Aaron Barnes has found his muse in Lark Foster. However, his
inspiration is saddled with a domineering stepfamily and the lingering
guilt from a childhood loss.
Once Aaron claims his muse, Lark embraces the fighter inside her
gentle heart. When fate stands in the way of love, the only choices are
giving up or taking what your heart demands.
Damaged and the Cobra
Bijou Hunter

Chapter One - Lark
Even when my heart was breaking, I smiled. No matter if I was sad,
angry, or scared, I had a smile plastered on my face. My older sister
Raven called it a coping mechanism. She heard the term on Oprah and
it sounded right, but all I knew was I smiled even when inappropriate.
My grandfather once slapped me for smiling. At my little brother's
funeral, he hit me in front of everyone and said it wasn't the time for my
silly smiles. Raven screamed at him and punched his neck because she
wasn't tall enough to reach his face. She even tried climbing on a chair
to hit him. By then, people were freaking out. My mother was crying
and my grandmother ran off because she was afraid of my grandfather's
temper. The preacher struggled to settle everyone down, but it was no
use. The funeral was ruined. Through the chaos and my tears, I kept
smiling like I couldn't stop myself.
There were very few things capable of making me genuinely smile
since Raven ditched town six months earlier. Since then, I'd made new
friends like Bailey Johansson who was loud and rough like Raven. I
had also bonded with the Smith sisters. During Farah's wedding, I
found something really worth smiling over.
His name was Aaron.
While I never went as far as writing his name on my folder in class, I
did think about doing it. Ever since I met him at the wedding rehearsal,
I was forever wondering about Aaron. The first time he walked into the
room and I noticed the cobra tattoo up his neck, I was fascinated. My
interest only grew when I saw him smile and his blue eyes lit up in the
most beautiful way.
Over and over, I tried to talk to Aaron at the rehearsal dinner. I planned
to make another move at the wedding reception, but he brought a date.
Hopes dashed, I returned to my dull life in Ellsberg. My newest friends
were living these wild lives with sexy men. Well, not Bailey who
couldn't keep a man past a few hookups. Even with her crappy romantic
options, she was miles ahead of me in the exciting life department.

All I did most days was work the morning shift at Denny's before
hurrying to my two afternoon classes at Hampton College. I could only
afford two because I was paying my way through college. Despite my
irritation at how long it would take me to get a degree, I knew it could
be worse.
No one in my family ever finished college or even worked in an office.
They were all waitresses or janitors. My mom did marry a rich man
with a business, but she had to give up a lot to keep him. I didn't plan to
end up like her.
I wanted an office job and a man who wouldn't tell me what to eat and
how to dress. I wanted to be strong and free. Even if I ended up alone
forever, this would be better than being someone's slave.
My sister refused to be a slave too, yet she had horrible taste in men. So
Raven bounced from one loser to the next. Now, she was in California
with her latest turd. While I missed Raven more than I could express to
her or anyone else, I resented how she left Ellsberg. Most days, I
blamed my stepdad Larry. When I was honest, I blamed Raven for
leaving me behind.
No longer alone, I had a chance at a new direction in my life. Hopefully
this new direction might one day include the gorgeous and artistic
Aaron Barnes.
The one downside to my friendships was agreeing to activities I didn' t
enjoy. Like bowling.
Bowling had always bored me. Raven and I had been in a league for a
while with the girls from our roller derby team. On more than one
occasion, I faked an illness to get out of it. I sucked at bowling and
didn' t find it the least bit entertaining. Yet, I readily agreed when Farah
invited me to join the crew at one of the local alleys.
Tucker Johansson called us the crew now. Everyone was pairing up
and he seemed relieved about this fact. Claimed it felt good not to be
the only whipped guy around. He made this announcement again while
rubbing his girl Maddy's pregnant belly.
Nearby, Cooper refused to admit he was whipped. However, he looked
pretty domesticated with Farah on his lap feeding him nachos. She
even wiped his mouth like she was practicing for when they had

kids.
Judd and Tawny stumbled in late. With his dark hair tussled and her
cheeks flushed, I sensed they stopped on the way for a quickie. Yep,
everyone was in a state of bliss except for me. Oh, and Vaughn who
was the only one who really liked bowling.
Ignoring all the whispering couples around him, Vaughn taught me to
bowl while I faked like I cared. We were both on the outs and I
suspected he wanted to find a new buddy now that Judd was attached to
his angel. Every time Tawny laughed, Vaughn's frown darkened.
"You should be happy for them," I said as he guided me towards the
alley.
"I am. Fucking overwhelmed with happiness. Now, pay attention."
When I flinched at his tone, Vaughn sighed. "It gets boring when your
best friend is busy mating like a rabbit."
"My best friend ditched me too, so I found new friends. Maybe you
should too."
"Crap no. Sounds like too much effort."
I grinned. "You could play with Bailey. Here, she comes."
Vaughn didn't even glance at the arriving blonde who threw her hands
in the air.
"I got dumped again! Men suck! I hate them all!" she cried, enjoying a
hug from Tawny. "Who wants to set me up now?"
"I thought you hated men," Tucker mumbled with his mouth full of a
hot dog.
"I do, but one of them has got to work, right? Everyone in the world
gets someone good, but I get shit. It's not fair. I'm nicer than anyone
ever."
This comment elicited laughter from the crew including Vaughn who
took my bowling ball and rolled it for me.
"Look," he said," you got a strike. I'm an excellent teacher." "Best
ever."
Vaughn and I eyed each other, thinking the same thing. Could we make
a go of it and become a couple like everyone around us? We came to
the same conclusion. Never going to happen. While I thought Vaughn
was gorgeous, I felt the same way about the Johansson brothers and

Judd. Besides gorgeous, they didn't interest me. Only Aaron interested
me, but I couldn't have a single conversation with him.
Vaughn glanced over at a happy Bailey who loved all of the attention
and pity she received after getting dumped. He was thinking if he could
make something with her. Based on his eye roll, she wasn't an option
either.
Noticing Vaughn's fresh tattoo on the back of his forearm, I had an
idea.
"Where did you get your tat?"
"Aaron's shop. You want to get a tat?" he asked, grinning as if this was
hilarious.
"I have one," I said, rolling the ball into the gutter. "It's not finished
though."
"How come?"
"My brother interrupted the tattoo and I never had the money to get it
done again."
"No, I meant how come you're such a bad bowler? Is it genetic?" he
asked. "Like do you come from a long line of people who can't make a
ball roll in a straight line?"
"You're hilarious."
"I try, Pixie Dust."
"Don't call me that."
"How come?" he said, grinning wider now. "I'm not talking to you
anymore."
"Oh, don't be like that. Chicks love when I give them nicknames. One
of them got a tattoo of the name I gave her. Do you want to know where
she put that tat?"
Laughing, I shook my head. "Is it expensive to get a tat at Aaron's
shop? I hear he's good and I'd like someone to fix it that won't make it
worse."
"Let me see your tat!" Bailey cried, suddenly behind me. "Wait, it's not
on your ass, is it?" "No."
"Hooch?" "No."

"Titty tas?" Glaring at her, I waited until her smile faded. "Are you
really mad?" she asked, panicking now.
"No, I just wanted to mess with you."
"Oh, well, thank you for that learning experience."
Vaughn and I laughed, but Bailey was busy yanking at my shirt to look
for the tattoo.
"It's a tramp stamp," I said to keep her from pulling up my shirt in a
public place.
"Oh, I have one of those. Mine is classy though. It's Hello Kitty."
Instead of responding to her classy comment, I prepared for the teasing
as I lowered the back of my jeans just enough to display my wingless
butterfly.
"What a pretty worm," Bailey said, doing her fake nice thing again.
"My stepbrother showed up and made the guy stop. My stepdad doesn't
like tats and told me I couldn't get one."
"Men suck," Bailey said, nodding supportively then frowning at
Vaughn. "Why do you suck so much? Too much ball toxins?"
"Sounds about right," he muttered, rolling another strike. "Girls get
PMS. Guys get ball toxins. Common knowledge. Are you two going to
actually bowl? I'm the only one doing anything."
Farah instantly rushed over and rolled a ball into the gutter. "We're
participating. We like bowling."
Bailey snorted. "Hell, I lie better than that."
Cooper joined Farah and glanced at the alley. "I could bowl, if I
wanted. I just don't want to."
"Liar!" Bailey cried and Cooper faked like he might backhand her. She
just rolled her eyes. "He sucks. Worse bowler ever. Old people bowl
better. No offense to old people," she added, looking at the nearby
league of senior citizens.
Cooper ignored Bailey and wrapped an arm around Farah. "This is fun.
I'm glad we've made a habit out of it."
Vaughn frowned and his blue eyes darkened. "I' m not a charity case, so
you don't need to play with me once a week to keep me from bawling
myself to sleep."
"Sure, champ," Cooper said then looked at me. "You have a tattoo

of a worm?"
"It's supposed to be a butterfly," I said as Bailey turned me so her
brother could enjoy my lame tat.
Cooper reached for the tat as if to run a finger over it. Before he
touched me, Farah smacked his hand lightly.
"Don't touch other women," she growled.
Glancing back at them, I saw Cooper get his horny expression. I was
apparently in the middle of a game they played. Gross.
"Do you know how much it would cost to get it fixed?" I asked as
Cooper ran his finger over Farah's pouting lips.
Without looking away for his wife's face, Cooper shook his head. "I'll
pay. Just tell Aaron I said what I said. He'll be cool." As if a light bulb
went off over his head, Cooper glanced at me. "You should go soon.
Very soon. Can't leave it undone for much longer or it'll get weird.
Yeah, go this week."
Frowning, I noticed Bailey eyeing her brother. Her blue eyes got wide
and she nodded.
"Yes, soon. So soon. Well, maybe not too soon. I don't want to be
alone." When Tawny appeared next to her, Bailey decided to be nice
and said grudgingly. "Soon, I guess."
"What are we talking about?" Tawny asked as Judd rolled a ball,
knocked over a few pins, then frowned like he might knock the others
over with his angry glare.
"Aaron's going to fix her tat," Bailey explained while Cooper and Farah
wandered off.
"He's an artist," Tawny cooed. "He made this angel on Judd."
After Tawny showed me Judd's arm, she put her hand back to where
she had a gorgeous tattoo of a fallen angel.
"He's very talented," she added.
"I'm excited to get my butterfly finished."
"He'll do a great job," Bailey reassured, taking a ball from Vaughn and
rolling it into the wrong alley. "Oops." "Idiot."
"Be nice or I won't be nice," Bailey warned, glaring up at him. "I love
feisty women," he said, smirking down at her.

"Not interested. Blond men are usually stupid. Just look at my brothers.
Anyway, I don't want a dumbass loser. I want a smartass winner."
"You deserve nothing less," I said and Bailey smiled at me like I was
amazing.
I did feel amazing. Not only would my tattoo get fixed, but I also had
an excuse to talk to Aaron. I didn't know if Aaron would enjoy the
conversation as much as I did, but fate was no longer standing in my
way.
Chapter Two - Aaron
Her name was Lark and she was my muse. From the day I met her at the
wedding rehearsal, I couldn't stop thinking of her beautiful face. I was
forever drawing her, sketching her, and even tattooing her. How many
people in Ellsberg were walking around with tattoos of Lark's face?
Whenever a client didn't bring a specific image in and a woman's face
was involved, I used Lark's. Hell, I hadn't even noticed this fact until
two happy clients showed off their tattoos and I realized the pinup girl
and fairy princess had the same face.
Every night, I sketched or painted her. As the weeks passed after
Cooper's wedding, I accumulated a collection of Lark artwork. I just
couldn't stop thinking of that face.
Waiting to play golf with Mom and Dad at the country club, I sketched
Lark's sweet smile into a napkin. Around me, the members at the club
talked business and retirement funds and other crap. Dad was
bullshitting with his friends about a bass he caught. My mother was
watching me though.
"Do you have a new girlfriend?" Mom asked, taking the napkin. "She
looks familiar."
"She was a bridesmaid at Cooper's wedding."
"The little one with the wispy hair."
"Yeah. Her name is Lark."
An elegant woman in her seventies, Maryann Barnes loved her life and
this happiness showed in all of her easy smiles. However, at that
moment, my mom grinned in the way moms grinned when feeling
nosy.

"Tell me about her. How long have you two been seeing each
other?"
Studying the napkin, I admitted what a man wouldn't admit to anyone
besides his mom.
"We're not dating. We've barely spoken." "Why? Does she have a
boyfriend?"
"I don't think so. I've tried to find a way to talk to her since, but fate
keeps fucking it up. Like every time she'll be hanging with Coop and
Farah, I can't get out of a job. I went to her work twice to talk to her, but
each time she was on break and I ended up with another waitress. It's
like fate is keeping us apart. I know that sounds stupid."
"Which part? Where you're afraid to just go up to Lark and ask her out?
Or how you think fate is out to get you?"
Sharing my mother's grin, I shrugged. "Both. I don't want to force
things because if she's not interested then it'll be awkward when I see
her at Coop's."
"If this girl is special, you can't let a little thing like fate stand in the
way."
"Fate, huh?" Dad said, appearing next to the table to sip his orange
juice. "Fate only controls the weak, son. You know how I became
successful?"
"You were willing to lie, cheat, and steal."
My parents smiled then Dad put on his philosophical face. "I wouldn't
allow fate to make my life for me. When fate stood in the way, I shoved
it aside and took what I wanted. You need to do that with this girl. Can't
let fate push you around."
Smiling up at Dick Barnes, I couldn't deny he built a good life for our
family. He worked hard, made smart decisions, and never allowed fate
to call the shots. I also couldn't deny he found a great woman with my
mother. She was the dreamer who kept Dad from losing himself to the
job. Mom was his muse.
"I'll take another stab at talking to her."
"If you can't find a way, get Cooper to do it. You know how he loves
controlling things. I'm sure he'll want to help."
"True, but once he starts meddling, he won't stop. I don't need him

giving me pointers for the rest of my relationship with Lark."
"Lark," my mother said, testing out the name. "She had such a sweet
smile. I could look at that smile for the rest of my life. Yes, go kick fate
in the balls and get me a daughter."
"You have a daughter."
"A new one, I meant. Preferably one who likes to visit more than
Anna."
Grinning at the thought of my alpha chick sister, I finished my juice
and stood up. "I'll focus on a first date then worry about getting you a
more compliant daughter."
Dad chuckled then turned to the last member of our golfing party.
Graham was like a shrunken version of my dad. Also unlike Dad, he
had a habit of blurting crap out.
"I heard a majority of white males in prison have tattoos," Graham
announced while studying the cobra tat running up my neck.
"What's your fucking point?" I growled down at him. When Graham
shrunk under my tone, I grinned. "Just kidding, man. Plenty of my
white clients are criminals too, but they're just people."
"My brother cheats on his taxes," Graham blurted out.
"Who doesn't?" Dad said, taking my mother's hand as they started for
the cart.
I grinned at Graham who smiled back. There were moments in life
when I wondered how someone managed to survive with a lack of
social skills. Staring down at Graham, I was having one of those
moments. Fortunately, he spouted stupid in front of me rather than
those criminal clients of mine.
Chapter Three - Lark
Larry had only been my stepfather since I was fifteen. He was the latest
in a long line of losers. While the richest and most stable of the bunch,
he was still a jerk. Yet, my mom adored him.
Blonde, blue eyed, and fit, Margo was an attractive woman who never
had trouble finding a man. She had trouble attracting nice ones though.
One drunk after another gambler, she was always in a bad relationship
or between one. My dad was a criminal. Raven's dad too.

Phoenix' s dad had been married and tried to shoot my mom when she
wouldn't have an abortion. This attempt on her life was why she came
back to Ellsberg. It wasn't enough to make her change her bad taste in
men though. Another loser came along then another. Eventually, we
ended up with Larry.
They had a strange relationship. She was his submissive in every way.
He told her what to wear, how much she was supposed to weigh, and
who she could talk to. He controlled her every waking moment. If she
deviated from the schedule he set, she was punished in various ways
from withholding affection and food to ignoring her to spankings.
Their relationship horrified me, but I saw how much my mom loved the
whole thing. Not just Larry, but his need to control her. She thought it
meant she was special. I thought it meant he was a freak and she needed
therapy. I never said anything though because I didn't make waves. I
was the middle child and we just kept our heads down. At least, that
was what I read once and it did fit me.
Raven was the oldest and she didn't keep her head down. In a rage, she
was like a bull storming through a China shop. In our roller derby team,
she was known as the Chicknado because she would skate into a crowd
of girls and send them flying.
When Larry came into our life, Raven did try to make the best of the
situation. We lived in a nice house and were able to share a car with our
mom. Going hungry was never a concern and Larry wasn't a drinker,
druggie, or gambler. He just wanted to tell us how to think.
Raven dodged the old man most of the time. Everything might have
worked out, but Larry heard one of his girls was running the street with
a loser. He decided his son Dylan would tail Raven everywhere to
make sure she behaved.
My stepbrother had a mohawk and tats. He looked scary, but Raven
feared no man. Even if she did, my sister would react in violence to any
challenge. She squared off against Dylan and they beat the crap out of
each other. After she and Dylan left the hospital, Larry gave her an
ultimatum. Behave or get out.
Raven responded by listing off everything she hated about him. Larry' s
reaction was to threaten her with violence, maybe thinking she

was still weak from the fight with Dylan. My stepbrother laughed when
Larry threatened Raven. If he couldn't take her down, his old man
wasn't going to do it.
Never willing to stand down, Raven threatened Larry with violence
right back. Realizing she would actually hit him, he called the police
and Raven left town with her stoner boyfriend Dexter.
Without Raven, I was alone with the two Clark men and my indifferent
mother. Moving out wasn't an option though. I couldn't afford school
plus rent, utilities, and food. Larry knew this fact and often held school
over my head. If I didn't behave, he would threaten to kick me out. I
needed to get an education so I could support myself one day and never
depend on some fucker like him. Depend on any of the kind of men my
mom loved over the years.
After Raven left, Larry cracked down on my privileges. After I became
friends with the Johanssons, he cracked down even more. I wasn't
allowed to drive or take the bus. I wasn't allowed to go out on the
weekends. I wasn't allowed to do anything except work and study. If I
wanted to be around my friends, I needed Dylan to come along. The
night I bowled with the crew, he sat in the corner and stared at me. I
pretended not to notice and no one else seemed to notice either. Cooper
likely would have said something if he knew my brother was
babysitting me.
Dylan claimed he wasn't my brother. He didn't see us that way. I
pretended not to understand. So far, my lies kept him at arm's length.
One day on the phone, Raven warned me Dylan wouldn't wait forever.
When he decided to stop waiting, I needed to decide how far I would go
to say no.
This thought was on my mind as I sat for another tense dinner with the
family.
Sporting dyed black hair and a fake tan, Larry sat at one end of the long
table with Mom at the other. Dylan sat across from me and he often
looked up to stare. I pretended not to notice. For most of my life, I'd
pretended one thing or another. The only time I could really be me was
with Raven especially during roller derby. I'd been called Thunder
Kitten because I looked harmless like a kitten, yet could startle my

opponents like a crack of thunder.
Despite my former tough girl stance, I was Larry's bitch now. When he
told me the pink and blue tips in my hair were ridiculous, I dyed them
out. When he said my hair was too short and spiky, I let it grow. If I
didn't bow to his will, he would kick me out of the house and I would
lose out on college.
I wasn't even aiming for a bachelor degree anymore. At that rate, I
would live under Larry's thumb for a decade. I just wanted an
associate's degree then get the fuck out of his house with all of its bear
figures staring at me.
My mind was on more than Larry and those knickknacks. I missed my
sister and wished she would give me advice about Aaron. In the past,
she was the one I talked to about everything. Now, she was just gone.
Hiding out in my bedroom, I dialed her number and hoped she
answered. These days, Raven often let her phone go to voice mail. I
wasn't sure if this was because she was busy or avoiding me. Growing
up, I wouldn't have imagined a time when I'd suspect my sister of
dodging me. Of course, I never would have dreamed she would ditch
town and leave me behind.
This time, she answered, sounding in a rush. "Hey," she said and I
already felt like hanging up.
Even though I wanted to ask why she hadn't called me back after the
last three messages I left, I didn't say the words. I feared she would
admit she didn't want to talk to me and I wasn't brave enough for the
truth.
"Are you busy?" I asked. "Yeah, I' m about to go out."
Knowing she was on a cell and could take it with her, I again felt the
urge to yell at her for hiding from me these last months. When she first
moved away, Raven called and told me how much she missed me.
Back then, she seemed homesick without me. Now, she just sounded
sick of hearing my voice.
"I met someone," I said.
"A guy?"
"Yes."

"What's his name?" "Aaron. He's a tattoo artist." "An artist. Sounds like
you."
Lately, whenever we spoke, everything she said sounded like an insult.
I wasn't sure if my feelings were hurt or if she was being a bitch. For the
first time, I realized I didn't want to talk to her either.
"I know you're busy, so I'll let you go."
Raven said nothing for a minute then sighed. "Is Larry giving you
trouble about dating Aaron?"
"I'm not dating Aaron. I just like him." "Does he have a girlfriend?" "I
don't think so."
"What' the problem then?"
"Every time he's around, fate seems to keep us from talking."
"Fate?"
"Cooper said he would pay to have my tattoo fixed if I went to Aaron's
shop. I guess, I'll try to go, but fate always keeps us apart. It's probably
not going to happen."
"Fuck fate," Raven growled. "If you like this guy, you make him pay
attention to you. See if he's the guy you think. If he is and he wants you,
fuck fate and fuck Larry and his stupid rules. You make things happen
because no one's going to give you shit in life."
"Are you okay?" I asked softly.
"Yes, I'm fine," Raven said, sighing loudly. "I just don't want you
wasting your life because you think you have to follow some man's
rules. Make the most of what you have, Lark. You deserve to have this
guy if he makes you happy. If he doesn't, find someone else. Or don't,
but never let anything stand in your way. Just shove the bullshit out of
your way and make things happen. You deserve that."
"I miss you."
Raven sighed again. "I miss you too. Your birthday's coming up and I'
ll send you something." "Maybe you could visit."
Raven said nothing and that was an answer in itself. "So are you with
Dexter?"

"No."
Her tone made clear she wasn't talking about the matter. "Do you have
a job?"
"Yes and I'm going to be late. I'll call you soon." "Okay. I love you."
"Love you too. Be brave, Lark. Never let anyone take your dreams
from you, okay?" "Okay."
"Bye," she said, hanging up before I responded.
Sitting on my bed, I thought about Raven's behavior since leaving. It
made sense in a lot of ways. I was part of her old life and she didn't like
her old life. Once, she was my best friend. Now, she was a stranger.
Besides my breaking heart, I did hold onto her words about Aaron.
Maybe once we hung out, whatever I felt would fade or disappear.
Anything was possible, but I would never know if I didn't make a
move.
Fuck fate. I was taking what I wanted and I knew exactly where to find
him.
Chapter Four - Aaron
Cooper had been my best friend since middle school. Even knowing
him since first grade, my tolerance level didn't allow a friendship. He
was loud and rude and I thought he sucked. On the second day of
seventh grade, I saw a disabled kid getting hassled by the school
dipshits and stepped in. They weren't impressed. After I threw a few
punches, they were more impressed. However, I was on my way to
getting an ass-kicking. Playing hero, Cooper arrived and made such a
mess that the rich boy was suspended for a week. When he returned to
school, I thanked him. Not in an overly friendly way because I still
thought he was jerk. Cooper looked at me then glared at one of the guys
down the hall.
"Who picks on a disabled kid like that? Sick fucks."
Seeing him all protective of a kid he didn't know made me like him
more. Seeing me take a partial beating for the kid made him respect me
more. By the next week, we were friends. Unlike girls, we didn't make
a deal of it. Instead, we just started hanging out and we were hanging
even

now.
Cooper didn't need to do anything in our shared business. I handled the
clients, billing, and everything financial. In the past, he'd show up to
chat with my pretty apprentice Jade. Now, Jade was a full fledged artist
and in a relationship while Cooper was married. No more flirting, but
he still dropped by, acted like he gave a shit about taxes and bills, then
took me to lunch at the nearby sandwich shop.
"What's up your butt, man?" he asked after his first sandwich.
"Nothing. I'm just tired."
"You seem sad. Do you need a hug?" When I flipped him off, Cooper's
grin widened. "You're hot for a girl. Hmm...let me guess which one."
Cooper tapped at his forehead. "Does it rhyme with Noah's
boat?"
Frowning, I leaned back and ignored him. Cooper refused to be ignored
and continued, "At the wedding, you gave yourself away. I doubt
anyone else noticed, but they don't know you like I do."
"Gave myself away how? I didn't even talk to her."
"No, but whenever she came in your vicinity, you got really quiet like a
predator on the hunt. Besides, you brought that hot redhead. As much
as I know how you love redheads, you acted like you were on a date
with your sister or something. No heat. The only way you don't get hard
for a redhead is if a girl's got your heart wrapped up."
Frowning, I didn't want to admit he was right. Cooper was too fucking
arrogant as it was.
"She's a cute chick," Cooper said when I remained silent. "Sweet too. A
girl like that will swoon for you like Tawny never would. The way a
bitch like Kristen never would either."
"I don't even know her."
"But you want to."
"She's beautiful, but that's the end of it."
"A lot of girls are beautiful, but Farah is beautiful in a different way,"
he said, getting that dreamy look when talking about his girl. "She
made me see her and not want to look at any other chick. Farah didn't
have to try either. That's the thing about you and Lark. You two were
breathing in rhythm at the reception dinner and never even said more

than hello. Maybe you did at the wedding too, but I was sort of busy
staring at my hot wife."
"Yeah, you were drooling all over the wedding reception. Hell, I saw a
few people slip on the fucking dance floor. It was pretty disgusting."
"Nope. You're not changing the subject. I'm sick of you hooking up
with stupid bitches you don't want because you're afraid of getting
played like you did by Kristen. Lark isn't that bitch. She'll treat you
good and you need a chick to swoon over and write poetry for and paint
and... Shit, you're already painting her, aren't you?"
"Fuck off, Coop."
"Is she dressed in these paintings?" he asked, wiggling his brows.
"How would I know what she looks like naked?" "Use your
imagination. You know the parts on a chick." "You're an idiot."
"An idiot in love and it feels good. Feels solid like I have a part of my
life that just fits. I didn't even know I needed that part. Farah's my girl
and I think Lark could be yours. Even more than me, you need a girl,
man. You need it because you're a guy who has all that soft romantic
shit in you and you have no place to put it. Get yourself that girl and
make your life solid."
"I don't know her. I could have built up an idea of her that she can't live
up to."
"I never had a clue with Farah. She didn't make sense and I would get
pissed when she did what I didn't want her to do. Why couldn't she just
be my puppet? Even though she wasn't what I thought she should be,
she was perfect. She's still perfect."
"You really thinking about working on a kid? You just got married."
"Want to do stuff now. Why the fuck wait?"
"When Jade's sister had a kid, she couldn't fuck for six weeks
afterwards. Doctor's orders. You going to wait six weeks?"
Cooper frowned like I was batshit crazy. "That sounds wrong. I can't
imagine my pop going six weeks without getting laid and the guy has
four kids. That's twenty four weeks without pussy. No, there must be

an exception."
Laughing at him, I couldn't tell if he was kidding or not. Cooper finally
stretched his arms along the back of the booth.
"Farah and I can play other ways. She's really open to playing. Curious
too."
"I don't need to know all that."
"I'm proud of her, is all. Can't a husband give his girl props for getting
over her issues and loving all that I have to offer?" "Again, too much
info."
"If you don't make a move on Lark, I'm going to hook you two up.
Don't make me stoop to that shit, man. Bad enough I'm helping Tucker
find a decent fuck for Bailey. I really don't need to play matchmaker
with you too."
"I've got it handled."
Cooper smirked. "Lark's coming to your shop to get a tat fixed. You're
welcome for that."
"What?" I muttered, frowning even if this idea interested me.
"She's got a lame worm tat and needs it fixed. She works at that
Denny's and can't afford it, so I said I would pay. I like paying for
chicks to get nice tats. Makes me feel charitable."
"It's a worm?" I asked, wondering why Lark would have a fucking
worm tattoo.
"Looks like one. I think it was supposed to be a butterfly. I can't
remember. Farah got all territorial and I about jizzed my pants."
"Too much fucking info, man," I said, emphasizing each word.
"Whatever. Just make sure you look your best when she shows up. I
don't want you scaring her away. She's cute and available and I don't
want Vaughn messing with Lark. He's trouble and will eat her alive."
Even though I said nothing, Cooper started laughing. "You're jealous."
Exhaling hard, I flipped him off again, but he just kept laughing.
"Yeah, well, you better get that girl or I might set her up with someone
from the club. Judd still gets weird around Mac. Need to get him a
woman so Judd won't kill him on accident one day," Cooper said, air
quoting "accident."
Leaning back, I doodled on my napkin until I realized I was

drawing Lark again. Cooper didn't seem to notice. He was too busy
frowning at his phone.
"Problem?"
"More shit from the Devils. They're pushing and we'll need to push
back. Might need to call someone in to go to Tucson to handle the
problem at the top."
"Someone?"
"Don't you worry. Business shit."
"Now, you're secretive. Where was this when you were talking about
jazzing your pants."
Cooper grinned, but I could tell he was tense. "I might need to get
someone out of Memphis to handle the president of the Devils. Finish
this shit for good. Don't want to go that far, but they're making our club
look bad. Making me look bad and that makes Pop look bad."
"You'll figure it out. You know, being perfect and all."
Cooper grinned. "It's a burden, but I manage."
I shared his smile. "Thanks for sending Lark my way."
"She was looking for an excuse to talk to you. I just gave her the money
to use her tat as that excuse." Cooper sat forward and studied me. "I
know you're a good guy. Probably the best guy I know, but Lark's got
something wrong with her. Something broken maybe. I see it around
the edges and maybe you saw it too. Just be careful with her."
"Why wouldn't I?"
"Kristen fucked you over and you didn't see it coming. You think you
read people and you do read them well. You just overlooked Kristen
being a lying whore. Don't let that shit make you weird with Lark. She's
a good girl and won't bounce back if you mess with her head or make
her jump through hoops proving she's not Kristen."
"I'm not going to mess with her head."
"Not on purpose. Like I said, you're a good guy. Still, you got hurt.
Now, you don't trust yourself. I just don't want you fucking things up
with Lark because you got suckered by a bitch. Lark could make you
happy and I want you happy. It kills me that I found my girl before you.
You need this, man. Just be careful of your issues so you don't make
them her issues."

