Until June

  “Is that what that was?”

  “I’m not going to say sorry for worrying about her.”

  “You accused me of setting her up in order to get her back,” I remind him quietly, working to hold my temper in check. I don’t need to get into a fistfight with him in June’s parents’ backyard with her family in attendance.

  “Yeah, that was fucked. I didn’t mean it, but seriously, you’re so fucking secretive with everything.”

  “Have I ever left you hanging or put you in danger?” I ask, and he shakes his head. “I’m not the kind of guy to sit around and spew out my life story to anyone.”

  “We’ve known each other for awhile, man,” he says, his tone also quiet.

  “We have,” I agree, taking a pull from my beer. “So do you want to start the heart-to-heart, or would you like me to?” I ask, raising a brow.

  “Don’t be a dick,” he says low, sitting closer.

  “Tell me about Kim.” His eyes narrow and he sits back. He may think I keep shit to myself, but he does the same. Kim is a woman who works at the hair salon next to our office. She’s also the woman he slept with once then dismissed. Now, she’s the woman who has a man, the woman who every time she’s around, his eyes move to her and his jaw goes tight. And she’s the woman he wants but can’t have.

  “Is it really that obvious?” he asks, surprising me with the question.

  “If by ‘obvious’ you mean can I see that you’re pissed you let her get away, then yeah, it’s obvious.”

  “Fuck,” he mutters, running his hand over his head, looking annoyed that anyone could tell he’s hung up on her.

  “She’ll come around, man. You may not see it, but she still looks for you every time we leave the office.”

  Shrugging off my statement, he leans forward once more and his eyes meet mine before he speaks in a hushed tone. “You look settled. In the time I’ve known you, you’ve never looked settled, so I’m happy to see that. And my cousin’s happy. That’s all because of you. You’re it for her, and I now see she’s it for you.”

  “She is,” I agree, looking across the pool toward June, and her head turns and her eyes meet mine as I watch her smile.

  “Are we cool now?” he asks, and I pull my gaze from June and look at him again.

  “We’re good.”

  “Good, now I need to warn you as your friend. Uncle Asher is on his way over,” he says then stands and walks away.

  Jesus.

  “Didn’t think you’d show,” Asher says, taking the seat Sage just vacated.

  “Like I told you when you came to the compound, I’m not giving her up, and she loves you guys, so I’m not going to make her feel like she has to choose between me and her family,” I tell him, holding his stare. Do I want to be here, right now? Fuck no, but I know June would be disappointed if we didn’t come, and I want her happy. So if I have to sit in her parents’ backyard for a few hours to accomplish that task, I’ll do it.

  “As a little girl, she was always moving,” he says, sitting back in the chair and placing his beer on the armrest.

  “Pardon?” I ask, confused by his statement.

  “June, as a little girl, she was always up to something. She couldn’t sit still for more than a few minutes at a time. Where the other girls would happily sit and watch a movie, June had to be doing something, experiencing something new. Her mom and I worried about her. We didn’t think she would ever be content in one place for long. Her first year of college was the same. There wasn’t a week that went by that she didn’t call home, saying she wanted to change her major or move to a different school. But then that stopped. We didn’t know what happened or what helped her settle. We just knew something did,” he says, and then sits forward, putting his elbows to his knees.

  “That was you. I didn’t realize it until the other day, but you help her settle, bring her peace, keep her grounded. My grandmother used to say, ‘Don’t take a moment for granted, just because you think you’ll have a thousand more.’ I think you get that more than most,” he mutters, and a deep burn hits my chest before coursing through my body, making it hard to breathe.

  “I love her.”

  “That’s good, since she loves you,” he grumbles, sounding annoyed which makes me fight back a smile. Closing his eyes, he rubs his forehead then sits back and pins me in place. “One day, when you’re a father, you’ll understand how painful it is to be replaced by another man.”

