A Little Bit of Trouble (10 page)

     I pinch the bridge of my nose, doesn’t this woman ever stop fussing? “Loryn. I’m doing this because for some damn reason I want to. Because I like you and you’ve been through a lot and right now, you need a friend.” I point to myself. “Let me be that. Now do as you’re told woman and go put your damn feet up whilst I make your shop all pretty. Okay?”

     She nods frantically and takes a step towards me before wrapping her arms around me. I return the hug and kiss her on top of her head. What am I going to do with her?

     “Promise me you’ll stay here?” I mumble against her hair.

     “I promise.”

     “Good girl. Go sit down.” Fortunately she does as she’s told. I get ready and leave before I do something stupid. Like try to screw her brains out, that would be nice but the timing is shit.

     I pick up Marie on the way to Carey’s Clothing. Fortunately she’s offered her assistance as she’s not working at all today. She smiles as soon as she enters my car, “Hello.”

     “
Sup?”

     “Loryn seems nice.”

     “Yeah.”

     “So when were you going to tell us about her?”

     “Nothing to tell,” I grumble.

     She rolls her eyes, “Puh-lease, your damn eyes never left her yesterday. Also, if there’
s nothing to tell, why are we fixing up her shop for her?”

     “Because it’s the right thing to do.”

    She coughs into her hand, “Fullofshit.” Cough.

     I pinch her thigh, she squeals and slaps my hand away. “I like her.”
It is the only response I can seem to muster.

     “You like her? Or you like
,
like
her?” This again? Didn’t I have this same conversation with James yesterday?

     “Are we suddenly in High School?”

     She flips her caramel colored hair over her shoulder and bites her lower lip, “It’s nice to see you with someone Lucas. She likes you too, in case you were wondering.”

     She does? “I wasn’t.”

     “Whatever,” she rubs her hands together. “So, what are we doing today?”

     “The window is coming soon, until then we need to fix a couple of locks on the door upstairs and trash eve
rything else. And get her some new furniture and shit.”

     “Okay then. Sounds like a plan. Has she decided what to do with it yet?”

     “I haven’t asked.” Marie groans and rolls her eyes but says nothing further. “So, what’s going on with you? How’s your car?”

     “I scrapped it, getting a new one soon, still got the loaner.”

     “Want me to come with you? I’m a mean haggler,” I flash her my brightest smile. “Especially if the salesperson is female.”

     “Sigh.”

     “My left, your right,” I shout and tilt the sofa sideways. She drops her end. “Damn woman, you really suck at this.”

     “Hey, I just got my damn nails done,” Marie jokes and shows me her bitten nails. “Give me a break. This is heavy shit.”

     We finally make it to the stairs, “Follow my lead, and do not push. Let me pull.” Please don’t push.

     When we finally make it to the bottom I breathe out a relieved breath and wipe my face on my shirt. “Ok, let’s get it to the dumpster.”

     “Are you sure she won’t mind you throwing out her
sofa?” Marie asks suspiciously. I look at the offending pink piece of furniture and raise an eyebrow. “Good point. It is rather hideous.”

    
We finally get it to the dumpster.

     Six hours after arriving
, the apartment and store area are completely empty of all furniture and rubbish, the locks have been fitted and the new, shatterproof window has been installed. James called me an hour ago, a guy should be in tomorrow to fit a decent alarm system.

     Marie
helps me move the new two seated, leather sofa in, and the new flat screen and mattress that were delivered moments ago, sometimes having money rocks. She even sorts out the deep red and black bedding that she purchased a few hours ago on her hunt for ‘pretty things’ and adds a few silver scatter cushions and a matching throw. I sit on the new sofa after setting up the TV and crack open a beer.

     “Hello?” Maya says and knocks at the door before entering. She has Evelyn strapped to her front. “I can’
t stay. I’m just dropping this off.” She hands me a gorgeous dark wood frame that holds Loryn’s certificate, similar to the one Loryn had before.

     “Thanks Maya,” I smile fondly at her. “This is really thoughtful.”
I stand and hang it on the tiny nail on the wall where it was before.

     Maya just shrugs as if to say ‘it’s nothing’. I bend down to kiss my
niece’s chubby cheeks and fists, after the fourth kiss to her face she swipes at me. Laughing, I pull away and kiss Maya on the forehead. “I should go. This place looks great.” Yeah, it does. Marie sees her out as I finish up the last few bits that need doing.