"Got it."
Cooper grinned. "You've drawn her naked, haven't you?" "No."
"Dork."
Laughing, I threw my pencil at him. Cooper didn't even bat it away. He
just laughed harder at my lame attempt to injure him. Marriage made
him happier than I'd ever seen him. It also made him think he knew
everything about relationships. Like he needed another reason to show
off.
Chapter Five - Lark
After ditching class and grabbing a bus, I walked into Bluegrass Tats.
My breath was minty, hair decent, and I felt pretty confident. Mostly, I
was just dying to see Aaron again.
A woman was behind the counter, looking bored. She glanced up at me
when I entered then looked back at her magazine.
"They're busy."
"I can wait."
"No."
"Cooper Johansson said I should talk to Aaron about getting my tattoo
finished."
"I don't care if President Obama sent you," the girl said, still looking at
her magazine. "They're busy and you don't have an appointment."
"Melissa," a woman snapped, exiting one of the backrooms. "Stop
being rude."
The second woman was black or a dark skinned Hispanic. She was
beautiful with long dark hair and big black eyes. Her arms were
covered in tattoos and she wore a tight vest and black jeans.
"I' m Jade," she said, smiling and erasing much of the tension from
Melissa's attitude. "What did you need, sweetheart?"
"I have an unfinished tattoo and Cooper said I should talk to Aaron
about getting it fixed. He said he would pay."
"Let me see," Jade said, coming around the counter.

"Don't you have a client?" Melissa muttered.
"She needed a break. Is there a reason you need to know my business,
employee?"
Melissa frowned, but kept her mouth shut. I turned to show Jade the
wingless butterfly. I expected her to laugh, but she just ran her fingers
over it.
"Aaron can fix that easy," Jade said as I turned back around.
"Fix what?" Aaron asked, appearing in a white tank top and sending
every nerve in my body into heat.
Jade smiled. "Her poor butterfly has no wings."
My face flushed with embarrassment which was stupid since I knew he
would see it. Aaron studied me in a really focused way then smiled. His
grin sent me from beat red to a weird purple. At least, this was what it
felt like.
"Hey, Lark," he said.
"From the wedding."
Aaron gave me a half smile like I was being dumb. "I remember."
Jade looked back and forth between us then shook her head. "Not a
good time to discuss fixing it. I mean, with our clients waiting. You 're
not done, are you?"
"No," Aaron said in that wonderful deep, yet gentle voice.
"Why don't you two meet somewhere to discuss the details?" Jade
asked, wrapping an arm around my shoulders. "Since you know each
other and all, I mean."
Nodding, I stared into Aaron's beautiful blue eyes. He said nothing, so
Jade continued.
"Where could you meet?"
"I get a discount at Denny's."
"That would work," Jade said. "Aaron will meet you around
when?"
I thought about when I could get away from Dylan's constant
observation. On Wednesday, I usually studied at the library with my
friends. Dylan dropped me off and picked me up hours later. I could
ditch the library, catch the bus, and get to Denny's to meet Aaron.
"Would seven work?"

"Oh, that would be fine," Jade said, giving Aaron a wink. "He'll meet
you then."
"Are you sure?" I asked Aaron. "I'll be there."
Smiling, I felt awkward with the three of them watching me. Even
Melissa stopped flipping through her magazine to frown at me.
"I'll see you on Wednesday," I said, stepping away from Jade. "Thank
you for your help."
Nodding, Jade crossed her buff arms and smiled knowingly. Aaron
watched me go. He was still watching when I glanced back before
crossing the parking lot to catch my bus. Even if we barely exchanged
words, I felt like the visit couldn't have gone better. Wednesday was
going to be amazing as long as I could ditch Dylan.
Chapter Six - Aaron
For most of my teens, the Johanssons were like a second family. I spent
most weekends at their place where we fished, hunted, played sports,
and acted like two unsupervised pubescent boys. Cooper was the
brother I never had, but brothers grew apart over time.
The Johansson family business was something I kept at a distance as
we grew up. Years earlier, Cooper asked me to join the club and get my
hands dirty. While I was his friend and would keep his secrets, the life
his family led wasn't for me. For one thing, I was just a natural born
outsider. I got along with everyone, but I liked being my own man. This
was something Cooper would never enjoy. He wasn't merely a
husband, friend, or college student. He was the heir to a business built
in blood.
Normally, I didn't think about Cooper as anything more than the
showoff smartass man I knew since he was a showoff smartass kid.
Today, he seemed bothered in a way that wasn't about college or
marriage. Farah giggled nearby with Tawny as they struggled to make
pigtails in seven year old Sawyer's long wavy hair. Laughing at their
attempts, Jodi Johansson smiled at Bailey who rested against her
mother's shoulder. The family appeared relaxed, but I noticed Cooper
wasn't the only grumpy one. As Kirk worked the grill, his jaw was tight
and eyes unfocused.

"What's up?" I finally asked Cooper as we walked over to the corner of
the deck. "Business shit."
"Don't get pouty. Just fucking tell me."
Cooper grinned. "You're an asshole. How's your love life,
Romeo?"
"Don't change the subject. What's making you grumpy? Marriage
problems?"
"Fuck you," Cooper growled, really trying to out alpha me and
everyone in a ten mile radius.
"Spill."
Exhaling hard, Cooper glared at the sky. "The Devils hit another of our
suppliers."
"I thought you got the mole."
"We did. The people they hit were out in the open. In a way, it's worse.
They're mocking us," Cooper said then glanced at Vaughn. "They want
Harlow now too."
"Why?"
"It's a bargaining chip. They really just want Vaughn, but having him
know they're after the girl will make him edgier. A tense Outlaw makes
mistakes."
"They won't come here though."
"No. I don't think so. It's hard to know why they're pushing so hard on
this, but I think it's ego. They couldn't have cared about Playboy that
fucking much. It's about Vaughn making them look weak or maybe
they're fucking nuts. Who knows, but they said they want the girl now.
If we give her and Vaughn to them, they'll back off. Oh, and they
promise to kill her quick. Vaughn needs to bleed though."
"Fuckers."
"Those fuckers wouldn't kill her either. She's a pretty girl and they'd
make her work. Sick bastards can't be trusted. Even if I was willing to
hand over the girl and let Vaughn die, I can't give into the Devils
without looking weak."
"What can do you?"
"I need to hit them back," Cooper said, his voice dropping. "I think

it's what Pop would do. He's keeping quiet on the issues. If I can't get it
handled, he'll take over and that shit can't happen. I will never get
respect if I need him to fix my problems."
"Hit them back how?"
"Two ways. I could send my top guys, but I don't want to rely on Pop's
guys. The old timers aren't loyal to me like Judd and Vaughn. Of
course, I can't send my guys because Vaughn can't be trusted to go
without losing his shit. I also can't send Judd."
We both looked at where the enforcer stared out at the woods.
Whatever he was thinking about had put him in a dark mood. However,
Tawny laughed at Sawyer's hair and the sound brought Judd out from
his gloom.
"If he died," Cooper said in nearly a whisper, "it would end Tawny.
She's a tough broad, but she wouldn't survive without her man. As the
boss, I shouldn't care. I should focus on what's good for the business
and club, but..."
Cooper didn't finish and he didn't need to. We both understood how his
heart belonged to Farah. Like a domino effect, Judd's death would
destroy Tawny which would destroy Farah which would weaken
Cooper. Losing Judd wasn't an option.
"The only other choice is calling in help from Memphis," Cooper said,
glancing at Farah who was watching him in that weird mating way they
looked at each other lately. It was obnoxious. "I can get a big gun to
take care of my problem, but it also might make me look like I can't
handle things on my own."
"What's Kirk saying about any of this?"
"Fucking nothing. He's leaving it to me. When I make a suggestion, he
acts like I'm an idiot. I know he's testing me and I get that shit, but
people are dying. Not just fucking loser druggies and dealers either.
Kids and average folks are getting caught in the crosshair. The Devils
don't care, but I do. I'm not turning into a monster to do this job."
"Have you asked Farah for advice?" I said when I saw her moving
closer like a predator leisurely making its way towards its prey.
"She's not..."
"Ask your woman. She might say something that helps things click

for you. Trust me that Farah brings out the best in you, so maybe she
can get your big fat brain to work. "
Laughing, Cooper slugged me in the arm. "Asshole."
"Maybe, but I' m right. Oh, hell, here she comes and I sense you two
will be sneaking off for a quickie."
"Fuck sneak off," Cooper said, still grinning. "We're married. We just
announce we're going to fuck then go fuck. We're in a committed
relationship, so we can act mature like that."
Now, I was the one laughing and I didn't stop once Farah cuddled up
with her beast.
"I heard you're having dinner with Lark," she said, wiggling her
eyebrows. "Hurry up and marry her, so we can double date and annoy
Vaughn."
"Can't you double date with Tawny and Judd?" Cooper and Farah
laughed. "Yeah, right," they said in unison, causing me to wonder if
their brains had merged from too much sex. "If I have my way, Lark
will be mine."
"He's stalking her," Cooper told Farah. "Draws pictures of her naked
too."
Farah laughed and pated my cheek. "Romantic."
"Clearly, I've fucked her brains out," Cooper said and she gave him the
pissed wife look. Sighing, he lowered his gaze and mumbled, "Yes,
ma'am."
Watching them do their obnoxious married thing, I tried my hardest not
to be a jealous bastard wishing I had what they did. Despite my best
efforts, I failed.
Chapter Seven - Lark
As a bad liar, I struggled to act casual as Dylan dropped me off at the
Hampton library. Instead of just telling me what time to wait for him,
he turned off his Harley and joined me on the sidewalk.
"What are you doing?" I asked, hiding my horror.
"You seem weird. I just got a feeling I should stick around."
"You want to come into the library while I study for a few hours?"
"Sure."

"Why?"
"I got a feeling. I told you."
Panicking, I glanced around. "You can't come in."
"Why?" he growled, fully suspicious now.
"It's embarrassing to have my brother sitting there while I study with
my friends."
"I'm not your brother."
"That's how they see you," I said then added, "It's how I see you."
Dylan's frown darkened. "I was nineteen when our parents married.
You're not my sister."
Staring up into his angry dark eyes, I wished he was angry enough to
storm off. "If you're not my brother, why are you treating me like your
little sister who needs babying?"
"I'm protecting you."
"I don't need protecting. I need to study with my friends without you
watching us like my warden."
Grumpy now, Dylan glanced around then stepped closer. "I'm keeping
you safe. Now, you said you needed to study, so let's go."
Walking with Dylan, I felt depression rising up inside me. I had
dreamed of spending time alone with Aaron. Did the handsome artist
feel like I did? Could we be something special together? Now, I
wouldn't know because Aaron wouldn't forgive me for standing him
up.
Inside the library, my study buddies waited. Nick and Selena frowned
when Dylan appeared.
"He's keeping me safe," I said, answering their questioning looks.
Dylan grunted, clearly irritated to see me studying with a guy. His
jealousy gave me an idea.
"Nick, you need a haircut," I said, pushing his long dark bangs out of
his green eyes. "You look like a cute little puppy."
Staring at me, Nick took a moment to figure out my sudden flirty
interest in him. He smiled and reached for my bangs.
"I like how you're growing your hair out."
Selena ignored us both, but I saw her grin as if in on the joke.
"This is what you call studying?" Dylan muttered, sitting closer
now.

Nick and I smiled then I stood up. "I want to get cleaned up. You know,
before we study," I said, grinning at Nick again.
Dylan focused his glare on Nick who only smiled. "Your sister is hot,
but I'm sure you're used to guys saying that."
"She's not my sister," Dylan growled.
Leaving the men to eye one another, I hurried to the bathroom. Dylan
never followed, just like I hoped. As he focused his jealous attention on
Nick who was likely ignoring him now, I slipped out a backdoor and
ran for the bus. If I missed it, I'd need to walk three miles. No way
could I reach Denny's before Aaron left.
Even running full speed, I reached the bus stop in time to see it
disappearing around a corner. Panic and depression ate at me, but I
started walking towards the restaurant. I was going to see Aaron
tonight and I wasn't letting Dylan or fate stop me.
Chapter Eight - Aaron
I'd been stood up once in my life and it was a girl I didn't really like.
We'd both been pretty drunk when we agreed to meet the next day for
lunch. I hadn't wanted to see her again once the beer goggles wore off,
but didn't have the heart to stand her up. She hadn't suffered from the
same weakness and never showed.
Getting stood up that day was a relief. Having Lark not show was like
someone kicking me in the balls while tearing out my heart and
crapping on it.
My muse might have a million great reasons to stay away. I focused on
the one reason I couldn't bear. She hadn't wanted me. Despite all the
smiles when Jade set up this dinner, Lark might only be playing along.
Maybe she knew I wanted her and she simply wanted a finished tattoo.
Was this her not so subtle way of making a point?
As I waited for nearly an hour, the waitress must have asked me thirty
times if I wanted something or if my friend was coming. The place was
dead, but she clearly wanted me to put up or get out. I just smiled and
played on my phone. Anyone would think I was content getting stood
up. Inside, I was pissed and hurt and pissed some more. Not even
pissed at Lark, but at myself for pining for a girl I didn't know. Over the

last few weeks, I'd affixed so many qualities onto her face and name.
Lark could be anyone, but I'd made her my muse. My ideal girl who
won my heart before our first kiss.
I was pissed at myself for being a fool. A weird obsessive fool to boot.
No wonder the girl played it safe and stayed away.
A part of me wanted to go home and trash all of the paintings I'd made
of her, but I knew I wouldn't. Even if I couldn't win her heart, she still
inspired me. Despite her disinterest, Lark was still my fucking muse
and I wasn't trashing anything with her lovely face on it.
Eventually, I gave my waitress what she wanted and left. My Harley
was the only vehicle in the main parking lot and it looked as lonely as I
felt. Hell, I'd really hoped Lark was the one.
If any night was a good time to speed, it was this one and I raced out of
the parking lot and towards Whiskey Kirk's. I need a few beers and
time alone in a booth while working Lark out of my system. While I
considered calling Cooper to have him meet me and listen to me bitch,
I knew he was home with Farah. The guy loved playing family man in
his big suburban house. I suspected the playing part involved the
couple running around naked most of the time.
Something was clearly wrong with the world when guys like Cooper
and Judd were settled, or whipped as Vaughn like to put it, while I was
alone. No one liked the idea of existing as half of a couple as much as
me. My parents were still in love after decades together. Even now,
their bickering possessed a gooey romantic vibe.
Despite only seeing Lark on a few occasions, I knew her face. Hell, I
dreamed of that face. So when I raced past as she walked towards the
restaurant, I only needed a glimpse to know it was her.
Turning the Harley around at the next light, I hurried back to where I' d
seen her. Lark was making great time, but it would be another fifteen
minutes before she reached Denny's. I stopped the bike next to the spot
where she was waiting for me. Clearly, she'd been walking for a while
and was soaked with sweat.
"Hey," I said, frowning at the sight of her flushed cheeks.
"I missed the bus."
Turning off the Harley, I sighed. "We should have exchanged

numbers so I could pick you up." Noticing her backpack looking heavy
with books, I frowned again. "Did you just get out of school?"
"I' m supposed to be studying. My brother was hanging around and I
had to sneak off and I missed the bus."
Lark was hot and tired and her hair was a mess from the long trek. She
looked lovely though. Those pink cheeks made me wonder things.
Mainly if they'd be so pink after hours of making love with me.
"I thought you were nineteen," I said once my mind left the idea of us in
bed.
"I am."
"So why does your brother care where you go?"
Lark stared at me with those bright green eyes and waited to be
scolded. I hated the look on her face and why it was there. Imagining
the countless times she must have been beaten down over the years, I
refused to be another disappointment.
"Wanna get some pulled pork over at Stucky's?" I asked, climbing off
the Harley.
Lark blinked hard like she was about to say no, but wasn't sure
how.
"Do you not like barbecue?" I asked.
"I do, but it's been really slow at the restaurant and I don't really have
money to spend a n d . "
Lark was sweaty and a hint of her eyeliner had smudged on the right
side. Yet, she never looked more beautiful than when I realized she
wanted me. No, she fucking needed me..
"Let's stop playing games," I said, reaching to wipe the smudge from
her face. "This is a date and I' m paying."
Before she might protest, I leaned down and kissed those lips I had
craved since the reception. Lark lifted them to me, needing what I
needed. The kiss was soft. Even wanting more, my lips left hers. They
returned to suck softly at her bottom lip once more before relenting.
When I stepped back, Lark shivered and gave me a little relieved smile.
I knew how she felt. I'd been waiting to do that for weeks.
"Let's go," I said, holding out my hand.
Lark' s smile grew and I nearly kissed her again. She looked lovely

like a child on Christmas and I was what Santa left. A guy could get
used to that look.
Chapter Nine - Lark
After getting our booth at Stucky's, I headed to the restroom to clean
up. My hair looked like shit and my makeup was a mess. I even stunk
of sweat. Staring at myself in the mirror, I realized I was smiling. Once
again, I smiled even when I wanted to cry.
How badly I wanted to impress Aaron like he impressed me. How
much I wished I was special or had a talent to make him think of me in
the way I thought of him. Aaron was more than stunning. He amazed
me. Every time I thought of the tattoos on Judd, Tawny, and the others,
I marveled at the artistry.
Unlike Aaron, I wasn't really good at anything. I was okay at lots of
things, but there was nothing special about me. I felt like a loser smiling
at myself in the mirror. However, I recalled his lips on mine. For the
first time since arriving, my smile was real.
He tasted better than a guy should taste. I'd kissed plenty of boys since
I was in junior high, but it always seemed gross. At the very least,
unsanitary. Raven used to laugh at me when I'd say that, but it was true.
Kissing Aaron though was better than I could have imagined.
Returning to the booth, I couldn't believe I had the chance to really
know him. He looked so good in a buttoned up shirt, khakis, and
loafers. The colors on the cobra contrasted perfectly against the red of
his shirt. While Aaron always seemed small when next to Cooper, he
wasn't short or weak. At six feet, his body was tight with muscles.
Seeing me approaching, his blue eyes locked onto my face and I
wanted to sit next to him and explore every inch of his body.
Instead, I planned to play it cool. In fact, the minute I sat across from
Aaron, I started asking questions. A part of me feared if he asked me
questions that he might not like the answers I gave him.
"How long have you been tattooing?"
"I started working at the shop of a really talented guy when I was in
high school. He took me under his wing and taught me everything he
knew. Once I graduated, I worked for him. A year later, he decided to

move to Florida. Cooper bought his place and we opened our shop."
"What does Cooper do?"
"Nothing," Aaron said, giving me a grin. "He bought the place. I run it.
He doesn't do any actual work and he doesn't take any profits. He likes
saying he owns it, but it was more like a gift to me to make us even."
"Make you even for what?"
"For putting up with his arrogant ass all these years."
Laughing behind my hand, I couldn't believe I was finally having a real
conversation with Aaron. Nearly giddy, I was past faking cool. He'd
seen me as a sweaty mess and kissed me anyway.
"What?" Aaron said when I smiled at him for too long.
"I've been thinking about you since the wedding rehearsal."
Aaron leaned back in the booth and smiled in that cocky way men
smiled when they had a girl on the hook. "Really? What were you
thinking?"
"That you were really...handsome. I also wished I could talk to you, but
I never got a chance at the wedding."
Aaron's smile faded. "I didn't sleep with that chick. The one I brought
to the wedding. I had invited her already and couldn't bail."
"I understand."
Aaron leaned forward and took my hand. His thumb pressed warmly
against my palm.
"I thought about you too and I wasn't going to settle. That's what I'm
saying. I don't want to play games. I've waited too long to fake
shit."
Running my fingers against his, I held his gaze and we simply sat there
waiting for our meal. No words were necessary. Even wanting to know
everything about him, I didn't want to interrupt the perfect vibe we
shared.
Finally, our food arrived and we used our hands to eat. No matter the
great barbecue before us, I only wanted to stare at Aaron.
"What are you hoping to do with your degree?" he asked.
"I'd like to become a paralegal, but I don't know if I can get a BA. I
really want to work in an office and have a dress code that doesn't

involve a uniform."
"Any reason why?"
Shrugging, I tried to be casual, but lying to Aaron felt obscene. "My
family isn't the kind of people who work in offices. They're all
waitresses, fast food workers, or janitors. Low pay, low skill workers. I
want to be different."
"Isn't your stepdad that guy with the car dealership?"
"Yeah, but he's not really family. He's just my mom's husband."
Aaron nodded. "Understood."
"Are your parents together?"
"Yeah. Nearly fifty years."
"Wow," I said, doing the math in my head.
Aaron grinned. "They adopted me when they were nearly fifty. Dad
had retired and they wanted to try the family deal again." "Do you have
any siblings?"
"A sister who's forty. Anna's a high powered tax attorney in Miami.
She works for a huge corporation and is like my dad on heels."
Smiling, I hadn't realized Aaron's family was well to do. I just assumed
because of his tattoos and friendship with Cooper that he came from a
rougher background.
"What are your parents like?" I asked.
"They're two of the friendliest people you'll ever meet. My dad is
always laughing this booming laugh. My mom is soft spoken, but tough
as nails. They raised me with a crap full of love and I never wanted for
anything. I wasn't spoiled though. It's hard to explain, but they were
retired and focused all of their attention on me."
"They did a great job."
Aaron smiled then startled me by standing up and walking to my side of
the booth. Leaning down, he smelled of barbecue, Coke, and a hint of
cologne. My lips opened for him without me even thinking.
Instinctually, I wanted to be closer to him. Hell, I wanted everything
from him. My mind was already imagining him against me in bed. I
planned to explore with my lips every tattoo on his hard body.
When Aaron removed his lips, he licked them and I shivered. He
returned to his side of the booth and acted normal. However, I could

almost feel his heart beating and I knew what he felt.
"I wish I could go home with you right now," I said, losing my
filter.
Aaron' s blue eyes held my gaze and I saw such warmth. Yet, for a
second, I spotted another harder emotion and felt him pulling away
emotionally. The coldness in his eyes lasted only long enough for him
to blink, but it cut deep into me.
I realized Aaron didn 't trust me.
"My family is low class, but I'm a loyal person," I said. "Like I don' t
steal or lie or anything."
Aaron frowned at me. "Why did you just tell me that?"
"You looked like I might run off with your wallet."
Smiling slightly, he leaned back and studied me. "More worried about
you running off with my heart." When I didn't say anything, he
laughed. "Yeah, sounded corny, but I can see how you'd do a number
on me. Good thing you're the loyal type, huh?"
Nodding, I felt uneasy like I needed to prove my worth or he might
never kiss me again. A lifetime of insecurities rose up and I panicked a
little.
"When I like something, I like it forever. I love the same foods I loved
when I was kid. I love the same music. The same everything. I'm
loyal."
Aaron leaned forward and exhaled softly. "You're so beautiful and I
can't get your face out of my mind."
"Really?" I asked like a dope. "No one's ever said that before. Well, no
one who wasn't trying to con me into sleeping with them."
"I don't want to con you into anything."
"You don't need to."
Aaron's smile widened. "I'd take you home this very second except I
sense you're supposed to return home in an hour or so. No way would I
be able to let you go that quickly." Leaning back in the booth, he sighed
loudly. "I guess we'll just have to pick another time for you to visit my
place. I can show you my dogs a n d . "
Aaron didn't finish. I saw him conflicted over finishing then he shook
his head. "I'll just show you everything."

"I want that."
Aaron studied my face and I felt so alive with his gaze focused on
me.
"I should be taking this slow. Playing it cool like I don't really care,"
Aaron said. "I know how to play the dating game. Act interested, but
not too interested. Make the girl work for it. I know that shit, but I don'
t want to play anything with you. It needs to be real and the reality is I
want you."
Smiling wider, I sighed. "I've never been good at dating. If I was good
at it though, I still wouldn't pretend with you."
"I came into Denny's three times trying to talk to you. Each time, I
came in when you were on break or it was another server's turn. I
wanted to ask for you, but what if it seemed creepy or like I was
stalking you. Games haven't worked, so I'm all in with the truth from
now on."
Laughing like an idiot, I could barely control myself. "I told myself you
came in to see me, but felt stupid thinking that. I was right though."
Aaron laughed too. "How fucking lame was I? Like a high school punk
trying to woo the hot girl."
Shivering, I wanted to touch him so badly. I wanted everything and had
no patience for eating or small talk. My brain said to climb over the
table and just take him. Picturing this sent me into hysterics and Aaron
followed suit. We were just laughing like idiots because months of
longing and plotting and failing had brought us to this cathartic
moment.
After settling down, we smiled at each other. "Did Cooper know you
liked me?" I asked. "Was that why he offered to have you fix my
butterfly?"
"Yes," he said then studied me. "Why do you have a worm?" Still
smiling, I felt a little of my confidence leave me. "My stepdad thinks
tattoos are trashy. Larry doesn't see them as art. When I went to get my
butterfly, he sent his son to stop me."
"I don't get it. You're an adult. What the fuck does he care what you do
with your body?"
"He's a control freak and thinks everything reflects on him." "He
sounds like an asshole." "He is."

"Well, even if I didn't think you were the most beautiful girl I've ever
seen, I'd turn that worm into a butterfly. The damn thing makes me sad.
It's like someone's torn off its wings."
"I had been embarrassed about it, but whatever you do will be a million
times better than what I would have gotten. Not that the guy who was
doing it wasn't good, but your tattoos are...I don't think there's a word."
"Are you into art?"
"I love art, but I' m not really an artistic person. If that makes sense."
"It does. My parents are the same way." Aaron ran a finger over the
knuckles on my hand. "Mom took a few art classes, but she has no
ability to create what's in her mind."
"I would love to take an art class at school, but I can barely afford the
required courses."
Aaron looked ready to say something, but stopped himself. Instead, he
wiped away the sweat on his glass.
"Is it just you and your sister and the step siblings?"
"I had a little brother. Phoenix died when he was almost four."
"How?" he said, taking my hand again.
"We were supposed to be watching him," I mumbled, just saying the
words without picturing what happened. "Raven and I were in dance
class and we were practicing outside while Phoenix played with his
little plane. We weren't watching him and he must have dropped his toy
in the pool and went in to get it. We weren't paying attention and he
drowned."
"How old were you?"
"Six. Raven was eight."
"Why were you watching a child?"
"Our stepdad was hung over and he told us to watch him."
"Fuck that," Aaron muttered angrily and the darkness in his eyes
excited me.
"Phoenix was really sweet. Smart too and a good swimmer. I think that'
s why he thought it would be okay."
Aaron let go of my hand and joined me on my side of the booth.
Startled by the suddenness of his gesture, I froze until his arms wrapped

around me.
"You smile even when you're sad," he murmured. "It kills me to see
that."
Gazing up at him, I let my fingers slide over the cobra's fierce
expression. The tattoo was so realistic that I was surprised not to see
my reflection in its cold black eyes.
"Phoenix was amazing. I wish every day we had watched him better
and he could be here now."
"It's not your fault," he said, nuzzling his lips against my hair. "You
realize there's a reason the state doesn't license children to be daycare
owners."
"I know that in my head. In my heart, I feel like I let him die."
"Kids always think shit's their fault."
Even knowing what he was saying was true, I thought everyday of
Phoenix floating in the pool. Raven and I were showing off and having
so much fun while our baby brother drowned yards away. Logic didn't
stand a chance against the pain of such memories.
Aaron must have realized words wouldn't soothe because he kissed me
softly. My lips spread for his and I tugged at his tee. My leg wrapped
over his as I sucked gently at his tongue.
Making out in public seemed so trashy when I saw others doing it, but
now I couldn't get enough of Aaron. Heaven was at my fingertips and I
never wanted to let go.
Chapter Ten - Aaron
My mom always said I was a dreamer and she wasn't wrong. In fact,
one of the trickiest parts of growing up was learning to keep my dreams
in line with what I could realistically attain. If I dreamed too big, I
would end up disappointed. Disappointed enough and I'd be filled with
unhappiness. My life was too damn good to be unhappy.
Never was letting go of a dream more difficult than while kissing Lark
in the Stucky's parking lot. My petite muse sat on my Harley with her
legs and arms wrapped around me. My hands deep in her dark hair, I
kissed her as if hoping to steal her breath and keep it with me forever.
This moment was hotter and more beautiful than any before and I never

wanted it to end.
The dreamer in me imagined taking her to my bed and keeping her at
my house and making her mine. Just forget about her shitty stepdad or
the stepbrother she ditched at the library or her weird mom. Forget
about school and work. Nothing would matter beyond knowing Lark. I
craved to discover every inch of her body and every moment of her life
before I met her. I wanted everything right then and waiting for
tomorrow was like a kick in the balls.
The realist in me forced my lips from hers, but I still held her close. As
Lark stared up at me with those bright green eyes, I knew she wanted
what I did. The world was merely a backdrop to this moment.
"I need to see you tomorrow," I said, accepting how I would have to
take her home.
"I work in the morning and have school in the afternoon."
"Hell," I said, rubbing my head and feeling the rough hairs needing to
be shaved. "I have a client in the morning or I'd visit you at Denny's."
"It's okay. I can't really talk that much at work and I would probably get
fired from sitting on your lap and making out."
Grinning, I kissed her and we didn't stop until a few motorcycles raced
by startling Lark. She glanced at them then back at me.
"Can I pick you up after school?" I asked, caressing her delicate
face.
"Yes," she said, her smile warming and those eyes lighting up. "I could
meet you on the quad by the senior hall. It's close to my second class.
Would that be okay?"
Leaning into her hair, I inhaled her vanilla scent. "I don't care where I
meet you. I just need to know I won't go a day without you in my arms."
Lark shivered at my words and again when my teeth tugged at her
earlobe. Her arms tightened around me and the dreamer in me said
taking her home to that shit family wasn't happening. I should bring her
to my place. With me, she would smile because she was happy, not
because she always smiled.
Instead of giving us what we wanted, I forced myself to drive her to the
big ranch house on the outskirts of Ellsberg. The lights were on

and Lark frowned at a Harley parked in the long driveway. "Will you
be okay?" I asked, helping her off the bike. "They'll be mad, but it
should be fine." "Mad how?"
Lark smiled up at me and caressed the face of my cobra. "I'll get a
lecture about keeping promises. Larry is very into personal contracts of
conduct and not breaking them. He'll remind me how I come from a
long line of loser women and I am making bad decisions. I'll nod and
apologize. It'll be fine."
I glared at the house. "You shouldn't have to apologize for shit. You're
nearly twenty. Going on a date shouldn't be a criminal offense in your
fucking house."
Lark reacted to my anger by shrinking a little. Even looking younger
now, she smiled. It was a fake grin frozen on her face as she waited for
me to hurt her.
Cupping her face, I kissed her tenderly and hoped her fear faded. "You
never have to be afraid of me," I whispered.
"I'm not."
Calling her out on the lie was pointless. I'd freaked her out and now she
had to walk into a house full of stupid men. As much as I wanted to
battle Larry and Dylan for her, I sensed Lark would be upset if I tried.
"I'll see you tomorrow afternoon," I said, kissing her again. "We'll go
out and talk more. You can tell me about school. Tell me about
anything. I just want to hear your voice."
Lark's real smile returned with gusto. "I'm going to miss you too."
For a moment, I knew it was a mistake to let her walk away from me.
This knowledge wasn't my dreamer talking either. This came from the
male predator in me. It wanted my woman safe and I knew she
belonged with me. Despite just meeting, my heart had claimed Lark.
Apparently, my male ego had too.
Yet, I let her leave me and return to the house with her crap family. I
told myself this life of hers was temporary and soon she would be
where she belonged. With me.
Chapter Eleven - Lark

