Chapter 18
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Sutton
I wake with a sense of contentment I haven’t felt in years.
As I stretch, I hit a solid wall of muscle, and a satisfied smile crosses my face.
I can’t believe he stayed the entire night, and he didn’t even try to cop a feel in his sleep.
At some point, we navigated our way toward each other, he was my pillow off and on throughout the night.
The only man I’ve ever shared a bed with was my ex, and he was a blanket hog and never shared his body warmth with me.
As I turn back onto my side and nestle into his chest, he wakes, combing his fingers through my hair, saying, “Morning.”
“Morning. Sorry about last night. I haven’t suffered from bad dreams in years,” I explain, feeling bashful about needing his strength to keep me grounded.
“I wasn’t surprised you had one,” he acknowledges. “Yesterday was rough. If my place had been sullied like yours was, I’d have a hard time dealing with it too.”
“I think it was more than that,” I confess.
“I’ve dealt with bullying for my entire life, that I can handle.
Don’t forget, I’m used to my belongings being vandalized so that’s not bothersome like it should be, it’s why I stopped keeping important things in my locker when we were in school.
I think it’s the whole cat and mouse thing that has me anxious. ”
“Cat and mouse thing?” he asks, sitting up in bed and dragging me along with him.
“I’m the mouse and he’s the cat. I’m his prey, the only thing is, I don’t want to run from him while he’s chasing me.”
“Then what do you want to do, Sutton?” he asks, preparing to nix any ideas I present to him. I know he’s going to have a meltdown when I tell him what I’ve been thinking, but in my opinion, it’s the only way we’ll catch him in the act and be able to gather evidence against him.
“Use me as bait to trap him, Gemini.”
“Fuck no!” he shouts. “Do you know how dangerous that could be, Sutton? If he catches onto that ploy, he’d lose his shit and take it out on you.”
“He’s already lost his shit, Gemini,” I point out, trying to hold onto my patience. “A man who’s functioning on all cylinders wouldn’t stalk a woman and circle dates on calendars.”
“Exactly,” he snaps. “You don’t approach a caged animal, baby. And that’s what he’ll be by the time I’m done with him, a trapped man with nowhere to go so he can escape.”
“Then hold off on doing anything until we can come up with a plan together,” I advocate. “This is my life, Gemini. I should get some say-so in how this is handled. Don’t you think?”
“I do, but with a few caveats about exactly how we decide to handle it, Sutton. Listen, life wasn’t how we wanted it back in the day, but we’ve been given another chance and I’m unwilling to let some needle-nosed prick destroy what I can see the two of us building.
It’s not gonna happen. That’s non-negotiable. ”
Alrighty then, he’s pulled the proverbial gloves off where I’m concerned, based on the stubborn tilt of his chin, and his words.
And while they make me feel kind of warm and fuzzy inside, I’m still stubborn enough in my own way not to allow him to steamroll his way over my wants where this situation is concerned.
“Gemini, I still think using me as bait is the best way to go,” I wheedle, trying to get him to see my point. “For whatever reason, he’s fixated on me, so we should use that to our advantage.”
“I’m not wholly against that, but again, we need to find out more with respect to his intentions.
Because we went over all the photos again when you went to bed last night.
There were pictures from before you started your job, and that’s highly concerning to all of us.
What is his motive? And, if you take what I’m about to say the wrong way, I’ll paddle your ass, but why you, Sutton?
Like us, you’re a newcomer to town. You haven’t built relationships or anything like that yet, so what caught his eye?
Is this something he’s done before? The guys and I suspect he has, and Riptide and Rio are getting their IT guys to dig deep into his background.
Because there’s a piece of this puzzle we’re missing, and until we figure out what that is, we’re not offering you up on a silver platter. ”
“Fine, I’ll wait for now, Gemini, but if it drags on too long, I’m going to ask that we revisit my suggestion,” I reply.
It’s obvious that Jeffries’ actions toward me have me freaked way the hell out. I don’t have to pound into their heads about my background growing up because in many ways, they were along for the ride. A small smile crosses my face when I remember just how many times the cousins came to my rescue.
“Do you remember when Mercury and Orion coerced the cheerleaders into revealing their plans for me?” I ask, giggling at the reminder.
“Fuck yeah, when they caught wind that those bitches were going to ‘allow’ you to be targeted by the football team, they wined and dined them until they shared their plans,” he growls out, pulling me close to him as his hands begin rubbing my back.
“I never thanked them,” I whisper, “but knowing that they thwarted an assault meant more than I can express, Gemini. The football team was known for doing that shit, remember? But why I was on their radar is beyond me,” I admit.
“I wore hand-me-downs and thrift store finds, not that there’s anything wrong with them, of course,” I rush out, “but I was a nothing, a nobody.”
“You were targeted by those cunts because you had what they wanted, sweetheart. You were smart, kind even to those who were horrible to you, and you did your best to just blend in. They were jealous, plain and simple.”
I start laughing as I ask, “Jealous? You’re joking, right?
I mean, they had the latest fashions, the hairstyles, the makeup, and all the attention.
I used duct tape to keep my shoes together half the time and had to learn how to sew so that I could fix the clothes my grandmother deigned to dig out for me from the bargain bin that the church had.
I was persona non grata, Gemini, but it would have destroyed me if their plans had come to fruition.
The fact that Mercury and Orion set them up to be found out by the school administrators was genius, because even though it didn’t miraculously make my life all rainbows and unicorns, they were all sent to the alternative school.
I still had bullies, of course, but I was able to breathe a little easier once they were gone. ”
“They. Were. Jealous. Of. You,” he grits out. “You have a natural glow about you, Sutton, and I feel that if you hadn’t just been trying to survive, you’d have found yourself with more friends than you knew what to do with.”
