Chapter 1

Mellie

 

I seriously can’t believe that he forgot his wallet! The last thing that I need to do today is bring my brother his wallet, to his job, where his ridiculously hot coworkers are! Ahh, can’t a girl catch a break when she looks like crap! I pray that I do not run into the one man that has starred in my fantasies for the past few months since I met him! Marc knows damn well that I cannot be near Morris Jackson without becoming an intelligible buffoon!

I really don’t know what it is about him that turns me into a fourteen-year-old girl with her first crush. Okay, that’s a lie. I know exactly why I can’t form coherent thoughts and sentences whenever Morris is around. He is the epitome of everything that is perfect in a man…well perfect in my eyes anyway. Tall…like really tall, at least a foot taller than my 5’5.  Dark brown hair that’s short on the sides and long enough to run your fingers through on top. Not that I’ve ever thought about running my fingers through his lush hair, not me. Muscles on top of muscles covered in tattoos. And those muscles aren’t from hours at the gym. Nope those bad boys are from being a SEAL and now a Swat officer. Top it all off with gorgeous bright green eyes, full kissable lips and two days’ worth of scruff and he is the yummiest thing that I’ve ever seen.

So really, why not look homeless when I could possibly run into the man of my dreams. Okay, I don’t look that bad, but yoga pants and a ripped-up T-shirt is definitely not how I would like to be looking today. Of course, my dearest brother would need me to bring him his wallet on my day off, while I’m running errands. Nope couldn’t need me when I’m about to go out for drinks with girls. I swear I have the worst luck. Maybe Morris will be out sick or on vacation and I can slip in and out without ever being seen. Just think positive thoughts Mellie…you got this girl. I’m screwed!

 

****

Morris

 

I feel like a fucking creeper! I’ve been sitting in the break room with Marc for the last thirty minutes waiting to get a glimpse of his sister. Officer Marc Bell, one of the men on my team and a good guy all around. And I’m sitting here being a borderline stalker. In my defense, his sister Mellie knocked me on my ass the first time I ever saw her.  Marc brought her along to watch us play football in the park one weekend a few months ago and I still haven’t recovered.

With long dark brown hair to her ass, crystal blue eyes, pouty lips, breasts big enough to fit fully in my hands and curves that go on for days, she is the reason that I’ve been spending an embarrassing amount of time jerking off in my shower. Hell, my dick doesn’t seem to work for anyone but her at this point. I see other chicks and the fucker doesn’t even twitch, I just hear her name and I’m at half-mast. Which is probably why I’m acting like a loser sitting here just waiting to see her for a minute.

Hopefully, Marc hasn’t realized how bad my obsession with his sister is, but if the side eyed look he’s giving me is anything to go by, I don’t think I’m that lucky.

“Is there any reason that you happen to be sitting here waiting with me?”

“Nah man just felt like taking a break from some paperwork for a while…why?”

“No reason…you’ve just been fidgeting…wondering what’s got you so keyed up.”

“Nothing…just a long day, ya know?”

“Yeah”

So, I guess that I’m not as stealthy with my obsession as I thought. Damn the last thing I want to do is have shit get awkward between us. I know damn well how protective he is over his sister. He makes that known every time he sees someone looking at her.  But what the hell am I supposed to do? Oh yeah that’s right…keep staring at her from afar like a creep! Yeah, I’m sure that’s so much better. I should probably get out of here and go for a walk. I really shouldn’t be perving on my friend’s sister. Standing up and walking to the door, I look back at Marc.

“Alright, I’m out of here, back to paperwork.” Marc looks up from his phone and I swear his eyes are looking into my soul, or at least seeing all of the not so appropriate thoughts that I’m having about his sister.

“Okay man see you in a bit.” He replies while still looking at me funny…can’t really blame him. Walking down the hall toward the front door I’m trying to decide if I should go grab something to eat that way I don’t tempt myself when I hear the sweetest voice say, “I’m here to see office Marc bell.” Well at least I tried to do the right thing.

****

Mellie

 

“And you are?” asks Deanna the obnoxious, overly processed bleached blonde, wearing way too much makeup front desk receptionist. Okay I may be a bit biased, but I cannot stand her ass! She knows damn well who I am. This is not the first time that I have come in to see my brother. She gives me an attitude every time and for the life of me I cannot figure out why. I’m guessing that she’s just bitchy to any other woman because I have seen her act sweet as candy to any man who will even look at her, wanna-be-Barbie-ass! Like this day isn’t starting to suck enough I get stuck having to deal with her too. What else could go wrong? “I’ll take her back to him.” I looked up at the sound of a very sexy gravelly voice and into those green eyes that leave me hypnotized. Seriously I should’ve known that this would happen. World’s shittiest luck today!

“Hey Morris,” Does my voice sound breezy? Get it together!

