Page 59 of My Darling Mayhem

She let out a little yelp while her arms came around my neck, and my boot kicked her door shut.

“Shhhh.” I laughed as we landed on the bed, her on her back and me hovering over her.

She pulled me close and wrapped her legs around my back like a koala bear.

“Don’t play games, Wren. I’ll win.”

Her lips were at my ear as she giggled. “You promise?”

Leaning down, I pressed my mouth to hers and gave her a slow kiss while her hands came up around my neck. She released me a few moments later, trying to catch her breath.

“So, you really know how to braid?”

Wren sat up and pulled her hair in front of her so it rested against her shoulders.

I kicked off my boots and crawled onto her bed until my back was up against her headboard. I’d been in her room that one time, but I didn’t really get a chance to take any of it in. She had a queen-sized bed, bringing us closer together as we huddled against the headboard. Her feather duvet was white with purple flowers, and she had a tan, woven throw blanket draped across the edge of her wooden sleigh frame.

A lamp illuminated the room from one of the matching bedside tables. In the corner of her room was an oversized chair with another little table right next to it. I pictured Wren sitting there, watching Cruz play in the backyard while she read a book with a peaceful smile on her face.

“I do.”

“Okay, fine, but fair warning, I might cry.” She handed me a comb and hair elastic and pointed her remote at the modest flat screen that rested on her long dresser across the room. She chose an older TV show and let it play on a low volume. My eyes flicked to the tall standing mirror near her closet, whichhad several pictures, including only one postcard tucked into it. I wanted to ask about them but didn’t want to miss this story.

“Why are you going to cry?” I spread my legs and waited for her to crawl between them.

Once her ass was nestled against my cock, I set my jaw and focused on her hair. It was silky and smooth as I gently combed through it, separating it piece by piece.

Wren let out a sigh as she tipped her head back. “Because when I was little, my brother used to braid my hair. My mom always made him, and it felt like the only time we’d go without arguing, laughing, or doing anything. We’d both just be quiet and still like I was this piece of art he was too scared to mess up on. I remember feeling so safe when he’d start my braid like he’d never hurt me, but only in that setting. It was like touching a base in a game of tag.”

My mind went back to what I’d found in the box. Discovering exactly who she was connected to and how, I still hadn’t told her that I knew. The truth was, I wasn’t sure I ever would. At least not until I figured out if her brother was even in her life anymore, which it seemed like he wasn’t. “How far apart in age are you and your brother?” I gathered her middle part and separated it into three parts while she closed her eyes.

“Five years.”

“That’s not much…you must have grown up really close. How long has it been since you’ve seen him?”

I saw Wren’s throat bob and her lashes flutter while I slowly braided down the length of her scalp. “Uh…” She swallowed, and her voice cracked. “It’s been a long time.”

The silence stretched as I gathered strand after strand, ensuring the braid would hold. A tiny ache in my chest started at how her voice cracked and how painful this subject seemed for her. All I wanted to do was find her brother and punch him in the face for making Wren feel like this. I wasn’t sure what happened,but I knew Wren. She was fierce, loyal, and protective. If she had a reason for being away from her family, then I knew it had to be a good one. But she didn’t need to talk about it now, not when her voice sounded so small and frail. Instead, I changed the subject.

“I lied about that one meeting going well.”

Her eyes flashed open, staring up at me from where her head was tilted back. She only saw a glimpse of my face, but she still tried regardless. “What do you mean, what happened?”

I got there late, and he decided to treat me like shit because of it.

“He wasn’t happy with the numbers and decided to take it out on me.”

“Oh no, Archer. I’m sorry.”

Fucker was going to experience a little Mayhem, so it was fine, but only because he’d called me trailer trash. I’d made him a million dollars in investment trading this last quarter, and I was only fifteen minutes late. I offered to reschedule when I called and let him know, but he insisted on me just getting there as soon as possible. The second I walked through the door, he began berating me on how I had wasted his time and how different he was from me because he had real money.

The blow job was worth every second of his miserable sneer and the chance to see his true colors.

“Don’t be. I much prefer knowing someone’s true nature when working with them. He did me a favor. I cut him as a client, and now I’ll never make him another dollar.”

Wren rubbed just above my knee. “Good.”

Shit, her hand felt so good. She was going to know I was hard any second, with her ass nestled up so close to me.

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