Page 12 of Boss Me Around

But that’s exactly what’s happening.

There, just a few dozen feet inside the fair, is none other than Christian McGuire, mid-lip-lock with a wench with cleavage that puts even Nora’s bountiful offering to shame.

As soon as I lay eyes on the two of them, a part of me dies inside.

The other part decides it’s time to fight for my man.

Even if he isn’t mine.

At least, not yet…

Chapter Six

CHRISTIAN

Kissing booths are dumb.

And a good way to spread disease.

I would never have entered into this lip-lock of my own volition, but Carolina is a friend. She was also very cool when I broke up with her a couple summers back and begged so sweetly for me to be her first customer of the day, I couldn’t deny her.

Plus, she offered the kiss for free.

Plus, plus, I hoped making out with a gorgeous woman in a wench costume would get my mind off another gorgeous woman I’m determined to purge from my thoughts (and fantasies).

I spent most of last night dreaming about devouring Starling’s pussy on the floor of our office and woke up so hard I couldn’t help reaching beneath the covers to take care of myself. I tried not to think about She Who Shall Not Be Fucked while I did it, but halfway through, Fantasy Starling was riding me, her long hair tickling my chest as she ground up and down on my cock, telling me how desperate she’s been for me to fuck her.

I came so hard, I made a strangled guttural noise that scared Bella all the way out in her crate in the living room. It took me half an hour and some serious cuddling to comfort my illicit new charge.

The fact that I stole an animal it’s illegal to possess in Minnesota without a zookeeper’s license probably didn’t help much when it came to soothing her fears. Animals can sense it when their humans are in distress, and in the cold light of day, thoughts of a massive fine or jail time were both giving me a fair amount of distress.

I don’t want to take a single step down Trouble Road.

Not now or ever again.

I’ve been on the straight and narrow for a long time, but I was a terrible teen. I skirted close to breaking the law on a regular basis and probably crossed the line a time or two. My older brothers did their best to straighten me out—Barrett even punched me once, and Drew sat me down for “a serious talk” nearly every month—but nothing worked. Not until the night one of my best friends nearly died while we were night swimming at the old quarry.

Wally dove in head-first, collided with some old farm equipment we had no idea was hiding beneath the surface, and stayed under so long we all started to panic.

Thankfully, my cousin Theo was sober and had enough presence of mind to shout for us all to shine our flashlights on the water as he waded in to look for Wally. Theo pulled him out, administered CPR, and we were able to get our friend to the hospital in time.

But it was close.

Too close.

That night instilled in me the value of following the rules. If you don’t, people can die. Or get hurt really, really badly.

Starting something with Starling would hurt her, I have no doubt of that. She can talk about “knowing what she’s getting into” all she wants, but I know Starling. She’s a lover and a caregiver and a connector. I can’t imagine a world where the fact that we’re fucking on the regular means nothing to her.

It would certainly mean something to me.

Just sneaking into the office with her last night, chatting as we crept through the darkness and coaxed Bella out from under the desk, was the best “date” I’ve had in years. Her smile makes me smile, her sense of mischief calls to mine, and that’s a recipe for trouble.

Hell, look what she’s gotten me into already. I’m in possession of a contraband creature and we haven’t even kissed. I can only imagine the chaos we’d create if we started dating.

It’s best if I steer clear of the woman and stick to kissing people like Carolina. Safe women. Women who won’t tempt me to get attached or make things awkward with my family if our relationship is discovered. My brother Matty is currently the “problem child” of the McGuire clan, and I’d like to keep it that way. I’m too old and set in my ways to go back to being the one Barrett wants to punch or Drew sits down for a talk.

Still, I’m thinking of Starling the entire time I’m kissing Carolina, and I end the kiss far sooner than I usually would have.

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