  And with that, he gets up and wanders around the outer edge of the pool toward June and her mom. As soon as he reaches them, he pulls June into his side and places a kiss to her temple. Watching her mouth move, I can’t tell what she’s saying, but his chin jerks in my direction. Her eyes come to me and her face softens before looking back up at her dad and leaning deeper into him.

  “What’s up?”

  Pulling my eyes from June, I look up at her Uncle Nico and mutter, “Nothing. How’s it going, man?” I put out my hand, shaking his.

  “Good.” He cracks his neck, taking a seat. “I was gonna call you tomorrow, but since we’re here, I figured we could talk now.”

  “What’s going on?”

  “I need some help on a case.”

  “Have you talked to Jax?” I ask, and he shakes his head then drops his voice.

  “Can’t have too many people in on this, and he doesn’t have the connection I need.”

  “What’s that?” I prompt, taking a pull from my beer then sitting back down.

  “The Broken Eagles,” he says.

  I growl, “Fuck no,” jerking my head back.

  His body moves closer to mine and his voice dips. “It’s one of their new recruits. I can’t go to Wes with this. He will lose his fucking mind and blow my case.”

  “Ask someone else.” I shake my head and pull my eyes from him. No way am I going to go behind the backs of men who have taken my back at every turn.

  “You know there’s no one else to ask,” he replies easily, and I let out a breath, because I know he’s right. “I can’t risk anyone knowing about this until I have a solid case, and in order to build that case, I need to keep this guy right where he is.”

  “You know you’re putting me in a really fucked-up spot with my brothers, right?” I clarify, and his eyes go to where June and her parents are standing.

  “Two of my nieces are involved with men connected to this guy. That shit doesn’t sit well with me.”

  “Who is it?”

  “Are you in or not?” he asks, and I close my eyes in frustration.

  “If shit starts to go south, I’m filling the brothers in, and we’ll handle if from the inside.”

  “I’m gonna ignore that statement,” he mutters, then grins a wicked-looking scary grin. “Told Asher my niece is safe with your crazy ass.” He sounds proud as he pats my shoulder.

  “Who is it?” I repeat, and his eyes hold mine.

  “Jordan.”

  “Why doesn’t that shit surprise me?” I mutter. I didn’t like the prick, even before he cornered June. There always seemed to be something off about him, something I noticed from the first moment he came into our circle, something I couldn’t put my finger on.

  “What’s he into?”

  “He’s connected with a club in Nashville, the Southern Stars. They have their fingers in just about everything—pussy, guns, drugs. You name it, they deal in it. From what I’ve found out so far, he was sent to town to look for a club to take over so they could expand their business.”

  “Jesus,” I hiss, feeling rage course through me. Unlike some of the other clubs in the area, the Broken Eagles are clean. They don’t deal in drugs, pussy, or guns, and would flip if they knew that shit was touching the club in any way.

  “We’ll meet after the weekend and discuss the details,” he says looking over my shoulder with a smile. I turn my head and watch June strut toward us.

  “Is everything okay?” she asks, looking between her uncle and me.

  Reaching out, I take
her hand, pulling her down into my lap, ignoring the tightness in her body. “It’s all good,” I assure her, giving her middle a squeeze.

  “We’re at my parents’ house,” she says, scolding me over her shoulder.

  “Yep,” I agree, kissing her shoulder.

  “Seriously, my—”

  “Relax.” I give her another squeeze and hold her gaze as her eyes narrow.

  “You’re so bossy,” she grumbles, relaxing back into me and making me grin.

  “I gotta head out,” Nico says, standing and clasping my shoulder. He leans over, kissing June’s head, and mutters, “Be good, kid,” before wandering off.

  “What was my dad saying?” she asks, tipping her head back to look at me once her uncle is gone.

  “Nothing.”

  “Hm,” she murmurs. “And my uncle, what did he say?”

  “Nothing, baby.”

  “So you’re not going to tell me?” she surmises, and I put my fingers to her chin, pulling her gaze to mine.

  “There’s nothing to tell. It’s all good.”

  Her eyes search my face before she nods once then leans back farther into me. A few minutes later, July and Wes come over, taking the seat Nico vacated, and not long after that, we call it a night and head home.