Tasting Aaron on my lips, I entered the house and my smile wasn't fake
for once. I had never been happier in my life. Nothing before had felt as
right as it felt when I was wrapped in Aaron's arms. I had been
sleepwalking through life until the moment his lips touched mine.
Now, I was awake and everything was never more beautiful.
So happy at my evening, I didn't worry over Larry's anger. I figured
he'd call me a loser or have my mom tell me I was a loser. Words
wouldn' t bring me down. Not after spending a few hours with Aaron.
My joy faltered a bit when I noticed a box filled with my stuff at the
front door.
"We'll buy more boxes in the morning," Mom said as Larry stood next
to her. "A dozen should fit all of your things." "What?" was all I could
think to say.
Dylan standing in the living room with his arms crossed tightly over his
chest. He was glaring at me like he used to glare at Raven before they
got into their big brawl.
"If you want to live like a whore," Larry said in the calmest voice,
"you'll need to live elsewhere."
"I just went to dinner."
"With a thug," Mom said. "Larry is an important man in Ellsberg. He
can't have his stepdaughter acting like a loser."
"If I move out, I won't be able to go to college. Won't that make me
look like a loser?"
"It's your decision," Larry said, wrapping an arm around my mom.
"You can slut around town or you can go to college. I believe in
personal choice and I' m allowing you to decide what path you want to
follow."
"Aaron owns a business. His parents are members of the country
club."
"Choose," Mom said when Larry squeezed her shoulders. "Larry could
have just thrown you out, but he's too generous for such a thing."
Staring at the ground, I thought about how perfect Aaron was and how
much I wanted him. Yet, college was my way out of a generation of
poverty and dependence on men. If I gave up school, I was agreeing to

give up my dreams for a man. Like so many women before me, I would
give up the future for the short term chance at romantic happiness.
"I'll stop seeing him," I said, hating the words.
"Just in case, we'll get those boxes for you. Dylan can pick up
apartment listings tomorrow. Can't you, son?"
"Sure," Dylan nearly hissed.
"What do you say?" Mom asked.
"Thank you, Larry," I mumbled, walking to my room.
The room was small, barely fitting a twin bed and dresser. It seemed
smaller than usual when I arrived and shut the door. Kicking off my
shoes, I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror. That stupid smile on
my face mocked me and the tears broke free.
Raven said crying was the reason women didn't run the world. If we
could just control our tears, we'd beat men into submission. I didn't
think this was true, but I didn't like crying.
Like we did as children, I climbed into my closet and sat in the corner.
Wrapping my arms around my body, I pretended I was safe and happy.
Holding the picture of me with Raven and Phoenix, I pretended I was
already free of Larry, Dylan, and Mom. Most of all, I pretended I hadn'
t just given up Aaron.
Crying into my knees, I remembered hiding in the closet with Raven
and Phoenix back when our then stepfather would rage. I would hold
my brother against me as Raven told us stories. They were all fairytales
done Raven-style. Cinderella beat the crap out of her stepmom and
sisters. Snow White led the dwarfs and animals into a war where she
killed the evil queen. Phoenix didn't realize the stories were different,
but I loved Raven's bloodier versions. Mostly because the nasty
stepparents were always killed and I never had a stepfather I didn't hate.
Dozing off in the closet, I imagined one day finding my way back to
Aaron and telling him those stories. Maybe he could paint the stories
and I could show them to Raven. In my fantasy, Aaron loved me,
Raven returned to town, and I was free of Mom and her men forever.
Chapter Twelve - Aaron
Over the years, I'd tattooed plenty of quirky characters. Yet, Nick

was an odd guy mainly because on the surface he seemed so normal.
Most of my customers wanted cover ups for tattoos they chose while
drunk. Over half came to me to put their lovers' names on them then
returned to have those names turned into something else. I just smiled
at their crazy and gave them what they wanted. After all, I was an artist
who actually made money off my craft. As my mom often pointed out,
most artists couldn't make that claim.
Nick was different in that he was quiet like a bookworm and scary like
a thug at the same time. He came in wanting a dragon tattoo across his
back. The thing was huge and pricey, but he wanted it. I told him how
much it would cost and he returned a few months later with the money.
Where he found the money I didn't know or ask.
After getting a look at Nick's back, I wasn't surprised he took a solid
beating from Cooper without falling apart. Most guys would be
gun-shy after such an ass whipping. Based on his scarred back, Nick
was accustomed to beatings. I also noticed he often came in bruised
especially his knuckles. Again I was curious, but didn't ask any
questions.
"Lark is sweet, but you better watch out for her family," Nick said,
startling me while I worked.
Normally, the guy leaned forward against the chair, leaving his back
open for me, while he read schoolwork off a laptop. He didn't talk to me
besides hello and goodbye. He was all about getting his assignments
done. This was the bookworm Nick I knew. Suddenly, he was chatty
about my girl.
"How do you mean?" I asked, still working.
"Her stepbrother has the hots for her. You know that, right?"
"I do now. What the fuck?" I asked, wiping the excess ink from his
back. "How do you know any of this?"
"We have a class together and study occasionally. Last night she ran off
to see you and I had to play distraction for her brother. The guy is
unhinged. You should have seen when he realized she gave him the
slip. It was like a possessive boyfriend flipping out."
"Lark didn't say much about her family. I know now why. Her stepdad
is that loud fuck on the city council."

"I don't know about him. I've only seen the asshole brother. Just
thought I would warn you that she's not safe in that house."
Having missed Nick's point until he spelled it out, I inhaled harshly.
"Not safe?"
"The way she is around Dylan is like she's scared. She's not that way
around other guys. When I reach for something near her, she doesn't
flinch. With him, she does."
"Fuck," I said under my breath. "I'll talk to her about moving out."
"Money's tight. I know that much. We talked once about it when I had
breakfast at Denny's. She said she couldn't afford to take more than two
classes. The rich asshole stepdad isn't helping."
Leaning back on my stool, I thought about my muse stuck in that house
with men who made her flinch. She hid her ugly life and smiled easily,
but too much of it was a lie.
"Thanks for telling me," I said, returning to work.
Nick never winced at the pain. He was cold as a fucker and I suspected
if he were bigger that he might have taken down Cooper. My friend
was hard, but he cared about his safety. I suspected Nick didn't.
"I know what it feels like to want a girl and have her out of reach," Nick
said, reading again. "Lark deserves to be happy. She's on her own too
much and she's not a person who does well alone."
"What girl?" I asked, letting my curiosity out.
"Not worth mentioning. It'll never happen, but you and Lark make
sense."
"Is it Farah?" I pushed. "The girl you can't have."
Nick laughed. "No. Farah's great, but she's like Lark," he said, glancing
back. "Delicate. Your girl is like a flower and flowers get bruised too
easily."
With that comment, Nick fell silent. I left him to his quiet and worked
on completing another part of his tattoo. I didn't allow myself to get
distracted with worrying over Lark.
Yet, in the back of my head, I was already thinking how her family's
bullshit needed to be aired. No more protecting fuckers who caused her
fear. Something needed to change.
Chapter Thirteen - Lark

When depressed, I clean obsessively. My manager called me the
hummingbird housekeeper because I was a flurry of activity. I cleaned
my tables, other servers' tables, swept the floor, cleaned in the kitchen
then started again. I wanted everything scrubbed down as if hoping to
wipe away my unhappiness. It never worked, but I couldn't stop
myself.
Waking up and knowing I would tell Aaron goodbye, I was a frenzy of
cleaning. Even focused on wiping tables, my mind saw Aaron
everywhere. The green in the ugly carpet reminded me of the scales on
his cobra. The blue on the tiles in the restrooms made me think of
Aaron' s eyes. Every man I saw was compared unfavorably to the one I
wanted. This included Dylan who picked me up for school.
That morning when he drove me to work, we were both silently angry.
As he dropped me off at school, Dylan decided silence wasn't working
for him. He grabbed my wrist and stared down at me.
"If you sneak off again, I'll know it."
"Let go of me," I whispered, afraid to lose my temper and cause him to
lose his. I'd seen him truly enraged before and I knew he had no
problems hitting a woman. "I need to get to class."
"That guy will use you and toss you aside. You want to be his former
slut?"
"I want to go to class."
"I'll be here when classes end and your loser boyfriend shows up. If you
try to weasel out of telling him to fuck off, I'll tell Larry and you can
move the fuck out. Do you understand?"
Staring in Dylan's eyes, I realized he was jealous. He would never
really view me as a sister. This was as much of a certainty as how I
would never view him as anything more than my asshole stepbrother.
Classes were boring and I nearly fell asleep a few times. The night
before in the closet hadn't been restful. Plus, I had nothing to clean and
my depression lingered in my thoughts. While I dreaded telling Aaron
goodbye, I wanted to get it over with too. I guess deep inside, I just
wanted to see him. Everything was better when I imagined his gaze on
me.
When my second class ended, I walked to the quad next to the

senior hall. Both Dylan and Aaron were waiting. My stepbrother was
glaring at Aaron who didn' t seem to notice he was there. Dylan
remained on his Harley in the parking lot while Aaron walked towards
me.
Gorgeous and powerful, Aaron looked irresistible. His tanned arms
shined in the late afternoon sun and I wanted them wrapped around me.
Instead, I had to tell him goodbye.
With Dylan glaring at Aaron, impending violence was thick in the air.
However, I refused to have anyone hurt over me.
"What's up?" Aaron asked.
"I can't see you anymore."
"Why the hell not?" he asked, frowning in the direction of Dylan before
returning his gaze to me.
"I need to finish school. Once I do, I won't have to live in that house and
I can do what I want. Until then, I need to do what I'm told."
"Fuck that," Aaron whispered, reaching out to touch my face. "I can
handle your idiot brother."
"It's not him. It's Larry and I need to behave or I can't go to school."
"I can..."
"No," I said, leaning into his warm palm. "Please, I need to be smart
and finish school. I'm sorry."
"Lark."
"Maybe when I' m done with school in a few years, if you're not with
someone else, we could try again."
"You're fucking kidding, right?" he said and I flinched.
Backing away, I panicked a little at his anger. "I guess that would be
stupid to think you'd wait so long. You deserve to find someone."
Aaron rubbed at the back of his neck and sighed loudly. His blue eyes
flickered to Dylan then back to me.
"I'll wait."
"What?"
"If this is the way you need it to be, I'll wait. I want you and I'm not
settling for anyone else. When you're rid of those fucks, I'll be waiting
for you."
Staring at his perfect face, I couldn't believe he would wait. For

me. No one had ever thought I was special. Even Raven ditched me.
As I smiled in awe at his gesture, he reached out to caress my cheek
again. I wished to find the words to make him understand, but I wasn't
an articulate person and Dylan was moving towards us anyway.
"Hands off, fucker!" Dylan hollered.
Aaron' s expression changed and I thought they would fight.
"Please, don't," I whispered.
Exhaling hard, Aaron stepped back. I could see how much it killed him
to leave Dylan unbloodied. If I thought beating the crap out of Dylan
would fix everything, I would step aside and watch Aaron flex his
muscles.
Nothing would change with them bleeding though. Yet, something had
changed inside me when Aaron said he would wait. For the first time
since Raven ditched me, I felt like Thunder Kitten. I would pace myself
and play nice, but I wasn't making Aaron wait. I would find a way to be
with him. Larry's rules be damned.
Chapter Fourteen - Aaron
Restless in a way no amount of painting could fix, I called Cooper to
get a few beers. I wanted him to make me believe Lark would return to
me. I needed Cooper to tell me I wasn't a fool to wait for her. Craving a
voice of reason against the dreamer in my head, I knew my friend
wouldn't sugarcoat shit.
"What if I'm wrong?" I said, finishing my beer as we sat at the bar.
"What if the things I see in Lark are lies like with Kristen?"
"Lark isn't Kristen. She's a sweet girl with a shitty family. Kristen was a
shitty girl with a sweet family. It happens."
"What if I wait and she never comes back? What if she just hooks up
with another guy and I' m the dumb fuck waiting around for a lie?"
"Do you want to fuck someone else?"
"No."
"Have you fucked anyone since you got hung up on Lark at the
wedding?"
"No."
"You haven't fucked anyone in months?" Vaughn barked from

farther down the bar. "No wonder you're such a whiny bitch."
Cooper glared at Vaughn who shook his head. "What's the difference
really? If I fuck that brunette over there or I go home and fuck that
blonde over there, what difference does it make? They have the same
damn parts and I get off either way. I think you two are over thinking
this shit."
"It's different," Cooper growled. "My girl isn't like any other girl.
Fucking her isn't like fucking any other girl. If you ever had a woman
claim your heart and make it her bitch, you'd fucking know that.
Instead, you fuck random chicks and pretend you don't need more.
You're full of shit though. Judd might not have needed more until he
had more, but you're a man looking to give his balls away. You'd give it
to Bailey or Lark or anyone else if they were the right one. I know that
and you know that, so shut the fuck up."
Vaughn shrugged off Cooper's comment then stared into the mirror
behind the bar. I ignored the two of them and nursed my beer. When I
glanced at Cooper, he was glaring hard at Vaughn.
"If you break it, you own it," he said.
Vaughn just stared at the mirror and held the bottle in his hand like he
might throw it. Instead, he shrugged again.
"No harm, boss," Vaughn said, getting up. "You can save your
Valentine's Day speeches though. A man with a contract on him
wouldn't be smart to hand his heart or balls over to a woman who
wouldn't have him around long. Still, enjoy suburbia."
Cooper watched Vaughn walk over to the blonde then he focused his
dark gaze on me.
"Lark is your girl. I know shit and I know that. You know it too, but you
let Kristen's crap make you second guess everything. Lark is yours and
you'll wait. Maybe you'll whine about being horny or lonely or you'll
write sonnets or some lame shit, but you'll wait. No reason to keep
pretending otherwise. In fact, it just makes you look stupid because I
know you and that girl owns you. I suspect you own her too. Chicks
just hide their shit better."
Recalling the way Lark looked when she wished to go home with me
the first night, I knew she wasn't playing. I felt her need from across

the table. I'd shivered then and I shivered again. Those eyes weren't
hiding anything. I needed to stop playing mind games. Lark was worth
waiting for, no matter how long it took.
"Maddy's going to pop soon," Cooper said, finishing his beer and
getting ready to head out. "Tucker is attached to her. It's pretty fucking
adorable. The guy about wets his pants every time she makes any noise
that might be labor pain."
"You'll be an uncle soon."
"I' m already an uncle," Cooper mumbled, sliding on his jacket. "I just
can't hold the kid yet."
"You and Farah still planning on trying?"
"No planning. We're just trying now. She's off the pill. Whenever it
happens, it'll be cool. Farah worries she'll suck at being a mom. Can
you believe that shit?" Cooper asked as his dark eyes warmed at the
thought of his wife. "The way she takes care of Sawyer and me and
everyone else and she thinks she'll be a bad mom. These girls with their
shit families get all fucked up in the head and no logic is going to fix it.
They just need to face their fears and see how amazing they are when
their idiot parents aren't around to fuck things up."
"Should I fix things for Lark?"
"I don't know. If it was me, I'd go smack her stupid brother and father
around. I don' t know if that' d be a good idea though. Those fucks aren't
low life drifters like Farah's parents. That Larry asshole is a respectable
member of the community. If you want to smack him around, you' ll
need to do it in a more subtle way. Of course, if he ever fucks with you,
we can just remind Mister Upstanding how his kind doesn't run
Ellsberg. It's us dirty biker types who keep his house from burning
down or his head from getting cracked open. If it comes down to it, I'll
help you take him down. Pop says behave. I say I've got my bud's
back."
Grinning, I shoved him away from me. "Crap. I'm worried you might
hug me next."
"I was thinking about it," Cooper said, smiling. "Farah's turned me all
nice and shit. I'm getting manners too. It's disgusting."
"Horrifying," I teased. "Thanks for the offer, but I feel like Lark

needs to make a move. If she needs me to, I'll burn down houses and
crack open skulls. Right now, I feel like maybe she needs to find her
way back to me. If she does, I'm keeping her and ruining anyone who
tries to take her away."
"Now, there's the punk ass jerk I became friends with."
"Thanks for coming out and giving me a pep talk. I know you hate
being away from your woman."
"Farah's worth all of the bullshit I had to wade through to win her. I bet
Lark'll be the same way for you. Don't over think shit man. Just wait for
your girl and she'll be yours. No fucking car salesman is going to stand
in the way."
"Fuck he won't."
Cooper grinned then patted me hard enough on the shoulder to make up
for any softness we'd shared. I watched him leave then glanced at
Vaughn pouting with a blonde who made it all better. I'd had plenty of
hookups, but those days were over. Lark was mine and no other chick
would do.
Chapter Fifteen - Lark
Bailey punched the bag hard then ducked as it came back at her. She
kicked at it, missed, and nearly fell on her ass. Tawny watched this
display then nodded as if Bailey accomplished something great. Taking
the hint, I nodded at Bailey too. The girl was a lot of fun, but she
needed praise like no one I'd ever met. Even small children were more
confident.
"Yeah, I kicked its ass."
"It never stood a chance," Tawny said, hitting the bag with less force
and keeping it from attacking her in return. "Judd says we should hit it
lighter and work more on our endurance."
"Who cares what your man says?"
Tawny just grinned. "We're getting married in Vegas."
"You gonna get Elvis to marry you?"
I laughed. "I wouldn't mind having Elvis marry me. I mean, Elvis
would do the nuptials, not that I'd marry Elvis. He's hella old."
"The dude's dead," Bailey muttered. "I don't want to call you

stupid, b u t . "
Still smiling, I shook my head. "That's what he wants everyone to
think. No way did the King die on the crapper."
"A conspiracy theorist? Do you believe in aliens too?" "Of course.
Who doesn't?"
"I don't."
"You're still young," I said, patting her cheek. Bailey loved any kind of
physical contact and grinned at my gesture. "Yes, I'll totally believe in
stupid shit when I get all mature. Sounds about right."
Ignoring her teasing, I focused my attention on Tawny. "When will you
get married?"
"In a couple of months. Not planning to stress it. We'll just get a nice
room at one of those cool themed hotels. Something up high too. I don't
know if we'll get Elvis to marry us, but we'll have fun gambling and
doing all the touristy Vegas stuff. I've never been on a vacation before
so anything we do will seem amazing. I'm easily impressed that way."
"Can I come?" Bailey asked. "I won't interrupt your fucking or
anything. I just want to be in your wedding. I'm hoping to catch the
bouquet. I would have caught Farah's if I'd been able to beat up the
other women. Too bad I promised I wouldn't."
"Yeah, you got suckered there," Tawny said, punching the bag. "Of
course, you're coming. It's my wedding. I want my best friends there."
Awkward now, I tried to disappear, but Bailey bumped me with her
hip.
"I'll pay for the conspiracy theorist to come alone. What if we see a
UFO and she misses it?" "Are you sure?"
"Fuck yeah. I' m all kinds of giving and supportive and shit. Tawny has
trained me well. Besides, I don't want to be the only one there without a
man."
My mind flashed to Aaron and my plan. I suspected Bailey would love
taking part in it.
"I told Aaron I can't see him anymore," I said, smiling despite how

much I hated saying the words. "He said he would wait."
Bailey frowned at me. "You shouldn't make him wait. A guy could die
without sex."
"That's not true," Tawny said, hitting the bag with a look of
determination on her sweaty face. "Do you want to see Aaron?" "Of
course. He's amazing."
"Eww," Bailey teased. "You're kinda gross when you get all horned
up."
"I' m not horny."
"Are you sure? You look at little horny around this area," she said,
waving her hand around my face then breasts and finally at my hips.
"Aaron's a great guy. You should have him write you a poem."
Ignoring the poem idea, I kept smiling like it would give me strength. "I
don't want to make him wait, but I can't get kicked out of the house and
give up school. That's why I'm going to sneak out."
"Good for you," Bailey said, punching the bag. "I'm tired. Let's get ice
cream."
A grinning Tawny hit the bag again. "Sneak out how?" she asked me.
"You live out on that road and don't have a car. Is Aaron picking you
up?"
Tawny sensed I had a plan. Bailey didn't, but she was the one whose
help I needed.
"I want to tell Larry that I'm spending the weekend at Bailey's then
sneak over and spend it with Aaron."
"Oh, cause I'm not good enough to spend the weekend with?" Bailey
muttered, offended for a moment. "Ooh, I love lies and trickery.
Do I get to lie?"
"Yes. In fact, I don't think Larry will want me to spend the weekend
away. He's a dick that way, so maybe you could come over and remind
him of who you are."
"I don't get it."
Tawny wrapped an arm around Bailey's shoulder. "Go over there and
throw your weight around. You're Bailey Fucking Johansson after
all."
"Hell yeah, I am. I'll scare the fucker to death. Should I smack him

around a little too? I'll do it because he's mean to you and you're nice to
everyone. I really should smack him no matter what you say."
"If he mouths off, feel free to slug him. I doubt he will though. He's
afraid of strong women. It's why he scared off Raven. She wouldn't
take his shit."
For a moment, I hated myself a little for being a loser who did take his
shit. Then, I reminded myself I needed to go to college and get a job in
an office and be different than the loser women in my family.
Bailey started bouncing around and punching the bag. "I know how to
fight because my pop showed me. He wanted me to be tough, so men
wouldn't take advantage of me." She paused for a moment and
frowned. I sensed she realized men took advantage of her often.
Despite her family's power and brothers' violent tendencies, Bailey was
a bang and hang girl. Guys never took her seriously. She was hot, but
forgettable and they treated her accordingly.
Tawny hugged Bailey. "I like when you get all tough. It gives me
something to aspire to."
Bailey hugged Tawny back, but she wasn't convinced by her friend's
lies. All of Bailey's new nice girl tricks hadn't changed anyone's mind
about her. I saw a little sadness about this fact in her blue eyes then she
smiled.
"I like making old jerks cry. This plan of yours should be fun."
"Can you come over tonight?" I asked Bailey.
Nodding, she frowned at Tawny who had caught Judd's gaze. Even
with the gym separating them, they shared a silent message. Tawny
lifted her hands and wiggled her fingers. Turning back to us, she
smiled.
"I need to leave in ten minutes."
"Eww," Bailey said, hitting the bag. "You'd think his dong would bore
you by now."
"Are you kidding? I love his dong," Tawny murmured, glancing at
Judd.
"Double eww," Bailey snorted. "I wish I could find a dong that didn' t
bore me after a few fucks. Why must men bore me so much?" Tawny
and I shared a look then shrugged in unison. "So," Tawny said, holding
the bag for Bailey, "there's no dress

code or anything for the wedding."
"Screw that. You should get matching dresses like Farah did." "I don't
want to wear a dress."
"Nope, you'll do it," Bailey said, grinning. "Or I'll tie you up and force
you. I' m feisty that way."
"Yes, but I don't like dresses." "Because you have weird legs?"
Tawny nodded and I could see she wasn't lying. Bailey snorted again.
"It's a wedding dress. Your weird legs will be hidden. You could also
make your bridesmaids wear ugly dresses to distract from you. That's
what my fat cousin did. We had to wear these lime green horror shows.
She looked like a fucking princes next to us. That's what I plan to do
when I get married."
"I don't think you'll need to distract anyone," I said. "You'll make a
beautiful bride."
Bailey loved that comment and nearly hugged me to death. I was still in
her death grip when Judd appeared next to Tawny. She stared up at him
and grinned casually.
"I said ten minutes."
Brushing Tawny's hair from her sweaty neck, Judd kissed just over the
collarbone. "My watch is fast. Let's go."
Tawny laughed and wrapped an arm around his waist. She waved at us
before quickly disappearing out the door.
Bailey frowned then shrugged. "Everyone is horny and in love. It's
pretty gross. Now, you're going to be horny for Aaron. Who the hell am
I going to be horny for?"
"Maybe you should play hard to get and make the boys chase you," I
suggested, sitting on a bench.
"Did you just call me a slut?"
Staring up at her, I thought she might hit me. "No, of course not."
Bailey rolled her eyes. "I don't believe you. I'll hit your stupid stepdad,
instead of you though. I don't hit my friends," she said then added,
"Anymore."
Grinning, I tugged her next to me. "I am crazy about Aaron, but I

worry he'll move on if I don't find a way to be with him."
"Aaron is loyal. He's not a pussy though. Like he fucks a lot of chicks,
but when he's with a girl, he's only with her. He is a sucker though. Like
with Kristen."
"Who?"
"His old girlfriend. She had a bunch of guys on the side and they all
thought she was faithful. It was stupid as shit because everyone knew
she was cheating, but no one said anything. Cooper didn't even say
anything. Coop hated Kristen, so I guess he figured Aaron wouldn't
believe him or something. I was the one who spilled the beans. I tell
shit the way it is and that bitch was making Aaron look like a punk. I
wanted to kick her ass for him, but Aaron was too nice. Huh, what was
my
point?"
"I' m not sure."
"Me either. Anyway, Aaron is a great guy and once killed a cricket that
jumped in my hair during a camping trip. I was screaming and
everyone was laughing at me, but Aaron killed it for me. That's a nice
fucker and you better be nice to him. Oh, you are nice. Never mind. I
think I exercised too much and it made me dumb. Want to get some ice
cream?"
"Sure. Then, will you come over and scare Larry for me?"
"Who?"
"My stupid stepdad."
"Oh, yeah. I'm going to put the fear of God in him. It'll be fun, but first
I need sugar so I can keep my train of thought." Chapter Sixteen -
Aaron
All my life, I'd wanted a muse. My artist's heart demanded a woman
who inspired me. Even when I had no trouble creating art, I longed for
someone who would make it fucking perfection. Now, I had met her
and she was just out of reach.
Finishing my beer, I stood in the studio at the back end of my property.
Before I bought the house, the structure was a rundown one car garage.
I rebuilt it for my studio, even adding an air conditioning unit in the
window. I now stood in front of it and cooled down. Spring had

gotten hot fast.
Nearby, my English Terriers panted in each other's faces. I didn't blame
them. Even in nothing more than boxers, I was hotter than hell.
"One day, you'll meet Lark and you'll understand," I told Professor
when he whined and wanted back into the house. "You'll be crazy
about her and wish you could paint her face a million times."
Pollack grew jealous of the attention Professor was getting and came to
whine too. She also panted in her brother's face again.
Staring at the still wet painting of Lark smiling back at me, I knew she
was mine. Even after telling Cooper I would let Lark set the pace and
find her way back to me, I was tempted to get dressed, ride to her
house, and force her to choose me that very moment. Lark was fragile
in a lot of ways, but I sensed those weaknesses were out of habit and a
defense mechanism like her smiling. Under her quiet demeanor, she
was a fighter and I knew she was ready to throw a punch.
"Do you think Coop would fucking wait for his girl?" I asked Pollack
who was panting on my bare leg. She responded by licking me then
turning around and sitting on my foot. Professor looked as impressed
by my question. "The answer, guys, is no. He would stalk anyone and
everyone to get what he wanted. Coop wouldn't care who he messed
with or how much he scared his girl. He would just take what was his
and screw the consequences."
I wasn't Coop though. Normally, I thought my self control was a good
thing. A sign of my superiority to the guy who fucked up regularly then
apologized like his crazy was just a side effect of perfection. Standing
in the hot studio and staring into the painted eyes of the girl I needed, I
realized there were benefits to being Cooper.
"I' m giving her a week," I said, tossing my empty beer bottle and
heading for the door. "A week to take her punch at that shit family of
hers. If she can't do it, I'll throw it for her."
Chapter Seventeen - Lark
Bailey's tough girl expression was really a variation of the duckface.
She pursed her lips and strutted around the room like something was
stinky. On anyone else, her expression would cause

people to point and laugh. Yet, on Bailey Fucking Johansson, no one
was laughing.
As we waited for Larry to arrive, my mom kept offering Bailey
crackers.
"They're really good crackers," Margo said. "Larry gets them from a
friend at the cracker company."
"I don't want your damn crackers, woman!" Bailey finally cried.
"Stop asking."
Laughing behind my hand, I watched Mom stare at the crackers as if
shocked anyone wouldn't want them. Bailey noticed me giggling and
rolled her eyes.
"When's this old guy coming home?"
"Larry isn't old," Margo said quickly. "He's only fifty."
"I'm nineteen, so yeah, he's old." Bailey stretched in the air. "Can't you
just say Lark has permission to stay at my place this weekend? And
why does she need permission anyway? Are you running a gulag
here?"
"What's a gulag?" Margo asked.
Bailey shrugged. "Say yes, so I can leave. I have homework to do. I
care about my grades lately. It's my new thing."
"It's Larry's decision," Margo mumbled, glancing towards the garage
where the door opened. "He's the man of the house."
"Barf. No man tells me what to do. Well, except my pop and
occasionally my stupid brothers. I once let a cop tell me what to do, but
I was sleepy and didn't need the hassle of putting him in his place. You
should try growing some balls, lady, and make your man behave. Just
saying."
While I laughed, Margo only frowned. Entering the room, Larry looked
at the three of us then focused his fake happy gaze on Bailey. "Who is
this?"
"Bailey Fucking Johansson. Don't pretend you don't know me. I have
no time for lies, Larry. I'm a busy woman. You know, with me caring
about my grades and everything."
Clearly confused, Larry frowned so I stepped up. "I want to spend the
weekend at Bailey's house. She lives with her parents."
"Because I want to, not because I have to," Bailey interrupted. "I'm

mature enough to be on my own. Just saying."
"I don't know if this would be such a good idea," Larry said, resting his
briefcase in Margo's obedient arms. "You've been running
wild lately."
"Are you telling me no! " Bailey hollered then stood on the coffee
table. "Do I need to make a scene here, old man? Should I call my pop
and have him explain shit to you?"
"Look..."
"No! No! No! " Bailey chanted and kept chanting.
As Margo covered her ears, Larry's stupid poodle yelped and spun
around in a circle. A moment passed when I thought the old man would
treat Bailey the way he treated all women. Put her in her place, remind
her how he was the man, and she was lucky to breathe the same air as
him.
I saw in his fair eyes how he planned to grab Bailey who was still
yelling, "No! " Realization flickered as he remembered why Bailey
Fucking Johansson could walk into an upstanding member of the
community's house, stand on a coffee table, and scream like a child in
the throes of a tantrum.
"You'll stay at Miss Johansson's house. No wandering off to see any
boys."
"Okay," I said quickly then took Bailey's hand so her yelling would
stop.
"Did we win?" she asked.
"We won."
Larry grunted at this comment then gave Bailey another fake smile. "It
was nice meeting you."
"Sure, old timer. I'm out of here. I'll be back to pick up Lark on Friday
evening. Don't make me scream at you again or I'm pulling my gun
next time."
Done with her threats, Bailey strutted to the front door while wearing
her duckface. I followed her outside then hugged her. "Thank you."
"You give great hugs," Bailey said, softening in my embrace. "My
mom gives great hugs too."

