The UN Series Complete Box Set (78 page)

“Because you’re starting to collect cars like you do shoes.” I smile over at him.

He goes to speak but my phone rings. “Hello?”

“Hey, Samantha. I have a buyer for the house,” my realtor says happily.

“What? Did you even put it on the market yet?”

“What can I say? I’m good like that,” she laughs out. “They didn’t even try to chisel you down. They will pay asking price.”

“Okay. They can have it.” We say our goodbyes and I disconnect the call. “Someone just bought my father’s house.” I say somewhat confused. I figured it would take months.

“You put it up for sale?” he asks, as he raises an eyebrow.

“Yeah.” I forgot he doesn’t know what all I was doing while in Oklahoma. “That’s what I went to Tulsa for. I had to let go of what was left of my past.”

“And how does that make you feel?” Slade asks, running a hand down my arm.

I look over to him. “Relieved,” I answer with a small smile on my face.

*****

It’s been two weeks since someone attacked me outside of Larry’s.

I still constantly look over my shoulder wherever I go, but I haven’t had much time to think of how well things have been going. I have been too busy trying to plan a surprise birthday party for Slade. I never thought it would be so hard. He is always by my side. He even invites me to visit him at the firm while he’s working. I find myself filing papers or talking Rose’s ear off. Slade loves it, and keeps dropping hints about hiring me. I keep declining them with a smile. I
will
say that office sex is pretty awesome, though.

Slade had some work to do at the office this morning so Tate came over to visit. Our new bedroom furniture is finally being delivered today. They had some problems with the order, so it took longer than expected to get it all straightened out. Slade said he wanted Tate present while the delivery guys were at our house.

Once I had made us lunch and put the sheets on the new bed, Missy called me and said she needed a girls’ night tonight. I think she is having problems trying to get Tate as close as she wants him. I can understand that, so I called up the ladies.

“The girls and I are going out tonight,” I announce as Slade joins me in the shower. He just got home about twenty minutes ago and I have a feeling he is not going to want me to go out.

He rubs the back of his neck as he releases a long breath.

“What?” I ask walking over to him.

“I don’t know how I feel about you going out without me,” he replies honestly.

“Don’t trust me?” I arch an eyebrow.

He backs me up against the wall and I gasp as the cold tile touches my skin. “Honestly, it’s everyone else I don’t trust, those men watching you dance.” I bite my bottom lip to hide my smile. I’m not going to tell him that we are just going to the movies. I’ll let him sweat it for a while. “Men having their eyes on these.” He brings his hands up and grabs my breasts possessively. I arch my back. “Men watching you move your hips to the music.” His hands slide down my waist and to my hips. “Fuck,” he growls lowering his face close to mine. “I loved watching you dance that night I dragged you out of Larry’s.”

“What?” I question, somewhat breathless.

“You had caught me fair and square.” He chuckles. “I sat there and watched you dance.” He lifts one hand and runs it up the base of my neck. He grabs my hair and pulls my neck back. “I sat there just imagining how fucking amazing it would feel to have your hips moving like that while you rode my cock.”

I suck in a breath as my knees start to shake. His other hand leaves my hip and travels up to my cheek. He runs the pad of his thumb over my bottom lip. He removes his hand and leans down to kiss me. His tongue ravages my mouth and demands my attention. As he moves away, he grabs my arm and pulls me onto his lap as he sits down on the bench.

“Remind me, Angel,” he says panting. “Remind me what those hips feel like as that tight pussy—”

I cut him off, crashing my lips to his. I lift my hands up and grab a hold of his hair. His hand slips between our bodies and he opens me up before he slides himself into me. I don’t waste a second as I start moving my hips back and forth. He pulls his mouth away and I take in a big gulp of air. He reaches up and grabs my wrists. He pulls them away from his hair and pins them behind my back in one hand, causing me to push my chest forward.

