Chapter Fourteen

Atlas

"I'm just saying, if you're having people over, there should be snacks," Rush said as he climbed up the ladder that was leaned on the house above the garage doors.

"It's a job, not a social call," Nixon said, rolling his eyes as he opened the box for the floodlight with the camera.

"Says the guy who doesn't even work for King anymore," Rush shot back.

"I'll have to remember to set out a cheese board the next time I have a plumber over," I said, smirking.

"It's not too much to ask," Rush insisted, but he was grinning down at me.

It struck me, once again, how much I'd missed this.

I guess I'd just been really good at burying that longing between other experiences. But, obviously, it was always there, just waiting to be acknowledged.

Once upon a time, we'd all been so fucking close.

I'd been the one to drive a wedge.

And in moments like this, when we were all together, it was painfully clear how much I'd been missing out on for years.

"That Scotti?" Rush asked, making me turn to find another car parked on the road.

Then, a second later, she hopped out, her dark hair pulled back into a ponytail as she went to the back of her SUV, fetching something out, then coming toward us with a few boxes of pizza.

"See? Now she knows how to treat hard-working men."

At that, Scotti's brow lifted.

"I'm going to tell Katie you said that," she said, shaking her head at him. "How's the leg?" she asked, turning to look at me.

"Fine," I told her. "If the doctor won't take this fucking thing off, I'm gonna cut it off myself," I told her, waving down at it.

Granted, my reasons for wanting it off now had a lot less to do with just annoyance, and a lot more to do with AJ.

Having her ride me was great. Fucking fantastic, actually, because I got to really watch her as she learned how to bring herself pleasure, as she got to actually enjoy sex, rather than endure it.

But only having one position in my arsenal was going to get old fast.

I hadn't been inside her since then, even though it was pretty much all I could think about.

She'd been home all morning, of course, since this was her scheduled overnight—hence the security installation.

But I'd rolled the office chair up behind her when she'd been at the counter, drinking her coffee.

Reaching out, I'd peeled her panties she'd slipped into right off again, then stood to lift her, depositing her ass onto the counter, then dropping back onto my chair, lowering it until I was in the exact right position, then shooting a smirk at her wide, disbelieving face, before ducking my head and running my tongue up her pussy.

From what I understood about her ex, he didn't give a fuck about her enjoying herself. And I didn't figure a man like that would ever eat his woman out.

So I went ahead and made up for lost time, licking, sucking, teasing, driving her up over and over and over, until her thighs were shaking hard, and just the touch of my tongue on her flesh seemed to make her jolt from oversensitivity.

When I'd looked up at her after, she'd been all glassy-eyed again, overwhelmed.

"No, baby," I said when she'd hopped down, and immediately went to her knees in front of me, her hands going to my waistband.

"No?" she asked, body tensing like I'd slapped her.

"It doesn't need to be reciprocal," I said, my fingers brushing down her cheek. "I didn't go down on you, so you would do the same for me."

"I want to," she said. Then, when she didn't think I was convinced, her hand moved over my straining cock. "I need to taste you too," she admitted, cheeks all pink.

And, fuck, I couldn't deny her it when she genuinely seemed to mean it, could I?

So I sat back as she freed me, as she teased me with her tongue, then took me into her lips, into her mouth.

She worked me slowly at first, trying to figure out what I liked best, then faster as she gained confidence, her one hand fisting my cock, stroking it as she sucked, as the other went to my balls, massaging as she worked me up and through an orgasm, taking me deep so I came down her throat.

And I swear I saw fucking white at the intensity of it.

Then, yeah, she'd needed to get herself ready for work.

She'd be beat when she got home, so I didn't think we'd get another round in before King showed up to take me to the doctor.

But, fuck, all bets were off when I had the damn cast off. I was going to fuck her to oblivion morning, noon, and night.

"You always were impatient to get on the move again," Scotti said, a sadness overtaking her features.

