Chapter 19
Big
Patience was never one of my strong suits. I’d always been one to act, not stand by and wait, so trying to endure the past two weeks hadn’t been easy. I’d done my best to keep my mind occupied, knowing I had to give Josie time with her sister, but I couldn’t get her out of my head. Every time I closed my eyes, I’d see those beautiful eyes staring back at me. I could almost feel the curves of her body on my fingertips. Everything about her—the seductive scent of her skin, the warmth of her lips on mine, her little whimpers and moans when we made love—it was all just too much. I felt like some kind of caveman as I fought the urge to go to her, throw her over my shoulder, and bring her ass back home. As much as I wanted to do just that, I couldn’t. She needed time with her sister, time to heal the wounds of the present and the past, and I had to give her that. For the time being, I had to keep my mind occupied and keep the caveman in me at bay.
Thankfully, keeping busy hadn’t been difficult. Between Lauren and working on our next shipment, I hadn’t had much down time. With Doc’s help, we’d gotten Lauren through the worst of the withdrawals. He knew someone at the Teen Drug Rehabilitation Center in Sequim, and after he explained Lauren’s situation, they were willing to work with her through their outpatient program. Cass volunteered to take her to all the sessions, and she even managed to talk Cotton into letting Lauren stay with them. He was a little resistant at first, but it didn’t take long for Lauren to win Cotton over. She’s a great kid. She was one of those quiet, shy types, but when you finally managed to get her talking, she’d carry on for hours. Nothing beat seeing her smile, and seeing that she was adjusting so well only made us more certain that we’d made the right choice to keep her with us.
While Cass and Henley took Lauren to her morning session, I’d been working on my bike in the garage. Lunchtime came around, so I headed to the kitchen for something to eat. When I walked in, I found Wyatt and Dusty digging around in the freezer. “You lose something?”
Wyatt turned back and looked at me with surprise. “Oh, hey Big. We’re looking for the ice cream.”
I walked over, reached behind all the frozen vegetables, and pulled out the large tub of chocolate ice cream. “You mean this?”
“Thanks, Big.” Dusty gave me one of his big grins as he took the container from my hands. “You want some?”
“No thanks, buddy. I’m going to get some lunch first.” I opened the fridge, pulled out the lasagna Cass made the night before, and got myself a large helping. I was about to put it in the microwave when I noticed the boys were fixing three bowls of ice cream instead of two. “Who’s that one for?”
“Lauren. She’s been playing my new game with us,” Wyatt explained. “She’s really good at it.”
“Better than me?” I teased.
He didn’t bat an eye as he answered, “Way better.”
Dusty scooped out another spoonful of ice cream and put it in the bowl. “She won the last game, so we are bringing her ice cream.”
“That’s nice of you.” Something told me there was more to the story, but the microwave chimed with my lasagna, and I was too hungry to ask.
By the time I sat down to eat, the boys were already gone. I looked over and shook my head when I noticed the mess they’d left on the counter—drawers were left askew, the cabinets were still sitting wide open, and the carton of ice cream was on the counter melting. Before it ruined, I got up to put it away, and just as I stuck it back in the freezer, Cass walked in with Henley. “There he is.”
“What’s up ladies?” I asked as I walked back over to the table and sat down.
Henley came over and sat down next to me, while Cass hovered behind me.
Cass’s voice was rushed and full of concern. “It’s Lauren.”
“What about Lauren?”
“We’ve got to get her into school or she’ll fall behind. But we can’t exactly enroll her without her birth certificate and I don’t know how to get her records from her other schools. I don’t even know what grade she should be in or what kind of grades she had. She might’ve been struggling or failing, or she could’ve been a straight A student, but…”
“Cass,” I interrupted. “Slow down.”
“I’m sorry. I get a little excited when I’m worried.” She inhaled a deep breath, then continued. “When I talked to Cotton about it, he told me to come to you… Can you help?”
I knew Cass had grown attached to Lauren. You could see it in her eyes whenever she talked about her. She was so busy making sure she felt comfortable and wanted that she didn’t realize how attached she’d become. “I’ll take care of it.”
“Are you sure you can get everything she needs?”
“I’ll handle it. Just give me a couple of days.”
A relieved smile crossed her face as she sat down at the table. Henley rolled her eyes as she looked over at Cass. “I told you he could do it.”
“I knew he could do it, too,” Cass huffed.
“Then, why the freak out?”
“Because I want all of this to work out, Henley. She’s such a great kid, and she’s been through so much.”
“I know she has, but she’s doing great.”
“I hope so. I kind of like having her around.” Cass smiled. “She’s such an awesome kid.” She looked at me. “Have you heard any more from Nitro? How’s Tristen?”
“He said she’s doing good. Might be coming home in the next week or so.”
“So, he’s going to let her come back here?” Henley questioned.
“Can’t answer that. I guess that will be up to her.”
Henley got a curious look on her face as she turned to look at me. “What about Josie?”
“What about her?”
“Come on, Big. You know what I mean,” Henley pushed. “We all know there was something going on with the two of you.”