     It’s safe to say I am exhausted and looking forward to b
ed. I need to get Amelia first though. Although I’m a little uncertain on whether or not I’m ready for her to be introduced to another woman. It shouldn’t be a big deal, but it kind of is. Plus it’ll open a whole can of worms that I’m just not ready to deal with. I know she’ll be kind about it. So why am I so determined to let her believe I’m merely separated?

     After grabbing Loryn’s phone and a few of her things I lead Marie to my car and take her home. She almost falls asleep on the way back. We ride in silence for the most part. She kisses me goodbye on the cheek after I walk her to her door. I then drive to Sylvia’s to pick up my little girl.

     “Daddy!” Amelia squeals and comes running from the living room. I thought she was sick?

     I pick her up and hug her tight, “I miss you baby.”

     “Look, look!” She shows me a silver sticker on her top that has the word BRAVE, in dark pink letters. “Grandma got me some stickers!”

     I put her down and lean over to kiss Sylvia on her cheeks, “Thanks for having her Sylvia.”

     “Stop thanking me, she’s a joy to have,” she says and leads me through to the den. “How is the young lady?”

     “She seems okay, she’s staying at mine tonight until a proper alarm is installed tomorrow,” I explain and pull Amelia onto my lap after sitting down.

     “Do you want me to keep Amelia here for the night?”

     I chew on my lower lip, “Would you mind? I hate to ask it of you but… I’m not ready for them to meet yet.”

     “Don’t be silly, it’s no bother. Besides, we still have gingerbread men to make.”

     What would I do without this woman? I look at Amelia, “Are you cool with that princess?”

     “Yeah,” she nods with a gorgeous smile. Christ I feel like a bad father. Although she has had me constantly since birth with hardly any other family, this time she gets with Sylvia and such is good for her. “I like it here.”

     “I’ll stay for an hour,” I lift Amelia to her feet. “Go get your schoolbooks, we’ll do some letters and sounds.” She toddles off without argument, I look at Sylvia, “I know you tell me not to say it. But genuinely, I am really grateful for everything you do.”

     “Lucas,” Sylvia says with a wink. “Yeah?” I respond. She smiles widely, “Shut up.”

     “Duly noted.
So, how are you feeling princess?”

     “Fine,” Amelia responds. What is it with females and that god damn word? “I feel better now.” This, I am glad to hear.

On The Edge of
the Lust Cliff

     I grab dinner on the way home, I just ordered a few things from my favorite Chinese takeout. Loryn seems like the type of female who enjoys balls… chicken balls I mean obviously. Although… Nope, not even letting myself think about that.

     When I make it home, I walk into my apartment and I’m welcomed by the scent of… garlic maybe? I’m unsure but it smells fantastic. There’s banging and such coming from the kitchen, I head through the empty living room and stop in the doorway. Loryn, in a pair of my boxers and a tight vest top that Maya must have left behind, is stood at the oven cooking something in a large pot. I don’t let her know I’m here, she seems lost in her own world, humming and stirring the food whilst shaking her hips in a little dance. She has my iPod plugged into her ears.

     Very carefully I place the Chinese food on the worktop along with her bag of things from her store and sneak up behind her. My hands instantly go around her before landing on her naval. She squeals but instantly relaxes when she sees it’s me. I press my lips to the curve of her neck and taste her flesh with my tongue. She smells like cherries, it’s fucking beautiful. My cock throbs when she shivers under my touch, I can’t resist her. She’s like a fine wine. Or a glass of water in the desert. My hands slide up her ribs and over her breasts, through the thin material I can feel her hard nipples and my dick pulses against the globes of her ass. She whimpers a little as I massage her breasts in my hands and kiss her neck softly.

     “The food,” she says and points to the bubbling pot. With a groan I nip the lobe of her ear and take a step back.
Instantly missing the heat from her body. “How was your day?”

     “It was good, the alarm
system should be ready tomorrow afternoon so you’ll be set to move back in,” I explain and start putting the Chinese in the refrigerator before she sees it. “I brought your phone and whatever clothes I could find.” Her face turns a deep shade of pink. “Don’t worry, Marie did that part, I just oversaw it.”

     “Thank you.”

     “Something smells good.”

     “It’s lamb hotpot.” Never heard of it. “My grandma taught me to make it when I was little.”

    
I clear my throat and take a swig of her wine. That’s gross. “How come you work in the shop? Why don’t you do hair and beauty?”

     She ignores me and continues stirring the pot, I watch as she pulls a loaf of bread from the oven, it looks amazing. That’s what smells like garlic, there is a lig
ht layer of garlic butter on top of the crispy crust. She prods it, switches off the oven and places it back in, most likely to keep it warm. I then watch as she places a layer of potatoes on top of the strange concoction in the pot and puts it under the grill. I really hope I enjoy this.