"So, what do you think of that SUV?" I asked, glancing back at it.

"My car?" she asked, brows pinching as Rush came down the ladder to unburden her of the boxes, but only because he wanted a slice. "It's… fine. Why?"

"I'm taking recommendations for a car. I'm going to get one after my appointment tomorrow."

"Wait," she said, brows pinching. "You're buying a car? Like… to keep here?"

"Well, to use," I said, kind of enjoying her confusion. I'd had similar conversations with Rush and Nixon since they showed up, watching as their confusion led to understanding at what I was saying.

That I was planning to hang around.

At least for the most part.

"To use until your boot is off?" she asked.

"Yeah. And after that. Gonna need to get around somehow."

"Wait," she said, body stiffening, like she was bracing for me to disappoint her hopes. "Are you saying you plan to… stick around? Even when you're healed?"

"I mean, I still have some traveling to do here and there. But I've been… researching some shit, looking into opening a business."

"In Navesink Bank?"

"Well, over by the beach," I clarified.

"And you're going to… work there?"

"Someone's gotta," I said, working to flatten the smile that threatened to pull at my lips.

I didn't anticipate the way a sob escaped her.

Scotti, as a whole, was not a woman who cried often. I would know. I'd been close with her for most of her life, until she went off and married Mark.

"Hey, no, none of that," I said, uncomfortable as she buried her face in her hands.

"The fuck she crying for?" Nixon, ever the gentlest of men, asked, eyeing our sister.

"Nice, real nice," Rush said, rolling his eyes. "She obviously realized that she brought us mushroom and onion pizza, and is feeling real bad about it," he said.

"Hey," I said, reaching out to use the back of King's car to help me up, then reaching for her. "Come here," I demanded, then grabbed her shoulder, and forced her toward me, wrapping my arm around her. "Way to make me feel like a real dick, Scotti," I teased.

"You are a real dick," she said, sniffling hard.

"That's the sister I know and love," I said, smiling as she pulled it together, then moved away, wiping at her cheeks.

"I just miss you. A lot," she said.

"I miss you too," I said. "I just didn't realize it until I spent some more time around here."

"This is because of AJ, isn't it?" she asked.

"That's… part of it," I admitted.

"What kind of gift do you get the woman who makes your nomadic brother come back home and put down roots?"

"Dunno. But she likes bird stuff."

"Bird stuff?" she asked, brows pinching.

"Dunno. She feeds all the birds and shit. She likes birds."

"Birds," she said, nodding. "Right. I'll keep that in mind. So, you're not hooking the house up because you're leaving then," she mused, watching as Nixon climbed up the ladder Rush had abandoned to chow down on the pizza.

"No," I said, reaching for my chair, and dropping back down because the bulky cast made standing awkward. "I'm hooking it up because there's something inside now that I want to protect."

"Christ, that's sappy," Nixon said, shaking his head.

"Oh, shut up. Like you don't still get all moon-eyed over Reagan," Scotti shot back.

"Kids, behave," Kingston called, coming out of the garage, fiddling with something on his tablet. "Hey, Scotti," he said, giving her a smile, then looking around at all of us.

The look of peace and joy that crossed his face at seeing us all casually together on a random day that wasn't a holiday made me feel like a real shit for keeping that from him for so long.

"The inside is all set," he told me. "If these bums could get off their asses and get the outside done, we'd be all set," he said.

It was pure teasing on his part, but Rush snagged one more slice of pizza before heading back off to work.

Everyone hung with me until well after sunset before they all headed home to their families. I hung with Samson, both of us seeming to miss his mom.

She sneaked inside that next morning, quickly plugging the code into the door that I'd texted her earlier, then trying to tiptoe past me toward the bedroom.

"Trying to go to bed without me?" I asked, voice sleep heavy.

"Go back to sleep," she whispered. "You have the doctor soon."

"Still rather spend an hour with you," I said, transferring to my chair, then rolling behind her down the hall where she cast off of her pants, then reached under her shirt to remove her bra, before crawling into the bed.

