Born Into Trouble (Occupy Yourself Book 1) (27 page)

“
Si, mi amor
.” She chewed on her lip a moment, eyes flickering as her gaze moved up his chest and neck to his face, searching his eyes. Her fingers wrapped around his shoulders, hands sliding to the center of his back, pulling him down and over her. “Please, Ben. Love me.”

“As my lady wishes,” he quipped and saw a flash of something he couldn’t identify before her eyes dipped closed. “I want you, Lucia.” He slipped inside her, one inch at a time, holding his breath as she went stock-still beneath him.
Remember it forever. This moment, suspended in time
. “I want this, baby. Beautiful lady. Wanted this forever. Mine.” Buried to the root, he held immobile, resisting the urge to start plunging deep, fucking her fast and hard.
Love her, her one request. All my life, if she’ll have me
. “Want you. Need you. So much. I do, baby.” He paused and then asked, “Do you, Luce?”

Her arms tightened around him as guttural Spanish fell from her lips, her gaze pinning him in place because whatever she was saying sounded profound. “
Sabes quien soy, sabes como me llamo, pero no cuanto te amo tu
.” Rocking her hips up, her eyes slid half closed as she gently urged him to move. “Love me, Benny.”

Hotter and tighter than he expected, and he’d expected a lot, she moved with him as he slowly pulled out, and then slid back inside. “Like silk, baby. So sleek. Velvet all around me. So beautiful.” Mouth to hers, he whispered his discoveries to her, finding words failing him. “Indescribable. We fit together, feel that? How you were made for me? Just mine?”

“
Si, bebe
. We fit.
Cuando estoy contigo estoy feliz que nunca he estado
. Happy. So happy. Happier than I’ve ever been.” Their breaths mingling, he tried to slow the rhythm between them, but her hips lifted under him, drawing him deeper, offering him more. “My life. Benny, I’ve wanted you for so long.”

Now. Finally, mine
. He drove deep inside her where he’d longed to be forever. Since he first saw her, knew her. Wanted her.

Words poured into his mind, lyrics and phrases, thoughts, but he pushed it all aside to focus on Lucia in his arms. “Mine.” Down to single words, he tried to express what this meant to him. “Lover. Woman.” Mouth to her neck, licking and tasting her skin. “Only you.”

Faster, he was chasing his, right there, out of reach. “God.” She lifted her legs, rocking him deeper, wrapping her heels around his thighs, urging him onwards.

“I can’t last, Luce. Too good.” Grunting into her neck now as he slammed into her, sweat across his shoulders, the heat of her mouth there, lips touching, sucking, licking.
Love you
.

“Gonna…”

So long, he’d wanted this so long.
Want you
.

“God…”

“Go, Ben. Fly for me.” Edge of her teeth now, raking fingernails on his back, but her words were what sent him over the edge. “I’m yours, Benny. Take all of me.”

With a groan, he filled the condom, heat flashing around the head of his cock, her tight all around him, arms wrapping him up. Mouth to his ear, she whispered to him, holding tight, so fucking tight it was like she wanted to melt into him and he kept coming, sensations blazing up his spine so hard and strong he groaned again, pressing deep inside her, ass clenching hard, feeling his cock jerk and pulse.

“Honey.” He murmured as it rolled over him again and then again; hard, a wave which stayed with him for a long time, throbbing in his whole body, echoed by his heart thudding in his chest. Her heart beating out the same rhythm. Anchoring him. Slowly coming down, he felt the tiny kisses she dusted up his shoulder and neck, across the hinge of his jaw. Felt her hands roaming his back, palms smoothing over his muscles, slowly stroking across his skin. Holding him to her, cradling him in her arms. Loving him.

I love you
was on the tip of his tongue, but he bit it back as he had the last hundred times it wanted to slip out. Before, it was a promise he didn’t know if he could keep, and now, he found himself not wanting her to think it was a heat of the moment thing, wanting to find the right time to tell her. Waiting.

“God, Luce. So good, baby. You’re perfect for me.” Saying things that were true, but the emotion they held only skimmed the surface of what he felt. “Perfect together. Sexy and smart, everything you do turns me on.” He ran his hands down her sides, cupping her ass and lifting, gliding in, then out slowly, doing that again, feeling her so tight around him. “Best everything I’ve ever had, Lucia.”

