Page 6 of His to Claim (The Rowdy Johnson Brothers)
“Some dumb fuck cocksucker is blackballing me. I’d like to slice off his little balls. If he’s in fact a man. If it’s a woman, well, I’ll kick her in the twat so hard she’ll bend over and then use my knee to give her a free nose job.” Mae is fighting mad. Her nostrils flare as her hands fist at her sides. I’m trying to hold my laughter back at her mouth, not from what she’s telling me. Though, the words she’s said have my palm itching to feel her fleshy ass with each slap.
“You wanna tell me how this someone is blackballing you?” I need the full details before I can figure out how to fix her situation. Maeve dips her head. Losing her eyes isn’t an option. The tips of my fingers find her dark tendrils, tugging at the ends until I’ve got her attention.
“I’m aware of nothing except some keyboard warrior is posting bad review after bad review on every website Whisked Away has a landing page of sorts. Maddie tried to fight the man on the moon or whoever this fuck dick is, and she still is, or trying to.” After today, I’m going to tally each cuss word that leaves her mouth, and each one will leave a mark of sorts on her body. Nothing permanent, just enough to see my handprint and make her sore to sit the next week.
“Woman, your mouth is worse than anycowhand's we have at the ranch. Watch it. You wanna show me, so I can see what we’re dealing with?” I move in closer, something I thought would be impossible given the position we’re in now.
“Whatever. I’ve heard the lot of you. I’d dare say your mouths are ten times worse than my ten or twenty cuss words a day. Plus, I have to get mine out of the way, or Ryan will make me pay up.” Mae tries to wiggle her way off the table, but with me standing in her way, it’s going to be damn hard. I hold steady, wanting to feel her squirming beneath me in more ways than one.
“Who's Ryan, and why do they make you pay up?” We’re having three conversations at once, and it’s starting to make me realize this is only the surface of Maeve.
“My niece. Kind of hard to show you what’s going on when you’re holding me hostage, JW.” Spicy Mae may just be my favorite version of her. I run my fingers through the ends of her hair before pulling back and holding my hand out for her to take.
“Lead the way, baby girl.” I lick my lips again. Each movement she makes has my cock hardening further.
“Yeah, and we’re going to talk, too. I’m not sure what to think, but it’s doing my head in. Fine, don’t say anything. Stand there and look handsome, why don’t you.” She stomps her way into a small office she keeps in thebakery, and I follow her every step of the way. I’m almost positive her last sentence wasn’t meant for me, and isn’t that rotten luck of hers? There’s no fucking way I’ll forget what she said. Not now, not fucking ever.
SIX
MAEVE
I’m confused, very freaking confused. The man who has avoided me at all costs is suddenly in my circle. There is no three feet circumference whatsoever since the moment he walked into Whiskey Away. The whole walk to my office, JW’s presence was more than known, his hand on my lower back, his earthy scent surrounding us, yet he remained quiet. I did too, mainly because I’m so wrapped up in my own head, I can’t make sense of what’s heads and what’s tails.
“Show me, Maeve.” I’m standing still, almost like when you’re playing a game of freeze-tag and waiting to be unfrozen. My feet aren’t moving and I’m second-guessing telling JW anything. I mean, this person is wreaking havoc on my business, my sister is getting nowhere, and now another worry is added to the ever-evolving equation. I’ve clearly done something to piss someoneoff. The last thing I want is for JW to help me, because this fuck nugget could very well turn the tables on the Johnsons.
“This isn’t a good idea. I’ll weather the storm or rent out the store front until all of this blows over.” His family is entrenched in our community, his parents, his brothers, his brothers' wives. They’re all successful in their own right. Birdie with her web design and digital marketing business. Tully being the town veterinarian with her own office now. And Juniper, who’s a class act in the medical field as a nurse. She’s the one I’m probably the closest to out of all the sisters. Maybe it’s because she and Lawson were like oil and water there for a while.