I squashed the desire that rose in my system as I moved in beside her.

Her eyes were barely open as she disrobed, so I didn't want to keep her from the much-needed sleep.

Besides, I figured that in a few hours, I would be a fuckuva lot more fun in bed.

So I just pulled her close and held her as she drifted off to sleep.

Eventually, I slid out from under her, getting myself ready for the day, then feeding and letting Samson out back for a while as I waited for Kingston to scoop me up.

The doctor had been on the fence about the cast until I all but insisted on having it off. He'd eventually agreed, demanding that I take it easy for a few days, even using the crutches he provided sometimes.

I played along for him and in front of Kingston after, as we browsed the lot, then went inside to work on some paperwork for an SUV I was going to pick up the following day, but I was quick to place the crutches in my bedroom after King left to head to his office.

AJ was still out cold, so I went ahead and made my way carefully into the bathroom, braced for pain, but finding nothing but stiffness and weakness in the leg as I walked in the bulky boot.

I stripped and finally enjoyed a plastic-free shower for the first time in, what, seven weeks? Something like that.

It was pure fucking bliss.

Save for seeing the comparison between my legs. My one, darker, healthy leg with a defined calf. The other, pale and withered-looking, that calf almost half the size of the other.

It was insane how quickly you could lose muscle mass when you weren't using a part of your body.

I was actually excited for the physical therapy I was starting the following week, knowing they would work on strengthening me back up.

I slipped my boot back on, then slipped on a pair of lightweight pajama pants before making my way down toward the kitchen, then starting to make some food for AJ.

I was no chef, but I tossed together a couple of fried eggs with cheese on bagels, and by the time I was setting them on plates, I heard AJ moving around in the bedroom before making her way toward me.

"Oh, hey," she said, a little sleepily. Until her gaze moved over me, lingering a long while on my chest and abs before moving down and landing on the boot. "Look at you!" she said, her gaze slipping back up to my face, a smile breaking across her pretty face, making both those dimples etch deep. "You're free!"

"That cast-free shower felt so fucking good," I admitted, nodding. "Sit. I made some food," I said, watching as she moved over to the table, sitting down, and watching me walk toward her.

It was a slow and clunky gait, sure, but, God, it felt good to be moving again.

I went back for our cups of coffee, and was surprised to find my leg muscles were actually a little tight already from the movement.

It was going to be a long road to a hundred percent again.

But these were the, quite literal, first steps. And I was happy to take them.

"How does it feel?" she asked, taking a sip of her coffee.

"The area of the break doesn't hurt, but my muscles are definitely not used to walking."

"You should probably be taking it easy for a few days," she said. "What's that guilty look for?" she asked, playfully narrowing her eyes at me.

Christ, she was reading me so well already.

"I am supposed to be using crutches at least some of the time," I admitted.

"Atlas!" she said, shaking her head at me.

"I'll use them sometimes," I told her, not sure how honest I was being.

AJ made me let her do the dishes afterward, insisting I needed to rest.

I went ahead and let her get started, then slowly made my way up behind her, my arms going around the sides of her body, grabbing the counter, caging her in.

She tensed for a second, then melted against me, letting out a deep breath.

She rinsed her hands, then turned off the water, leaning back into me as my lips found the shell of her ear, and started to tease down it.

"Been thinking about nothing but getting my hands on you again," I admitted, lips pressing into the pulse point in her neck, feeling how quickly her heart was already beating for me.

A little moan escaped her as she angled her head to the side, inviting more contact.

I was happy to oblige.

My hand moved inward on the counter, then slid across her belly, feeling the way a shiver coursed through her.

"Me too," she admitted, voice small, still a bit unsure of herself. We'd work on that.

My hand slipped under the waistband of her panties, moving down, finding her already wet for me.

My thumb went right to her clit, working it in the slow, firm circles she liked best, as my fingers slipped down and moved inside of her, her pussy tightening around my fingers, welcoming me in.

