Crazy Thing (The Brighton Family #5)

Chapter 34

34

ZIGGY

D espite all his protests and his arguments about gas mileage, we end up driving my bus to Honey Hill. To compromise, I let Darius control the radio.

That ends up being a huge mistake.

“If you seriously like this song, I don’t think we can be friends,” I murmur, sitting behind the wheel as we exit the highway and head toward my shop.

He only laughs, turning the volume up louder from the custom passenger seat that’s installed next to me. “Oh? We’re friends now, huh? Well, friends teach friends good music.”

“I think you’ve got it wrong. It should be friends don’t torture friends with their awful taste in music,” I retort.

With an unfailing grin on his face, Darius switches the song. “Okay, now this is a classic. You’ve got to appreciate this one.”

I blink, slowly nodding my head. “Oh, this one is actually good.” It’s an old song that was popular during our high school days.

He gasps in mock surprise. “You actually like this song?! Look at that, Fairy Girl. We do have a thing or two in common. There’s hope for us yet,” he teases.

I’m laughing on the outside but internally, my chest aches. Is there hope for us? Really? I want so bad for that to be true. But aren’t we too different? Would Darius even want me beyond this moment? Or will we go back to the way things used to be once this magical weekend is over?

Everything is up in the air, including my heart. And I’m terrified that it will shatter when I wake up from this dream and it inevitably hits the ground.

But Darius doesn’t seem to be worried about a thing. He’s just grinning and flirting and poking fun at me as I drive.

I try to stay present in the moment, laughing at his uncharacteristically goofy antics, when Darius suddenly points out the window. “Uh, didn’t you see that stop sign back there?” he asks, eyes wide.

I shrug. “Meh. That one’s optional.”

“Optional?!” He blinks.

“Yeah, no one stops there.”

“You also didn’t seem too concerned about the speed limit on the highway,” he remarks.

“Y’know what? I’m an excellent driver. Now quit complaining about my driving.” I blow him a kiss.

He grabs my wrist, placing kisses on my knuckles. “Good grief, woman. One way or another, you’re going to kill me this weekend. Between your whacky driving, your sexy tits and your tight, wet pussy.”

I cackle then lower my voice with a sultry promise. “Trust me—it won’t be my whacky driving that takes you out.” I give him a wink and he groans. Laughing, I turn my eyes back to the road. “Now, sit tight. We’re almost there. ”

But the big baby still reaches up and grips the handle above his head for the rest of the ride.

Once we arrive, Darius helps me open my shop and get things set up for the day. I give a quick wipe down to all the front merchandise that’s been collecting dust during the week.

Meanwhile Darius cracks open my accounting books and pokes around. I should be annoyed, but I’m not. If anything, I’m just embarrassed that my business isn’t more successful.But I refuse to give up. Plus, I’ll take all the help I can get.

And since things are slow as normal, I start to put Darius to work.

“All right, Money Man, now that you and your muscles are here, you’re going to help me with some redecorating I’ve been putting off.”

“Put me to work, gorgeous.” He grins at me.

I grin back. “I want to get this set of shelves moved here, and those ones moved to the front of the shop. But don’t break anything!”

He humors me, hauling things around the store. And then pushing them into different spots when I ultimately change my mind.

An hour and a half later, I’m walking through my place, inspecting it all, while Darius is sitting on the floor, sweating.How is it possible that he looks even more attractive right now?

I shake my head. “Y’know—the feng shui just isn’t right. I think we need to move this big chest against the south wall. And then see if we can make the counter face east?”

He groans. “You’re power-tripping, woman.”

“Maybe I am.” I grin and hand him my eco-friendly reusable water bottle.“I think it’s all that pent up resentment from letting you boss me around at the office every day of the week. I’m finally getting my revenge.”

“Okay. Fair enough. I can live with that.” He chuckles. He takes a final swig of water. Then, we’re back to work, redecorating.

Eventually, the little bell chimes above the front door to my shop. “Oh, customers! Hurry! Go hide, you’ll scare them off with your corporate shoes and fancy pants.”

Right then his phone starts ringing. “You’re lucky this is important.” He shakes his head but he pulls himself up off the floor and makes himself scarce.

I turn to my customers. “Hello, there,” I say with a bright smile.

