Chapter 7
Chapter 7
Sebastian
I had once again woken up with a hard-on from hell. Ever since realizing Raven was back, all my dick could do was get hard for her, and I didn’t fucking understand it. I didn’t want Raven like that. Right?
It didn’t matter though, because my dick did. And apparently it had a mind of its own. I was going to have to strangle the thing.
That made my lips twitch. I would have strangled it, more than once. I was pretty sure that my left hand was now my girlfriend because it was the only thing ever touching my dick. And the only thing that would.
I did not want Raven. I just wanted the idea of her. Because yes, she was hot. She had always been beautiful. But now she was hot , and I was attracted to her. I was allowed to be attracted to other people. Marley and I had always checked out other people together and laughed over the people we each found hot. Our taste was quite similar. So, me finding other people attractive wasn’t new. But I wasn’t going to act on it. I was allowed to. I’d had sex in the past five years. It hadn’t been easy to let myself go to even do that, and every time it had been for one night, no promises, no strings, and I’d never see the person again. But this was different. Because this was Raven. I wasn’t allowed to want her. I wasn’t allowed to kiss her.
And yet I came thinking about her.
I’d slid my hand over my dick, squeezed hard, and then pumped into my fist, whacking off like a teenage boy, thinking of one of my former best friends, until I came hard. Hard enough that my knees nearly gave out, and I growled out Raven’s name. Come had spurted on the bathroom wall, the water washing it away.
I kept coming thinking of Raven. How was I supposed to look her in the eye whenever I got coffee, knowing that I had wrung one out for her?
No, she never needed to know that. And I should stop doing it. I had control over my own dick. Over my own erections. I could do this.
And if I kept lying to myself, maybe it would become the truth.
“Hey, why are you staring off into space?” Tristan asked, and I looked over at my fellow tattoo artist.
He and his wife Taryn had the back two rooms of the shop and tried to work together as much as possible. I wasn’t sure I would ever be able to work with anyone I was sleeping with, let alone married to, although I worked with all of my family, so I couldn’t really talk. They fought as often as they made up, but the two worked well together, and they were both damn good artists.
“Sorry, I have no idea what I was thinking about.”
“Sounds about right,” the other man said with a laugh. “Seriously though, you want to talk about it?”
I shrugged. “Not really. I have a client coming in.”
“We all do. It’s damn good, isn’t it?” he asked as he came over.
“Yeah. I am happy that we all seem to have a good client list, with only a few slots open for walk-ins.”
“I like the walk-ins,” Taryn said as she slid up to her husband. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders without even looking at her, the two of them in sync as always.
“What do you mean?” I asked, pushing that odd jealous thought from my mind. I didn’t want what they had. I’d had that. And now I didn’t, and I didn’t have time for anything more. Maybe I could have a little heat, a little fun, but Nora was my number one priority, and then the shop. Nothing else mattered.
Again, another lie.
Taryn grinned. “I like being able to work on a small piece with somebody, on which they’ve already done their research, or when they just want something for fun that will remind them of a key moment in their life. Not everything has to be overly complicated and take a whole day. Sometimes it’s a tiny little mark on their wrist to showcase a moment that they will always want to remember. It’s fun.”
I shook my head. “True. As long as you don’t get the drunk frat guys.”
She rolled her eyes. “Oh. I don’t deal with them.”
“Damn straight you don’t. None of us do. They look drunk or belligerent? They’re out of here.”
I grinned at her. “It helps that you’re a big bruiser of a man, even bigger than me, and could probably carry them out with one pinky.”
Tristan flexed and Taryn rolled her eyes.
“That’s my big man,” she teased, and I gave a mock shudder.
“I really don’t need to know.”
Tristan grinned. “Oh yeah. Talk to me how you like it, wifey.”
He leaned down and pressed his lips to hers, and I ignored that familiar jealousy.
Everyone around me was married, getting married, or having kids. I had the kid, I was doing good. I was fine.
And if I kept telling myself that, I would eventually believe it.
“Are they making out again?” Leo asked, and I shrugged at my friend and fellow tattoo artist.
“You’re just jealous that May doesn’t work here.”
May was the manager of the local Montgomery Daycare Center and Nanny Services, as well as a teacher and provider for other nanny services around the country. She had been Leif’s nanny for a while, and still was, though she ran the whole business now, too.
