《Inked & Pierced (LGBT)》 1: Gretchen Fox Over the past year, I''ve grown very close to my former patient, as was evident by the fact that I was pretty much lounging in her living room with my two-year-old nephew running amok when she and I discussed potential travel plans. Her husband Nick was already in Anders narrowing down some of the potential properties picked out by Tahlia''s twin sister, Kaliana. She was to follow in a few days and my hope was for me and the Kit to travel with her and baby Alexei now that they were cleared to fly. Kit, so nicknamed because he was the youngest member of the Fox family, needed to get to his dad in Nevada. The distance between Anders and my brother''s new house was only about four hours by car. I was curious about how Kaliana was settling in and these friends Tahlia talked about nonstop. Apparently, the hotter sister had finally settled down and I was dying to meet whoever had made that happen! Kaliana (and I guess Tahlia too) is gorgeous, I''ve had a crush on her for years but she was such a disaster and likely strictly straight, I never made a move on her¡­ well, not an official one anyway¡­ it''s weird though. Being identical you''d think my crush would transfer to her twin but no, I''ve never seriously thought of Tahlia that way. Maybe the coma and her care were factors? Whatever. Anyway, it¡¯s more likely due to Kaliana''s piercings, I love them, I want to play with them! I''ve always been into pierced women who, for the record, are few and far between in Blues Meadow¡­ Maybe my fascination stems from the fact that I couldn''t/shouldn''t have as many as I would like on my own body? As a charge nurse in this small town, it was best that I at least try to conform. My ears have multiple earrings, all of which I love. I also have my septum done, though I frequently wear a retainer instead of showing it off, especially at work. Doc Avarez has made some disparaging comments over the years, serving to make me paranoid about displaying much of my jewelry. I envied Kaliana''s rebellious nature and all the piercings she had, which is to say a great number, but they were well done and tastefully displayed that it never appeared to be too much. Just her, only amplified and rumor had it she had her snake bites redone! Yeah, I wanted to see her again¡­ just a little visit before taking my nephew to his new home¡­ I was going to miss having him underfoot, I''ve been taking care of him ever since his mother died and my brother checked out emotionally. They¡¯d been separated for over a year, but he still loved her and took Ember¡¯s death very hard. Maddox was in a much more stable place now, both mentally and physically, and ready to handle the responsibility, hence my travel needs. I didn¡¯t mind making the trip, in fact, there was a convention near him. He was supposed to take care of my ticket for the convention in exchange for delivering his son to him, but my brother has a nasty habit of forgetting to follow through on things like that¡­ The con: Inked & Pierced was huge out on the west coast and had a significant turnout of big names in the industry, many of which I wanted to meet¡­ okay and drool over. This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. Like Megara Sutton, I heard she was on a panel this year and I really wanted to hear her voice. I would say I wanted to meet her, but I doubt that will ever happen. Not only is she gorgeous, successful, talented and in-demand, but everyone knows it and she¡¯s never on her own at these things. There¡¯s always someone at her side and I¡¯m not crazy enough to believe that it could be me (in anywhere except my dreams). I know she has three studios, one of which is in Anders, so if I went with Tahlia¡­ maybe I could meet her in a less crowded environment? Probably not, but at least it would be more likely! ¡°I¡¯d love the company.¡± Tahlia didn''t take much convincing. I could imagine she was pretty desperate for adult conversation. Not only was Nick out of town, but she only had a two-month old son for company¡­ Well, sometimes she watched Kit for me, but as smart as I thought the little guy was, his conversation skills left a lot to be desired still¡­ And I¡¯m going to be missing out on so much of it! He¡¯s not mine, I knew this day was going to come and I really thought I¡¯d be ready for it, but I¡¯m not. ¡°Awesome! Let me know your flight plans and I will get me and Kit tickets for the same flight.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not actually necessary¡­¡± she hedged, though I''m not sure why. Did she change her mind? ¡°You aren¡¯t buying them for us!¡± I shot back, refusing to believe she¡¯d be so cruel as to change her mind after just telling me yes. ¡°I¡¯m not even paying for me!¡± she spit out, laughing. ¡°One of Ana¡¯s friends is flying us out there.¡± Her explanation required a little extra processing on my side. Mostly because my girl goes by Ana now, I¡¯d really have to work on that before I saw her again. ¡°Seriously?¡± ¡°Yeah, private plane, plenty of space for you and Declan,¡± she assured me while using my nephew¡¯s legal name. He was always just Kit to me, ever since I first held him, I¡¯ve never really thought of him as Declan. ¡°Well, that¡¯s pretty awesome!¡± I agreed cheerfully, but probably not for the reasons Tahlia thought. Not having to pay for plane tickets meant I could pay back Maddy faster, go sightseeing, do extra touristy things¡­ maybe even get inked¡­ ¡°When do we leave?¡± 2: Megara Sutton 2: Megara Sutton I heard a door open and glanced up from the two patterns I was debating between. A stunning blonde followed Cagey¡¯s twin inside and I had to take a moment to appreciate the beauty before me. ¡°I didn¡¯t realize your sister was bringing an entourage,¡± my cousin Nique giggled. ¡°Cute.¡± Cute? First of all, Nique is getting married in six or so weeks, it was the whole reason we were in this room together! And secondly, the blonde was more than cute, she was exactly my type or would have been if not for the mini-me looking toddler lurking behind her as he clung to her leg. Not that I had anything against kids, more that her having one would likely reduce the odds of her being into me. A shame because she was incredibly gorgeous! ¡°I¡¯m not complaining¡­¡± Did I say that out loud? Must have, the hot blonde''s neck twisted sharply in my direction. Finding me at the table with my sister and my cousin, I could see the appreciation fill her eyes for at least one of the three of us¡­ and then those same eyes rolled back and she crumpled to the floor. I launched out of my seat and reached her in time to cushion the fall. ¡°Annie, Annie, Annie!¡± the young boy started screaming at her, over and over. He calls his mom Annie? He was tearing up and I was at a loss. Instead of breaking down alongside the kid, I focused more on easing myself and my lovely bundle to the floor where I laid her head in my lap and the others converged. The kid was shaking her shoulder and still yelling ¡°Annie¡± at her. I''ve had clients pass out on me before and learned it was best to just wait them out at first. Her eyes fluttered open after a few minutes, revealing a gorgeous blue-violet color. ¡°Did I fall asleep?¡± she asked, confused. ¡°You fainted,¡± I corrected her softly. ¡°No, I must be sleeping because I know I''ve had this dream before¡­¡± ¡°Annie okay?¡± ¡°Oh my God, Kit!¡± She shot up and nearly clipped my chin in her rush. Dream? ¡°You okay, buddy?¡± ¡°I good. You ¡¯kay?¡± She looked over her shoulder at me and smiled, ¡°I really am¡­¡± Oh my God, that smile! I was in so much trouble! ¡°Well, that was embarrassing¡­¡± she grumbled crankily as she averted her eyes. ¡°Did you eat today, Gretchen?¡± Cagey''s mirror sounded more clinical than concerned. Also, Gretchen? I thought the kid called her Annie? ¡°Back off, Princess, my medical degree is still higher than yours.¡± Her sassiness only served to make her hotter in my eyes as if she needed the extra points¡­ ¡°For now anyway,¡± the last bit was mumbled and incredibly adorable. ¡°Nurse Tyrant,¡± Cagey snickered. ¡°T¡¯s still annoyed that Gretchen was the boss of her while recovering from her coma last summer.¡± My former crush-turned-close friend provided some additional insight though not nearly enough to satisfy my curiosity. I needed to know more about this woman, everything would be a great start! ¡°Good to see you again,¡± Cagey offered her hand to Gretchen who seemed reluctant to take it. ¡°Come on, I¡¯ll show you where to put your stuff and introduce you to everyone.