"You're awesomesauce and I'll make this up to you one day."
"No worries," Bailey said, smiling softly after the hug ended. "I like
helping people. It's fun. I also like screaming. With that fuckwad, I got
to do both. It's been a good day."
Hugging her again, I didn't care if Larry was rude the rest of the night or
if Margo gave me a lecture. All I knew was I had a weekend to see
Aaron. I just hoped he really meant he would wait.
Chapter Eighteen - Aaron
Cooper had decked out the basement of his suburban house as a
teenage boy's dream. Home theater at one end and videogames at the
other with a pool table in the middle. Farah was the one who seemed to
enjoy the table the most and she hit a ball into the corner pocket.
Cooper slid up behind her and rubbed his groin against her butt.
"When we have kids, you're teaching them to play pool," he said in her
ear. "I want them sending assholes into tears by beating them so
badly."
"You made less sense when you're horny."
"I'd feel sorry for you, if you weren't the one wearing these shorts.
Damn."
For a minute, I thought they might fuck on the table with me standing
awkwardly nearby. Fortunately, they remembered I existed and smiled
at me in unison. Great, they really were sharing a brain now.
"Domestication isn't always pretty," I muttered, sitting in a chair and
watching Farah take another shot.
"Dude, forgot to mention." Cooper said, losing his train of thought as
Farah bent over.
Farah finished for him, again proving they shared a brain. "Lark told
her jerk stepdad that she's spending the weekend with Bailey. She'd like
to sneak over and spend it with you instead."
Bolting to my feet, I nearly came out of my skin. "I've been here for a
fucking hour and you never mentioned this?"
Farah frowned at me. "Coop wanted to be the one to tell you. Don't
blame me for his short attention span. And don't yell at me either."
"Want me to smack him, baby?" Cooper asked, nuzzling his groin

against her waist. "I'll do it for a small fee."
"He yelled at your woman. Kick his ass for free, Coop."
Awaking from his horniness, Cooper glared at me. "Apologize or I
crush your face."
"Fuck off. You should have told me about Lark as soon as I got here."
"I'm not one to gossip," Cooper said, eyeing Farah's ass as she bent
over.
"Twenty minutes ago, you told me about Bailey's date with a stoner.
Before that, you told me about the rumor that some chick I don't even
know is doing a professor."
"Instructor," Cooper clarified. "You know we don't let them call
themselves professors. Can't let those fuckers get too uppity."
"Whatever, man. You fucking gossip, but you didn't tell me about
Lark."
"I was going to make a big deal out of it, but forgot. I've been trying to
make a baby and it takes a lot out of me."
When Farah glanced at me and rolled her eyes, I couldn't help laughing.
"You're an idiot," I told Cooper who shrugged again. "Hey, didn't I tell
you that Lark was your girl and she would find a way back to you? I' m
too fucking perfect sometimes. Wise like Aristotle
or Yoda."
Farah turned and wrapped her arms around him. "I feel fertile."
"Wisdom turns you on, doesn't it, baby?" "Yes," she whispered.
"Go," I waved at them before taking the shot Farah had long forgotten.
"I'll wait for you to finish your fertility rituals then you can return and
tell me the plan for the weekend. Oh, and feed me too. I was promised
barbecue."
Cooper picked up Farah under the butt and started for the stairs. "Soon,
you'll be walking around with a horny woman in your arms," Cooper
yelled to me as he disappeared.
Smiling, I thought of Lark sneaking over to my place. Not for a few
hours, but the whole weekend. That wasn't the move of a girl testing the

waters. That was the move of a girl staking her claim. Little Lark had
taken her punch.
Chapter Nineteen - Lark
Bailey parked her SUV in the alley behind Aaron's house. I noticed a
small building just past the tall wooden fence with a house farther into
the property. I'd seen this part of Ellsberg before and the homes were
old craftsmen style bungalows. Some were rundown while others were
fixed up and modernized.
"If shit gets weird and you want to bail," Bailey said as I grabbed my
bag from the trunk, "call me and I'll pick you up. I'll also smack Aaron
around. Or if you want to smack him, I can hold him down for
you."
"I prefer the second one," Aaron said, appearing through the gate.
My heart leapt at the sound of his voice and it didn't slow down when I
saw him. Aaron stood in jeans and a white beater showing off a lot of
muscles, tattoos, and kissable flesh. How did he manage to get more
beautiful with every meeting?
"Hi," I said, feeling dopey in the presence of such beauty.
"Ugh, get a room," Bailey said, climbing back into the SUV. "Be good,
Aaron, or I'm coming back with tools of torture."
"If you mean the music you listen to, I'm in absolute terror and will
behave."
"Fuck off," Bailey said with a grin before speeding off like someone
was chasing her.
We both smiled at her fleeing SUV then at each other. Aaron glanced at
where two little black and white dogs appeared behind him.
"They're excited to meet my muse," he explained, extending his hand to
me.
"Your muse?" I murmured, grinning widely as I took his warm hand.
"If I was an artist, I have no doubt you'd be my muse. You inspired me
to be bad and hatch this plan to sneak off."
Aaron kissed me gently, sucking softly on my tongue. When his lips
left mine, he kept me wrapped against him.
"I've always wanted to be a bad influence on someone. Somehow,

I always end up as the nice guy instead."
"Nice guy is code for nerd. There is nothing nerdy about you, Aaron," I
said, licking along the cobra on his neck.
"Hell, we're going to get the neighbors talking," he whispered and
tugged me past the fence to a small backyard.
As we headed inside, Aaron pointed out his studio in the back and
introduced his dogs.
"Do you want to order a pizza?" he asked.
"Sure."
"What do you like on it?"
An idea occurred to me and I smiled wider. "Let's each write on a piece
of paper what we want on the pizza. That way, we'll be honest and we
can learn something about each other."
Grinning immediately, Aaron walked to a table with a stack of
notebooks. He brought two back with him and handed me one.
"I used to play this game with Raven," I explained. "We would test
each other to see how well we remembered each other's favorite things.
We' d ask a question, write our answers, and show them. Like the
newlywed game for sisters. We could play the game without the test
part, if you want. Or does that sound stupid?"
"Nothing you say sounds stupid, Lark. I'm not your shitty family."
I took the notepad. "Let's start with our dream pizza. Be completely
honest even if you like something gross. I want to know
you."
Our eyes met and I knew later we would get to know each other in a
more intimate way. My body already warmed at the idea and I knew
my nipples were hard under my light pink tee. If Aaron noticed, he
didn' t show it. Yet, I suspected he was just that good at playing cool
around girls.
Flopping on his comfy couch, I watched Aaron consider where best to
sit. He was thinking if he sat next to me that it might seem too forward.
If he sat too far away, he might seem distant. I think he was aiming for
a middle ground.
"Please, sit next to me," I said and Aaron grinned. "I missed you the last
few days."

Aaron' s smile faded and I saw genuine hunger in those eyes. As he
struggled to fake a relaxed smile, I knew he missed me too. We'd both
been waiting for someone special to steal our hearts and now we'd
found them. Waiting was killing us both, but a quick trip to the
bedroom would likely feel rushed after so much longing.
I wrote my list of favorite pizza toppings on my paper as Aaron did the
same. When done, we switched papers.
"Pineapple?" he said, grinning. "Really, Lark?"
"Typical guy. Your pizza toppings require someone to slaughter Old
McDonald's farm."
Aaron laughed then leaned over and gave us both a taste of what we
craved. The moment his lips touched mine, I cupped his smooth cheeks
and deepened the kiss. Aaron leaned farther over and his strong body
covered mine. For the next few minutes or hour or however long, we
tasted and explored and nothing else mattered.
My fingers slid under his shirt and I imagined the tattoos my fingers
were caressing. I wanted to see, but the idea of stripping down on the
couch felt wrong. Cheap maybe. It didn't help that Professor and
Pollack where staring hardcore at us and panting like we were getting
them overheated.
Aaron finally pulled his lips away and the suction sound of our mouths
parting startled Pollack who stepped back. Professor remained
undaunted.
"Seriously, guys, give me a little space," he said and the dogs decided
he wanted them to climb on the couch with us.
Laughing, I ran my fingers over Aaron's damp lips. "I can't remember
what we were doing before you came over to say hello."
Aaron sat back and tugged me against him. "I think we were discussing
my love of animal products."
Professor took my spot while Pollack acted like she might attack the
front door as teenagers hooted on the street.
"Don't worry, Polly," Aaron said, grabbing his cell. "Deputy Dickhead
will give them a lecture."
Pollack growled at the kids then decided they might not be able to hear
her so she ran to the front door to make her voice heard.

As he searched for the number of the pizza place, Aaron grinned. "My
neighbor a few doors down is an Ellsberg deputy and he thinks he's top
shit. There are two kinds of cops as far as I can tell. The cops who
believe in the system and the ones who believe in themselves. Deputy
Dickhead thinks he's the law and his word is fucking set in stone. He's
always sticking his bitch nose in everyone's business."
Aaron rolled his eyes and I saw he was genuinely pissed. "If a neighbor
complains about a dog barking too much, old dickhead comes over to
give that person a lecture. He tried giving me one about sitting on the
porch without a shirt. I told him to fuck off. Then, he gave me a lecture
about using profanity around children. My fucking neighbors are
mostly old people or teachers at the college. The youngest fucking
person on the block is sixteen and she cusses worse than I do. Logic
doesn't matter where Dickhead is concerned. He's a royal asshole and
Pollack hates him. She nearly bit off his damn finger that he wears a
stupid fucking giant ring on. The ring is some big deal and he tried to
tell me about it, but I couldn't give two shits about his life. He's why
people hate cops."
"You know what your problem is?" I said as he texted our order for two
pizzas - one meat lover, one Hawaiian. "What?" Aaron muttered.
"You're an introvert. You need to learn to open up more about how you
feel."
Aaron laughed. "The guy pisses me off. He's going to shoot someone
eventually or use a Taser on an old woman. Some fucked up shit. There
are just some people who shouldn't be given a lick of authority, let
alone a gun."
"Bossy men are the worst," I said as my hand disappeared up his tee.
"My stepdads have always been assholes. It seems to be the one thing
all of the women in my family have in common. Bad taste in men."
When Aaron caught my gaze, I smiled brightly. "I like being the
exception to the rule. It makes me special."
"Fuck yeah, you are," he said, kissing me then hitting send on his text.
"Pizzas will be here in a few minutes. Want to do more of the
newlywed thing or something else?"

Grinning, I straddled Aaron since Professor was sound asleep in my old
spot.
"We can do the question answer thing when the pizzas get here. Let's
do something we can't do when eating."
Aaron wrapped his hands around my waist and snuggled our hips
closer. I ignored how hard he already felt. There was no time for such
concerns. The pizzas would arrive soon and I wasn't interested in
rushing once our clothes were off. No, I hoped we would take our time.
Chapter Twenty - Aaron
Despite her love of pineapple on pizza, Lark was perfection. I felt like a
love starved moth drawn to the light of her smile. Lark smiled a lot too,
but I had already learned to tell the difference between the fake smiles
of someone putting on a show and her genuine smiles. Lark's green
eyes revealed the truth. Every time she looked at me, I knew her
interest was real. This was no Kristen situation where she said the right
things and I never questioned her heart. With Lark, I knew her heart
already belonged to me.
I made her laugh too. No one thought I was funny. Maybe Cooper
laughed, but most people thought I was the artist or voice of reason.
Lark thought I was everything. Funny and smart too. Hell, she was
even curious how I named my dogs.
"Pollack is for Jackson Pollack, right?" she asked, making me want to
kiss all over her again. "Why Professor though?"
Finished with the pizza, I shoved the rest in the frig and returned to sit
across from her.
"It's for Professor Longhair."
"I don't know who that is."
Smiling like a crazy man, I couldn't wait to share everything with her. I
even considered showing off my paintings of her, but worried she
might think I was a stalker or obsessed freak. Figuring I better let her
get to know me before I showed off my weirder side, I was keeping the
paintings to myself for the time being.
Once Professor Longhair played his rocking blues, Lark moved to the
music.

"I used to love to dance."
I nearly asked what made her stop until remembering how her brother
died while she practiced for dance class. Based on how the light in her
eyes dimmed, I sensed she was remembering that too.
"You are so beautiful," I said, hoping to distract her.
Lark grinned, seeing my ploy. "I always wanted to fall for a boy with
pretty blue eyes. It's like God made you just for me."
"You make it very hard for me to think."
"And you make me feel like Thunder Kitten again."
Speechless, I just stared and Lark burst into hysterics.
"Thunder Kitten?" I finally asked when she bent over laughing.
"That was my name when I was on a roller derby team. We were the
Storm Babes."
Looking at her little frame, I should be shocked at her playing the rough
sport of roller derby. However, from that moment I first gazed upon her
little pixy face, I knew my girl was a fighter.
Lark stopped dancing and watched me. What should have felt awkward
didn't because it was Lark. Everything felt right with her and I stepped
closer.
"Show me your bedroom please," she said, resting her hands on my
chest. "I want to know."
"Hell," I murmured, nearly sweeping her into my arms and running to
the bed. Instead, I used every ounce of self control to simply smile and
take her hand.
Once in the small master bedroom, Lark didn't look around or make
chitchat. She just stared up at me with those wonderful green eyes and
waited. I sensed she wasn't unsure about me as much as sex.
"Have you been with a guy before?" I asked, caressing her lips.
"Yes," she whispered. "Once."
"It wasn't good though."
Lark shook her head and I saw she was nervous. "I'm not sure what to
do. Like I know, but..."
"If you keep looking at me the way you are, all you'll have to do is say
yes and I'll do the rest," I said then added in a whisper, "I fucking love
when you look at me like you are."

When Lark smiled, it took all my self control not to take her
immediately. No foreplay. Hell, no play at all. Just enter her body and
make it mine.
Instead of taking what I wanted, I gave Lark what she needed. Cupping
her face, I kissed her softly, holding back all of my hunger. Her lips told
me how behind her fear was a hunger too. She wanted it all, but didn' t
know how to ask.
Pulling off my shirt, I tossed it on the nearby dresser then reached to
remove her shirt. Her expression stopped me. She stared at my tatted
chest like in shock. My arousal made way for insecurity. If Lark judged
me unworthy, I wasn't sure I would recover. Everything I was rested in
her hands.
Lifting her gaze to meet mine, she stared wide eyed. "Your body is a
work of art."
"Fuck," I whispered, tugging her shirt over her head. "You're killing
me."
"Why?"
"You're too perfect and I'm afraid you're a lie I tell myself."
"You think I' m perfect?" she asked, breathing too fast as she removed
her bra and stood awkwardly. "No one's thought that about me before."
Thinking of Cooper, I said what he might in such a situation. "That's
because I'm fucking perfect and they're not."
Never before had I worried so much about losing control, but I didn' t
think I could wait much longer to explore her body. Once Lark
removed her jeans and panties, her awkwardness increased. Most of all,
she didn't know what to do with her arms, crossing and uncrossing
them.
I leaned her back on the bed and kissed her. As I kicked off my jeans
and slid down my boxers, Lark tried to find a comfortable position.
"I don't know what to do with my hands," she mumbled.
"Baby, you can do whatever the hell you want with them."
Lark nodded, but looked nervous.
"Do you trust me?" I asked.
Lark nodded again and I saw in her eyes how much she trusted me. Her
heart was mine and I took this responsibility seriously. I could build

her up or destroy her with what happened next.
"Lark, I know you can't see how beautiful you are. Trust that I see you
the way you really are and not the way you've been raised to see
yourself. Do you understand?"
Tension easing, Lark smiled and finally found a place for her hands.
Resting them palms down against my chest, she smiled up at me.
"I understand. You're beautiful too. Painfully beautiful and I want
you."
Grinning, I kissed her and held back less than before. Lark wasn't
submitting, but meeting me in every kiss and embrace. Caressing the
wet curls between her legs, I found her more than ready and we hadn't
even gotten started.
"Say you're beautiful," I whispered, stroking her.
"I'm beautiful."
"Good," I murmured, kissing her jaw then moving south. "Say it
again."
"I' m beautiful," she whimpered as I sucked her hard nipple into my
mouth. "Oh, Aaron."
Still caressing her clit, I sucked her nipples, pulling at the flesh until her
hips bucked and I heard her cry out. Her gasps of pleasure were like
music and I wanted to hear them again. I wanted to hear them always.
With Lark watching me in such a pleasured way, I could barely roll the
condom over my cock. She studied my face, never noticing my shaking
hands. Her fingers were teasing her nipples like I had with my lips and
tongue. Seeing her touch herself wasn't helping my concentration.
Once I was ready, her legs opened and she squirmed in anticipation. I
nearly came at the sight of her so aroused, but retained my control a bit
longer.
Even hot and damp, her pussy was tight as the tip of my cock
disappeared inside. Lark whimpered until I filled her then gave me a
big smile. She really was making it impossible not to shoot my wad
five seconds in.
"I want you to be mine," Lark groaned as I tested her body with a

gentle thrust. "I don't deserve to have what I want, but I want you
anyway."
Frowning at her comment, I wished to respond with kind words. My
control was gone though, leaving behind only hunger and raw need.
Thrusting into her, I fucked Lark like I'd never fucked another woman
before. It was more than sex. I was claiming Lark. She was mine and I'd
kill anyone who took her from me.
Chapter Twenty One - Lark
Aaron' s tattoos were perfectly linked to one another like a masterly
designed creation. As he rested on his back and hid his hands under his
hard sexy ass, I explored his perfect body. Even knowing he wanted to
touch me, I couldn't concentrate when he got curious. Now, it was my
turn to play.
Over the left side of his chest was a large heart interconnected with the
other tattoos. I traced it then met his gaze.
"Pretty," I teased then licked the heart and nearby nipple. "Shit, I'm
using my hands."
"No, you'll behave or suffer my wrath. You wouldn't like me when I' m
angry."
Aaron smirked. "Really?" "Sure, I guess."
"You're a horrible liar. I like that in a woman."
Rolling my eyes, I kissed where his cobra tattoo wound around the
heart.
"The heart is for my girl's name," he said, his voice rough. "I'll have her
name tattooed in the middle. That's why it's so big. I didn't know how
long her name would be."
Our eyes met again and we both thought the same thing.
Four little letters.
As Aaron smiled at me, I sucked at the flesh in the heart. "I was
thinking about getting a tattoo of my man's name just over my hooch in
the shape of a key because he's the only one who can open me up."
Bursting into laughter, Aaron gave up on keeping his hands to himself.
"No more playing."

"You're a control freak in bed," I said as he pulled me against him.
"Keep it up and it won't be your name over my pussy."
"You had me at pussy," Aaron moaned, kissing me until I couldn't
breathe. "Have I mentioned how much I love your nipples?"
Glancing down as he cupped by butt and pulled me against his erection,
I saw the same smallish breasts with very happy puffy nipples.
"What about them? They're weird."
Aaron frowned. "They're unique. Cooper said I should paint you naked,
but I didn't know what you looked like. I imagined many different
versions. The reality is better."
Leaning away from him, I shared his frown. "I don't know what to think
about any of what you just said. It was all a little weird. You and
Cooper talking about me naked. You painting me naked. You
comparing me with your fantasies."
Aaron bit his bottom lip and my pussy clenched at the sight of it. "I've
been thinking about you for months," he murmured as I slid up and
down with his erection between us. "A guy is bound to think about the
naughty bits and I really like your naughty bits."
"I thought about you too and," I said, leaning to his ear to whisper, "it
was so hard not to make noises alone in the dark with my hand between
my legs."
"That's it."
Aaron reached for the nightstand, but I guided him inside me. Groaning
with pleasure, he used a hand to cup my butt. His other hand squeezed
my breast with one of those puffy nipples between his fingers.
"I' m on the pill," I whimpered while adjusting to the sensation of being
so full. "I should have mentioned that early, but I was busy drooling
over your hot body."
Aaron kissed me softly as he rested on me on my back. "I can't wait to
teach you all these amazing positions, but we might have to wait until I
have more control."
Tracing the heart on his chest, I lifted me legs and wrapped them
around his strong hips.
"Are you going to fuck me hard like before?" I moaned as he thrust
once then twice deeply. "Don't hold back. I'm sick of waiting."

Chapter Twenty Two - Aaron
Lark slept curled up in the fetal position on the other side of the bed. I
watched her for a long time, memorizing her features and surprised to
find she had a splash of freckles at the base of her nose. They'd been
hidden by makeup. After our midnight shower to cool off, those
freckles were free to shine.
I wanted to touch them, but Lark wasn't a deep sleeper. Whenever I
moved, her lashes fluttered and I thought she would wake. She never
did, but I was certain if I allowed my fingers to brush over the spots on
her fair skin that she would wake and I knew she was tired.
Exhausted too, I couldn't sleep. The desire to create woke me early and
I eventually left the bed. Lark looked so fragile cocooned in the sheet.
Even hating to leave her, I needed to get all of my emotions out on
paper.
Professor followed me out to the studio. Pollack considered coming
along then changed her mind and returned to snoozing on the couch.
Once in front the easel, I let loose.
I sketched Lark smiling. Painted Lark laughing. Grabbed charcoal and
drew her sleeping. My muse inspired me to create one image of her
after another. Eventually, I sketched her expression when she had an
orgasm.
Hands covered in paint and charcoal, I sat down and stared at the
pictures I'd created. As Lark looked back at me from all of my
creations, I accepted what I had been hiding from all morning.
I was in love with Lark.
The fantasy of her had transformed into the reality of loving her. She
was everything I hoped for all those nights when I wished to know her.
Now, I knew her and she was better than the fantasy.
Lark knew how to make me feel like a man, strong and protective. She
also understood how to keep my head from lodging up my arrogant ass.
Her teasing made me laugh and kept me in line. She was a tiny fighter
and I wanted her to smile at me always.
While I never loved Kristen, I also managed to see qualities in her that
she never possessed. I had created an image in my head detached

from the reality of who she was. As I wiped my hands on a towel, I
wondered if I was making the same mistake with Lark. Could she really
be as perfect in my mind as she seemed?
Cooper said Farah's flaws were perfect. Everything about her made him
crazy and Lark was the same way. Was she my girl or a fiction I
created? I was more than a little pissed how Cooper found his woman
before I did. He didn't need a muse. He never longed for that special
girl. However, he found her and was living a happy life.
I wanted the same. There was no denying this fact. I just didn't know if
I craved the dream so much I'd created a lie in Lark. Was she also
embracing a lie to get away from the crap of her family? Were we fools
to believe we belonged together? Fate fought to keep us apart, yet I
couldn't let her go.
The door to the studio opened and Lark poked in her head. I hadn't
realized so much time had passed and I shouldn't have left her to wake
alone. She looked a little nervous then her gaze fell on all of my
artwork of her. On the walls, leaning in corners, one sketch after
another, the work made me look like a frigging stalker.
Lark's expression wasn't difficult to read. Even with the fake smile on
her face, her eyes were horrified.
"I paint what I' m into," I said, trying to seem casual. "You should see
the number of paintings I made when I was really into meatball subs."
"This is how you see me?" she asked, staring at the most recent works,
some still wet. "They don't look anything like me."
Lark reached out to touch the blissful expression I drew of her. I wasn't
sure what she was saying. Did she hate the paintings? Did she think I
was a creep? Was I not seeing the real her?
"What's wrong with them?" I asked, sounding like a hurt child rather
than a twenty two year old man who spent the night claiming this very
woman who now stared at me in shock.
Lark glanced at me then back at the sketch. "They' re all so beautiful. I
don't look like that though. You made me seem better. I mean, that's
good, but I'm surprised is all."
The worry eased away and my shoulders relaxed. Smiling down at

her, I caressed the bridge of her nose. "You have freckles."
"Sorry. I didn't put on any makeup. I just saw you were gone and went
looking."
"I like them. The first girl I ever had a crush on had freckles. Now, the
only girl I want to ever have a crush on again has them. I'd say I got
lucky."
Lark gave me a genuine smile. She looked at the sketch then her gaze
rolled over my chest before returning to my face.
"I can't believe you can create such beauty."
"I can't believe I'm finally looking at my beauty. You can't see it, Lark.
I know you can't. Maybe it's a girl thing or your shitty family or you do
see it and are just fishing for compliments, but you are too beautiful to
get right on paper. No matter how much I try," I said, cupping her face,
"I can't make my art look nearly as perfect as you."
"Shit," she whispered. "Did you just think that up because it was
fucking brilliant?"
Before I could answer, little Lark stepped up as far as she could on her
tippy toes, pulled me down to her, and kissed me hard and deep. The
girl claimed my breath like she'd already claimed my heart. No way
was I imagining all of her wonderful qualities. I wasn't that damn
creative.
Chapter Twenty Three - Lark
Aaron loved to walk around shirtless and I overwhelmingly approved
of his choice. Having seen the gym in one of the house's tiny bedrooms,
I understood how he kept so ripped. Every time he caught me admiring
the view, I pretended to be looking at his tats. He wasn't fooled.
His little bungalow wasn't what I expected when I imagined Aaron' s
house. Passing by the front, I likely would have thought an elderly
couple lived inside. The front yard was small and generic with grass
and nothing else. Aaron clearly didn't have a green thumb.
Inside was remodeled and felt new and fresh. Aaron obviously wasn't
afraid of using bold primary colors. A red kitchen with black and white
tiled floors. A black accent wall in the living room. My favorite

was his chalk wall in what was likely meant to be a dining room. This
was where he sketched out ideas and kept his grocery list jotted down.
Despite the quaint vibe of the bungalow, the place was male. The big
TV, the large comfy leather couch. No accent pillows or knickknacks,
just art on the walls. In the gourmet kitchen were cookbooks on the
shelf, yet everything so clean that I doubted he cooked much.
Aaron was an artist in the body of a biker. He smiled easily like a sweet
boy next door and glared often like a bad boy looking for someone to
punch. His irritation was mainly directed at the sounds out on the street.
Deputy Dickhead or someone else nannying the neighborhood.
I stood next to Aaron as he glared outside. The front porch looked cozy
and I wished to sit out there and watch the world go by. Of course, I
was supposed to be at Bailey's and I didn't want anyone telling Larry
otherwise.
Eventually, we took sandwiches and sodas to the back screened in
porch. As we ate lunch, the dogs ran around the backyard searching for
something.
"Rabbits," Aaron said, answering my unspoken question. "We get
rabbits running around here and the dogs think they're hunters." "Is
there a reason you have Boston Terriers?" "Don't you like them?"
"I like any dog that likes me. Larry's dog thinks I'm a rabbit needing to
be hunted."
Aaron smiled, but his blue eyes held anger whenever I mentioned my
stepdad's name.
"My mom breeds dogs. Not like a puppy mill, just as a hobby. She and
Cooper are always talking dogs when they get together. He loves them
big and scary. She likes them small and cuddly, but they 're dog lovers
at heart. It' s pretty fucking adorable to see them showing each other
pics on their phones."
When I grinned for too long, Aaron leaned over the table and kissed me
softly. Returning to his seat, I felt my skin flush at the expression on his
face.
"Anyway, my mom had these two sickly runts that no one wanted.

I took them since I had moved in here and the house felt creepy back
then. Like a horror movie house. I thought something might come up
through the floor as I watched the game. Figured if I had dogs, the
monster would eat them first."
We both laughed as he glanced at Pollack chasing a butterfly.
"The sad thing is I would try to save them. How lame is it when
someone tries to save a dog in horror movie. Fuck. I hate when people
do it, but I'd want to save the little turds. They'd expect me to save them
too. They'd stare with those big eyes and how could I say no?"
"I don't even know them and I'd try to save them too."
"Yeah, but you're a sweet dove."
"I'm not sweet."
"In my reality, you are the sweetest. I like my girls sweet. I also like
when they can throw a punch. My delicate roller derby girl."
"Do you want me to show more of my moves?" I asked, wiggling
brows.
"Soon," he said, smiling in an odd way. "I wish I could see you during
the week."
"If you still like me by the end of the weekend..."
"If?"
"Things happen."
"Nothing is going to happen. What were you going to say?"
"I could spend next weekend with you too."
Aaron nodded. "For how long do we need to sneak around? I get why
you need to do it, but how long do we need to hide?"
"I don't know. Larry is being an asshole. He's been an asshole since I
met him, so I can't imagine anything is going to change soon." After a
quiet minute, I added, "I' m sorry."
"Don't apologize. I just want more of you and I couldn't give a shit
about fucking Larry and his rules."
"I want to go to college and I can't do that and pay for rent."
"Maybe you'll be in a position to live somewhere else rent free soon."
Avoiding his gaze, I tried not to read too much into his comment.
Aaron sensed as much and seemed cranky afterwards.

"Can we go to your studio so I can look at your artwork?" "Sure," he
said, sounding bummed.
As I walked to the studio, Aaron followed slowly behind me. I felt him
planning things that were too much too soon. A week earlier, I barely
knew him. Even after talking on our date and last night, I was still
learning about Aaron. He wanted to save me though. A part of me
wanted to be saved. A bigger part of me wanted to be with Aaron every
possible minute. The logical Lark knew we were rushing into things
because of Larry. Of course, the asshole wasn't a good reason to ruin a
good start to an amazing opportunity.
Moving around his studio, I was again amazed by how different I
looked to him than the way I saw myself. In the art, my eyes were full
of such energy that I never saw in the mirror. Glancing back at Aaron, I
smiled. However, he was deep in thought and didn't notice.
Wearing just his boxers, he looked too irresistible. Especially since he
was pouting. I joined him near the door and he stared down at me with
those amazing eyes.
"A whole week without you," he muttered. "It's bullshit and I need to
tell old Larry where to stick his rules."
"Why force things when this weekend has been so prefect?"
"Because I'm spoiled and don't want to wait," he said, fighting a little
grin. "If we leave shit to fate, nothing will happen."
"You sound like a whiny baby," I murmured, running my fingernails
down his chest as I knelt on the ground. "Someone needs a nap."
Aaron sighed. "Don't."
When he reached to stop me, I slapped away his hand. "Don't boss me
around," I warned, running my tongue along the edge of my top teeth.
"I'm no one's bitch and you will submit."
Laughing, Aaron caressed my hair. "You can know how hot the look
was that you just gave me."
"Will you draw it for me later?" I asked while tugging down his boxers
and freeing an erection clearly on a different page as the pouty man
attached to it. "Your cock missed me."
"Damn," he whispered, wanting relief immediately. "Let's go

inside."
Stroking him, I smiled at Aaron. "Tell me you're beautiful." "I'm
beautiful. Let's go inside."
"Tell me your body is a work of art." I whispered, kissed the head of his
cock. "Lark."
"Tell me your cock is a work of art."
Shivering, he reached to lift me to my feet, but I squirmed away. "I
want you in bed."
"I' m ignoring you now. I refuse to be bossed around on my days
off."
Aaron started to laugh until I licked the head of his cock. A soft exhale
later and he was finally a quiet boy while I sucked him soft then with
more intensity. Enjoying the salty warmth of his skin, I licked the
length of him then teased his balls. As I sucked at the soft underside of
his cock, I swore Aaron stopped breathing. By the time he came, I
knew exactly how to make him squirm.
Licking away the last drops, I smiled at him. "Aren't you glad I didn' t
listen to you and stop?"
"Baby, I've never been so glad about anything in my life," Aaron said,
lifting me to my feet. "I take that back. I was happier when I learned
you were spending the weekend here. I was happier when you got out
of Bailey's car and I knew I had you to myself all weekend. Every
happy moment is because of you."
"I am pretty amazing."
Aaron smiled. "You're being sarcastic, but I'm not. You're mine."
My smile faded and I stared into his eyes. "I want that more than
anything. Right here with you, I can pretend the world doesn't exist
outside us."
Wrapping his arms around my body, Aaron kissed me tenderly. As he
held me against him, we sighed in a completely relaxed way. "I need to
take you inside where I can do things to you." "What kind of things?" I
asked, grinning. "Will I make your dogs
howl?"
"Hell yeah," Aaron said, lifting me up so I could wrap my legs

around his powerful hips.
"I've never done that before," I whispered before going inside. "You
were my first."
Aaron kissed my cheek. "I'm less worried about being your first, Lark. I
just want to be your last."
Nuzzling the crook of his neck, I smiled into his warm flesh. "I want to
pretend nothing and no one especially not fate wants to keep us apart.
Can we pretend that the rest of the weekend and not think about when
Bailey will show up?"
"For you, I can pretend anything."
Chapter Twenty Four - Aaron
Letting Lark get into Bailey's SUV was torture. If I had my way, she
would move into the house and I'd enjoy every morning waking to that
lovely smile. Instead, I watched her disappear around the corner,
knowing I wouldn't be alone with her again until next weekend.
Every morning Lark worked at the restaurant, I visited and stole a few
kisses while she served me coffee and French toast. She was different
now and I loved the changes. More confident, Lark smiled easily and
often. Whenever she glanced at me and beamed in such a way, I knew
she wasn't faking anything. Lark was mine and wasn't planning on
letting me go.
The rest of my days were dull in comparison to those fleeting moments
with Lark. Hanging out with Cooper was annoying because he kept
talking about his sperm and his woman's eggs. He knew I wanted him
to shut up which was why he talked about it more.
After grabbing a sandwich with him where he described how he likely
knocked up Farah the night before based on the sheer gallons of sperm
he left inside her, I was fucking done talking to him for a while. Cooper
just laughed and ate a second sandwich.
"You're so jealous!" he yelled when I flipped him off and walked
out.
Truth was I was jealous that he was with his woman and I had to wait
days to see mine. I wasn't admitting any of this to Cooper who was
having too much fun at my expense.

