Molly McAdams - Needing Her

“Yeah,” I mumbled softly and failed at ignoring the pain spreading in my chest. He views you like a sister, Maci. Nothing more. “Lucky bastard.”

Connor

“WHAT THE HELL, what the hell, what the hell?” I pulled my car into a strip-­mall parking lot, threw it into park and groaned into my hands. “What. The. Hell?”

I didn’t know why I’d gone there. I didn’t know why I’d been worried about her in the first place. She spent nights away all the time, but she’d known I was coming over this morning. There was no way she hadn’t heard Sadie, because she’d been fucking obnoxious before I’d finally kicked her out. And for some damn reason, I’d spent the rest of the night wondering why Maci had still been outside my door, why she looked like she was trying to keep herself together . . . and why the fuck I’d had to picture her to get off.

This was Maci. Maci. I knew I couldn’t think about her like this; and I knew that to continuously entertain the thoughts that had been playing in my mind since the night before would be dangerous. But even in the office, the only thing that had kept my mind clear enough to stop me from covering her body with mine and claiming her mouth was the fact that her brothers and dad were all in the back.

That mouth. Jesus, that mouth was perfect. How had I never noticed that? I loved that Maci swore just the same as her brothers did. It was just . . . so . . . Maci. But the way those full lips fell into her natural pout in the office had had me straining against my pants.

“Fuck!” I growled and slammed a hand down on the steering wheel before raking both hands through my hair.

I can’t think about her like this!

And yet, I couldn’t stop thinking about her like that. Her wild, vibrant red hair on my pillow with her body underneath me. That raspy voice of hers breathing out my name. Those full lips wrapped around my cock. All of it. All of her . . . was continuously playing through my mind.

Like a bucket of ice-­cold water had been thrown on me, my phone rang, displaying Dylan’s name.

“Yeah?” I answered cautiously.

“Mini said you stopped by. What? No love for me and Kota?”

“Had to get back to work. Sorry.”

He grunted. “Have a question for you about Mini. Is she seeing someone?”

I muted the relieved breath that left my lungs, and didn’t even have to think about my answer. Maci would kill me if she found out I told them about the douchebag who came over. “No, she’s not.”

“You’re sure?”

“Yeah, Dylan, I’m sure.”

He spoke away from the phone, telling what I’m guessing were the rest of the brothers what I had said. “Okay, well, hey. Let’s all get together this weekend, grab some food and beers.”

“Okay, I’m off after today, so just let me know.”

“And, Connor.”

“Hmm?”

“My sister doesn’t need to hear your women screaming. Try to get them to keep it down, all right?”

So she had heard. Why is that bothering me so much?

“Connor.”

“Yeah, I got you. It won’t happen again. I’ll make sure Maci’s gone, or I’ll go to their place . . . something.”

“Appreciate it, bro. I’ll call you later, we’ll set something up for tomorrow night.”

“All right. Later.”

As soon as we were off the phone. I pulled up Maci’s name and sent her a message.

I’m sorry about last night

Maci Price: I’m not sorry I made your face green ;)

Which reminded me . . . hope she didn’t have any plans for the evening.

Maci

“AMBER, IF YOU don’t let me get off the phone, then I’m never going to get ready. I love you, I’ll see you in an hour.”

“Ugh. Fine. Get ready, but we’re picking up this conversation later. I’m not letting Bryce ruin your chances of meeting someone else tonight.”

I eyed Bryce sitting on my couch and suppressed a sigh. “Whatever you say.”

“I’m serious!”

“Uh-­huh. I got it. Getting ready now. Bye.”

Running into my bathroom, I took the towel off my head and threw it onto the floor before hastily running my brush through my hair. I was so behind on getting ready, and Bryce was one of those guys who got annoyed if we were late. Since Connor had confirmed there wasn’t a chance in hell for anything between us, I really didn’t want to start off a night with Bryce already bitching. And despite Amber still insisting on finding me someone . . . anyone other than Bryce . . . I wasn’t willing to go through the process. I couldn’t see the point in it. Not when we had a perfectly good—­

“Son of a bitch! What the fuck?”

I shut off the blow dryer and threw it onto the bathroom countertop as I spit out what had gotten in my mouth when I’d been freaking out, and rubbed at my eyes so I could look in the mirror. My entire head was covered in white powder. I was going to shank the bastard.