¡± ¡°I¡¯m Meg,¡± I told her, not wanting her to run off before knowing my name. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m well aware¡­¡± She¡­ what? So did she pass out because of some extreme fangirl moment? Damn, I was hoping to get to know her as me and not just the name I¡¯d made for myself! To be fair, I wanted her to know all of me, but there wasn¡¯t going to be enough time, was here? I had to leave for Renata in the morning¡­ While I was daydreaming, Gretchen/Annie accepted Cagey''s hand and pulled her upright. The two lovely women were standing side by side and nearly of the same height, another box ticked. I love taller women and if she was the same as Cagey that gave her a few inches over me. ¡°So you know our Meg¡­¡± ¡°Know of, actually," Gretchen corrected softly as she offered me her hands. ¡°Never thought I''d ever actually have the opportunity to meet you¡­¡± Her eyes fluttered half-closed and I latched on to her, accepting her offer of assistance. Letting go of her once I was upright was not something that appealed to me, so I only did it halfway. With one hand still holding hers, I lead to the planning table of doom. ¡°Now that you have, let me introduce you to the rest of the girls. I suppose I should probably start with the bride, Nique.¡± My lovely Scottish pixie of a relative waved at us. "My cousin is getting married at the end of August and we''re working out all of those pesky last-minute details while her lovely lady is out shopping with her stepsister. Goodness knows how long that will take¡­ How long are you staying in Anders?" Yeah, stealthy, I know¡­ I had to know how long I would have to convince this lovely stranger to play with me. I really wanted this one¡­ I work on beautiful women every day, but none have ever affected me this way. It''s been an insanely long time since I felt a pull like this. Damn, something told me I wouldn''t be meeting anyone like her again, possibly ever. ¡°Ahem,¡± Kitty Cat cleared her throat, looking entirely too amused, likely at my expense. ¡°My baby sister, Kitty Cat,¡± I stuck my tongue out at the nuisance. ¡°Mal, actually. She and Thor are the only clowns who call me that,¡± she rose to the bait as intended. ¡°Thor?¡± Gretchen arched an eyebrow as she delivered her question. ¡°My hotness,¡± Cagey claimed her man and I didn''t blame her, Josh was very pretty to look at, even though he did nothing for me personally. ¡°Yes, you are, but who is Thor?¡± I think she was teasing, but the stab of unwelcome jealousy was no joking matter. Sure, I''d had my own crush on her for years, but she wasn''t even a blip on my radar after Gretchen walked into this room tonight.A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. ¡°Her boyfriend Josh bears an eerie resemblance to the God of Thunder and calls me KitKat because he¡¯s obsessed with naming younger sister types after candy bars. This is their apartment, by the way.¡± Baby sister was not helping me regain my composure, instead, I carried on with the introductions. ¡°Eva''s over in the corner feeding Erin, they should be done soon.¡± I paused, bracing myself. ¡°I''m going to say it''s safe to assume you''re Gretchen, so who is this little guy?¡± ¡°I her kit!¡± He answered for himself. ¡°Kit?¡± Did he just say kid wrong? Or his name is actually Kit? ¡°My nephew, Declan. Also known as Kit as he is the youngest member of the Fox family,¡± she clarified and ruffled his curls affectionately. ¡°I''m taking him to his dad in Renfells tomorrow.¡± He''s not hers? She isn''t a mother? She looks so effortlessly natural with him though! More importantly, I needed to reevaluate that look she gave me earlier¡­ ¡°Isn''t Renfells just outside of Renata?¡± Nique inquired far too innocently. Gretchen smiled broadly as she answered, unaware of the trap my cousin was setting. ¡°It is, I''m hoping to go there after I get Kit settled in with my brother.¡± ¡°So who is Annie, other than one of my roommates?¡± Little sis came through with a helpful question. ¡°Annie Gretch!¡± The little guy pointed at her and the name made sense. ¡°Pssst, Annie, your earring goed up-inside yours nose again¡­¡± Gretchen''s hand went to her nose, covering it before I could determine what the kid was saying. ¡°Kit, we don''t--¡± ¡°Is okay here doh! Lotsa deese ladies has face jewelry!¡± ¡°Nurse Evil is pierced?¡± Cagey cackled gleefully. ¡°Show us.¡± ¡°I already offered that, you weren''t interested,¡± she retorted, leaving me somewhere between curious and jealous, it wasn''t anything I was used to feeling. Instead of over-analyzing, I swooped in to save the blushing lady from further embarrassment. ¡°I''m guessing the little one is referring to a septum ring, Cagey, not something a girl can casually pull out, so back off, okay?¡± ¡°Maybe, but you¡¯ve gotta stop calling me that!¡± Her sweet moan of surrender had me grinning, finally having won a round tonight. ¡°Hoping to go to Renata after Renfells?¡± Nique pulled the original topic back up and it didn''t take me long to catch on as to why. Bless Nique and her meticulous and observant self! ¡°Hmmm? Oh right, it''s all hinging on whether it not my brother pulled through for me and got my ticket as he said he would.¡± She shrugged helplessly and I felt for her. I would hate having so much in someone else¡¯s hands. Fortunately, I had a solution, if she was willing to take me up on it... ¡°Ticket? You want to go to the Con?¡± I asked, wanting to ensure I understood correctly. There wasn''t much else in Renata, it was why they liked to throw it there. People came for the convention alone and since it wasn''t exceptionally convenient or cheap, it kept the guest list more¡­ dedicated. I nearly missed Gretchen''s shy nod, but once I caught it, I grinned at the way the fates were smiling upon me. ¡°She can have my pass,¡± Nique generously offered. ¡°I really should stay here and finish up these last-minute details.¡± She splayed her hand over the mess on the table. Though she had until the end of summer, my cousin wasn¡¯t the type to leave such an important event to chance. ¡°I-I-I couldn''t possibly!¡± Gretchen tried to deny Nique, but she had no idea who she was up against. I stood back and watched the master work. ¡°Please?!¡± Nique begged prettily, using a look I''ve never in my life been able to deny her. I prayed Gretchen also lacked the immunity and would take her up on her offer. ¡°I didn''t actually want to go, I was just keeping Meg company-- oh, but you''d still be driving there alone, wouldn''t you, Cos?¡± I love my cousin! "How are you getting to Renfells?" I asked Gretchen, following Nique''s very helpful opening. I mentally calculated the available space in my van even though I knew full well that there would be more than enough room for both the gorgeous blonde and her little guy. ¡°The car we rented to get here from the airport.¡± Gretchen shrugged and I went for it. ¡°There''s plenty of room in mine if you want to save yourself the expense. I don''t mind taking a detour¡­¡± I silently willed her to accept my offer. ¡°No rental, free admission to the con, all you gotta do is keep me company for the drive each way, what do you say?¡± ¡°You don''t even know us, why would you--¡± ¡°You''re a friend of Cagey and her sister.¡± I evaded without actually lying. ¡°Would you please stop calling me that?¡± Ana moaned at me again, guaranteeing that I would never give up using her modeling name. ¡°Never! So anyway, you wouldn''t be here if you weren''t liked or trusted.¡± I shrugged, feigning indifference I didn''t actually feel. Please say yes! I not only trusted my friends'' judgment, but Nique''s rapid acceptance had to be taken into consideration! ¡°I, umm--¡± ¡°Where''s mine Alexsy?¡± Mellie had arrived, effectively disrupting everything, as was her way. ¡°You''s not mines Alexsy, you too big!¡± Mellie stared down Gretchen''s Kit before dismissing the boy and moving on. ¡°Not-Ana, can I please has my baby now?¡± It was the politest I''ve ever heard her speak to Tahlia. With both Josh and Mellie home, it was pretty safe to assume wedding planning was over for tonight. ¡°Wow T, I think that¡¯s the nicest she¡¯s ever been to you,¡± Ana teased her twin while barely restraining her laughter. Mellie turned her sour little face on her second or third favorite person in the room and explained her position. ¡°She has mines baby Alexsy! She won¡¯t share if I not nice and I hasn¡¯t seen him in six-ever!¡± ¡°Valid point,¡± Tahlia cut in. ¡°Hop on up Mellie, there¡¯s space between me and Eva for you.