Bad Boy's Lust (Firemen in Love Book 1) (3 page)

“You're hurt.”

I didn't like to be babied. But I
did
like how soft her fingers felt against my own rough skin.

“I'm fine. I got bigger problems right now.”

She pulled a packet of tissues from her pocket and dabbed the wound with one. I slowed my pace for a moment, allowing her to fuss over me and put pressure on the cut.

That wasn't the
only
thing she could put pressure on. My dick tented the cloth of my shorts, and there was no way she couldn't tell. I caught her staring at me on the couch upstairs. Had she ever taken a cock as big as mine?

What would it be like to have her naked in my bed? I imagined it in
very
explicit detail.

Okay, enough perverted thoughts. Had to focus here.

As we neared the main entrance, Elle's phone buzzed again, this time with a text message.

“It's from the emergency line.” She frowned. “Unit 219. Something about the shower being broken.”

“How's that an emergency? Have Stan deal with it.”

She frowned harder. “He quit. We're the only ones left.”

“Oh.”

“I'll go check it out – but promise not to cause a scene if I leave you alone.”

I was a lot of nasty things, but usually not a liar. I couldn't promise anything when it came to dad, though, given what a royal dick he was to me.

But to make her happy, and so she wouldn't worry so damn much, I told her I'd be good.

I watched her cute little ass jiggle as she ran toward the stairs. If anything could calm me down right now, it'd be getting a piece of
that.

Dad was waiting for me in the lobby, just like Heather said. She was hiding behind her computer, a look of total panic on her face until she spotted me. Then, relief. She knew I'd take care of this.

Dad hummed to himself and flipped through a magazine, then brushed some imaginary lint from the arm of his fancy suit.

Pompous piece of...

“Ah, son. There you are.”

He stuck out his hand for me to shake. I ignored it. He kept right on smiling.

“What are you doing here? Thought you'd be busy greasing palms and rubbing elbows with the upper class these days.”

He chuckled and ran his fingers through thinning hair. I felt like socking him in the jaw. But I made a promise to Elle – and for some odd reason, I didn't want to let her down. Not this time.

“What's wrong? Can't a father enjoy spending some quality time with his boy?”

“We haven't had 'quality time' since I was in elementary school.”

He waved off the remark. “Nonsense. I dropped by to see how your little project was coming along.”

I gritted my teeth. My face got all hot, like it always did before I lost control and let my rage out to destroy whoever dared to stupidly provoke it.

Heather noticed. She mouthed the words silently to me. “Calm down,” she said.

Yeah, that's what Elle told me too. Dad was lucky I gave a damn what they thought, or else he'd have a bloody nose and a couple missing teeth right about now.

“My... little project?”

He nodded. “You know, I was angry at first when Debbie handed over the property to you two. After all, it's not as if you're her
real
child – and I did take such good care of her over the years.”

“If I were you, I'd watch what you say from here on out.”

With a laugh meant to mock me, he threw the magazine down. It slid off the table and onto the floor. He didn't bother to pick it up.

“It's all right, though. From the way things are looking, you're losing occupants, not gaining them. Tell me, how many do you have these days?”

“That is none of your business.”

He paced around me like a shark searching for weakness. Well, I had news for him. He wasn't gonna find any.

“The occupancy rate isn't the only thing you have to worry about. Remember, the will had a few other stipulations you're to abide by, or Shady Acres and the land become mine.”

What stipulations? I hadn't really been paying attention at the will reading. Could anyone blame me? The only woman who really loved me, who cared for me after my own mother abandoned me when I was a little boy, had just
died
less than a week prior.

Only I never told her how I felt about her. Always bottled up my feelings. Never called her “mom.” Never said I loved her back.

Elle was right. I
was
an asshole.

“I'm guessing that stupefied look means you've no clue what I'm talking about.” He patted my shoulder. “I suggest you get your head in the game, son, or you'll end up losing it soon enough.”

“Is that a threat?” I paced toward him, ready to swing.

He held up his hands. “Just a friendly warning from one businessman to another.”

He was no businessman; he was a scam artist. I
knew
he was always up to no good. Just couldn't put my finger on why or how.

Dad pulled a packet of papers out of the folder he'd set on the table. He scanned the words, then thrust the sheet in my face.

“Line 49: Occupancy must continue to rise or hold steady each month until August 31
st
, 2016. If during any month Shady Acres loses more than five percent of its total residents, ownership will revert automatically to David Reinhard.”

I threw the papers back at him. “What the hell is this? Debbie would never have put this in her will. The whole 80 percent thing is bullshit enough as it is.”

He grinned even wider. If Heather hadn't been watching me, I would have taken him to the ground and wiped that stupid smile off his face.

“So tell me again how it's 'not my business.'”

Heather furiously typed on her keyboard. She looked like she was gonna puke. Then, after a few more clicks and keystrokes, her mood brightened.

“Only six people moved out this month. Our total occupancy currently stands at 349.”

I never was good at math, but even
I
knew that was way less than five percent. Now it was my turn to gloat.

“You happy now? Piss off and don't come back here again.”

He didn't seem fazed in the least. “This month, son. But next month will be here soon enough. It's just a matter of time before these people get fed up with your God-awful management and leave for greener pastures.”

I picked up the sheet and read it over myself, just to be sure he wasn't lying to me. He'd done plenty of truth-bending over the years; never could trust the old man.