“Baby girl, sit your pretty ass down, show me what’s going on, and I’ll tell you what I can and can’t handle.” The rasp of his voice slides along the shell of my ear. His words do things to my body, like making my legs clench together, nipples pebbling. They make me want to do something I’ve never done before, like strip down to nothing but bare skin, drop to my knees, and do anything he tells me to.
“JW.” My voice is that of a stranger. A sultry tinge with an almost breathless quality.
“Fuck me, Maeve.” His hand slides from its resting place on my lower back to wrap around my front and pull me closer. JW’s front is smashed to my backside, allowing me to feel everything. And I do mean every single thing.His firm chest, strong arms, and well, his cock is another story entirely. The way we’re positioned, the light linen shorts I’m wearing and his jeans are no barrier for the way we’re connected. Not so much as a sheet of paper could fit between our bodies. He bends his knees until his hard length is nestled between the cheeks of my ass. My body trembles, my knees start to go weak, and it's only JW holding me up that keeps me vertical. I’m tempted to beg him to do exactly as he stated. There’s only one problem with that: I’m a virgin. While having him like this, if I admit my truth to him, who knows how he’ll respond?
“Chair. Now. Before we do something you’re not ready for.” His legs move to the outside of mine, and we continue our path. We’re only maybe ten feet away, yet he’s keeping his hold on me the entire time. His hand doesn’t leave my middle even as he pulls my chair out. It’s not until he’s guiding me into my seat that he lets go. “Pull up what you can and send me the links to what your sister found.”
JW wiggles my mouse for me. Clearly, I’m not moving fast enough. Color me stumped. If roles were reversed, he would be too. This is a whole different version of the man I’m used to. He’s not holding back. There are no more sly glances I’d receive when he didn’t know I was looking. And now he’s touching me whereas before he’d keep his distance. Even when he came to Whisked Away to replenish hiscinnamon roll habit, JW always remained his stoic self. Except I saw him. I always see him, no matter the time or place. He’s all I see.
“Alright. Well, Maddie probably can tell you more about what’s going on. She said something about an IP address, a VPN, and back door thing or whatever. It’s above me in every possible way. Computers aren’t my thing.” I enter my password once the computer wakes up and JW takes over. He clicks on the web browser, his arms caging me in, and I’m wondering why he asked me to show him in the first place when he’s clearly got it all figure out.
“Type in the web address that has the most negative feedback.” Gee, shoot me in the heart, why don’t you. No one, I mean no one, wants to read negative anything about themselves and the creativity they’ve poured their heart and soul into.
“Fine, but I’m not looking. You can read them yourself.” Throwing a temper tantrum doesn’t seem like a bad idea. But JW doesn’t need to see me acting like a two-year-old when he’s already seen me cuss my heart out like a sailor.
“Close your eyes,” he suggests without any hesitation or any undertone that’d make me feel like I’m being silly. I pull up the most popular website for ratings and reviews. Then I do what I’m told—I close my eyes and rest my back in the chair. JW can see for himself the amount of hatred someone has out for Whisked Away.Michelle and Madison even checked if there were new bakeries popping up in a twenty-mile radius maybe trying to take out their competition. There weren't. So, as it stands now, I’m back to square one, which completely fucking sucks.
“Jesus,” JW hisses out, and now I’m really glad he recommended I look away. “Tip your head back, baby girl.” My body obeys his command arching back and JW surprises me in another way. I’m greeted with his lips against mine. I'm unprepared for the feel, soft and pillowy yet hard and dominating. I really shouldn’t be stunned into silence. Not even a whimper leaves me. His hand holds the front of my neck, not tightening, just holding with a pressure there to let me know of his presence.
“Open.” The minute I do, his tongue slides along my upper lip, sucking it between his teeth, and then I’m being kissed like I’ve never been kissed before. I melt into him as my hand wraps around his forearm, worried he’s going to leave before I’m ready.
I want this moment to last.
I want to remember his taste.
I want to remember this feeling.
And I want so badly for this never to end.
“I should have known you’d be addictive, baby girl.” I open my eyes, watching as he slowly backs away, his hand remaining in place. A sweep of his thumb slides over my pulse point, and my rapidly beating heart only beats faster.