¡± Tahlia patted the seat beside her and waited for Mellie to get comfortable before a\handing her son over to the tiny tyrant who ran this house, despite not actually living here. Snuggling Alexei close to her, she peered distastefully at Erin. Kit ambled over to investigate what had Mellie so upset. ¡°Your baby has no hairs. Still! Erin needs hairs like Alexsy!¡± Erin¡¯s lack of hair hilariously bothered Mellie to no end. Patiently, Eva responded with cool, calm, logic. ¡°It¡¯s probably just tryin¡¯ to decide what color it wants to be, sweetie. Not everyone comes out with as much hair as baby Alex.¡± Eva ruffled the infant¡¯s thick auburn hair for only a second before Mellie snatched him away. ¡°Alexsy is mines!¡± ¡°Everyone knows that, Mellie.¡± The big guy rolled his eyes at his half-sister. ¡°Just as most of us remember you being bald until you were two, give Erin a break, brat.¡± ¡°Weird,¡± Kit declared before wandering off. ¡°Hi, I''m Josh, that''s Mellie,¡± Josh introduced the pair of them and I followed suit on Gretchen¡¯s behalf. ¡°This is Gretchen and Kit,¡± I supplied helpfully and Josh''s mouth quirked in amusement. ¡°So you''re the nurse who grabbed my woman''s ass in the hospital last summer?¡± Gretchen''s cheeks pinkened and Josh laughed heartily. "Can''t really blame you,¡± he agreed magnanimously before meandering over to Cagey where he lovingly wrapped his arms around her waist. Leaving his hands to dangle very close to her (yes!) very fine ass. Wait, Gretchen did¡­ oh yes, there is definitely a chance of something happening here¡­ I turned my attention back to the gorgeous stranger, far confident this time. ¡°So¡­ carpool?¡± 3: Gretchen Fox

3: Gretchen Fox

Four hours in a car with Megara Sutton?! Parts of me were screaming to take the gorgeous and famous artist up on her offer, but the thing holding me back was this niggling fear that I''d embarrass myself with that much time in her presence! Then again, I¡¯ve already fainted in front of her¡­ I''ve crushed on this woman for years although only by reputation and appearance, shallow, I know but my goodness¡­ I mean, I also had a thing for Kaliana once upon a time, but I was never tongue-tied or anything like this around her! Of course, Kaliana was not only a walking disaster at the time but also painfully straight. I heard she had a thing for blondes, but she¡¯s never looked twice at me! But Megara Sutton had her shit together. She owned and operated three successful studios and was openly gay, so there was a small chance-- Dream on, girl! She is utterly and completely out of your league! And damned shame too, she was far more approachable than I ever would have imagined. ¡°Annie! I gosta pee!¡± Kit grabbed himself and fidgeted and I knew I had only seconds to act, his potty training days weren¡¯t all that far in the past¡­ ¡°Kali, where¡¯s the bathroom?¡± I begged for direction and was promptly ignored. ¡°Mellie?¡± Maybe she would take pity on us? ¡°Thor?¡± I was getting desperate and I totally forgot his real name. ¡°Oh, shit Gretchen, I¡¯m sorry, no one calls me Kali anymore¡­ Down the hall on your left.¡± I scooped up my nephew and bolted, not willing to risk an accident in front of all these hot chicks! ¡°Think about it, Gretchen, think of all the fun we could have,¡± Megara¡¯s voice followed me down the hall, but I had my own mission first and I also needed time to weigh the pros and cons of this potential situation. We made it in time, but I was lost in thought while he took care of business. Megara Sutton! Of all people to run into here! Sure I was hoping to run into her at the con but I didn¡¯t realize Tahlia and Kaliana were connected to her! ¡°I think she yikes you, Annie.¡± Kit climbed the step stool in front of the sink and washed his hands as he spoke to me. Why a stepstool? Josh and Kali are not short-- oh Mellie must stay with them a lot? Live with them? Is she his sister or his daughter? Why can¡¯t I think clearly? ¡°What makes you say that Kit?¡± I refused to feel shame in getting Kit¡¯s opinion on the matter. In my experiences toddlers are painfully honest. ¡°She keeps lookin¡¯ at you like you¡¯s ice cream or something.¡± Since ice cream was one of Kit¡¯s favorite things, I took it as a high compliment indeed. Though who am I kidding? Megara Sutton could have anyone she wanted, she¡¯d get real bored with a small town charge nurse from some obscure little town she¡¯s probably never heard of¡­ But the con¡¯s only for a week, I reminded myself that this couldn¡¯t go anywhere anyway. I might feel a little repressed in Blues Meadow, but it was home! But Megara¡¯s cyber bites are sooooo hot, just like the rest of her! ¡°Kit, do you mind if I fix my nose ring before we go back out?¡± Doc A isn¡¯t here to make me feel bad about embracing my jewelry and as Kit mentioned, the population out there was heavily pierced. ¡°I gets to watch you pick your nose!¡± It wasn¡¯t actually a question, as far as he was concerned, that¡¯s what I was doing. Blessing my ambidexterity, I used my right hand to fish the retainer out from its current hiding space while my left went for the shiny new clicker in my pocket. I had intended to switch it as soon as we left Anders, but I sincerely doubted that anyone out there would try to give me shit over mine. If anything, I was under pierced in this crowd! Same as I would be at the convention. ¡°Ewww, why you stick a staple up your nose?¡± Kit giggled maniacally as he did every single time he saw the retainer. ¡°To keep my brains in, duh! Hope they don¡¯t drip all over you!¡± I made my patented monster hands at him, getting him to squeal. Once my jewelry was in place and/or put away, I chased him from the bathroom. I didn¡¯t follow immediately, instead, I returned to wash my hands. As Kit said, for all intents and purposes, I had kinda been picking my nose¡­ ¡°You¡¯re good with him,¡± Megara was leaning into the open doorway, watching me. ¡°He reminds me of my Kitty Cat at that age¡­¡± Her¡­? At my puzzled expression, she elaborated. ¡°Amalia Catriona, my baby sister out there. I was fifteen when she was born, so my memories are still pretty strong. However, seeing her all grown up and in love is new and weird.¡± Megara shook her head and took a step back. ¡°Show her my tattoo!¡± the girl under discussion called from the other room, making Megara laugh again. ¡°I¡¯m guessing your Kit is as obsessed with your jewelry as my Kitty Cat was/is with my tattoos?¡± I shrugged helplessly in agreement. ¡°My adoptive parents let me get my first one at sixteen--¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t live together growing up?¡± ¡°According to our parents, I was a high school mistake. I was better off with the Sutton¡¯s, believe me! Here¡­¡± Megara turned her back to me and pulled her curly red mane off to one side. She tapped on a black, red, and orange panther cub just over her shoulder blade, without the aid of a mirror she pinpointed it precisely with her short, but perfectly manicured fingernail. I want to touch it, touch her! Should I? Is this an invitation? ¡°I like the red and orange highlights, are those because of her hair?¡± I allowed the pad of one finger to lightly trace the cat¡¯s spine, Megara dropped her hair and turned to face me abruptly. ¡°And I like this¡­¡± her nail tapped my septum ring. ¡°But I can¡¯t help but wonder if it will get caught on my medusa when I kiss you¡­¡± ¡°When?¡± I gulped, there was definitely no room to misinterpret her intent any longer. ¡°When,¡± she repeated aggressively. ¡°Because you¡¯re coming with me to the convention after we detour to your brother¡¯s house, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± I breathed out the word, powerless to stop myself. ¡°Yes ma¡¯am, I absolutely am.¡± ¡°I love the sound of that,¡± she whispered near my ear. ¡°I can¡¯t imagine turning you down and not immediately regretting it, so yes, I am definitely going with you.¡± ¡°No regrets, Gretchen.¡± She held the back of my head with one hand and kissed the opposite side of my mouth briefly, too briefly! Whyyyy? ¡°I can¡¯t kiss you now, not the way I want to with the peanut gallery just down the hall, but it¡¯ll happen and soon. I promise you that.¡± Oh my God! ¡°I just needed a tiny taste of you until I can make that happen.¡±You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. ¡°I think it¡¯s only fair that I get a taste of you in exchange.