LisaLisa waved over her shoulder toward Fredrick before walking slowly up the dilapidated steps of Ms. Martin's house. Marc's truck wasn't in the driveway, which was a good sign. Disappointment tried to rear its ugly head, but she shoved it back.He wanted to be overtly dominant and try to teach her, HER, a lesson... he could find someone else to fuck with.She reached up and knocked on the front door, a bit of white paint chipping off to land on the ground before her. How Kari's mom didn't make more money as a nurse was shocking. The cost of living in New York was outrageous, but the condition of her house plus the location was disturbing. The door opened and an older version of Kari reached out to pull Lisa into a hug."There you are. Marc texted this morning that he wasn't sure you were coming over.""I wasn't sure I was either, but Kari wanted you to have these." Lisa lifted the small bag as Ms. Martin squealed with excitement and moved back into the house."Well, you're here now
Lisa"No, no need to apologize. It was my fault. You were in the right." Lisa moved into the living area.Marc turned to face her, his eyebrow lifting.The tight black leather jacket that rested over his white t-shirt caught her attention first. Surely he didn't. He extended a large red bag toward her."I got you something." He didn't seem at all like himself. It looked as if life had pulled the plug on his joy and forced him to watch it die."I don't need anything. I have everything I want back home." She shrugged and moved past him to sit down at the table. "Ms. Martin, do you need help with lunch?""Hmmm? Oh no. Just take a load off. We'll eat in about twenty minutes. What time is your flight?""It's at five today." Lisa shrugged, not sure what time the flight was. Trisha had yet to get back to her, but she would spend the night at the airport if it meant running hard and fast from her feelings."Five? I thought you were staying until tomorrow." Marc moved into her line of sight, s
Marc"I just can't believe she left. I'm seriously in shock." Marc turned to Drayer, his best friend for the last twelve years. There isn't much the two of them hadn't been through together."I'm shocked as fuck that you care. Since when does Marc Martin care about one girl?" Drayer laughed and leaned back in his chair, his eyebrow lifting as he almost lost his balance.Marc reached out and steadied the chair before his friend busted his butt in the middle of the pub they inhabited every Monday afternoon for happy hour. It was a ritual to get there an hour before the rest of the frat house and just chill together. Summer school wasn't part of the plan that year, but failing Trigonometry put a spin on those plans fast."I know. That's the part I can't seem to get past. Why her?""Is she hot?""Wicked hot. I don't think I've seen a woman turn more heads, but it's not just about how good she looks. She oozes confidence and authority. Lisa has this fiery red hair that feels like silk unde
MarcThe bartender scoffed and Marc laughed, turning to walk back to the table. His basketball scholarship at NYU was the only reason he was still there. The big city life offered a lot, but he was growing weary of it more and more. He looked at Drayer as he approached and motioned toward the bar."The hot blond has your beer. Go get her.""The blond or the beer?" his friend asked as he stood."Both?" Marc chuckled and set the beers down before taking his seat. Some of the guys in the fraternity were on the team, but most of them were focused on academics. He had no choice but to remain focused, but it was getting harder and harder. He had decided to forgo med school, but the bachelors and masters in biology were still on the table. Teaching would be a good first career."Marc Martin... NYC's most eligible bachelor." The pretty brunette nibbled at her lip after speaking to him, her arm wrapped around another girl’s waist. They both stared as if waiting for greatness. It wasn't happeni
MarcMarc sat in his truck on the side of his mom's small house, the world not making much sense all of a sudden. He didn't want to go back to campus, too many people to answer to. Staying at his mom's was the only other choice. He hadn't left the bar more than five minutes before he realized he couldn't sleep with the girls. No way. The image of Lisa sitting on his lap, his hands all over her, the smell of her... the fucking smell was so good, it drove him mad.He growled loudly and hit his hands on the steering wheel. He had to text Drayer to get him with some emergency bullshit to get him out of the situation. It was a code blueberry. The word was fucking stupid and it caused his lip to lift even as anger rolled over him in waves. Since junior high if one of them needed pulling out of a sinking ship of any kind all they had to do was give the 'code blueberry' to the other and the shit was on.He hadn't wanted to do it, and Drayer would give him loads of crap over it, but Marc had n
MarcMarc picked up his phone as his mother called out to him to call Kari again."Fine. I'm calling." He dialed his sister's number, Kari picking up a few rings later."I thought you might not call." Her voice was soft like he had woken her."I can talk to you tomorrow, sis. I'm sorry I woke you.""No. It's good. I told momma to tell you to call. I just wasn't sure if you would.""Well, she's got a GUN to my head." Marc yelled parts of his response, his mother grumbling from the other room as he laughed."How are you?""I'm great. Fucked two girls at once tonight, both pretty and totally into me.""Liar.""Yeah, well that was the plan." He felt his mood souring. It never took more than a few minutes with his sister for the real him to come bouncing out. She was his closest companion, his very best friend. They had been through too much shit not to give her every bit of who he was, painful or not."And?""And I didn't have a condom." He smiled at the sound of his mom's gasp. He covere