“That’s what I want,” he says before he leans down and takes a nipple into his mouth. He lightly bites it and I lose the rhythm of my hips. I stop and throw my head back, letting out a cry.

“Don’t stop, baby.” He kisses his way from my breast to my neck. “I want you to fuck me.”

I lean up and start to move my hips again. He places a hand between us and circles my sweet spot as I ride him. We don’t stop again until we are both panting and the shower water has run cold.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

SLADE

I had just kissed Angel goodbye when I hear my phone ringing.

“Hello,” I say to Micah as I search for something to wear.

“Hey man, I’m calling to give you a heads up.”

“For what?”

“The guys and I are coming over. Oklahoma plays Alabama tonight. Josh wanted to go out and watch it, but I figured you would want to watch it at the house.”

I think about it. It has been a while since we were all together without the girls around. “Yeah, I’m in no mood to go out.” Especially since Angel won’t be going with me. “Okay, well come on over,” I say, pulling a t-shirt off its hanger. “I’m going to give Tate a shout.”

“No need. Josh already called him,” he informs me before we end the call.

Not fifteen minutes later my doorbell rings. I answer the door to Josh. “I forgot that Alabama plays tonight,” I admit, closing the door behind him. His favorite college team is Alabama.

“Oh, I didn’t. It’s all Courtney has talked about this week. How Oklahoma is going to kick their ass.” He waves a hand in the air as if dismissing that idea.

“I bet you twenty bucks Oklahoma wins,” I say with confidence. I’m not the biggest OU fan, but I know that Angel is.

He chuckles as he nods his head. “You’re on.”

Micah and Tate show up shortly after and we all go down to the basement. I turn on the TV, getting ready for the game to start as we team up, grabbing pool sticks. “How are things going with Courtney?” I lean up against the wall as I watch Josh rack the balls.

“Pretty good.” He looks up at me, and smiles. “She’s going to move in with me.”

“That’s great, Josh.” I’m glad that he has found someone that makes him happy.

“Yeah, all that begging paid off,” he jokes, making all of us laugh. Then he gets serious. “At first she had been kind of apprehensive to trust me but one night everything just came out, stuff about her past, regarding her dad. Then she told me she has wanted to find him for a long time. I told her I would help her out.” He shrugs. “She didn’t want to involve me, but I told her there was no way I was going to let her do it without my help.”

I remember her telling Angel the night after their fight that she had decided to locate him. “Yeah, Angel says she’s always had a problem with all the stuff her mother fills her head with about men,” I say, bouncing my left leg as I continue to lean up against the wall.

“Something wrong?” Tate asks, eyeing my bouncing leg.

I stop the movement. “I don’t like Angel being out without me,” I admit shamelessly.

He chuckles and Josh starts laughing at me as well.

“She has to have a life, Slade,” Micah says, positioning himself in front of the pool table.

“I know that,” I snap. “I just don’t like her going out drinking without me. What if something were to happen to her? There are still so many unanswered questions.” Ever since the break-in and her being attacked, I have not wanted to let her out of my sight.

Micah frowns. “Drinking? Since when did the movie theater start serving alcohol?”

I push off the wall and look at him with my head tilted. “What do you mean the movie theater?”

“They went to see that new chick flick,” Josh chimes in. “I offered to go, but she said it was a girls’ night only. I think Missy even went with them.”

Tate hangs his head as he shakes it. “I knew this was going to happen. Missy will be their best friend before the night is over.”

“She seems like a good kid,” I say, pulling out my phone and sending Angel a text.

Me:
Movies?

Is all I send. She texts me back before I can even lay my phone on the pool table.

Angel:
Yes! Sorry to disappoint you. My ass shaking is only for when you are around.

I chuckle.

Me:
Better be.

“Exactly. A kid,” Tate counters my previous statement. “She’s not even twenty-one yet.”

“That’s right,” Micah says, snapping his fingers. “That’s why they went to the movies. Holly had mentioned that Missy wasn’t old enough to get into a bar.”