¡± I couldn¡¯t believe such brazen words actually left my mouth! I don¡¯t know what came over me or who I was becoming, but I loved it. Maybe it was knowing that she wasn¡¯t going to turn me down¡­? ¡°Take what you want of me, just remember a varied audience awaits us when you¡¯re done¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯d rather not think of them at all,¡± I admitted candidly. ¡°But you¡¯re right.¡± ¡°I usually am, but will you let that hold you back from me?¡± ¡°If they¡¯re going to give us a hard time, should we have earned it first?¡± I reasoned my way into taking what I wanted as I closed the tiny space between us. Her grin made me falter and feel unsure of my next step. Kiss her lips? Play with her jewelry? Her long, pale, uninked neck? Tick-tock Gretchen, Kit might come back any minute! Since the medusa piercing was both fascinating and a potential problem, I brought it into consideration. My lips parted and gently closed over her upper lip along with the warm metal as I kissed her softly. ¡°Mm, more,¡± her moaned demand had my tongue darting out and tracing the underside of her lip as I took my promised taste of her and little bit more. I wrapped my arms around her waist, pulling her tight against me as I explored her lips and jewelry. My hands wandered lower, I didn''t realize they were on her ass until she laughingly called me out on it. ¡°Better than Cagey¡¯s?¡± I released her abruptly and took a half of a step away. ¡°Oh don¡¯t be like that. She¡¯s lovely. I get it, it¡¯s fine,¡± she insisted. ¡°Nothing ever happened there!¡± Meg arched her double-pierced eyebrow at me, silently calling me out this time. ¡°I might have taken extra liberties with a hug once, but that was all,¡± I mumbled the confession. ¡°I probably would have done the same, tried my luck with her had she not been promised to Josh by my meddlesome friends.¡± Megara laughed as she delivered the interesting news, I¡¯d had no idea! ¡°But with Josh she is and happily so, which leaves us¡­ available and interested in one another, yes?¡± Is that a genuine question?! ¡°Yes, definitely yes.¡± ¡°Then I can¡¯t wait to get you alone, but it¡¯s not going to be tonight or even tomorrow, unfortunately.¡± Meg''s lower lip pulled down into an unbelievably hot pout. ¡°But after we leave your brother¡¯s house, this¡­¡± she turned my favorite hobby around on me and I found I enjoyed being on the receiving end of a firm ass grabbing! ¡°And every other part of you,¡± her gaze raked me over from my scarlet painted toenails up to my eyes while lingering on choice bits in between. ¡°Is going to be mine and thoroughly spoiled.¡± Her husky promise was followed with a graze of her lips on my neck and I nearly lost control over myself then and there. ¡°And I¡¯ll get to return the favor?¡± ¡°I¡¯m counting on it, but for now, we should probably rejoin the others.¡± ¡°I hate to agree, but I don¡¯t think we have much choice. I¡¯m a little surprised that no one has sent one of the littles after us yet,¡± I sighed in defeat. ¡°I¡¯m sure they thought of it, but I¡¯m beginning to wonder if they brought you to me on purpose, knowing I''d want you from the moment I laid eyes on you¡­¡± ¡°Th-that¡¯s crazy,¡± I stuttered the denial I didn¡¯t actually feel. I should though, shouldn¡¯t I? ¡°Is it? Because I did and this group has a knack for coupling people up, sometimes sight unseen.¡± Couple? ¡°Eva brought our Cagey here expressly for Josh. Cari schemed for years to get Skye and Eva to meet. My sweet sister and her roommates¡­¡± ¡°Kali came here for college and to get away from the whole Gage scandal after what he did to her and Tahlia,¡± I insisted on setting the record straight, but it didn''t seem to matter. ¡°Their great-aunt also had a role to play in getting Cagey here. Siggy too. There¡¯s just something about this town. Whatever your reason is for coming here, you always find something deeper that you needed even more. Eva was coming here for years to escape her hometown and her abuser, but she didn¡¯t meet my friend Skye until she officially moved here. They weren¡¯t ready for each other and now I can¡¯t see them with anyone else.¡± ¡°That¡¯s sweet Meg,¡± Eva herself interrupted. ¡°I¡¯ve been designated to hose you two down or whatever and bring you back so we can figure out who is staying where tonight.¡± ¡°You¡¯re no fun,¡± Meg teased the shorter redhead. ¡°My husband disagrees,¡± she didn¡¯t seem the least bit fazed. Instead, Eva held her infant closer to her chest and I caught sight of the roses and vines covering one arm. ¡°Is this your work?¡± I asked Meg. ¡°Of course!¡± Eva laughed, answering herself. ¡°Meg created my habit and now she has to feed it.¡± Eva turned to one side and looked to Megara. ¡°Go ahead and show her the fan-favorite.¡± She moved the baby to the opposite hip as Meg lifted her shirt with what looked like practiced ease. Before I could break down the jealousy I was feeling, I found myself awed by the beautiful flaming bird covering her torso before disappearing into her pants. ¡°Gorgeous!¡± I breathed out the compliment. ¡°My protegee designed it, I inked it, same with the arm, her other hip and anything else she wants in the future.¡± ¡°This is an Adriana Suzu design?¡± The young artist was making a name for herself, being one of the few Megara Sutton had publicly claimed to mentor. ¡°Awwh, my little girl is growing up if you¡¯ve heard of her!¡± Meg clapped her hands excitedly. I¡¯m not sure how much I would have heard of Adriana Suzu had I not been following Megara¡¯s career. ¡°Aren¡¯t you from Blues Meadow like the twins?¡± For reasons unknown to me, Megara¡¯s brow furrowed over Eva¡¯s words, but I have no chance to ask about it. ¡°No! He can¡¯t stay here wif us!¡± Mellie screeched and my first thought was: please don¡¯t be about Kit! ¡°Seconded, Miss Trent. I just came to pick up my wife and son.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t take my baby!¡± The horror in Mellie¡¯s voice would have had me concerned had I not recognized the man she was speaking down to. I skidded into the room to see tiny Mellie clutching the baby with her body turned away from Nikolai Lennox and it was one of the most precious things I have ever witnessed. ¡°Alex has to stay with his parents, sweetpea, His mommy is the only one who can feed him.¡± Kaliana tried to delicately explain. ¡°That¡¯s stupid, we have tons of milk here!¡± ¡°Darling,¡± she warned the hellion with a surprising amount of patience. ¡°Fine! You may stay, Nicky-Lies,¡± she begrudgingly agreed to allow him to exist alongside her. I¡¯ve never actually seen Kaliana around children, didn¡¯t think she cared for them to be honest. Clearly I was wrong because that was incredible. ¡°Much appreciated, can I hold my son now?¡± Nick tried to reach for Alex again. ¡°Pfffft,¡± Mellie blew raspberries at him as she turned her back on the guy. ¡°Go slobber on your wifey like Joshy does to Ana when he hasn¡¯t seen her for like five whole minutes! You hasn¡¯t seen yours for a week, right? That¡¯s a lot of slobberin¡¯ you gotta make up for. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll take good care of mines Alexsy.¡± Impressive, Kaliana¡¯s influence? ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it,¡± Kali pointed to Tahlia across the way. ¡°Yours is over there.¡± I laughed at this, identical or not, Nick has always been able to tell the twins apart, even without Kali¡¯s fabulous jewelry. ¡°You''re far from home,¡± Nick told me as my laugh must have alerted him to my presence. ¡°Nice to see you too¡­ Nicky-Lies?¡± I couldn''t help it, I burst into laughter over the nickname. ¡°Nick!¡± Kit screeched upon realizing who had arrived. Nick dropped to his haunches and held his arms open widely to my nephew. They''ve become close over the past couple of months, I didn¡¯t even think about how much they might miss each other! Kit bounded over into Nick¡¯s arms which closed as he picked up my little man. ¡°Dat girl is meeeeeeean,¡± he whispered dramatically in Nick¡¯s ear as he pointed to Mellie. Nodding sympathetically, ¡°She can be, my man, she can be.¡± Kaliana looked ready to punch him, but to be fair that was how she usually looked at her sister¡¯s husband. ¡°And dees babies are boring. She stoled Alex and Aaron s jus¡¯ sleepin¡¯. He really needs to grow some hairs¡­¡± Kit whispered loudly. ¡°Erin isn¡¯t--¡± ¡°Declan Fox!¡±I interrupted, calling my nephew out on his poor manners. ¡°Uh oh, sowwy babies¡­ can we go now Annie Gretch?¡± Nick¡¯s face fell, ¡°It¡¯s time already for him to go to Maddox?¡± ¡°In the morning. Do you guys want--¡± ¡°Oh, you¡¯s sleepin'' here wif da babies and da meanie?¡± Kit asked Nick. ¡°I¡¯m actually on my way out with Erin. Skye just got off work and--¡± ¡°And you heed your slobbers, we know,¡± Mellie filled in the blanks with an eye roll. ¡°If Nick and Tahlia are staying here, do you and Kit need a place to crash tonight?¡± Megara¡¯s generous offer sucked all of the breath from my body. 4. Megara

