Assumption (Underground Kings 1)

When we left the furniture store, I thought for sure we would head home, but he drove us to a bedding and home goods store, leading me inside and right to the bedding department, telling me to pick something.

“What do you mean ‘pick something’? It’s your bed. You pick something,” I told him, crossing my arms over my chest in order to not punch him in the gut. My feelings were hurt. All I wanted to do was go home. I knew it was dumb, but that didn’t mean that I didn’t feel like crying about it.

“I need help,” he said, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.

I bit my lip, looked around at every bedding set, and one caught my eye. It was white with a large design of a tree on it, and it had a green border that was made out of silk ribbon. I knew it would look amazing with his new bedroom furniture, but I also thought it was too feminine for a guy’s room. I walked over to the wall of blankets, grabbed a Bed in a Bag set that was mostly browns and blacks, and handed it to him. His eyes went from the bag to my face and then narrowed.

“What?” I asked, wondering what was wrong with the set I’d picked. I’d done what he’d asked me to, so what was his problem?

“You would have this in your room?”

“No, but this isn’t for my room,” I said, pointing at myself. “This is for your room.” I shrugged and started to walk away, but I was grabbed by the back of my jeans, and his hands slid along my stomach.

“Who do you think will be sleeping in my bed with me?” he asked against the shell of my ear. He’d found out the night before that that was a very weak spot for me.

“I don’t know,” I said, feeling stupid tears sting my nose. I didn’t want to think about anyone in his bed.

He turned me in his arms and I ducked my head, not wanting him to see the emotions I was sure were written all over my face.

“What’s going on?” His concerned voice caused my eyes to lift. I shook my head and started to look away, but his hand cupped my cheek, forcing me to look at him. “You’re the most difficult woman I have ever met.” He shook his head and started to laugh. My eyes narrowed, and he looked over my face before laughing harder.

“What the hell is funny?” I hissed.

He stopped laughing and his voice became serious. “You’re in my bed. I want that to be the place you sleep from now on. I also want it to be somewhere you’re comfortable. That’s why I wanted you with me today.”

“Oh,” I mumbled, my belly fluttering.

“Now, what are we getting?”

I bit my lip and walked over to the set that had caught my eye. I picked it up then put it down when I saw the price. “Maybe you should just get that other one,” I told him, seeing the much cheaper price boldly displayed across the front of the picture on the bag in his hand.

“Jesus.” He shook his head then walked over and picked up the one I really liked. “I hate shopping, so this will go a lot faster if you just pick the shit you like so we can get the fuck out of here.”

“Don’t be an ass,” I growled, making him smile.

“Do we need sheets?”

“Yes,” I hissed then stomped over to the sheets, picking up two sets—a black one that would match the tree printed on the comforter and one green set the same color as the ribbon on the border. The whole time I stomped around, I listened to Kenton laughing. I rolled my eyes but couldn’t help the smile that formed on my lips when his arm swung over my shoulders and his lips touched my temple.

The feeling of him taking a deep breath brings me back to the present, and I tilt my head back slightly to look at him.

“Is everything okay?” I ask sleepily.

“All’s good. Justin just left. He said you went to bed late ’cause you were up eating junk food while watching him play Call of Duty all night.”

“He’s such a tattletale.” I shake my head.

Justin has become like a brother to me. We bicker and argue constantly, but he also makes me laugh so hard that I can’t breathe. I adore him for the way he looks out for Kenton and love that he is such a great friend. He stays with me every time Kenton is out of town. Between him and the rest of Kenton’s men, there isn’t a time when my whereabouts are unknown or I’m not supervised. I hate having people constantly in my space, but I know that, in order for me to be safe right now, I need them.

“I missed you,” I say softly, pressing my nose into his chest.

“Missed you too, babe.” His hand travels down my back, over my ass, and between my legs. One finger dips inside my pussy before rolling over my clit.

“Kenton,” I moan as he takes my mouth in a deep kiss, rolling me to my back and entering me.

By the time we both come, we’re exhausted and fall back asleep.

I snuggle into Kenton and wrap my arms around his waist when I hear the doorbell ring in the distance. “They’ll go away,” I tell him, not ready to get up. I feel like I just fell asleep.

