Chapter 3
Early afternoon and Malachi stepped out the door of the Ink Haven. He’d timed it right. The bench outside Godfrey Cross’s goth shop had Cross sitting on it.
He slipped onto the seat next to him. “Good view?”
Cross grunted. “Seagulls. Women in bikinis. The ocean. I’m happy.”
For once Cross wasn’t listening to his iPod. The slant of the sun and the breeze coming off the beach made a nice contrast of warm and cool on his skin. Malachi propped one ankle on his knee and leaned back. “Yeah, I guess.” He fidgeted, tapping the curved timber of the bench armrest. “Don’t let Gemma and Izzy catch you ogling other women.”
Cross angled a brow. “I’m fine. We have equal ogling rights. It’s only if they do any of the touchy stuff – then I get to paddle their asses.” For a few seconds he shifted to regard Malachi before going back to squinting into the sun. “What is it? Has Ivy decided to return to your clutches?”
“No. Not that. I’ve been asked to give two girls pointers on how to sort out their kink relationship.”
“Right. And?”
“And...yeah, good question.” This was the dead center of his problem. Which was? Cross didn’t take any shit and never shied away from the hard questions. “I guess I’m wondering if I’ve bitten off more than I can chew.”
“Why? Did you forget how to dom?”
He shot Cross an evil glare and sucked on the inside of his cheek. “No, fucknut. I haven’t.”
“I figured it was either that or you lost your balls between your couch cushions.”
He sighed. “No, nothing that simple.”
“What then?”
This time Malachi grunted. “I’m not sure how much I should tell you. Though Sabrina knows...”
“Up to you.”
Cross left him to think for a while. No pressure, that was Cross’s MO.
A brown-and-white Fox Terrier broke loose from a gaggle of kids and ran toward them trailing its leash. As it trotted past Cross, he stopped it by putting his boot on the leash. Then he picked up the dog.
By the time a little girl in a pink dress arrived the dog was sitting on his lap panting happily and getting patted.
“Want your dog back?” Cross said, placing the dog on the ground before her and holding out the end of the leash.
The cute thing stared at him round-eyed. Malachi grinned, wondering what it was about Cross that had stunned her. The mad assortment of tats? His bigness? Or maybe the sun glinting off his biceps?
Then she bravely held out her hand and took the leash. “Thank you,” she whispered, before she twirled and sprinted off with the dog running at her side.
That was Cross to a t . He looked scary but inside he’d do anything for people he liked.
“Okay, promise not to blab this all over hell’s half acre.”
“I do not blab.”
“One of the women was the butt of my jokes in high school. I used to be nasty to her.”
“No shit.”
“Yeah. Took me a while to figure out that I liked her.” He shook his head. “I teased her about being poor.”
“Dumbass. I was poor too.”
“Yeah, but I never thought you were cute, so I didn’t tease you. And now, she’s hotter than I even remember, and she and her girlfriend want me to...help them.”
Cross hissed in through his teeth and stuck his hands in his pockets. “So does she remember you?”
“Definitely. She just about exploded when she saw me. She calmed down when she realized I wasn’t the same anymore. But I don’t think I’ve convinced her yet.”
“If you called her poor –”
“And worse probably. I can’t precisely remember all the insults.”
“You are so up shit creek. I don’t blame her if she thinks you’re a dickhead. When you’re a teenager those things hurt bad.”
“Uh. Thanks. Like I didn’t know that already.”
He studied Malachi. “She’s hot?”
“Reece? Yes, absolutely.” Whenever he recalled the party, he saw that hard-as-nails stance she’d taken against him. It had stirred something in him. He wanted to see if he could crack that defiance.
“Reece Duncan? Man, you’re so fucked. She was your prime target. And the girlfriend?”
“Scarlet?” Pale as sunshine hair, pretty figure. The challenging attitude that said, fuck you, I’m a girl who likes girls and you don’t have a snowball’s chance in hell. The idea of both of them together... Cross coughed and he looked over at the man. “What?”
“The look on your face. I never thought I’d see you this bad off after Ivy.”
“Fuck you.” But he grinned back. Cross had somehow put his finger on it. The two girls were getting under his skin. He hadn’t figured it out at all until now. “Guess you’re right. They are gorgeous. I need advice, though, not you rubbing my face in it. Should I get mixed up in this?”
“Reece. High school. Do you remember what I said to you at the time? That you’d regret being such a douche-canoe? Maybe this is karma.”
“Yeah. Yeah. Maybe. Do I have to string you up by your fingernails to get a serious answer?”
“No. Calm your tits.” Cross glanced at him. “They want you to help them figure out what kinks work for them?” He was obviously really thinking it through this time. Then he nodded. “Why not? You’re not a kid anymore. You’re a good man, a good Dom, even though you wander off when you should be disciplining your sub sometimes. I think you can do this. Just be very careful with Reece. Try it and see what happens.”
“You’re so helpful.”
Cross shrugged. “You’re just giving them pointers. If it looks like it’s going farther than that, just remember to eat your Wheaties.”
Malachi smirked. “Is that what helps you manage Gemma and Izzy?”
“No, you’re just puny compared to me. You need all the help you can get.”
“Most humans are puny compared to you. I’m pretty sure you’re part sasquatch. You’re about as pretty as one.”
He attempted a pretty face but managed to just look weird. “Well, Gemma and Izzy think I’m pretty.”
“Nah, they tell everyone they stick around because you’re hung like a donkey.”
“You would know.” Cross chuckled.
Malachi shot up straight in his seat. “We vowed never to discuss the ruler incident.”
“I may still be hung over from that night.”
He laughed out loud. “That was when we were in the twelfth grade!”
“Shhh. I’m trying to block it out again.” Cross stared at the ground and shook his head.
“You’re the one who brought it up.”