  *

  “Ev,” June whimpers, pushing her pussy into my mouth as I slide my hands up her thighs, holding her legs open.

  “Come for me, beautiful,” I growl, sliding my thumb inside of her. Her back arches off the bed and the heels of her feet press into my back as she comes loud. The white dress she wore to her parents’ had tormented me since the moment she walked out of the bedroom wearing it. On the way home, she didn’t help any when her hand wandered continuously over the bulge in my jeans. As soon as we pulled up to the house, I went around to her side of my truck, threw her over my shoulder, listening to her giggle herself stupid, and carried her into the house. Straight to the bedroom. I tossed her on the bed, dropped to my knees, and shoved my face between her legs to pay her back for teasing me by not letting her come. Until now.

  Before her, I could take or leave eating pussy. I didn’t enjoy it; it was just something I did to get my partner off. But I could spend hours drinking her in—the way her body writhes, the sounds she makes, her taste, everything about it is a turn-on.

  Giving her one last lick, I wipe my chin on her inner thigh then stand, pulling my shirt over my head and dropping it to the floor. I lose my boots and jeans, along with my boxers. Dragging her dress over her head, I climb between her thighs, keeping my gaze locked with hers. Her long legs wrap around my waist as my hand slides up to cup her left breast and my mouth lowers to cover her right. Cupping her breast with my hand, I pause, realizing she doesn’t have a nipple.

  “What the fuck?” I frown, pulling my face away from her chest, looking at some strange flesh-colored sticker covering her tip.

  “Oh, I totally forgot about those,” she whimpers, dipping her face down to look at me, her eyes dark with desire, her lips swollen, and her cheeks pinked, revealing just how turned on she is. “Just pull them off,” she hisses, pressing her hips into mine.

  “But what the fuck are they?” I repeat, taking the edge of the sticker and ripping it off like a Band-Aid. I regret it, though, when she cries out, covering her chest with her hand.

  “The other one now,” she says, and I look up, seeing her laugh. Doing the other one slowly, I take both stickers and attempt to flick them off my fingers, but it takes a few tries before they fly off, and by that time, her body is shaking uncontrollably under mine. “Oh, God.” She giggles. “You weren’t supposed to even see those.”

  “A little late for that,” I inform her, cupping her breast. Her laughter stops immediately and her back arches, pressing her breast into my hand. Moving my mouth over the other one, I lick her nipple, pull back, and blow a breath across the surface, watching it pucker.

  “No more teasing,” she moans, running her fingers through my hair.

  “No more teasing, baby,” I agree, pulling her nipple into my mouth while pinching the opposite one. Her hiss of breath has my already hard cock turning to stone. Licking up her neck, I wrap my arm around her waist and use my other arm to toss her leg behind my back, while sliding into her warm, tight, wet heat. There is nothing better than her. Gritting my teeth, I fight back the urge to come immediately, like I do every time I enter her.

  “Jesus Christ,” I grate out through clenched teeth, as her walls tighten. “Open your mouth.” Her eyes slide open and my fingers trace her lips before I dip my thumb into her mouth. Her lips close around it, her teeth press in, and her tongue flicks the tip, making my balls draw tight. “Release.” Her lips slide open and I push back to my knees, place my thumb against her clit, and circle slowly.

  “I thought you said no more teasing,” she pants, wrapping her legs around my hips, circling hers in sync with my thumb. Ignoring her comment, I roam my free hand up her belly, keeping my eyes locked on our connection and the wetness coating my cock every time I slide out. Fuck, but every part of her is seriously fucking beautiful. Cupping her breast, I tug her nipple, and her already tight walls tighten further. “Ev…I…” Her hands move to my chest, down my abs, and then her fingers span my cock sliding into her. “You feel so good,” she breathes, and my eyes move up her body to meet hers.

  “Let it go, beautiful,” I gently urge, and her teeth dig into her bottom lip as her legs tighten along with her pussy.

