Page 3 of Long & Hard

“Fuck, you’re making it hard for me to leave, babe. Get your ass inside. We both have shit to do today.” The sun sitting high in the sky is a testament to how fast morning is turning into early afternoon, meaning I’m going to be booking it the minute I’m inside my small studio apartment. When I was offered the job as the lead music instructor, it came with an added perk. I’d oversee scheduling, teaching, and managing the studio on a daily basis. The owners were taking a step back but weren’t ready to sell, which I’m thankful for because I’m not ready to potentially buy them out. The studio would be a solid investment; it would also require some serious cash. Since my savings aren't as stacked as I’d like it and the only equity I have to my name is a paid-off ten-year-old car, I’m thinking the bank would look at my loan paperwork and laugh. I’d laugh too which is why I’ll keep on saving and doing what I love until my feet are on solid ground. Even if my mother thinks I’m doing menial work and could use my music background to make more money.

“I’ll see you later?” There’s a hopefulness to my tone that almost makes me sound like I’m begging for his time and attention. Smooth move, Audrena James, smooth move. To be fair, neither one of us has said what we want. All I know is that Kade has my number, and in turn, I have his. I also have his scent clinging to my body, I can feel the aftereffect of our time together between my legs, and the taste of him is still on my lips.

“Yeah, babe, you will.” The reassurance he gives me is all I need. He also goes against what he said only a few moments ago and dips his head down. The lids of my eyes lower, my tongue comes out to wet my top lip, and I watch as Kade’s teeth press down on his bottom lip. “I seem to be breaking every damn rule I have in place when it comes to you, Drena.” I don’t have time to decipher what that means. I’m too busy placing my hands on his chest and going to the tips of my toes while Kade’s arms band around my lower back and pull me in close. Our kiss is what girls dreams about—gentle yet firm, soft yet hard, a declaration where a man claims you as his for the whole world to see. I’m lost in our lust, not a care in the world. It doesn’t matter that our make-out session happens in front of my place of employment. Kade doesn’t seem to mind public display of affection. Neither do I. We’re two halves of a whole.

“Hmm,” I hum against his mouth, feeling the outline of his cock against my stomach, thick, hard, and heavy. My thighs clench, an uncontrollable thirst for a repeat performance of our time earlier hits me hard, and if it weren’t for his firm grasp around me, I’d probably fall to my knees, rip his jeans open, and finally wrap my lips around his length. I didn’t get the opportunity to this morning or last night. Kade had other ideas in play, and there was no denying him, especially with how he worked me up time and time again.

“You go to my head faster than a shot of tequila.” I’m breathless. He isn’t. The man is seriously in great shape. I’m ninety percent sure while I was asleep, he was up and ready to start the day. Which means he can survive on hardly any sleep, not lose an ounce of stamina, and keep up like a man half his age. “And your phone is ringing again.”

“I’m sorry. I’d let this go to voicemail, but I’m pretty sure it’s my mother, and god forbid I answer with a text again.” What a moment killer, I swear. I wish we had the relationship we once did when we were growing up together. Yes, growing up together. My mom was a teen mom. We learned a lot, lived a lot, and held one another a lot. Things changed when I was in high school. Mom started a career and found herself again, but in doing so, we lost our relationship in the process. She wanted me to live a life she couldn’t, to go off to college, to see the world, to do everything she didn’t. That isn’t me, though. I didn’t want to move away from the place we’d called home for the longest time in my life. I liked that even with the ever-changing tourists coming in and out of town, there’s still a small town feel where you can wave to one another and remember seeing them at some point in time.

“Go do your thing. We stay at this much longer, I’ll be carrying you up the stairs, and neither of us will get anything done today.” His arms fall away from me. I take a step back, ignoring my phone that’s ringing yet again. My mother can wait for another minute or two.

“I’m not opposed to that idea, but I do have work.” Besides, my small studio apartment is up there too. He doesn’t say anything as he slightly tilts his head and gives me a small smile, then Kade is throwing a jean-clad leg over his bike, turns the key, kicks up the stand, and then his motorcycle is coming to life. Jesus, I’m pretty sure I orgasmed watching him handle the big machine.

“Later, Drena,” he states. I nod in return. I’m glued to watching him for another moment. Sitting behind him was hot as hell. I held on to him, my arms around his waist, chin on his shoulder, and the wind in my face. This view is something else entirely. His muscular arms, broad shoulders, and the way he works the bike are something else entirely.

Once he’s at the stop sign, my phone goes off again. I dig into my back pocket to pull it back out, and sure enough, it’s my mother. “Hey, Mom, can I call you back? I’ve got to get ready for work.” Maybe this will curb her neediness to chat. Usually, it’s to gossip or talk about her problems, and, well, I kind of need time to decompress after my night.

“Hello, Audrena. Yes, call me after your lessons.” She’s short and to the point, hanging up after her last word. For someone who was blowing my phone up, she sure didn’t need anything important. I shake my head in annoyance and wonder. I’ll have to decipher my mother later. Right now, I need to move my ass, or I’ll be late for work, and I’m never late for a lesson with a student.

4 Kade

“Look what the cat dragged in,” Rhodes greets me over the door chime. I shake my head. Same old Rhodes. Some things never change. He’s standing behind the cash register, a cup of coffee in his hand and a magazine spread out in front of him.