“Hi,” one of the women beams. “My wife is looking for a beautiful piece to add to her green apophyllite collection.”

“Ooh! I’d love to assist you in finding the perfect stone.” I lead the way across the store.

We sift through the options laid out in my display cases. I explain to them the benefits of working with this particular stone and they share their own personal experiences. Everything is going great until they scoff at my super-reasonable price.

As soon as they start haggling over it, I begin to feel my confidence slipping. “I…well…it’s not…”

Before I can completely lose my zen, I hear Darius stomping up from behind me, and when I catch the look in his eyes, I see he is not having it.

“It’s non-negotiable, ladies,” he says firmly, coming up to the front of the store. “You heard Ziggy. This stone is a great piece. One of a kind. If you want this in your collection, you’ll be paying full price. And I can assure you, you won’t regret it.”

I’m bracing for the women to turn and march right out my shop. I grapple with the anxiety of losing out on yet another sale.

So, I struggle to hide my shock when one of them pulls out a wallet and hands over my full asking price. Her wife also ends up purchasing a set of herb bottles before they exit as happy customers.

I’m dumbfounded as I turn to Darius. “I don’t…How did you do that? You weren’t even nice about it, but yet, they paid and they were thrilled about it.”

He shrugs like this is an everyday occurrence. “Well, I can’t guarantee that tactic will work for everyone, but sometimes customers need to be reminded of what they want. Set your prices and be firm. You know you have high quality items in here. Rare pieces, too. Make sure they know it, by not backing down.” He gently brushes a tendril from my cheek. “It’s all a matter of believing in your product, Fairy Girl.”

I nod, because he has a good point.

“How do I bring in more customers anyway?” I ask, hoping for more of his advice. I know the value of my products. It’s just a matter of conveying that value to my customers. I may struggle with closing deals. But Darius is an expert when it comes to this sort of stuff, that much is certain. “As you can see, I don’t stay all that busy. And I don’t have a budget to spend on advertising right now.”

Darius rubs at his jaw as he paces around my shop, eyeballing the merchandise on the rows of shelves as he thinks. “Okay. How about setting up a booth for local events? If you set up next to your aunt’s booth at the farmer’s market in Starlight Falls, I bet you’d attract a whole new group of customers who are willing to travel here and spread the word for you.”

“That’s not a bad idea.” I bob my head slowly .

“Oh, and wasn’t that an organic grocery store that we passed on our way into town? What if you try to partner with them and see if they’ll let you set up a shelf of products in their store?” Darius suggests. “In return, you could offer to advertise for them here, or find a way to partner with them every few months since you’re in a higher traffic location. It’s a win win.”

“Well, damn. Why didn’t I think of that?” I mutter, jotting notes down on the back of an envelope. “I know the owner there, too. A sweet middle aged lady who left her corporate life in the city and moved here a few years ago.”

“See? You’ve just got to start connecting the dots. Thinking of how to come up with mutually beneficial partnerships.”

I smile softly. “Wow—you’ve been sitting on a lot of good business tips, Money Man.”

“And none of them are sleazy, either.” His lips swing into a half-grin.

I grin back.

More and more, I’m starting to open up to the possibility that he might actually be a good guy. I’m starting to consider that maybe he’s successful because he’s just brilliant. Maybe he didn’t have to crush anyone to reach success.

One thing’s for certain—I admire his mind. His intelligence is so sexy.

He grabs my wrist, pulling me into his arms. “But seriously, this place is amazing, Ziggy. You’re doing a great job here.”

My chest hitches at the unexpected compliment. “As the man who just paid off my heap of unpaid rent, you can’t possibly mean that, Money Man.”

He shrugs a shoulder. “You needed a little help. So what? Everybody needs a hand now and then. It doesn’t mean that you’re failing.”

My gaze drops to the floor. “Most days, it sure feels like I’m failing.”

He gently lifts my chin, forcing me to hold his stare. “Your work makes an impact in people’s lives, Ziggy. That’s important. No matter what your bank balance says.”

“Don’t get all mushy on me, Brighton.” As I say it, I feel a tear trickle along my lash line before spilling down my cheek.

Darius wipes my tear away, playfully frowning at me. “Mushy? Baby, I’m a man of steel and you know it. I’d happily give you a reminder if you need it.” He presses up against me and I feel the heaviness of his erection against my stomach.

