Chapter 22
My Protector
Ciara
I have a face-splitting smile on my face as Ciarán downs his hot pretzel then turns and skates off. We’ve been having so much fun. For once, I feel like I’m getting to watch my brother enjoy being a kid.
I’m actually having fun and allowing myself to relax as well. Dylan has been so attentive. He took me and Ciarán to get our own rollerblades. However, Ciarán opted for a new skateboard.
Dylan had his own blades but purchased a board once Ciarán had to have one. The two have been showing off since we got to the boardwalk. It’s so nice here.
I’ve had frozen drinks with plenty of alcohol to mellow me out and some of the most amazing tacos ever. Things have been so chill, with the exception of when I took off my top to reveal the bikini top beneath.
Dylan wasn’t a fan. Taegan left me a cute tank top and a pair of cute shorts that Dylan eyed as if he was going to protest. Instead, he said nothing but has been right on top of me wherever we have gone. I bought the purple swimsuit for myself when we stopped for the skates and boards.
I’ve been skating in the bikini top and shorts. Dylan has been eyeing me with a mix of lust and something else. Possessiveness and something I haven’t pinned down.
I can’t say I don’t understand the feelings. I’ve caught women ogling him all day. Those well-fitting jeans show off his firm ass and thick thighs.
His black T-shirt is tight enough to leave nothing to the imagination. Every muscle, every ab screams, Look at me. They have all been looking while drooling.
“Yo, yo, shortie, hold on,” a guy calls out as I go to skate after my little brother.
“Nah, you good,” Dylan booms as he moves up behind me and places his hands on my waist.
“Oh, that’s you, fam. My bad. She’s a baddie though, you might want to keep that close.”
I snort. “Excuse me?”
“No disrespect. You’re fine as fuck. If he don’t have no hands and he not toting that thing, he better keep you close for when his ass has to run for it,” the guy says and all his friends laugh around him.
“Bro, find something safe to do,” Dylan says.
“Like you gonna cause me problems? Please,” the guy scoffs.
“You’re looking at two sets of registered hands. We got plenty of problems to hand you,” I hiss.
“Son, look at her. I don’t think she’s capping,” one of the others says.
“What about me tells you I’m not holding? Don’t let these gentrified folks get your head blown off,” Dylan bites out. “I wouldn’t even waste my time knocking you the fuck out.”
“Y’all be acting like y’all ain’t never been outside. I told y’all fucking with the white boys out here ain’t it. Ace, you better shut your stupid ass up and let’s go,” one of the others says.
Another in the group speaks up. “I’m not getting caught out here after dark. The next train is coming. Let’s get to the station before we miss it.”
“Whatever, white boy don’t know what to do with none of that. Your loss, ma.”
I roll my eyes. We’ve been having way too much fun to allow this guy to get under our skin. I turn my face up to look at Dylan.
He still has his eyes on the guy and his friends as he holds me close to his front. His skateboard is between my legs as he has one foot on it. Without taking his eyes off them, he dips in and pecks my lips.
“Y’all get on back to Brooklyn safe. See you around.” Dylan winks at them.
“Yo, how you know—”
“You never know who you’re talking to. I’m safe anywhere I go in my city. Can you say the same?”
“Fuck, I told you to leave them alone. I knew he looked familiar. You one of them O’Briens ain’t you. The one that fights and shit,” one of the others who’s been silent says with wide eyes.
“Tell your brother Dyl says what’s up. I’ll be by to collect my disrespect fee during the week.”
“Aw, man. This ain’t even my fault. Shit. I hate you, Darius. My brother is going to fuck me up,” the kid whines.
“Come on, man. I need to get home. I’m not looking for no smoke,” one of the others says, tugging at the one who tried to give his friend the warning.
They take off. Dylan finally turns his attention fully to me. I give him a smile, but his expression remains tight.
Moving to turn so I can face him, I place my hands under his black T-shirt and run them up his back. A gasp leaves my lips as I graze what feels like a gun.
I look up at him with wide eyes. I thought he was bluffing. I had no idea he had a gun on him. Dylan palms my ass and rolls me closer to him.
“I told you, you’re always safe with me.” He searches my face with his eyes. “Does that scare you?”
“No, I’m just surprised.”
He pecks my lips. “There is a lot you’re going to learn about me and my family. Your comfort level with being around guns should be pretty high. Do you think that’s something you can handle?”
I smirk. “Depends. Do I get one of my own?”
He laughs and relief passes over his face. “We’ll get right on that. You can’t be the only female in the family without one.”
It’s good to see the ease and smile return to his face. Man, he has a temper. His anger had been pulsing in the air.
Kissing his chest, I then place my cheek against it. He wraps me in his arms and kisses the top of my head.
“Time to continue our date,” I say.
He grunts and pulls a sour face. “Come on, let’s catch up with Ciarán. Time to get out of here and it’s time for you to cover up. That’s going to happen more the later it gets.”
Dylan
“I had so much fun. Thanks,” Ciara says as she looks up at me.
She is lying with her head in my lap as we sit on the couch at her place. The TV is on, but it’s muted. We’ve been more interested in each other and our conversation.
I brought her and Ciarán back to their place in Harlem. Finding parking was a bitch. I almost told them to pack a bag so we could head back to my place. I’m not ready to let my girl out of my sight.
“I’m glad you enjoyed yourself. Ciarán seems like he had fun.”
“I think he did too. Tired him out for sure. I heard him snoring when I went to the bathroom earlier. That kid never goes to bed this early willingly.” She snickers.
I had a great time with them too. If not for those little assholes, it would have been the perfect date. I’m already thinking of other dates we can go on.
I know I have to plan them around Ciarán. He’s a big part of her life I can’t ignore. Honestly, I don’t want to.
