of crazy stuff. I just don’t know what I’m going to do about it. Rule’s all set to get together an old-fashioned lynching squad and I don’t want him to get in trouble because of me. It’s a mess.”
“That asshole put his hands on you?”
I sighed. “Yeah, I have bruises.”
“Then I say let Rule have at him. You better be looking into a restraining order.”
“I am. Rule has a client who used to be a police officer and he’s going to call him. He also said he wants to stay with me or have me stay here until the whole thing is resolved.”
“Sounds like your boy is getting serious.”
“He’s trying.”
“Well, I guess that’s better than nothing for now. When are you going to get a new phone?”
“Probably tomorrow. Rule said he would buy me a new one.”
“Man, I like a fella who knows how to apologize right. I’ll see you tomorrow?” The last was asked as a question.
“I think so, I’ll let you know for sure.”
“Love ya, girl. Be safe, let Rule take care of you for a minute, you’ve earned it. You took pretty great care of him all this time, now it can be his turn.”
“Isn’t a relationship supposed to be about taking care of each other equally?”
She laughed but it sounded bitter. “You’re asking the wrong person that, honey. My track record isn’t anything to brag about.”
“Ayden, do you want to talk about something? You seem, I dunno, sharper than usual.”
“No, I’m good. Just worry about you right now, honey. I missed you this weekend.”
“Missed you, too.”
I hung up the phone and set it on the edge of the sink. I pushed the sleeves of my sweater up and splashed cold water on my face. I took the tie out of my hair and unwound the tight braid so that my hair fell down around my shoulders. I took off the pearls and kicked off my heels and started to feel a little bit more like myself. I heard the bedroom door open and close and Rule softly called my name.
“I’m in here.”
I heard some shuffling and some swearing as he maneuvered through the stuff scattered on his floor. The bathroom door swung open and his eyes met mine in the mirror. The chilly depths of his were shadowed with concern as he crowded in behind me. “You okay?”
“Freaked out, but other than that, okay.”
“Are you worried about your mom ratting you out to your dad?” He put a hand on either side of me, trapping me between him and the basin.
“I can’t stop her, so if she does I’ll deal with it then.”
“What about school? She said he would stop paying if you didn’t do what she wanted.”
I leaned back so that I was pressed against his chest. “They both like to use that threat against me; it’s their favorite extortion tool. I figure they’re both actually more worried about trying to explain to people why their daughter is working at Subway instead of in medical school to actually stop paying tuition. And if they do”—I raised a shoulder and let it drop—“then I figure out a Plan B.”
“Just like that?”
“Pretty much.”
“I never knew you were so adaptable.” I made a face that made him laugh and he moved his hands around so that they rested on my stomach. “The guys are going to order pizza and watch the rest of the game. I told them I would check and see what you were thinking for the rest of the night.”
I pushed my hair back and let my head fall onto his shoulder. “I want to take a hot shower and then I think I want to take a nap. This week has sucked. I’ve been stressed out and burned out from school. I can’t remember the last time I got to just relax.”
His dark eyebrows went up. “You won’t mind if I kick it with them for a bit?”
I shook my head no. “Seriously, go bro-out. I’m good.”
He watched me for a solid minute, waiting to see if I was just messing with him. To prove that I was fine with him spending time with his boys I pressed a kiss to his jaw. He pressed a kiss to my hair and backed out of the bathroom. “I’ll grab your bag for you.”
He set it on the toilet and gave me a hard kiss before searching my face for signs of something. I laughed and physically shoved him out the door before closing it firmly in his face. “Go be a guy. I’ll be here when it’s over.” I waited until I heard the outside door shut and then stripped down and climbed in his shower. If I never had to suffer through one of my mother’s functions again it would be too soon. I scrubbed every inch of my body until it was pink and shiny, laughing hysterically because I had to use Rule’s dude soap and ended up smelling like a seventeen-year-old boy who’d just discovered AXE body spray. I had left my mom’s so quickly I had forgotten to get my things from the shower. Even his shampoo and conditioner were designed for males only, so instead of my normal coconut and lime I ended up with hair that smelled like sandalwood and spice. I finger-combed my wet hair and put on a pair of yoga pants and a T-shirt and fell into his rumpled bed. For the first time in a week I felt like I could take a real breath. I burrowed into his side of the bed and fell asleep within seconds, even with the hooting and hollering coming from the living room.
Hot hands were traveling under my clothes in a lazy caress. I woke up already turned on and squirming under Rule’s seductive touch as he tugged on the stretchy sleep clothes I went to bed in. I blinked to get my eyes used to the darkness but squeezed them shut again when his mouth landed high on my inner thigh after the thin cotton was out of his way. It was like the best dream ever, only now I was awake and wiggling in anticipation as his breath blew across the most sensitive parts of me. I reached for his head and giggled a little as my fingers skimmed over the buzzed surface. The stubble tickled across my sensitive fingertips.
“I really do miss the Mohawk.”
“It’ll grow back.” I felt the slide of his lip ring over damp skin and sucked in a gasp so hard that it made my lungs hurt. He laughed against my skin and his hands moved to hold me where he wanted me. “I missed this. Nobody has ever been as sweet as you, Shaw.”
I felt the press of the barbell in his tongue as he moved in and around the part of me that had woken up ready to take what he had to give. “I think the fact you’re comparing me to the legions of girls who came before me should probably make me furious, but I think I’ll choose to take it as a compliment.” The last faded away on a tight moan as he pulled my hips up and settled his mouth at the burning point of my desire. I had heard tales from my coworkers and even from Ayden about how having a guy do this for you was often the best part of sexy, naked time, but I had always had my doubts because it seemed invasive and too intimate, but I was wrong. As he kissed and licked and maneuvered around all my damp folds and aching flesh I went a little crazy. There was nowhere to hide how he was affecting me while he was doing that and man, did he know what he was doing. At one point I wanted to scream his name but at the last second remembered his brother was just across the wall and shoved my fist in my mouth to stifle my reaction as the world kaleidoscoped
