High Card Bluff (House of Car...

Adrianna was slightly appalled at herself for revealing so much information, not even realizing what she was going to say until it had all come tumbling out. Not alone in her astonishment; Adri heard her father crack open a bottle of whiskey.

She'd told them all she was in love with Tomas, without saying it to him first, or even admitting it to herself yet. Holy fuck. But once she realized Nate was going after Tomas, there really hadn't been a reason to hold back anymore. She'd tried calling Tom's cell but he'd probably left it in the Jeep, and then she'd tried Nate's cell, her anger and urgency bringing her parents' attention like nothing else could have.

Logic had told her that there was no point in trying to keep the secret after that, and the romantic part of her had apparently taken care of the rest from there. She felt shaky, finally shutting up now that she'd said everything.

"Here," Her father thrust a drink into her hands.

"What did I just do?" She sipped the whiskey in her glass, letting the burn settle her nerves.

"Told everyone off and announced that you love him in a spectacularly public display worthy of both families," Her father was laughing, despite the drink in his hand he seemed amused.

"Mal, go pour more drinks," her mother redirected, drawing Adri's attention, "You've always been the most cautious of all the kids about your relationships, I really didn't expect you of all of them to pull a public declaration like this. You really are my daughter"

"But it's not...but we haven't even had sex!" she protested as if that mattered.

"Thank god." Her father muttered.

"Your psychology has taught you that intimacy is about so much more than sex," Her mother reminded, neither one hearing the door open with Nate's entrance. "Do you trust him?"

"Of course," her entire life Tom had proven to be a good man, fighting with her was about having the ability to keep up with her, not animosity.

"Do you think he loves you?" Her mother asked, as aware as Adri that he hadn't said it back in the call.

"Yes," he hadn't said it but Tomas had shown it repeatedly, "he would never betray me and he would burn the world down if I was hurt, regardless of the consequences."

"Here, drink." Adri heard her father command, thrusting a glass at her brother now.

Nate didn't look like he'd been in much of a fight, his clothes weren't all that rumpled, and he had no obvious injuries; but Tom wouldn't have been trying to hurt him back. And Nate wouldn't meet her eyes, so she looked to see how battered his knuckles looked. They weren't bloody, the damage couldn't be that bad, but she'd only know for sure when Tomas got here.

"I have put 13 stitches in that man, if I have to do more because of you Nathaniel, you're going to need some too." She could see the guilt and worry on Nate's face, he had never been much of a poker player.

The door opened, her attention snapping from her brother to see what damages Tomas now bore. His face was red, a definite hit landed, but other than some rumpling he didn't look all that bad. "Your ass got patched back together this morning Tomas, did you really have to go..."

"Reinita," he interrupted her," haven't you made enough speeches for one day?" He walked into her parents' home, interrupted her, and basically told her to shut up after she'd said she loved him?

Adrianna was too incensed to realise that Tomas had walked in and kept walking; right up to her until he could put a hand behind her neck and kiss her. Behind her she was certain her family was being a spectacle, but Adri really couldn't give a damn.

"Now I need another drink," Nate bitched but Tomas kept kissing her like it was the only thing that mattered.

"Let's give them some privacy boys," Maya Guerrero called out, apparently herding the audience away with her mom's help.

Tomas didn't rush kissing with both their families in the kitchen waiting, he just held her tightly as he kissed her. It was only Cerberus, ramming his head into Tom's leg that caused him to stop.

"Some guard dog; Lets your brother beat on me and does nothing, but I finally get you and he interferes," Tom criticized.

"He'll be happier at the garage than your apartment. But I still can't believe you got Cerberus. Honey's going to love this." Adri didn't step out of his embrace, the tension easing out of her spine as nerves finally relaxed; he was fine.

"You love me," Tomas pointed out with that devilish grin of his, and before Adri could get annoyed, he kissed her again. Thankfully Cerberus behaved. Tom kissed her like he wanted to steal them away to her temptingly close bedroom, and with both their families here that would be suicide. "I love you too Adrianna." She'd figured it out but hearing him say it left amazing.