And, fuck, I was dying to feel myself inside of her again.

Just not quite yet.

I wanted her moaning for it, begging for it.

So I worked her with my thumb and fingers, making her head fall back on my shoulder as her ass ground against my cock.

My other hand slid under her shirt, brushing and squeezing, then working her nipples into tight buds as her whimpers became moans as her pussy tightened around my fingers.

"Atlas, please," she pleaded.

"Please, what?" I asked. "Please let you come around my fingers?" I asked. "Or please let you come around my cock?" I asked, feeling her walls tighten in response. "My cock?" I asked when she didn't answer.

"Yes," she cried, rocking her ass against it.

I reached in my pocket for the condom I'd stuffed in there—just in case—, ripping it open with my teeth, then slid my fingers out of her panties to slide it on.

Finished, I reached for her shirt, yanking it off, and tossing it to the side, then pressing her forward, so her ass was angled out toward me.

Taking a step back, I drew her panties down over her ass and legs before moving in, teasing my cock between her thighs, rocking against her for a moment, before sliding back to press against her.

A pained little whimper escaped AJ as my cock stayed against her, but didn't move inside.

"Atlas, please," she begged, rocking back into me until my cock started to penetrate her.

A whimper escaped her, taking what was left of my control.

Grabbing her hips, I slammed deep, taking every inch of her, feeling her walls close around me.

"Fuck," I groaned, trying to pull myself together, not wanting to be as rough with her as my body was aching to be.

But it only took a few seconds before she was slamming back into me, silently begging for exactly what I wanted to give her.

I didn't hesitate then, using her hips to slam her back into me as I thrust forward, hearing her moans fill the room each time.

It wasn't long before she was doing the slamming back for me, freeing my hands to slide up and grab her tits, feeling them bounce hard with each thrust.

"Fuck, yeah," I groaned as she tightened. "Come for me, baby."

Just like that, she was, her walls spasming hard, nearly taking me with her.

But I wasn't done quite yet.

I just fucked her through it until she went down on her forearms on the counter, panting for breath.

Then I reached for her, turning her, and pressing her back against the counter again, my lips sealing over hers as my hands drifted over her body.

Down her spine, over her hips, up her belly, then covering her breasts again, teasing her until she was whimpering for me once again.

Reaching down, I hiked up her leg, spreading it wide for me, then slowly slipping inside of her, watching the way her face twisted in pleasure as I filled her.

Part of me was aching to fuck her hard and fast, to get to my release.

But there was something about the sweet vulnerability on her face that had me taking it slow, sliding in and out slowly, watching the way her lips parted, her breath exhaled, her eyes widened, then slitted small as she whimpered.

Despite the slow pace, she was pushed toward that edge in moments, her whole body tensing, her moans getting louder and louder, then her pussy clenching my cock as she came.

I buried deep, letting her orgasm take me toward mine, groaning as I planted deep.

"You need to sit," AJ insisted sometime after, both of us just trying to get some calm back into the chaos of our systems.

I wanted to object.

But my leg was achy.

"If you insist," I agreed, pulling out, yanking my pants back into place, then making my way to the bathroom, before planting my ass on the couch, putting my leg up on the coffee table for relief.

"If you overdo it, it's only going to take longer to heal," AJ reasoned, climbing onto the couch beside me in her shirt and panties, and I couldn't help but reach out and place my hand possessively on her thigh.

"Yeah, I got the lecture from King and the doctor today."

"And yet…" she said, brows raised, lips twitching.

"I'll be happy to keep my ass planted here for the rest of the day if you stay here with me."

Her smile was sweet as she ducked her head, then settled down, resting it on my shoulder, her legs draped over my lap.

As my arm went around her, I had this sneaking suspicion that I would be happy to spend every evening just like this one. With her. At home. A different kind of adventure, sure, but one that still somehow filled me with anticipation for what was to come.