One Poor Choice (The Citadel Series Book 2), page 3
“Where do you think? In the kitchen with your wife, of course. No telling what’s going on in there. I wouldn’t go in there without body armor,” Kyle laughed.
“Speaking of which, hey, Jared – you’re closest to the door. Would you go in there and get us another big bowl of that snack mix? I think we’re out,” Tony told him as he handed Jared a huge bowl.
“Sure. Throw ME to the wolves!” he laughed as he left the room, the other guys hooting and cheering him on. Jared stepped into the kitchen and straight into something that looked a lot like a good time to him. Nikki had the satellite radio playing, and there were hot country tunes coming from the built-in stereo system in there. Nikki, Laura, Vivian, Kathy, Molly, Brittany, Kelly, Annabeth, Katie, and Lisette were all singing and dancing while they were working. Even Vic’s Nonna Annamaria had her hips swaying to the beat – Jared thought she was as cute as a button. That was one hot, wild room full of sexy women, he had to admit. Plus there was a woman there he’d never seen before.
She was tall, almost as tall as him, and he was six one. She had to be five eleven or taller. Stick thin but busty, she had a nice, round ass that looked perfect for gripping. Big, dark eyes were framed with thick, long lashes, and she had a mane of super-thick, super-long, dark, wavy hair that reminded him a lot of Vic’s before he cut it off. Her skin was flawless and a deep honey gold. She looked a bit like Lisette, but she was obviously a few years younger. When she caught him looking at her, she gave him a shy, sexy smile that made his cock twitch.
“Jared! Nice to see you!” Nikki ran across the room and gave him a hug. “Girls, you all know Jared?”
There was a chorus of “Hey!” “Hi!” “Jared, good to see you!” and, most surprisingly, Laura crossed the room and gave him a big hug.
“Hey, guy! I’ve missed you.” She took his upper arms in her hands and pushed him back to look him up and down. “You’re looking good, boy! What’s up with you these days?”
He leaned in to Laura’s ear. “Just wait. There’s an announcement coming later.”
Laura’s eyebrows shot up, and he was pretty sure she realized what it was. “I’ll be waiting!” she answered quietly, then she asked outright, “So what brings you into the ladies’ lounge?”
“Um, Tony sent me in here for more party mix.”
“Hey, Bernadette! Could you pour our friend Mr. Calhoun here some party mix into that big bowl he’s holding?” Laura called across the kitchen.
The beautiful girl he’d been admiring walked across the kitchen toward him; no, scratch that. She glided across the kitchen. He’d never seen anything so graceful in his life. And the way her hips popped with every step? Runway model – had to be. His heart was doing back flips when she made it to him. “Mr. Calhoun? I will gladly fill your bowl,” she said with a deep, rich French accent.
Wow, baby, I’d LOVE for you to fill my bowl; on second thought, I’d love to fill yours. “Uh, um, thanks, um . . .”
“Bernadette. But my friends call me Bernie, so you must also.” She winked at him and Jared’s balls vibrated. He wasn’t sure how long he could stand there before his dick made a complete fool out of him.
“Sure, Berna . . . Bernie.” She filled the bowl and handed it back to him. Then he realized he was standing there like an idiot. And probably with drool running down his chin. “Um, I guess I’d better get back out there. They’ll be wondering where I went.”
“Goodbye, Mr. Calhoun. It was a pleasure meeting you.” She gave him an intoxicating little grin and a tiny wave, and Jared felt his heart lurch. He spun on his heels and beat a path back to the group of men.
When he came through the door, Vic took one look at his face and made his pronouncement. “Ah! I see you’ve met Bernadette!”
“Whaaa . . . huh? What are you . . .”
“Oh, don’t even try it, Calhoun. I’ve got a beautiful wife I fuck every night, and she still had that effect on me. You’re not immune. Right, Tony?”
“Never thought I’d say it, but yeah. That girl’s hot. First time we met her, Nikki asked me later, ‘How long did it take your cock to calm down?’ She knew!” Tony said, laughing. “Kyle, you’re going to need Citadel to guard your place once the guys around these parts know she’s over there!”
“Yeah, well, I’m hoping she’s not there long. She’s got to find a job and get out of our place. It’s too small, and if we’re going to have a baby, we need the space.”
“You’re going to have a baby?” Steve asked.