4: Megara

More than anything in this world, I want to steal this woman away from everyone in this room. Not that anything can or will happen with her adorable little nephew in tow. ¡°I can babysit the little guy if you like,¡± my baby sister offered, staring adoringly at the little man on her hip. Seeming to be reading my mind except I would never seriously consider taking her up on it. Not that my Kitty Cat isn¡¯t mature for her age, she is, but the bond between aunt and nephew is not something I would dare try to come between. She¡¯s coming to Inked & Pierced with me, we have time. ¡°No!¡± Gretchen was hopefully on the same page as me and not just rejecting me, the way she kissed me earlier led me to believe she wanted to see where this could go as much as I did. ¡°No, Kitty Cat! That¡¯s not even--¡± I tried to salvage the situation, not wanting our lovely guest to think I supported my sister¡¯s offer. ¡°Megara¡­¡± Gretchen sighed and shook her head. ¡°You¡¯re gorgeous, lovely, fun and everything--¡± ¡°Umm, thank you?¡± Please don¡¯t be letting me down gently! ¡°But I¡¯m not giving up my last night with my nephew for anything or anyone and no matter how much it pains me to say this, not even you.¡± She hid her beautiful face from me while explaining her position and it tore at my heart! ¡°I would never ask you to! That would be like--¡± I struggled to come up with something relatable but couldn¡¯t. Fortunately, Kitty Cat had no such issues. ¡°Like our parents coming to pick me up moments after we arrived at your house, despite having given their express permission only hours prior? Allowing us to have a moment of happiness over the thought of being together only to snatch it away once we believed it would seriously happen?¡±I had no idea she was still so bitter about that heartbreaking incident! ¡°Exactly so,¡± I managed to keep my voice even as I validated her even though I would have preferred to cry and hold her in my arms. Gretchen¡¯s low whistle brought me back to my senses. ¡°Yeah, it was rough for us both,¡± I admitted softly. ¡°Typical overprotective Saunders¡¯ ¡®parenting¡¯, if you can call it that,'''' Kitty Cat sniffed her disdain, thereby fuelling further disgust and animosity from me towards our parents. ¡°So yeah, we would never try to come between you and Kit. I think my sister was just trying to offer an option for us to all hang out together tonight and get to know each other better, right Kitty?¡± Her nod started small but increased in vigor, ¡°Completely, my sister has a beautiful home, several bedrooms. It would be cool if you would come over and see it, I¡¯m sure Kit would love the pent-house!¡± ¡°Pent-house?¡± Gretchen raised an eyebrow at me. ¡°Do you live in a mansion or something?¡± ¡°Nothing so ostentatious!¡± I laughed merrily. ¡°Just a cabin in the woods with a lot of character.¡± ¡°You¡¯d have to see it to believe it, I can¡¯t even describe it and I sneak out there every chance I get now that I live in Anders¡­¡± ¡°Not to mention the part where you¡¯re moving in after school lets out?¡± I laughed at her. There was no way in hell my sister was returning to Crystal Caverna now that I¡¯ve had nine months with her away from our parents! ¡°I¡¯m coming over tonight too, by the way,¡± she informed me sweetly. ¡°So if you two aren¡¯t trying to be¡­ private, I¡¯m happy to chaperone.¡± ¡°Just you, none of the girls or your boyfriends.¡± I lay down my terms, I simply couldn¡¯t cope with their insanity with all I had to have done by dawn. ¡°Meggie! I only have one boyfriend!¡± Kitty Cat¡¯s indignant retort had a smile slipping over my face. ¡°I meant your roommate¡¯s boyfriends, they¡¯re almost always around¡­¡± ¡°Addie doesn¡¯t have a publicly acknowledged boyfriend,¡± Nique added cryptically. ¡°And we like it that way.¡± ¡°I wouldn''t let them tag along anyway! Not even the girls, they¡¯d never let me get to know our new friend, and that would be a tragedy.¡± Is she being dramatic or does she really like Gretchen? Maybe she just adores Kit? My Kitty Cat¡¯s always been good with children¡­ ¡°So no boys beyond this adorable little guy, no worries,¡± she promised as she ruffled Kit¡¯s golden curls. ¡°Honestly, it¡¯s the girls that raise bigger concerns. Gretchen, Kit, and I will need to leave early tomorrow morning,¡± I reminded her. Not as though she could forget, she was house-sitting for me this week, okay okay, she was moving in, whatever. ¡°And Addie and Annie are not very restful, I get it, I do. Deal,¡± she nodded her head once, firmly, in agreement of my terms. ¡°What¡¯s the catch, Kitty Cat, you gave in way too easily,¡± I eyed her dubiously as I attempted to ferret out an ulterior motive. But this was my Kitty Cat, and she very rarely connived unless she was spending too much time around Caressa Septon. And Cari was spending more and more time at the Nalani¡¯s lately, less on campus. ¡°What? Can¡¯t a girl want to do anything in her power to make her big sister happy?¡± Amalia¡¯s innocent question had me flushing for reasons I didn¡¯t want to overanalyze with the hot blonde newcomer watching our byplay so intently. Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°So suspicious,¡± Nique tsked at me as I heard a door creaking open. ¡°Why are you still here?¡± I demanded, wishing ninety percent of my audience away.¡± ¡°She¡¯s not,¡± Whisper Romanov announced her presence with great fanfare, as she generally did. ¡°Ready to get out of here, you sexy bitch?¡± she asked her fiance as she wrapped her arms around her waist and helped her stand. They had been an unlikely pairing and I admit I had doubts when they started, but Whisp was really in love with my cousin and not the passing college experiment I was worried she might turn out to be. I was almost ready to accept her but then she had to go and ruin it by glancing over her shoulder and asking with far too much interest in Gretchen, ¡°And who is this?¡± ¡°My sexy bitch,¡± I claimed her almost ferally and hoped I hadn¡¯t just scared Gretchen off with my uncharacteristic display. ¡°What the hell?¡± She sounded more confused than concerned or scared, I was happy to accept it for now. ¡°Future wife, this is Gretchen and Kit, they came with Ana¡¯s sister today, but are leaving with Meg in the morning.¡± Nique¡¯s hand went to Whisper¡¯s chin and she redirected her woman. ¡°Now, where are my kisses, woman?¡± ¡°Ugh, more slobbering,¡± Mellie input with as much disgust as any four-year-old might muster. ¡°Close your eyes, mine Alexsy, you don¡¯t needta sees dis.¡± She averted the baby¡¯s eyes not that he was looking anywhere but at her. ¡°Girl kisses are so weird.¡± ¡°Come along, lovebirds. There are too many impressionable children about,¡± Addie declared as she survived our extra people. ¡°Tanks. Addie, you can be my favorite today, after mines Alexsy, of course!¡± ¡°Do you have any¡­ dunno, average looking friends?¡± Gretchen''s eyes looked like they were about to fall out of her head, so adorable. I looked around the room, teasing her. ¡°Doesn¡¯t look like it,¡± I answered, shrugging helplessly. I do apparently surround myself with beautiful people, inside and out. ¡°Aww,¡± Kitty Cat cooed. ¡°Your girlfriend thinks I¡¯m above average?¡± I cut my eyes at my sister, willing her to shut up. Don¡¯t scare her off by casually throwing around titles! ¡°Do you want to come home with us?¡± ¡°Megara Jane Sutton! How dare you threaten your favorite sister?!¡± Kitty Cat held her hand to her chest, playing up the situation for all that she was worth. ¡°Competition between you and The Menace isn¡¯t all that fierce,¡± I reminded her sternly, but couldn¡¯t hold on to it. I cracked first, giggling madly with Kitty Cat right behind me. The sister between us is some kind of evil creature and not one who we choose to acknowledge if given the option. She¡¯s a hypocrite, a fake, and our parents¡¯ favorite, naturally. ¡°No contest and you know it!¡± Eventually, her giggles subsided and she was ready to move on. ¡°Can we go to your house now? I¡¯d like to show off my amazing and successful sister.