Even before entering the tattoo shop, I heard Jade's voice and my
fellow artist didn't yell unless someone was on her last nerve.
"You don't know shit," Jade hollered at Melissa who shrugged.
Sitting on the couch in the waiting area was Jade's boyfriend Tony who
worked as a bouncer at a local dive. The guy was huge and likely got
help of the injection sort to get so buffed. Yet, he was a teddy bear with
Jade and she cooed over his every boo boo. Now though, Tony was
flipping through a People magazine while his woman schooled
Melissa.
"The guy looked like trailer trash," Melissa said. "No way does a guy
with a mullet have the money to pay for a tat."
"You can't know what he does and doesn't have if you don't talk to
him," Jade nearly screamed. "Where do you get off judging?"
Sighing, I nodded at Tony who gave me a grin. The women ignored me
though, so I stepped closer.
"Do we have to yell?" I said, turning on Professor Longhair. Who could
argue through the legend singing Jambalaya? Apparently, these two
chicks.
"She sent away a customer without even finding out what he wanted."
"The guy was trailer trash."
"Melissa," I said calmly, always the voice of reason. "You can't judge
people based on their appearance. Haven't we all dealt with enough
prejudice over the years from being tatted?"
"I' m not tatted," Melissa reminded me.
"Well, we are and this is our shop. Next time someone comes in
looking for a tattoo, you have them talk to me or Jade. We'll see if we
can help the person."
"And if they can't pay?"
"We'll worry about that."
"You're the receptionist," Jade added. "Not our business manager."
"I'm working on a degree in business."
"Whatever you need to tell yourself, freshman," Jade said, spinning
around and joining Tony on the couch. "She's a bitch," Melissa
muttered.
Sighing, I rubbed the back of my neck. "A bitch that'll ruin you if

you don't watch your mouth."
Melissa started to complain then put on a smile as the door opened. I
knew it was Nick even before I saw him. Every time he came in, his
fellow freshman cooed and batted her eyes. Meanwhile, Nick acted like
she was a guy and he was incredibly heterosexual.
"Hey," she said, ignoring his lack of interest. "Are you going to the
kegger at Jimmy's house?"
"Yeah."
"Maybe we could meet up there."
Nick pushed the bangs out of his eyes and displayed a black eye.
Melissa looked ready to touch it when he backed away.
"I' m dating someone," he said quickly. "I'll see you around, Melissa."
While Nick walked into my workroom with me following behind, Jade
laughed way too hard to be professional. I didn't blame her though.
"Who's your chick?" I asked Nick while he yanked off his shirt and got
comfortable. "Anyone I know?"
Nick glanced back and shook his head. "There's no girl. I just don't
want to go out with Melissa."
"She's not your type?"
"I sent a guy in here to see about a tat and he said the receptionist
treated him like shit. I don't need her treating me that way one day too."
"Besides, you've got your eye on a girl."
"My girl is out of reach, but shitty seconds don't work for me either."
"Fair enough," I said, getting my needles ready. "What happened to
your eye?"
"A guy's fist happened." Nick pulled out his laptop and sighed. "Do you
mind if I ignore you so I can get my reading done? I'll be happy when
the school year is done and I can get a break from this boring shit."
"No problem."
Nick glanced back again and grinned. "Lark seems happy this week.
Giggling over the smallest things. Girls like her don't giggle over
nothing."
"Lark is perfection, but you're right about her family. They're

bastards."
"She'll have to choose and Lark's not stupid. Sticking with shit isn't her
style. She'll choose you and things will get easier." "I hope you're
right."
Nick nodded then the interest in his green eyes turned off and I knew he
was done talking. While he read, I worked on the last part of his dragon.
It wasn't easy to focus on anything besides Lark, but I finished his
tattoo and headed home to another night alone. Two more days before
I'd have Lark back in my arms.
Chapter Twenty Five - Lark
Being alone in the house with Dylan was worse than being alone with
Larry. Normally, my stepfather ignored me or made snide comments
about my appearance. He really hated the decaled flowers on my
Converse. Usually, he ignored me though while Dylan tended to stare.
Even when he wasn't staring, I could feel him thinking about me. For
whatever reason, Dylan became fixated on me after a camping trip one
summer when I was eighteen and he was twenty two. Usually guys
were obsessed with Raven, the blonde haired, blue eyed, countrified
Barbie.
Dylan hated Raven though. Never had a single use for her. I think it
was because she smacked him upside the head a lot. Of course, Raven
only did that because she thought he was a fucking loser. Her words,
not mine. While I didn't think Dylan was a loser, I did think he was
creepy as hell.
My stepbrother could have gotten a girlfriend. A pretty one too and he'
d dated off and on, but never serious. Not since the camping trip when
he fixated on me. I still didn't know why especially since I never filled
out my bikini, burned easy, and was constantly sneezing from the
Maple pollen. There was nothing sexy about me that weekend.
Maybe Larry told Dylan to obsess over me. Whenever his dad ordered
him to do something, he obeyed. I suspected this was why Dylan still
lived at home. At twenty two, he owned a small construction business
and had a contract to work on the local schools. He had plenty

of money to move out, but Larry wanted him living at the house. For
whatever reason, the asshole liked having Dylan under his thumb.
Well, I guessed the reason was because Larry was an asshole and he
liked having people under his thumb.
Half of Larry' s family worked for him at the dealership. Even his thug
brother Glenn who wasn't good at anything besides scaring people with
his ugly mug. The bastard was more misogynistic than Larry and
referred to Raven in casual conversation as the cocktease.
When we arrived home after Dylan picked me up from school, I went
straight to my room and studied. As boring as the reading was, I
preferred it to watching Dylan brood. He had a face for sulking too.
Handsome, yet pouty like he was still an angsty teenage boy mad at his
parents, authority, and the world as a whole.
I felt Dylan's dark eyes on me even before hearing him at the door.
Glancing towards him, I smiled then looked away quickly.
"That guy isn't any good for you," he muttered.
"Who?"
"You know who."
"Aaron is nice, but I need to finish school." "Uh-huh," he said, entering
the room and leaning against my small dresser. "How were you going
to pay to have your tattoo fixed? With
blowjobs?"
Frowning at him now, I sighed. "What do you want?" "I'll pay to have
the stupid butterfly get her wings." "What makes you think it's a her?"
"It's a pink fucking worm. Logic said it was a chick." "I don't want your
help."
"Why? I was the one who stopped the fuck from finishing your
tat."
"Why are you cussing so much?" "You're pissing me off." "I haven't
done anything."
"You know," Dylan said, walking closer and scratching at his short
Mohawk, "I thought maybe you didn't like guys. Not that you were a
lesbian or anything. Just that you might be a late bloomer."

"Is that a crack about my boobs?" I said, trying to change the subject.
"You're beautiful and I want you."
Swallowing hard, I sighed again and held my heavy book in front of
me. "I see you as a brother."
Dylan's dark eyes raged immediately. "I'm not your fucking brother! I
met you as a teenager! You aren't my sister!"
Standing up so better to defend myself, I also figured running was an
option. His expression softer now, Dylan hovered over me.
"You don't need that loser," Dylan said, his voice calm. "You need
someone who knows you. Someone who understands you."
"You thought I didn't like guys. I don't know how well you think you
know me."
Dylan jaw clenched. "You're mocking me? I pick you up and drive you
around every day like your little bitch and you're going to treat me like
shit now?"
"Having you drive me wasn't my idea. That was Larry. I said I would
take the bus or bum rides."
"Better than spending time with me." "Dylan, I don't know what you
want." "I told you what I want." "Well, that's never going to happen."
Dylan grabbed my jaw and forced my head up so he could kiss me. I
nailed him in the crotch with the book immediately. Jumping back, he
lifted his hand to hit me and I stared in horror. The blow never came
though.
"What the fuck?" he said, adjusting his jeans. "What's wrong with
you?"
"Me? You're the one grabbing me." "I wasn't going to hit you."
"Yes, you were," I said, holding the book in both hands and ready to
pound him if he got close again.
"You hurt me. It was a reflex to fight back."
"Well, sorry about your balls, but you hurt me and it was a reflex."
Dylan smiled tightly. "That guy is a piece of shit."

"You don't know him." "Neither do you."
Studying Dylan, I waited for him to make a move, but he sat on the
dresser instead.
"Why me?" I asked when I realized he wasn't leaving.
"You remember that camping trip?" he said, studying his hands. "I got
that damn fish hook stuck in my hand and Dad yanked it out. Just tore it
out like it wasn't attached to my fucking body. I was bleeding and it
fucking hurt. Margo patted my shoulder then walked away. Your mom
is a bitch, you know? Like all of the women Larry marries, she's a cold
bitch. My mom is like that too. You were gentle though and cleaned it
up. I liked how gentle you were."
My question finally answered, I stepped closer to Dylan with the book
in my grip for security.
"Other girls would be gentle. You just need to find someone who's not
like our moms. Don't be like Larry."
"He's a cold fuck too."
"Choose to be someone else. We all choose. Larry chooses to be an
asshole. You need to make a different choice and find a woman who
isn't like the ones you grew up with."
Dylan studied me through squinted eyes. "Is that what you did? Chose
not to be your bitch mom and sister."
"Raven isn't a bitch."
Dylan laughed. "You're kidding, right?"
"She's not a bitch like my mom," I said, smiling grudgingly. "She just
seems bitchy because it's how she protects her heart. I assume that's
why you act like an asshole."
Dylan grinned. "It's one reason, yeah."
"Choose different, Dylan. You're young enough to be anyone, so don't
be Larry. I hate that one of him exists. The world doesn't need more."
"True," he said, jumping off the dresser. "If you had let me, I would
have kissed you until you forget about that tattoo thug."
"He's not a thug and I don't doubt your kissing skills. I just doubt I
could ever think of you as anything more than a brother."

"We could try."
"No offense, but eww. I don't want to kiss my brother."
Dylan rolled his eyes and walked out the door. "Not your brother."
"Still eww," I called out to him as he disappeared down the hall.
When I heard Dylan laugh, I finally set my book down. The feel of him
on my skin creeped me out, so I washed my face then showered when
that wasn't enough. Later, as my damp hair dripped on the boring
school book, I realized why Dylan's touch bothered me. Not because he
was my brother. He just wasn't Aaron.
Chapter Twenty Six - Aaron
The Christmas before, Mom bought me a tiny trampoline that I was
supposed to use while watching TV. When I saw the gift, I thought it
was a joke, but she actually thought I would enjoy bouncing.
Apparently when I told her I needed more exercise than I was getting
by working so much, the trampoline was her solution.
After putting the thing together, I stuck in the corner of my gym so
Mom would think I used it. I never did, of course, and figured I'd give it
away eventually. Seeing Lark bouncing on it though, I was very
thankful for that trampoline.
Painting her while she bounced nearby to The Breeders, I alternated
between laughing at her enthusiasm and adjusting my shorts as a result
of my enthusiasm.
"We had a trampoline when I was a kid and I loved it."
"I see that. Please, don't stop."
Grinning, she winked at me and bounced around in a circle. Her small
breasts bounced along with her, unhampered by a bra since we'd gone
straight from bed to the studio. Wearing only a pink tee and purple
panties, she looked colorful, yet overdressed for my taste.
"You're making my butt too big in the sketch," she said, bouncing
slower now while studying my pinup version of her. "It's not that
round."
"As someone who had spent the last day admiring your butt, trust me
that my sketch is accurate."
"Really? I have a nicer butt than I thought."

Laughing, I tried to focus, but she was really bouncing again. Once her
tee came flying at me, my focus wasn't on the painting.
"Can you show me how to draw?" Lark asked, sliding up against me.
Each time she wiggled her butt, those panties slid farther off.
Taking her hand, I dipped those slim fingers into the dark chalk. Lark
leaned against me as I guided her fingers where I had been sketching
her breasts.
"Can I make them bigger?" Lark mumbled, concentrating on the
picture.
"Only if I can touch them while you work." "Sure, have at it."
As Lark sketched herself huge breasts then giggled about the result, I
explored her delicate shoulders. When I grazed her spine with my
fingers, she shivered and smiled back at me. Soon, I kneeled down
behind her and removed the barely clinging panties.
"Yes, I know this butt," I murmured, stroking each cheek and leaving
smudges of chalk behind.
"I'm busy," she said, now giving the sketch giant nipples. "I don't even
know how I'll carry around these watermelons. I want to make my butt
more bodacious too."
Lark goofed around, turning the pinup into a weird oversexed
monstrosity. Having her ignoring both me and my erection wasn't an
option though, so I bit one of her cheeks gently. When she simply
squirmed, yet focused on her picture, I spread open those sweet cheeks
and gave her a good deep lick.
A gasp followed by a shudder, Lark stood very still until I licked again.
"Hey," she murmured, melting into my arms. "I wish I could draw like
you."
"You just need practice," I said, resting Lark on her back. Spreading
her legs, I gave a light nip to her inner thigh. "With time, you'll be an
expert.
"Liar. I'll never be any good. Oh, wait, are we still talking about art? If
you mean the other thing, I'm already a pro. If I had those giant boobs, I
bet I could charge a lot too."

Blowing on her wet pussy, I smiled as she squirmed for me. I loved
when she wiggled around in anticipation. Hell, I loved everything
about her and I needed to tell her, but not during sex. That was too lame
and cliched and nothing about our relationship was less than perfect.
Well, the hiding was annoying, but temporary.
Lark always called out my name when she came. She sounded
surprised too like the pleasure was unexpected. Each time, she smiled
at me afterwards and wiggled for more.
"I' m very limber," she said as I slid a pillow under her butt to prop her
hips up on the hard floor. "You're very energetic. We make a great
team."
Lark sighed as I filled her then smiled and wiggled. "The best team."
Hearing the emotion in my voice, Lark reached up and caressed my
cheek before her fingers slid down the cobra from its face to the tail
curled around my heart tattoo.
Lark held my gaze as I thrust deep into her. Even in the heat of the
moment, the look in her eyes wasn't passion. She stared at me with a
tender expression and I could imagine seeing it for the rest of my life.
Lark must have understood what I was feeling.
"It's okay," she whispered as I came. "We're together and everything is
okay."
Holding her in my arms, I wished she would stay and we could stop
hiding. I wanted to show her off to my family. Pretending my heart
wasn't in her hands was a lie and I had no interest in lying to Lark.
We showered off the heat, sweat, and chalk then Lark curled up in my
lap on the couch.
"Tell me something that'll shock me," I said, kissing her damp
hair.
"I hate college and wish I could quit."
"Really?"
Lark looked ashamed as she continued, "I thought I'd like it because I
love to read, but the schoolwork is so boring and I hate reading all that
crap. I also think I hate the law. It's boring too. I'm going to spend my
life working on boring shit and it depresses me."

"Why don't you quit or work on something else?"
"Because I'd be the loser like my family said I was. I said I would be a
paralegal and they laughed like I was stupid. If I admit I hate school,
they'll win. Besides, I'd have wasted all the time and money on school."
"It's not wasted if you learned something from the experience."
"Like I hate college?" she asked, smiling tightly.
"Sure. If you finish the year, you'll have those credits for later. That
way, if you ever figure out what you want to study and want to go back,
you can."
"That's a good idea, but my family would make fun of me."
"They're losers, Lark. Fuck their opinions. Besides, do you think they'd
be proud after you graduated? They'd probably just find another reason
to make you feel bad."
"That's true. I just thought it would make me different because the
women in my family never go to college."
"What about the women in your dad's family?"
"I don't really know my dad's side or want to."
"Where's your real dad?" I asked as she teased the cobra with her
tongue.
Pausing, she sighed. "He's dead."
"How?"
"Killed in prison."
"What was he doing time for?"
"A lot of stuff," she said, resting her head against my chest as I wrapped
her tighter. "The main thing was holding up a convenience store and
shooting the teenager working there. She didn't die. Not like that makes
it okay, but I just didn't want you to think I was the daughter of a man
who would kill a girl for doing her job."
"You can't control what kind man your dad was."
"I know that, but having a loser for a dad makes me feel like a loser
sometimes. The sad thing is Larry's the best man my mom's ever been
with."
"He's an asshole."
Lark grinned slightly. "I know, but he's the best asshole she's ever been
with. Like he makes her happy."

"He's still an asshole."
"Yeah, but the women in my family always end up with assholes."
Caressing her freckles, I smiled. "Not always." Sharing my smile, she
whispered, "No, maybe not always." "No maybe."
Lark held my gaze and we were both afraid to say the words. Even
knowing the other one was thinking them, we avoided any
declarations.
"I heard you have a bitch ex girlfriend," Lark said, changing the subject
in the least subtle way.
"I've dated mostly nice girls. I like nice girls," I said, grinning down at
her. "Kristen seemed nice, but she was a bitch. Still is a bitch, but she's
not my problem now."
"Did you love her?" Lark asked, testing out that word.
"Not even a little."
"But it hurt you when she cheated."
Assuming Bailey was the one who blabbed about Kristen, I nodded. "I
thought I understood her. I'm pretty good at reading people's bullshit.
I'm not a lie detector, but I can tell a person's character. Or maybe I only
can when I'm not that close. Maybe I can't with girls, I mean."
"Do you think I have good character?" "The best."
Smiling, she ran her fingers down my cheek and tapped the cobra's
face.
"I' m really loyal," Lark said, focusing on the snake instead of me. "My
mom said I get stuck in the mud a lot. If I like something, I just like it
forever. I don't change. I wasn't just saying that the first night."
Leaning down, I kissed her "And you like me?"
"I should play coy, right? I should make you work for it, but I can't. I
don't want to lie, so I'll just tell the truth. I like you more than I've liked
any guy ever. I'm a little obsessed with you. Like if you dumped me, I
would stalk you."
My smile widened. "Your honesty is really hot."
"Would you stalk me if I dumped you?"
"Of course not," I said, pulling a blanket over us. "I wouldn't need

to because I'd kidnap you and keep you as my muse slave."
"I'd escape. I'm wily like that."
"I bet you would, but we'll never have to find out."
Lark and I stared at each other as if waiting for the other one to be brave
enough to say it.
"You're mine," I whispered. "No one else."
Lark gave a gentle smile like in the studio. "I love you too."
Finally, it was out in the open. The words sounded perfect and natural.
"I loved you last weekend," I admitted. "I should have said that, but I
was a jackass."
"I loved you on our first date. I would have mentioned it, but I'm a
bigger jackass."
Laughing, I leaned her back on the couch. "I want to celebrate the love
between two jackasses."
"No," she said, squirming free. "I want to be on top. I like exploring."
"And what you like, you'll always like."
Tugging off her tee, Lark grinned. "I'll be an old woman and still
enjoying my cobra. Oh, and the hot guy attached to it."
Kissing her hard, I had more than my muse now. I had my love and we
were going to create something beautiful together.
Chapter Twenty Seven - Lark
The sound of a rumbling Harley wasn't anything out of the ordinary
around Ellsberg. This bike roared its engine once, twice, again and
again as if attempting to gain someone's attention. Or challenge a
person to a fight maybe.
A frowning Aaron looked outside and his expression darkened. "It's
your fuckwad stepbrother."
My stomach flipped and I backed away from the door as if I might run.
Returning to sanity, I sighed. "How would he know?"
"I don't know. I'll tell him to fuck off."
Aaron walked onto the porch and Dylan turned of the Harley. I watched
Dylan stop at the front fence where he glared at Aaron.

"I know Lark's here. She needs to come home."
"Fuck off," Aaron said, keeping his promise to tell Dylan just that.
"She's coming home."
I heard the threat in Dylan's voice and imagined Aaron bloodied. While
I had no doubt my guy could win, the idea of him hurt because of my
crappy family forced me onto the porch.
"I don't want to go home."
"Not your choice. Old man said I'm supposed to bring you home."
"How did you know I was here?"
"As compared to where you were supposed to be?" Dylan growled.
"I'm not a child and I can do what I want."
"Why lie then?"
Shrugging, I didn't answer.
"He tracked your cell. Saw you weren't at the Johanssons' place and it
wasn't hard to figure out where you'd run off to."
"This is bullshit," Aaron muttered. "Just fuck off and tell your dad to
stop acting like a damn dictator. Lark isn't going with you."
Dylan ignored Aaron and focused his angry gaze on me. "Lark, get
your stuff. You're coming home. If you think you're a big girl and can
do what you want, explain it to Larry."
Shaking my head, I glanced at Aaron who crossed his arms and gave
Dylan a look that startled me. I had never seen him look so
intimidating, but I still feared he might get hurt over me.
"She's an adult and she wants to stay," Aaron said.
"I know all about you, but I doubt she does. She thinks you're a nice
guy. She doesn't realize you're just using her. Fucking her until you're
bored."
Aaron stepped closer to the porch stairs. "Get the fuck off my
property."
"Lark, get your stuff."
"No," I said, finding my voice again. "I want to stay here."
"He's just using you."
"No."
"You can't do this shit, you know? Shacking up with some fuck then
coming home when he tosses you aside. That's not acceptable. If

you want to live at the house, you need to get your shit together and
come home now. If you want to run the streets, tell Larry and deal with
the consequences."
"She's not leaving," Aaron said, stepping off the porch. "Are you
deaf?"
"I don't give a shit what you have to say, pussy."
"You better give a shit because I'm the one about to crack open your
fucking skull if you take another step on my property."
Dylan looked ready to run at Aaron. Feeling the tension building, I
didn' t know what to do.
"Is there a problem here?" Deputy Dickhead said, strutting over like the
asshole he was.
"Fuck," Aaron sighed.
"My father wants Lark to return home. He sent me to get her," Dylan
explained, putting on his respectable citizen face.
"Why don't you want to go home, hun?" Deputy Dickhead asked me
and Aaron stepped closer.
"She's an adult," Aaron said. "She can go anywhere she fucking
pleases."
"Watch the language, Barnes."
"Fuck off, Darling."
"Your name is Darling?" Dylan asked, grinning now. "Aces."
"Shut up," Deputy Dickhead barked. "Look the girl either goes home to
explain the situation to her family or I take her home and stand there
while she explains it to her family."
"This is bullshit."
"What's it going to be?"
"You can't..."
Placing my hand on Aaron's arm, I smiled tightly. "I should just get this
over with. Tell them I'm seeing you and they can accept it or fuck off. I
don't want to live there anymore anyway."
"You can move in here."
Unsure about the offer, I turned to Dylan and Dickhead. "I'll get my
shoes."
Once inside, I assumed Aaron was going to bitch. Instead, he

kissed me gently.
"I should come with you."
"It'll just make things worse. I need to show this is my decision and
Larry can fuck off. He thinks women are weak. If you come with me,
he'll think you're making me say stuff. Just let me handle it. Once I have
some stuff packed, I'll call you to pick me up. Is that okay?"
"I want you to move in here."
"Bailey said I could stay in Coop's old apartment."
Aaron's angry expression flattened into something I'd never seen
before. As if he was hiding his feelings, leaving behind only the mask
he wanted me to see. Finally, he sighed.
"Why there and not here?"
"We haven't been dating long."
Running a hand over his head, Aaron sighed again. "We're not fucking
dating, Lark. Why play games when we know what this is?"
"What is it?" I asked softly.
"Forever. What we have is forever. It's not about tomorrow or next
month. We're in this for the long haul. I love you and you love me. Let's
not pretend we're silly kids having fun. What we have is forever and
you belong with me."
Hearing those words from him, I realized many of my dreams were
lies. School, my dream job, finding acceptance from a shit family
weren't what I wanted in my heart. Aaron was the truth and he offered
me a future full of love and acceptance. I said the only thing I could
think to say with my whole life unfolding before me.
"Hell yeah, I do."
Aaron grinned and I nearly leapt into his arms. The world outside the
little house and this amazing man's arms faded away until Deputy
Dickhead Darling pounded on the door.
"Don't make me call backup!" he yelled while trying to see in through
the shades.
"Fucker."
"I'll be back soon," I said, slipping on my tennis shoes. "We'll be able to
sit on the front porch and go out together and stop hiding."
Aaron smiled. "If he gives you shit, call me and I'll fuck him up.

I'm sick of this asshole and his turd son."
Giving him a quick kiss, I walked to the porch where I ignored the
deputy. Instead of respecting the dickhead's authority, I headed straight
to Dylan and climbed on the back of his Harley. A wave at Aaron later,
I sped off to face the latest asshole in a long line of my mom's loves.
When we entered the house, Larry stood next to the fireplace like he
was posing for me. The angry father so very disappointed in his
daughter and ready to give her a lecture. At the glass door overlooking
the backyard was Glenn who I suspected was there to intimidate me. I
assumed they'd start boxing up my stuff soon and use the same old
threats.
In the kitchen, Mom sat at the table, cutting coupons because Larry told
her it was her job to save them money. Every fifty cents off a can of
soup was a step closer to his retirement and them enjoying cruises. My
mother was a little obsessed with the idea of cruises.
I should have been more afraid, but a weekend with Aaron gave me
courage. As his muse, I felt fearless. Even when Larry turned and
glared at me, I held my head up high.
"I opened my home to you and my thanks is finding out you 're whoring
around town with a thug."
"Thug? You're the one monitoring my cell. I pay for that phone and you
have no right to track me."
Larry walked casually towards me. "I have every right. You live in my
house and represent me in the community. We both know you wouldn't
be able to afford the phone and school if I didn't allow you to live here
rent free."
"Well, we'll see about that. From now on, I'm not sneaking around. If
you say I can't be with Aaron and live here then I'm moving out."
Still at the door, Glenn was grinning in the nasty way he was prone to
grin when a woman stood up for herself and he thought she was about
to lose. Dylan stood very still, arms crossed tightly while glaring at me.
Behind us, my mom kept cutting coupons like nothing was happening.
"No," Larry said in a soft voice. "I have invested too much time and
money into your upbringing to have you whore up the town. I forbid
you from seeing him."

"Forbid?" I snorted. "I'm almost twenty."
Larry sighed as if tired then took a step forward and backhanded me. I
had no time to react or even brace my fall. The sting of his hand was
followed by me crashing into the kitchen table. My back screamed in
pain at the impact and I lay stunned on the ground for a minute. Only
Dylan's yell kept me from passing out.
"Motherfucker," he hollered, running at Larry.
Glenn met him halfway and Larry helped his brother knock Dylan to
the ground. Even after Dylan slugged Glenn, the older man wouldn't
back off. He stomped down on Dylan who tried rolling away and ended
up with Larry kicking him in the gut.
"You've always been an idiot where that slut's concerned."
Stumbling to my feet, I glanced at my mom who still sat at the table.
She looked at me then Larry then lowered her gaze and returned to her
coupons.
The logical choice for me was to run from the house. I was so much
smaller than these three battling men and the smart thing was to run.
Yet, Larry and his bullshit family were why Raven left. They were
always telling me what to do and making me feel like shit. Now, he'd
hit me and I wasn't running.
Grabbing a chair from the table, I swung it at Glenn and hit him at the
back of the neck. As he went flying forward, the bastard tripped over
Dylan and toppled hard to the ground.
Before I could celebrate, Larry ripped the chair out of my hand then
came at me. I backed away and grabbed one of the millions of bear
figurines. Throwing it at him, I nailed Larry in the chest with the first
one. The second one caught him over the eye, leaving a gash. As Larry
chased me around the room, I grabbed more bears and flung them over
my shoulders at him. While most missed, a few made contact and he
finally hollered in frustration.
Having recovered from the blow, Glenn tried to block me in. However,
Dylan shoved the older man outside then locked the door.
Unfortunately for Glenn, Larry's stupid fluffy dog hated him and
proceeded to attack his leg.
"Dylan, this is your last chance," Larry said, his face red and blood

dripping down his face. "Give me that girl or you're done."
"Fuck you. I was done the minute you put your fucking hand on
her."
Watching the two men glare at one another, I exchanged the bears in
my hands for heavier ones.
"I' m leaving," I said more to Mom than Larry. "If anyone messes with
me, I' m cracking their heads open with Picnic Bear."
"Margo, call the police," Larry said, regaining his cool. "I want Lark
arrested for assault."
As my mother reached for the phone, I nearly threw a bear at her. "I'll
press charges too. We'll both end up in jail then the Johanssons can sort
it out."
Larry's confidence flickered. "If you leave, you'll never come
back."
"Not much of a threat, old man. I'll be back for my shit later. If any of it
is missing, I'm going to get Bailey over here to show you her gun. I don'
t care if you disappear, Larry. Mom will have your life insurance and
the house and she'll do just fine. You'll be gone, but your money will
live on. Do you understand?"
Larry swallowed too hard to pretend he wasn't worried. He should be
worried because I was pissed and my back hurt so much that I could
barely walk. Yet, I pretended to be at the top of my game. Like I
learned in roller derby, never let your opponents see your weaknesses.
I didn' t even back out of the house. Instead, I walked out with those
bears in my hands until I was on the driveway and Dylan stood next to
me.
"I'll drive you into town," he said, wiping his bloody mouth. "I'm sorry
he hit you. I hope the Johanssons do kill him." "Are you okay?"
"Yeah. I can't believe those old fucks jumped me. I thought I was better
than that."
"I was very disappointed in you too," I teased, limping now.
"Where will you go?"
"I'll stay at a friend's house until I find a place. I assume you want to go
to your boyfriend's house."