“I gotta get it. It could be Mom.”

Crap, he’s right. It could be his mom, because while he’s out of town, she or Viv stop by for coffee most mornings.

“Did you tell her you are home?” I ask, knowing that, if she knows he’s home, she would normally give him at least until the afternoon before calling or showing up.

“Nah, so she’s probably here to see you.”

“I’m up. You should sleep.” I throw my legs over the side of the bed then find the T-shirt he had on yesterday. I pull it on over my head before bending and grabbing my sweats off the floor.

The loud slap on my ass has me jumping in place and glaring at Kenton, who is now up and wearing a pair of jeans with the top button undone.

“What was that for?”

“You stick it in my face, babe, and I’m going to slap it,” he says with a smirk, opening the bedroom door.

I jump on his back, wrapping my legs around his hips and my arms around his neck while biting his ear and neck, making him laugh as he tries his best to tickle me off him, making me giggle while heading down the stairs.

“What the fuck?” I hear whispered.

I lift my head at the familiar voice, shocked to see Sid standing on the front porch. My arms and legs start to loosen from around Kenton’s waist and neck, and I drop to the floor.

“Sid?” I ask, concerned, taking in his disheveled appearance.

“I knew she was with you.” His eyes narrow on Kenton. “I fucking knew after your last visit, but this sealed the deal.”

“You were in Vegas?” I ask Kenton and glare.

He crosses his arms over his chest, looking down at me for a second before his eyes go back to Sid. “Why are you here? More importantly, how the fuck did you find me?” Kenton asks him.

“It wasn’t that hard,” Sid says, glaring.

I look between the two of them then settle my eyes on Kenton. A million questions fly through my head, but the biggest one is why the hell he was in Vegas and didn’t say anything to me. “Why were you in Vegas?” I try, hoping to get an answer.

“He had a meeting at my club yesterday,” Sid says, and my head swings in his direction.

“Meeting?” I mumble, looking between the two of them.

“Motherfucker,” Kenton growls, taking a step towards him.

“She should know what’s going on,” I hear Sid say, and I look back up at Kenton.

“What happened?” I ask.

The last time he went to Vegas, my place had been broken into. I have no idea who he would be meeting with besides Link, but I don’t think that’s what this is about.

“We’ll talk soon,” Kenton says, the vein in his neck ticking.

“Why don’t you tell her now?” Sid looks from Kenton to me, his eyes going soft. He starts to take a step towards me, but Kenton blocks his way, putting his hand on the door. “She’s my friend,” Sid complains.

“She’s my woman.”

“Okay, please put your giant penis away for a minute,” I tell Kenton, elbowing him in the side before looking over at Sid.

“Why are you here?” I ask him softly, wondering if he’s in trouble or something.

“After your last e-mail, I wrote you back. When I didn’t hear from you, I wrote you again, only for it to come back to me saying you’d deleted your account.” He runs a hand over his head, and this time, his eyes go to Kenton. “I knew you were with him after yesterday, so I got his address and came to talk to you.”

“Why?”

“You know I’ve always been in love with you, Autumn. Don’t be stupid.”

“‘Don’t be stupid’?” I whisper. “So, all the women you paraded around in front of me?” I ask.

“Meant nothing.” He shrugs. “I just wanted you to realize you wanted me. I wanted you to fight for me.”

“Wow,” I say softly, shaking my head. “You’re telling me you were in love with me and brought women around so I would be jealous and fight for you…instead of telling me how you felt and you fighting for me?”

“You’re so closed off. You were always in your head. I was trying to break through to you.”

I look at Sid then Kenton.

“Don’t look at me, babe. I don’t know what the fuck to say about this shit.”

“Sid, you’re a great guy, but you don’t love me.”

The differences between Kenton and Sid are striking, the biggest being that Kenton has fought for me since the beginning. He’s never let me get too far when I’ve tried running away. He’s also never brought women around to try to get me to accept my feelings for him.

“Like I said in my last e-mail, I care about you, but not like that. I hope you can understand,” I tell him softly, hoping that he gets that there is nothing—nor will there ever be anything—between us.

“You’re serious?” he asks.