Theo
TWO MONTHS LATER
Strawberry Springs Neighborhood Watch
Wren Hackett: Another month, another project done! This time, I just finished a larger apartment! Perfect for a family!
Comments:
Jade Clark: Love you, but I’m SO glad the noise is done. All of that banging on the other side of the wall ruined my beauty sleep . . . Not that I get much of that.
Wren Hackett: All the coffee I bought you made up for it, right?
Jade Clark: Definitely.
Tammy Jane: Will that one stay empty too?
Wren Hackett: There’s already a renter ready for it. We’re getting someone new!
Dale Garrett: And they’re Jade’s neighbor? They better watch out.
Jade Clark: Hey! I’m a lovely neighbor!
“Fuck, oh my God.”
Piper was a mess below me, writhing against my hold as I pinned her down. My hips pressed into her, my cock as deep as it would go.
When Piper first came to me, wanting to change things up with sex, I was hesitant. She wanted things rougher, wanting me to entirely lose control.
There would always be a part of my brain that made sure she was okay, so I knew I’d never truly lose control, but this was as close as I could get.
Piper was face down on the bed, but I knew she was enjoying this just as much as I was. Her shoulders were loose and her body pliant. It was nothing like the times when she was seeing her past.
Those moments were very rare these days. They had been for a while.
I leaned over her, teeth scraping her skin. She sucked in a shaky breath as she erupted in gooseflesh.
As much as I wanted this to last forever, I knew it couldn’t, and neither could I. There was something about the noises she made, the way she was lost in pleasure that nothing else seemed to exist, that sent me shooting right for a mind-blowing orgasm.
It didn’t help that she’d brought me to the edge on her knees twice.
Piper managed to get one arm out, her nails digging into my scalp.
“You don’t know what you do to me, love,” I groaned into her skin.
“Oh, I do.” Her hips rocked back and she moaned. “I feel it—ah.”
She was lost again as I pulled out all the way and rammed back into her. Her fingers twisted in our mussed sheets, and I let loose, fucking her exactly how I needed to.
Now her body tightened, but not in fear. She was close, and I bit my cheek to hold out just long enough for her to get her release. Mine was imminent and hers was still building.
I’d have to go for plan B.
I cursed when I finally came, pushing into her as deep as I could go. Piper moaned once more, but ground her hips back into me.
She’d need a little help.
I blinked against the pleasure still making my brain fuzzy and gently pinched one of her hard nipples. If this wasn’t enough, I’d flip her over and make sure she got what she wanted.
“Ah, yes, Theo!” She arched up, letting me grab her breasts as her hips still moved. It was almost too much, feeling her pussy clench on me as she came again, but I pressed in even deeper.
We both had to catch our breaths before I let her go. Her cheeks were pink.
“This was such a good idea.” She fanned herself.
“You say that every time.”
“Because I think it every time. You think you could throw me on the bed next?”
Now that was a thought I didn’t need. My cock was spent, but it still lurched at the thought.
“Maybe.”
“Good.” She winked and waltzed to the bathroom. I followed her to clean up.
“You’ll be working on roasting beans today, right?” she asked.
“All day.” I scrubbed my face. “I’m kinda looking forward to it after yesterday.”
Piper immediately nodded.
Over the last few months, I’d told Mike everything and he’d passed that on to who he knew. For months, nothing seemed to come of it. Yesterday, I got word that Arlo had been arrested. It had been one town over, meaning that he had been nearby again.
The entire town was talking about it, and while I did my best to be an open book, I needed time to come to terms with what had happened.
I was glad that some days were not spent in the shop, and instead with my roaster and coffee beans.
Even that wasn’t totally relaxing. More and more people wanted coffee from me, and I needed a bigger machine and space to do it. It was something I was saving up for, but I wasn’t sure how long it would take.
“All right, I need to head out, love.”
“That’s fine. I have a meeting with Mitch.”
“Business or personal?” I asked. Mitch and I had no issues. He’d not been the one to tell everyone who I was, yet he still apologized. Ever since he’d broken it off with Joey, he seemed happier. He’d come out here a few times and was always friendly.
“Business, mostly. I have another novel for him, but I’m sure we’ll be on the phone for a few hours.”
“Call me if you need anything,” I said before giving her my usual goodbye kiss.
It didn’t take me long to get to The Reserved Bean. I went straight into the back after saying hi to Paxton and Kelsey. Putting headphones in, I listened to one of Piper’s audiobooks while I got to work.
While the beans roasted, I handled a few things online. I was a few hours in when Kelsey poked her head into the back.
Pulling out an earbud, I raised an eyebrow. “Hey, everything okay?”
She made it a point to always try and handle things herself before she came and got me. If she was asking about something on a roasting day, it was serious.
“There’s someone who wants you to sign for something.”
“Me?”
“Yep. You. I tried to, but they want an ID.”