Scoffing, I pull away and stand up, my bladder suddenly deciding to wake up and join the day. “I’ll have to agree to disagree with you. I’m going to get ready for the day now.”
“Guess that’s my cue to leave,” he wryly says.
When I see how he’s dressed, or rather not dressed, part of me wishes I could throw caution to the wind and tackle him to the mattress.
With no shirt, I can see his muscular build, and the smattering of chest hair sends a shiver through me.
Shaking my head at my musings, I gather some clothes and head into the ensuite.
It’s time to get ready for the day and I’m going to need to shore up my crumbling defenses where he’s concerned.
Dismissing those thoughts, I walk past him to my dresser, pretending he’s dressed from head to toe and grab my suitcase and lift it up and toss it on the bed.
As I shuffle through it, a blush coats my cheeks when I choose what undergarments I’m going to wear for the day.
I quickly tuck them between my top and pants and scamper away with my tail tucked between my legs.
His chuckles float behind me as I shut the door behind me and glance at myself in the mirror.
“Girl, you’re in trouble,” I whisper to myself as I set my belongings on the counter and walk over to the shower and turn it on so the water heats up. “So much trouble.”
As I disrobe and step underneath the raining water, I contemplate how I’m going to handle things at the office.
I can work remotely from home any day but Monday which is when we have our team building meetings and go over the week's agenda. I’ll have to take advantage of that until we have a clear plan in place.
I’m not comfortable being cornered by that jackwad.
I’m not sure what his intentions are with me, but anyone with a clear head knows it can’t be anything good.
I scrub myself raw before stepping out of the shower.
I’m still unsure of how to handle things with my boss, I don’t know him well enough to know how he’ll take my request to work from home.
Will he want to know why? And if so, what do I tell him that won’t have him running to Allen’s grandfather?
I don’t want to give Allen a head’s up and let him know I’m aware he’s the one stalking me.
Considering he thinks I’m in the dark and isn’t aware of my association with Gemini and the Kings, we could use that to our advantage, which seems to be the rolling theme when it comes to that fleabag.
I quickly dress to face the day and the man who has starred in all of my X-rated fantasies.
I know my face is flaming red as I recall some of them, I hope he never figures that out because it would inflate his ego and he’ll want to know how they played out in detail.
I’m not good when it comes to dirty talk.
I learned that lesson with my ex and it’s something I won’t be repeating.
I creep down the stairs not ready for them to see the expression on my face.
I don’t hide what I’m feeling well, that’s something I’ve never mastered.
I need to learn the art of doing it so I don’t have to hide from those who have me blushing.
A voice coming up from behind me has me jumping and yowling. “What’cha doing, Sutton?” Orion asks.
“Trying not to die of a heart attack, asshole!” I shout, clutching my chest. “You need to wear a bell around your neck.”
He snickers as he throws an arm over my shoulder. “I’ve got my boots on, a deaf person would’ve heard me coming, woman! I think you were lost in your own little world, weren’t you?” he slyly asks, smirking at me.
“Noneya,” I sass.
He tosses his head back and howls. I glance up at him and notice how young he looks when he lets down his guard and isn’t using jokes and humor to hide behind. “Let’s go see what we can rustle up for breakfast,” he manages to say.
“Y’all know how to cook?” I ask.
“Any self-respecting Texan knows how to cook, woman,” he retorts. “Plus, you’ve met our mothers, do you honestly think they didn’t teach us how to work in the kitchen?”
As we head into the kitchen, where delectable aromas are already causing my stomach to growl, I shrug, because I only met them that one time.
“Looks like the others beat us to it,” I tell him as I make my way to the coffee pot.
It’s not my favorite beverage, but after my broken sleep, I need all the caffeine I can get.
“Have a seat, Sutton,” Mercury says as he brings a plate loaded down with hashbrowns, scrambled eggs, toast, and thick, crispy bacon.
Pisces follows with a steaming mug of coffee, as well as a glass of orange juice.
“Eat up, we’ve gotta hit the store to gather more food for the cookout we’re having later. ”
“With brisket?” I ask while adding sugar and some creamer to my coffee. Like I said, it’s something I’ve learned to tolerate drinking, because my caffeine typically comes in the form of a diet soda, but there’s none here, which is why I’m doctoring my cup so heavily.
“Have one on the grill already,” he replies. “But we gotta get stuff for burgers and shit.”
“Not eating shit,” I tease. “But I’m down for some brisket, baked beans, potato salad, and maybe even some deviled eggs.”
“You’re so funny,” he retorts. “We’ve got a list going, so if there’s anything you’re particular about, you need to add it to what we’ve already got.”
“I can pay for my own groceries. Hell, I’ve got stuff at my house we can go by and get as well, since I don’t think I’ll ever be able to live there again.”
“I’ll go to your house, Sutton, and pack that up if you want,” Pisces offers.
Thankful for his assistance, I nod as I tuck into my food.
If they cook this way all the time, I’ll be hitting up the gym as often as they’ll let me so I don’t start to resemble Butterball.
A thought hits me and I voice it out loud.
“I’m gonna need to go by after work on Monday for some files, can someone go with me? ”
“I’m on Sutton duty that day, so we’ll do that once you’re done working,” Pisces replies. At my raised brow, he shrugs. “Until we know what we’re actually dealing with, you’re going to have an escort, and it’s not up for discussion.”
Great. Just great. With these four, I can already tell life as I know it has forever changed. Of course, since Gemini’s part of the equation, I’m not too upset or distressed. I just hope Skippy understands that our alone time will be highly limited moving forward.