First Ride by Tara Oakes Page B

twitch and something takes over my body, pushing it forward to smash my lips into his.
    His arm instantly snakes up my back, holding me tight while my hello kiss is taken over by something so much more intense. I feel his tongue stroking against mine, dominating my mouth and I have sudden flashbacks of what else that tongue is capable of.
    I feel a large hand squeezing my ass, kneading, for everyone to see. Either my hearing’s just returned or all at once people start talking again, as if everything had been paused.
    “Welcome home,” Dawson’s lips tickle against mine.
    I’m close enough to see through the dark lenses of his shades, to see his deep, piercing eyes. I nod.
    “Sasha,” I call out behind me. “Come meet Mr. Dawson.”
    Uno steps aside and Sasha comes to me, her light pink coat swishing as she walks.
    Dawson bends down to her, their eyes on the same level. He takes off his sunglasses so she can get a better look. “Hey, Sasha. You’re just as pretty as your aunt, you know that?”
    The little girl blushes.
    “You know, we’ve got most of your things put in your room already. Why don’t you guys go see? We can paint the walls if you want. Even pink.”
    Playfully, Dawson tugs on the hem of the pink coat that’s covering her pink sweater, perfectly matched to her pink pants and her pink shoes.
    Sasha looks up to me and I nod before she nearly pulls my arm from the socket trying to coerce me along to go check out if what he’s saying could possibly be true.
    Dawson stands and quickly takes my lips again while patting my ass twice. “Let me know when lunch’s ready. We’ll have the boxes all brought in by then.”

CHAPTER EIGHT
     
    DAWSON
     
    “Nope.” I answer her point blank.
    I can’t blame Angel’s friend for being protective, but damn this chick is nosy .
    “Ever come close?” Lana fires her next question.
    Clearing my throat, I sit up straight and play with the cold beer bottle between my palms. “Listen, I’ve never been married. I’ve never come close. I’ve never lived with a woman before. You didn’t ask yet, but my blood type’s AB and my favorite color’s black.”
    “You know what they say about people who like the color black?” She just doesn’t know when to let up, this one.
    “Let me guess …” Gryff pulls one of the lawn chairs over to us and uses it to sit backward on. “They’re mean, nasty mother fuckers with mommy issues?”
    Angel’s friend stops mid-chew and nearly chokes on her burger.
    “Yeah,” My V.P. nods his head smugly. “I have that effect on women, darlin’. Don’t worry. It passes. The name’s Gryff.”
    Lana gulps her mouthful down and stares at him in disbelief. “You’ve got to be the cockiest S.O.B. I’ve ever met.”
    My second in command laughs, and I’m grateful Lana’s disdain is aimed at someone else right now. “Thanks.” He makes no effort to hide his hand as he shifts his dick, adjusting himself. “You haven’t even seen it yet, though. I think it’s only fair we play show and tell so you get the whole effect. See how cocky I really am. How’s about you and me go take a ride?”
    “How’s about you drop dead?” She spits out.
    I roll my eyes and leave the two of them to duke it out. She’s only been here an hour or so, using almost every minute of it to grill me about everything and anything that really is none of her fucking business, and he’s an even bigger pain in my ass sometimes.
    They’re perfect for each other. Let them drive each other nuts and leave me the hell out of it.
    I can still hear them bicker as I walk away toward the house.
    “You get the prospects to help clean up?” Angel barely hears me as she’s wrapping up the leftover food.
    Nearly dropping a bowl of coleslaw, she looks up. “What? Oh, no, it’s fine. I’ve got it. Almost done.”
    “Esè!” I yell back over my shoulder to where I last saw him chowing down near the grill.
    “Yeah boss?” He’s quick, damn quick, to pop