  Dropping forward, I grind my hips into her before losing myself deep inside her. Rolling to the side to keep my weight off her, I take her with me and listen to her breathing even out, while drifting my hand down the skin of her back.

  “I need to let Ninja out,” she says, sounding half-asleep, and I grin at the ceiling.

  “I’ll get him in a minute.”

  “I also need to clean up,” she mumbles, pressing her face into my chest.

  “I’ll also take care of that in a minute,” I reply, kissing the top of her head.

  “I also need to set the alarm,” she whispers, now sounding like she’s talking in her sleep.

  “I’ll take care of it, baby.”

  “I love you,” she mumbles, as her body goes limp against mine. My arm tightens around her instinctively as my lungs compress with the weight of those three words.

  “I love you too, beautiful,” I murmur, even though I know she can’t hear me in her sleep.

  Chapter 11

  June

  “I love you,” I say, looking at myself in the mirror. “I love you,” I repeat, watching my brows draw together. I can obviously say the words out loud, even though every time I’ve tried to say them to Evan, they get clogged in my throat. “What the hell is wrong with you?” I gain no answer from my reflection in return.

  Letting out a frustrated breath, I tug the rollers out of my hair and toss them carelessly into the sink. Over the last week, Evan has been saying I love you more and more, and every time he says it, I beg the words to come out, but they never, ever do. Just like a few minutes ago, he came up behind me to tell me he was leaving and kissed my shoulder, whispering, “I love you,” against my skin. I wanted to tell him, “I love you too,” but couldn’t. So instead, I stood there, like an idiot, looking at him while he smiled at me in the mirror.

  “You know he’s not leaving, so obviously, this is your issue now and not his anymore,” I reprimand myself, tugging off my towel, tossing it to the sink top, and then grabbing a new set of nipple covers, smiling at the memory of Evan finding them the last time I wore them, as I put them on. Once they’re stuck in place, I head into my closet and tug my little black dress off its hanger near the door. Slipping it on, I turn to look at myself in the mirror.

  The dress is one I bought months ago for nights like tonight—dinner and drinks with the girls. The top of the dress is black lace with a deep V and a matching deep V in the back. The bottom is a black, sheer fabric with a black underlay, hitting mid-thigh. If I ha
d boobs, I wouldn’t be able to wear this dress, because there is no way you can possibly hide a bra in it, but unlike normally, I’m thankful for my small chest.

  “Who were you talking to?”

  Squeaking, I turn around and place my hand to my chest, glaring at my sister December, who is standing in the doorway of the closet, wearing a black dress of her own. Hers is so tight, it shows off every one of her curves.

  “Don’t sneak up on me,” I snap. I completely forgot I wasn’t alone in the house.

  “I didn’t sneak up on you. I walked right in,” she says, putting her hands on her hips and studying me. “So, who are you talking to? Is your house haunted? Do you have a ghost you’re trying to convince of your love?”

  “Shut up,” I growl, grabbing my strappy, black suede heels from the shelf and stomping past her.

  “What’s going on?” April asks, and I groan.

  “Nothing is going on,” I tell her, wondering if the dress she has on should be worn in public. The strapless black dress leaves nothing to the imagination and is so short that I know if she bends over, everyone will be getting a show.

  “Uh… okay.” She frowns, moving her gaze from me to December, who shrugs.

  “I thought we had a reservation?” I remind them, as they look between each other.

  “We do,” July says, coming into the room, wearing a dress similar to mine, minus the deep V. “And Wes just pulled up and is waiting outside. Are you guys ready?” She looks between the three of us.

  “Yep, totally ready,” I lie. I don’t really want to go out tonight, but my sisters and cousins are in town and we’ve had this night planned for months, which means it’s girls’ night—whether I want it to be or not. “Where’s May?” I ask, slipping on my heels.

  “Waiting in the living room,” December says, watching me closely. Ignoring her, I move to the dresser, grab my perfume and spray it behind my ears.

  “Where was Evan going?” April questions, and my eyes move to hers in the mirror while I put in my earrings.