Chapter 17
SEVENTEEN
It’s Monday afternoon, and I’m working on a case with Sophia, but my mind is still stuck on what went down Saturday night.
I can’t believe Chiara did that. I mean, yeah, it wasn’t a major screwup.
They’re just dumb teenagers, and it’s normal for them to sneak out for parties.
But getting busted by the police and ending up at the very station I work at, thanks to my boss’s brother and friend? That’s just insane.
And let’s not forget the embarrassment of scraping together every last penny I had. I can still see the pity in Josh’s eyes, and I don’t want to face him again, but I know it’s inevitable.
Now they’ve seen where I live too. I’m so fucking embarrassed by this whole situation that I actually thought about skipping my internship and dropping out of college.
Howie would definitely welcome me and save me a spot by his side. But then Chiara would suffer, which brings me right back to why I’m caught up in this goddamn mess called my life.
I swear, that girl is so damn lucky I love her.
I visited Howie yesterday before my shift at the bar to fill him in on getting my job back and tell him about our little escapade with the cops.
He just cracked up laughing and said, “Well, at least you’ll be free from that boy if Chiara’s smart enough to dump his sorry ass after ditching her.”
But honestly, she’s so damn love-struck that I bet she’s already running right back into his arms.
The door swings open, and in walk Josh and Clay. I take a deep breath, bracing myself for the sarcastic crap that’s about to pour out of Clay’s mouth as soon as he gets to me. I swear, I’ll never hear the end of this humiliation from him. Knowing him, he’s going to milk it forever.
“Ladies,” he says, coming over to my desk. “Oh, come on, Karen, you look so unapproachable.”
“And yet, here you are,” I mutter, making him chuckle.
“Oh, little Karen,” he singsongs. “And little Karen is funny because you’re short as fuck.” He reaches out to tap my nose, and I shoot him a glare. “You know, you could have let me in on the secret that your date last Friday was with my boyfriend.”
Josh, who is leaning against Sophia’s desk with his arms crossed, chokes on his own breath before blurting out, “What?”
I meet Clay’s brown gaze and narrow my stare.
“And on your birthday of all days, that one got me, Karen. Why wasn’t I invited?”
“It was your birthday last Friday?” Sophia asks, but Josh jumps in.
“Can we focus on the fact that he just said Carolina dated Xander?” His eyes widen in disbelief.
“It was a damn tattoo appointment.” I clench my teeth.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” Sophia asks.
“Because it wasn’t important,” I say.
“Of course, it’s important! I would have baked you a cake,” she nearly yells.
Clay chuckles but quickly bites his lips when I give him another glare.
“Can’t you ever keep your mouth shut?” I ask.
“Nope,” he pops the ‘P’ and grins mischievously.
“You’re definitely coming to my birthday get-together on Sunday. We’ll celebrate our birthdays together,” Sophia declares.
“Can’t. I’m having a headache this weekend,” I say.
Josh snickers, and Sophia glares at me.
“Na-ah, Carolina, you’re coming! We’ll eat cake, drink, and have fun. Consider it an order from your boss.” She giggles.
I don’t want to go, but I can’t come up with any excuses. Plus, since I plan on working with her for the foreseeable future, it’s probably a good idea to ensure she likes me. It might blur professional boundaries, but it could earn me some points with her.
“When and where is it?” I ask reluctantly.
“You can finally give me your number, and I’ll text you the address. We’ll start with cake in the afternoon around four and just hang out until we’re tired from the drinks,” she replies with a smile.
“Okay, but I’ll have to leave by five,” I say.
“That’s fine,” Sophia reassures me. “Just glad you’re coming.”
“Why, you have another date with my man?” Clay chuckles. “Was your goal to get him into bed too? I’m sorry I unintentionally got in the way, but I’m sure he’s up for it if you want to try again. I’d encourage such behavior since it’s my bed too.” He winks at me.
I huff. “Don’t be rude to me. My level of rudeness will out rude yours, and I’ll make you cry.”
“Why do you have to leave so early?” Clay asks, being nothing but persistent.
“I work at a bar in the evenings, and I bet it takes some time to get back to Harlem from where it’s located.” I shrug. She’s living somewhere nice, for sure.
Josh laughs. “Anyway, are you guys up for grabbing something to eat?”