I don’t mention that the first time we all met her was in a bar. That’s the thing about the bars around here; they are not hard to get into when you are underage.

Tate nods his head. I look at Micah as he lifts his beer and throws back half of it. “Are you doing okay?” We have been busy at work, so I have not had a chance to speak to him much lately.

He sets his drink down, shaking his head. “I just needed this guys’ night, is all.”

“Why? Are you and Holly having problems?” I ask.

“Yeah. Well, no, not really,” he sighs out. “It’s just all this wedding stuff. We’re not fighting, but she’s fighting with her mother. And it puts her in a bad mood.”

I lean back against the wall and take a swig of my beer.

“Maybe you should get a wedding planner. Let someone else do it all for you,” Josh suggests.

Micah and I both look over at him as Tate smirks. “What?” He shrugs. “Courtney likes to watch this wedding show and they all have wedding planners,” he defends.

I laugh as Micah continues to stare at him. “Hey, I’m not the only one in the room that does stupid shit to get laid.”

“So true,” I agree before taking another sip of my beer.

“How are you and Sam doing?” Micah asks.

“We’re doing great.” I smile. “Things finally seem to be back on track.”

Tate leans his pool stick up against the wall and walks over to the mini bar. “I think we all need to do a shot,” he says, picking up the bottle of Crown.

“What’s the occasion?” Josh asks.

“Well, I figured since it is just us guys tonight that we could celebrate Slade’s birthday.”

I let out a groan making them all laugh. “You’re turning thirty, not fifty,” Josh teases.

I lean back against the wall and my mind wonders how my life will be in twenty years. The only thing that matters is that Angel is by my side.

“Slade,” Tate says, getting my attention. I look over to him. “Celebrate it. It’s the first birthday you have that you get to share with someone special.”

I grin over at him.

“Aren’t you the romantic?” Micah says, laughing at him.

“I’m the furthest thing from that,” he responds seriously. “Believe me,” he adds looking down at the shot glasses as he fills one at a time.

“Speaking of romantic,” Josh starts, “I know tomorrow is your birthday, but your ring will be ready in the morning. I will bring it with me to the golf course.”

“Can’t wait to see it. Thank you.” I tip my bottle to him.

“When are you going to pop the question?” Tate asks, putting the Crown down.

“I have not thought that far yet.” I shrug. “I guess when she’s in a good mood,” I joke, giving them all a big smile.

They all stare at me with a straight face. “You’re kidding right?” my brother questions.

“Well, I wouldn’t ask her if she was pissed off about something,” I say, obviously. I watch as they just continue to stare at me like I’m a fucking idiot. “I’m just joking guys. I’m also not a romantic, but I’m sure as hell not a fucking moron.” I laugh as I see their faces relax. “I’m still thinking about doing it on Thanksgiving.”

“That would be a good time,” Micah agrees. “You could do it at Mom and Dad’s house like I did with Holly.”

I think back to when he proposed to Holly. I like how everyone was able to witness it, but I think I would like it to be a little more romantic for Angel, like out on the bridge where I gave her the heart shaped necklace.

Tate steps away from the bar and passes out the shots. We start to play pool as the game comes on.

Oklahoma scores within the first three minutes and Tate smiles, walking back over to the bar. “Another round?” he asks.

I shake my head at him. “I’m done.”

“I’ll have one,” Josh pipes in, hanging his head. “I’m afraid Oklahoma is going to kick Alabama’s ass,” he admits.

“Afraid you’re going to have to pay me twenty bucks?” I taunt him.

“No. I’m afraid of all the shit talking Courtney is going to dish out if they win.”

We play several more rounds of pool as we continue to watch the game. It’s third quarter when Angel walks downstairs.

“You guys having fun?” she asks as she wraps her arm around me.

“No.” Josh sighs. “I’m getting my ass kicked.” He gestures to the pool table.