"Family, and drinks, in the kitchen." She reminded him instead of dragging him to her room like she wanted.

"Yes, yes, and eventually," He replied with a wink, his hand out to her.

She took his hand, walking with him into her parents kitchen with Cerberus following behind. Carlitos and Maya had their own drinks now, and she saw Nate on the phone, inevitably telling Grace the news. She shot Tom a look, both of them knowing that meant the Wolf would soon be calling with a smug 'I knew it'. Tom looked tempted to just let it happen but Adri figured her father deserved a heads up. He read some of that in her expression and shrugged, letting her decide what to do with it.

"So, how did we not see this at the beach?" Her mom had caught the unspoken conversation.

"West kind of did, so be prepared for some smug Wolf," Tom decided to speak up after all.

"Grace says everyone is coming over, but Ophelia's at Colby's so they'll learn later," Nate spoke up from texting. "But yep, Graceless says 'dad says to tell Reaper 'How does it feel now?"

Everyone was looking at her father, who just calmly drank his whiskey, "Tell him, 'at least I didn't catch them naked."

"Malcolm," her mother scolded but Adri could hear the laughter in her voice.

"There's definitely going to be another fight isn't there?'' she asked the room at large.

"It's shaping up to be that kind of day," Maya answered, "let the men have their fun; if Tomas pops more stitches your mother can fix it, then they'll be even."

"I didn't do that bad," Adri had to argue, even if she kind of did.

"Reinita you've left a literal mark on me," Tom teased.

"You came here bleeding after promising me lunch." she turned to face him, seeing his smile.

"Oh my god, it's not fighting; it's foreplay!" Nate sounded disturbed and several people laughed when Adri sighed.

"Nathaniel if you don't shut up I'll give Grace the list of 23 names," she threatened with acidic tones.

"You think I haven't told her?" He sounded amused in response. That did surprise her.

"Now I need another drink," Adri complained and her mother refilled it.

It didn't take long for the James family to arrive, thankfully just Grace, Maddison, and West. And when they did Grace just walked in, and stared at Adri and Tom for a moment, ignoring even Nate.

"So that explains Monday a bit better," Grace flippantly remarked and then grinned, going over to her fiancé finally.

"What?" Nate asked her but Adri was focused on Westley approaching her father.

"How are you so calm about this Reaper?" West demanded, almost snarling.

"They haven't had sex yet, and certainly not under my roof," Her father challenged right back.

Adri turned and buried her head against Tom's chest, horrified that this was what they were discussing. Tom rested his chin on top her head and held her in a hug. "Since Dri has said before that she doesn't like it discussed publicly," Tom was willing to interrupt the about to fight fathers, he really did love her, "Reaper, Wolf, kindly shut it."

"He really does want someone to kill him on his birthday eh?" Grace asked Nate as both Reaper and Wolf turned to glare at Tomas, and Adri sighed.

She turned in his grip, Tomas' arms wrapped across her collar and she held onto has forearms like a reverse hug. "He's not wrong. If you two went to go out in the yard and play no one here is going to stop you, but don't involve my sex life in the discussion."

Her mom was laughing again, deliberately pouring out more shots for everyone "I don't think they've fought like that since shortly after the kids were born," Maddison James said, unfortunately with an almost doubtful tone in her voice.

"They think we don't still have it Wolf," Adri's dad said in a tone of voice she'd not really heard before.

"Oh damn Mads, did you really?" Her mother demanded of the shortest red head.

"We'll have to rectify that Reaper," Westley had the same relaxed but dangerous tone as her dad.

"Outside," Nate barked it out as Maddison James smacked her forehead for provoking this.

Her brother and Grace went out first, then Reaper and Wolf, followed by her mom and Maddison, but Adri stayed in place with Tomas and his parents. She looked from the back door to see Carlitos and Maya shamelessly watching their easy embrace. They didn't seem surprised by either her father's violence, or their easy affections.