“Oh, absolutely,” Sophia says, getting up from her desk.
He then looks at me and asks, “Are you coming?”
“No, I’m going to finish this up and head out afterward, if that’s okay?” I ask.
“Come on, Karen, don’t be like that,” Clay chimes in, giving me puppy dog eyes.
“Nope,” I respond, focused on my computer screen.
“Give me your number real quick so I can text you the details,” Sophia says, and without much thought, I jot it down for her. When I glance up, I notice Clay already has his phone in hand, apparently having typed in my number too.
“Please hesitate to contact me,” I tell him before turning back to my work.
Sophia grabs her bag and says, “See you tomorrow. Let’s go, boys.”
We leave the office and make our way to the cafeteria. Once we all have our food and settle at our usual table, I interrogate Clay. “What happened on Friday?”
“I told you I wanted to give Xander a ride home because the car was in the shop, and when I got there, he was finishing up and checking out Carolina. She got a pretty cool tattoo done. I think Xander already shared it on his socials,” he says.
Curious, I pull out my phone, fingers almost itching with anticipation. Why do I feel this need to know more about her?
There’s a beautifully detailed dead crow on Xander’s profile. “Wow, that’s stunning,” I comment, genuinely impressed but also wondering what it means to her.
Sophia leans over to look at my phone too. “He did an amazing job. Was it one of his designs?”
Clay grins. “No, it was her idea. He redid a sketch she made. I haven’t seen it, but he says it was pretty damn good.”
That surprises me. So, she draws? Another layer to her mystery. “And how did you know it was her birthday? I still can’t believe she didn’t tell me. I would have brought cake and balloons and stuff,” Sophia says.
“She would have hated that.” I grin.
Clay shrugs. “She filled out the paperwork before Xander started her tattoo.”
“So, she didn’t tell you, you know it from the form?” I ask, feeling somehow relieved.
“You think she’d share anything important with me?” Clay snickers.
Sophia laughs. “And here I thought you two were bonding.”
“I’m just glad she hasn’t punched me yet,” Clay mutters.
“Oh, I would pay to see that.” Sophia leans back in her chair.
“Ha-ha, thanks. So nice of you, sis,” Clay mutters.
“I’m not your sis. I only take responsibility for this dumbass,” Sophia says, pointing her thumb at me.
“Love you too,” I say. “You think she will come Sunday?”
Sophia shrugs. “Seems likely. She doesn’t strike me as someone who’d back out on her word.”
“I thought of getting her something, considering the weekend she’s had. A small gesture, you know?” I ask, trying to be casual.
Sophia’s mischievous grin doesn’t escape me. “Oh, just a gesture? Sure, Joshy. But if you’re thinking of a gift, make it good.” Clay’s knowing look makes me uneasy. It’s as if he’s reading my mind. I do my best to keep a straight face. “It’s just a friendly gesture.”
His smirk speaks volumes, and I feel a blush creeping up my neck. Is it that obvious?
His smirk remains. “Of course, it is.”
Sophia frowns at us. “And what happened? Why did she have a hard weekend?”
“Nothing,” we both say simultaneously.
She groans in frustration. “God, you’d think you boys are too old for this shit, but here we are.”
I fell asleep on the couch again.
The front door opens, and I sit up, the streaming service on the television asking me if I am still watching.
The footsteps are heading upstairs, but a second later, Clay walks into the living room.
“There you are.” He smiles, coming over and laying on top of me, breathing in my scent. “I love the smell of your neck, just behind your ear. I could breathe you in forever.”
I put my arms around him and pull him even closer to me. “Fuck, I missed you. Did you have a good evening?”
I look over at the clock on the surround sound system, just after one in the morning. I actually wanted to stay awake and wait for him.
“Now it’s a good evening,” he murmurs against my skin as I trace slow circles on his back. “How was your day?”
“Finished a tattoo sleeve today. It went pretty well. The dude was chill. Didn’t talk much,” I say, pressing a kiss to his forehead.
Clay laughs softly, pulling back to meet my eyes, “Your favorite kind of client, huh? The silent type.”
“Well, my private life is loud enough with my boy, who seems unable to shut up,” I tease him.
“Oh hush, I am a delight to be around,” he boasts.