I gasp, feeling my pulse flutter between my legs.

Darius chuckles at my reaction. “But to go back to what I was saying, this business you’ve built here is incredible. I’m being honest, Ziggy.”

I haven’t gotten many pats on the back on this eclectic journey of mine. My parents have flat-out called me a disappointment. So to have this tremendously successful man deem my work important means so much to me.

I burrow against his chest and I let him hold me tightly. “Thank you.” My voice cracks. But before I can melt into an absolute blubber-ball, the door chimes again.

After a few more straggler customers—one who browsed and left, and another who came to ask about my next meditation class—it’s dead quiet at the shop.

When I’m ready to call it a day, I lock up, and Darius joins me in the storage room at the back of my shop to put away the mop bucket and other cleaning supplies.We’ve already worked later than I expected and I’m exhausted, more than ready to collapse into my bed.

With Darius’s help, I was able to get more completed in a day than I’ve been able to accomplish by myself in weeks.

“Well, it’s finally closing time,” I announce, slowly dragging my palms down his chest because I love the way his body feels under my hands. “Are you ready for the drive back to your mansion, Your Highness?” I joke.

But now he shakes his head. “No. I want to see where you usually sleep.”

That makes me pause. I eyeball him closely in my dimly-lit storage room. “Really? You’d sacrifice another night in your mansion to sleep in the forest with me?”

“Absolutely,” he answers without hesitation, and the look in his eyes makes my heart flutter.

More and more, I’m finding this man irresistible. With each moment we spend together, our differences mean less to me. The only thing that matters is how much his presence speaks to my soul.

“I could kiss you,” I admit.

“I could kiss you back,” he mumbles, his gaze flitting down to my lips.

I rush forward, practically attacking his mouth with my own. I don’t know what’s come over me, but I couldn’t stop it if I tried.

I want Darius. All of him.

He’s caught by surprise at first, stumbling as I knock him off balance. But then, his strong hands reach out and grip my middle in a tight hold.

We’re bumping into shelves. My legs are knocking things on the floor in the near darkness.

Without breaking our kiss, Darius hoists me up onto a wooden counter. It’s a wobbly one, not even attached to the wall.

But we’re all over each other.

Hands, lips, teeth. They’re everywhere. Mine. His.

Heat. Lust. An overwhelming sense of urgency.

I blink, and my skirt’s gone. My panties, too.

Darius spreads my thighs, guiding the tip of his erection to my entrance.

“Condom…” he mutters at the very last second.

“Shit.” I shake my head. “I don’t have any.”

“I don’t have any, either. I haven’t needed any for a long fucking time now.” He chuckles, almost embarrassedly.

As he speaks, he brushes the crown of his dick along my clit. Back and forth. Back and forth.

My breaths stutter and fireworks blink on and off before my eyes. “How long?” I manage to ask.

“Six months.” He shrugs. “Eight. I don’t know. I’ve lost track.”

I’m more than a little surprised to hear that. “I thought that men like you would have bootycalls on rotation like a mechanic shop.”

“Men like me?” he asks, eyes twinkling with amusement. “You mean, handsome, intelligent, well-endow—”

“Yes, yes. And rich .” I laugh.

He chuckles heartily. “As I said, women haven’t been a priority of mine for a long time.” He smooths his knuckles down my cheek. “Until you…”

My belly flutters. “Don’t make me melt, Darius Brighton.”

“You’ve got to believe me. I mean it. You’ve shifted all my priorities, Ziggy. You’ve changed everything for me.”

This man’s perfect words will be my undoing.

And the most shocking part is, I believe him .

But even still, we need to be responsible. I do a quick calculation in my head, estimating my moon cycle.

“I won’t be ovulating for a while…” I blurt out. Why the hell did I just say that?!

His pupils flare and his excitement is palpable in the tiny space. “Well, I’ve never been with any woman without a condom.” He rushes to add, “I’m not trying to pressure you. I’m just letting you know that I’m clean.”

“I’m clean, too,” I whisper.

On a groan, he kisses me softly. “We don’t have to do this if you don’t want to, Ziggy.” He searches my eyes. “I will burst out of here and hightail it to the nearest pharmacy on foot to get condoms if you want me to.”