"Thank you for helping me," I said, standing next to his Harley. "I'll
never been able to think of you as a sister, Lark. I just can't." "We'll be
friends then."
Dylan smiled before grimacing and touching his bloody mouth. "Are
you taking those bears with you?"
Glancing down at my hands, I threw them both on the driveway. As I
watched them shatter, I was really saying goodbye to this part of my
life. Good riddance to all the bullshit, I was a new Lark now. From this
day on, I was the muse Aaron saw when he looked at me.
Chapter Twenty Eight - Aaron
The moment I saw the red mark across Lark's face, a little part of my
humanity died. While she entered the house and tried to explain, I
heard only part of her words. The ones about who hurt her and who
needed to bleed.
Rage like I'd never felt before surged through me until I could barely
breathe, let alone think. I needed to hit something. No, someone. The
urge to hunt down the fucker who hurt my woman was too intense to
deny. I hungered for revenge.
Until I stared into Lark's terrified eyes and my breath caught. She was
in a panic. Balled up in front of me like a frightened child, she waited
for my rage to erupt. A part of me, deep under the rage, realized she
thought I was going to hit her.
Unable to speak calmly, I stormed from the room and to my gym. The
bag felt my vengeance in a way I couldn't deliver on the fucker who
deserved it. I bashed my fists against the bag until I worked off the edge
of my anger. When I felt more in control, I returned to find Lark in the
exact spot I'd left her. She looked too afraid to move. She even flinched
as I knelt in front of her.
"It's okay," I soothed.
"I'm sorry."
"You did nothing wrong."
"Please, don't go over there."
"I won't. Do you want to go sit on the porch?"
Shaking her head, Lark whimpered, "I want..."

When she didn't answer, I caressed her cheek. "What do you want, my
muse?"
"I want you inside me," she whispered, her arms wrapped tightly
around her body as if for protection. "I need you to be mine." "I am
yours. I'll always been yours."
"You belong to your temper right now. It's like Raven was before she
left me."
"I'll never leave," I said, tugging her gently to her feet. "Let's get you
cleaned up in the shower and I'll show you how I'm yours."
Finally, a little smile emerged on her frightened face. "I stood up to
Larry. I even made him bleed."
Smiling tightly, I knew I was grinding my teeth. I needed to make the
bastard bleed, but Lark wanted me to calm down. Even in the shower
with her pale skin soapy under my fingertips, I couldn't stop grinding
my damn teeth. Almost as if I would explode in rage if I didn't hold my
jaws
tight.
Lark was happy though. When I paused soaping her and stared at where
a nasty bruise was forming on her back, she wiggled her butt at me and
grinned. Sharing her smile, I tried to focus on her as she leaned against
me while I teased her nipples.
Despite her hunger, I could only think that if Lark was Cooper's girl
then Larry would be dead. My friend wouldn't stand down. Nothing
would keep him from killing the fucker like he killed the bastard who
hit Farah. Instead of protecting my woman, I was letting the bastard
walk. Tomorrow, Larry would be strutting around as if he hadn't a care
in the damn world. No way was that happening, yet Lark wanted me to
back
off.
"Oh, Aaron," Lark moaned as if an hour earlier she wasn't beaten by a
man twice her size.
Turning to me, Lark stared into my eyes and I knew. The wait was over
and she needed me inside her. My little muse stepped on the side of the
tub, reached up to my shoulders, and lifted herself to meet my hips.
"My pixy climbs like a monkey," I teased as she pressed down and I
filled her.
"This is forever."

For the first time since pounding the bag, I stopped grinding my teeth.
I'd get my revenge later. For now, there was only Lark under the hot
water.
"Fuck me harder," she whispered, wrapped around me. "I feel like
you're holding back."
"I'm still pissed and I don't want to take it out on you."
Lark pressed her forehead against mine and stared into my eyes.
"Never hold back. I' m tougher than I look and I want all of you."
"You were scared earlier."
"I'd never seen you like that," she said, licking my bottom lip as I
moved slowly in and out of her. "I've seen you fuck before. I'm not
afraid."
"Really?" I asked, lifting a brow.
"Bring it on, cobra," she said, licking the head of the tattoo. "Show me
what you' ve got."
Wrapping her tighter in my arms, I thrust hard into Lark and she
moaned like I'd never satisfied her before that moment. Hell, my muse
really wanted to play.
Yet, after a few more hard thrusts, I stopped and frowned at her.
"Did you break it?" she said, laughing. "I could lick it better if that
would help?"
Smiling, I turned off the water. "I need you somewhere safe so when I
fuck you hard, you won't fly out of the shower."
"Big talk, she murmured as I carried her to the bedroom and rested on
her back. "I like it hard. I like you hard too. If I keep saying hard, will
you help me come?"
I gave her a gentle kiss. "Tell me you love me."
"I love you forever, Aaron. You're mine."
"Tell me you don't think I'm a bitch to let some fucker hurt you."
"The only thing making me think you're a bitch is how you're teasing
me with your cock like that. I want you."
One hard thrust and Lark gasped. Eyes wide, she grinned and squirmed
under me.
"Let go," she murmured. "Don't hold anything back. Not with me. Not
ever."

Giving Lark what she wanted, I propped myself over her and all of my
anger and frustration broke free in our lovemaking. At first, I think she
was intimidated by the ferocity of my thrusts. Like our first night when
she didn't know what to do with her hands, she seemed awkwardly for a
minute or two.
Suddenly, her face lit up and she held onto my forearms and soaked in
every thrust as our bodies became one. When she was close, one of her
hands went between her legs and I nearly lost it watching her stroke her
clit.
Lark cried out my name as if startled by the pleasure. Seeing such
beauty in her expression, I leaned down to kiss her. Her arms wrapped
around me while her hips shoved up, wanting more. Bearing down into
her, I felt my relief edging closer and closer. Harder and faster, we
moved then she came a second time and I released everything I had
inside her. All of the need and uncertainty from the last week. Lark was
mine and fuck anyone who tried to take her away.
"Mine," she whimpered as I relaxed inside her and we caught our
breath.
"Always."
Realizing I was pressing down on her back, I awoke from the heat of
the moment. Sliding out of her, I admired the sight of her satisfied
pussy glistening for me.
"It misses you already," Lark teased, rolling over and wiggling her ass
at me. "Do you miss it?"
Hell yeah, I missed it. In fact, I missed it again and again until we were
exhausted. Sitting against the headboard, I held Lark while she traced
my cobra tattoo. She was relaxed in a wonderful way. Smiling easily,
she wanted to play one more time before we finally slept. More than
anything, I suspected she needed to be close after the earlier attack. An
attack that would go unpunished.
"I feel like a coward who can't protect my woman," I admitted. "I know
what Cooper would do in this situation and I'm not doing it. I hate
thinking he does better for Farah than I do for you."
Lark rested her head on my chest and curled up on the bed. Her eyes
were tired as she studied me. I ran my fingers along her freckles and

sighed at how she said nothing. Finally, she took my hand and rested it
against her cheek.
"Destroy his car. That'll be your revenge."
"His car?" I asked, thoroughly unimpressed with this option. A guy
could buy a new car. I wanted to take something Larry couldn't live
without. Like his balls.
"It's one of those old collectable cars and he's spent over a hundred
grand fixing it up over the years. It's his favorite thing in the world. He
loves that stupid car."
When I said nothing, Lark continued, "In his will, he's not leaving the
car to Dylan or my mom. He's leaving it to some friend who has a
bunch of those old cars. Larry doesn't think anyone else is good enough
for the fucking car."
Lark kissed the palm of my hand then rested on her tit. "You shouldn't
feel less than Cooper. Or that you're not a man capable of protecting
me. I know you want to use your fists to destroy Larry, but he's an old
man. If you really want to hurt him, you take that car. It 'll break his
cold heart."
Searching her face, I realized the car was something not only Larry
loved, but Lark hated.
"He once said if it was between saving me, Raven, and Mom or saving
his car, it wasn't even a difficult choice," she muttered then added, "I
hate that fucking car."
"Then, we take his fucking car."
Lark smiled and crawled up to straddle me. She caressed my cheeks
then kissed each one.
"I don't think Cooper is a better man. He's rich, but he can't create like
you do. When I see you drawing or even doodling something on a
napkin, it amazes me. How you can make something beautiful out of
nothing. It' s like what you did with me. Like I was just going through
life feeling like nothing and now I feel beautiful. You made that
happen. I don't wish you were anyone else."
Gently flicking her little nipples with my thumbs, I watched her
expression shift. All of her emotions were open to me. The love, desire,
acceptance, and hope I saw on her face were for me. Everything she
was

now rested in my hands.
Chapter Twenty Nine - Lark
The next few days were busy, yet exciting. Moving into Aaron's house
was an easy step. I just called Mom and told her we were coming by for
my stuff. If Larry was there, Aaron would pound in his face, so the
fucker should be gone. My mother said okay and hung up. Larry wasn't
around when we picked up my clothes and few belongings.
Aaron's house wasn't big, but I didn't need a lot of space. He gave me
the second closet in his room and dumped his extra stuff in the spare
bedroom. The whole moving adventure took two hours.
Dylan came by to check on me and say he had found an apartment.
Aaron glared at Dylan even after thanking him for helping me. Dylan
glared back even after saying he was happy I found someone with a
nice front yard. It was friendly, yet tense. Through it all, Deputy
Dickhead Darling watched us from his porch down the street.
Living with Aaron was amazing. I didn't have to worry about doing
something wrong and getting yelled at by the jerk paying the bills. I
didn' t have to deal with awkward chitchat with my mother. No more
avoiding Dylan's broody staring either.
Instead, I woke up with the man I loved and fell asleep relaxed next to
him. On the mornings I didn't work, I sat in his makeshift gym while he
worked out. As Aaron pumped weights, I struggled to keep my hands
to myself. It wasn't easy with him sweaty and those muscles flexing. I
stared like an animal in heat until he finished then I'd help him wash off
in the shower. Aaron really loved those mornings.
Since he only used his Honda for shopping and errands where a trunk
was necessary, Aaron didn't really need the car. He gave it to me and I
finally had a way to get around town. When I warned him that I was a
lead foot, he just laughed and pointed at all the speeding tickets on the
kitchen counter.
The first week together was perfection, but I knew Aaron needed his
revenge on Larry. Vaughn was planning to help him steal the car.
When Aaron muttered during dinner at Cooper's that he didn't need
help, Outlaw pointed out how the artsy fartsy country club boy hadn't

stolen a car before. Aaron flipped him off, but agreed. I didn't plan to
come along, but I looked forward to the pictures.
Every day after school, I joined Aaron at the sub shop where we ate
sandwiches and talked about our day. Back in the business, he finished
up a little paperwork before we hurried home. I loved racing him back
to the house, even though I never won.
Returning to the tattoo shop on a Friday afternoon, I noticed Jade's
boyfriend's car parked out front. Another car was next to it. Neither
Aaron nor Jade had a client that evening. Before I could ask, I noticed
Aaron' s expression change.
"I love you," he said "I never loved her. I swear."
Aaron hurried inside and I frowned at his need to see Kristen. Soon, I
realized he was more worried about Jade seeing Kristen.
"Bitch, we're not doing your fucking tat," Jade sneered.
Kristen was pretty. Not beautiful, but she had a nice round face and
long red hair. She was above average in the looks department even
while giving Jade her duckface. Bailey's was better.
"Melissa said you guys would do it."
Jade glared at the receptionist who shrugged. "She's going to pay, so
what's the big deal."
Kristen ignored the women and smiled at Aaron. "You'll do it, won't
you? I want my tat to be from the best."
Aaron sighed. "No, I won't."
"Why?" Kristen asked, losing her smile. "Is it because of your bitch
employee or because of the bitch you're fucking?"
"Oh, no, she didn't just call me a bitch," Jade said, moving towards
Kristen.
"It's okay, Jade. We're not taking the job and Kristen is leaving," Aaron
muttered, as Tony kept his girlfriend from reaching Kristen.
Jade rolled her eyes. "You let the whore get away with too much
shit."
"He doesn't let me do anything," Kristen announced, giving her best
pissed off head roll. "He never did. I'm my own woman."
Smirking at Tony, Jade said, "From what I heard, she was everyone's
woman."

"Fuck you," Kristen hissed, flipping off Jade. The tattoo artist struggled
against Tony's big frame. "Let me hit her, Aaron. I'll make her shut the
fuck up and the world will sigh with
relief."
When Aaron shook his head and put a stop to the impending violence,
Kristen grinned brightly. Jade glared hard, yet obeyed Aaron's request.
I didn't though.
The sound of my hand slapping Kristen's face was like a gunshot. The
whole place seemed to shake from the sound. No one reacted. Even
Kristen looked unsure at what happened then she screamed "cunt" and
swung at me.
"Please," I said, ducking easily. "I've seen small children with better
aim."
Jade hooted while Aaron considered interfering until Tony patted his
shoulder.
"Let these women handle their business. Don't be a chauvinistic pig and
tell them what to do."
A disappointed Kristen realized she wasn't getting any help. Yet, she
was probably five six while I was an inch over five in my tennis shoes.
She still figured she'd win easy. She figured wrong.
Using moves I learned to block opponents in roller derby, I nailed
Kristen on the jaw and she fell backwards. Flopping on her butt, she
looked up at me and burst into tears. Her sobs sent Jade into hysterics
while I just frowned.
"Bitch sure can't take a hit," Jade said, high fiving me then leaning
down to gloat over a crying Kristen. "You fucked with the wrong man.
If I see you again, I'll pound you. No one messes with Aaron Fucking
Barnes."
"Great, I' m Bailey now," Aaron murmured to me and I laughed. "Are
you okay?"
"She didn't even touch me. Hell yeah, I'm okay." "My little fighting
muse."
"Tell you what," Jade announced. "We'll drag the crybaby outside and
shove her stupid ass in that shitty car. That way, you two can fuck in the
shop without anyone interrupted."

"Gross," Melissa said. "I'm leaving."
"No one cares," Jade said, yanking Kristen up and pushing her out the
door.
Tony watched them go then grinned at Aaron. "My woman is so hot
when she gets crazy. You ain't the only one getting honey tonight."
The men high fived while Melissa hurried out with that bitchy look
plastered on her face.
Aaron watched them disappear then looked at me. "I'm firing Melissa.
Would you happen to want to work here?"
"What about Denny's?"
"Babe, give your two week notice and come hang out with me."
"What if we get sick of seeing each other?" I asked as he leaned down
and nibbled at my collar bone. "Never mind. That feels good."
"I know they left us alone, but I don't want to do it here. Can you
imagine what my customers would think?"
"Not sanitary. Let's race home," I said, going for the door as he grabbed
his keys to lock up.
Aaron took my hand and stopped me. "I'm sorry that shit with Kristen
happened."
"I was bound to meet her eventually and she was bound to act like a
bitch then end up on her ass. We just got it over with sooner rather than
later."
"You are so hot when you turn roller derby on people," he said and I
wondered if we were leaving. "A tiny badass."
Staring into his blue eyes, I smiled. "I want you and I don't want to wait
long. Are you giving it to me here or at home? I need to reassure my
pussy the wait won't be long."
Aaron' s expression flattened out and I was pretty sure all of the blood
left his brain. A minute later, he blinked and took an unsteady breath.
"We're leaving."
"I accept the position as your receptionist," I said, hugging him against
me as we walked out. "I'll get to see you work and enjoy your happy
customers."
Aaron nodded slightly, but he was mostly focused on getting home

without crashing so we could celebrate naked. Chapter Thirty -
Aaron
Most days, I felt like a grown man who could win a fight, pay his bills,
and gain the respect of others. Occasionally, Mom would wipe my
mouth at a restaurant and I'd feel like a kid again. I felt that way waiting
for Vaughn at the quarry. Like a child waiting for his big brother to get
him out of a bind.
Fact was I had never stolen a car before. I was strong and smart and
figured I would be stealth too. Vaughn rolled his eyes when I said this
then he ditched me at the quarry and stole Gloria on his own.
A loser like Larry didn't deserve a fine vintage car like Gloria. The
Corvette Stingray had been lovingly restored by a jackass who named
his car, yet treated his kids like afterthoughts. I planned to lovingly tear
the fucking thing apart.
"Have your fun then we'll torch it and get a beer," Vaughn said,
yawning.
"Did anyone see you?" I asked just to annoy him.
My question worked like a charm and Vaughn squinted disgusted at me
then walked over to a large rock where he sat down and looked at his
phone.
Swinging the bat, I smashed out the taillight. As painful as it was to tear
apart such a beautiful car, Lark needed vengeance. In my mind, I wasn't
hitting the Corvette. I was destroying every person who ever hurt my
girl. Every stepfather who hit her, mocked her, and ignored her. I
imagined the hung over fucker who let her little brother die. I even
pictured her mother who chose the latest fuck over her own kids.
I hated them all for every tear Lark ever shed. If I couldn't hunt them
down, I'd destroyed the prized possession of the latest bastard to
mistreat my muse.
Smashing the windows, the lights, denting the cherry red doors, I
trashed the car until I was out of breath. Eventually, I grabbed a blade
and tore the tires, just to finish off my rage.
"Wuss," Vaughn said, standing over me as I leaned against the car.
"Shame about Gloria. She was a beauty."

"I haven't been to the batting cage in awhile. I think I pulled something"
"Sure," Vaughn muttered, yanking me to my feet. "Let's light this little
bitch up and get a beer."
"I need to get home to Lark."
"Are you fucking kidding me? I steal this car for you and don't even get
to trash it and you won't have a beer with me? What an asshole."
"Please, don't cry," I said, patting his shoulder. "I don't have the energy
to hold you until your sobs turn to baby hiccups."
Vaughn laughed. "I miss Judd. The guy knew how to drink a beer and
he didn't mind when I pissed myself weeping like a chick."
"The guy is the epitome of patience," I said, picking up the container of
gas. "Or indifference. He always did seem a little bored when you two
were talking."
"You looking to have me use that bat on you, is that it?"
Grinning, I splashed gasoline on Gloria, careful not to have the liquid
hit me. Once the car was thoroughly drenched, Vaughn lit a match.
"Are you sure he won't be able to restore this car?" I asked.
Smirking at me, Vaughn threw the match and Gloria burst into flames.
"We oughta get back, just in case the old girl blows. The tank was
pretty full when I snatched her."
Gloria did let out more than a baby hiccup before blowing onto her
side. Vaughn took the gas tank and threw it into the fire. The police
likely wouldn't find the car until the next day, maybe longer. The
quarry was abandoned and rested in Reaper territory. Cops weren't
welcome and no one would call them. Eventually, Larry would learn of
his precious car's fate and I just prayed the shock killed the fucker.
Chapter Thirty One - Lark
The Storm Babes barely lost the game. Cheering so much that my
throat hurt, I was excited to share roller derby with Aaron. When Raven
left, I gave up on the sport even before Larry told me to. My sister had
been the one to get us involved and I always felt like the team was more

hers than mine. I was the tiny chick who sped around and occasionally
scored. Raven was the tough chick who scared other tough chicks. In
the end, the team missed her more than they missed me. I missed them
both.
Team leaders Sarah and Chantal noticed me in the stands before the
game and waved, but the other girls seemed irritated to see me. Or they
were just putting on the grumpy game faces. After the match, they
surrounded me. With them wearing skates and me in flats, I never felt
tinier. For days, I'd struggled with dizziness and the vertigo returned as
I stared up at them.
"Thunder Kitten grants us a visit. We're honored," Chantal said, giving
me a bow. "Did you come to beg for your spot back?"
"No."
"Shit," Sarah said. "I was looking forward to some begging."
The girls laughed while I rolled my eyes. "I wanted to show off my hot
boyfriend and let him see how I used to be cool."
Sarah and the girls eyed Aaron who turned around for them then flexed
his muscles. Clearly impressed, they smiled.
"Snagged yourself a hot one."
"He's really good at fucking too."
The girls high fived me and I felt like I was the old cooler Lark. Well
until Chantal hit my hand and I nearly fell on my ass.
"Damn, I' m strong," Chantal said, flexing her fingers.
As a worried Aaron helped steady me, I mumbled, "Not that you aren' t
quite the Hulk, but I feel dizzy."
"Sure, pixy," Chantal said as I found a bench to rest on.
"Are you alright?" Aaron asked, kissing my cheek and sliding his hand
between my knees. "That's to give you something to think about."
"All of the roller derby stuff turned you on, huh?"
"Hell yeah," he whispered, kissing my neck. "Crap, Tucker's in a
headlock. Better go help him out."
"Save the dummy. I'm fine. Just dizzy."
Aaron gave me a great kiss. The kind signaling he wanted to be inside
me. My body responded to his kiss and I imagined us alone.
After Cooper and Aaron dislodged Tucker's head from Gail's grip,
Maddy sat next to me and rubbed her belly. "Man, the last few weeks

aren' t fun."
"You look good though."
Maddy grinned. "Thanks for lying. Um, I was wondering if you were
on the pill." "Yeah."
"Have you tested it out, you know?" "I don't get it."
Farah sat next to me and smiled at Maddy. "What are we talking
about?"
"I think Lark might be preggers." "No," I gasped. "I'm on the pill."
"Don't freak. I just saw how dizzy you are. Might be the flu or weather
or mono. Who the hell knows, but I was super dizzy when I first got
knocked up. Before the nausea and all that stuff, I was dizzy and felt
tender like I was going to start my period."
Touching my slightly bloated stomach, I tried to think happy thoughts
or blow off her comments. Instead, I panicked because I wasn't fit to be
a mother. I would let my baby die the way I let Phoenix die.
"But she's on the pill," Farah said, trying to calm me. "I was on the pill
and I come from fertile people, but I didn't get pregnant."
"It happens sometimes. With me, Tucker was fucking with my pills,
but I'd tested out the pill. Like he wasn't my first or anything. My
cousin though was on the pill for nearly a decade because she had weird
periods. She was a virgin until college though," Maddy said then
whispered, "She's kinda fugly."
Staring at her in horror, I didn't care why her cousin didn't get laid
before college. I just wanted her to tell me something that made my
being pregnant impossible.
"Anyway, she'd never tested out her pills in the Biblical sense. A drunk
one night stand later and she knew they might regulate her periods, but
they didn't keep her from getting knocked up."
"Was she on antibiotics?" Farah asking, holding my shaking hand. "I
heard they can mess with the pill."
"Nope. Her pills weren't old and she was good about taking them. She's
a nerd when it comes to her vitamins and stuff. Anyway, she got

preggers and tried having an abortion, but it didn't take. Talk about all
signs pointing to God wanting her to have a kid by some random guy.
She gave it up for adoption though because she wanted to finish
college." Maddy paused and glanced around. "I forgot my point. These
baby hormones are making me so dumb. I'm always walking into
rooms and forgetting why I went in there."
"I probably have sinus issues," I said, hoping I was coming down with
the flu rather than having a baby. "Spring can do that."
"Sure, but I'd pee on a stick to be sure," Maddy said, struggling into a
standing position. "It can't hurt to be sure. I read that the baby does all
its important growing at the very beginning. After that, it's just getting
bigger. You don't want to take anything that makes your kid stupid. I
am super careful about that. You know..." She leaned over and
whispered, "Because Tucker's no Einstein."
Despite my fears, I laughed at her expression. She laughed too then
gasped.
"I need to be careful about laughing too much. Don' t want any
accidents," she said, giving me a wink before waddling over to Tucker
who was fascinated by the rollers on the skates resting on the table in
front of him.
"If you are, you know," Farah whispered, "it wouldn't be so bad. In fact,
if we both get pregnant around the same time, our babies can grow up
and be friends like we are."
Grinning at Farah, I didn't feel so afraid to know I wouldn't be alone.
Mostly, I figured she would help me from destroying my baby's life
like I destroyed Phoenix.
Chapter Thirty Two - Aaron
The whole evening, Lark refused to make eye contact and the wall she
put up between us felt like a slap in the face. When we arrived at home,
she walked around with her arms wrapped around her body as if for
protection. I watched her wander from the kitchen back to the living
room. Lost and needing an anchor, Lark wasn't reaching out to me for
whatever reason.
Taking her hand, I walked to the couch and sat. Lark joined me, but

still wouldn't look me in the eye. "Baby, tell me what's wrong."
Sitting at the edge of the couch and wrapping her arms tightly around
her body, Lark started to speak then she shook her head. After another
minute, she sighed. "I shouldn't say anything until I know for sure."
Leaning back on the couch, I studied her and really saw my sweet
muse. Not the spunky girl who smiled and teased. Not the roller derby
Lark with a tough edge, but the little girl who turned away from
watching her baby brother for a few minutes and he ended up dead. The
child Lark whose self value came solely from others.
"Do you know one reason my parents have stayed married so long?" I
asked and Lark shook her head. "They're a team. If one has a problem,
they both have a problem. No secrets, no holding back. They face
everything together."
Lark glanced at me and I saw such despair in her eyes.
"Whatever it is will be easier if we face it together."
Lark scooted away from me then nodded. "I've been dizzy the last few
days. Maddy heard about that and said she got dizzy when she was first
pregnant."
A tight ball in my stomach, I wasn't sure what to say. Lark continued,
"I'm on the pill and I promise I never forget." When I moved closer, she
scooted away. "I thought Maddy was wrong. All she thinks about is
babies, so it made sense for her to think I was pregnant. I thought it
wasn't right, but I did the math in my head and I'm late."
Lark turned her gaze to me and her voice sounded so panicked when
she spoke again. "I hadn't been paying attention. Everything has been
so good and I'm on the pill, but I should have started a few days ago. I
never paid that much attention before, but I'm regular and I didn't
start."
Enough of letting her set the mood, I pulled her against me and stroked
her hair.
"I'll go to the store and pick up one of those tests. I see those
commercials and they are supposed to work once you missed the first
day. I don't know, but I'm sure there are instructions."

"I don't want to know," she whimpered. "I'm not ready for everything to
be ruined."
Cupping her cheek with my hand, I forced her gaze to mine. "Why
would it be ruined?"
"I can't have a baby."
My chest hurt at the thought of what she was saying. "Lark, my
biological mom was younger than you. Poor and alone. I'm glad she
didn't make the choice you're thinking about."
"No, not that. I just can't be. I don't want to be. I'm not a good enough
person yet. With time, I could get better. With your help, I could stop
being a failure."
" S h h . " I said, kissing her. "Nothing about you is a failure. You had a
crap mom and a convoy of shit dads and you turned out wonderful. Just
calm down.
"I don't want to know," she begged.
Having never seen Lark in such a state, I wasn't sure what the right
words were. I just knew what I needed.
"I' m going to pick up a test," I said and Lark immediately freaked.
Before she could complain, I kissed her. Stealing her breath, I kissed
Lark until her body softened in my arms. Leaning her back on the
couch, I pulled my lips away then kissed the corners of her mouth
lowered into a frown.
"Just watch TV and I'll be right back. We'll find out then we'll deal with
the result. We'll do it all together. Even if you can't see how amazing
you are, Lark, you must admit I'm pretty damn flawless. Just rely on my
half of the team to get things done."
Lark gave me a little smile. "You are amazing, b u t . "
"No, buts," I said, kissing her. "I'm breaking a few speed limits then I'll
be back. You know how I'm always looking for a reason to speed."
Lark curled up on the couch and stared at where I turned on an episode
of Friends from the DVR.
"This is the one where Phoebe thinks her mom is a cat," I said, having
taped the shows for Lark. "I should be back by the end of the episode."

Lark stared up at me, looking exhausted in a way I'd never seen before.
"I love you."
Kissing her cheek, I smiled even though I was struggling with my own
fears. I left her to watch TV while I raced several blocks to the CVS.
After a bored clerk helped me find the best tests and told me way too
much information about when she used them for her kids, I returned
home. Deputy Dickhead gave me an angry glare when I sped by. Even
enjoying his anger, I lost my grin when I saw Lark staring blankly at
the television.
When I entered, she sat up and focused on the bag in my hand. "The
chick at the store said it works better in the morning, but it might work
tonight. I bought a few extra tests, just in case. Do you need
to pee?"
Lark stared at me then burst into laughter. "A few weeks into our
relationship and we're talking about peeing. Awesome."
Smiling, I set the bag down on the counter and joined her on the couch.
"Did you ever meet your biological mom?" Lark asked and my smile
disappeared.
"A few years ago. She's nice, but I didn't feel anything particularly
special for her. Of course, I'm grateful she gave me life and a chance
with my family."
Lark said nothing, so I continued, "If you're pregnant, I want to keep
the baby. You're my girl and I've wanted to marry you since the first
weekend you spent here."
Lark glanced around the room while thinking then returned her gaze to
my face.
"If it's a girl, can we name her Phoebe?" she asked, taking my hand.
"That's my favorite character because she weird, but resilient. The
name sounds kind of like Phoenix too."
Relieved to hear her talking about the baby like it was ours, I smiled
again. "And it's a boy?"
"You have those books on Leonardo Da Vinci and I know you love his
work. Phoenix was a Leo. Could we name the baby Leo, if it's a
boy?"