Leaning close, he brushed his lips across hers, chasing her tongue with the tip of his, grinning as she panted against his mouth. “Best kiss.” Bowing his back, he dusted his lips down her neck and across her chest, sucking and nibbling at her nipple through the lace of her bra. “Best…” He nuzzled across to her other breast, loving how her hands clasped his head to her. “…ever.”

Gliding in one final time, he eased out, hands sweeping up and down her sides again. Mouth to her belly, he kissed and sucked and licked and bit his way down her stomach. “Best…” Hand to his cock, he got the condom off by feel, tossing it to the floor beside the bed as he slipped between her legs. Mouthing the sensitive skin inside her hip, he trailed kisses from one side to the other, and then back again, angling down until he was exactly where he wanted to be. “Lover.”

Fingers tracing between her lips, he teased her, dipping his mouth to glide his tongue up and across her clit. A gasp was his reward, and he held her open with his fingers, framing her and giving himself access to everything he’d wanted for so long. Licking and lapping across every inch of flesh, using every trick he knew to pleasure her. Fingers deep, twisting and plunging while he sucked her clit into his mouth, fluttering across it with the tip of his tongue. Covering her with his mouth, thrusting inside with his tongue, fucking her hard while he rolled her clit with his thumb.

“Best pussy.” He hummed as he drew on her clit, then groaned when he lapped at the richness she offered. “So good, Luce. Tastes so good. Best I’ve ever tasted.” Head to her thigh, he watched his fingers dipping in and drawing out, licking away what was delivered with every stroke.
Honey sweet, what she gives me
.

“Addictive.” At the word, she stiffened, and he edged away from language that would describe what he felt. A high like he’d never known, her under him, him in her in all the ways he could be. Addictive didn’t describe it. He would never get enough of her.
No OD in my future, just everything I need
.

“My baby feeds me what I need.” Mouth between her legs again, his cock rocking against the mattress, rigid again as he ate her fast and hard, feeling her press up against his mouth, fingers in his hair. Pulling back, he grinned at her soft protest, then told her, “Want to love you again, baby. Get a condom from the nightstand.”

Fingers still working her, he felt her legs quivering on his shoulders, felt the twitching of her muscles where her calves draped over his back. She moved, and he looked up her body, seeing her breasts arching up as she twisted to reach the drawer. “Other side, baby.” She glanced down, her face soft and he saw her suck in breath as he thrust his tongue deep, teeth rasping across her clit, hearing her gasping reaction at the same time, feeling how she tightened and tensed. Twisting to the other side, she opened the drawer to find it empty, like he knew it would be. “Sorry, wanted to watch your tits move. Mmmm. Best titties, baby. Love those.”
Love you
. He clamped the lid on the words, seeing her frown, pretending to be upset he’d fake her out.

When she had the condom in hand, he moved up, straddling her chest, knees to her sides, evidence of his desire right in front of her. Undeniably ready for her. For this. “Put it on me, baby.”

“Okay, Benny.” She grinned up at him, looking coy and before he realized what she was doing, the head of his cock was inside her hot mouth, lips tight around the shaft and for a moment, all he could do was feel. Hot, tight, sweet.
Lucia
.

“
Fuck
,” he gritted the word out. Shaking his head at her, he shifted his hips back and muttered, “Don’t be bad, baby.” She pulled off him with a pop, and he felt the loss immediately, chill air replacing the unbelievably hot sensation of her mouth.

“Benny,
eres mi todo
.” Fingers tearing the wrapper open, she held his gaze with hers, the intensity of the look would have been unnerving if he didn’t love her so much. “
Tu amor me inspira. El toque de tu manos me mueve y tus besos me hacen te quiero mas. Estoy enamorada de ti
.” Working his cock, she held on, stroking slowly. “Yes?”

“Lucia.” Benny moved, lifting off her, settling in beside her, cupping her cheek with his hand. Still shying from those three words, he told her, “You gotta know, baby.”

“I do, Ben.” She lifted and pressed her lips to his, then turned to him, curving one leg over his hip as she reached down to guide him inside her. “You gotta know too,
si
?”

“I love you.” Unable to hold back any longer, unplanned, the promise rose into the air between them, and he felt the swell of reaction from her, emotion boiling over along with her tears. A steady stream gliding down her cheeks, she wept as she tipped her hips and took him deep, even while his thumb futilely tried to sweep them away. Leaning in, heart racing, he kissed her, tasting the salt of her fears. “No. No, baby girl.”
God, I fucked this up
. Murmuring against her lips, “Luce, honey. Don’t cry, baby.”

