12. Nora
Chapter 12
Nora
April went out with heat and a lot of sweat. Mostly thanks to the clever and very talented Sully. I tried to convince him working on my place wasn’t as important as the other jobs he had, but he wouldn’t hear of it.
Even if he passed out cold in my bed most nights.
Danny started coming with him, slowly learning how to both cook and help Sully with easy tasks like putting up shelves for me and painting the ugly paneling in the four seasons room. The kid soaked up information like a sponge.
Ripley and Kai had jumped in to help, but even with the three of them, the jobs were actually multiplying instead of clearing, which was good for his business. The only problem was watching Sully try to handle everything, including spending every minute he could with me and Danny.
I helped out with paperwork when he would let me, but it was getting to the point where the Murdock Brothers’ business needed a full-time office manager.
My own jobs were starting to pick up, due to the local shops catching on to Sullivan’s viral moment. I helped Sweet Beat, the bakery, with a rebranding to make use of the vinyls she had hung on the walls. Records were having a moment again, and Mercy Hart had such a cool look, I knew I could help her.
I just had to convince her to use the Murdock Brothers for her makeover.
Hopefully.
But that was a problem for another day. Right now, I was going to surprise Sully at his job site. He was working at Valley Realty with Kai on a big paint job.
I stopped at Bite Me for a few sandwiches on the way then I pulled into the small parking lot beside the building. I grabbed my thermal bag of food and hurried up the sidewalk to the front door.
I opened the front door, my eyebrows shooting up as voices rose from inside.
“If you grope my ass one more time, I’m going to staple it to the desk!” A pretty brunette held a stapler up like a weapon.
The man in question lifted his hands, his cheeks flushing. He was lanky with a patchy beard, wearing an ill-fitting suit. “I did no such thing!”
“Once, I can understand but four times! That’s on purpose, you pig!”
“Everything okay?” I asked as I hustled through the cubicles.
“It’s fine.” The man’s voice was closing in on a squeak.
The other cubicles were empty, which probably gave this jerk the balls to cop a feel.
“What’s going on out here?” Sully came out from the back with his brother, Kai on his heels. Both of them were smeared with dove gray paint.
The man glanced at the Murdock brothers with a sneer. “Go back to work, this doesn’t concern you.”
Kai moved around Sullivan, his shoulder back and his hands in fists at his side. His face changed into concerned lines when he looked at the dark-haired woman. “Is that you, Lexi?”
The woman blushed. “Been a long time, Kai.”
He glanced over at the guy, his hands still balled. “Is this guy hassling you?”
She grabbed his arm. “It’s not worth getting into trouble.”
He grinned down at her. “I like getting into trouble, though.”
Lexi rolled her eyes. “Not over me, you’re not.”
His grin faded. “What do you mean ‘not over you’?”
“Kai, he’s not worth it.”
“Yeah, but you are.”
Her cheeks pinked up, then she focused on the skinny man. “You know what, Milton, I quit!”
Milton’s face went pale. “You can’t quit.”
“I can. And I am.” She went over to a desk and pulled her purse out of a drawer, then she tossed her keys at Milton.
“But you run this whole place.” Milton grabbed her hand.
“Should have thought about that before you put your hands on a woman without her consent,” Sullivan said quietly.
Spotting me, he gave me a grim look as if to keep my distance.
Kai, however, grabbed Milton’s arm and twisted it behind him. “I do believe she just said to keep your hands off her.”
“Hey! You can’t manhandle me.”
Lexi stalked over to them. “Doesn’t feel so good, does it?”
Kai pushed Milton away. “Stay away from her. Period. Or I’ll do much worse.”
“You’ll never find another job. I know everyone around here, and I won’t be giving you a reference.”
Sullivan moved between Kai and Milton. “Handily, we happen to need a manager.” He turned his attention to Lexi. “If you can run this place, bet you can handle us. How about it?”
Lexi’s eyes widened. “ What ? Just like that?”
“Just like that. Sound good to you, Kai?”
“Definitely.”
A throat cleared behind me as we all glanced at the door. “What is going on here?”
Milton started stammering again. “Uh, hi, Jim.”
Lexi shrank back and my eyebrows lifted when I saw Kai settle his hands on her shoulders gently.
Hmm .
History there?
“We finished the two coats of paint on the back office. Unfortunately, we won’t be returning for the front of the building.”
“Why not?” Jim asked. He was wearing a well-cut navy suit, his eyes narrowed as he glanced from Milton to Sullivan. “What the hell happened while I was on lunch?”
“No, Sully, It’s okay.” Lexi tried to rush forward, but Kai held her calmly in place.
“I’m sorry, the Murdock Brothers don’t work with men who treat women that way.”
Jim’s eyes flashed. “Who?”
Milton . “They’re exaggerating. It was nothing.”
Jim sighed and closed his eyes. “Milton, we’ll be discussing this later.”
Kai growled. “You should be firing him.”
“He can’t fire me.” Milton’s voice lost the stammer.
“Unfortunately, I can’t. I’ll make sure you have a healthy severance package, Lexi. We will miss you.”
“Not enough to get rid of trash,” Kai muttered.
“I’ll make sure people know that Sullivan Murdock doesn’t finish jobs he’s been hired to do.” Milton sneered.
“You’ll do no such thing,” Jim said sternly, turning to Sullivan. “I’ll make sure your invoice is paid in full.”
Sully glanced at me. “I’ll meet you outside.” He walked to the back with Jim while Milton aimed for his desk with a smirk.
I nodded.
“Asshole,” Lexi muttered.