¡± If it were anyone else, I¡¯d be worried over how much she was buttering me up, but it was my Kitty Cat, so I gave her the benefit of the doubt. ¡°It¡¯s a really nice house,¡± she stage-whispered to Kit who she was still holding on her hip as though he weighed nothing. The little guy appeared to be starting to doze off but perked up immediately at Kitty Cat¡¯s words. ¡°I¡¯d like that,¡± Gretchen seconded the suggestion before turning to Tahlia. ¡°Thanks for letting us fly with you, Princess, but Kit and I have to run.¡± ¡°Thank you for keeping my family company,¡± Nick expressed gratitude and went in for a hug, only to be stopped by his sister-in-law''s loud protest. ¡°What have I told you about putting your hands on that nurse?¡± Cagey screeched at him, but she was smiling, what the hell what was that about? ¡°Geez, everyone wants to bring up that day in the hospital tonight, don¡¯t they?¡± Gretchen laughed it off and hugged the guy anyway. ¡°I¡¯m really going to miss you guys when you move out here! Did you find anything promising?¡± ¡°The Evil One has surprisingly good taste, but I can¡¯t say either way until Tahlia and Alex give their blessing.¡± Nick and Cagey have a complicated relationship, but it seemed to work for them. Before Nick arrived, Cagey had been house-hunting for the couple and gave Nick two very promising leads. ¡°Duh, Nicky-Lies!¡± Mellie was quick to stand up for her brother''s girlfriend. To Alex, she cooed, ¡°Alexsy, your daddy can be so dumb, I¡¯ll make sure you don¡¯t end up like him,¡± she promised, snuggling him closer. From what I know about him, Nikolai Lennox is a good man, Cagey just loves to torment him, and naturally, so does Mellie. You¡¯d think that Mellie was her daughter with Josh by how similar they were. To Josh in looks, and to Cagey in temperament and brand of humor. She¡¯s his half-sister though, not his kid. They met outside of my shop last August after I met her and Ariana redid her snakebites for her. Fun night, I remember feeling the heat between them as I watched through the storefront as he pressed her up against Gabriel¡¯s SUV and claimed her on the spot. Mellie had been in said SUV at the time and took issue with the public mauling. She expressed her displeasure by throwing things at her beloved Joshy in Cagey¡¯s defense before actually meeting her. They¡¯ve been inseparable ever since, all three of them. ¡°Kali, always a pleasure,¡± Gretchen went in for a light hug, but Ana recoiled. Weird, she¡¯s not usually like that! Instead, she took her by the hand and spoke lowly, ¡°Don¡¯t be like Meg, learn my preferred name. Kali was a trainwreck, Cagey was lost, please just call me Ana.¡± Huh, I never really thought about her name change in that way, I suppose I could try harder to stop calling her Cagey, to her face anyway¡­ It¡¯s just that as Cagey, she was one of the hottest alternative models in the cosmetic industry and I had a total fangirl moment the first time we met. ¡°And nice to meet the rest of you, maybe we¡¯ll be able to get back together after we get back from Nevada but before I go back home?¡± Right, this isn¡¯t her home¡­ but does she really intend to be temporary? Everyone left the apartment and most everyone climbed into vehicles with the exception of the twins, their men, and the youngest and oldest children between them. Mellie was still clutching her baby to her tiny body, I was stunned she had held onto him for so long. She might be four, but she¡¯s tiny for her age. Poor Nick, he¡¯s never going to get to hold his son at this rate! If you give me the rental keys, I¡¯ll turn in the car when the time comes and you can just ride with Meg and Mal from here.¡± Tahlia offered with her hand out. ¡°Are you sure?¡± I thought it was cute how she felt the need to double-check. Tahlia nodded and Gretchen gave in. ¡°I guess I¡¯ll move my stuff?¡± She bit her lip and glanced at me for direction. Right, she has no clue what I drive¡­ ¡°I¡¯ll pull up to you after more cars clear out, make it easier on everyone,¡± I offered, not quite ready to start the mad scramble. Not long after, the necessaries were taken care of and we were en route to my home. 5: Megara (continued)

5: Megara

I love my house, it was the first thing I purchased after the Anders studio started turning a profit. The one time the Saunders expressed pride in me was when they finally deigned to come to see it (and steal my sister back). I have to say though, I¡¯m nervous. More so than showing the place to my birth parents, I¡¯ve never brought a woman home, not one I was interested in anyway. My home is my sanctuary and Kitty Cat was one of the few visitors/houseguests beyond Whisp and Nique. Occasionally Adriana would come out to sketch from the glass-enclosed loft but that was the extent of my guest list. I live off the beaten path, outside of town near the state park. I love the woods and my ability to get lost there. ¡°Don¡¯t doubt yourself for a second, Meg,¡± Kitty Cat whispered from her spot beside me. Her hand found and held mine for the duration of the drive while Gretchen chatted with her nephew in the seats behind us. ¡°If she doesn¡¯t like your house, she¡¯s an idiot and you don¡¯t need her.¡± Kitty Cat always had the most empowering pep talks for me¡­ ¡°But I really don¡¯t think it¡¯s going to be an issue.¡± Her breath sucked in along with mine as my home came into view. The glass and wood building was one of my greatest points of pride and Kitty Cat was right, anyone who couldn¡¯t see that wasn¡¯t worth my time. No matter how pretty. ¡°Oh wow, I didn¡¯t realize houses like this existed outside of movies!¡± Gretchen¡¯s awed praise was the boost my ego needed. ¡°Welcome home,¡± I said softly, feeling completely at peace until I realized how that must have sounded to the two practical strangers in the back seat. ¡°To my house!¡± I hastily corrected as I internally berated myself. I parked by the front doors and cut the engine as I attempted to steady my breathing. ¡°You had it right the first time, Megara, this isn¡¯t just a house, it¡¯s a home,¡± she sighed breathily and Kitty Cat threw a smirk in my direction. ¡°And it¡¯s lovely, thank you so much for inviting us to stay the night.¡± I nodded distractedly and let myself out of the car and popped the trunk of my ¡°in-town¡± car. If I¡¯m not transporting work things, I prefer to take my much smaller car, but for the next week, I¡¯d be in my work van, such a shame. The seating was far cozier in the car¡­ ¡°Go on and open up, Meg,¡± my sister offered as she opened the trunk for our guests. ¡°You don¡¯t have to be Wonder Woman, I can carry things in if they want or even need help.¡± ¡°Actually, I just need our overnight bag, everything else can stay. We¡¯re only here for one night after all.¡± Why does that feel like a warning? ¡°Can we go up dere?¡± Kit pointed to the black, wrought iron staircase that wrapped around the side of my home and gave access to the second floor. ¡°If your aunt says it¡¯s okay and someone goes with you. It¡¯s pretty high up and I¡¯m not sure how childproof it is. You¡¯re the first little one I¡¯ve had over.¡± It was the unvarnished truth, not even Mellie had been over in the past. ¡°Annie?¡± He turned his huge green eyes on his aunt and clasps his hands together in front of his chest. He was clearly not in the mood to play fair. Had it been up to me, I would have given him whatever he wanted, that¡¯s how precious a picture he made. ¡°I can take him up if you like. It¡¯s where I usually hang out anyway.¡± Mal assured Gretchen it wasn¡¯t a problem. Right before it looked like she was about to agree, baby sister broke into giggles again. ¡°Plus, it¡¯s really weird hearing him call you ¡®Annie¡¯.¡± ¡°Her roommate is named Annie,¡± I clarified, not sure if it had come up earlier or not. ¡°Anita, technically, but she discourages us from calling her that,¡± Kitty Cat laughed again and I joined her this time. A less likely Anita than Annie Silber wasn¡¯t anyone I could name. ¡°Like Ana¡¯s preferences and why we don¡¯t call Addie Dee like Whisp does. Though I think maybe she just does that to get under her skin. They are so weird.¡± ¡°Yeah, we¡¯re a much better example of how sisters should act,¡± I smirked at her and received a loving smile in return. Some days little sis was the bigger person. ¡°Go ahead, I trust you with him,¡± Gretchen gave her blessing and took Kit on her hip once more. ¡°Take your time,¡± the wicked girl smiled knowingly at me. She wasn''t wrong, just because we weren¡¯t sleeping together didn¡¯t mean I couldn¡¯t have a little something to hold me over until we were alone without any risk of distractions¡­ ¡°Is this the part where you take advantage of me with our respective families within hearing distance?