscle. Burning heat flames my palm, making me curse. My red handprint is painted on his sculpted ass.
“Did you just spank me?” His eyes go from his ass to my face and back.
A frustrated growl raises inside my chest. “Does me rubbing my palm on my hip give any indication of what I just used it for? Thick headed baboon. You know what? I’ll just stick my nose in every corner and go looking for your work. How does that sound, huh?”
Spinning around, I walk straight out of the bathroom and head toward his office. I don’t get it. First, he gives me a free pass to do anything because I’m his Old Lady, and then when I ask to see his work, he denies me. What the hell is that all about?
I grab Xerox’s shirt from the floor and pull it over my head. Yeah, I don’t want to risk running into anyone naked. Seeing I’m tiny as hell, his shirt almost hits my knees. First thing I do when I’m in his office is walk toward the back. I need to have a look at what he’s working on right now. The moment I’ve got the sheet that’s covering it in my fist, strong fingers wrap around my wrists preventing me from ripping it off.
“No,” Xerox snaps at me again.
Exactly what he told me the first time I asked to see his work. In fact, the only thing I’ve seen is…My eyes trail to the wall where my face is sketched by his hand. A gasp leaves my lips before I rip my hand away from his grip and slam it over my mouth. Realization hits me hard.
Nope. No way. He did not…except he did. Did he?
Glancing over, I see Xerox standing next to me. Butt ass naked. Water dripping off him. He has no shame whatsoever about being naked, and yet he looks so freaking shy in this moment. My heart hurts to see him like this. If what I think is going on, there isn’t a single reason for him to act this way. Shit…not a single reason for me to act this way.
“Sorry,” I mumble before I wrap myself around him.
His arms pull me closer as he buries his face in my hair. I love the way he engulfs me, it’s become my safe haven. Xerox hands trail down as he squeezes my ass.
“You sketched that, huh? My naked ass, all huge and up close? That’s why you won’t show me?” I mutter my thoughts out loud.
Because let’s be real…he noticed my ass the first time we met. He even made sure I knew the comment he made about my butt was a direct compliment to me. Back then I could feel his heated gaze on my skin without looking back.
“Among other things.” Xerox nose trails up my neck.
I lean my head to the side while I close my eyes and relish at the feel of his soft caress. “So if they walk through your whole exhibition…” I swallow before my breath hitches from the way he nips my skin.
Suddenly I’m standing by myself while Xerox is a few feet away and letting curses fill the room.
“What?” I ask.
Xerox’s standing there, still naked I might add, hands pulling his hair before he locks eyes with me. “I can’t put it all up. We need to…cancel? I need, I can’t, it’s not…fuck.”
“Oh. My. God. Did you sketch me naked in every single piece?” I gape at a man who is now looking guilty as hell.
Somehow, it’s adorable. I mean, it’s not like they’re photographs. Although his skill kicks ass, it’s so vivid. I’ve only seen the piece on the wall but if that’s any indication…yeah, people would notice it’s me naked.
Xerox walks to the large frame that has the sheet covering it, yanking it off in one go.
“What the fuck are we going to do?” he snaps.
I feel like I’ve been put on a rocket and launched into heaven. Seriously. There’s something about seeing yourself through the eyes of your man. That’s what’s in front of me. Me. My back, I’m glancing over my shoulder. Somewhat turned so there’s a hint of nipple and, since I’m sitting on the bed, there’s a tiny ass crack.
“Are they all like this?” I whisper.
“Yeah,” he croaks.
“I don’t know what to say.” With effort, I draw air in my lungs to recharge for words I need to utter, and yet I have none. Spinning around, I launch myself at him, thankful he’s massive and I’m tiny so he catches me with ease.
“You’re amazing, the two pieces I’ve seen are both insanely talented work.” My thoughts go to a gallery in Australia. “Oh. We recently had someone…dammit, what was his name again. Oh, never mind, I can check later. Anyway, he loves this style. We need to contact him, I need to show him. I’m sure we can set up another exhibition and then…”
His fingers wrap in my hair and my head is pulled back. “Easy there, Captain. First things first. Meaning we’re going to handle our own exhibition. Then we will go over every piece I made before we will discuss other countries. But damn…you’re perfect, you know that, right? I’d hire you for every job at hand.”
“Hmmmhmmm.” That’s all I manage, because he covers my lips with his.
He lifts me up and walks through the bedroom and into the bathroom. The shower is still running, now with warm water, and we step under it. Steam has filled the space and yet the tiles that are pressing into my back are cold. The feeling doesn’t last long because the instant he fills me up and starts to throw his hips in a rhythm is the moment I drift off into a pleasure consumed state.