“I get to see my wife whenever I want.” Leo beamed. “I just love saying my wife. It makes me feel all caveman.”
“Damn straight,” Tristan said as they fist-bumped.
“You know, it used to be that they would talk about the random women they were banging, and grunt and act all fake macho, and now they’re here talking about china patterns and lace doilies.”
“Did I mention a fucking china pattern?” Tristan asked, his voice going a little growly.
“You are the one who couldn’t find his favorite mug yesterday.”
“Because it was in a different place. And I like my special mug. You have your special bowl, the one that looks like a plate.”
“It’s called a pasta bowl. I don’t know how many times I have to tell you,” she teased, and the two began to bicker. It was practically foreplay for them. I didn’t want to think about that.
“I’m going to go get some coffee,” I said, seemingly randomly. But not random. Not even a little.
Because I needed to see Raven again.
She was my kryptonite, and I had no idea how that had happened.
Leo raised a brow. “Aren’t you already caffeinated enough?”
“I haven’t had anything from the café today. I brought in my own coffee.”
“Are you going to get something sweet too?” Tristan asked, teasing.
I looked between them, frozen. “I could use a pastry.”
“Sure,” Leo added, drawing out the word.
“That’s enough of that,” I grumbled, grabbing my phone.
“Be nice. Although, Sebastian, if you’re trying to hide that oddly growly way you get around her? Maybe you should stop going to the café as often as you do.”
I turned to Taryn. “She’s a friend. Always has been. And we all said we wanted to support their business, so that’s what I’m doing.”
I didn’t mean to bite out the words like I had. She held up her hands in mock surrender, while Tristan glared at me.
I shrugged and moved past a grinning Noah who I hadn’t even realized was in the doorway.
“You know, I could use some coffee too.”
“Go back to your office.” I snarled the words.
Noah wiggled his brows. “No, I don’t believe I will. I’ll be following.” My cousin whistled as he walked past me and we went towards the café.
“Leave me the fuck alone,” I grumbled.
“No, I won’t. You know you could have gone through the side entrance. We did connect the two storefronts for a reason.”
“I needed the crisp cool air.” I was such a damn liar.
“Probably to will down that erection of yours. Steel pipe, anyone?” Noah asked, his eyes dancing with laughter.
“Shove off.”
“Hey. Don’t get angry. This is cool. I like Raven. I like the way you two growl at each other and get all flustered.”
“It’s not—it’s not like that. She’s a friend.”
“And she always has been. I know lying.” He paused. “We like to razz you, but it’s okay you know. You’re allowed to look at other women.”
“I’m not quite sure I need your permission,” I whispered, before we walked inside.
“You don’t. But maybe you need your own.”
At that, Noah pushed past me, walking in first. “Greer, darling. Hook me up.”
The barista laughed, shaking her head. “You’re a menace. What are you in the mood for today?” she asked.
“You can’t tell? I thought you were the psychic who always knew.”
“I can, but you are so full of yourself sometimes I just don’t even know.”
“Ouch.”
Others in the building laughed, everyone looking comfortable in tall chairs and comfy sofas. The place looked warm and inviting and though it looked as if some people were taking up real estate in their chairs, they were still eating and drinking. So the girls weren’t losing money. That was good. I hadn’t liked the other place. This needed to work. And not just for the Montgomerys. For Raven too.
I looked up to see Raven blinking at me.
“Hi. I’m just, well, I’m baking a cake. I’ll be right back.” She smiled at me, brushed flour from her cheek, and scrambled off to the back room.
Greer looked between us, brows raised.
“Well, I suppose I’ll be getting your coffee order.”
“Oh. Yeah.” I looked down at my phone, which now had a slew of text messages.
“Apparently I’m getting coffee for the entire world here.”
Noah looked over my shoulder. “I only have to get mine, since everyone’s out of the office today working on jobs.”
“Oh?”
“Montgomery Security is doing well. Just like Montgomery Ink Legacy. Makes me happy.”
“Damn straight. Okay, I have a few orders from the lazy asses next door who couldn’t come over on their own.”
Greer laughed and took my phone right out from my hands.
“I’ll work on this, and it seems they want pastries, too. We’ve got you.”
Raven came back from the kitchen and looked over Greer’s shoulder.
“I’ll help you. And we’ll get this done quickly. I notice they just said sandwiches, but without telling me what they want. Do you know?”
I shook my head. “I have no clue,” I said, and then she finally looked at me.