Kai walked over to me, his hand at Lexi’s lower back. “Hey, Nora, this is Alyx Howard.”
“Lexi,” she corrected with a shy smile. “Friends call me Lexi.”
“Can you wait with her while we clean up?”
“Sure, Kai. No prob.”
He peered around me. “Is that food you got there?”
I laughed. “Maybe.”
“Sweet.” A pair of dimples flashed. “You’ll be in good hands with Nora. And I’m not mad at you being around to get us situated. My brother is awesome, but organized, he is not.”
Lexi smiled. “Handily, I am very organized.”
The dimples flashed again, and then he was gone.
“These Murdock men are a handful. Sure you know what you’re getting yourself into?”
She laughed. “Honestly, not really.” She glanced over her shoulder at where Milton was sitting. “Can we go outside?”
“Definitely.”I pushed the door open, and we both hurried out into the sunshine.
Lexi lifted her face up to the sun. “Man, it feels like a boulder is off my shoulders.”
“I bet. What a sleaze.”
“I can usually avoid him, but I get the best work done when everyone goes on lunch. I can take my lunch whenever I want.” She shrugged. “Milton usually takes an extra long lunch, but not today.”
“I’m sorry you had to deal with that.”
“It’s okay. The guy who owns this place is never around. He actually lives down in Manhattan. This is just one of his satellite offices. And he’s Milton’s uncle.”
“Nepotism at its best.”
“Exactly. He probably sent the jerk here, so he didn’t have to deal with him.”
“So, how do you know Kai?”
“My older brother is his best friend. I haven’t seen much of him in a bit, though. He’s always off on some adventure.”
“Sully will be so happy to have some help. I know he’s drowning, even if he doesn’t want me to see it.”
“I saw the video.” She blushed. “I can see why business picked up. I bet Kai doesn’t mind going shirtless, either.”
I snickered. “I was going to try to do a few videos while I was here.”
“Sorry I ruined everything.”
“You definitely did not. I just hope you’re ready for a lot of chaos. A few of the other Murdock brothers are coming in tonight. Things are going to get wild.”
She rubbed her hands together. “I can’t wait to get started.”
“Good, because here they come.”
Sully gave me a wide smile. “Did I know you were coming?”
I laughed and went on my toes to kiss him. “Nope. Just thought I’d surprise you with lunch.”
“Don’t I get a kiss too?”
I rolled my eyes and gave him a kiss on the cheek. “Why don’t you take these.” I handed Kai my thermal bag. “You can get Lexi up to date on what’s going on.”
“You can take the truck back. I’ll ride with Nora.”
“I just bet you will.” Kai grinned.He put a hand on Lexi’s lower back. “I’ve got some stories for you.”
Lexi paused. “When do you want me to start?”
“Tomorrow will be just fine. Or if you want to take the rest of the week?”
“No!” Kai cleared his throat. “We really need you tomorrow.”
Lexi laughed. “I happen to be free.”
“Why don’t you meet me at my house tomorrow?” He raked his hands through his paint-sprinkled hair. “I really have to start looking for a workshop. I don’t think my house is going to be enough anymore.”
“All from my thirst trap.”
Lexi burst out laughing, quickly covering her mouth. “Sorry.”
“No. It’s true.”Sully wrapped an arm around my shoulder. “She likes to objectify me.”
“Okay, so that’s not a lie.”
We all laughed. Lexi and Kai waved as they headed down the sidewalk to the park.
“Hey, you.”
“Hey.”
“Do you want to get some lunch?”
“I’d rather have you for lunch.”
“Oh, well, I can get behind that.’” I wiggled out from under his arm and grabbed his hand, dragging him to my car.
He looked over his shoulder then caged me against the door and kissed me brainless. My very favorite kinds of kisses. He pulled me close, then he opened the car door, shuffling me around without stopping those drugging kisses until he sat me down inside.
“This is a much better idea than mine,” I said, swinging my legs under the steering wheel.
“I feel like I haven’t had a day off in weeks.” He braced his hands on the roof of my car.
“Because you haven’t.”
“I’ve missed you.”
“Me too. Now get in, so we can fix that.”
He closed my door then he slapped the top of the roof. He hurried around my car and got in. “Did you wear this for me?” His fingers coasted over my knee and under the skirt of my sundress.
“Maybe.”
His fingers trailed up my thigh. “Just watch the road, sweetheart.”
“You are evil.” My fingers tightened on the steering wheel, and I gasped as he tucked his fingers under the elastic of my panties.
He leaned over. “Eyes forward.” Then he slipped first one, then another finger inside. “Always so ready for me like a good girl.”
I groaned as I got even wetter.Did I have a good girl kink?
“Be a good girl and don’t come just yet.”
I sucked in a breath as my thighs quivered. Evidently, I did.
“There we go. Can you come before the light turns green?” His fingers sank deeper into me as he turned his hand to flick my clit with his thumb. “Soaking my hand. I can’t wait to split you open and fuck you until you’re screaming my name.”
My head slammed against my head rest and that did the trick. I arched and lifted my hips against his hand as I broke apart.
He bit my ear, then he pulled his fingers free. “Light is green.” Then he licked them and returned to his side of the car with a grin.
“Proud of yourself?” I asked a little breathlessly.
“Maybe.”
A horn blared behind me, and I hit the gas. “Did I mention evil?”
“Why yes, you did.” He lowered his window and turned on the music.
I was smiling as we pulled onto Richardson Avenue with a summery song playing. Sully sat forward. I turned down the music. “What’s wrong?”
“What the hell is Mindy doing here?”