Page 30 of Needing More
Hayden stepped angrily forward. "Joel," he growled in warning. "Stop-"
Joel didn’t stop, instead, he cupped her sex once more and bit her neck as her head fell back against his shoulder.
"Please, Hayden," her voice was a mixture of frustrated desire. "Don't you want your friend back?" she asked in one heavy exhalation.
Hayden froze. His face looked just as pained as he watched her writhe in Joel's arms. "Yes, Goddammit," he answered roughly. "And will you fucking stop, Joel?!" he burst out, clearly at the edge of his control.
Joel's hands paused and his blue eyes finally met Vic's from over Sapphire's head, ignoring Hayden. "So, what will it be?" he asked tauntingly.
And now here he was. Vic spent the better part of a week just researching and filling out papers. Any help from the state, he realized, was going to take a while. In the meantime, however, he found a hospice service in Stardust Cove that was willing to work with him and even help him get government assistance. At this point, it wasn't about the money. He was willing to pay whatever the cost. After coming home that day and watching Sapphire turn around and slap Joel on the shoulder and stomp off with a noticeably flushed face, Vic had let the idea of someone else helping out with his dad really settle in for the first time. He had stood in the entrance and stared down the long empty hall to the equally empty rooms and the loneliness echoed back louder than it ever had before. They were right. Absolutely fucking right. Why was he wasting his life on this old bastard? He sure as fuck wouldn't do the same for him.
"Now let's talk about schedule," the nurse's voice broke through Vic's thoughts and he nodded.
Chapter 11
Sapphirestillcouldn'tquitelook at Vic after that day at the gym. She could still feel the way his glittering dark eyes traveled so intimately over her as Joel held her to him pushing and molding her breasts so blatantly in front of him while touching her covered sex so forcefully for Vic to see. She had expected Vic to look away, to turn his gaze out of a sense of modesty for both of their sakes, but he did not. He had just stood there looking at her with a ravenous look she couldn’t help but recognize and respond to.
He left that day without a word. Only a few days later did Joel reveal to her as he invaded her morning shower, snatching back the curtain to reveal himself fully nude and fully erect, that Vic had signed up for the state program and hired an at-home nurse service in the meantime. Sometime after Joel's breathtaking touches in the shower and Hayden's demanding need for her body later on that evening, she lay between the two sleeping giants and let the meaning of Joel's words sink in. Vic had taken every suggestion she had made.
With the farm being taken care of and now his dad getting the care from a professional, both Joel and Hayden were getting exactly what they wanted—their friend back.
So why did it feel like her heart was swelling with painful joy? The little thrill of pleasure that pulsed in her chest like a growing light shouldn't be there. The dark tendrils of guilt that always followed the forbidden feeling told her as much. But Sapphire couldn't stop it. She couldn't stop the dizzy weightless feeling in her stomach when she caught sight of Vic's watchful eyes and knowing smirk. Just as she couldn't stop the dream that had plagued her for weeks now.
Nearly every night after Joel whispered his love for her and Hayden wrapped her in a possessive arm, she would lay there between the two sleeping men and pray for the dream not to come. Sapphire pressed herself tight to their warm flesh and held her breath as the vivid feelings took over her.
Tell me, angel. Tell me there’s room for me.
She could hear Vic's voice as his hands glided over her body. It felt so right and wrong all at once. Her body arched for his invisible touch as her mouth burned with the need to sayyes. The only respite Sapphire could take in the tormenting dream was that it always seemed to fade away as quickly as it came, leaving her in a cloud of dissatisfaction and guilt.
Regardless of her dreams or conflicting feelings, it really didn't seem to matter that much, because for the past few days she hadn't seen a trace of the third Heathen.
Sapphire threw the sticky dough she had been kneading for the past ten minutes onto the flour covered table with extra venom at the thought. Beyond the kitchen's swing doors, she could hear the jingle of the café's door and the friendly murmur of voices as Finn worked the front.
Taking an active measure to control her thoughts, Sapphire forcibly turned her thoughts away from the absent Heathen bastard and turned them to Finn. The girl could not be happier if she tried, Sapphire mused with a smile. Kneading the plump dough against the table, Sapphire recalled Finn's face as she finally took her new bike on its maiden voyage alongside Joel and Hayden while Sapphire stood by her grumbling father. Sapphire wasn't sure what she had been expecting when she finally met Tony Upton. Maybe a stern grump with a pudgy waistline and an intolerable personality. Certainly not the handsome older man who stared worriedly after his daughter. It was so sweet Sapphire wanted to hit Finn. The way she talked about the man, Sapphire had been certain she wouldn't like him.
They had been standing in front of the café still watching the end of the street where the three bikes had turned off of when Tony spoke. "I want to thank you for all that you've done for Finn."
The gruff sounding words were so at odds with what was said, Sapphire didn't know how to respond. She just stood there frozen as he continued.
"She's been very happy since meeting you. Not just because of the bike and job," he added. "She seems more motivated and…I guess determined. Her renewed interest in college has given me relief like you would never believe. I was afraid she was going to get stuck in this town like so many people. Stuck with no options on leaving," he said quietly, looking down at the pavement before finally turning to Sapphire. Struck directly by his hazel gaze, Sapphire had nearly smiled as she found herself examining his features looking at all the traces of his daughter's face. "I'm glad she met you," he continued. "But do me a favor though?"
Sapphire tensed as she saw the hard spark in his eyes.
"Try not to get shot at again, will ya?"
It took her a full second to react to his slow smirk. Shaking her head with a laugh, Sapphire let out a tired sigh and looked back to the road. "Trust me, that's my number one goal as well."
Honestly, for the past few days, she didn't have time to be shot at. Between spending her time with Herman and Blanche, going back and forth to the university, finally deciding on a business major, and currently trying to fulfill her bakery orders, she was swamped.
Though funny enough she did have time to stew over the missing Heathen in action. Enough to even send the man an angry text blaming him for making her buy too much food for the week. She had bought the food expecting him to come over for dinner for a few nights. But before she even had time to properly regret her text, his reply came in.
Vic: Aww does someone miss me?
Sapphire couldn't have punched in her venomous reply fast enough. The gall of this man!
Me: LOL Miss you? In your dreams!!!!!!! No. What I miss is my money on the extra food I bought thinking you were going to come by for dinner like you did the previous week. I won't make that mistake twice.
She had stared regretfully at her overuse of exclamation marks when his reply came through.