“No. But we want to. And we can’t if she’s living there. Not enough room. The agreement was six months and she had to have a job and her own place. She’s only been here a couple of weeks, so I didn’t expect it that fast, but she’s not making much of an effort either. Thought she was going to come to Louisville and get a million-dollar modeling contract. What a joke,” Kyle muttered with more than a little contempt in his voice.
Later in the evening as they were all congregated on the patio and Tony and Clayton had set about lighting the tiki torches, Steve stood and rapped his wine glass. “Attention! I’d like to have your attention please!” Everyone stopped talking and turned toward his voice. “I’d like to make a toast to the birthday boy.” All glasses raised, he said, “Tony Walters. You’re a great husband, a great father, a great employer, a great brother, and a great friend.”
A child’s voice called out, “And a great grandpa!”
Tony grabbed Anthony up and held him. “I’m not a great grandpa yet!” Everyone except Anthony laughed, and he just looked confused.
“Yes you are!” he yelled.
“Yeah, okay, I guess I am!” Tony laughed. He gave Anthony a big kiss on the cheek and then set him down.
“Anyway, now that I’ve been reminded that I’d left out one of your positive attributes, I just want to say that I’m proud to call you my friend, even my brother. You’re without a doubt the greatest man I’ve ever met, and one I aspire to emulate. Happy birthday, my friend. We have a special gift for you.” With that, he looked at Vic, who stepped out and unfurled a tee shirt down Tony’s front.
It said, “Kiss me. It’s okay – I’m officially OLD.”
The whole group burst into laughter. Tony pointed at Vic, who was almost doubled over. “You’re responsible for this, I’m sure.”
“Oh, yes, I take ALL the credit!” Vic choked out through his laughter.
“Yeah, see? I know. You just wait. AARP is knocking at your door, brother, and if they’re not, I’m going to sic them on you first chance I get.”
“Too late. I’m already signed up!”
“Figures. Always looking for discount coupons, huh?”
Vic countered with, “I work for you, don’t I?” Now everyone was gasping for breath.
The laughter started to run down, and Tony turned to the whole group. “I just want to say thanks. Thanks for coming to help me celebrate, for eating my food, and, as always, for drinking my beer!” he laughed. “And for being good friends to have. I’m beyond blessed to have all of you in my life. And first and foremost, I’d like to thank my princess. I know she’s the one who put this soiree together, and baby, thank you. I love you more than I can ever say.” As she moved toward him, Tony held out his arms and Nikki fell right into them, then looked up into his eyes.
“I think you’re still the hottest thing around, even if you are old!” she laughed.
He leaned down and growled in her ear, “I’m not too old to fuck a hitch into your giddy-up, am I?”
“Nope. If that’s a challenge, I accept. And if that’s a threat, do your worst,” she hummed.
“You’ve got it, my slutty little princess.” He pinched her ass and she giggled.
Jared was watching it all and laughing when he felt a presence beside him. He swiveled and found Bernadette standing there, watching along with everyone else. She glanced at him and smiled. “They are like this most times, yes?”
“Yes. They’re a lot of fun to be around.”
“I see.” There was mirth in her eyes, and he found it charming. “He is a very handsome man. He has very handsome brothers too.” She gave him a huge grin. “And he has very handsome friends.”
“Some of them, yes.” Jared was pretty sure she wasn’t talking about him.
“So you fit right in, yes?” There was something in her eyes that pulled him in. Seduction? Playfulness? He didn’t know what it was, but it was making him very, very uncomfortable below the waist.
“I wish.”
“For you, wishing to fit in with the good looking men is time misspent. It is too late – you already do.” She shot him a look that he could swear made his underwear start to smolder as she turned away and back toward the kitchen. Then she looked back over her shoulder at him and said, “I will see you later, Jared Calhoun.”
What the fuck? Did that girl just come onto me? Jared was bewildered. He could’ve sworn she was flirting with him. That would make things a lot easier. He was good looking, but Bernie was world class. Having her on his arm would be a major coup.
Almost instantly there was movement at his other side, and he found José standing there, grinning. He almost fell out when his dark friend whispered, “That girl’s after you, my friend. She wants you. You’d better jump on that before somebody else does. I don’t think there’s a guy here who wouldn’t fuck her, given the right set of circumstances, but I think she’s smitten with you, bro. I wouldn’t wait too long.” He chuckled and slapped Jared on the back.
Jared’s mind went into overdrive. That girl was eyeing him. This was a good, good thing. And why wouldn’t she be interested in him? He knew damn well he was a looker. Still, this one was really something else. Ten minutes hadn’t passed before he felt a hand on his shoulder and spun to find Kyle standing there. “Hey, man, I need to talk to you for a second.”