I swallowed hard, willing my dick to behave.
But it wasn’t just that.
There was this tightness in my chest—I could breathe, but it was getting harder and harder to do. But this was Raven , I knew her. Why did it feel like this?
Thankfully she broke the eye contact first, to look over my phone again.
I stuck my hands in my pockets, awkward as hell. “Um, just whatever you want. Maybe a variety? Or if that’s too difficult, just do all the same thing.”
Raven looked at me, brow raised. “I think I can handle a variety. I’ll think of something fun.”
“Don’t go out of your way. I know you’re busy.”
She smiled sweetly and it went straight to my dick. Again. “And I can help my friends. Don’t worry. Plus, I like coming up with interesting sandwiches.”
Greer leaned forward. “Because whenever she gets to be creative with you guys, it goes on our menu, and everybody wins. Plus, I get to name them when she lets me.”
“This cranberry turkey thing is amazing,” a customer said, before he devoured his last bite.
My stomach rumbled. “I want what he’s having,” I teased, and Raven blushed. It was such a pretty blush.
“I can do that,” she said in a rush and went back to work.
I stood next to Noah, who was shaking his head. “Okay, I’ve got my coffee, and now I need to get back to work. As interesting as this was, I really need to know how it ends.”
I glared. “It’s just coffee.”
“Sure it is, brother. Sure it is.” He tilted his drink at Greer, said his goodbyes, and sauntered out. There was really no other word for it.
My cousin saw way too fucking much. But then again, I wasn’t exactly hiding my attraction. I was usually better at this, why couldn’t I this time?
By the time I paid for everything, and Greer stacked up the coffees, Raven came out, her arms full of food.
“Are you going to be able to get this all through on your own?”
“I can make trips.”
Greer shook her head. “No, Raven can help you.” Raven gave Greer such a dirty look that I had to hold back a smile.
Well, wasn’t this interesting?
“Okay so I guess you are volunteering me?”
“I’m just saying,” she sing-songed, and practically pushed Raven out from behind the counter.
“By the way, your door’s locked on the other side, so you’re going to have to go around the front.”
I cursed under my breath. “Seriously?”
“Yep. Sorry, I know we did it so that way it was able to be locked on both sides, but we’re going to have to have a system or something.”
I nodded, making a mental note of that as I grabbed the coffees, and Raven grabbed the food.
“Thank you,” I said as we walked outside.
“It’s really okay. I don’t mind.”
We turned slightly and stood in front of the brick wall that separated the two glass windows. There was a gap so no one would be able to see from inside either place. I swallowed hard, knowing that if I didn’t say something, it was going to be awkward as hell from now on. There was no denying it, no hiding it. There was an attraction here.
But I didn’t know what to say. So instead, I latched onto something she had said before, something that was out of the blue, but worked.
“You should get some ink.”
She raised her brows, eyes wide. “Sebastian.”
“You want it, I’ll do it. You can trust me.”
She was quiet for so long, I knew that had probably come so far out of left field that she didn’t know what to say.
“Trusting you with my body isn’t the problem, Seb.” Her eyes went wide, and a growl slipped from my lips.
“Stop it, Sebastian,” she whispered.
“Not a chance.” I leaned down and pressed my lips to hers. Our hands were full, so I couldn’t do more. I slid my tongue along her lips and she parted them for me. She tasted of coffee and sweetness. We were standing in front of both of our businesses, hidden slightly, but not enough. So I pulled back, watched her cheeks pinken even more, and said the first thing that came to mind.
“Run with me.”
Again, I was just blurting shit that didn’t make any sense. I’d thought of it, sure, because I’d seen her run and loved the way she looked in her tight leggings. But I hadn’t planned on saying the words aloud.
“What?”
“Run with me. I take Nora on runs all the time. It’s fun. You should join us. It’s something, you know?”
What the hell was I doing?
“Sebastian,” she whispered.
“Just run with us. Or get a tattoo, or do something. I just, I know you feel it, too.”
She pressed her lips together and nodded. “I do, fine. I’ll go on that run. I don’t know if I’m ready for a tattoo.”
I nodded, and somehow piled the food on top of the coffees, without spilling or dropping any of it.
“I’ve got it from here. I’ll see you soon.”
She met my gaze, blinked, nodded, and turned and walked away.
I knew I was making a mistake. But this time it was one I was willing to make.