“You okay?” Bryce’s voice filled my hallway seconds before he appeared behind me. “What the hell happened to you?”

“I swear to God I’m going to kill that motherfucker!” I screeched as I pushed past Bryce and stomped down my hallway.

And I mean stomped. I looked like a little kid getting ready to throw a fit over not getting any ice cream.

“Language, Maci, and where are you going?”

“Probably to jail.”

“What? Wait, stop walking!” Bryce grabbed my arm and turned me toward him. His eyes bouncing over my head and shoulders with confusion. “Who did this? What is all this, baby powder?”

I scratched at my head and neck and shook his hand off as I turned back to open my apartment door. “Probably.”

“I said stop!”

“I just need to kill him, Bryce. I’ll be back in five seconds!”

“Maci!”

I flung open Connor’s door and stormed over to where he was standing in the kitchen. Arms crossed over his chest, smirk on that stupid pretty face.

“You should really lay off all the coke,” he said. “Or I can get you help, if you need it.”

“I will fucking murder you, you stupid piece of shit!”

“That’s the sweetest thing you’ve said to me all day.”

“Maci!” Bryce barked and I turned to look at him. “I said stop, and I mean now. Get back in your apartment, don’t make me say it again.”

My head jerked back. I’d never seen Bryce like this. Usually he was carefree, ready to have a good time . . . his only problem was his incessant need to be on time and to suck up to his incredibly rude parents. This was the first time I’d seen him look and act just like his dad. I couldn’t move or say anything; I just stood there staring at him with my mouth wide open.

“I think you need to leave.” Connor’s voice was no longer teasing. It was dark, terrifying—­and if I was being honest with myself—­kind of hot. I felt his body press up against my back, and had to force myself not to lean into him.

“Maci.” Bryce spoke as though Connor never had and wasn’t currently standing behind me. “Do you know how ridiculous you’re making yourself look right now? Let’s go.”

“I’ve never understood what you see in this tool,” Connor mumbled under his breath. Stepping around me, he walked up to Bryce.

Even though Connor was a few inches shorter, it wasn’t hard to see why Bryce backed up. Connor and his intensity. I wanted to smile.

“I can’t stop Maci from seeing you, because she’s an adult. But I can make you leave my apartment, and I strongly suggest you do it voluntarily, before I force you to.” He didn’t stop walking toward him, and he didn’t stop talking. “I don’t like you, never have. You don’t take care of Maci, and even after all this time with her, you don’t have the balls to step up and be the man she needs and deserves.”

Whoa, whoa, whoa. Hold up. Who the hell is this, and what did he do with Connor Green? My eyes were probably bulging out of my head as I watched Bryce step toward the open doorway.

Bryce’s head shot up, his eyes piercing mine. “Maci, get over here. We’re leaving.”

“I don’t know who the fuck you think you are, but if I ever hear you talking to Maci like she’s a child again, this is your only warning that I won’t even bother waiting for her brothers. I’ll make it so you’ll never want to look in her direction again, do you understand what I’m saying?”

“Mac—­”

“Leave.”

I watched in disbelief as Bryce backed out and Connor shut the door on him. I grew up with four older brothers. Brothers who wouldn’t let other guys get near me, but also didn’t cut me slack when it came to . . . well . . . anything. I’d always had to fight for everything, growing up. So I didn’t need Connor coming to my rescue, but, hell, that was the hottest thing I’d witnessed in a long time.

And now I was confused all over again. I thought I was Mini to him not even twenty-­four hours ago. I thought he’d been making it obnoxiously clear that I didn’t mean anything to him. He’s so damn confusing. And why the hell does this baby powder itch so freaking bad?

Connor turned and walked quickly back to me, but I’d just remembered why I’d come into his apartment in the first place. He opened his mouth, but before he could say anything, I punched him in the stomach as hard as my little muscles would allow.

“Fuck, Mace!” he wheezed.

“This shit burns, and it itches really bad! I keep scratching my head and skin like I have lice, or a rash or something, and it got in my mouth! Since when does baby powder itch like this?”

He laughed as he straightened up, his hand rubbing at his stomach. Pussy. “It’s not baby powder.”