Rome
“Are you going to tell me what’s going on?” I ask as I stir the noodles on my stove.
Courtney absently pets Harvey Benjamin but jerks her head up at my question. Guilt flashes in her blue eyes as she stands. “What?”
“Ever since I picked you up earlier, your head has been elsewhere. You didn’t even respond to my dick pic.” I smirk at her. “Did it stun you speechless?”
A smile tugs at her lips. “It’s a nice looking dick, for sure.”
“The nicest.”
“Definitely the nicest.” She lets out a sigh. “I’m sorry. I had a bad day.”
“Getting groceries was traumatic?” I tease.
“I ran into Whitney.”
I turn and regard her with a frown. “Was she being a bitch again?”
She nods. “She was. And then I went to see her dad.”
“Why?”
“Well,” she murmurs, her lip wobbling. “I’d seen his business card when I was looking in Raven’s notebook. I wanted to ask him about it.”
My chest tightens at the mention of my sister. “Who cares why she had his card? Why are you so worried about it?”
Hurt flashes in her eyes. “I don’t know. I was just curious…”
“Stop,” I bark out. “She’s dead, Courtney.” My words come out harsh and accusing and not at all how I meant to deliver them.
“I’m sorry,” she whispers.
I grit my teeth and keep from yelling at her again for apologizing. “Let it go, please. For all you know, she could have just found his card somewhere. You’re making shit out of nothing. And quite frankly, I’m tired of you rummaging around in her belongings every chance you get.”
Her nose turns pink and her nostrils flare. “I haven’t been in her room since that night.”
That was the night I decided I wanted to keep her.
“Good. Now drop it. I’m tired of fucking hearing about it,” I grumble as I turn my back to her.
She doesn’t make a peep. When I turn around to look at her, she’s gone from the kitchen. A door slams within the house and I can safely assume she’s locked herself in the bathroom.
Harvey Benjamin whines and cocks his head at me.
“Don’t put your guilt trip on me, man,” I gripe. “She’s being ridiculous. You’re just partial to her because she plays with you and lets you lick her. Women are complicated.”
He lets out a loud bark as if he disagrees.
“I’m simply trying to save you some heartache,” I tell him as I turn off the stove.
He barks as if he really thinks he’s speaking to me.
“I’m not going to apologize,” I argue.
He cocks his head again and then lets out a disgusting-ass fart that has me fleeing the kitchen. “Okay, you win, HB,” I holler over my shoulder. “Goddamn, your ass stinks!”
The bathroom door opens as I reach it. Without hesitation, I grab Courtney’s hips and pin her to the doorframe. My lips brush across hers and I trail soft kisses to her ear.
“I’m sorry, sheep.”
“I am a wolf,” she snaps back, her body rippling with sudden anger.
I grip her jaw and crush my mouth against hers. Her fury dissolves as I kiss her hard, my erection stabbing into her. I’ve missed her today and I don’t want to fight over stupid shit. Apparently she seems to agree because when I start to pull her shirt up, she lifts her arms. Her shirt gets tossed away, and while I work at the button on her jeans, she runs her fingers through my hair. Fuck, I love when she does that. I nip at her breast and revel in the sharp breath she exhales.
“Rome,” she whimpers. “I need you.”
I yank at my shirt and throw it into the hallway. Greedily, I pull her jeans and panties down her thighs. My mouth latches onto her pink clit and her whimpers become more desperate. I pull away to unfasten my jeans so I can grip my cock, when I see them.
Purple.
Round.
Five.
“What the fuck is this?” I demand, my fingertips delicately brushing along her thigh. “Did I do this to you?” When I jerk my head up to look at her, the worry is back in her gaze as she bites on her plump bottom lip.
Don’t lie to me, sheep.
“It wasn’t you,” she breathes, her voice barely audible.
I rise to my full height, rage bubbling inside of me as I look down at her frightened face.
“Who?” I seethe. I’m feeling the need to punch the fuck out of whoever touched her like they thought she belonged to them. Is she cheating on me?
“Mr. McConnell.”
I blink in confusion. “Whitney’s dad did this to you?”
Heavy tears roll down her cheeks and her brows pinch together. It’s then I realize she didn’t want whatever he did to her. Black rage blinds me and I stumble backward, my brain on one mission: kill that motherfucker.
“Stop,” she hisses. “What are you doing?”
“Did he…” I can’t even bring myself to say the words.
“No, he didn’t. He just bruised me and stuck his tongue down my throat,” she murmurs, her fingers biting into my shoulders as she tries to keep me from blasting from the bathroom on a hunt for that man. She kicks off her jeans and then leans into me, her bare breasts smashing against my chest.
