Rooster yawned so wide his jaw popped as he made his way along the backroads of Warren County. Glancing at the dashboard, he shook his head and rubbed his eyes as he saw the green numbers flash two AM. It had been a long fucking day, and he was going to have to get up and do it again tomorrow. In five hours to be exact.That was okay though; he didn't mind working hard for his family. Didn't mind how his knees ached from standing, how his head hurt from the loud noises of everyone talking around him, how his stomach clenched because he hadn't eaten dinner before he left. He would do it for Roni and Carter. He would kill himself with the hours he was keeping before he gave up and let them feel like he wasn't taking care of them.But Lord, he was tired. Tired as hell. One more week, he kept telling himself. One more week and Christmas would be over, the security gigs would be done and then things could go back to normal. Tightening his grip on the steering wheel, he tried to think ab
Roni realized pretty quickly that she'd made a big mistake accusing her husband the way she did. All the feelings she'd thought he was having were obviously all in her head and that made her feel awful. The only thing he'd been doing was going to work and making a better life for their family and all she'd done was dump on him for her feelings of being "abandoned". He hadn't wanted his old life back, he was working himself to the bone to provide for her and Carter and all she'd done is add to the heavy load he'd already shouldered for them."I'm sorry," she whispered again. There was no way he'd know exactly how sorry she was. Normally she wasn't quick to assume the worst when it came to him but she'd been looking for a fight, apparently feeling sorry for herself when she'd no call to at all."You're sorry?" he gave her a dark grin. "You're gonna have to come up with something a little more than you're sorry, Roni. This could all have been avoided if you would have just been up fro
"You should have told me you had a cop fantasy," Rooster teased as they lay in bed that morning. Both of them had called in sick to work and dropped Carter off at daycare so they could have the day to themselves. The first thing they'd done was come back and relax under their warm comforter.She snorted, rolling over so she could face him. "I wouldn't exactly call it a cop fantasy per se. It's just always been a fantasy of you losing that firm grip you always have on your control."He chose to ignore what she said, because nothing could ever change who he was, and how he conducted himself. He'd had to keep a firm grip on himself for most of his life to make it through what he'd been through."What time do we have to go get Carter?" he asked, as he glanced at the ceiling, seeing the time on their projection clock."About three, so we have a few hours," she told him, yawning. "I'm so tired. I don't know how you've been keeping this work schedule you've been doing.""I'm doing i
DREW & CHARITYCharity Walker did her best to stay awake as she sat in Christine Steele's salon chair getting her hair done. "If I start to doze, yank on me," she warned the older woman."Those babies keeping you up at night?" Christine smiled at her friend through the mirror.Charity nodded. "If Harley gets going she wakes up Justice or vice versa and then we're stuck there for hours. I think Drew is catching cat naps at work," she pursed her lips and wrinkled her forehead. "But every time I'm almost able to get one, I'm due in court."She sighed. She wouldn't give her children up for anything. Granted the twins had been a huge surprise when she and Drew found out they were expecting, but they'd been okay. The first few weeks things had been confusing and it had taken them a bit to get used to the needs of two newborns, but they'd done it like they did everything else, together. Now that the twins were older, she was hoping like hell they'd be able to start sleeping through wh
Drew Walker had never been so bored in his life. Business shindigs weren't his thing, but they meant a lot to Charity and her law firm. Here, he couldn't wear his cut, couldn't show most of the tattoos he had, and he had to pretend like he'd never done anything wrong.It all made him feel claustrophobic, but he'd do it for Charity. There wasn't really anyone here for him to speak with, no one here who pretended to be friendly with him, but that was okay. He was doing a great job holding up the bar. Especially after Steele and Christine had cut out an hour ago. He checked his watch and let his gaze roam the room for his wife.For the first time he noticed that the room they were in was nauseating in its Christmas cheer. It looked like a giant Christmas present. He and Charity had already done the exchanging of gifts, back in November. He had to smile, they'd never been good at hiding gifts from one another. Usually they flat out told each other what they were getting the other. It h
Drew got up and shimmied out of his pants and dress shirt. If Charity was getting ready to seduce him, he'd get ready to seduce her, too. Leaving his boxers on, he scooted up so he sat back against the headboard. Folding his hands behind his head, he leaned back … relaxing for the first time in ages.It felt like it had been years since he'd been able to fully let his guard down. All the time at home, he was listening for one of the girls to cry, waiting for the other shoe to drop. Whether it be a trip to the doctor, or to the twenty-four-hour grocery because they ran out of something.He yawned loudly, his jaw popping as he shook his head. Glancing at his watch, he saw Charity had been in the bathroom for going on twenty minutes. Women needed time to primp, even ones who always looked good, he rationalized. Yawning again, he contemplated shutting his eyes for just a few minutes. He was so damn tired, and it wouldn't be awful if he did. He'd wake up as soon as he heard the bathroom