“I love you, too, Benny.
Eres me todo
. You are my everything. Since I met you, I knew you were the one for me.” She set things to rights effortlessly, as she did everything else with him. Leaning her head into his hand, she took him in, hips rocking with his as they moved together slowly, softly, lovingly. Filling each other up with the emotions shared between them. Her quiet cries of completion bringing him up to and over the brink, crashing down with the knowledge that she was right there with him.

Hours later, he felt her hands on his shoulders, stroking across his skin. “
Papi
, what’s wrong?” Heated breath ghosting from side to side as she pressed close, followed by a gentle pressure from her lips and a whispered, “Come back to bed.”

He pushed the papers aside, shuffling through them to find the one he wanted. “Listen, Luce.” He stood, taking her with him when he climbed into bed, leaning against the headboard. By the light of his phone, he silently read the words on the paper, tracing each line a final time as she settled against him. “Listen.” Then he sang to her, and when she melted into him, he knew even before she uttered a word.

“
De muy bonito,
Benny
. Me encanta, de verdad
. So beautiful.”

“Fucking shit, Slate.” Benny cursed as he stumbled, again. This time cracking his shin on what felt like a low table his brother didn’t even attempt to steer him around. His hands jerked up and he was about to pull the blindfold off when he caught a whiff of perfume.
Lucia
. A second later, he felt her hands on his wrists. “Luce?” She giggled, and he smiled at the sound.
Gorgeous
. “Gimme a kiss, beautiful.”

Since the first night together, they’d spent only hours apart, today being one of the longest times. She’d left early this morning, scratching out a note and putting it beside the coffeepot, telling him she had things to do, would see him soon, that she loved him. He never got tired of it, how free she was with her affection, with telling him.

And how she spent her time showing him.

Her lips brushed his; gentle, slow, questing across his mouth with her tongue before pulling back. He groaned and pulled a face, pouting, hearing muffled laughter from both sides. People.
If she doesn’t care who sees, then I surely don't
.

Luce giggled again and tugged on his wrists. Once she got him moving, her grip loosened and slipped until she held his hands. She was backing in front of him, making sure he didn’t run into anything else on this fucking ridiculous trip with his brother.

Benny had woken this morning to a handful of frozen marbles in his bed; the frigid balls of torture rolling around, puddling everywhere he tried to brace himself. Hands. Elbows. Hips. Ass. Those little frozen bastards were everywhere.

This had been one of Slate’s favorite ways to wake him when he was a kid, and once it stopped happening, he’d never missed it. Not once. Hadn’t been pleased the frozen marbles were back today, but after tossing them one-by-one at his brother, he'd laughed hard at Slate pretending to shield his eyes when Benny jumped out of bed shouting…and naked.

That little treat was followed by a real one as Slate fixed him a hugely elaborate breakfast. One complete with a purchased blueberry muffin sporting a single candle. He’d looked a question at Slate, who laughed as he started singing, shocking Benny into realizing he hadn’t even remembered his own birthday. Since things had settled so well with OY, and then with Lucia, he’d been busy, spending nearly every waking hour working or with Luce, and his birthday hadn’t rated an ounce of consideration.

After breakfast, Slate loaded him into a truck and threw a bandana at Benny, telling him to blindfold himself. After making a show out of checking the fabric for obvious usage, he complied; the grin on Slate’s face as he did so worth making a fool out of himself if that was what it all came down to.
Anything
, he’d thought.

That brought him here, walking blindfolded across an open space with the oddly-muffled noise of a large group of people all around, Lucia in front of him, knowing his brother was somewhere in the room. “Shhhh.” The loud hiss came from an unidentifiable someone in front of him, right past where Luce was. He halted, and she stopped with him, her grip steady and strong.

“Can I take off the whisker-wiper, yet, bro?” His fingers curled and tightened, anxiety taking hold in the darkness. Luce would never steer him wrong, but this was starting to edge into weird. “I’m getting kinda freaked,” he admitted and hated the emotion would be clear in his shaking voice.

“One sec, honey.” This was Ruby, and he swung his head her direction, hearing a loud metallic sound followed by a muttered, “Fuck me.” Butterflies eased by his brother’s voice, knowing Ruby paired with Luce would have his back against any stupid birthday party tricks, he forced in a deep breath, waiting.