“Wouldn’t argue with that,” I say, brushing his tousled hair away from his eyes, a clear sign of a long day at work. “Light of my life.”
His gaze gets soft. “Love of mine,” he says before his lips meet mine.
I groan into the kiss, my hand drifting down to gently massage his neck. Pulling back, he rests his forehead against mine, exhaling softly. “I need a shower.”
“Mind if I join you?” I ask.
He smirks before getting to his feet and reaching out to help me up.
“Oh, I so do not mind,” he says, pulling me to my feet, then we make our way upstairs.
I follow him into our room and close the door behind us before turning back to him. “Do you need help with that?” I ask, nodding to his uniform.
I absolutely love when he wears it, it’s so damn sexy. But I love it even more when he takes it off.
“I’m quicker,” he says, unbuttoning his shirt, making me chuckle.
I pull my black T-shirt over my head, then slide down my sweatpants along with my boxers, standing naked before him. This makes him pause, his gaze fixed on my hard-on, freezing in the middle of taking off his shirt.
“I thought you said you were quicker,” I tease, stepping closer to help him with his shirt and unzip his uniform pants. “God, I love how tight these are on your perfect ass,” I comment, reaching out to give it a squeeze.
He quickly shoves his pants down with his boxers and toes off his socks as he steps out of them. Then he takes my hand, leading me into our en suite bathroom.
After turning on the shower, he pulls me close for a deep kiss. I tilt his head further, gripping his throat and deepening the kiss. He releases a delicious groan, and my grip tightens briefly before I release him. “Get in the shower, love. Or I might just lick you clean.”
Clay chuckles. “That would be pretty hot if I hadn’t sweat so much.”
I lean in to lick his neck. “You know I love you sweaty.”
“Fuck,” Clay murmurs, but I turn him around and nudge him into the shower, giving his ass a slap.
Once we’re under the warm spray, I grab the shampoo and begin washing his hair, massaging his scalp. He leans back against my chest, his head resting on my shoulder. He’s too tempting, and my shampooed hands glide over every inch of his muscular body.
His eyes are closed as he hums contentedly, and I place a gentle kiss on his temple. “Are you tired, love?” I whisper against his skin.
“Never too tired for you,” he replies.
Using the showerhead, I thoroughly rinse him before placing it back so the water can cascade down over us. Then I let my hand wander down to his erection. With him still leaning back against my shoulder, I have the perfect view and see how his abs tense when I grip him.
I stroke him, simultaneously nibbling on his neck. “My boy had such a long day,” I say, gripping him tighter and eliciting a whimper. “Let me help you relax,” I whisper in his ear as my thumb glides over the head of his cock.
“Babe,” he breathes out, his hands reaching behind him to grip my thighs.
“What do you need, light of my life?” I ask, quickening my pace.
He turns to face me, wrapping his arms around my neck and pulling me in for a kiss. The water cascades down us, our bodies slipping against each other. The tips of our cocks touch, and I seize the moment.
With my free hand on his hip, I pull him closer, allowing me to grasp both our cocks in one hand. I stroke us, our shafts rubbing together, my piercings pressing into him with my firm grip.
“Fuck…” Clay moans against my lips, jutting his hips into me.
His weight starts to give, and I tighten my grip on his hip with bruising force to keep him from sliding to the floor.
Resting my forehead against his, I maintain the perfect grip and rhythm on our cocks. “Are you going to be a good boy and come with me?” I ask, panting, my balls drawing up.
“Yes,” Clay responds, his breath shaky, his hands now clutching my shoulders.
I glance down, admiring the contrast of his flawless skin against my tattoos. The head of his cock glistens with pre-cum, and I want to lick it off him so bad, but the thought makes me even hornier, and I growl, the vibration adding to the building pleasure.
“Come for me, love,” I urge, my need for release threatening to take over.
His body is eager to obey. I feel him tense up, and I lean in, capturing his moans with a deep kiss. I increase the pressure as I quicken the pace, stroking us both with fervent desire.
He comes, covering my cock and hand. The sensation of his cum on me triggers my own orgasm, and I bite down on his lip, growling.
We stand there a while, the only sounds around us are running water and our ragged breathing.
When we finally break the kiss, Clay murmurs, “Holy shit.”
I grip his chin and peck his lips. “That’s my good boy.”