     “You didn’t answer me,” I say as she removes the oven mitts from her hands and throws them on the side. “Why aren’t you into hair and beauty? Are you no good?”

     She scoffs and gives me a proud smile, “I was really good.”

     “And?”

     With a growl she glares at me, “You aren’t going to let this go are you?”

     “Nope.”

     “I used to do the hair and makeup for the stars, before they went on set. Then I did something stupid.” She shakes her head in disappointment. “I messed around with a director. We’d been dating for a while. He started getting weird, shouting at me all the time, embarrassing me in front of my coworkers. So I broke up with him.”

     I really don’t like the thought of another man putting his hands on her. It really pisses me off, although I remain silent. She’s telling me something that clearly means something to her. If I start getting all possessive she’ll shut down.

     “He didn’t like it, he had me blacklisted.” She says quietly. “Not one person would work with me after that. Then, my mom vanished with her boyfriend and left me my gramps’ store.” She gives a weak shrug. “Now I don’t even have that.”

     I walk over to her and pull her to me, “You have all that floor space, and the insurance money. You could turn it into a salon, or sell it and buy a new place. The possibilities are endless for you now Loryn.”

     “Until Dana turns up I daren’t do anything. Or have you forgotten what those… men,” her jaw clenches. “Did to my store? What’s to stop them from doing it again?”

     I nod and drop the subject. She’s right of course. Until this situation is resolved there’s not much she can do. We have to get in touch with Dana.

     “Dinner should be ready in five, why don’t you go and sit, I’ll bring it through.” She suggests. With a nod I head to the dining room and set the table.

     We eat in silence for a while, I’m not sure what to talk about, and neither is she. I compliment her on her awesome dinner, seriously, you have to try this. It’s fucking beautiful.

     “So, do you still see your mom or dad?” I ask, effectively breaking the silence and bite into the bread. Dear god, I think I have died and gone to heaven.

     “My mom calls every couple of weeks, we’re on… okay terms I guess. My dad isn’t interested. He has his new family now,” she gives a weak shrug followed by a sad smile. “It must be nice having so many people to
look out for you.”

     “It works both ways, they’re good people. A little strange and rough around the edges but good people all the same.”

     We fall into silence again. I hurriedly eat my food before taking my empty bowl through to the kitchen. Loryn follows. I watch as she puts the rest of dinner into storage containers and straight into the freezer. She made enough to feed twelve. Or maybe that was the plan, she knew I’d love it so made enough for me to microwave for the next week.

     “You should go to bed,” I announce and tuck her hair behind her ear. “It’s getting late and we have a busy day tomorrow.”

    
“Are… are you coming?” she lowers her eyes and scuffs her toe against the ground.

     Should I? “That’s probably not a good idea.” Shit, why did I say that? “I mean…”

     “Its fine, I understand,” she says and takes a step back. “So umm… goodnight then?”

     I grin, “I still need to brush my teeth and stuff.”

     “Right,” she follows me into the bathroom and picks up her own toothbrush. “Thanks for having me…”

     “Don’t worry about it,” I say and start the brushing process.
As soon as I’m finished I can’t get out of the bathroom fast enough. I head straight to my daughters room, put my phone on charge and climb into bed. There’s no way I’ll be able to resist her for much longer. I’m right on the edge of the cliff of lust and I’m about to tumble over. I like her, I really like her, but I can’t do this now. She needs to be sure first, I need to be sure first.

     At present we are watching a man explain how to work the alarm, after a long morning of watching him and a few other men install it
in every room. Loryn is being difficult, she feels bad that people she hardly knows are paying for all of this. No matter what I say she still feels like a bum. Whatever.

     Things were a little odd this morning, I was avoiding Loryn, and Loryn was avoiding me. It sucked ass, I won’t deny that. We tiptoed around each other and even remained silent in the car ride back to her store.
Then we avoided each other as soon as we got here, she was pissed I’d bought her a TV and sofa and a new refrigerator. I just ignored her and told her to send them back if she didn’t want them. Now we seem to be giving each other the silent treatment again. I really don’t know how to fucking deal with this. Part of me wants to push her up against the wall and relieve the constant fucking hard on I have when I’m around her. The other part of me doesn’t want to take advantage.