“Uh, okay.” They stepped away from the larger group and Kyle leaned toward him.
“Bernie’s interested in you.”
“How do you . . .”
“Because she asked if you had a girlfriend. Actually, it was more like, ‘Kyle, does that handsome man in the blue shirt have a girlfriend? Because I’d really like to fuck him.”
Jared’s eyes went wide. “She said that?”
Kyle nodded. “She’s French. They don’t mince words.”
“I’d say not!” Now Jared’s mind was really boggled. He’d had lots of flirting, but he couldn’t remember a time when a woman had come right out and said that about him. That was good because, god, he sure as hell wanted her. Who wouldn’t? This would take a special kind of finesse, and he certainly didn’t want to mess up. His brain stammered and stuttered, and finally he managed, “So, um, what would you suggest? I mean, to approach her. You know, to ask her out or something? Anything special I should know?”
“How about you come over to the house for dinner Monday night?”
His heart leaped up in his throat. “You’d do that?”
“Sure! Anything to get her out of the house a bit. She’s just sitting around, waiting for some big agent to give her a call about some multi-million-dollar modeling deal in good ol’ Louisville, Kentucky. But be careful, Jared. She’s a heartbreaker. Not kidding.”
“Okay. I’ll take that under advisement.” But inside, his mind was screaming, I wanna fuck her too. Oh, god, no. I want a relationship with someone. And to fuck them. Her, I mean. Oh, shit. This is crazy. But from his mouth came, “So what time Monday?”
“I’ll talk to Lisette, but I’m guessing six? Unless you hear differently, six. And call me on Monday at the office so I can give you our address and directions.”
“Sure, sure. Hey, thanks, Kyle. I promise, I’ll treat her like a queen.”
“You’d better. If you don’t, I’ll never hear the end of it,” he murmured and grimaced as he walked away.
Bernadette – Bernie – was interested in him. She wanted to fuck him. That, well, that was the best news he’d had in a long time. And then it got better.
“Hey, wait, everybody! I have a couple more announcements I want to make.” When everyone’s gaze returned to Steve, he continued. “I don’t want to detract from the birthday boy’s specialness,” he said to laughter, “but there are a couple of things I’d like to let you know about. First, I know there’s been a lot of speculation in recent weeks. I want everyone to know that my son, Hunter, will be taking over the McCoy Law Firm and corporate operations of Citadel next year when he finishes his classwork in criminal justice for his third bachelor’s degree, and he’ll be pursuing an MBA.”
“Now THAT’S a good idea,” Tony called out.
“Damn tootin’. And with that in mind, and with the departure of Peyton and Doug, I’d like to announce that the new general manager of Citadel Security is Jared Calhoun!”
The whole group erupted in applause and Jared’s heart soared. It was official. He had the position he’d been wanting. Before he had time to say anything in response to all the congratulations, Steve called out, “I said a couple of announcements. This one will come as a surprise. Wendy Ryan, would you come up here, please?” The group parted as Wendy came forward to Steve, and her face was pure bewilderment. He put a hand on her shoulder and pivoted her to face the group. “Wendy has been a part of our team since pretty much the very beginning. Several of us owe her, not the least of whom are Nikki and Laura. If it weren’t for Wendy’s tech savvy, these two lovely women might not be with us today. But I happen to know that for awhile now, Wendy’s been hoping to hear some words from my mouth that would make her the happiest Citadel employee with us. So today, Wendy, I want everyone to know that, starting Monday, you’re to strap on your sidearm and put your credentials in your badge holder. You’re going out into the field. I’ve held you back too long, and you’re past ready. Congratulations!”
Applause thundered as Wendy stood in stunned silence. When it finally sank in, she turned and looked up at Steve, her eyes full of tears. “Thank you, sir. Thank you so much! I promise, I won’t let you down.”
“It’s Steve, Ryan, and if I had any doubt I wouldn’t make this move. I hope you took lessons from Laura while she was still there. Follow in her footsteps and you’ll command the respect of every man on our team.”
“Yes, sir. I mean Steve!” Before she could shake his hand, Steve wrapped his arms around her and gave her a big hug. She returned it and couldn’t believe it – she was part of the team!
Tony shoved a beer into her hand and smiled. “Congratulations, Wendy!”