Charity was so fucking tight on his finger he was afraid he was going to come before he even got his cock near her. She was so ripe for this, so ready, and he wanted to be the one to give it to her. He could feel the way her body was strung tight like a bow.He was the same way, if truth be told. He wanted to make her scream, wanted to make her hoarse and he wanted to hear it. He didn't want her having to hold anything in fear of waking someone up in their household. It was one of the major things he'd been missing since they'd become parents. Their lives hadn't revolved around this and they'd had to learn other ways to connect but it was a huge part of their relationship. While he loved her and it didn't matter to him how he connected with her, he was honest enough to admit that he'd missed this.Without thinking about it, he was shoving himself against the mattress, grinding against the cool sheets. God, it felt good to grind his hot cock against them, and to have his mouth on he
REMY & TATUM"Do you wanna go shorter?"Tatum Walker watched as Christine Steele lifted up the ends of her dark hair, trying to envision what Christine wanted to do. Try as she might, she couldn't picture it. How would it make her look? Would it make her more grown up, more desirable? Change didn't frighten her, but other people's reactions to changes – especially ones she made – sometimes did. It was always important to weigh the pros and cons. Her dad had taught her that lesson."How short are we talkin'? I've had long hair for most of my life, I'm not sure I'd know what to do with shorter hair. How to style it or anything."Christine sighed and turned the chair Tatum sat in so that they faced one another. Staring her down until Tatum's eyes met hers, she gave her a pat on the hand and talked to her woman-to-woman. "The reason you're here to get your hair done a week before the club Christmas Party isn't because you just finally had the time to do it, am I right? This isn't s
The temperature in the cab of the truck was downright frigid as Remy drove to Tyler's house to drop off Addie first. Tatum refused to meet his gaze and that flat out pissed him off. If she was going to give herself to another man and then have the balls to sit in front of him like this, she should at least have the decency to meet his eyes when he looked at her."Am I going to have to explain to Tyler why I'm dropping you off at one in the fucking morning?" Remy glanced in the review mirror of the truck, looking back to where Addie sat in the extended cab."No," she shook her head, looking about as tired and unhappy as he felt. "He's at the clubhouse. He and Mom had planned to stay and they took Caelin with them."Well, thank God for small favors, because the one person besides Liam he didn't want to face off with tonight, was Tyler."You're lucky I don't call him and tell him where the hell you've been. How could you let her go up there with him?" he questioned her, the irrita
Tatum's heart beat through her chest as she followed Gavin upstairs to a much quieter part of the house. Her mouth was dry – the result of her nerves, or the alcohol she'd consumed – she wasn't sure which. Her hand gripped Gavin's tightly, but she knew it wasn't because she was excited, it was because she wanted to yank on it, and stop him from leading her into the empty bedroom. Part of her wanted to put a stop to it, the other part wanted to go through with this so she could throw it in Remy's face. Those stubborn traits she'd inherited from her dad were alive and well tonight.She glanced over her shoulder, spotting Addie pulling out her phone and making a call. The worried look on her friend's face told her all she needed to know. Addie was probably calling in reinforcements and her time had suddenly become very limited."You feelin' good?" his deep voice questioned in her ear, causing her hair to stand up and goosebumps to appear on her arms. This time it was different than wh
Remy was in a piss-poor mood, had been since the night of the Christmas party and everything that had gone down with Tatum. He bit off the head of anyone foolish enough to ask if he was okay. He'd been eating lunch by himself, and overall had been a miserable fucking loner. Even right now, while everyone else was partying their asses off, his big date was being in the gym and beating the ever-loving shit out of a heavy bag. It was the only thing that seemed to calm him the last few days.Hearing his fists connect with the bag felt good, even if it was muted by the gloves he wore. His arms burned, his shoulders and back ached, his chest heaved, and sweat poured down his forehead and into his eyes; making them sting. The sting felt good though, because it distracted him from the guilt he felt for the way he'd treated Tatum. And that guilt was pressing down on him like he was trapped under a thousand-pound boulder.He'd felt every emotion on the spectrum since she'd walked out on him