“Henley,” Cass scolded.
“What?” She shrugged and continued. “It was totally obvious, Cass. They were into each other, and who could blame them? They’re like the perfect match. They’re both strangely smart with all that computer stuff, and they made a great team when it came to finding Tristen. Then there’s the way they were always ogling each other.”
“Ogling?”
“You were so ogling her all the time, Big. You couldn’t take your eyes off her, and she was the same way about you.”
“She’s with her sister.”
“I get that, but it’s been weeks. When is she coming back? Is she coming back?”
“Guess time will tell.”
“Seriously?” Henley fussed. “You aren’t going to go out there and sweep her off her feet?”
Cass gave her sister a disapproving look as she said, “Henley, leave the man alone. He knows how to handle his woman. Besides, Josie is a smart girl. She knows Big isn’t the kind of guy you let slip away.”
Before either of them could continue, I got up and put my plate in the sink. I had to finish some things up before I started working on Lauren’s paperwork. As I headed out to the garage, I told them, “I’ll get Lauren’s stuff to you as soon as I can.”
“Thanks, Mike. You’re a sweetheart.”
By the time I got back out to my bike, most of the guys had gone out on a run, leaving the garage to me and Q’. Where he was just getting started installing new chrome exhaust pipes on his bike, I was almost done installing the new sound system on mine. I just had a few final touches that I planned to get done before the end of the day. I’d been working for almost an hour and was just about to finish things up when Cotton walked into the garage. “You talk to Cass?”
“I did. I’ll get in touch with my guy this afternoon. Figure he’ll be able to get what we need by morning.”
“Good. Don’t want her getting any further behind.”
“Things going okay with that? I mean… with her being out at your place?”
Cotton had always been a compassionate leader, one who we’ve all learned we could trust with our lives, and it was rare that he showed any sign of softness, except for when it came to Cass. She’d been the only one who’d ever been able to get to him, but I could see from the look on his face that he was warming up to Lauren. I couldn’t exactly blame him. The kid was easy to get attached to, and knowing how hard she’d had it made us all want to give her a better chance at life. “I’d say things are going pretty good. She seems to be adjusting.”
“And you? Are you adjusting to a house full of women?” I chuckled.
“Not sure I’ll ever get used to that. Mornings are hell, brother,” he complained. “I’m going to go check with Maverick. They should be heading back from Seattle by now. Let me know when you get Lauren’s stuff taken care of.”
“Will do.”
Once he was gone, I headed back into the clubhouse with the intention of getting started on Lauren’s paperwork. Since I was done with my bike, I needed a distraction. My talk with Cass and Henley had my mind on Josie, and thinking about her was the last thing I needed to do, not when my willpower was running so low. I couldn’t stop wondering how she was doing. When I’d asked Nitro about her the day before, he was vague at best. The entire thing was fucking with my head, and I was finding it harder and harder to focus on anything.
Trying to shake her from my thoughts, I stopped by the bar for a drink. After grabbing a beer from the cooler, I made a call to my contact, letting him know exactly what we’d need to get Lauren enrolled in school. He’d assured me that he’d take care of it, and we should have everything we needed by morning. I tried to clear my mind and enjoy a moment alone, but the silence was just too much.
I decided to go back to my office, thinking I could keep myself busy by looking up Lauren’s records from her previous schools. I’d just stepped in my office when I noticed a mountain of wrapped treats scattered all over my computer keyboard. It took my mind a minute to register what I was seeing, so I picked one up and held it in my hand, feeling the crinkle of the plastic packaging against my hand. As I looked at the trademark blue and yellow circle on the packaging, my mind went straight to Josie. She’s the only one who would’ve put a stack of fucking MoonPies on my desk. I turned and looked around my empty room, thinking maybe she was still there. Unfortunately, there was no sign of her.
Hoping I might be able to catch her before she left, I rushed out the door and headed for the parking lot. When I walked past Tristen’s room, I noticed that the door was ajar and the lights were on. Stopping dead in my tracks, I turned back and looked inside. Relief rushed over me when I caught a glimpse of Josie. I opened the door further and found her standing beside Tristen’s dresser with a large duffle bag beside her feet. Like usual, she was wearing a pair of jeans with a long sleeve t-shirt, but she’d changed her hair – added highlights and maybe got a new cut – and her skin had a sun-kissed glow. I don’t think I’ve ever seen her look more beautiful. “Josie?”
Looking totally unfazed to see me, she peered over her shoulder and smiled. “Oh. Hey, Mike.”
“What the hell are you doing here?”
“It’s nice to see you too, Mike.” Ignoring my question, she started rummaging through the dresser drawer.
I took a step closer, trying my damnedest not to lose it, and asked her again, “What are you doing?”
After closing the drawer, she turned around to face me. She crossed her arms and looked at me with her eyebrows furrowed. “I came back.”
“I see that.”
“Okay. So, now that we’ve cleared that up, I’ve got to finish unpacking.”
“Josie,” I growled.