LisaMonday came and went. Lisa couldn't seem to motivate herself to leave the house. She called Trisha to let her know that she was sick with food poisoning and would be back in on Tuesday. Her wonderful secretary took care of canceling everything. Lisa spent the day on the couch staring blankly at the TV or in her bed, rolling around in an effort to sleep her existence away.Leaving New York early was a good idea. She needed to get back to Maine, back to a life that made sense and didn't leave her drowning in the hormonal responses of a college-aged boy. Marc was too young. Plain and simple. He had the body of a god and could fuck like nobody's business, but so could plenty of other, older men. She needed to see Michael. To take out her frustrations on him and bleed her desires out over a long night."But he's gone too." Lisa growled loudly, reaching over and smashing a pillow to her face. She had been up all night, trying to figure out why Marc played along the recess of her though
LisaGetting to the office a few hours later helped. The familiar environment and her things just brought her emotions back down and pulled them into check. She was strong and sexy, a lion on the prowl in all things business as well as sex. She couldn't let some silly college boy take her attention and leave her needy. How pathetic..."You're back!" Trisha stood up from her desk, walking around and pulling Lisa into a hug as a loud cow bell resounded from on top of the door. Lisa gave the older woman a quick hug back and looked over her shoulder to locate the source of the noise."What in the world is that?" Lisa laughed, turning her attention back to Trisha."It's a bell so you can hear when someone comes in." Trisha shrugged. "We need something. It's creepy when I go to the back and return to find someone hovering over my desk, or worse, following me down the hall!"Lisa set her stuff down and moved to the door, reaching up and taking the bell down. "I understand, but this is going
Drake"You sure you don't mind stopping by my momma's house real quick? I just want to give everyone a hug before we head back to Maine." She leaned over and puckered up, looking too cute for her own damn good."I don't mind at all, plus, we're already here." He kissed her. "Tease.""You don't have to come in." She kissed him once more and got out of the truck, jogging toward the door. Her white coat fit her well, her jeans beautiful on her pert little butt.He smiled, letting his thoughts dive into the night they would have when they got back to his place.A knock right beside his head on the window had him stifling the need to jump. He turned to find Johnny standing out in the snow.Drake rolled down his window and nodded. "What's up, man?""I was thinking about what you said the other day about loving my sister." He glanced around, obviously uncomfortable. "I can't do anything about who she falls in love with, and I know I don't need to do the 'kick your ass if you hurt her' spiel,
Drake"You sure you don't mind stopping by my momma's house real quick? I just want to give everyone a hug before we head back to Maine." She leaned over and puckered up, looking too cute for her own damn good."I don't mind at all, plus, we're already here." He kissed her. "Tease.""You don't have to come in." She kissed him once more and got out of the truck, jogging toward the door. Her white coat fit her well, her jeans beautiful on her pert little butt.He smiled, letting his thoughts dive into the night they would have when they got back to his place.A knock right beside his head on the window had him stifling the need to jump. He turned to find Johnny standing out in the snow.Drake rolled down his window and nodded. "What's up, man?""I was thinking about what you said the other day about loving my sister." He glanced around, obviously uncomfortable. "I can't do anything about who she falls in love with, and I know I don't need to do the 'kick your ass if you hurt her' spiel,
DrakeDrake woke up the next morning before Sicily, realizing it was Christmas and he had everything he needed. He rolled onto his side and reached out, brushing his hand down her back as gratefulness washed over him in suffocating waves.D and Michael Carrington had gone to great lengths to help him restart his life. They'd helped fake his death in a warehouse explosion, put on the funeral and D had played the part beautifully through the event. It was horrifying to think he let his brother go through that shit, but D wouldn't have had it any other way.Drake rolled out of bed, his heart aching in his chest. He'd been wrong the night before. He and Sicily couldn't just look away from D and Izzy's bullshit situation. Where he wasn't sure he could get involved in the syndicate again, he could browbeat his brother into being a man and taking Izzy as his woman. There was no other girl for Demetri.After ordering a huge Christmas morning breakfast, Drake wrapped up in an extra blanket, sl