Frowning, I came to the front. True to Kelsey’s word, I did have to sign for an envelope.
“What’s that?” a woman asked. I turned to see Jade leaning against the counter.
“Nosy today?”
“I’m nosy every day, but that looks super official. Please tell me it’s not to do with you-know-who.”
“Everyone knows about my family. You can say it.”
She waved her hand. “Still. I’m trying to decide if I should go get Piper for you.”
That was a fair point. With a sigh, I turned back to the envelope. When I opened it, I half expected to see some kind of court summons.
Instead, it was a check.
“What the fuck?” I muttered. “Where’s Marjorie? She’s pranking me, isn’t she?”
“Her and Marj are on the trip that they won.” Jade shook her head. “The Facebook group has never been quieter.”
“Then who else would . . .” I flipped over the papers, eyes going wide.
All of us at the STM grant would like to congratulate you on your success with The Reserved Bean. A woman named Marjorie wrote to us to ask for funding for a new roasting machine. We’re also willing to add more space for your expanding needs at no additional cost to your lease.
“Them, again?”
I jumped back. “Jade? Did you read that?”
“Sorry, should’ve respected your personal space.” She put up her hands. “The curiosity got to me. Did you know they also funded the trip Marjorie won?”
“They did?”
“Oh yeah. And they paid Grace and Dean a lot of money to cover a bunch of different expenses.” She crossed her arms. “It’s just so weird.”
“Almost feels like fraud,” I muttered. “But it’s real. I used it for the shop when I first started.”
“Call me cynical, but I don’t trust whoever’s behind it.”
“I get it, but it’s helped us a lot.”
“Behind a smoke screen.” Jade crossed her arms.
“Maybe we shouldn’t look a gift horse in the mouth.”
“Or maybe we should find out who it is.”
“And risk losing it? Don’t make me call Piper to dissuade you.”
“Call me to dissuade you from what?” another voice asked.
“Piper!” Jade said. “Theo just got a check from the STM grant.”
I handed the letter to Piper. “Wow, this is . . . excessive.”
“It’s suspicious,” Jade said. “I wanna find out who it is.”
“They’re hiding it for a reason,” I replied.
“But they own everything in town,” Piper said. “And money just flows.”
“See? She’s on my side.” Her palm slammed onto the counter. “That’s it. I’ve found my obsession. No more sleeping with mediocre dudes. I’m figuring out this damn grant.”
Jade walked out of the shop, head held high.
“I have a bad feeling about this,” I said to myself.
“I’ll keep her in line.” Piper looked back down at the papers. “And we should cash this soon. Before she starts her search.”
“You’re right. Wanna go with me? You can tell me how Mitch is doing.”
“Only if you provide coffee.”
“Always, love.”
I got her a cup of her favorite before we left. I had to be back soon to finish roasting the beans.
When we got to the square, both of us were planning on going right to my car.
Then something flew right at Piper.
I caught it with one hand and yanked her behind me with the other.
“Whoa! What was that?” she asked.
I looked at what was in my hand. “Are these . . . children’s pants?”
“Agnes!” a deep voice yelled out. “Get back here! And do not take your pants off!”
A child, no more than five, cackled as she ran full speed down Main Street.
“And get out of the tree, Beatrice!”
“You can’t tell me what to do! You’re not my dad!”
“I am your dad!”
“Fuck you!”
My jaw dropped at a young voice saying a curse word.
“I got one!” Mollie yelled.
“Put me down, creepy stranger!” A pantsless Agnes screamed, kicking her bare legs.
“Oh my God,” Mollie said. “Why are you so violent?”
“Got the other!” Wren yelled out. “Woo! Teamwork!”
“Let me go or I’ll jump!” Beatrice said.
“That’s more of a reason not to let you go then!”
The dad slumped over only a few feet from us. “Jesus fuck. I can never catch a break with those two.”
“They’re with safe people,” Piper said. “You seem to, uh, have your hands full.”
“That’s an understatement. Nice to meet you both.” He only waved, and Piper let out a breath of relief when he didn’t offer his hand. She’d come a long way, but touching strangers was still something she didn’t do.
“I’m Piper, and this is Theo. Are you new in town?”
He paused, his gaze tracing over every inch of the square. “Uh, no. Not new.”
Piper and I glanced at each other.
She recovered quicker than I did.
“Are you from here then?”
“Yeah, I am. Name’s Gabriel. I used to live around here, but I’m sure you’ve not heard of me. It was a long time ago.”
Both Piper and I could only stare. We’d heard of him. A lot.
“And where are you living?” Piper asked, her voice high.
“The new big apartment. That was good timing, huh?” He laughed. “Do you happen to know who lives in the unit next to me? I didn’t know it was even occupied.”
Piper and I slowly looked at each other, feeling like two kids witnessing a fight at school. We both knew that Jade was the one living next to him.
And she had a lot to say to him.
Things were about to get very interesting.