Page 44 of South of The Skyway

There was no forgetting the taste of that woman. Sweet beneath the lingering caress of coffee. Or the feeling of her lean body against mine, breasts heaving against my chest as she clung to me. It had been a gamble, deciding to play in the water like that, but one worth taking. The Rhodes worked hard, but we played even harder, and if she was going to survive even the prospect of being initiated as an honorary member of the tribe, she’d have to know how to deal. She had willingly wrapped around me, opening her lips as I grazed across the center…so that was a delightful bonus.

Even as I pulled down the private dirt lane leading to the new Rhodes estate, all my mind could think about was how she’d cry out my name when I finally got her under my hands again.

So it was a bit of a shock when I rounded the corner to find trucks parked outside the skeleton of the main house. Pulling my attention to the actual task at hand, I glanced at the clock, confirming that no contractors were due for another ninety minutes. The plan had been to swing down to the fifth wheel, shower off the salt of the spring, eat breakfast, set my intention, and arrive before the meeting time.

With a sigh, I rolled with the punches, pulling a tank top on a beat before swiping my Windy City Wolves cap from the front dash.

Stepping out of the truck onto crunching gravel, I started with, “Morning, gentlemen.”

* * *

“I’m telling you,until you’ve watched a thunderstorm roll into southern Florida, you haven’t really lived.”

“Storm’s a storm,” Broderick argued as the telltale sound of his aluminum desk drawer rang in the background.

“Nah, man, they’re different down here.”

His low laugh rumbled over the line. “Glad you’re enjoying the little things.”

“I believe you mean the enormous things.” I snapped a quick photo of the dark towering mountain of cotton as it rippled and flashed with lightning that arched and popped. Nature’s strobe light. Fired it off to him. “It’s not even storm season yet,” I noted, doing my damndest not to gape as I stared up at the looming threat, drawing out a long, awed whistle. “Couldn’t pay me enough to sail in that.”

“I’m sure Milo would be thrilled to hear his big bad son is cowering about a little bit of—” I heard as his phone vibrated and smirked, picturing the way those brown eyes would widen and round as he took in the wall of doom barreling my direction. I turned back to enjoy the sunset over the gulf. “Damn. Alright, alotof rain.”

“Sounds like I’m rolling down a mountain in a tin can when it hits the RV roof.”

“Christ, isn’t it March?”

“It’s just the beginning.”

“You gonna stick around and see the actual monsters?”

“It’ll depend on the progress on the house and bar. If I’m making headway, no point in breaking the momentum.”

“Wild, man.” He cleared his throat. The sound of the computer powering on could be heard as I watched the wall of black swallow the Florida sunshine. “How’s everybody else? Haven’t had many updates with Jameson so focused on the season.”

Broderick had been in our life for as long as I could remember. Sandwiched directly between Jameson and me, the three of us had grown up like hell on wheels, causing trouble and adding a fourteenth mouth to most family dinners. His mother had been the Mistyvale mayor for most of our childhood, and while she worked her ass off to be present, some mayoral duties just couldn’t be avoided. Broderick would crash at our place after studying his evening away while Jameson and I skated by, filling our time with video games rather than academics.

“Haven’t heard from Jeanne in a few weeks; she’s probably out of service. Elora’s still in Portland. No update on getting out of there, but she likes her clients. Paxton’s got two more years in Chicago before he can head God knows where. Had’s still in Boise and seems to like it. You have better tabs on Alice and Mav than I likely do.”

He chuckled, agreeing, “Yeah, I guess I do. Is that weird?”

“A little,” I admitted. I’d never been away this long. Nothing brought out the childlike longing for home like suddenly being five thousand miles away.

“So, Elora’s still not sold on Oregon?”

“Not her vibe, I don’t know. You know El, once she gets it in her head, there’s no changing her mind.” There were few forces of nature more determined than my younger sister. If she decided a mountain needed to move, the damn thing would be smart to pick up its skirt and shuffle away.

Broderick gave a raspy laugh. I could practically see him shifting in his seat. “Oh, I know.”

“I met someone.”

“Like, a contractor worth mentioning? Or a woman?”

I scoffed, “A woman, smart ass.” I smiled fondly as images of Brexley filled my mind. Her laughing as the candle between us flickered, her in that bikini top with her face upturned to the sun. I needed to see her, touch her, taste her.

“Hey, man, no judgment.”

“Her name’s Brexley.”

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