"So when did you figure it out?" she asked Maya, realizing it had to be her; she was a private investigator.

"For sure Tuesday, suspected at the beach," the woman confirmed.

"That why you picked Cerberus for him?" She asked, seeing the puppy sleeping by the front door.

"It seemed that once the woman picked him," Carlitos spoke up, "the dog was a natural choice." She stared at the man who had killed and tortured to avenge the woman she was named for, "Both seem like a good fit." His approval shouldn't matter but Adri found that it did.

"Outside husband, let's see if Reaper and Wolf are still wild men," Maya got her husband out the door.

Tomas didn't even wait for the door to close, try her to kiss her again. His hands pulled other and around Adri was lifted in his grip, so she wrapped her legs around his waist, feeling the kitchen counter dig into her back. She wrapped her arms around his neck and tried not to grind against him as his hands started to stroke along her body from curve of her ass to back of her knee.

"They're going to be a good twenty-minutes Reinita," his voice promised in a husky tone, and Adri gasped at the idea he was suggesting.

But she followed as he put her down and took her hand, leading her to her own bedroom. Everyone was outside, literally just a few doors away but her whole body throbbed in time to her heart beat and adrenaline stole her higher reasoning away. At least her door locked, the click of it the only thing Tom had apparently been waiting for.

His shirt was off and then he was kissing her, both their hands eagerly pulling at the layers in quiet urgency. Through the walls Adri could distantly hear the sound of a fistfight in the yard, but her focus was on the man in front of her.

"This is a terrible idea," she argued in a whisper, pulling her shirt off and feeling his hands chase hers away to unclasp her bra.

"Yes, I'm going to get murdered on my birthday," he agreed, flinging her bra away and dropping that damn mouth to her piercing.

Her hands held on to his arms, breathe catching in a quiet moan as he used careful teeth to taunt her nipple or toy with the piercing through it. His hands were undoing her jeans, sliding them down her hips and catching the panties she wore on the way; but he was taking his time at her breast.

"So only the one nipple pierced," his ability to think still surprised her, want making her whole body throb. And when he had boldly traced down the front of her body to slide fingers deliberately against her hood and chit, her hips jerked to press into the sensation even as her nails dug in to keep her standing. "Oh god Reinita," finding her second piercing at least seemed to kill his careful control.

His mouth crashed to hers, a finger sliding up into her almost roughly, and Adri clung to him as her legs went weak.

And then mouth and hands were off of her, he took a step away to pull his own jeans and underwear off, sitting back on her bed before turns his palm up to her, "shall we?" He asked smirking. Tomas was almost painfully masculine looking on the girlie bed she'd had since puberty, but Adri loved the sight.

"We shall," She went to him, naked and shameless as she saw him watch her. Tom seemed to like watching her move, so she straddled him on the bed, siting up and with a deliberate tilt, sinking the length of his eager erection of her. His hands gripped her hips painfully tight at the sensation and Adri panted at the feel of him pushed in deep.

"Goddamn it Dri, I'm not gonna last if you do that to me," He swore through gritted teeth, holding her down against him tightly.

So she pulled one of his hands off of her hip and brought it to her breast, for some reason almost always voiceless in the moment. But Tom didn't need words, his fingers immediately rolling to torment her and Dri lifted her body to slam down on him again. His hand on her hip moved to her ass and when she lifted up, he lifted her higher, so only the top of him teased her before ramming up into her as he pulled on her piercing.

Normally in sex Adri was quiet because her brain wouldn't shut up, now she simply couldn't think beyond the pleasure. Tom seemed to be reading the quiet signs of her ecstasy though, keeping the torment on her piercing enough to have her gasping. And then he dropped his hand to the lower piercing and Adri felt her body go boneless as her orgasm started.

"Oh fuck, yes Dri," Tom grunted, slamming up into her in a frenzy until she felt his body throb inside her, his fingers likely leaving little marks on her hips. Her head was on his chest, both of them catching their breath but not pulls apart yet.