“Just like Alabama,” I say, looking at the TV.

“I had to keep nudging Courtney during the movie because she kept checking the score on her phone,” Angel tells us, pulling away from me.

Josh smiles before he lays his pool stick on the table. “I’m going to head home.”

“Me too,” Tate agrees, doing the same.

“Guess that means I’ll go home as well,” Micah says, sounding like he would rather stay.

Angel and I follow them to the front door. They all walk out to their cars and Angel walks outside with a scowl on her face. “Tate, isn’t it too cold out for you to be riding your bike? And where is your helmet?” She places her hands on her hips.

“I like the cold air,” he replies, getting onto his bike. “And I already told you. I don’t wear a helmet.”

She begins to speak but he revs the engine and waves before driving off. I grab her by the hand and pull her inside before she starts screaming at him over the sound of his bike.

“How was the movie?” I ask, shutting the front door.

“It was fantastic.” She gets a dreamy smile on her face.

“Oh yeah? Tell me about it.”

“It was about this man who falls in love with his brother’s girlfriend. She ends up cheating on her boyfriend with his brother. The boyfriend finds out about it and beats the shit out of the brother. Then the original brother goes out and gets drunk and ends up driving his car into a creek, where he drowns. Then, come to find out the girl is pregnant and she doesn’t know who the daddy is.” She smiles. “They left it open for a sequel,” she adds excitedly.

I stare at her as she recalls the movie. “That sounds like the shittiest story I have ever heard,” I finally say. “And depressing.”

“Oh, I cried my eyes out,” she admits, giving me a smile before she walks off toward our bedroom.

I shake my head. I swear, I will never figure out how a woman’s mind works or why they want to watch such sad shit.

I head downstairs to pick up all the trash and turn off the TV. Once done with that, I walk into our bedroom. “Angel?” I say as I face the foot of our bed and start to unbutton my shirt.

“Happy early birthday, baby.”

I turn around and see her standing in the doorway to the bathroom. She’s wearing a white pair of high-heels and a white bra with diamonds along the edges with a matching lace thong.

Her hair is up in a bun with a few stray pieces down around her face.

“What are you doing?” I can’t help but ask as she stands there with a naughty smile on her face.

“I thought we could celebrate your birthday as we break in the new bed,” she says before she starts walking toward me. “How do you feel about that?”

I place my hands on her hips and pull her toward me. “I think that sounds like a fantastic idea as long as you don’t say the word birthday,” I reply, leaning down to kiss her. I’m in the mood to make love to her tonight.

“Whatever you want.” She pushes her body into mine.

“What I want is to make love to you on our new bed.” She grabs my hand and leads me over it.

She lies down and I position myself on top of her. “Show me,” she whispers. “Show me how much you love me.”

My eyes roam her beautiful face and bright green eyes. I don’t think I could ever put how much I really love her into words or actions. But I think asking for her hand in marriage will be a great start.

*****

I wake up and quietly get out of bed so I don’t wake Angel. I make my way to the kitchen and start some coffee. I lean back against the countertop as I let out a long sigh. I already feel older. My back hurts, which could just be from the sex we had last night. I don’t know how we managed it, but we ended up rolling off the bed. Good thing my body saved Angel from hitting the floor. That also probably contributed to the pounding headache I have right now.

I push off the counter and turn around to pour myself a cup of coffee. Angel gets my attention when she all but runs into the kitchen. “Happy birthday!”

I groan as I lean back against the sink. She stands in front of me with a little smile on her soft lips. “Did you notice I didn’t say thirt—?”

I place my hand over her mouth to quiet her before the entire word gets out. She looks up at me and I feel a smile on the palm of my hand.

Taking my hand away, I wrap my arms around her lower back. “Okay, I won’t say it.”

“That naughty smile you have on your lips says otherwise.”

She pulls back and looks at me as if offended. “No faith.”