Giggling, I seal my lips over his. “We don’t…we don’t need condoms…” I hear myself saying.

What?! No! Don’t say that, Ziggy! We don’t say those things to cute boys!

But deep in my soul, I know that Darius is more than a cute boy. He’s a man. A devastatingly gorgeous man. A man who makes me feel seen and appreciated. A man who makes me feel worth the effort. Am I just leading myself on here? Am I blowing this whole weekend out of proportion?

Maybe I am. All I know is, there’s nothing I want more than to have my teenaged crush inside me again.

“It’ll just be one time. And I won’t come inside you. I’ll pull out.” Darius mumbles against my mouth, sounding drunk with lust.

I slowly nod my head. My brain must be short-circuiting from the way he’s rubbing the crown of his erection against my clit.

“I don’t want to wait,” I say quietly. “I want you right now.”

Darius locks his lips with mine as his hips rear back. He enters me with one powerful, confident movement. I sigh as my channel stretches to accommodate him.

He quickly finds his rhythm, thrusting hard and fast. I cling to his shoulders and I moan up to the ceiling. Somehow, we remain upright, as Darius manages to keep us from crashing to the floor. Those strong thighs I’ve come to like so much are doing all the work as the man thrusts me into the counter.

I’m not even sure I’m breathing. The only thing I’m aware of is Darius. Well. Darius and his glorious mouth and his glorious tongue and his glorious cock.

He has a lot of good anatomy, and he knows how to torture me with it.

But the real danger is the way he’s looking at me. That softness in his eyes. The awe. The fascination. The way his pupils flare with every little sound I make.

He’s murmuring that I’m so pretty and that my tits are so perfect and that my pussy is so tight and that there’s no one he’d rather be here with than me.

If I didn’t know better, I’d think this man had real feelings for me.

His movements stop and his wonderstruck gaze bounces between my eyes.

“What is it?” I whisper breathlessly.

“I still can’t fucking believe that this whole weekend is really happening,” he replies, awe in his voice. “That this is you and me.”

The realization hits me, too. Never in a million years did I imagine that Darius and I would end up here, like this. Intertwined, sharing this moment. A wave of emotion sweeps over me, making me shiver.

But I don’t want to go there. Not with my heart.

My body? Fine. He can use my body. But not my heart .

I’m thinking too much. So I shut my brain off.

Needing to feel him moving inside of me, I start thrusting my hips. My walls clamp down around his cock. My body is working on pure instinct.

It feels so…fucking…good. Too good. Everything is hot and slippery and electric.

His face twists with pleasure. He hisses sharply, his body going stiff against mine. Urgently, he grabs my hips to stop my movements again.

I giggle at the tortured look on his face. “You okay there, buddy?”

“Careful with those magic tricks, Ziggy. I might start believing that this pussy was made for me.”

Oh, god. I like the idea that I was made for him, that I belong to him.

I struggle even harder to fight off the feelings trying to bloom inside my heart. “Not everything is yours for the taking, Money Man. This pussy is very much mine and mine alone.” Trying to remain detached, I squeeze my walls tightly around his cock, causing him to whimper. “Just enjoy this while you can.”

A growl rises in his chest. With a renewed determination to show me who’s in charge here, Darius grabs my waist and he begins to pound. Mercilessly.

The earthquake of his lust vibrates the room. The friction of his pelvis against my clit drags me right up to the brink.

When I’m right about to lose my mind, he brings his lips to my ear. “You’ve always been mine, my stubborn Fairy Girl, and we both know it.”

That’s the truth, even though I hate it. The undeniable reality of his statement sends a spark of dynamite down my spine .

Without warning, Darius yanks his pulsating cock from inside me and drops to his knees. Propping my ass on the edge of the shelf, he hooks my thigh over his shoulder and covers my womanhood with the warmth of his open mouth.

A gasp gets locked in my throat. “I’m about to…Oh, Darius, I’m about to come.”

This moment we’re sharing is going to forever change the energy field of my quaint little shop. But I don’t even care.Not in the slightest. I’m too caught up in this imminent explosion.

I want this room to be imprinted, forever painted with the essence of him and me.

That’s my last thought before he sucks my clit between his lips and sends me right over the edge.