     What makes it worse is she is so damn sexy without even trying to be, she doesn’t even realize the effect she has on me and it is driving me insane. Every movement she makes is fluid and sensual, almost like a dance. Every smile makes me ache and throb through my entire body, and just ten minutes ago she bent over to look in the bottom of the fridge, I swear my dick became a heat seeking missile! I almost lunged for her, hell, my hips thrust forward of t
heir own accord making ‘Little Lucas’ point right at her, only inches away from her jean clad ass.

     When she stood up and turned around I was already vanishing into the bathroom about to splash cold water onto my face. I’m fucked… or maybe the problem is… I’m not fucked.

     It’s already six at night, I have to
go and get Amelia. “I need to go,” I say to Loryn. She blinks up at me and nods. “You know the codes?”

     “Yeah, I’ve got it all covered,” she stands and wipes her hands on her thighs. “Lucas.”

     “Yes babe?”

     “Thanks for this.”

     “It’s no problem, I’m working tomorrow. I’ll come see you soon, if you need anything, I’ve programmed my number into your phone.”

     She smiles and wraps her arms around my waist, please don’t feel my arousal. Fortunately she doesn’t seem to notice. “Thanks Lucas. Apparently I’m meeting Maya, Marie and someone called Summer for lunch the day after tomorrow.”

     “Awesome, they’re nice women.” Shit, I have that dinner tomorrow at Helen’s. “Right… well… take care.”

    
“You’re acting like we’re never going to see each other again,” she giggles. No, I’m acting like I need to get the fuck out of here and have a cold shower before I end up doing something you’ll regret, which will then make me feel like shit. “I’ll call you.”

     She lifts her head to kiss my cheek, I turn so she catches my lips. Fuck, how can the slightest touch turn me into a teenage boy? I’m acting like a fucking virgin. Abruptly I pull away and dart down the stairs. “Lock up!” I call over my shoulder and head to my car. I don’t drive away until I see her lock the door and vanish back into the darkness of her store.

     “You look beautiful,” Helen says to Amelia. Her husband, a tall man with graying hair comes straight forward and shakes my hand. “Come on, I’ll take you to the girls. It’s nice to see you Lucas.”

     “I wasn’t sure what to bring, I had to ask my brother so if it’s wrong blame him,” I chuckle and hand her the vintage wine and flowers. She thanks me and vanishes with Amelia.

     “I’m Wesley Hanson. It’s great to finally meet you,” he says and slaps me on the back. “Come on through.”

     I throw my jacket on a nearby hook on the wall where Helen put Amelia’s and follow him into the den. Wesley looks to be about six years older than me or so. He’s a great guy and I was wrong about the networking. Throughout the entire dinner he doesn’t talk business once, he’s a cool guy, who is sickeningly in love with his wife and of course, his daughters. He reminds me of James a little bit.

     What a great family, the food is great, they constantly have me laughing my ass off, and his girls are as good as gold, as always. Amelia is very charming and pleasant, you can tell Sylvia has her trained for the charity functions they attend on occasion. I’m shocked by her manners, and I’m complimented on it, although I tell them about her adoptive grandmother. That she’s always going to functions and such with her so that’s where she’s learnt all of this.

     They are very interested in my family life, I tell them the story of my long lost brother. I even tell them about my wife. Another reason why I was invited, apparently they lost a son two years ago, he was hit by a car whilst playing on the street with his dad. It’s sad, and such a waste of life.

     After dinner we head through to the den where Amelia and the girls sing and dance for us, although Wesley and I are paying more attention to the game on TV. Which earns us both a pat on the back of the head from Helen, and the three little women stick their tongues out at us.

     It’s safe to say I had fun, a lot of fun actually, by the time I got home and g
ot Amelia to bed I fell asleep, with one last lingering thought in my mind. Loryn hasn’t called me. And I really don’t like it.

     As soon as morning hits, I put a movie on for Amelia and make us both cereal before picking up the phone. I call Loryn, there’s no answer. After the fifth time I call I start to get worried.

     “Hello?” comes a sleepy female voice. Thank fuck. “Hello?”

     “What the fuck Loryn?” I growl and head into my room so Amelia can’t hear me. “Do you have any idea how worried I’ve been?”

     “I was sleeping. Sorry.”

     I pinch the bridge of my nose, “Christ. I was ready to come down and break down the door myself.”

     “Not funny Lucas.”

     “I’m not fucking joking. Why didn’t you call me yesterday?”

     She scoffs, “You didn’t call me either!”

     “But you said you’d call me!”

     “It’s a woman’s prerogative to change her mind Lucas. Deal with it.”

     “Nice to hear you’re feeling better. Back to being your usual bitchy self.”