Needing Her

Chapter Eight

Maci

“TELL ME MORE,” Amber prompted, and I smiled against the lid of my cup of coffee.

“There’s not a lot more to tell.”

“Come on! I just got done with the worst shift other than the time I had some drunk bitch vomit all over her birthday shoes, and that’s all you’re going to tell me?”

Raising an eyebrow, I pointed a finger at her and whispered so the ­people near us couldn’t hear. “That’s not fair. You can’t keep holding that night over my head!”

“Just saying! I want to hear more about your crazy hot sex with cop man.”

The old man at the table next to us turned and eyed us for a second before going back to his paper.

“Detective. And you do realize not everyone is as lucky as you and Aaron are. His schedule is all over the place, there are some times he goes in and is home not long after I am, there are some nights where he doesn’t come home from work at all. So, excuse me for not having enough stories for you because I don’t practically live—­and work—­with my boyfriend.”

“Boyfriend? You just said ‘boyfriend’! That was a detail I missed!”

I sighed and slumped down in my seat. It had been a week since Amber had shown up at my apartment and interrupted Connor and me, and she was enjoying dragging out every piece of information from this past week about as much as I had, experiencing it with him. “No. No you didn’t. Connor and I aren’t . . . anything really. I was talking about you and Aaron.”

She gave me a lazy eye roll, and pushed her empty cup at me. “You aren’t going to do the same thing with Connor that you did with Bryce. You and your whole can-­only-­stay-­friends thing is bullshit.” Amber looked over at the old man looking at us again and held up a hand. “Sorry, excuse my language.”

“I’m not. I’m not making us stay anything. We just aren’t anything. There’s a big difference here.”

“Yeah, I could tell last week. The way he kept looking at you and always touching you like he was making sure you were still there. I was getting turned on and nothing was even happening.”

I checked my phone for the time, and grabbed my purse as I stood up. “That’s one of the more awkward things you’ve said this morning.”

“It’s the truth!”

“Ha. Go home and get some sleep, I need to get to work before my brothers start hunting down random guys.”

“I’ll see you tonight for a repeat of last week!”

I turned and hushed her as I looked around the coffee shop. “Please don’t interrupt us again tonight, I haven’t seen him since Wednesday.”

“I kid. I kid,” she said with a wry smile. “But I want details of your monkey sex tomorrow!”

My face had to be as red as my hair by now. I widened my eyes at her and laughed lamely when she blew me a kiss. “Sometimes I just want to punch you.”

“You love me!”

“I do. Seriously, go get some sleep. You look like the crypt keeper.”

Amber threw her head back when she laughed. “Ah, bitch. I love you too.”

I laughed and ran out the door and to my car. My phone went off right after I’d pulled into my parking spot at work, and I frowned when I saw Connor’s text. He hadn’t been able to come home last night, and didn’t think he would beat me back today.

Which also meant I couldn’t make my day go by faster by talking to him since he would be busy with work.

Seven hours, thirty-­six games of Minesweeper, and twenty games of solitaire later . . . and I was now all cozy in my desk chair as I read from my Kindle. But I was distracted. Other than one more text from Connor saying he was hoping to be able to leave soon, I hadn’t talked to him today, and I had a feeling that once he got home he was going to crash. I hated and loved that I was this anxious and worried about not seeing him, when I’d seen him two nights before.

Bryce and I would go a week without talking, and I wouldn’t give it a second thought. A week and a half with Connor, and I felt like I was falling deeper every day. I craved him. Craved his touch, his kisses . . . just craved being near him. Part of me was worried he’d see how much I cared, and I’d scare him away . . . the rest of me loved the rush of feelings and emotions I had, just thinking about him, that I’d never experienced with Bryce.

“What’s this?”

I almost tipped my chair backward when I flung my legs off the desk and reached wildly for the Kindle that had just been ripped out of my hands. “Give it back, Kota!”

“And his throbbing member—­”

“Ew! You know it doesn’t say that. Give it back, asshole.”

He tossed my Kindle on my desk and sat down next to it. “What’s up, brat?”

I reached forward for my e-­reader, but he slapped my hands away. “Ugh, what do you want?”

“What? I can’t check on my favorite sister?” he said with a charming grin.

“I’m your only sister, fucker. And, no, you can’t. You only ever come up here to piss me off somehow.”

“Not true, and I’m offended,” he grabbed at his chest dramatically. “I’m being nice and you’re just wanting to hurt me.”

“What do you want, Dakota?” I repeated as I crossed my arms over my chest.

“I need to know if you took care of the setup for the new clients we got this week.”

“Yes, I finished it as soon as Craig gave me the information, and the security officers have been informed of the new places.”

“See? Favorite sister.”

“Why are you really in here?”

He leaned forward, his hands gripping the edge of the desk as his expression got serious. “I want Amber’s number.”

“Um, no. Definitely not. She has a boyfriend, and I told you both no already!”