“Hey Mel, Marc’s in the break room waiting for you. Come with me and I’ll take you to him.” Hmmm, I’ll follow you anywhere. Stop staring and walk bonehead!

 “Okay, thanks.” Good sounding more normal. Now all I have to do is not trip and fall on my face. I begin to follow him as Deanna gives me the nastiest glare imaginable. Screw you too, hoe!

Walking behind Morris is definitely not a hardship. I’m pretty sure that I could bounce a quarter off his ass. I’d like to bounce a few things off of him…mainly me. Calm down girly parts, he is way out of our league. “Oomphf.” Morris reaches and steadies me before I fall. Crap I just totally walked into him. Must stop daydreaming.

“Are you okay Mel?” Hmm, I like how he says my name. Shoot must answer.

“Yeah, sorry I wasn’t paying attention,” I say sheepishly. Well, not to anything but your rock-hard butt.

“That’s okay, I’m just glad that you didn’t fall.” He says kindly. Yeah you and me both. I don’t really feel like embarrassing myself anymore.

“Hey peanut,” my brother says with a smirk. I’m not sure if it’s because he watched my oh so graceful entrance, or because he knows how much I hate that nickname. He gave it to me before I was even born. When mom showed him the sonogram he said I looked like a peanut and unfortunately for me, it stuck…like industrial glue.

“Hey Bubs.” Two can play this game, jerk. Bubs is short for bubbles. Don’t ask me how I came up with it, but a four-year-old’s brain just goes with what they like…and I liked bubbles. So naturally, my favorite person would get that nickname. He refuses to tell anyone what Bubs is short for and I’m saving that piece of blackmail for a time when I really need it.

“Cute.” He says while scowling at me. At 6’7 he may intimidate a lot of people, but I am not one of them. Especially since I got a front row seat to his awkward pre-puberty years. I just smile my sweetest smile at him while handing him his damn wallet.

“Thanks, I owe you one for bringing it to me.”

“Yes, you really do.”

He full out smiles at me knowing exactly why he owes me, especially after I walked into the glorious back of the one person who makes me too nervous to function. Seriously how do some women handle hotness so easily? I should see if they have any books on that when I get home.

“So, I better get going, lots of errands and all that.” This whole time Morris has been watching us with those intense green eyes that turn my brain to mush. I need to make a quick getaway before I do anything else stupid. Like, tell him that I’m more than willing to be his sex slave. Whoa, slow down girl that’s not even our thing…okay for him it could become our thing.

“You going to answer him, Mellie?” My brother asks, while looking like he’s about to choke from trying not to laugh.

“Hmmm?” shoot, must have spaced out again.

“Morris asked you what errands you have to run today,” I swear that jackass is loving this if the crinkling of his eyes is anything to go by. Note to self…plan a way to kill big brother later today!

“Oh, umm ya know, just the usual stuff. Grocery store, bank, things like that…why?” I say while looking into the face of an Adonis. Wow, I’m surprised my brain worked enough to get all of that out.

“I was just wondering why you weren’t at the shop. Just wanted to make sure that nothing was wrong.” Awww hot and sweet…yum! The shop that he is referring to is my coffee shop called Rise & Grind. It’s my baby and I’m usually there, so yeah, it might seem a little weird that I’m not there. Also, kinda weird that he would know that.

 “No nothing is wrong. It’s just pretty slow in the afternoon so I decided to close up early today and get some stuff done.”

“So, you have to rest of the day free,” Morris asks with a look that I can’t really place. It kind of looks like hope, but that is probably just me projecting.

“I guess so. As free as can be while doing boring stuff…why?”

“Yeah, well I was, yeah just wondering.” He looks uncomfortable and now I’m wondering if I should go before I get my hopes up and make a fool out of myself. At the same time, I swear I hear Marc mumble “This is painful to watch.” But I can’t really be sure.

After a long pause of waiting for Morris to say anything else I say, “Well okay then, I guess I’ll see you around.” “Bubs I’ll see you at home later.”

“Right, yeah see you around sometime,” Morris says sounding very strange.

“Later Peanut.”

I start walking out the door and look back to see both of them looking at me. So, unnerving, Marc’s smirking at me like the cat that ate the canary and Morris looks like he swallowed something sour. Yeah, I am so out of here. With a quick wave, I am off and walking back to my car in record time. Screw my errands, after that I think I’ll just go take a bubble bath and daydream about how that could’ve gone so much better!

 

****

Morris

 

“Seriously!” I look over at Marc just remembering that he’s here after watching Mellie walk away.

“Seriously what?” I ask.

“Are you fucking kidding me? That shit was painful to watch.” Marc replies with a disgusted look on his face.

“What was painful to watch?” Ask Jake Joseph or JJ as most call him, who happens to be our team captain.

“Morris trying to grow a set of balls and ask my sister out. Which didn’t happen.”

