The Company You Keep

“Yes, sir. I love you both. Have a good night.”

“Night.” I hear giggling and the call ends. My grandparents are still in love after all these years. It’s wonderful to see.

I get up and prepare for an early night. There’s nothing I want to do. And since this will be my new routine, I’ll plan my day during my train ride to work. After I shower and braid my long curly hair, I fall asleep.

Chapter 3

James

I thrust my hand around my cock for the hundredth time this week, stroking it to thoughts of claiming Piper. Beads of cum drip over my tip and down my fingers as I pump my hips forward. I turn my head in to growl into the pillow as I come on my stomach. Each drop should be in Piper. I can’t take this anymore. Something’s got to motherfucking give when it comes to us. I don’t even know if she’d welcome my advances. In the six months not once did she even try to flirt with me. Not once did she accidentally brush against me. In fact, she makes a point to avoid getting close to me. Can she smell the danger she’s in when I’m around? How close I am to slamming her up against the wall and ripping her clothes off? I ache to drag her mouth to mine, stealing a kiss until she moans my name.

I’m a twenty-five-year-old virgin for fuck’s sake and no other reason than I let my parents murder make it hard to get close to anyone. Once I was ready to strike out, fuck if I knew how to meet a woman. Then I walk in to see a new receptionist sitting at the desk, and she owned me. There’s just the problem of being the damn owner and her boss.

I throw the pillow across the room and hop off my bed. I have to hit the shower before heading over to my sister’s house to babysit while she and Rob do some Christmas shopping. They met around this time last year, and now they’re married with a little baby while I’m beating off in my hand.

After I’m cleaned and dressed, I head out of my house and down the road to theirs. Rob bought it a few months ago, and my sister loves to invite me over as often as possible to eat with them. I only show up on the weekends because my weeknights are spent alone with Piper pretending to work while I steal glances at her and envision me fucking her pretty mouth.

I pull up to their house and enter the security code to their gate. It opens easily, and my tires crunch the fresh snow that fell this morning. They need to hire a company to come plow this shit. Their driveway is three times the size of mine.

I jump out of my truck, then grab my laptop bag. I’ve got work I could do if little man falls asleep. My sister opens the door, and I can’t stop myself from looking around behind me to make sure no one comes after her. Last year we were shot at, and the fucker actually tagged her in the arm. It was a flesh wound, but that shit didn’t matter to me. I’ll always worry about her safety.

“Come inside. The surveillance system Rob put in will let us know if a damn rabbit crosses the gate.”

“You know I can’t stop myself,” I respond, giving her a hug, then stepping into the house.

Little man is in Rob’s arms cooing and looking up at his daddy. He’s only a couple of months old, but the guy is fucking cute. I can’t wait to see Piper swollen with my kid. I want an army of them. The thought of holding her in my arms with my hands protecting my babies hits me in the gut.

“Get out of here before it gets any later. And please be careful.”

“Of course, bro. I’m going to make sure she’s safe.”

My sister stares at her son with longing and fear. This is her first time out of the house without him. “Becca don’t worry. I’ve got him, and I won’t let anything happen to him.”

“I’m sorry. This is the first time I’m leaving him.”

“It’s only for a few hours,” Rob reminds her, kissing Ryan on the forehead before dragging Becca out of the house. I watch from the window until they drive away, then I step back and take Ryan to the living room. There’s some basketball on.

For two hours we watch the Bulls take on the Mavericks with a few interruptions: a bottle and two diaper changes and some leftover pizza for me. My sister sends me a text, checking in with me. I shake my head and take a picture of Ryan and me together to send to her.