“I just want her number, I didn’t say I was going to try anything with her.”

My eyebrows rose up, and I laughed humorlessly. “You honestly think I believe you right now?”

“Hell no, but you can’t blame me for trying.”

Jumping off the desk, he grabbed my Kindle and began walking away. “Put. The Kindle. Down.” When he didn’t stop walking, I spoke louder. “Don’t make me use the ‘daddy’ card.”

Dakota froze and hung his head before he turned around. “Bitch,” he hissed under his breath as he roughly tossed it back on my desk.

“Aww, and here I thought I was your favorite.”

“Doesn’t change the fact that you’re a bitch.”

“I learned from you.”

He huffed and turned back around. “Tell Amber I’m looking forward to Mammoth with her in a little over a week.”

“I’ll be sure to tell her you have syphilis.”

Dakota shuddered and looked back at me. “That’s just cruel.”

“It’s up to you, try something with her and I’ll make up a massive list of STDs that you miraculously and suddenly got overnight.”

“You don’t play nice.”

I shrugged and inspected my Kindle to make sure he hadn’t damaged it. “Neither do you.”

Sam came up behind him and shoved him into the wall, pinning him there. “We’re closing up, Mace. You can go home if you’re done with everything.”

“I am. I’ll see you Monday.” I grabbed my purse, yelled an “I love you” to my dad so I wouldn’t have to pass Dakota, and made my way outside.

Once I was home, I tried reading again, but I couldn’t even remember the main character’s name, so I did something else to pass the time.

I cleaned.

I know, I was that desperate for time to speed up.

A ­couple hours in, I’d thoroughly deep cleaned my apartment and was rearranging Christmas decorations when my phone chimed.

“Freaking hell. Finally!” I yelled at my phone as I raced to get it off the counter.

Connor G: I’m about to leave. I want you in my bed and waiting for me when I get home.

My face broke out into a ridiculous smile, and I hurried to hop in the shower so I could clean up before going to his place.

Connor

GRIPPING MACI’S HIPS, I gritted my teeth and tried to hold off until she was ready. Judging by the sounds she was making, she was close, but watching her ride me was making it almost impossible to keep myself from coming first.

I forced my right hand to release her hip, and brought it in between us to tease her clit.

“Oh, shit!” she cried out and threw her head back.

Her movements became frantic until she started shuddering, and her body bowed over mine as she tried to continue moving at the same pace. But the force of her orgasm had sent me into my own, and my hands gripped her soft skin to stop her movements as I finished pumping into her.

Maci’s forehead was resting on my chest, her shoulders and back rising and falling from her erratic breathing. Placing a soft kiss on my chest, she turned her head so her cheek was resting against me, and I ran one hand through her vibrant red hair as I wrapped my other arm around her.

“Come here,” I commanded gently and pulled her up to me so I could kiss her lips, which were still swollen from the rough sex we’d had earlier.

There was still a line from where I’d bitten down a little too rough on her bottom lip, and I ran my thumb over it. She quickly bit down on the tip of my thumb and grinned.

“I didn’t mean to hurt you,” I tried to assure her.

“You didn’t,” she said with a smile. “I didn’t even feel it. I wouldn’t have known if you hadn’t noticed the blood.” Her face fell and she brought a hand up to cup my face. “Connor, I swear, it didn’t hurt. To be honest, it was really hot.”

But I’d made her bleed. I fucking hated that. All I’d been able to think about in those first few seconds of seeing the blood on her lip was what if next time, it wasn’t during rough sex? I opened my mouth to respond, when loud banging came from my door.

Maci and I both froze, and her eyes got massive when we heard the voices.

“Get out here, you pussy! Let’s go get a beer!”

She was off me and scrambling to find her clothes so fast that she stumbled into my dresser, and hissed a string of curses as she started to dress. I’d just grabbed a pair of jeans and was stepping into them when the banging got louder and they started up again.

“We’re busting down your door if you’re not out here in ten seconds! Ten, nine . . .”

I grabbed Maci’s face, and kissed her hard. If they found out tonight, so be it. But I would really rather it not happen this way. Not when their little sister looked like we’d just had a night like we had. The lamp was broken on my bedroom floor; her shirt—­that she’d given up trying to put on before grabbing one of my own—­would never be able to be worn again; the handle of my bedroom door had put a dent in the wall; the comforter and sheets were on the floor; and the headboard to my bed wasn’t even up against the wall anymore.

“. . . six, five . . .”

“Don’t let them back here,” she pleaded and walked toward my closet.

“. . . four, three . . .”

I finished buttoning up my pants, shut my bedroom door, and tried to stay silent as I ran to the door.

“. . . two, one! You asked for it, Green! We’re coming in!”

I swung open the door and saw Dylan, backed up, his leg raised in the air like he’d been getting ready to kick down my door.

“What the hell is wrong with you two?” I hissed, and stood in the doorway.