“You got any more of that?” I ask, bypassing me finally making my presence known after being home for a couple of days. After being medically discharged, I was put through the wringer. Nothing unordinary, but once I was done, the last thing I was fit for was company. Camping out at the house for the first twenty-four hours, listening to the waves and watching the sunrise helped the bullshit swirling in my head. By the second day, things were better, and I needed sustenance. Plus my bike was calling my name. Then I met Drena, and shit changed for the better.

“In the back, where a pot is always brewed. You good?”

“Never fuckin’ better,” I respond as I walk toward him. The shop is still quiet this time of day. From what Rhodes tells me, the early afternoon is when the tourists arrive. The locals come in the second the doors open, load up on what they need, and then hit the waves. I’ll be doing similar this week. Yesterday, I counted sets. Today, I watched a woman sleep. Both were fucking amazing in different respects.

“Good.” Rhodes stands up from his stool. His retirement came with a parting gift, too—a knee that’s shot to shit. And he’s been trying to avoid another surgery at the age of forty-two. We meet at the halfway point and hug one another, slapping each other on the back. Luckily for me, my shoulder isn’t pissed off today. Losing more than fifty percent of mobility on your dominant side is a guarantee see yourself out of the military. Especially when you’re needed for a trigger finger.

“Retirement looks good on you, old man,” I tell Rhodes.

“Same goes, brother, same goes. You home for good?” We’ve kept in touch every few days, a text here, a call there. We also know that shit can change in a moment. There are some guys who get out and try to come home only to end up leaving after a couple of days.

“Yep. Thanks for the groceries and airing out my place.” We walk back to the small employee area. Besides Rhodes, another employee works on the fabricating of surfboards in the back. Now that I’m here to stay, hopefully, I can give Rhodes more of a break, plus sitting still is the last thing I want to do.

“Not a problem, though gotta warn you, and you’re not gonna like it,” he states as I make my way toward the coffee pot. My energy is slowly dwindling, my cock is still hard after taking Drena’s mouth, and judging by the tone of Rhodes' voice, I’m not going to like what he has to say one damn bit.

“The shop?” I ask, grabbing a mug and placing it on the counter, then filling it up to the brim.

“Fuck no. Damn place is in the black. We’ve got more custom boards than we can keep up with. Add in the tourists buying hundred-dollar-plus bathing suits, and we’re doing good. Really good,” he says.

“What’s the problem, then?” I take a sip of the coffee. The shit is strong, as strong as our time served together. The only difference now is it’s hot, thank fuck.

“Your pops. He saw me leaving your place. I’m pretty sure he knows you're home. Nah, I’m positive he knows. He thinks he’s slick, driving by the store a couple of times a day. He doesn’t realize his hundred-thousand-dollar car sticks out like a sore thumb.” There’s no love lost between Rhodes and my father. The same can be said for myself. He’s nothing but a callous pretentious prick. My father isn’t much of a father. Jasper Callahan is a ruthless businessman first and foremost. The man cares about few things in life: his money, his looks, and the woman on his arm. I didn’t want any part of Callahan Banking. A suit and tie weren’t for me. Never had been growing up and never would be once I became an adult. My dad was a good guy at one time, back before Mom died. After cancer ate her alive while we watched it take away the person we loved the most, Jasper Callahan became a man I’d never known before, and I know for a fact my mother would have left the man he is now if she were still around.

“Sounds about right. I haven’t called him and probably won’t. He’ll make his presence known soon enough. If he bothers you or makes himself a nuisance, let me know.” The last thing I want is for Rhodes to have to deal with my father. Jasper Callahan isn’t one to get his hands dirty, but what he’ll do is make your life a living hell. The firsthand experience I’ve had is enough to keep me away from him. While the military helped mold me into the man I am, it was my grandmother who set me up with success, my mom’s mom. She sat me down as a teenager and told me to do what I wanted, regardless of what my dad wanted. Rosemary was one hell of a woman. She raised a great one, too. When I got the call on my second deployment that my grandmother passed in her sleep, there was no surprise. I received a decent-size inheritance, made a quick call to my bank that wasn’t affiliated with my father, and it only earned money from then on.

“He won’t bother me. He’ll make your life a living hell, and just for the fun of it.” Rhodes has had his fair share of run-ins with my old man while I’ve been out of the country. Specifically when he stayed at my place. Not sure if my father thought he was doing a good deed or not, but sending the cops to my place didn’t help a whole lot. I was overseas, and getting ahold of my commanding officer was a pain in the dick although necessary. Needless to say, we were all pissed, and my father acted like he was the one put out. I was on a mission. The last thing I needed was my dad calling the fucking cops, attempting to kick Rhodes out of my place because he all of a sudden wanted to be father of the year. Yeah, that didn’t help our father-son relationship in any aspect.

“He can try, but he won’t succeed. Alright, let’s get down to business. You’ve been working here non-stop. Put me on the schedule and tell me what I need to get up to speed.” I’m a born and raised beach bum. I figure if we’re that backed up on custom boards, I’ll step up and help. Or if Rhodes finally needs a damn break, well, then I’ll work the store.

“Good, you’re on the clock starting now. Shit isn’t hard. You scan the tag, take the money, and bag the items. Tomorrow, we’ll see where Shane is on the boards. I’m sure he could use your help. Today, I’m out of here to see the doctor. I’d usually close the store since I’ve yet to find someone to help out occasionally.” Rhodes doesn’t elaborate on the appointment, and I’ll be damned if I won’t at least ask about what’s going on.

“You good?”

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