A Mess of a Man (Cruel & Beautiful #2)

“Early?”


“Five?” he asks, laughing.

“My place or yours?”

“Mine.” With the way my heart starts to flutter, it makes me wonder if I can hold out that long.





My ringtone screams at me, waking me from a dead sleep. I bump my head against Sam’s, waking her up in the process. We didn’t get much sleep after our night together, which seems to be a thing with us. I can’t get enough of her and she me.

“Sorry, babe.”

Simply silencing that damn thing wouldn’t be satisfying enough as I ponder the merits of throwing it against the wall to make it stop. I’m about turn it off when I see my sister’s picture flash on the screen. She doesn’t call me before the sun is up for no reason. Immediately, I’m awake.

“Jenna?”

“Oh my gosh, Ben.”

Rising up on one arm with my heart beating like rapid gun fire, I ask, “What is it? Are Mom and Dad okay?”

My heart stops beating for one minute and it’s Drew all over again, waiting for the news that he was gone.

“They’re fine.”

I exhale all my worry and replace it with no-morning-coffee level annoyance. “What the hell, Jenna?”

“Ben, aren’t you supposed to be at work already? It is Monday morning.”

“It’s …” I check the time. “Six.”

“Yeah.”

Shit, what else could she be calling about? “So, what? Did you talk to Dad and he wanted you to check up on me?”

I wouldn’t put it past him. There’s no law that says I have to be at work at the crack of dawn. And this morning, I have a reason not to be.

“No, I’m calling because Mom and Dad’s thirty-fifth anniversary is this weekend and I completely forgot.”

“You, who schedules everything? Trying to decide between the stiff shirt Senator, dad’s choice,” I cough into my fist, “and the tattooed auto mechanic, who you really want, must be keeping you up at night.”

“Haha, very funny. Seriously, I dropped the ball and I don’t have to explain to you why because you forgot too. Besides, we need to plan something big.”

I run a hand through my hair. “And you’re telling me, why? You usually handle this. Just tell me how much money I need to give you.”

“Of course you would dump this all on me.”

“Don’t you normally take care of it?” I tug at my hair, ready to pull it out. Sam’s smaller hand plucks my fingers loose.

“Yeah, but still. I’m busy, too, you know.”

“Fine. I’ll make dinner reservations or something. What else do you do for a thirty-fifth anniversary?”

“Is that your sister?” Sam asks.

“Is that Sam?” Jenna asks.

They speak at almost the same time. I nod and Sam frees my hand of the phone.

“Jenna?”

And I’m on the outside looking in. I decide to use the time to mold my hand over Sam’s chest. I move in and flick a tongue over her nipple.

“Yes,” Sam says squirming. Her voice betrays what I’m doing to her. “No, I’m okay.”

I head lower.

“Don’t worry. I can help you.” As I insert myself in between her thighs and kiss my way to that spot, she says. “Ooo. No. Um … look it’s no trouble at allllll.”

She forces me to pull back with a fistful of my hair. I give her a toothy grin.

“Twenty guests is a cake in the park. I mean a walk in the park.”

She frees me from her bond and I get back to work.

“I do this all the time. I have connections. I’ll work something outttt.”

Fucking her with my tongue is one of my all-time favorite things.

“No, your brother isn’t doing anything. He went to grab something to eat.”

I can’t help chuckle at that, especially since I’m actually feasting on my favorite thing.

“I’ll call you later. I’ll get your phone number from Ben.”

There’s a pause and I’m not sure if I’ve caused it or if my sister is talking her ear off. I get my answer when she stutters her next word.

“Ggiifftt.”

She’s close. I’m determined to make her scream while she’s on the phone.

“Maybe a trip?”

I stop, unable to hear Jenna’s response and say, “Dad will never go for that. He’ll say he’s too busy.”

Sam’s face morphs into annoyance. Seems like someone didn’t like that I stopped. She grabs my hair and pushes me back down where she wants me.

“True, your dad probably needs a rest. We’ll talk.”

She ends the call, but I go back to work and get her to the moon and back before we finally leave separately for work.

Although, my day started off pretty fucking awesome, by noon, I’m sure I have scowl lines chiseled into my face. The bearish market is making my life miserable. Everyone is scrambling, trying to mitigate the effects of the down swing today for our penny-watchful clients.

Unfortunately for Lisa, she’s getting double the dose of my displeasure.

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