“What took you so long?” Dakota asked and pushed past me, quickly followed by Dylan. “It’s Friday, let’s go out.”

“Uh . . .”

“Man, you look like shit,” Dylan said on a laugh and dropped onto my couch.

The same couch that just earlier, I’d started literally tearing Maci’s clothes off her.

“What’s wrong with you? Not going to say anything?”

I tore my eyes from the couch and looked at Dakota. “I’m exhausted. I went in Thursday morning and didn’t get back until a few minutes ago.” Or a ­couple hours. “I had just started falling asleep when you came beating on my door.”

“Ah, shit man, I’m sorry,” Dakota said with a sympathetic look before throwing his arms out. “Sorry you turned into such a bitch. Get ready, we’re going out.”

“Why are you breathing so hard?” Dylan asked suddenly, and I had to force my body not to stiffen.

“I woke up to you bastards yelling and hitting my door. I thought someone was breaking in and I was going to have to shoot someone. So I have a shit ton of adrenaline coursing through my body right now.”

“Boo-­fucking-­hoo. Are you coming out with us or not?”

“Not. Dakota, I told you, I’m fucking exhausted.” At least that was true. “I’ll go out with you tomorrow night.”

“Fine, fine. But get some damn sleep, because I’m holding you to that.” He stood and Dylan followed. “Maybe Maci wants to go out with us, I’d bet she brings Amber with her.”

Oh shit.

“Oh fuck yeah, let’s go talk to her.”

“She’s not there,” I said suddenly and tried to school my expression when they turned back around.

“What do you mean? Her car’s in her spot,” Dylan walked toward the front door, and I thought of anything that would make sense right now without me looking suspicious.

“Yeah, she was getting in Amber’s car when I got home. From the way they were dressed, they’re probably not hitting the bars around here tonight.”

“Fuck, if she comes back with a guy, you better fucking call us.”

I just nodded and walked toward my door.

“I’m serious.”

“I hear you, Dylan. If I hear a guy in her apartment, I’ll let you know.”

“All right, see you tomorrow. Seven sound good?”

I nodded and pounded my fist against Dakota’s. “Yeah, see you both then.”

Dylan punched my arm as he walked out my door. “Get some sleep so you’re not such a pussy tomorrow.”

“Well, if you’d leave, I would!”

As soon as the door was shut, I locked it and went over to the window to watch Dakota’s truck. Once they took off out of the parking lot, I practically ran back to my bedroom and flung open the closet door.

Maci launched herself at me, and crushed her mouth to mine.

“Please tell me Amber won’t be at the bar tonight,” I begged against her lips.

“No, no. She got called into the hospital before you even got home.”

“Thank God,” I breathed and kissed her again, stopping when I finally noticed her body. “Why are you shaking, sweetheart?”

“I just—­I thought—­I . . . fuck,” she cried, and her head hit my bare chest as a sob tore from her throat.

“Maci, no . . . don’t cry. Please don’t cry.” Holding her close, I walked us over to my askew bed, and sat down with her in my lap.

“I thought they were going to find out. They can’t find out,” she said between strained sobs. “They’ll make us stop seeing each other.”

“No they won’t.” I didn’t even believe what I was saying.

“Yes they will, you know they will. You heard them just then, they wanted you to tell them if I brought someone home tonight. You’ve seen how they always act.”

“It’s not their decision if I see you or not. Just because that prick you were seeing would have listened to them doesn’t mean I will.”

“They’ll make you stop, Connor!”

I shook my head and grabbed her chin, waiting for her to look up at me. “There’s always a choice, Maci. They can tell me to stop, but like I said, that doesn’t mean I will.”

Her gray eyes stared at me as more tears fell down her face, and I brushed my thumb against her cheeks with the hand that wasn’t holding her to me. I hated seeing her cry, but something deep inside me was happy that she would get this upset over us not being together.

I turned and laid her down in my bed, and brushed my lips across her cheek as a lone tear slipped down. Bringing my hands to the pants she was wearing, I pulled them off her, and let them fall to the floor. Sliding my hands up her waist, and underneath my shirt, I unclasped her bra, and worked at getting it off through the shirt before leaving it on the floor as well. I kissed her gently and took my time looking at her like this in my bed. Nothing but my shirt and her underwear. Fucking perfect.

Walking over to my dresser, I took off my jeans and pulled on a pair of loose sweats before grabbing my comforter and crawling onto the bed. Once we were both covered, I turned her body so she was facing me, and pulled her close.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I didn’t mean to start crying.”

“Don’t be.” Pressing my lips to her forehead, I held her body tight as the last of her shaking stopped. “Go to sleep, sweetheart.”

I was exhausted from being up for so long, and from a case Sanders and I had just finished—­and was physically exhausted from the hours with Maci before her brothers had shown up. Sleep came quick, but the last thought on my mind was how I understood her completely. I was terrified of losing Maci, but I knew that regardless of her brothers, I someday would.