Just Her Luck (69 page)

Smiling slightly, I nudged him back.

Eustice, who’d taken Sawyer’s chair, was right next to me, smirking at Reeve.

“And what are you, her boss? You speakin’ for her now, cousin?” he snorted and shook his head.

Technically, I guess you could say he sort of is my boss.

I
was
hired to replace Ruthie.

Of course, Ruthie won’t take the checks, I tried, and I don’t feel right cashing them.

It just doesn’t seem right.

Plus, shacking up with my men and everything…

I shook my head.

I like taking care of them, it isn’t a job to me and I don’t need their money, so I never cashed them, not a one.

Wonder how it’s gonna go over if one of them ever figures it out.

I shrugged inwardly.

I’ve gone this long and no one’s caught on.

It’s not like it’s hurting me any, not cashing them. I have a nice chunk of change in savings- my little nest egg for rainy days.

Never was really much of a spender, so what I didn’t use, went right into the bank.

“I don’t see how that’s any of your damn business. And you’re changin’ the subject,
cousin
, what are you here for? It aint poker night, you know the guys are gone, and I aint the friendly type.” Reeve stabbed a piece of egg and shoved it in his mouth.

I frowned.

Hmmm.

Well, it’s not the ‘she’s mine, back off’ type of thing I was sort of secretly hoping for, but for Reeve, Mr. Clam, it would just have to be enough.

Hell, to my way of thinking, us getting this far today is a miracle.

He’s lucky I didn’t have any sharp objects handy with the witch titties jab or I just might have jabbed him or something.

Witch’s titty, my foot!

Eustice put his arm along the back of my chair, and I held my fork out in front of me, aiming it at my intended target.

“You like playing darts, gorilla man?” I asked darkly.

“No.” His smirk fell.

“Then you might want to remove your arm off the back of my chair or I’ll play target practice and remove it for you.” I waggled my fork, getting my point across.

His arm slowly slid off, and Reeve muffled a chuckle with a cough, his good eye winking at me when Eustice got up to get second helpings.

Grinning when it was just the two of us, I winked back.

“What are you two smiling about?” Eustice plopped his plate down and rested his elbows on the table.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,
Otis
.” I smirked around a bite of omelet.

“It’s Eustice, woman, don’t pretend you don’t know.”

He leaned towards me, getting into my personal space, licking his lips as he whispered, “Don’t think I don’t see the way you look at me, darlin’.”

“What!” I sputtered.

He’s fucking nuts!

I’ve never…

Reeve slammed his coffee cup down, and man nurse and I jumped.

“Back the fuck off, Eustice. She aint yours,” he growled, pushing his chair out.

“And I suppose she’s yours, then?” Eustice didn’t move an inch, turning his head just enough to give Reeve a curious look, intrigued.

I leaned back in my chair.

Gee, does Eustice like wearing his breakfast? The wooly mammoth certainly likes eating it.

I gripped my plate, ready to toss it in his face.

Reeve’s fingers gripped the edge of the table.

“All mine, and if you lay so much as a finger on her I’m breakin’ it off. Got it?” he all but growled.

Eustice sat back in his chair and cursed.

He gave us both a reproachful look, hunching over his plate.

“Aw, fuck,” he grumbled, “Couldn’t you two have waited just a little bit longer?”

Reeve and I both glanced at each other.

Huh? Did we miss something here?

“Now I owe your mama and Ten fifty bucks.
Each.
You guys suck.”

He swirled his food around on his plate, eyeing it sullenly.

“What?” Reeve barked.

“Ah, sit down, ya stick in the mud, it was just a stupid bet.” He grumbled under his breath for a minute and muttered,
“Two of ‘em.”

A bet? What bet?

“A bet?” I blinked.

Obviously I didn’t hear him right.

He sounded like he just said he’d made a bet about us ‘getting it on’ with Reeve’s mother.

And Ten.

He nodded, picking up his milk.

“You made a bet about us fucking?” Reeve growled.

Always to the point, this one.

Nice,
I thought sarcastically, still trying to register the whole ‘mama-sex-bet’ thing.

Weird.

“Yeah,” he nodded, unaware of the slow boil I was doing, “Aunt B thought you wouldn’t make it past this week and Ten said not past the middle. Looks like they both fuckin’ won.”

He gave us a baleful look. “Haven’t you two ever heard of self-control?”

“Is that why you’re here? To check on your investment?” I asked quietly.

Grinding my teeth, I slowly got up, picking up my plate.

It was still full since I’d only picked at it, nervous around Reeve still, waiting for him to flip the switch and give me the ol’ lover’s boot.

It’s silly, I know, but old habits die hard.

“Yeah. I was checking to see how things were,” he coughed, “
developing.”

“And you just thought you’d stir the pot,” I spat, “make sure we didn’t do anything that might impede your winnings. Am I right?”

He shifted uncomfortably, not liking my train of thought.

His body language screamed guilty.

“Well, uhm, I didn’t exactly think of it
that
way at the time.”

I dumped my plate over his head, shaking it to make sure I got all the hot sauce off of it.

Gotta love a little Louisiana hot sauce in the morning.

“The next time you decide to muck around in people’s personal lives, you just remember I’m mean as fuck and I know how to castrate a bull. I watched Ephraim do it last week and I’m sure, if given the proper motivation, I could sure as shit give it a try.”