I really like the kid. He’s grown on me. As the youngest, I’ve never known what it’s like to have a little brother.
Ciara is more than his big sister. She’s his guardian. I smile at what that makes me. Finding her again has been more than I expected in a good way.
“What are you planning to do with your day tomorrow? Ciarán has school, what will you be up to?”
“Ugh, no,” she drags out. “I had so much fun today. I don’t want to think about adulting.”
I chuckle and run my hand through her hair. That was a bad move. The semi hard-on I’ve had for the last two hours comes to full life.
“I only want to know what we’re doing with our day,” I say.
“We?” she says and lifts a brow.
“Yeah, unless you have something you need to do. I thought we could drop the kid off at school and spend the day together.”
“Don’t you have a gym to run and training of your own?”
“I do, but you’re more important to me. I want to make up for all the time we lost.”
“Honestly, I would love that, but I need to find a job. I’ll blow right through that money from the other night. If Ciarán brings home one more trip slip, I’m going to scream.
“That place is expensive enough. Why are the field trips so bougie and expensive? He’s always so excited about them. I don’t have the heart to tell him no.
“He’s a good kid. It’s not his fault I lost my job.”
I shrug. “He can bring those to me from now on. I’ll give him the money. All you need to do is sign for permission.”
She pouts and rolls her eyes. “No, Dylan. I need to find a job to take care of my brother myself.”
“What were you doing at the job you lost?”
“I was a bottle girl.”
I try to stifle the frown that comes to my face, but I fail epically. I hate the idea of her working in a nightclub or bar. That’s not happening again.
“Oh my God, look at your face. You have a jealous streak. You can chill. I don’t want to do that again anyway,” she laughs.
“Come work at the gym. You said you ran the one you grew up in.”
“That would be a no. Too much drama. I’m not even sure I want to train there.”
I work my jaw as I think of the reason for that. Cadlha will be gone soon. She doesn’t have to worry about that.
“I want you to reconsider. I’ve been stretching Taegan pretty thin as my assistant due to the need to step in for some family business. I could use you at the gym to take a load off her.
“Try it out. See if you like it. Once I make some necessary changes, there won’t be any more drama. However, in the meantime, we can brainstorm something else.”
“Like what?”
“How about the tatting? Let me see some of your artwork. I’ll tell you if you’re trash and need to find something else. We may need to put your ass in trade school or college.”
She gasps and glares at me. I laugh. She gives me a smile as she sits up and punches me in the arm.
“Ow,” I say as I rub my arm.
The shit really does sting. Damn, she hits hard and I don’t think she put much behind that. She sticks her tongue out at me.
“If I remember correctly, you could only make sad little stick figures when we were younger. I’m already ahead of you.”
I wink at her. “I’ll be the judge of that. My stick figures were the shit. I always made sure you were cute.”
She bursts into laughter that lights up her beautiful face. Shaking her head, she then gets up to head for her drawings. I watch her walk away and bite my lip as my eyes land on her ass in those little shorts.
I’m glad she can take a joke. She’ll have to have thick skin around my family. We’re always teasing and taunting each other and anyone else who enters the line of fire. No one is safe.
I can’t wait for everyone to know I’ve found her. I know Mom will be ecstatic. My heart swells with pride.
My girl is gorgeous and smart. My family already loved her when she was little. I know they will be proud of the woman she’s become too.
She returns and sits down, placing a sketchbook in my lap. I look into her eyes and feign nervousness. She pokes me in my side and leans in to kiss my lips.
I don’t allow her to pull away, grasping the back of her neck and taking over the kiss. She wraps her arms around my neck. I deepen the kiss and groan.
She pulls away, breathless with a smile on her lips. I run one hand over the side of her face, then palm it as I stare into her eyes. The dreamy look on her face echoes how I feel.
She clears her throat. “Don’t judge me too hard,” she says and bites her lip.
I shake my head and release her face to open the sketchbook and flip through. The first page I open to has a drawing of half a young boy’s face. I keep turning and find other images then more of the boy. Each image of him gets more detailed.
My mouth falls open when I realize it’s me. It’s almost as if I’m watching how she remembers me more and more, drawing by drawing.
“Well?” she says a little above a whisper.
“You’re amazing. I’m speechless. These are so far from our little artwork when we were little. Damn, baby, you’re good.”
“Thanks, but I don’t know if that will translate into tatting.”
“Let me ask you something.”
“Okay,” she says, looking up at me with those big, pretty eyes.
“Is it something you would want to try?”
“Yeah, I think it is.”
“Okay. That’s all I need to know. Forget looking for a job. Give me a bit of time and I’ll have something for you.”
“Dylan,” she drags out.
I shove my hand into her hair and tilt her head back. She looks back at me, searching my eyes. I do have something.
“Trust me.”
Before she can say a word, I take her lips and kiss her passionately. She pushes the sketchbook from my lap and climbs into its place. I get lost in the moment as I palm her heavy breast.
Someone clears their throat, causing us to break apart. Well, Ciara tries to break the kiss, but I follow her lips as she tries to back away. I grunt as Daliah begins to speak.
“Damn, you two are fire together. I hate to interrupt, but I just wanted to check to see if I should order something for you guys to eat too,” she says.
I stand and take Ciara’s hand. “Nah, sweetheart. We’re good. We’re calling it a night,” I say and walk us toward Ciara’s bedroom.
“Wait, you’re staying the night?” Ciara looks up at me and asks.
I shove my hand down the back of her shorts and start to finger her from behind as I bite my lip and lift a brow. Lust fills her eyes as she pulls her lower lip into her mouth.
“Okay. I’ll take that as a yes.”