Sicily"That was fun tonight." Sicily squeezed Drake's hand as they walked toward Kadia in downtown New York. The sign lit up the night, taking attention from anyone who passed by. It was magnificent, the largest club she'd seen."Yeah. I had a good time," he glanced down at her, "and I was serious about what I said. We can go back and join your family after we spend a little bit of time with D and Izzy. I doubt they’re staying long. We just wanted to see each other, and it's safer if we do it in the middle of a large crowd."The line was wrapped around the building, people huddling together and singing Christmas songs with all sorts of odd costumes for the event that night. Sicily smiled and snuggled closer to Drake as they walked to the front of the line."The line is back there, man. Go get in it." A sexy bouncer with a great smile and beautiful aqua-colored eyes barked at them. She let her eyes move down to his name tag, wondering who he was for some reason. Had she seem him befor
DrakeDrake let his eyes run across Sicily as she stood in front of the mirror in the hotel bedroom and turned slowly, checking herself out."You look amazing."She walked toward him as he fiddled with his tie, taking over and working on it for him."My brothers never could get a tie on right. The last time I did this for someone, it was at Momma’s funeral." Her hands shook a little. "I did it multiple times that day."He reached up and ran his hands over her hips, enjoying the soft silky black material of her dress. "I'm really good at it. I just wanted you closer."She laughed as a tear ran down her nose. "I'm sorry.""Don't be sorry." He stood and pulled her into a hug, kissing the top of her head as he brushed her hair back. "You can be sensitive over your mom anytime you want, for as long as you want. I'm right here to hold you up."She nodded and pressed her face to his chest. "I just have so many memories of Christmas Eve with her. My chest hurts so bad it feels like acid is ea
Sicily"What did you do while I was shopping?" Sicily stood beside Drake later that afternoon as he loaded up the truck with her packages."I was taking a nap honestly." He put the last of them in the truck and gave her a look. "What in the world did you get?""Presents for all of our friends and something for you." She shrugged and walked around the truck, getting in on her side.He got in and buckled up as the scent of his cologne filled her nose. She breathed in deeper and let out an appreciative growl.Drake chuckled. "What was that for?""You smell good.""Stop diverting. You shouldn't have gotten all those gifts, baby.""Why not? We didn't fly. We'll just put them all in the back seat when we go back home, right?""It's not about where to put them on the ride home, Sis. It's about you spending your hard-earned money on gifts for us. We don't need anything, at least I don't. I have you, baby. That's more than enough." He pulled out his wallet. "Let me give you some money so you c
Sicily"You sure you don't want to come with me?" Sicily forced a pout on her face. She knew without a doubt that Drake would do anything she wanted him to, but shopping was too much. Having some time with her brother and sister for the afternoon would be fun for her, but most likely a drag of sorts. Especially seeing that the brother going was Johnny."I’m sure, beautiful girl." He pulled up to her mother's house. "I'll catch up with you this afternoon.""Will you take me out to see my momma’s grave before we have to get ready for dinner and church?" She leaned over and touched the side of his handsome face. Butterflies danced in her stomach, which seemed silly, but she hoped that he would always have such a strong pull on her."Of course I will." He leaned in and kissed her softly before deepening it a little. She opened herself up, letting him in as he rolled his tongue past her, dominating the kiss in a way that made her blood boil."Behave." She pulled back and smiled."You're th
DrakeThe night was filled with him and Sicily taking turns to explore each other. By the end of it, he was weak, exhausted and completely infatuated with the beautiful woman tucked against him. Not ever being able to sleep well, he was shocked when he woke the next morning to the smell of bacon and the sound of Sicily talking.He jolted up in the bed, worried that he had missed something. "Baby?""Right here." She opened the various trays sitting on the counter by the TV. "I ordered room service because I didn't want to get dressed yet. Besides, it's snowing like crazy out there."He dropped back down and ran his hand over his chest, watching her as she moved around in a large fluffy white robe. She looked adorable. Sexy."Mine," he grumbled and pulled the covers up. "You know that? You're mine.""I know, you gorilla. You made that more than obvious last night." She nibbled on a piece of bacon and walked over to sit down on the edge of the bed. "You want some?""Of course I do." He r
Sicily"Wow. This place is...""Fancy?" Drake asked as he pulled out her chair. "I heard they have the best steaks in New York.""Something tells me that you're probably right." Sicily sat down, feeling way underdressed for the steakhouse Drake had brought her to. He had on a sports coat over his jeans and white polo, and looked like a million bucks. The best thing in her suitcase was a plain white skirt and a blue sweater with winter boots. She felt cute, but that didn't seem like enough."Evening, folks. Glad to have you in the city and here with us tonight for dinner. May I make some suggestions?" The server wore a white pressed shirt, black slacks and a tux jacket.Sicily sat quietly as Drake encouraged the guy to give his spiel. Once he was done, Drake ordered their drinks and an appetizer. He moved his seat closer to hers and draped his arm over the back of her chair. "You look amazing.""You're just being sweet." She smiled and worked to get her napkin in her lap, not wanting t