The gravel leading to the auto shop crunches under my wheels as I make my way off the main road. This place is pretty much No Man’s Land. It’s not part of the Bay, but equally it’s not in the Heights, either.
I like it.
It fits me, seeing as I don’t really belong in either place right now.
I thought the Heights would always be my home, but after going back there that night, I realized it stopped being that the day I left. That place will always be in my blood, but I’m not sure I could go back to living there. Although I have a suspicion Donny wouldn’t allow it. He runs that place, and what he says goes. And he clearly doesn’t want me there any longer.
There are cars scattered everywhere. Some look pretty new, others even more beat-up than my brothers’ Ford, which really is saying something. The place is steeped in darkness, and I wonder if it’s already shut for the night when a guy emerges from the side of the building. He’s dressed in all black with heavy ink running up his arm. He is not at all what I was expecting.
He tilts his chin in my direction, and I bring my bike to a stop a little in front of him before jumping off. “Hey, you Gunner?”
“Yeah, but G is just fine. Only my mom and sister call me that,” he says fondly. “You Ace?”
“Sure am.”
Ellen didn’t say that she was going to ring ahead, but I can’t say that I’m surprised.
“Ellen said she might have the perfect laborer for me. I’ve been waiting for her call.”
“So what is it you need?”
He pulls a pack of smokes from his back pocket before offering one to me. Having run out of my own, I accept and put it between my lips to light up.
“You any good with engines?” he asks, gesturing for me to follow him into the shop.
“I guess. I keep this thing running and help with my brothers’ heap of shit car.”
“We do all sorts here. But I’m looking for someone to pick up a few hours. It’s going to be dirty work—cleaning up, making coffee, that kind of thing.”
“Yeah, whatever you need, man.”
“Great. My last guy decided he was too good for this place and fucked off to the military.”
“That won’t be happening here.”
“Good to know. So you grew up in the Heights, eh?”
“Born and bred.” I nod.
We chat for a bit longer. Gunner talks about his love of restoring vintage cars and his dream of opening a chain of auto shops. We talk hours and pay, and almost an hour later, I agree to come back tomorrow after school for my first shift.
For the first time in… possibly ever, I feel like things are looking up.
Remi’s forgiven me, I’ve left my life in the Heights behind, and I’ve got a proper job for once in my life. Maybe this move to the Bay isn’t so bad after all.
Knowing that she’s going to be in the pool house waiting for me, I rev the bike and push the speed a little higher in my need to get to her.
The sound of music spills out into the yard as I make my way toward where they’re hanging out, and I can’t help a smile spread across my lips. When I get to the door, I find Remi and Hadley nestled on the couch and my brothers sprawled over the beanbags, drinking beers.
“I said you could hang out, not party without me.”
“Ace!” Remi jumps up and runs at me, the bottle of beer she was holding crashing to the floor as she launches herself at me.
“Whoa, Princess. How much have you had?”
“I missed you,” she says, crashing her mouth to mine and sliding her tongue past my lips.
“Umm,” I moan into her mouth.
They can party without me any time if this is the kind of welcome I get.
What I really want to do is ignore the three sets of eyes burning into us and march her straight through to my bedroom, but I know I can’t do it quite yet.
Instead, I spin us both around and fall down onto the couch, settling her so she’s straddling me. Her hands are everywhere as she kisses down my neck and starts gathering my shirt in her hands.
“Whoa, baby. At least let me have a drink before you strip me.”
“Sorry,” she breathes against me as Conner passes me a bottle over. I take a long pull as Remi comes up for air.
Her eyes are blown and her cheeks are pink. She looks so fucking hot.
“Where have you been?” she asks.
“I got a job.”
“You had a drop.”
“A drop?” her friend asks, clearly eavesdropping our conversations. “Fucking hell, Ace. Are you a dealer?”
Ignoring her, I focus on Remi. “Ellen’s brother has an auto shop. She sent me there, thinking he might have a job for me.”
“And he did?”
I nod. “I’m going to be working a few shifts a week.”
“That’s… awesome.” She says the right words, but her face tells a different story.
“What’s wrong?”
“If you’re working then I won’t get to see you.” She pouts, and I suck her bottom lip into my mouth.
“Just think of the fun we can have when I get back,” I breathe the words against her lips. “Plus, I’ll have some money so I can take you out, treat you the way you deserve.”
“Hmmm… maybe I can get on board with the idea.”
“So what’s with the school night party?”
“Blame Hads.” We both glance over at my girl’s best friend to find her dancing with Conner. Both of them have a beer in hand and they’re sharing a blunt as Cole silently broods from his seat.
“I miss weed,” he mutters, taking a long pull of his beer.
“How long until the season is finished?”
His response is barely a groan.
“You’d better find pleasure elsewhere then,” Hadley announces. “Come dance with us.” She turns her back on Conner, shoving her ass into his crotch, not that he seems to mind.
“What? You too boring to come and dance?” she goads.
Cole’s jaw pops in frustration as Remi and I sit back to watch the show. It won’t be the first time I’ve seen my brothers with a girl pinned between them, and I’d put money on it not being the last either.
Conner’s hands wrap around Hadley’s hips as he joins in. “What’s wrong, bro? You too good to share now that you’re a Seahawk?”