I kissed her hand. "We can name our baby whatever you want." "You'll
make sure I do a good job, right? You won't let me kill our
baby like I killed."
"You didn't."
Lark pulled her hand and stood up. "I'm going to pee on the stick and
find out then you're going to give me a pep talk and make it all seem
okay."
"It really will be okay."
Looking like she didn't believe a word, Lark took the bag and walked to
the bathroom. She shut the door and turned on the water.
Attempting to keep busy, I did the two dishes in the sink. Next, I fed the
dogs even though they had food. Then, I checked my mail. Finally, I
stood near the bathroom door and waited.
Lark emerged with tears in her eyes. I knew it was my job to give her a
pep talk, but I didn't know why she was crying. Positive and negative,
happiness and sadness, I had no idea what I was seeing on her face.
"When I was little," Lark whispered, her voice catching, "I wanted to
be a mom and my favorite toy was a baby doll. I pretended she was my
real baby and took good care of her. When Phoenix died, I realized I
should never be a mom. I couldn't be trusted not to kill my baby."
Stepping closer, I wiped away a tear from her cheek. "You'll make a
great mom. "
"I guess we're going to find out," she said, melting into my arms. "I was
on the pill. I can't even do that part right."
Taking a deep breath and accepting this direction in my life, I said
softly, "Don't listen to the crap in your head. Listen to my heart. It's
known you from the beginning."
Lark tightened her grip on me. "You're not mad."
"Why would I be mad?"
"We just started dating."
"Oh, I had our whole lives planned out before you walked into my shop
to fix your worm."
Lark smiled up at me. "Do you feel like I tried to trap you?" "Shit, you
really have no idea how I see you. None at all. In fact,

I' m happy on two levels. As the guy who wants to spend his life with
you, I'm excited to think of our baby growing inside you. Plus, the
caveman part of me is just excited that I beat Cooper."
Laughing, Lark nuzzled my chest. "And you knocked me up when I
was on the pill. You have the mighty Thor of sperm."
We both laughed and I felt Lark lighten in my arms.
"Can we go to bed?" she whispered.
"You look tired."
"No. I need you inside me. I need your hot skin to warm me. I need you
to help me feel like the Lark you see and not the Lark who let me down
all my life."
Chapter Thirty Three - Lark
Waking up next to Aaron, I could nearly convince myself the night
before was only a dream. I climbed out his warm bed and walked the
bathroom where another test waited in an unopened package. Thinking
I might have been wrong, I decided to use the second test. For the next
few minutes waiting, I wasn't sure what result I was hoping to see.
Positive.
I was going to be a mom. This part scared the living shit out of me. Yet,
Aaron was the baby's dad and this part I could celebrate. I might have
floundered in college and gotten myself knocked up, but I had beaten
the women in my family in one way. I picked a good man.
Checking in on Aaron, I found him asleep on his stomach, arms spread
out over the bed. I'd kept him up late the night before. His touch
soothed my fear and I think he needed to be close too. Despite Aaron's
insistence at joy at the news, I could imagine he was scared. His life
was tidy up until a few weeks ago. Now, I'd wrecked up the place.
Aaron loved me and I remembered this whenever I felt the panic
growing. I had the love of a good man. Something the women in my
family never enjoyed.
Restless, I dug my cell out of my backpack and dialed Raven's number.
I knew she was asleep. Between the time difference and Raven's love of
late nights, she wouldn't answer. This fact relieved me.
After her message to leave a message, I waited for the beep then

blurted out everything.
"Hey, it's me. I just wanted to tell you that I'm not living with Larry
anymore. I moved in with the guy I liked. Aaron. He's amazing and
we're in love and I found out I'm pregnant. I was careful, but I got
pregnant and he still wants me. I have someone good and I feel loved
and safe. I haven't felt that way since you ditched me to run off with
Dexter. I don't know if you were always looking for a way out or if I did
something to make you want to leave me right then, but you ditched me
and I felt lost for a long time without you. Now, I'm not lost and I'm
happy and I wanted you to know I'm happy. I don't know if you care,
but I wanted you to know."
Hanging up, I glanced at Pollack who glanced at Professor as if
annoyed.
"Being a sister is tough," I said, patting her head. "You love them, but
they can break your heart. Or in your case, steal your ball."
Pollack heard the word "ball" and raced at Professor who saw her
coming and fled with the prize. Smiling, I turned on the television and
curled up on the comfy couch. A few episodes of Friends later, I heard
the wood floor creak and a sleepy Aaron appeared.
"Hey, baby. How long have you been up?"
"A couple hours."
"You should have woken me up."
"Why?"
Aaron shrugged then I noticed a naughty gaze in his eyes. "I could have
relaxed you."
"I was already relaxed," I said, ignoring his suggestion. Seeing him
frown, I let my gaze admire his gorgeous chest. "I wouldn't mind a little
help in the shower though."
"Shower sex is tricky," he muttered, turning on the coffee. "The height
difference makes it even trickier."
"So? We've done it before. Are you getting lazy?"
Aaron smiled from the kitchen. "I just want to be careful."
"I' m not fragile. Doing the math in my head, I was preggers when I
fought with Kristen and Larry. I don't need careful. I needed soapy
sex."
Aaron studied me then nodded. "I'll start the water. My girl has

needs and I woke up hard, so this is going to work out great."
Before he could leave, I touched his arm. "This baby thing is a good
thing."
A very good thing."
"You're not scared at all?"
"I' m healthy. I have the job I love. My parents are alive and well. My
best friend is happy. Now, my muse is carrying my child. Everything is
right with the world."
"It's unexpected, but it can still be good."
"It'll be great."
"I mean, it's not like I got pregnant by some random guy. I'm having a
baby with the man of my dreams. I already knew I was done with
college after the semester. Also, the baby won't be here for nine
months. That's plenty of time to get used to the idea. Look at Maddy. I'
ve only know her a few months and it still feels like she' been pregnant
forever."
When Aaron kissed me tenderly, I felt how hard he had woken up. "I
know people like to keep these things a secret until a certain trimester,"
he said, playing with a lock of my wild hair, "but I'd really like to rub it
in Cooper's face as soon as possible."
"You're so immature."
"Trust me, Lark. That bastard has been rubbing his every good fortune
in my face for years. Now, it's my turn. Let me have this."
"Let's go to the doctor and check things first. If they say everything
looks normal, you can brag. After all, you should be proud of your Thor
sperm."
"Oh, I am," he said, picking me up and wrapping my legs around his
waist. "So very proud. Even if they already got the job done, I'm
looking to give them a reward in the shower."
Chapter Thirty Four - Aaron
Farah answered the door and I knew immediately her pants had
recently been off. When our eyes met, I sensed she knew I knew. Farah
gave me a casual smile then realized her ponytail was hanging weird
off her head.

"Sex is fun, huh?" Lark said, walking past her friend. "We're like
rabbits too."
Farah laughed. "We got home late and needed to let off some steam."
"Four times," Cooper announced, bouncing the stairs. Grinning, I was
ready to smack that smirk right off his face. "We have news."
"Moving in together is such a great first step in a relationship," Cooper
said, wrapping an arm around Farah's shoulders. "We remember those
days, don't we, baby? So long ago."
"You're being obnoxious," Farah murmured to her husband. "A giant
obnoxious stud."
Lark laughed and winked at me. "Speaking of studs, Aaron knocked
me up our first time while I was on the pill. Bam! That is some super
sperm!"
Farah burst out laughing while I gave Cooper two middle fingers. He
just glared at me like I'd knocked up my new girlfriend just so I could
make him look weak. Yes, everything in the world revolved around
Cooper including my sex life.
"Fuck you," Cooper growled at me.
"Don't feel bad. I mean, you had sex four times," I said, putting up four
fingers. "Wow, you're bound to have at least one good swimmer in the
bunch."
When Cooper ran at me, I took off through the dining room, past the
kitchen, and out the backdoor. My buddy was big and strong, but he
was slow. I was in the front yard before he got past his excited dogs.
Lark opened the door for me then we shut it on Cooper who started
cussing until he realized kids were nearby. Farah was laughing so hard
she sat on the ground to keep from falling.
"Let me in," Cooper said in a low pissed voice as he glared through the
side window.
"Say it first."
"Congratulations, jackass. Now, let me in my damn house."
"That's not what I want you to say."
"Then what? I'm not saying please, so it better not be that."

"Not please. I was thinking something like, 'Gee, Aaron, can your balls
dumb down things for my balls? I'd be ever so grateful to know how
babies are made.' Yeah, something like that."
Farah was rolling around on the floor and no help to Cooper who
clearly wasn't saying what I suggested. Lark finally unlocked the door
and smiled at Cooper who exhaled like a pissed bull.
"You're welcome," she said, grinning.
"For what?"
"I talked Aaron out of mocking you as badly as he wanted. This was the
tame version. So you're welcome."
Cooper shook his head and finally smiled. "I'm happy for you guys. In
fact, now Farah and I can practice on your kid and get our fuckups out
of the way before ours comes along."
"Screw that," I said, patting his shoulder. "That's what Tucker's kid's
for."
"Hell yeah," Farah said, finally on her feet again. "We'll get all our
parenting kinks out with Scarlet. Maddy knows what she's doing and
can fix what we break."
Cooper smiled at me while Farah gave Lark a hug. "Has she seen pics
of you as a kid?"
Humor gone, I flipped him off and he laughed. "That's what I thought.
Just wait until the sun comes out tomorrow."
"Asshole."
Cooper laughed all the way to the kitchen where the steaks waited.
Soon, the grill was hot and we were eating. Farah and Lark talked
babies while Cooper and I talked powerful sperm. Eventually, we just
talked about RVing around the country one day with our kids.
Road tripping to the Grand Canyon was on my mind when Lark and I
arrived home. My happy dreams were ruined the moment I noticed
Deputy Dickhead sitting on my porch swing.
"Lame," Lark whispered, climbing out of the car and taking my
hand.
"What do you want?" I asked him in a hard voice. "And get off my
porch."
"I' m here on police business."

"Where's your uniform?" I asked, eyeing his Branson tee.
"You know anything about Larry Clark's Corvette?"
Staring into his dark eyes, I smiled. "I heard the asshole torched it for
the insurance. You mean like that?"
"His stepdaughter moved in with you then his car was destroyed.
Seems like too much of a coincidence."
"That's the thing about the law," Lark said, her arms wrapped about my
waist. "Things can seem one way, but it doesn't matter unless you've
got proof."
"What makes you think I can't prove Barnes torched your dad's
car?"
"Because you showed up wearing your dorky shirt, instead of a badge
and handcuffs."
Dickhead started to mouth off. I could see in his eyes he planned to
make a snide comment and that wasn't happening.
"Get the fuck off my property and don't come back unless you've got a
warrant. Since you'll never get one, let's be strangers from now on.
Now leave or I' m calling the cops."
Deputy Dickhead wanted to say something. He opened his mouth to
say it, but Lark walked past him to unlock the door. The fucker gave me
a dirty look, but he left. Despite all his strutting around, the cops knew
who ran Ellsberg and it wasn't them.
Chapter Thirty Five - Lark
Larry didn't approve of Denny's. He claimed it was a trashy restaurant
for drunks and bikers. His dislike suited me just fine since I didn't want
him visiting. Yet, I always had a soft spot for Denny's. Growing up, my
mom would bring us to eat there occasionally. We mostly went around
the holidays when she didn't want to cook, but wanted us to have a nice
dinner. Years later, Denny's still stirred happy memories of a childhood
often filled with not so pleasant days. Those holidays were the best and
I remembered how much Phoenix liked the chicken nuggets. He would
giggle when eating them and my little brother had a wonderful laugh.
My mind was on kids again when I noticed my mother waiting to

be seated. She looked more tired and older than normal. Her hair wasn't
fixed up and her makeup seemed rushed. Of course, the spring brought
unexpected heat with it and Mom was used to lounging in the
air-conditioned house most days.
"Hi," I said, grabbing a menu. "Are you meeting someone here?"
"I wanted to talk to you."
Glancing around, I saw the restaurant was pretty quiet. After asking
another waitress to watch my area, I took my mom to a quiet spot and
hoped she hadn't come to give me an ultimatum. There was nothing I
wanted from her anyway.
"How are you?" I asked when she stared out the window.
"Larry is angered by your selfishness. He thinks I raised you poorly.
Maybe he's right, but I do understand why you've run off. You and
Raven are Hancock women and we have a way of leading with our
hearts and never our brains."
"Aaron is a good man. I won't listen to you say otherwise."
"One of my first loves was an artist," Mom said, smiling wistfully. "So
full of passion and creativity and I was attracted to it all. I imagined a
long life with him. It lasted eight months and the last four were awful.
Do you know why?"
"I'm not sure I care."
"You should. You're me and Aaron's Taylor. You are his muse, his
inspiration, and eventually his anchor. You'll drag him down with your
wants and needs. A man like Aaron needs the freedom to feel and
create. Women like us need security. We drain men like them."
"Aaron loves me."
"For now and it won't be him who ruins things. I should know because
I wanted to spend my life with Taylor. I wanted to spend my life with
so many wild men. They couldn't live with all that need. It's why I work
with Larry."
Nearly making a barfing gesture, I was able to restrain myself. My face
must have done something though because she frowned.
"Larry provides security. Before him, life was chaos for me. I never
trusted in anything especially myself. With him, I have found a rock.
It's what I needed and it's what you'll need one day once your

heart' s been broken by Aaron."
"Did you come here to get me to break up with Aaron? It won't work. I
know him and he's a good man."
"I never said he wasn't. You think I'm attacking you. I know you
though. Not because we were ever close, but we're so similar. I know
you because I've come to know myself after failing for so long. I know
me well enough to know you won't leave Aaron until he begs you to go.
I was the same way. What I felt was too strong to walk away from. Had
my mother told me what I've told you, I wouldn't have cared either. I
would have held onto Taylor and I still would have lost him. Nothing
can change fate. A woman like you and a man like him can't work. You
think you're creative and I thought I was too. I was quirky and a
dreamer and I thought that made me like Taylor. It just made me a
groupie, feasting off his talent and needing his acceptance to give me
worth."
"Larry is a jerk."
"He's not much of a father, but he's a good husband and that's what I
needed."
"Yeah, but we were still kids when you married him."
"You were fifteen and Raven was nearly eighteen. You had plenty of
fathers over the years and didn't need Larry to care about you."
"Mother of the year."
"You can call me selfish, but it's how the Hancock women are. We
might want to be good mothers or sisters or friends, but all of our worth
comes from the men we love. When we're loved well, we're happy like
I am with Larry. If we' re not loved, nothing else matters. Why do you
think Raven could just leave us behind? She's got Hancock blood and
her need to be with Dexter mattered more than anything else."
"I' m not Raven."
"No, she's a fighter. I never was unless it was for a man. You're the
same way. When Larry said jump, you said how high. Until it came to
having a man you wanted then you were brave."
"Fuck you," I whispered. "I'm not you."
"I would have said the same thing to my mother. I didn't want to be like
her. I wanted to be more. Wanted to be better. Independent. Strong.
Smart. I certainly didn't think I'd be a mother like she was. I thought I

would adore my kids and they would give me meaning like I never
gave her any. I was wrong and you'll feel the same way one day."
Standing up, I thought about the baby growing inside me and wished I
knew in my heart that her cruel words were a lie. My mind returned to
the memory of Phoenix floating in the pool. I'd destroyed his life
because I was too busy living mine. I was a Hancock woman. Maybe
one day, I would sit across from my child and give her the same speech
I now received.
"I'm not giving up Aaron."
"I know," Mom said, standing up. "I never thought you would, but I
wanted you to know I understood. When Larry is standing next to me, I
have to pretend like you've lost your mind and I can't understand why
you behave the way you do. It's a lie though. I do know and I knew the
moment you ditched Dylan at the library. You were truly brave for the
first time in your life and I knew Aaron was the reason. In that second,
I knew you wouldn't give him up until he asked you to. When that day
comes, I hope you won't feel too bad. As Hancock girls, we can only
enjoy what fate allows. We are who we are and accepting it is easier
than living a lie."
"I don't know what you want me to say."
"Nothing, Lark. There's nothing to say. You feel what you feel and I' m
not changing your mind." "Are you going to eat?"
"No, I'm meeting Larry for lunch and want to save my appetite."
"Can't go over the calories he allows," I muttered.
Mom smiled. "When you find your rock, you'll sacrifice for him
too."
My mom hugged me and I let her. Something about our moods made
me feel like I was saying goodbye to her. At the very least, I was saying
goodbye to the lie of my mother as someone who tried her best and
regretted her mistakes. Instead, she just accepted they were part of
Hancock legacy. No harm, no foul.
Watching her leave, I wanted to be different. I wanted to take after
another part of my family. On Mom' s side was a history of failure. On
Dad' s side was a history of crime and addiction. If legacy and fate were

any indications, I wasn't the only one awaiting a failed future. I just
hoped the baby took after Aaron. Chapter Thirty Six - Aaron
Lark had a fake happy smile plastered on her face. She had also
covered her freckles and brushed her wild hair into a ponytail. While
she looked hot in the pink jumper dress over a purple tee, I knew she
was planning to pretend to be anyone except the real Larken Dawn
Foster.
My mother would have none of it though.
Maryann Barnes wasn't a woman to buy into pretensions. She had a
way of making everyone feel comfortable. When she and my dad
worked as a team, they could get anyone to smile and open up as if
speaking to their oldest friends.
Lark never had a chance. The minute Mom hugged her then Dad
surmised she was a tiny little bruiser, my girl was charmed. She
immediately lost her fake smile and revealed the grin that warmed my
heart every time.
"It's time to make Aaron squirm now," Mom said and I knew the photo
albums were coming out.
Lark must have known too because her eyes lit up. "I hope our baby
looks like you."
My mother heard the word "baby" and squealed. When I told my
parents on the phone, I warned them not to freak out Lark. Of course,
they weren't intimidated by my threats. They just wanted a grandbaby
before it was too late for them to enjoy the experience.
"How are you feeling?" Mom asked, sitting with Lark on the couch
while Dad retrieved those embarrassing albums.
"I'm still dizzy off and on, but I'm on prenatal vitamins and iron pills.
The doctor said I'm doing fine. I don't have to go back in until my
second trimester."
"Oh, I remember when I was pregnant with Anna. I felt great the whole
time. Those last weeks were a pain, but I was due in July. The heat will
drive a pregnant woman mad. Otherwise, it was easy. Don't let anyone
tell you horror stories and scare you."
"I won't. Farah is trying to have a baby. Maybe we'll go through it

together."
"Baby Cooper and Aaron running around causing trouble," Dad said,
setting an album on Lark's lap. "Aaron was a very good baby. Didn't
cry at all. Not once."
When I laughed, Dad gave me a wink. "Here was our boy at three
months."
Lark looked at the picture and laughed. Knowing exactly what she
thought was so funny, I explained, "They thought they were adopting a
girl, so I wore pink those first few months."
"Babies grow so fast at that age," Mom said. "No reason to waste
money on new clothes when he wouldn't know the difference."
Lark laughed at this comment and kept laughing until the pictures
reached when I was three. Her eyes moistened and again I was the one
to explain.
"Lark's little brother died around that age."
As Mom and Dad descended on her with hugs, I never saw my girl look
so startled. Life was different for her now. No longer was she
struggling to survive in a dysfunctional family of revolving fathers and
a cold mother. Now, she was a Barnes and we were fully functional and
only slightly on the weird side.
"You have curls," she cooed, running her finger over a picture of me at
five.
"I loved those curls," Mom said.
"She put barrettes in those curls," I muttered, standing behind the three
of them as they looked through the album. Ignoring my parents'
laughter, I continued, "I begged to have my hair shaved short. Once it
was, I never looked back."
"I hope the baby has curls," Lark said.
When she looked up at me, I knew for the first time she was truly
excited about our baby. No more fear or guilt, Lark embraced her
future as a mom.
Even young and inexperienced with kids, I felt fearless too. Lark was
my girl and she was having my baby and everything just fit.
Chapter Thirty Seven - Lark

A few hours after the sun set, I heard a knock on the door. Aaron was
out back with the dogs. Even though he said not to answer the door at
night because he had loser friends who showed up drunk, I peeked out
the curtains to find a familiar grumpy face.
Throwing open the door, I smiled at my sister.
"Preggers, huh?" she said, pushing messy blonde hair away from her
blue eyes. "Aunt Raven has a nice ring to it."
Lunging for her, I melted in her embrace. All those months of anger at
her leaving faded as she embraced me back. I had called and she hadn' t
ignored me.
"I missed you," I whispered. "I can't believe you're here."
Raven looked down at me and sighed. "I fucked up and it was easier to
pretend otherwise without you knowing the truth."
"I don't understand."
When Raven glanced around, I realized we should go inside.
"This is your man's place?" Raven asked as I shut the door. "Homey
and artsy. Who is this guy?"
"Aaron is amazing. He's out back with the dogs."
"I'll meet him in a bit, but we need to talk first."
Expecting a lecture about the baby, I sat at the kitchen table with Raven
who pulled off her leather jacket and hung it from the back of the chair.
"Are you here alone?" I asked when she said nothing.
"I've been alone for months. Fucking Dexter took our cash and ran off
with some bitch he met at the cash checking place. He left me a text
about how she didn't hassle him like I did. She was cool, you know?
Man, he's lucky I couldn't track down his ass or I'd have kicked it so
hard that he'd be shitting from his mouth."
"I' m sorry," I said, patting her hand.
To my surprise, Raven grabbed my hand and held it. "You thought I
left because of you? How fucking stupid are you sometimes?"
While I tried to pull my hand away, she kept it tight in hers. "I had this
stupid idea that I could leave my problems behind," she said in a rough
voice. "Like I was drowning in shit because I lived in a shithole. In
reality, I take the shit with me. Everywhere I go, there I am. When I

left, I wanted to prove something else. I didn't and was embarrassed to
admit that to you. It's why I avoided talking you. I mean, how lame am
I to have Dexter dump me? He wasn't even that fucking hot and he was
stupid as shit and I wasn't good enough for him." "What have you been
doing for money?"
"I tried stripping for a month or so. Made good money too and that' s
how I had enough cash to get home." "Stripping?" I asked, grinning.
"Hey, I' m coordinated and hot. I was a fave for some freaks, but then I
got fired for punching some fuck in the face. He grabbed one of the
girls and the bouncer was too busy flirting with his phone to notice.
Apparently, we weren't supposed to defend ourselves. Asshole owner
thanked me for helping out then fired me. I still had enough money to
get here."
"I' m sorry Dexter got away. I can imagine how much you wanted to
kick his ass."
Raven smiled, but her eyes were sad. "You are a piece of shit, Lark.
The worse fucking person ever."
"Why?" I balked.
"I heard that message about you thinking I ditched you. I fucking cried
and you know how I hate crying. You're a cunt for making me cry, but
I' m glad you called. I wanted to come home, but I was embarrassed.
There are things worse than embarrassment like my little sister
thinking I didn't care about her. You needed me and I'd been dying
without you. Turns out, I'm not likable enough to make friends who
aren't my sister."
Laughing, I kissed her hand. "I'm glad you're here."
"I'm staying too. I can strip anywhere. Or get a job that doesn't involve
smiling at ugly guys," Raven said. "I don't want to lie to myself. I' m the
problem and I need to face my shitty habits and make better ones."
"It's not all your fault."
"Yeah, we had crappy parents, but we're not kids anymore and I need to
fix what Mom broke. I don't want to be forty and married to some Larry
shitface and asking for permission to take a piss. At this rate though, I'll
be married to that fucker by thirty."

"It'll be okay, Raven. I found Aaron and he's really good inside. Not a
dick hiding behind a hot bod. Just a really great man."
"Yeah, but you're not me. You've always been smarter. Remember in
high school when I couldn't figure out how to use my combination lock
and you had to help. What the fuck?"
"You're tired. I can tell because you're cussing more than usual."
Raven grinned. "See how perceptive you are? That's my little sis. I can't
believe you're going to be a mom."
When I lost my smile from worrying over being a mom, Raven reached
over and yanked on my hair.
"Don't get gloomy on me. That day we lost Phoenix wasn't about you.
That was our shit stepdad. He wanted us to go away and play
somewhere, but he wanted Phoenix nearby. It was his fucking fault and
you were too young to understand. I was mature enough to get what
happened. It' s why I never blame myself."
"Mature?" I asked, lifting an eyebrow.
"Yes, I hit my maturity at nine then stopped. That's so me. Advanced
then delayed. I' m special that way."
Laughing, I stood up and got her a Coke from the frig. When I handed it
to her, Raven stared at my flat belly then leaned her face against it.
"You're so lucky," she whispered. "Your mommy will make you laugh
and kiss away the tears. She'll read you books about self esteem then
sing you awful songs until you sleep out of boredom. You're going to
grow up so loved and you won't know any other way."
When Raven looked up at me, she smiled at my tears. "I wish I had a
mom like you, Lark. Everyone does. You're going to love the shit out of
this kid and you'll make it look easy. No worries, okay?"
"Okay," I whispered, caressing her face. "I'm so glad you came home."
"Me too."
The sound of dogs' claws on the wood floors ended the quiet moment.
"Thank goodness we have company," Raven said. "I was gonna start
bawling."

Startled by a new person in the house, Pollack descended into a barking
fit while Professor played tough guy by growling. Raven barked back
at Pollack who decided she couldn't argue with crazy and ran away.
Already laughing before he turned the corner, Aaron took a minute to
realize who was sitting with me.
"Raven came home," I told him and he smiled wider. "She speaks dog
too."
"Pollack has never met a challenge she couldn't run from," he said then
glanced down at a growling Professor. "Hush."
The dog grudgingly quieted, but kept an eye on Raven who stood up
and shook Aaron's hand.
"You planning to make an honest woman out of my sister?" she asked
in a voice more suiting of a protective dad.
"Yes, sir."
Laughing, I hugged Aaron who wrapped an arm around me. "Do you
have a place to stay?" he asked Raven. "I have cash to get a motel rom."
"Fuck that. We have a spare room. I'll need to clean out some shit to
make it more comfortable, but you should stay here."
"How did you even find Aaron's place?" I asked, bending over to pat a
still agitated Professor.
"Mom told me. I think she was just praying I didn't try to stay at her
house. What the fuck is that?"
I started to stand up when she grabbed me and pulled up my tee.
Knowing she saw the faded bruises, I also knew what she would do.
"Did you do that?" she screamed at Aaron who blocked her punch.
"No," I said, pushing her back. "It was Larry. When he found out I was
sneaking out to see Aaron, he freaked and attacked me."
"Fuck!" she hollered, pacing back and forth as Professor returned to
growling. "Did your man at least fuck up Larry?"
"No," I muttered, checking on Aaron who likely thought Raven was
nuts. "He trashed his car though. Ruined it."
Raven stopped pacing and stared at Aaron. "You killed Gloria?" When
Aaron nodded, my sister's eyes lit up. "I bet Larry wept like a little
bitch over that too. Oh, man, he loved that damn car. Loved it more

than his balls, I bet."
"You can't attack Aaron," I said, staring up at her with my pissed off
face.
"Oh, stop. He's a big boy and he has some fast moves too. No worries. I
just can't believe you killed Gloria. That's fucking beautiful. I never
would have thought of that, but the old man loves his car. Way to cut
out his heart and make him look at it."
"Apologize," I snapped.
"It's not necessary, Lark," Aaron said, being too nice again when it
came to girls. "She was just protecting you."
"Fuck that. She could have hurt you because she's stupid." "Stupid?"
Raven growled.
"I said Aaron was a good man. Would I really say that about a guy who
hits me?"
"No, but Aaron's right. I was protecting you. I'm just tired and cranky
and hate men. I' m sorry I tried to crush your pretty skull, big
guy."
"Apology accepted."
"And I'm sorry I upset you, Lark. You're fragile now and I'll need to
keep that in mind when you push me like you just did."
"I'll kick your ass if you touch my man again."
Raven squinted at me. "I get shivers when you turn Thunder Kitten on
me."
Smiling grudgingly, I sighed. "What now?"
"Show me the room then the shower and I'll wash away my grumpy
attitude. It'll be all rainbows and snowmen afterwards." "Snowmen?"
Aaron asked. "She really likes snowmen." "Fuck yeah, snowmen rock."
Aaron smiled at me and I could see he was truly okay with Raven
staying. I had worried especially after she freaked on him, but he
understood that Raven was more than my sister. She was my best friend
and she was finally home.
Chapter Thirty Eight - Lark

Walking into the roller derby practice rink, I wondered if I would ever
get another chance to be on the team. In my mind, motherhood meant
strollers, colicky babies, and a life homebound. Of course, Lori was on
the team and had two kids, so there was hope I might join Raven in the
battle again.
"Look what the cat coughed up then shit on a little," Sarah said,
grinning at Raven who waved like a beauty queen. "We thought you'd
be hooking in LA by now."
"We prefer the term escorting," Raven announced then high fived all of
the girls who skated over. "Heard you guys never win without me
around. Way to suck, ladies."
The team glared at me in unison and Sarah snorted. "Heard that,
did you?"
"I never said that," I muttered in mock terror. "She lies."
"Yeah, we know. So what happened to Dexter?" Chantal asked.
Raven rolled her eyes and the girls laughed.
Sarah crossed her arms and smirked. "Did he cheat? Steal your money?
Hit you? Answer truthfully because we have money riding on the
answers."
"Yes. Yes. And he tried, but I knocked one of his teeth loose. Who won
the cash?"
"Mainly me," Chantal announced, "but a lot of us bet he would cheat on
you."
"I say this with all the love in my heart, but fuck off," Raven told them
then glanced around. "So when's our next practice?"
"What makes you think we want you back?" Sarah asked. "You want to
win."
Chantal shrugged. "We're not really that addicted to winning."
"Whatever. I' m back and someone is getting my amazing talents.
Either you lame storm chicks or that team of dumpy chicks who beats
you all the time. Who's getting lucky?"
"Is Thunder Kitten coming back too?" Sarah asked. When we shook
our heads, she grinned. "Preggers, huh?"
"How could you know?" I asked, looking down at my chest and
stomach as if I had some obvious signs.

"Only reason you wouldn't follow Raven around like a little bitch was
if you got knocked up. Hey, no worries, that guy you brought was
hot."
"Yeah, he's a winner," Raven said, rolling her eyes. "He treats her well
and respects her. It's disgusting. Personally, I have no use for that
behavior in men."
"Oh, we know.
Raven acted offended, but was clearly happy to be back in her old life.
Ellsberg was comfortable again without dealing with Mom or Larry.
Seeing her so happy eased any fears I had of her running off again.
Aunt Raven might be unhinged at times and would likely feed the baby
Coke and gummy bears for dinner, but she needed me as much as I
needed her. Thanks to meeting Aaron, everything was falling into
place.
I was still thinking about how perfect life felt when Aaron wrapped an
arm around me while we entered Whiskey Kirk's. Smiling up at him, I
loved when he played macho man. Once we were inside though, I felt
like a kid surrounded by scary giants and was relieved to have Aaron's
possessive vibe.
Cooper was radiating the same energy while Judd looked bored. I
sensed he was faking the boredom. Only because Tawny was dancing
around with Farah and I doubted he found that boring.
In a booth, Bailey sat next to Vaughn while frowning at her drink.
"I need a man!" she declared when she saw me.
Vaughn glanced at her and sighed. "I'll do you, but no names."
Bailey didn't get it, but I laughed while Cooper acted irritated. Aaron
kissed the top of my head then walked over to get us drinks.
"Why can't I trap a man into a relationship like you bitches?" she asked
with complete seriousness.
"Your subtly turns men off," Vaughn answered when I just smiled.
"Bailey, maybe you could try being more obvious in your need to trap a
man. Like where a shirt with lots of exclamation marks."
"Shut up, fuckhead. You don't have anyone either."
"I have plenty of anyones."
"Whores aren't attractive."
Vaughn grinned. "You make it too easy sometimes, B."

Cooper frowned. "Don't even think of saying what you're thinking."
"What we' re all thinking."
Bailey frowned at me. "What the fuck are they talking about?" "It's one
of those things that only makes sense when you have ball toxins."
Bailey smiled and nodded. "That happens a lot around me. Want to
dance?"
"Not really."
"Because you might puke?"
"Why would she puke?" Vaughn asked, shoving a pretzel in Bailey's
mouth.
Cooper rolled his eyes. "Aaron can't use a condom properly."
Returning just in time for his friend's comment, Aaron sighed
dramatically. "I just have powerful sperm."
"I was on the pill too," I said, sticking my tongue at Cooper who
grinned. "His mighty sperm didn't care though."
"You idiots don't get how the pill works," Vaughn said before realizing
he sounded like a chick about to discuss her period. "Well, congrats,
Aaron. You are now officially whipped like a bitch. How does
it feel?"
Aaron answered by kissing me like we might fuck right there. I was
ready to climb on him and give it a try, but I noticed Judd shift as if a
predator was approaching.
"What?" Judd growled and I had to admit Tawny was right about him
sounding like a dog when he did that.
Turning around, I noticed two of Cooper's club guys standing behind
us.
"What's your deal, O'Keefe?" one guy asked while the other avoided
Judd's hateful gaze.
When no one responded, the big bald guy looked me up and down.
"She's tiny. How does fucking even work?"
Aaron shifted next to me, now looking as hostile as Judd. "Back
off, Mac."
"Just curious. I've never fucked a tiny chick."