¡± Gretchen gave me a very naughty look as she asked the innocent-sounding question. ¡°No,¡± I said simply, throwing her off. I stepped forward into her personal space, pressing her against the side of my car the same way I once saw Josh do to Cagey-- Ana. ¡°But I am going to kiss you.¡± ¡°Good, because I wasn¡¯t sure how I was going to make it through the night if you didn¡¯t.¡± It was all the permission I needed, but I wasn¡¯t fast enough to keep her from making a liar out of me. She made the first move, reaching for my head and dragging me closer and kissing me! Generally, I don¡¯t like people touching my neck, but when she didn¡¯t it, I didn¡¯t freeze up, just leaned into her, parting my lips. All concerns for interlocking jewelry were quickly cast aside with the moist heat of her tongue tracing my lips before slipping past. The briefest brush of our tongues meeting showed we had at least one piercing in common¡­ ¡°How did I miss this before?¡± I asked myself and wondered if the words actually escaped or if they were just that loud within my own head.Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. ¡°I use short bars and low visibility ends because of my job. Affects my speech less that way too, with the bonus of being an added surprise when things¡­¡± she paused dramatically and fluttered her eyelashes sweetly. ¡°Heat up.¡± I need a moment to remember her career, I know it was brought up at least once, but the way she was looking at me made it damned near impossible to concentrate or pull up the memory. Right when I was about to give up, it came to me. ¡°Goodness, aren¡¯t you full of surprises, Nurse Gretchen?¡± ¡°You have no idea¡­¡± she purred in response. ¡°I will,¡± I vowed. ¡°By the time we¡¯re done with each other, I¡¯ll know everything there is to know about you.¡± ¡°That may take a while,¡± the warning was back in her tone again, I wasn¡¯t a fan. ¡°I¡¯ve got all the time in the world for you.¡± I wasn¡¯t exaggerating, I was going to thoroughly explore and enjoy every inch of this woman at my leisure¡­ soon. I nipped at her lips, capturing the fuller lower one between my teeth. I ran my tongue across the width of it, slowly tracing each dip and rise as I savored the taste of her. With every ounce of willpower I owned, along with one last press of my lips against hers, I stepped away. ¡°Until tomorrow,¡± I promised. ¡°For now, let¡¯s get you settled in the penthouse with your nephew.¡± ¡°Right, the penthouse. On the second floor.¡± ¡°Blame my sister, it was her choice.¡± ¡°I would have gone with ¡®greenhouse¡¯ personally.¡± I could see her point, the only walls were made of glass, zero privacy and the only reason why I didn¡¯t have my bedroom up there. I have a very ¡°clothing-optional¡± policy when at home. Unless I have guests, of course. Living in the woods didn¡¯t grant me any immunity when it came to the occasional voyeur. I discovered that one the hard way. The same way they learned about my zero-tolerance policy for rudeness. I¡¯m not shy about my body, but I am adamant about consent and boundaries! Gods preserved me from drunken frat boys hunting in the Rockies and thinking me to be an easy target. ¡°If the windows make you uncomfortable, sleeping downstairs would also be an option for you.¡± I made the offer and hoped she¡¯d take me up on it. ¡°Show me your home, Meg, I don''t want to be making an uninformed decision.¡± It was the first time she called me Meg rather than Megara! Have I become a real person to her? ¡°Starting upstairs though, we¡¯ll need to get Kit. Because he¡¯ll be disappointed if he missed anything, not because I don¡¯t trust your little sister,¡± she hastened to add. ¡°Sounds good to me, Kitty Cat needs a little torture anyway.¡± I offered her my hand and together we climbed the stairs to find our youngest relatives playing, or more accurately, ¡°playing¡± a board game. ¡°You are the worst chaperone ever,¡± I teased her once we were inside. ¡°Me?¡± Kitty Cat¡¯s surprise was entirely fabricated. ¡°I owe my entire relationship to you and your abysmal supervisory job that first semester of school!¡± ¡°Nique was on guard duty, I was a free agent,¡± I reminded her with a grin. ¡°Hmm, is that why our parents never heard about the stuff you let me get away with last year?¡± ¡°I let you get away with whatever you needed to in order to become this amazing version of you and you love me for it.¡± Every single word of that was true. ¡°That I do. Mom and Dad were shocked when I took my boyfriend home to meet them, but not as shocked as I was to find out they knew nothing about the guy I¡¯d been dating for close to three months by that time!¡± ¡°Better coming from you than me!¡± I reminded her. To Gretchen, I sarcastically clarified, ¡°I¡¯m a terrible influence and will likely corrupt their sweet, angelic, baby girl.¡± ¡°Pffft,¡± her response was directly on cue. ¡°Oh no! It¡¯s starting already! The horror!¡± We collapsed in a fit of giggles, yeah we do that a lot, but we had a lot of time to make up for! Our parents hate just about everything about me, from the fact that I reminded them of their high school horniness and stupidity in not wearing protection to my profession, hair color, and orientation. Fortunately, I don¡¯t actually care, even better, neither does Kitty Cat. What I do care about is how they were snuffing out my poor sister''s fire with their overbearing rules out of fear that she¡¯d turn out like me. I simply had to get her free of them and their stupid rules and now she was. Thank goodness it happened before it was too late! ¡°Oh how terrible for your baby sister to grow up with such a strong, successful, gorgeous role model,¡± Gretchen snorted derisively. ¡°Corruption indeed!¡± ¡°C¡¯rupt¡¯shin!¡± Kit chimed in adorably. ¡°Oh, little man, it¡¯s terrible I tell you! My big sister is into tattoos, piercings, motorcycles, and¡­ gasp! Girls!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know about the motorcycles,¡± Gretchen frowned in response. I couldn''t tell if she disapproved in general or didn¡¯t like not knowing something about me. ¡°Is that a problem?¡± The only way to know was to ask, after all. ¡°Not as long as you wear proper safety gear and aren¡¯t taking dangerous risks,¡± she replied primly before her smile returned. ¡°Yes, Nurse Gretchen,¡± I grinned stupidly in response. Crisis averted! ¡°Are you sly a nurse or is this something I¡¯m better off covering your nephew¡¯s ear over and humming loudly to save my own?¡± Kitty Cat eyed us suspiciously and I burst into laughter. A year ago she never would have said anything remotely like that! But I had to set the record straight before she started looking at me differently¡­ ¡°Of course she¡¯s actually a nurse, you brat!¡± ¡°Charge Nurse, actually,¡± Gretchen corrected softly and I let out a low whistle. ¡°Extra fancy¡­ mom and dad might forgive the whole ¡®being a woman¡¯ thing if you tell them about her Charge Nurse status first!¡± Kitty Cat was in a rare mood tonight. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever heard her laugh (or cackle) so much in my entire life! ¡°Did someone caffeinate you after six pm?¡± I teased her with a raised eyebrow. The poor kid actually cannot handle caffeine. Another thing they restricted her from, so now that she had free access¡­ it was fun to watch. Most of the time. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, I¡¯ve heard worse,¡± Gretchen reassured me easily. ¡°Now then, please show me around the rest of this beautiful home of yours, Meg.¡± ¡°Whatever you want,¡± I purred happily and took her hand once more. ¡°I¡¯ll hold you to that,¡± she replied softly but it was loud enough for Kitty Cat to put her hands over her ears and start ¡°la-la-laing¡± very loudly. 6: Gretchen

6: Gretchen