“Why didn’t you call the police?” I demand, my voice husky now that her fingers are trailing down my sides.
She pulls slightly away and unfastens my jeans that I never got to. With determination, she pushes them down along with my boxers, freeing my still-hard cock.
“He beat me to it. He’s a lawyer. I’m a convicted felon,” she says with irritation.
“Sheep,” I grumble, but then she’s gripping my dick, causing me to hiss in pleasure.
Her blue eyes blaze with a mixture of heat and fury as they meet mine. She licks her lips and my cock jumps in her grip. “I am not a sheep,” she purrs. “I am a wolf.”
I quirk a brow at her until her thumb swipes across my tip. I groan and lean into her touch. “How are you a wolf, Goldilocks? You don’t seem very ferocious.”
Her perfect golden eyebrow arches as if she’s challenging me. She kneels before me, a queen before her king, and licks those fucking lips again. “I slapped him. I told him he was a sicko.”
I don’t even get to praise her before she’s wrapping those pretty lips around my dick. My hand finds the doorframe to keep from wobbling and the other tangles in her messy blond hair. She sucks my cock as though she’s been dying to for a long time. All I can do is emit sounds of pleasure and relinquish control. She is very much controlling me from her knees. With every lick of her tongue, every scrape of her teeth, every bob of her head, she’s owning me.
Fuck.
“Jesus, Courtney,” I groan. “You’re fucking perfect.”
She hums against my cock and I lose it. I grip her hair tight, slightly thrusting my hips to urge her to go faster. Her fingernails dig into my flesh as she blows me. The moment I feel my nuts tighten like I’m going to come, I drag her to her feet by her hair. Her eyes are wild and manic as I lift her and set her on the bathroom counter. In the next second, my wet dick is buried deep inside her tight cunt. Our mouths crash together as I fuck her hard. All it takes is one stroke of my fingers against her clit and her body is contracting around mine. I groan against her lips and spill every bit of my love into her.
Love.
It’s making me crazy.
I stare at her ass as she strides through the shop like she owns it. It’s a far stretch from how she was not even a few weeks ago. Back when she was broken and mentally beaten, just drifting through the motions. Now, she sparkles with life and there’s pep in her step. She’s brave, but most importantly, she’s happy.
Throwing myself into figuring out what’s wrong with a new client’s Mercedes, I try not to focus on the fact that she’s counting inventory in the other room. I haven’t fucked her at the shop before, but there’s a first time for everything. My cock thickens in my work pants, eagerly on board with that idea.
Ignoring my urges, I think about how much more vocal she’s been lately.
“We should go through her things. It’s been over a year, Rome. She’d probably hate the idea of you preserving her room like it’s some Goth museum.” She smiles. “Okay, well, maybe she wouldn’t hate that idea.”
Anxiety claws at the inside of my chest, but I’m smiling. My sister. Our town’s very own Wednesday Addams. But she was sweet. Gothic as fuck but sweet. “One day,” I tell Courtney and kiss her eyebrow. “I’m not ready, but when I am, I want you to help me.”
She tilts her head up and regards me with a soft expression. “I’ll be there whenever that time comes.”
“Um, hello?” an annoying voice snaps, jerking me from my thoughts.
I set my wrench down and turn to lock eyes with Whitney McConnell. Fucking viper. She’s dressed like the rich bitch she is today. A fancy dress. Expensive-ass shoes. And way too much makeup on for the middle of the day.
“What are you doing here?” I demand through clenched teeth.
She rolls her eyes. “You’re the only mechanic shop in this town. Something is wrong with my Range Rover. I need it fixed.”
I clench my teeth. “Get out of my shop.”
She sneers, “Careful, freak. I have a lot of pull in this town. Would be bad for business if your faithful patrons discovered you were turning away the McConnells.”
I hate that she’s fucking right. “Jamal,” I bark and snap my fingers.
He scowls as he trots over to me. When he sees Whitney, his expression softens. She’s pretty to those who don’t know she’s a cunt.
“Take care of Miss McConnell,” I instruct.
He nods and motions for her to follow. I pull out my phone and send Courtney a quick text.
Me: Don’t come out. Your psycho ex-best friend decided to show up.
Courtney: OMG. Ugh!
Me: It’s fine. Jamal can take care of her.
She sends me a picture of her tits and I groan.
Courtney: Maybe YOU can take care of ME.
I haul ass toward the supply room because today is a good day to christen the shop.