I picked up my milk to chuck it at him too, but someone knocked at the door.

Growling, I stomped towards it, pissed as hell.

“Assholes! Making bets about people, trying to
cheat
. Playing with lives,” I muttered under my breath, swinging the door wide open.

Ten grinned, taking off his hat.

“Hey, little lady, I was just…”

I tossed my milk in his face, shoving the glass into his shocked hands.

“You and Eustice are doing the fucking dishes, there’s extra on the stove. Put all that shit away when you’re done!” I snarled.

He swiped the milk off his face and squinted at Eustice, peering into the room.

“Guess she found out about the bet, huh?” he mumbled, squinting.

I grabbed Reeve’s arm and dragged him towards the stairs.

He was still scowling at his cousin and supposed best friend, ready to jump their asses, his fists clenched tight at his sides, face a seething red.

I distracted him when I brushed up against his chest, fingers drifting over the zipper of his jeans.

“Where are you takin’ me, prison bait? I haven’t even finished eatin’ yet.”

“Good idea.” I turned back around, disappeared into the kitchen, and came back a few minutes later with a hastily packed picnic basket.

“What’s in that?” he asked curiously, eyes tracking me.

I handed it to him and grabbed his sleeve, lugging him toward our destination.

He peeked inside.

“What do we need all this for, gremlin? Half of it doesn’t even go together.”

Rolling my eyes, I stopped and went back to the table, picking up his plate and coffee.

“Happy now?” I asked sarcastically.

“Uh, yeah,” he said simply.

“Got any pressing engagements today?”

“No.”

“Anything you
have
to do?” I pressed.

“No.”

“Good.” I glanced over at Ten and Eustice.

“Not so much fun when you’re the one left with egg on your face, now is it, boys?”

Ten glanced at Eustice.

“Literally,” he muttered.

We were half way up the stairs when I stopped, turned to Reeve and told him loudly, “Since the cat is already out of the bag, I’ve decided to screw your brains out for a few hours. The stuff in the basket is for in between, little breaks. Oh, and for me to lick off of you. Got a problem with that?”

“Not if I can lick you back,” he said gruffly.

Sounds from the dining room drifted up to us.

Eustice made gagging noises, and Ten snorted.

“Definitely,” I purred, smiling, licking my lips before I turned back around to lead the way, putting a little more sway to my hips than necessary.

“TMI, guys, TMI!” Eustice whined.

“Ah, shut up. Leave ‘em be,” Ten said quietly.

“What are you? Their fuckin’ fairy godmother?”

“No,” A pause and then, “but I
am
fifty bucks richer. Pay up, chump.”

I walked back to the banister and yelled over the side, “You can leave my money by the door!”

Reeve shouted at me from the bedroom, “Get back in here, woman! I’m naked and you promised me somethin’ good. Time’s a wastin’, prison bait!”

“I’ll be there in a minute!” I shouted back, “Hold your damn horses, you stubborn jackass!”

“Sweet couple,” Ten muttered dryly, staring up after me.

Eustice shrugged, eating a piece of egg he’d picked off his shoulder.

“They sounded fine to me.”

Ten eyed him and smirked, “Who’s the fairy now?

Domestici-whuh?

Reeve sighed heavily.

“You’re not going to just leave this be, are you?”

“Nope.” Sitting in Reeve’s lap, I picked up a fork full of his casserole off his plate and took a bite.

“You
could
make a plate of your own, you know?” his tone was reproachful, but his eyes were amused.

I swung my legs a little, happy in my little cozy spot.

I swallowed and took a sip of my tea.

“I could.” I nodded, stealing another bite.

“But you won’t,” he guessed.

I shrugged, smiling a little.

“Don’t I get any?” his lips quirked up at the corners when I shook my head ‘no’, giving him a bite anyways.

“Would you like me to make myself a plate and you could eat off that?” I suggested.

He laughed.

“That makes no damn sense, gremlin. You’re as whacky as Thatcher.”

I winked, grinning.

“Tastes better when it’s yours. But you’re changing the subject, you know.”

I took another bite, and he watched fixedly as I brought it to my lips and slowly slid it off, my tongue swiping across a wayward piece.

He made a sound of approval in the back of his throat and scooted me up a little more on his thigh, his hand sliding down to my ass for a squeeze, the other one reaching up to caress my back.

I snuggled up to him and ran my hands through his hair, massaging his scalp, running my fingers through the thick strands tentatively.

“I like this.” I paid special attention to the streaks of gray at the sides.

“Do you?” He didn’t seem convinced, running his hand through it self-consciously.

I pushed his hand away and continued to play, running my fingers through it, warming inside when he leaned in slightly to my touch.

I’d missed my grumpy lover today.

He’d been busy all day, the fun from yesterday a bright contrast to today.

This is the first chance all day that we’ve had a second to say more than two words to each other.

Busy, busy, busy.

That’s alright, though, I got a lot of my own work done, catching up on my emails, squeezing in a few more jobs, so I’d have something to do.

I haven’t told him yet, but I need to make a run to my house so I can get a few things out of my office, put in a few hours at home.

That’s’ where the majority of my crap is.

I’ve been getting a lot of orders for screen prints, but I’ve been putting those ones off for a tiny bit.

I usually go there one day a week and bust out as much as I can, but haven’t lately.