“What?” She held out her hands with a shrug.
I took another step towards her, closing the distance between us. “What is all this?”
The self-assured Josie I’d always known faded as a more bashful Josie took over. She bit at her bottom lip as she considered what she was going to say next. I waited patiently, and finally got an answer I didn’t expect. “I’m here to stake my claim.”
An odd sensation crept through me, like a smile that overtook my entire body, and I couldn’t stop myself from pushing her for more. “You gonna tell me what you mean by that?”
“Do I have to?” she asked as her face flushed with embarrassment.
“You do.”
“Okay, fine.” She tucked a loose strand of her hair behind her ear and straightened her stance as she looked down at the MoonPie I had in my hand. “Like I told you… you’re my something-good that came from something bad. You’re my MoonPie, and I don’t want to lose you.”
“You’re not going to lose me, Josie.”
“I’m not taking any chances. I don’t know about you, but I’ve never felt like this about anyone. It freaks me out a little, but I like it… a lot.” Her eyes locked on mine, and I felt my blood rush through my veins as she said, “I want you, Mike. So, I’m here to stake my claim.”
Fuck. The woman never stopped amazing me. Just seeing the look of love in her eyes was enough, but hearing her say the words sealed it for me. There was no going back. Josie was mine. “You don’t have to stake your claim, doll. I’ve been yours since the first time I laid eyes on you. Just needed for you to realize it.”
“Then, why didn’t you say something? You just let me leave without saying a damn thing.”
“You needed time with Tristen. You needed it just as much as she did. I wasn’t about to get in the way of that.”
“But, you could’ve called.”
“It would’ve been a distraction you didn’t need. Your mind would’ve been on me and not your sister.”
“Well, it didn’t make a difference. My mind was on you all the time.”
“And mine has been on you. Hasn’t been a minute that’s passed that I haven’t thought about you.”
I wrapped my arms around her waist and pulled her against my chest. I’d missed her more than I’d even realized, and having her so close made my entire body ache for her.
Unable to wait a moment longer, I crushed her lips with mine. Her hands gripped at my waist, pulling me closer. A moan vibrated through her when she felt my hard cock pressing against her center. Her hand drifted down my hip towards my inner thigh as she ran her fingers over my dick, making me instantly harder. Her fingertips were like hot cinders as they grazed across my skin, fueling my uncontrollable need for her. I took a step forward and pressed her back against the wall. My hands dropped to her ass and lifted her as she wrapped her legs around my waist. When my cock brushed against her, she gasped and clutched at my sides.
With her cheeks and neck flushed red with desire, she looked at me and whispered, “I love you.”
“Say it again.”
Her eyes locked on mine as she repeated, “I love you.”
I ran my hand across her shoulder and slowly trailed kisses down the curve of her neck while I ground my cock back and forth against her center. “I love you too, Josie Carmichael.”
Her fingers gripped my sides, gathering my t-shirt in her fingers as she pulled it over my head. She took a deep, shuddering breath as the palms of her hands roamed over my bare chest. An appraising look crossed her face as she slowly unwrapped her legs from my waist and lowered her feet to the floor. She gave me a light push, forcing me to take a step back as she dropped to her knees. With a hungry look in her eyes, her hands went for the buckle of my jeans. Moments later, they were settled below my hips and her fingers were wrapped around my cock. My head fell back as she took me into her mouth. The warmth of her mouth and the swirl of her tongue across the tip of my piercing made me throb with need.
“Fuck!” She looked up at me with hunger in her eyes as my hands dove into her hair, gripping tightly at the nape of her neck. Her fingers tightened around me as she continued to stroke up and down the length of my shaft. She took me in deep, greedy and needful, and every muscle in my body grew tense. Every flick of her tongue, every twist of her hand, every suck brought me closer to the edge. I wanted to savor the moment, enjoy every second of having my cock buried deep in her mouth, but my dick had other plans. “Love your mouth, Josie. Fucking incredible, but gonna need to be inside you… Now!”
Her eyes never left mine as she loosened her grip on my cock and slowly stood up before me. My hands dropped to her waist as I reached for the hem of her t-shirt, carefully pulling it over her head. After I unclasped her bra, I slid it down her arms and tossed it to the floor. I lowered my mouth to her breasts as I captured one of her nipples in my mouth. A soft whimper filled the room as I ran the tip of my tongue across her sensitive flesh. While I tormented her with my mouth, her hands drifted down to the button of her jeans. Once she had them undone, she quickly lowered them and her lacy panties to the floor and kicked them to the side. She stood there completely bare and beautiful, making my dick throb with anticipation.
When I couldn’t wait a moment longer, I growled, “Get on the bed.”
My voice was deeper, more demanding than I’d intended, but a spark of lust flashed in her eyes, letting me know she liked it. She slowly stepped over to the edge of the bed and lowered herself onto the mattress. With her hair draped across her shoulder, she looked like an absolute angel. My angel. I couldn’t take my eyes off her. She was everything I could ever imagine wanting, and she was mine.