His grunts are as fierce as his strokes. My nails dig into his shoulder, trying to get closer, and yet that’s not possible since we’re practically molded into one another. It’s more of a frenzy fucking. I gasp when I feel his mouth cover my neck, pulling my skin into his mouth. Like I said; all consuming. My teeth hit his shoulder at the same time I tip my head to give him better access.
My moan is loud, even to my own ears, as he shifts his hips, his piercings hitting a spot inside me that’s a shortcut to a guaranteed mind-blowing orgasm. All I can do is surrender, intensifying my grip and taking Xerox with me. He buries himself deep one more time and seems to stop breathing when the roar he’s voicing has died down.
“We should do this multiple times a day,” I pant. “because it’s over way too fast. We need to build up some serious stamina.”
“Training for a fuck-marathon. Gotcha.” Xerox chuckles.
His tongue travels up my neckline, making me shiver.
“Hmmm,” he hums. “I like seeing my mark on your skin.”
Right when I want to reply with ‘I like you marking me’, pounding starts, along with a loud voice. I groan when I recognize its Mike’s voice that’s barking for Xerox.
Xerox slides me down his body. “Wash up, I’ll go see what that’s all about.”
He steps out and I openly watch how he manages to make wrapping a part of his body up in a white fluffy towel seem sexy as hell.
“I think your cunt is clean now, gorgeous. Go wash your other body parts.” He chuckles and leaves the room.
My fingers leave the place between my legs. Oh, yes…I was washing that part first, giving it special attention while enjoying the view in front of me. His fault, not mine. But I speed things up when I don’t hear anything coming from the room.
No voices at all. And both men, Xerox and my brother Mike, both have the volume I should be hearing in here. I’ve shut down the water and it’s dead silent where I’m standing. The soft click of the door being shut is an indication that my suspicion was right…they were whispering. Why the hell would they be whispering?
Stalking into the bedroom, I see Xerox standing near the door. His index finger is rubbing his lips, his eyebrows are scrunched. He’s clearly the vision of a man who’s deep in his own thoughts.
“What did Mike want?” I ask, and grab a clean pair of underwear.
My voice jerks him into action, dropping the towel around his waist while he snatches up his jeans and pulls them on.
I’ve got my own jeans in one hand and a dark purple shirt in the other. “X, what’s wrong?”
Xerox puts his arm into a black shirt and locks eyes with me. “He can’t reach or find Marcus.”
Shit. “He’s always locked up in his head. Maybe he just went out somewhere to think. Switched his phone off…did he check around?”
“He went to the store where he buys his gummy bears and to his friend’s house near the park. Also checked in and around the park by the way.” Xerox stalks to the nightstand and takes the two guns, putting them into the holsters he’s got underneath his cut.
“You’re not gonna lock me in a room, make me wait here and sit this one out kind of deal, right?” My voice is tainted with a warning.
“As if.” He actually has the nerve to snort. “He’s your brother, so no. Besides, if we take this and look at it from the worst point of view? It’s Enzo who took him. You think I’d leave you here, out of my fucking sight? Fuck no. You’re coming with me, but you’re also gonna carry.”
He jogs into his office and returns with a small handgun and a waistband holster. Taking it from his hands, I make fast work of strapping it to my belt and letting my purple sweater conceal it.
“Did Mike check the marina? He often goes there to think and…” I swallow the rest of my words because I know what he does and it’s not exactly something he shares with everybody else.
“And…” Xerox pins me with a stare.
I release a deep sigh because it’s clear I’m not the one running solo anymore. “Graffiti. It’s his secret addiction. The others don’t know, or never mentioned it. He’s got a backpack hidden in his room with paint cans and such.”
He shrugs his shoulders. “What’s the problem? Why hide it?”
“I don’t know, he just does. Never talks about it, never shows us anything. I wouldn’t have known if I hadn’t caught him red-handed once. Seriously. Red handed.” A smile spreads on my face when I remember that exact moment. I tie my sneakers, grab my phone, and head for the door. “Red paint was dripping off his hands. He had spray painted a rooster on a wall underneath a bridge. He makes these geometric animals that take your breath away. I don’t know why he keeps it a secret. The stuff he creates? He’s very talented.”
“I’ll ask him when we find him.” Xerox nods as we walk out.
Worry slams into me. Marcus is the quiet one, stuck in his mind. With everything that happened with our parents…I need to know he’s safe, that he won’t do anything foolish. Or worse, hurt himself. Out of all my brothers, Marcus is the one I worry about most. Where the hell is he?