Tatum's blue eyes took in the party-goers around her. In different parts of the room, she could see members of her graduating class, some kids that were now seniors, and a few college kids. God, this had never been her thing, she'd never found high school or college parties worth anything to her. She could see everything that went on at them and more, at the club parties. Plus, this was a mob mentality – everyone here went along with everyone else, and it was so boring. Nobody had any individuality. Normally, she'd have tossed the invitation in the trash can and not even thought twice about it. She would have spent the night at the club's New Year's party and have an actual good time with her friends and family.Tonight though, she was on a mission."Do you see anybody?" Addie asked as they surveyed the room.Tatum took a drink from the bottle of Strawberry Boone's Farm she carried in her hand. It was the bottom shelf stuff, guaranteed to get you loaded in the least amount of tim
Tatum had never felt anything like the all-consuming lust that blasted through her as soon as Remy grabbed her hip and pulled her deep into his body. She'd thought she had but damn, she was wrong. Her fingers grasped at his shirt, trying to ground herself in the feelings, when she felt his bare palms slip up under the hem of her dress. The sharp intake of breath, and the way he nipped at her lip indicated he'd discovered she'd worn a thong."Fuck, Tate," he moaned as he pulled his lips from hers.She almost cried as he abandoned her lips and smeared his mouth down her neck. She felt the sharp nip of his teeth down to the core of her body. It caused her nipples to tighten further against the lace of strapless bra, and before she knew what she was doing, she was rubbing up against him."Please, Rem," she gasped out when she felt one of his hands on her ass venture back over her hip, and closer to the wetness and heat she felt between her thighs."Has anybody touched you?" he grow
He knew the second she walked in, just like he'd known when she'd entered the bakery. Even seven shots of Pappy in, he could feel her, he knew she was there by the way the hair on the back of his neck stood up, the goosebumps he got on his arms and the way his dick stirred to attention. He wasn't sure what kind of hold Tatum Walker held over him, but it was strong, maybe dangerously so, like some sort of Jedi Mind Trick he'd never be able to resist. And dammit if his hand didn't shake as he took his next shot."Too much for you?" Drew asked as he noticed the slight tremble of the other man's hand.How did he tell the man sitting beside him, he was hard up for his little sister? Easy. He didn't."Nah, I'm good, but I gotta hit the head. Be back."Plan number two when plan number one didn't work? Run and hope she wouldn't follow. As much alcohol as he had consumed, he wasn't sure he could push her away this time. After all, he was only a man and he wasn't immune to the way she lo
He should have brought a date. Those were the first words Remy thought when he walked through the door of the clubhouse. It hit him like a ton of bricks, and all he wanted to do was turn around and head back to Cash and Harper's. Normally, he lived at the clubhouse, but he'd had dinner at their place tonight. He could relieve the babysitter watching Maddy, and he wouldn't have to worry about keeping his guard up.Couples were paired off, which meant anyone without a plus one would be inevitably thrown together. Looking up, he saw mistletoe was hung randomly around the room. Shit. Since he was the youngest, he seemed to be one of the few without a woman on his arm. Sure as the world turned, he'd find himself thrown toward someone tonight.Gazing around the room, he didn't see Tatum and for that he was extremely thankful. He'd been able to avoid her since the day at Harper's bakery, but it'd hadn't been easy. Not that she'd gone out of her way to be around him but they were in the sa
Remy told himself to slow down as he grasped her neck, hauling Tatum closer to him. He cautioned his lust-drunk body not to make a fool of itself. He warned his libido not to let this go too far. They were in the middle of the bakery, in the middle of downtown. Anyone could walk through that door from some dumbass off the street, to her brother, to her dad. But he couldn't stop, couldn't force his hand not to trail down her body and grasp her tight ass in his fingers. He wanted desperately to pull her lower half into his, wanted to shove his thigh between her legs and feel the heat he knew would be there. His tongue was forceful as it made its way into her mouth, testing how far she'd let him go.Turned out she'd let him go as far as he wanted to.His brain tried to warn him that this was progressing too quickly. It was getting too out of control, too fast. If he didn't watch it, he'd be picking her up and putting her ass first against the nearest wall. He was losing his mind, losi
Son of a bitch. Something in the way Tatum's gaze met his made him think he'd said those words loud enough she could hear them. But fuck, she looked amazing. Even more than she usually did. Tatum had been gorgeous for a long time, but with her hair in this new cut, she looked sexy, and almost… sophisticated. But this was Tatum. She'd never fully be a lady, not really. She didn't do dresses unless she had to, she didn't do caked on makeup, and she could hang with the guys – no matter how raunchy it got."Do you like it?" She asked again, this time looking much more unsure than when she'd started out. Very slowly, she ran her fingers through her hair, giving it a tousle.Remy cleared his throat, not sure how honest he wanted to be, but at the same time knowing he couldn't help but be honest. If he lied to her, she would know, and it would do nothing to help the situation they seemed to always find themselves in. The two of them always seemed to be either pushing or pulling at each ot