“Okay, shrimp.” Slate’s voice was full of pride. “Take off the blinders.”

Luce’s fingers got there before his and she pushed the tightly-tied fabric up and off his head, dangling it from her hand as he blinked in the bright light.
What the fuck?
His hand shot out, fingers wrapping around Luce’s hand as he turned in a half circle, looking around in shock. There were amps, guitars, microphone stands, and a drum kit. The wall of glass in front of him revealed what looked like a sound room. Everything, down to the overlapping rugs on the floor pointed to one thing. The space had all the trappings of, “A recording studio?”

He faced Slate, taking in his brother’s self-pleased stance, hands shoved in his pockets, rocking back on the heels of his black biker boots, a broad smile on his face. “You built a recording studio.” Not a question, but he slowly felt his way through the words, his tone disbelieving. “A recording studio. I’m standing in a live room. In your house.” Slate and Ruby had moved into a house a couple of months ago, not long after he moved out into his apartment. There was a huge outbuilding attached to their house via the garage and Slate had been cagey about what he intended for the space. Now Benny knew. He pointed to the walls of glass. “You built a recording studio in your house.”

Stunned, he looked around again to see all the guys there, standing slightly apart from the bikers gathered around. As often as the band had played Marie’s, and for all Mitty and Vic lived with Bear for a while, only Vic had gotten comfortable around the rough and ready men who made up the Rebel Wayfarers. Seeing the band there, he couldn’t wait, words boiling out of him. “Sticks and strings? Wanna go? Try it out? See how she flies?” Bonnie was the first to move, and he mentally adjusted how he thought about the band. No longer all guys, she’d blended with them so well, it was as if she’d always played with them.

He told them what they already knew, the impossible thing Slate had handed him. “My brother built a recording studio in his house.” No more scrimping and saving to get put on a list for studio time, no more stressing about the hours spent behind the mixing boards pushing faders, dollar signs ringing up with every sweep of the minute hand.

A thought hit him, and he turned to Slate. “I can use it, right?” A disbelieving headshake and grin were Slate’s response, and Benny gave Luce’s hand a squeeze before releasing his hold and striding over to Slate. Gripping the back of his neck, he stared into his brother’s eyes, thrilled that the same love he felt was shining back at him. “Love you, brother.”

“Love you, shrimp. Happy twenty-eighth. Promise to hang around a while, yeah?” His voice roughened near the end, and Benny barely heard his repeated, “Love you, shrimp.” Pulling him in for a hard, back-pounding hug, Slate muttered, “More than you know, baby bro.” Shared sentiments.

“Back atcha,” Benny whispered, opening his eyes to find Mercedes staring at them, her gaze evaluating and after a moment, the corner of her mouth twitched and Benny relaxed. It was all good. Every bit of it.

It was hours later and they were still at it. Long after all the Rebel members had wandered away, going outside where a family barbecue was set up complete with kids running wild in the yard, jumping in and out of the pool, and babies napping in the nursery, music continued to feed out of the speakers. Slate was lounging in a chair behind the boards, while the OY members were scattered around the sound room, tuning and playing softly. They were trying to be patient as Vic messed with his kit for what seemed like the hundredth time that night already.

Staring through the windows at him, Benny waited until Slate cocked his head to one side, until he was certain his brother’s focus was firmly on him, when he mouthed his thanks. Then, he strummed louder and began to sing, fingers flicking through an old advertising tune. “Oh my brother has a first name, it’s A-N-D-R-E-W. My brother has a last name, it’s D-I-C-K-H-E-A-D.” Laughing, he watched as Slate lifted both hands, flying the bird on both of them, grinning widely at him.

***

Benny could hear Bethany’s frustration when she spoke; over the phone, it even colored her laughter. She hadn’t counted on dealing with this much of a challenge when Iron Indian took on OY, and found to her dismay the band’s history dogged nearly every engagement she attempted. “Gonna crack this nut, Benny. Don’t worry, babe. I have a hundred options in my bag of tricks yet.”

As always, he was surprised she wasn’t more pissed at how poorly he’d handled things last year, and the year before. Instead, she came off angry at the poor management they’d gotten from Benita, and furious at the venue owners and radio stations who called the band a has-been, pointing her towards booking the kind of dives they were already playing around the Fort.