But he was right. How? Why? This wasn't like Debbie at all. She wouldn't have given us the property just to set us up for failure.

Something more was behind this. This whole thing stunk of dad's scheming and manipulation. Too bad my head was so clouded with fury that I hadn't a prayer of figuring it out.

“Are you done yet? I said
get out.
”

“Actually, no. I'm not.” He snatched the papers and leafed through, humming that annoying song again. “I have one more thing for you here. Brace yourself; it's going to be quite the surprise.”

My stomach churned as I waited for his “surprise.” My dad wasn't like other fathers. His surprises didn't involve love or caring. Everything he did, he did it for himself.

“Ah, here it is. This is it, my trump card.”

He handed me the paper and pointed to the highlighted line. As I read, he recited it aloud.

“Regardless of occupancy status, final ownership of Shady Acres depends on the marital status of Jayce C. Reinhard.”

Marital...?

“If Jayce has not married by the end of this term, ownership is transferred to David Reinhard.”

Me, married?

“
What the fuck?”

Heather and I screamed it at the same time. Well, maybe she used less profanity – or maybe not. She looked as sick as I felt.

“Language, son. How can you expect a good woman to marry you with a mouth like that?”

“This is complete and total bullshit. Why wasn't I made aware of this
months
ago? Why now?” I crumpled the papers up and threw the lot in the wastebasket. “You're making it up. That's just like you.”

“Ah, good. You've made things so much easier, then. Shall I have my lawyer send over the paperwork?”

This couldn't be happening. He couldn't force me to get married! Could he? Why would Debbie's will say this? Was it her idea? His?

I was so confused. It didn't help that my head still throbbed from drinking too much the night before.

“This must be a mistake. A typo or something.” Heather, luckily, came to bat for me. “Jayce can't get married. I mean, look at him.”

I scoffed. “Gee, thanks,
sis.
”

Our parents had never married, so she wasn't technically my sister, and she claimed to hate it when I called her that. Even though she rolled her eyes now, I knew better.

We had always been a family – me, her, and Debbie. Elle, too. If not for them, my world would have been a hell of a lot darker.

And now, Debbie was trying to make me start a family of my own. Well, guess what? Even if this
was
her will, it wasn't happening.

“I promise you it's no mistake. I was with your mother when she made her final testament.” He pulled the wrinkled papers out of the bin. “She was quite sick of you whoring yourself around to any girl who'd accept. Wanted you to grow up for once.”

“No. She'd never force me to do anything I didn't want to. This whole thing has you written all over it.”

“I'll be honest. When she came up with the idea, I thought it a great plan. After all, I knew you would never find a woman willing to accept your sorry self. Which means no matter what you do to this apartment, you're done for – unless you get yourself a wife.”

Knew I shouldn't have promised Elle I wouldn't cause a scene. Hey, I didn't actually start anything. My father was the one who did that; I was only going to finish it. Real men didn't just let shit like this go without a fight.

“Get out, or you'll be leaving here in an ambulance.”

He laughed at me. That cocky ass was
laughing
at me! I charged at him, ready to throw the first punch. Not even Heather screaming could stop me now.

“Uh, is everything okay here?”

Shit. Some dude had come in through the front door and I hadn't even noticed. I pulled my fist back and stuffed it in my pocket. Dad sneered at me.

“Everything's fine,” I growled.

Heather shoved me out of the way to greet the man. “Welcome to Shady Acres. How can I help you today?”

I was about to take dad outside and finish what we'd started, but then my phone came to life with a text. Elle?

“HELP! Water everywhere, hurry!”

Elle needed me. That mattered more to me than this dipshit.

“I suppose that means we're done here.” Dad turned for the exit. “Don't forget, son. I'll be checking in on your progress monthly. And if I were you, I'd start looking for a bride today. Lord knows it'll be a long time before anyone wants you.”

His words echoed in my brain as I took the stairs three at a time. Nobody wants me? Yeah, right. The girls who came home with me every other night said otherwise.

I quickly forgot about it when I reached unit 219. The door was open, and two women shouted over the sound of rushing water. What was going on in there? Sounded like a waterfall.

Squish.

Frigid wetness soaked into my sneaker and through my sock. I dared to look down.

The entire living room was filled with six inches of water. More was gushing from the bathroom, where the screaming ladies were freaking out like somebody had died.

“Oh my God, Lord Jesus, help us...”

Someone
hadn't
died, had they?

“Elle, you in there?”

She emerged from the bathroom, completely drenched as if she'd jumped into the pool with her clothes on. Her hair was a wreck; what little makeup she wore streamed down her face in black and green rivulets.

Her chest was... Oh, god.

She wasn't wearing a bra. Her nipples, pert and dime-sized, lifted the thin cloth of her soaked shirt.

Fuck me, it was beautiful. Blood rushed to my cock so fast that I nearly fainted face-first into the rising water.

“Jayce? What the heck is wrong with you? We need
help!
”

Should I tell her? No, no. Don't do that. Then she'd cover her pretty breasts up and that, for sure, would be an absolute sin.

“Jayce!”

The other woman's screeching snapped me out of my lust-fueled trance. I knew her; it was Fran Benson, a lady old enough to be my grandma who wore a nightgown everywhere she went.

“It's ruined! Everything is ruined,” Fran howled. She hurried to scoop up her belongings out of the water. A little dog stood on the couch, yapping its head off.