“What are you talking about. I don’t have any interest in your sister.” I say just as Rocco, Declan, and Damon (who are identical twins with totally opposite personalities) walk in. Just great the whole team is here for this one. All five of them look at me like I’m full of shit. Okay, I may be, but I am definitely not admitting to Marc that I am completely hung up on his sister.

“Yeah, you should try to say that with some conviction man because that wasn’t even close to believable,” Rocco says with a shit-eating grin. Dick. I look over at Marc who's also smirking at me like I’m stupid. At this point, I could be. I read somewhere that masturbating too much could lead to brain damage, maybe that’s what’s happening to me.

“I’ve known since the minute you laid eyes on Mel that you had a thing for her. We all even have a bet going to see how long it would take you to man up and ask my sister out. I’m winning by the way.”

 “You’ve known all this time?” I ask pretty stunned since I didn’t think that I was obvious about it.

“You’re not exactly too great at hiding it when you stare at her like a love-sick-puppy.”

“I don’t stare at her like that,” I say adamantly.

“Yes, you do.” They all answer at once. Well isn’t that awesome.

“And you never saw the need to tell me that you knew I liked your sister and say oh I don’t know…go for it?”

“Again, we all have a bet going. I picked that it would take you close to six months. We each put in $200, I could use the extra cash.” Fucker is now full out smiling at me.

“You’re such an asshole!”

“Never said I wasn’t. Plus, watching the two of you is funny as hell. You stare like a puppy and she gets so flustered that she can barely function. Honestly, I would still drag this out if it wasn’t so sad to watch today.”

“She gets flustered around me?” Damn, even I can hear how hopeful I sound.

“Yeah stupid it’s obvious to everyone but you apparently.” Says Damon while looking bored. I swear he only has two emotions, bored and pissed. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him smile…creepy bastard. Where Damon has almost no emotion, Declan is the happiest man I’ve ever met. Always has a smile on his face and joking about something. Just weird seeing them together.

“Well, I’ve just never noticed. Maybe she hides it well and you are all just trying to look for it.” I say trying to defend both of us. And all I’m met with is the guys staring at me like I’m stupid again. This is going awesome. “Well then will you help me out?” I ask looking at Marc for some guidance.

“Are you brain dead? I am not helping your dumbass get my sister.” Well, there goes that hope. “But I will give you a piece of advice.”

“What would that be?”

“Stop pussyfooting around and just do it already. She’s had some jackass in a Porsche coming in every day and has started hinting about taking her out. Luckily for you, my sister isn’t always quick on the uptake with shit like this but it’s only a matter of time. She won’t be single forever.” With those encouraging remarks, he leaves while biting into an apple I never even saw him grab. You wouldn’t think with those long arms he's as stealthy as he is.

“So, what are you going to do?” Declan asks while bouncing on the balls of his feet like he’s a two-year-old who ate too much candy. Knowing him though he probably has.

“I guess just ask her out the next time I see her.” This statement is met with the guys staring at me blankly. Shit, I’m really not usually this much of a disaster. Marc’s right, I really need to find my balls again. They’re probably at the bottom of my shower drain. “Okay, since you all seem to know best, what do you think I should do?” Rocco is the first to answer.

“Don’t wait for that douchebag to get in there first. Go claim your woman and stop acting like you can’t find your dick.” Not the best wording but he’s right, I need to stop acting like a damn pansy already.

“Why don’t we have our morning meeting at her coffee shop?” I could kiss JJ right now.

“Plus, her friend's bakery is right next door and Damon likes to be a creepy bastard and stare at her until she is uncomfortable,” Declan says while ducking away from the donut Damon just threw like a missile at his head.

“I don’t just stare at here.” 

“Yes, you do. She’ll even ask you a question and you barely give her a one-word answer.” 

“I don’t like talking.” 

“Yeah got that bro, but it creeps women out…you might want to work on that.”

“The hot blonde that looks like a Barbie?” Rocco asks while studiously ignoring the glare that he is now getting from Damon. Huh good to know that I’m not the only hopeless bastard here.

“Yeah, the hot blonde,” Damon mumbles while storming out.

“Why do you need to piss him off?” JJ asks looking exasperated at the one twin.

“First, he’s always pissed, he came out of the damn womb that way. And second, it’s good for his ego for me to keep him in check.”

 Rolling my eyes heavenward hoping to find some guidance in how to deal with these guys and my own problem.

“So tomorrow at the coffee shop?” Looking at all the guys I trust with my life.

“Yup and hopefully you won’t fuck this up.”

“Thanks, Roc,” I say as sarcastically as humanly possible.

“Alright let's get back to work.” Guess JJ is done with this. “Find the other guys. We have training that we have to do, and I’d like to get the fuck out of here sometime today if that’s okay all of you.” Okay then.