Fortunately, those bars had turned into a groundswell of fan activity, and he loved seeing how they were packed, crowds standing shoulder-to-shoulder when OY was on the bill. The people enjoyed listening to the band, and since their last song in a set was guaranteed to always be as well delivered as their first, those folks hung around all night, which the bars loved. The real fans enjoyed their easy access to the band, crowding around between sets to ask questions and take selfies. The regulars at the bars had learned about Benny’s path to sobriety, and now were as big a defender as Mercedes when it came time to deflect innocent offers from newbies.

Bethy had a broad knowledge of direct-to-fan promotions, and was a wizard at managing social media, so in addition to being their representative at the label, had basically become their general manager, too. Ten places in the Fort vied for eight shows a month. They could have played another eight, but Benny knew what he needed now, and for once, he wasn’t afraid to ask for it, defend it if needed. Lucia helped, reminding Bethy of the three days reserved for group, and then the band needed practice time, so that filled the other two, leaving them Friday and Saturday for shows.

Every gig got them decent cash, and every performance brought Benny closer to where he needed to be in his own head. Looking out at the crowded floor in front of the slightly elevated stages, heaving with bodies moving to the music OY made, he would watch in fascination as mouths echoed the words back to him, learning every new song, feeding energy back to the band in a way they all needed.

But larger venues in the area were booked months in advance, and venues in other regions were understandably reluctant to take a chance on what was considered a relaunch band. Especially one that currently had limited airtime on syndicate, Internet, or public stations. They needed an in, and like Bethany, Benny knew all it took was one chink in the dam to pull the whole thing down. They hadn’t found their
in
yet.

“You’ll get this, Bethy,” he gave her assurances he felt were needed, and she laughed.

“I know I will, Ben. This ain’t my first rodeo.” Warmth suffused her voice when she asked, “My nephew doing well? He never calls his aunt these days.”

The smile faded from Benny’s face. This was the one thing he didn’t have a handle on. Chase. The boy was remote and surly by turns, making Benny worry he’d started drinking again, or something worse, but careful questioning had only turned up the volume on the crabby without providing evidence for Benny’s fears, so he’d backed off. Chase was short-tempered even with Lucia, someone who, next to Benny, was his best friend. He shook his head. “Boy’s got something going on, Bethy. He’s playing well, practicing all the time.” He hesitated before offering, “Almost obsessively. I can’t get a handle on him.”

“He loves Lucia.” Mercedes’ quiet voice came from behind him, and he swung to look at her, a scoffed laugh breaking from him when she rolled her eyes at his shock.

From the phone, he heard a slow, drawled, “Maybe I’ll talk to Mason.” Bethy paused, cautious. “See what he knows.”

Eyes to Mercedes, he answered, “Would be good, I think. His dad would know him best.” He frowned at the face Mercedes pulled as she gave a little jump, settling herself on top of the desk in the corner. “Someone walked in, Bethy. I gotta go.” Goodbyes said, he disconnected the phone and stared at Mercedes. With one contribution to a conversation she wasn’t part of, she had provided a piece to a puzzle he’d been worrying about for weeks. He was incredulous he hadn’t seen it before, and wanted to be sure of what she was saying. “What do you mean?”

“He’s loved her as long as I’ve been around, probably as long as he’s known her.” She tipped her head, gaze moving to the doorway past Benny. “It’s nothing you did, Lucia. The young man’s done a good job masking it with the close friendship you have.” Without turning, Benny held his hand out and, moments later, felt the heat of Lucia’s grip as she snuggled into his back. He used her arm around his belly to pull her in front of him, folding her into his arms as Mercedes continued, “But he hasn’t missed the change in this relationship,”—her waving finger indicated the two of them—“and he’s now coming to terms with unrequited love.”

Sadness stole across Lucia’s features, and he leaned down, touching his mouth to hers in a quick brush. “You fucking see everything, Mercedes. I didn’t see it,” he said, angling his eyes to where Mercedes sat. “How did I not see?”

“He didn’t want you to. You were vocal about your affection for Lucia.” She grinned. “I’m not telling tales now. Luce knows exactly how you love her, but you never once hid what you wanted, except from her.” With a shake of her head, she said, “Best guess? He wanted this for you, in an abstract ‘I want my friends happy’ way, because Luce, you weren’t trying to hide what you wanted, either, so he knew his affection wasn’t to be. But the heart wants what the heart wants.” Another grin lifted her lips. “Woody was right. There’s no logic.”

“The cartoon character?” Benny shook his head, having a hard time following Mercedes, as usual.