"You shouldn't talk about a man's girl that way especially when she's
carrying his kid," Cooper warned, clearly wanting to jump in, but
holding back so not to emasculate Aaron.
Farah said guys in the club were testing Cooper lately because they
sensed weakness in his leadership. I couldn't imagine anyone looking at
Cooper without fearing his wrath. Even if they didn't fear Cooper, they
ought to fear his enforcers. After all, Judd was glaring at Mac like
waiting for any reason to attack. Sensing a back story to this pissing
match, I knew Mac was about to say something nasty even before he
opened his mouth.
"I hear chicks get big tits when they're knocked up. Certainly can't hurt
with this one."
Why Mac was starting shit didn't matter. Aaron threw the punch and
the bar immediately exploded into violence. Judd was waiting for a
reason to attack while Cooper and Vaughn were always up for a fight.
Aaron hit Mac again as the bigger guy stumbled back. I thought of
grabbing a chair and helping my man, but Tawny pulled me away.
Soon, we were hiding under a table where Farah crouched with wide
eyes.
"Aaron needs to stake his claim and protect his woman," Tawny said,
cuddled next to Farah. "If you help him, it's like you're cutting off his
balls and tossing them in your purse. Immature or not, these guys need
to be men or they get insecure. Can't have that."
Farah looked freaked out until Tawny hugged her and the tension faded
from her face. A minute later, the table cloth lifted and Bailey appeared
with beer bottles in her hands.
"I figured you'd need booze to deal with the boredom of hiding."
"I can't drink," Farah said. "I'm off the pill and trying to get knocked
up."
"I am knocked up. I also don't like that brand of beer."
Handing the beers to Tawny, Bailey nodded. "Be back in a sec." A
minute later, Bailey returned with two cans of Coke for Farah and me.
"So what are we talking about?" Bailey asked.
"Men needing to protect their women," I explained.
"Lame. Talk about something I can join in on. What's your sister like?
Is she hotter than me?"

"Yes."
"I hate her and you should tell her to watch out. If I see her, that pretty
face is dead meat."
Grinning, I cuddled up with her as the table shook from fighting bodies
knocking against it.
"You're having a baby?" she asked, wrapping her arms around me.
"Everyone is getting married or having babies."
"Raven isn't," I said as Farah peeked out from under the table cloth to
check on Cooper.
She smiled and returned to her spot. "Judd and Aaron have stripped
Mac down and are shoving him out the door."
Tawny laughed. "Judd finally got to punish Mac for letting me touch
his arm months ago. Good for him."
Laughing, I leaned my head against Bailey. "Raven has bad taste in
men. Going out with her will be great for you. If Raven likes someone,
you'll know he's a loser. So she'll distract all the shitty guys from you."
"Huh. And she's hot, so she'll draw guys to us. I think she might be my
new best friend," Bailey said, taking a swig. 'Don't be jealous. I just
need a man because all of the kissing and fucking and marrying and
baby making you guys keep doing. I can' t be the only one alone and
Vaughn doesn't count because he'll be dead in a few months and
shouldn't be dating anyway."
We all frowned at Bailey who shrugged. "Those Devils fuck are going
to kill him or he'll try to kill them and get killed. Why do you think they
call him Dead Man Walking?"
"You're bumming me out," I told her while finishing my soda. "I wish
Aaron was here."
"As you wish," Aaron said, leaning down. "Look at you pretty girls
hiding under here."
"We're not hiding," I said, crawling out. "We're planning our attack.
You know, just in case you couldn't handle things."
When Aaron grinned, I noticed blood on his lip. "You're hurt."
"You should see the other guys."
Glancing around, I noticed Mac's friend was propped up on the pool
table and the other guys were throwing pretzels and peanuts at him.

In the corner, Kirk and Jodi sat as if on their porch drinking lemonade
and admiring the sunset.
"My hero," I said, caressing the cobra.
"Are you talking to me or the tattoo?"
"Both, baby. Always both."
Aaron lifted me up onto his hips and I knew we weren't staying.
"We just got here," I murmured against his cheek.
"Don't you think Judd and Coop will take their women home to
celebrate?"
Glancing around, I noticed Tawny high fiving Judd who looked pretty
proud about his revenge on Mac. Nearby, Farah was squeezing
Cooper's flexed muscles. None of them were planning to stay at the bar.
"Are you okay, Bailey?" I asked as Aaron started for the door.
"Sure, I'll just hang out and pretend Vaughn is charming. It'll be good
practice for the next loser I date."
A grinning Vaughn patted the spot next to him in a booth. As the
blonds got comfy, Aaron carried me to the Harley and sat me on the
seat.
"You saved me from mean words," I teased as he felt me up in the spot
Mac thought I needed help.
"No one messes with my girl."
"Mighty sperm and powerful fists. Plus, you can cook and paint and
write poems and a million other qualities. I've hit pay dirt."
"I need to get you home," he said and I sensed the ride would be
uncomfortable for him.
As I wrapped my arms around his waist, he started the Harley. "Raven
bought headphones, so we can fuck really loud and she won't be
bothered."
"The best houseguest ever," Aaron said over his shoulder.
As we sped away, I noticed Judd chasing a laughing Tawny to the
parking lot. Cooper strutted out with Farah clinging to him. Everyone
was happy except for a naked Mac tied to a tree in what I assumed was
the club's version of a time out.
Chapter Thirty Nine - Aaron
Lark soaked in the claw foot tub with the dogs sleeping nearby. I

knew she was tired and pretending otherwise. Eventually, the day
would come when she would look at me and admit the pregnancy
hormones were a pain in the ass. When she did so, I would baby the hell
out of her and make her feel like a princess. Until then, she wanted to
put on a brave face without admitting she took mini-naps through out
the day.
Leaving her to rest, I found Raven on the front porch. Glancing at me,
she looked ready to toss her cigarette then thought better of it.
"Not good to smoke near Lark," she said, staring at the dark
neighborhood.
Handing her an ashtray, I sat on the other end of the porch swing. "My
uncle is a smoker and he comes over occasionally."
"Thanks," she said in her rough voice. "You're a good guy. Sorry I tried
to pound your face in."
Smiling, I stretched out my legs. "You wanted to protect your sister."
"She deserves protecting. Lark was always behaved. She never got a
fucking ounce of credit though. They just ignored her or dumped shit
on her. I did too. She's too good a listener and people tell her their
problems and never make sure she's okay."
"You're back and I know that makes her more than okay."
"I shouldn't have left. I just got this idea in my head that life sucked
because of my zip code. If I were smarter, I'd have thought about how
Lark lived in the same zip code and she didn't make such dumbass
choices," Raven said then added, "Not that she's a genius. Like when
we were kids, she loved this baby doll she got for Christmas. Took care
of it like a real baby and wanted to be a mom. Always told me that's
what she wanted. To be married and have a nice husband who didn't
smack her around. It was her dream then Phoenix died and she never
touched the doll again. That wasn't really the stupid part though. She
got it into her head that she wanted to be a paralegal and work in an
office and never get married. She was going to be different by living
alone. I tried to tell her a few times how fucking stupid her plan was. I
mean, Lark loves people and kids and family. It's in her blood to be a
giver and living alone was never going to make her happy."
"Now, she can admit what she really wants."

Finishing her cigarette, Raven put it out in the ashtray then sighed. "I
never really bought into the God thing. Religion felt like a lie men told
to make people listen to them. Mostly, it seemed dumb to think a magic
man in the sky cared about us. Like if I was a magic man and could
make the earth or whatever, I wouldn't waste time on helping out
losers."
Raven set the ashtray on the ground and crossed her arms as if cold. "I
see what Lark has now with you, this house, the ugly dogs, her friends,
and now the baby. It makes me think God might exist. While losers run
in our family, Lark could be more if she let herself. Now she has more
and I think God might have helped her out. I prayed someone would.
Even not believing, I prayed and told God if He was real and wanted
me to believe that He needed to help Lark. I guess He heard me because
she's happy like I've never seen her happy before. Not even when
Phoenix was alive and we were the best we ever were as a family."
"I'm glad you're here and you're welcome to stay as long as you want,
but, Raven, my dogs aren't ugly."
She laughed and tapped her foot against mine. "You're a good guy. I
know I said that before, but I didn't think you would be. I've been
around and good guys are rare."
"They exist though."
Raven nodded. "I need to quit men the way I need to quit smoking. Just
go cold turkey. If I try to be rational about it, I'll fool myself into falling
for another creep. No, just say enough is enough all that shit. Focus on
other stuff like a job and roller derby and family."
"If you ever get sick of living here, the Johanssons have an apartment
that Cooper used to live in."
"There are plenty of apartments in Ellsberg."
"Yeah, but if you want to avoid loser men, those apartments won't help.
They're full of assholes. College shitheads and lowlife fuckers. If you
stay out there with the Johanssons, no man will bother you. You might
even like Bailey. She's an acquired taste, but a good friend if you can
deal with her mouth."
"Bossy bitches are my favorite," Raven said, pulling her knees up to her
chest.

"No hurry moving out though. Lark is feeling unsure about stuff and
having you here makes her feel more centered. Like she's combining
her old life with her new one and it fits."
"I just have one question, bud," Raven said, standing up and ready to
leave the cold evening. "Are you planning to fix her damn worm?"
"I don't normally tattoo pregnant women."
"You really going to have your kid born to a chick with a worm
tattoo?"
Smiling at Raven, I nodded. "I don't want to do anything to jinx the
pregnancy. Since we've been together, Lark was hurt by Larry, got into
a fight with my ex, and had to hide under the table during a bar brawl. I
want the rest of her pregnancy to be as pain free as possible."
"Sissy," she said, grinning. "I'm really glad you aren't an asshole. It was
a pleasant surprise."
"Glad you approve, but don't mock my dogs again and stop barking at
Pollack."
"Fuck off," she said over her shoulder while walking inside.
Following her, I thought about the little worm on Lark's back. How it
looked up at me when she wiggled her butt for my approval. Needing to
see the worm and that butt, I was relieved to find Lark drying off. She
caught my gaze and just smiled. My girl knew me too well.
Chapter Forty - Lark
Bailey sat on the edge of the couch and fed Maddy grapes. The very
swollen mommy-to-be initially complained about being fed like a pet.
Eventually, she gave in and enjoyed the attention. Not to be outdone,
Sawyer turned a fan towards Maddy and was painting her nails.
I watched them baby her and wondered about when I would be that big
and uncomfortable.
"I' m in no hurry to have a baby," Tawny said, maybe for the tenth time
since arriving. "Not in any hurry at all."
Farah grinned from where she was cutting carrots into little perfect
sticks for dipping.
"Coop is obsessed with getting me pregnant. First, his little brother is
about to have a baby then his best friend. I swear whenever we 're

alone, he's inside me," she said then her smile grew. "It's awesome."
"Huh," Tawny muttered. "Judd is in me all the time too and not because
he's trying to plant his flag or lay his seed or whatever."
"Jealous?" Farah asked and Tawny fake glared at her.
"Sometimes, my sister irritates me too," I said and they both laughed.
"I'm going to brush the baby's hair," Bailey announced to no one in
particular. "When she's old enough, I'm going to put those little
barrettes in her hair and make her wear headbands and turn her into a
doll. Then when she cries, I'm giving her back to Maddy."
"Yeah for me," Maddy whispered with her eyes closed.
"Are you suffering?" Bailey asked. "Like should I do more for you to
ease away the horror of how huge you've become?"
Opening her eyes a crack, Maddy muttered, "Stop charming me."
Bailey grinned. "Seriously, you look pretty miserable today."
"I've been having those Braxton Hicks contractions since yesterday."
"Is that bad?" Sawyer asked, looking up from her meticulous work on
Maddy's toes. "Is it like hemorrhoids?"
When we laughed, Sawyer beamed, even though she likely had no idea
what was funny.
"They're like practice contractions," Maddy explained. "They don't
hurt much, but they're uncomfortable."
Bailey frowned. "How do you know all this stuff?"
"I read a book."
"Yeah, I did that once. Not a fan."
"You guys don't have to hang out here," Maddy said. "The guys are out
having fun and you're pampering me. You could go to the movies if
you want."
"No," Bailey said quickly. "I need to be super nice because I had a
dream that being nice will lead to a handsome awesome guy who is the
fucker. I want that guy. He belongs to me and I'm sick of waiting, so
shut up and let me be nice to you."
"Sure," Maddy said, sighing. "This is nice, but I'm going to have to pee
soon."

"Do you need me to carry you?" Bailey asked. "Maybe. Ask me in a
few minutes."
Smiling, I turned back to the sisters who were slopping peanut butter on
slices of celery.
"I'm thinking about getting married in Vegas," I said, hoping Tawny
wasn't mad.
"Please, do. I need the attention off me. Judd doesn't want anyone
bugging him either. We wouldn't invite anyone of you to come along,
but I want Farah there and she comes with an entourage."
"I heard that," Bailey called out as she cut the grapes in half to make it
easier for a sleepy Maddy to chew.
"Anyway," Tawny continued, "I just want to get married and play
poker and the slots and goof around. I don't want it all serious and
pretentious like when Farah got married."
Smiling sweetly, Farah swiped a dab of peanut butter on Tawny's nose.
"Be nice or I'll have the dogs lick it off. You'll be trapped under their
tongues for hours."
"I prefer to be trapped under Judd's tongue."
"Are you two having a 'who gets fucked more' competition?" I asked.
"Yep," Tawny said, cleaning off her nose. "The guys started it. You
know, right after they whipped out their dicks and measured." "Man,
too bad I missed that."
"Need to pee," Maddy announced and the Johansson sisters helped her
to her feet. "I can waddle on my own, but thanks."
Bailey watched her go then joined us in the kitchen while Sawyer tried
to convince a dog to let her do his nails.
"I' m going to be a great mom one day," Bailey said. "I just have this
natural way with children. Like this morning when Sawyer got her hair
stuck in the door, I opened it and freed her. I did that without anyone
asking me to. Natural talent."
A part of me figured Bailey knew she was full of shit. Yet, another part
wondered if she had a clue. It was always tricky to tell.
"Hey, guys," Maddy muttered, waddling back into the room. "I think
those were real contractions."

"Ew, did your water break?" Bailey asked. "Gross."
"No, but I'm bleeding. When the mucus plug falls out and lining thins
for delivery, bleeding happens. This is it."
Bailey patted Maddy's cheek. "I'm really excited for you, but that's so
gross and I never want children. At the very least, I'm buying them on
the black market so I don't have to do that gross delivery shit."
Farah and Tawny rushed over to help Maddy to the car while I grabbed
the hospital bag she took with her everywhere. Bailey called the
Johanssons while Sawyer spun around and got her hair caught in a few
things. I freed the child without anyone telling me to, so based on
Bailey's way of thinking, I would be a great mom one day.
Soon, we were on the road. In the backseat, Farah sat with Bailey and
Maddy. I was up front with Tawny who showed off the evasive driving
tricks Judd taught her. Sawyer sat between us and chewed on gum that
I sensed would end up in her hair.
Chapter Forty One - Aaron
Tucker had created the Thunderdome in Ellsberg. Well, except no one
died. Otherwise, the dunce had come up with an idea, executed it, and
found success. I hadn't been so proud of Cooper's stupid little brother
since that time he figured out the slot on the front of the jeans was for
pissing.
Cooper was impressed too, but he tried not to show it. Tucker tended to
get too big for his britches from any compliment. Bad enough his girl
was having a baby before Cooper's. The Thunderdome was bound to
make the idiot unbearable cocky.
"I love this fucking place," Vaughn said, ignoring the pact to avoid
complimenting Tucker. "I heard you're adding girl on girl fights. Man,
I' ll pay extra to see that."
"Oh, and you will," Tucker yelled over the crowd of people cheering
for the next fight.
"How rough will you let the chicks get?" Judd asked, sitting down in
the box seats for us important fucks. "I don't know how sexy it'll be to
see them spitting up teeth."
"They'll wear teeth guards and shit. It's more for fun. The guys

know not to beat each other too badly. I mean, they want to come back
and fight again, not sit in a hospital."
Cooper nodded. "I'd so do this shit, if Farah let me."
Vaughn made the sound of a snapping whip and the whipped guys
frowned at him. He just smiled. "Ah, having control over my balls is so
wonderful. You boys should beg your women to let you have them
back for the night. Maybe if you promise to do the dishes or wash the
floor or some other shit job, they'll agree."
"Vaughn," Cooper said, giving his enforcer a dark glare, "when you
meet a girl and lose your mind over her, we're going to enjoy mocking
you. I mean, it'll be a fucking sport and we'll trip over each other to be
the next one to screw with you."
"Hell, if I ever lose my mind over a girl, I'll be too fucking stupid to
care what you assholes say. Likely, I'll have suffered a brain injury or
some shit. In that case, you'll be mocking a disabled man and that's not
cool."
"He has a point," Tucker said like he was sensitive now.
"You're all idiots," I muttered. "It's rather frightening how any of you
will carry on your defective genetic material into the future
generation."
"Said the guy who got his girlfriend pregnant on accident," Vaughn
said and high fived Tucker. "Yeah, I'm sick of listening to all the crap
about babies and weddings and other ballfree shit. Just shut up so we
can watch the fight."
"Nick?" I said, catching sight of the tattoo I'd worked so meticulously
on the last few weeks.
Reacting negatively whenever hearing that particular name, Cooper
immediately tensed. We watched as both fighters readied for the battle.
"Nick is one of the guys?" I asked Tucker who avoided Cooper's
glare.
"He's a hardass. Takes a punch and keeps coming. The crowd loves him
because he just bleeds and never stops. They call him the dragon. Nice
tat, by the way, Aaron. Very popular with the girls in the stands."
Hearing Nick was fucking other chicks and no longer planned to

mess with his, Cooper lost interest in kicking ass.
"I love when you do a back piece like that, man," he said to me while
grinning. "You really shine. I should have had one done instead all of
the smaller ones. I blame you for not suggesting it."
"Shut the fuck up is all I have to say on that matter. You're the one who
keeps getting new tats. I told you to pace yourself, but no one listens to
me."
"I like my tats," Judd muttered, focused on the impending fight. "I like
how each one tells a story. Now, what the bald guy said. Shut the fuck
up. I'm trying to focus."
"He must be quiet the charmer in bed, huh?" Vaughn teased, causing
Judd to nearly shove him off the bench. "Man, he goes an hour without
fucking and what a bitch."
Laughing at their bullshit, I noticed Cooper watching me.
"Things are solid?" he asked.
"Yeah."
"You got a girl, a baby on the way, and her sister living with you. A lot
of shit. Just wanted to make sure you weren't putting on a cool act for
the world."
"And you thought the best time to have a heart to heart was at an
organized brawl with hundreds of people around us and these idiots
probably listening?"
"Yeah, I figured we'd be less likely to cry and hug with an audience."
Elbowing him, I smiled. "I'm good and thanks for asking. I know that
couldn't have been easy with your ferocious jealousy of my amazing
sperm."
"Fuck you. Farah is probably knocked up right this very second."
"Or not. You have a good life and weak sperm doesn't change
anything."
"I'm going to knock your face in."
"Fight's starting. Kick his ass later," Tucker said.
We quieted down as the crowd roared to life. As I watched Nick stand
casually in the middle of the cage, I now understood where he got the
money for the tattoo. Having seen the scars on his back that were

now covered by the dragon, I also figured he wouldn't mind a few more
from these fights.
When the first punch was thrown and Nick took it then barreled at the
other fighter, Cooper hooted.
"He's a wily fuck. Did I ever tell you that it took me a whole five
minutes to get him to stay down? That might be a fucking record for
me."
"Yeah, you're a hell of a fighter," I said, refraining from the urge to
mock his weak sperm.
Cooper knew what I was thinking though and glared at me. "You're
lucky your parents paid me to be your friend when we were kids or I
would so kick your ass right now."
"Shh," I said, placing my finger to his lips. "Save your strength for
another failed attempt knocking up your wife."
Cooper grinned. "Laugh it up. My kids are going to kick your kids'
asses too."
"Your kids?" I asked, returning my gaze to the fight where Nick wore
down his bigger opponent by fighting past the pain. "I'll believe that
when I see them."
Cooper looked ready to hit me when Tucker screamed like a girl next to
him.
"My baby's coming!!!!"
"Save your pillow talk for Maddy," Vaughn said, rolling his eyes.
"No, she's going to the hospital. The baby is coming. My little girl is
coming. Shit, every way I say that sounds pervy."
"You're going to be a dad," Cooper said, patting him on the back. "Let's
go break a few speed limits and scare some hospital staff."
Ten minutes later, after roaring through town and flipping off a few
patrol cars who would have chased had they not known the owners of
those middle fingers, we arrived at the hospital.
Bailey was yelling at a doctor and threatening him with bodily
harm.
"Don't worry," Tucker said, hurrying past his sister. "I already
threatened him. He's solid." "Oh, well, okay then."

Tucker followed a nurse into a room while I joined Lark who looked
freaked out.
"She was acting so normal and now a baby is coming out of her vagina.
I hope we have more warning."
"I love you too," I said and she grinned. "You okay?"
"Yeah. Bailey's been threatening people since we got here twenty
minutes ago."
"So you've had entertainment."
Lark got up from her chair and curled up in my lap. "Tawny said we can
get married with them in Vegas. She's actually excited about it."
Smiling, I looked at where Tawny stood with Judd. They both looked
awkward in the hospital with all of the laboring women waddling
by.
"Why are they walking around like that?" Bailey cried. "The babies
will fall out and I'm not cleaning anything."
Cooper grabbed his sister and forced her to sit next to him and Farah.
"Calm down."
"What if she's in pain forever and the baby's head get stuck and they use
a vacuum cleaner and the baby's head is ugly and I laugh and people
think I'm mean? I don't need that pressure in my life right when I'm
getting the hang of being nice."
Sawyer sat on Farah's lap and showed her the gum wound in her long
locks.
"Mom and Pop are on their way," Bailey muttered, glancing at the
room where Maddy was settling in. "She's going to suffer all night. I
read somewhere that babies can make a mom suffer for days before
they come out. Why would they do that, Coop?"
My gaze met my friend's and we smiled at his sister's panic.
"All damn night," Bailey said again.
Just then, Tucker's head popped out of the room. "Scarlet's here. Seven
pounds and something ounces. I wasn't really listening. She's fucking
adorable too and has hair. Anyway, she's here."
Tucker disappeared back into the room and I noticed Bailey relax
against her brother.
"Hey, that wasn't so bad. Maybe I'll have a kid one day after all."

"Yeah, that's what the world needs," Cooper teased, one arm wrapped
around his sister's shoulders, the other around Farah. "We'll populate
the world with many amazing bikers and a few stupid kids to even
things out."
"Our baby won't be stupid," Lark whispered against my neck. "It'll be
smart and brave and gorgeous like its daddy." Lark lifted her head and
looked into my eyes with her bright green ones. "I see things better now
because of you and I'm not scared. Well, not of failing. I see me better
because of you and I know everything is going to be perfect."
Studying her face, I memorized her expression so I could draw it later. I
wanted to remember that look until I was old and gray. Even after the
memories faded from my mind, I would have the pictures I created. A
million snapshots of every beautiful moment with my muse.
Chapter Forty Two - Lark
The double wedding in Vegas was perfection. Raven even came along
with the rest of the crew. The only one not with us was Vaughn who
couldn't leave Kentucky. We sent him photos of the wedding and he
sent us photos of his topless one night stands.
For the wedding, Judd and Tawny showed up in jeans and matching
Harley tees. I wore my favorite pink and white polka dotted dress while
Aaron was in his best khakis and plaid shirt. After our vows were
performed by an Elvis impersonator, Tawny threw her bouquet at a
waiting Bailey. I threw mine at Raven who dodged it. Instead, Bailey
caught my bouquet then screamed and danced like she'd scored a
touchdown.
Becoming fast friends, Raven and Bailey ran wild the whole trip.
Meanwhile, Cooper and Farah spent most of their time swimming or in
bed. After the wedding, Judd and Tawny ditched the group for the rest
of the trip. I spotted them at a poker table once, but Aaron was in a
hurry to see Cirque du Soleil where we met his parents. We didn't see
the newlyweds again until on the way back to the airport. Tawny and
Judd were silent, yet smirking like they were in on a fun secret. Their
smiles likely had something to do with the big roller suite Cooper said
they moved into after the first night.

For our honeymoon, Aaron and I played tourists. We visited casinos,
saw shows, played in the themed pools, and ate like pigs. After our
three days in Vegas, I swore off eggrolls. A promise I kept for two
weeks.
A lot of young people would have hated their in-laws hanging out on
their honeymoon, but Maryann and Dick made me feel special. The
four of us explored the city and took a million pictures we would one
day show our kids. While Aaron played it cool and his tats made him
seem like a rough guy, his eyes danced on our trip.
After all, I was his muse and he was my cobra and we were creating an
amazing life together. Vegas would be just the beginning.
Epilogue - Aaron
After a difficult pregnancy, Lark delivered our twins early. Not long
into the emergency c-section, Lark began hemorrhaging. Phoebe and
Leo were whisked away to neonatal unit while I watched my muse fade
away.
Having no faith in fate, I was certain I lost my love. I sat in the waiting
room as the doctors fought to save her life. The whole time, I imagined
someone emerging to give me the bad news. I wasn't even certain the
twins were healthy. Sitting with my friends and family, I waited to see
if my dream would die.
Instead, he appeared nearly an hour later to say Lark was recovering.
The babies were doing well too. Fate had finally played along.
The next months, Lark was weak and in pain. We moved into my
parents' house and hired a baby nurse. My girl was smart enough to
take advantage of the help. She rested when tired and bonded with the
babies when she had the energy. Even though the doctors were forced
to perform a hysterectomy to save her life, Lark never allowed this
news to dampen her good mood.
My muse's name was Lark and she faced death and won.
Epilogue - Lark
By the time the twins were three, Sundays at the Johansson

property was a regular event. Farah, Maddy, and I helped Jodi cook
while the men and Tawny watched the kids played. During the
summers, we'd swim late into the evening.
Sitting with our feet in the pool, Farah and I smiled at Judd. The
enforcer rested on a lounge chair with Tawny and three month old
Gunnar asleep against him. Even exhausted, he grinned back at us.
Listening to our kids laughing nearby, Farah ran her finger over my
pink cobra tattoo. I remembered how it was my roller derby captain
Sarah who suggested instead of making my worm a sissy butterfly that
I get a cobra like my man. As soon as I was back in fighting shape, I
was back skating for the team and sitting for Aaron's artistic touch.
Nearby, Aaron held Phoebe and talked to Cooper who cradled a sleepy
Lily. My little girl had her dark curls pulled back into a ponytail as she
traced her daddy's tats. She especially liked the heart with her and Leo's
names inside. Mine was above theirs and space remained for more
possible children. Every time I looked at that heart, I remembered how
empty it once seemed. Now, it was filled with the names of those Aaron
loved.
Sawyer ran past her mother with a blonde Scarlet and little Leo chasing
right behind her. Holding a dozing Miranda in her lap, Jodi told her
daughter to keep the noise down. Sawyer muttered something before
disappearing into the yard to roughhouse with the dogs.
Watching my little guy work to keep up with his older buddies, I felt
pride at creating such beauty. Aaron worked magic with his art.
Together, we'd created two works of art.
"Is Aaron looking to shave off Leo's curls yet?" Farah asked, sliding
into the pool.
I followed her lead and sighed at the warm water on my skin. Glancing
at Aaron, I shook my head. "He hasn't even hinted. I think he knows
how much I love those curls. It'll be Leo who asks one day to have them
cut off, so he can look like his daddy. Until he begs me, I'm going to
enjoy my boy's curls."
Farah dunked her hair into the water then smiled at a grinning Cooper.
"I'll be happy to finish school. I'm ready to get in the classroom as a
teacher."

"It won't be long," I said, wrapping a pink lock of hair behind my ear. "I
still hate school, but the business and accounting classes are helpful. I
wouldn't get a degree in them though."
In a few months, Jade and Tony planned to move to Lexington and
open Aaron's second shop. As a result of the expansion, I was handling
the business's finances. With the twins getting older and enjoying their
time at Aunt Maddy's, I wanted to help Aaron more. He was even
teaching me to do flash tattoos, so I could take on clients one day.
Our life was perfect and I wouldn't have changed anything. Even
though the twins would be the last babies I carried, we'd grow our
family in a few years. Once the new business was settled, we would
find a bigger house that suited our eclectic tastes along with space for
Aaron's studio. We weren't in any hurry though. If nothing ever
changed, our lives were perfect.
As perfect as the smile Aaron gave me as he talked with Cooper and
held our little girl.
When I was a kid, I believed I would never find a place I fit. After
losing Phoenix, I gave up on being a mom. I thought a job or dress code
would give me value and I could be happy alone.
Instead, I became someone I never dreamed. These days, I was never
really alone either. Whether relaxing at home, taking classes, or skating
with the Storm Babes, I was always part of something amazing and I
never had to smile when my heart was broken.
His name was Aaron and he was the answer to all my prayers.
Table of Contents
Chapter One - Lark Chapter Two - Aaron Chapter Three - Lark Chapter
Four - Aaron Chapter Five - Lark Chapter Six - Aaron Chapter Seven -
Lark Chapter Eight - Aaron Chapter Nine - Lark

Chapter Ten - Aaron Chapter Eleven - Lark Chapter Twelve - Aaron
Chapter Thirteen - Lark Chapter Fourteen - Aaron Chapter Fifteen -
Lark Chapter Sixteen - Aaron Chapter Seventeen - Lark Chapter
Eighteen - Aaron Chapter Nineteen - Lark Chapter Twenty - Aaron
Chapter Twenty One - Lark Chapter Twenty Two - Aaron Chapter
Twenty Three - Lark Chapter Twenty Four - Aaron Chapter Twenty
Five - Lark Chapter Twenty Six - Aaron Chapter Twenty Seven - Lark
Chapter Twenty Eight - Aaron Chapter Twenty Nine - Lark Chapter
Thirty - Aaron Chapter Thirty One - Lark Chapter Thirty Two - Aaron
Chapter Thirty Three - Lark Chapter Thirty Four - Aaron Chapter
Thirty Five - Lark Chapter Thirty Six - Aaron Chapter Thirty Seven -
Lark Chapter Thirty Eight - Lark Chapter Thirty Nine - Aaron Chapter
Forty - Lark Chapter Forty One - Aaron Chapter Forty Two - Lark
Epilogue - Aaron Epilogue - Lark