"You should get back to the kitchen before anyone notices," she tried to recover, feeling languid and lazy with satisfaction as he held her to him, slowly going soft inside her.

From the sounds outside, the fight was wrapping up and they were risking discovery. "Your bedside manner still sucks," He complained and kissed her before helping her off

Her legs wobbled, and she needed to go clean up in the bathroom, but by the time Adri had gotten to the kitchen, no one had actually found them out. Tom was standing in the kitchen, drinking a god damn coffee like he hadn't just made it hand for her to walk, and as she entered the back door opened.

Grace walked in, seeing them on opposite sides of the room for a moment and grinned, "Oh thank fuck, I was half afraid I'd come in here and catch you to going at it. You got more restraint than me," she cheered them, oblivious to the laughter they were both smothering as she went to the freezer for the ice packs.

"Nah, I already took her to her room and fucked her brains out, you're safe big red," Tomas saluted her with his coffee while Adri stared at him and Grace laughed, thinking he was joking.

"Well good job on making it to the bedroom then, I commend you," Grace waved the ice at him and left.

"Seriously Goon?" She asked as soon as they were alone.

"I take fucking your brains out very seriously Adrianna," his tone held promises despite them just having finished, but before he could continue his statement everyone started to come back inside.

Apparently the guys were forgoing the no face shots rule because Adri saw that her father had a fat lip and West had a black eye. But it seemed everyone's good humors were restored by the battle of the dads, and since she'd so lasciviously used their distraction for her own needs Adri left it alone.

"Do you feel better now love?" Adri's mom asked her father once everyone was back inside.

"I've still got it Corazon," Her father grinned and Adri sighed at how proud of himself he sounded.

"Of course you do Malcolm," her mother still sounded amused, "I'm just glad to not need the suture kit."

"Oh Ads, your episode aired it was good. You looked so serious," Grace had come over to discuss, Adri's brother coming with her of course, but Adri noticed Nate and Tom still seemed tense.

Adri had seen the digital 'pre-release' of the episode, Desmond has edited out all reference to the ill-thought out provocation attempt, but after that she'd basically forgotten about it with the whirlwind her life had become.

"It aired?" Madison interrupted the adults, joining Adri's conversation.

"I guess it did, I don't watch 'To Build a Model'," Adri confirmed for the short red head. "But I saw the pre-release."

"Didn't you say it went poorly?" Nate asked, frowning.

"I said it went as well as the Prescott job had," the shoot itself had been great, it was the man she had a problem with. "I made a lot of money from that series and I've worked with the designer again even if not Jace."

"Dri, Desmond tried pull your top open, what the fuck did Jace actually do?" Tom asked her, the only one to have witnessed on event

Fuck-Shit.

"That didn't make it to the episode," Grace's voice amongst everyone else suddenly erupting in questions and rage, and Adri just sighed.

"For fuck's sake Goon, did you have to throw me under the bus?" She didn't wait for the man holding her to answer, "No Grace, it didn't because I broke 2 of his fingers, hit him in the balls hard enough to bruise my knee, and threatened a law suit if he tried."

"You damn near broke his fingers off, it was great," Tom added on, more for the sake of the unsettled parents than for her ego.

"Salali taught me that one, another option is to grab two sets of fingers in opposite hands and pull to split the hand open, but that can seriously fuck someone's hand up," Adri replied, realizing he was trying to help damage control.

"That'd've been messy," he handed her the coffee he'd been drinking, "and with the cameras going I see why you restrained yourself."

"It happened on camera?" Adri's mother demanded. "You saw it happen?" Nate demanded of Tom. "And he's not dead?" Grace's voice followed dates. "If his show finished at the Catwalk I'll find out where he'll be and have a word with him." Her father promised.

"I got 3 other names off her last week, 2 of them will be there too dad," Nate added on.

"So that's what, 5 names so far?" Maddison James was apparently keeping careful count.