Each room we walked through kindled something warm and welcoming deep inside of me, filling me in a way I could never accurately describe. I made sure to memorize how everything looked because I doubted I¡¯d ever be invited back after our crazy week out of time. Everything was beautiful and perfect and that was when it hit me, that feeling as one of finally coming home. I don¡¯t mean Megara herself, I¡¯m not crazy enough to think we¡¯re soulmates or anything so farfetched, though there was something between us beyond mere lust. I wasn¡¯t entirely sure what it was, maybe a dubbing friendship? ¡°I knows dis room,¡± Kit interjected himself into the conversation. But beyond whatever was happening between Meg and me, the heart of these feelings stemmed from the realization that Megara Sutton owns and lives in my dream house! I frequently daydream/fantasize about a house almost exactly like this one. ¡°Is yike the one you drawed,¡± Kit spoke again, not allowing himself to be ignored. He wasn''t wrong but how I wish he''d kept his mouth shut. I¡¯ve sketched out similar rooms and floor plans for at least a decade now¡­ ¡°I guess we both have really good taste?¡± I shrugged it off, hoping Megara and Amalia wouldn¡¯t think me to be some creepy stalker or worse. ¡°You like to draw, Gretchen?¡± Mal inquired sweetly. ¡°Sketching ideas for my future home relaxes me after long shifts, of which I work a lot. This is my first vacation in five years,¡± I admitted that much but kept the conversation between Doc A and me to myself. ¡°Then we¡¯d best make it memorable enough for you to come back and use up more of what must be an insane amount of accrued leave.¡± What? ¡°Because I¡¯d like to get to know you, but there won¡¯t be time this visit.¡± ¡°I suppose you¡¯re right,¡± I agreed reluctantly. Mal¡¯s forlorn-looking face pulled at my heartstrings and I found myself scrambling for a way to make it up to her. ¡°I had planned to take off some additional time when the Lennox''s move so that I could help them out. Maybe we¡¯ll have more time during that visit?¡± ¡°You can stay here when you do that!¡± Meg was quick to offer, surprising me entirely. ¡°Let¡¯s reevaluate that after our trip. You might end up finding me incredibly annoying and then where would you be?¡± ¡°Still shacking up with a hottie?¡± Mal sniggered. ¡°Kitty!¡± ¡°What?¡± she asked, the picture of innocence. ¡°Never mind, just argh! Are you sleeping here tonight?¡± I loved how flustered she was getting and I was really starting to miss my brother. ¡°I¡¯d be a pretty crappy chaperone if I didn¡¯t,¡± she teased back. ¡°Not what I asked, Amalia Catriona. Are you staying the night here or do I need to take you to Addie¡¯s?¡± Mall pressed her hands against her chest, overdramatizing her ¡°pain¡± and I burst into laughter. Watching these two sisters together was just so heartwarming and hilarious. ¡°Oh my god Mal, I adore you!¡± I told her as I gathered her into a half-hug. ¡°Hey! Wrong sister! Hands off the basic jailbait!¡± Meg piped up indignantly. She curled into my other size and nuzzled my neck. Oh my God! ¡°But I the fav¡¯rite!¡± Kit added his indignant two cents as well. ¡°Kit, darling, there¡¯s always space for you!¡± I assured him. I bared the unclaimed front of my body and he careened into me, hugging me tightly around my hips. This really feels like home now¡­ Breathe! Do not cry, you sentimental cow! * * * * * An hour later, Meg and I were working side-by-side in the kitchen while Mal entertained Kit in the living room off to the side. The open floor plan made it easy for everyone to keep an eye on one another. Not that being ¡°chaperoned¡± stopped Meg and me from stealing occasional kisses while we prepared our late-ish dinner.This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. The strangest part was how effortlessly we worked together and around each other in the kitchen, only bumping into each other intentionally before getting back on task. I¡¯ve obviously never been in this kitchen before, let alone with her, but everything seemed so intuitive in this space. Everything I looked for, I found exactly where I would have put it had it been mine. ¡°Kitty Cat really likes you,¡± Meg told me as she was rinsing the vegetables I had just peeled. I chuckled as I took the colander from her. ¡°Should I be offended by how shocked you sound?¡± ¡°No! Not at all, I didn¡¯t mean it that way,¡± she insisted vehemently, drying her hands on a nearby dishtowel. ¡°I know, but some further explanation would still be awesome,¡± I prodded her to enlighten me. I went back to chopping so as to not rush her. ¡°She¡¯s been overly sheltered for her entire life by her/our parents, and as a result, she¡¯s not good at opening herself up to new people. But she took to you and your nephew right away! I¡¯ve never seen her so free and playful at first meeting with anyone!¡± ¡°To be fair, so did you,¡± I reminded her. ¡°Took to me anyway.¡± I had no idea what, if any, feelings she had toward my nephew. ¡°Kitty Cat better not be wanting you the way I do.¡± Her warning tone sent delicious sparks up and down my back. ¡°This again? Even if she did, it wouldn¡¯t be reciprocated. I like her too, a lot, and she¡¯s adorable, but nope. Nothing would ever happen there.¡± ¡°I should hope not, she¡¯s not even nineteen yet!¡± She paused and pursed her lips thoughtfully. ¡°I know I''m not supposed to ask¡­¡± she hedged and it didn¡¯t take a mind reader to figure out what she wanted to know. ¡°Hmm? Oh, I¡¯m a year younger than you and am in no way into the cradle-robber lifestyle.¡± I winked at her, showing I was full of humor but she froze entirely. ¡°What?¡± she asked somewhat coldly. ¡°I¡¯m not into your sister?¡± I repeated hesitantly. What did I do? Everything was going so great! ¡°How do you know how old I am?¡± she asked through gritted teeth. ¡°Oh, that? I may have read or watched some of the interviews you¡¯ve given over the years.¡± I shrugged helplessly. What? Was I supposed to pretend like I¡¯d never heard of her before?! Shifting restlessly, she asked me point-blank, ¡°That¡¯s not why you¡¯re here, is it?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not a reporter and I didn¡¯t even know I¡¯d be meeting you.¡± I scoffed. Oh my goodness, this is really bothering her! I knew I needed to be straightforward and honest if this was going to progress at all, so I came clean about everything. There was no point in pretending otherwise. ¡°You¡¯re part of why I planned to go to Inked & Pierced, but I would have gone even if you didn¡¯t have a booth this year. Maddy living so close seemed like the perfect excuse for me to finally go. As for the rest, I was kissing you, not your name, or your business, or your public image. Maybe your talent, because day-um girl¡­¡± I set aside the knife and removed the dish towel from Meg¡¯s hands so they were free for me to hold. ¡°I¡¯m here with you partly because you invited me to be and a little bit because your family is intent on pushing us together. I¡¯m mostly here because I want to be, I want to get to know you the way Tahlia¡¯s friends know you.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never gotten naked with any of them or even thought about most of the fun I plan to have with you with any of them either.¡± Slowly it seemed her humor was returning. ¡°Good to know, but I mean I want to know you, not just your rockin¡¯ body.¡± I teased her. ¡°That¡¯s not to say I am not also dyin¡¯ to explore this crazy, instant connection I''m feeling when I¡¯m with you.¡± ¡°You forgot the part about how hot my kisses make you and wanting to know how far my talent extends.¡± ¡°And here I thought that was a given, I assure you I¡¯ve forgotten nothing.¡± I ended the conversation with a lingering kiss before getting back to dinner. Another crisis averted? ¡°I¡¯m going to know all about that pretty soon, but for now it¡¯s family time, right?¡± Meg glanced over her shoulder at our younglings and sighed. ¡°Yeah, we¡¯ve got a whole week ahead of ourselves to play,¡± she promised me. ¡°What if it¡¯s not long enough?¡± I mused aloud, and boy did I not mean to let those thoughts out! ¡°Forget I said that!¡± ¡°I like that you¡¯re thinking beyond this week¡­ if things progress the way I think they will between us, we¡¯ll make it work, Gretchen, have a little faith.¡± ¡°What are we having faith in?¡± Mal perked up, ¡°Hopefully it¡¯s in dinner being ready soon, cuz I¡¯m starving!¡± ¡°Huuuun-gwey Annie! You hasta feed your ¡¯ittle bittle Kittle!¡± Laughing, I opened my arms to him and he launched himself at me. Good to know that Mal hasn¡¯t replaced me entirely! ¡°You¡¯re absolutely right, handsome. Let¡¯s get some food in you! I wouldn¡¯t want to lose my place as your favorite Auntie!¡± Adorably confused, Kit says, ¡°You¡¯s mine only annie, Annie.¡± Meg was still making plans for us, wonderful ones. ¡°And maybe a movie after dinner. We can make a fort in the living room and be one big cozy mess together.¡± ¡°Sounds like a perfect ending for this crazy day, okay with you, Kit?¡± ¡°No kissy-face movie!¡± he warned us all with a sour expression. ¡°We will pick it out together Kitters, maybe find something to torture both of them with.¡± ¡°I love you too Kitty Cat,¡± Meg stuck her tongue out at her sister. But I was still reeling over how easily she could say those words, whereas I have never said them to anyone other than my Kit.