“Fuck you,” Cole spits, draining his beer before standing up and walking toward them. He doesn’t stop until his body is flush with Hadley. “You want some fun? Let’s have some fun.” He waits until she’s taken a drag of the blunt before capturing her jaw in his grip and covering her lips with his.
“Cole,” both Remi and I bark at the same time.
“What?” he says innocently, a wicked glint in his eye. “I just needed a taste.”
“If that shit gets in your system, you’ll end up fucking benched.”
“Untwist your panties, bro. Here.” He takes the blunt from Conner’s lips and passes it over.
With a shrug, I take it. “Princess?” I ask, offering it to her first. She screws her nose up.
“I’ll stick to the beer, thanks.”
Resting my head back, I take a drag as I let it flow through my system. Remi crawls back onto my lap and runs her hands up my chest until her forearms rest over my shoulders. Her eyes are wild as she stares at me and smiles shyly.
“What are you thinking, Princess?”
She bites down on her bottom lip and glances at me through her dark lashes. “Wondering what it might be like if we were both naked right now.” She grinds her ass down on my already hard cock and I groan, equal amounts of pleasure and frustration racing through me.
“Princess,” I warn.
Leaning forward, she presses her breasts against my chest and runs her tongue up the length of my neck. “Let me give you what you need.”
“Soon.” It pains me to say it, but I meant what I said this morning. I want to prove to her just how serious I am. “Nothing stopping me giving you what you need, though.”
“Ace,” she moans when I pull her down onto me and grind against her pussy.
“You reckon I could get you off like this?”
“Hmmm.” Her eyes flutter closed as I do it again.
Hadley giggles, but I don’t take my eyes off Remi to see what the hell my brothers are doing to her. I’d rather not know. I’m not the only one with a reputation from the Heights.
“You think they’d notice.” Remi looks over her shoulder and gasps, but I’m not sure if it’s because of what she sees or what I’m doing to her. “Ace,” she moans again. “Please.”
She’s still wearing her school uniform, and the pleated skirt that’s fanned around my lap is the perfect cover. Running my hand up her thigh, I slip it under the fabric until I find the soaked lace of her panties. “Fucking hell, Princess,” I groan in her ear.
“Need you, Ace.”
Hooking my finger in the lace, I move it aside and press down against her swollen clit.
“Oh God,” she gasps.
“Good?”
“So good.”
I move my fingers lower and she moans loudly as I circle her entrance. My eyes flick up to what’s going on only feet away, but seeing as the three of them are suitably preoccupied, I continue with what I started.
As I push my fingers deeper inside, she begins to tremble above me. I press my thumb to her clit and wrap my other hand around the nape of her neck, pulling Remi’s mouth down to mine so I can swallow her cries. Her hips move in time with my fingers and my cock weeps, desperate to feel her riding me exactly like this.
The temptation to undo my pants and allow her to sink down on me burns through me. I glance up once more. I’ve no doubt I’d get away with it. But I can’t. I made a promise to myself and I refuse to break any more where Remi is concerned.
I just hope Ellen comes up with something epic, and fast, so my balls don’t explode with need in the meantime.
“Ace.” Her pussy clamps down on my fingers, telling me that she’s close.
“Ride my fingers, Princess.” I mutter against her lips. “Show me how much you need this.”
Remi does exactly as she’s told and starts moving faster against me until her body locks up a second before pleasure races through her.
“Oh my God,” she pants, dropping her face into the crook of my neck.
She traps my arm between us, so I make the most of the situation and keep moving my fingers, causing little aftershocks that have her shivering against me.
“Ace,” she moans. “Please tell me they’re not watching.”
“Princess, I never want anyone one to see you like that again. No one has a clue what just happened.” She lifts up and allows me to pull my arm from between us.
Lifting my fingers, I suck them into my mouth. Her pupils dilate as she watches me savor her.
“So fucking sweet. The next time you come, it’s going to be on my face and without those motherfuckers in the room.”
“Are they leaving soon?” she asks, making me bark out a laugh.
“Impatient for more, Princess?”
“Always.”
“You’re fun when you’re tipsy.” I kiss the tip of her nose and lift her from my lap so I can get us both a fresh drink. I ignore the three bodies grinding away to the music. “Princess,” I call when I’ve got the bottles. “Shall we?” I nod to my bedroom and she jumps up.
“What about them?”
“What about them? They’re all old enough to make their own mistakes.”
I close the door behind me, the solid oak heavy enough to block out most of the noise. Remi comes to a stop a few feet in front of me and spins. She sways slightly, and I can’t help but laugh.
Has she really only had two?
“Princess?”
“Yeah?” she whispers.
“Strip for me.”
Her chin drops, but she soon covers her shock. She lifts her new bottle to her lips. My eyes drop to the smooth skin of her neck as she swallows.
“You want a show, Ace?” she asks, sauntering over to the nightstand and lowering her bottle, but in doing so she bends at the waist, causing her skirt to rise up.
“Princess. I said strip, not tease.”
“Same thing, no?”
“No. My patience won’t extend to teasing. I need my head between your thighs. Right. Fucking. Now.”
Her cheeks heat, but it doesn’t stop her hands from coming up to the buttons of her shirt and undoing each one torturously slowly.
“Remi, baby. You’re going to need to go faster.”
“Good things come to those who wait, Ace.”
“Hmmm…”
My fingers clench around the handle I’m still holding as I resist taking matters into my own hands.