"There's not enough alcohol in the world for this, and I haven't even had breakfast yet,"Adri declared.

"Pancakes?" Tom had the audacity to ask.

"It was your comment that put me in this position!" Adri spun to jab her finger in his chest, "And now you want me to make you fucking pancakes?"

"Chocolate chip pancakes," he corrected with a smirk, "it is my birthday Reinita."

"Then I'll get you a party hat Goon, became the only way I'm making you chocolate chip pancakes is if you get on your knees and beg," She'd put her fists on her hips, glaring up at him as she heard the families all discussing where to go get food since trying for any here was going to result in murder.

For a second, when he shifted positions, Adri thought he might just do it to surprise her, but no Tom did not drop to his knees to beg her for pancakes; he put his shoulder to her belly and lifted her up. "Fuck-shit Tomas put me down!"

"I'm going for birthday pancakes since you're not going to make them." He carried her right out of the house as Cerberus started a bark and her family laughed at her.

At least the dog was trying to help her, jumping up against Tom's legs as he brought her out front to where his Jeep was parked. With everyone over their driveway and the street out front were lined with five vehicles and Tom only put her on her feet at the passenger door to his. "I'm going to pull your bottom lip over your face and staple it to your forehead Goon." She warned him, actually slightly dizzy from being flipped upright so fast.

"After birthday pancakes," he insisted and kissed her, and Adri could finally let herself enjoy it because she got to keep him. Tomas was hers.

---

Tom got to take the brat home with him on his birthday, and this time he planned to show her what he could do when they weren't rushed. Though a part of him was very smug about what they had gotten up to while everyone else was occupied. Maybe one day he'll even thank the Wolf for helping him get to bed the brat in Reaper's house while Reaper was occupied with West. It would probably get back to Reaper somehow and Tom's idiot brain filed the idea away for later.

His ribs still hurt from Nate's displeasure this morning; though it had led to some great things so Tom didn't complain. Sex, violence, and chocolate chip pancakes were a hell of a way to celebrate turning 24, and Tom had talked to his parents about keeping Cerberus at the garage where he belonged. Tom went home to work on cars most nights of the week anyway, and he was considering dropping some of the Nightside shifts to help on the work there more anyways.

The click of his lighter brought his attention to the brat at the window, a joint to her lips already. "Now I know you didn't have that in your bra earlier," he'd thrown the damn thing across her bedroom, "so where did you have that hidden?"

"We were in my bedroom Goon, that's where my stash is," Dri pointed out as she passed him the smoke.

"And here I'd thought we were a little busy in there," Tom teased looming close to her.

"It's amazing the things I can do while I hunt down where you flung my bra to," she had gone across the room, it was plausible.

"The fact that I'm not dead after today is amazing, I suspect that you're just straight up magic Reinita," he kissed her this time, free to give in to the urge finally and knowing she'd get prickly about the compliment if he left it at that.

Dri let him kiss her, pressed against the window like he'd wanted to do so often. The joint had gone out and Tom tossed it towards the kitchen table, freeing his hands so he could pick her up again. He heard her immediately start arguing about the method of his handling as he carried her bedroom-ward, "I can walk Tomas, no need to carry me."

Tom kept his hands on her ass, her legs wrapped around his waist to hold on as he walked them into the bedroom and only stopped when he had her laid back on the bed. "Reinita, I just need to get you naked again."

He noticed she didn't have an argument for that directly, "Get me naked?" She challenged the term instead

"Your clothes can either come off, or I'll tear them off and buy replacements later," Tom warned, realizing he wasn't actually joking, and a part of Tom wanted to do it now that he'd said it..

"You wouldn't dare!" Her eyes flashed in warning, but the last time Dri said that he'd dumped her into a cold shower.

He was already above her, her body pressed against the bed with her legs braced around his hips, so Tom grinned, grabbed her shirt and tore the flimsy cotton easily. When Desmond Pope had pulled at the laces of her top, her reaction had been violent and swift; but for Tom the brat flushed red and he saw her eyes glitter with a different kind of danger.