“Thanks!” Pretty soon, everyone was congratulating both her and Jared. There wasn’t a happier group of people on the planet than the little band there on the patio at the Walters’ house. Wandering back into the house to find the bathroom and fix her makeup from the tears she’d shed, Wendy ran right into Malcolm as he came out and started back toward the patio. “Oh! I’m sorry! I . . .”
“Hey.” Malcolm took her hand as if to shake it, but just held it in both of his. “Congratulations. Doug told us some time ago that you wanted that position. I’m glad Steve finally promoted you. You deserved it, from everything I’ve heard. I hope you’ll be happy there and really enjoy the challenges.” Her heart flip-flopped. God, he was so gorgeous, those big dark eyes and those shoulder-length dreads. Just standing there with her hand in his made her heart race and her knees weak. Then he said, “I’m sure your boyfriend will be very proud.”
She fought back tears. “I don’t have a boyfriend.”
“Seriously?” Malcolm gave her a skeptical look, then grinned. “I can’t believe that. You’re bound to have a boyfriend.”
“Nope.”
“Well, you should. Some lucky guy is really missing out!” he said softly. Then he dropped her hand and patted her shoulder. “I guess I should let you get to whatever it was you were going to do! But congratulations again, Wendy. I’ll see you around, okay?”
“Yeah, sure! Thanks, Malcolm.” She watched his back as he walked away, those broad shoulders and tight hips calling to her. God, he was fine. Everything in her chest churned around as she thought about what it would be like to kiss those lips, those beautiful, full lips. God, he was something to dream about.
The night was getting long and Jared decided he’d had enough beer for the evening. He was trying to decide what to do next when the decision was made for him. “Hey, Calhoun, walk out here with me and see the horses, why don’tcha?” Vic called out to him.
“Yeah, sure!” He joined the big man and they wandered out toward the barn. When they got there, Vlad met them at the gate, and Vic pulled a carrot stick from his pocket and handed it to the big horse. “They’re beautiful.”
“Yeah. They are. And he’s really special.” Vic patted the horse’s neck, and Trickster, Laura’s horse, came around looking for a treat herself. The horses Nikki had gotten at the auction for herself and Tony, Grace and Mercy, wandered over for some attention too, joined by Tipsy and Topsy, the Friesian mares. Vic didn’t disappoint them; he’d brought something for everyone. “So, Jared, looks like someone’s interested in you.”
“So I hear.” He stroked down Mercy’s nose, and the smaller horse nuzzled his shoulder. “I don’t even know how to begin to approach that. I mean, I’ve had some really gorgeous women, but she’s really something else. She’s so exotic. Anything special I should do? How to go about it?”
“I’d say like any other woman. They all want a few things, simple things. All women do.”
Jared chuckled. “You’re the expert on women here. Maybe you should enlighten me.”
Vic nodded. “Well, first, they want to know they’re special to you, more special than any other woman in the world. Especially in bed.”
“Okay.”
“Second, they want to feel appreciated and maybe even worshipped.” Vic scratched behind one of Vlad’s ears and the big horse stretched his neck out over the fence rail for more. “I’ve been with a lot of women over the years. Not all of them were beautiful. Most were just average, and a few were less than attractive. But every one of them had something that was especially beautiful about her. There was this one woman who was more than unattractive. God, she was homely. But she had the most beautiful hair I’d ever seen. Full, thick, slightly curly, and it just glowed. I made a fuss over it and she felt like a rock star. There was this other girl – she was quite a bit overweight, but god, she had the prettiest pussy I’d ever seen in my life. It looked like something out of a porn magazine, really, like it had been airbrushed. Trim job was perfect. And this other woman, she was kinda skinny and didn’t have much of an ass, but she had these tits, they were huge, and her areolas were the size of tennis balls, but the amazing thing was her nipples. Big as my thumb.” He held a thumb up for Jared to see. “I mean, you could latch onto those things and suck them halfway down your throat, and she’d just purr.” Vic was staring off into space, and Jared could tell he was thinking about all the women over the years, remembering their attributes, and as Jared watched, a slow, soft grin spread across Vic’s face. “A lot of them were older and had several kids. Their bodies were worn out, wrinkled, lots of loose skin, but damn, they knew how to fuck a man and fuck him well. And let me tell you, brother, if you’re getting a premium fucking, aesthetics aren’t really that important if the pussy’s good.” Jared almost laughed; Vic had to be the most graphically honest guy he’d ever met.