"Well I seem to still here" my clothes on Tomas Guerrero," he really liked having her say his name like that, "so what exactly are you going to do about that?" Dri challenged, as if his position above her did nothing for the power dynamic between.

"Unwrap my birthday gift of course," He promised and went for the top of her jeans shorts.

He didn't actually rip all of her clothes, but he did toss everything aside until Dri was naked in his bed again; this time he got to join her. They didn't have to rush to avoid Tom gets murdered if they were caught, so he started with kissing her senseless, Weeks ago Tom had her against his car in a very similar position and it was a lot more fun to his hands over her skin directly than even over the suede had been. And like last time, Adrianna went almost silent in her pleasure but Tom could read how her body reacted to his touch.

The piercings were the obvious targets, so this time Tom avoided them, focusing on the slow tease of circling around both without directly touching ether. Her breathing hitched every time, body tensing for the sensation but then not fully relaxing after he refused to deliver it, and Tom loved building her anticipation as he kissed down her ribcage.

Tom wasn't surprised to find her skin smooth and bare earlier, and he enjoyed the way Dri gasped as he explored, admiring how beautiful she was all flushed and excited. She almost snarled at him for not going after the very obvious target while was down low and Tom smirked at her, riled up and worked up and beautiful spread out for him; thighs held wide around his body.

So Tom flicked a careful tease of tongue against her.

That almost drew a sound out of the brat, a harsh gasp of air in. Tom repealed the slow lap of a tongue against her, feeling the muscles of her body tense. Dri's exhalation had a soft moan to it and Tom fought his urge to throw the slow tease out and get on with it already. He replaced his questing tongue with the slide of his finger and watched as Dri bit her lip on a breathy hiss of pleasure as he pushed it as deep as it would go.

The sounds of her body were driving him as crazy the brat's owns vocal silence was, having to listen to the way she eagerly moved against his body more than those whisper soft moans. And when Tom sucked the pericing to hold it in his teeth the brat came with a surprised cry of sound, body squeezing around his fingers.

He left the piercing, bringing his mouth up her body to take Dri's mouth in a kiss even as he used his slicked fingers to line him up with her body. As he pressed into her, Tom drank the breathy sounds from her lips; feeling the hot, wet sensation of her recent pleasure clutch at him. His hands held her thighs open, and Tom worked her slowly and back out in the same steady, inexorable pace. He watched her breasts heave as her breath went ragged, body wet and pliant with arousal as Tom held his control and pace.

The brat gave these needy little sounds in her throat, hips try to find a faster rhythm as he fucked her at his speed, driving them both crazy. Tom kept his control, feeling Adrianna's body start to shudder towards climax, and he stopped.

"No!" the brat whined, and Tom felt an edge to his grin as she wiggled to keep the sensation going.

His hands held her thighs still and Tom kissed her, using the same slow controlled speed. Her hands rested on his shoulders, clutching on as her boy tried to seek out a faster, deeper pace. Tom didn't let her, hearing a frustrated groan from his Reinita as he stopped moving entirely again. So this time he dove in deep and hard and felt her body give a hot pulse in response. He alternated deep and slow, to shallow, and finally a hard thrust that only took a few eternal seconds of the pleasure before Dri's whole holy tensed.

"Tomas!" Her cry was wonderfully agonized, rough and low as her body throbbed with at wet pulses that he could not resist.

Tomas held her to him, breath soft grunts as he quietly came, the sensation of her pleasure too intense do more than enjoy. He managed not to collapse down onto her, knees and a shaky arm keeping him up, and Adrianna gave a low laugh.

"Now we both need a shower but I don't think I can stand up yet," her voice held the echo of her more pleasured cry and Tom kissed her.

"This is better bedside manner than earlier," he teased, carefully getting off, "but it's still one step up from remarking that one of us is sleeping on a towel tonight now," his comment got him swatted at by a blushing brat.

"It's not like I can make a mess like that on my own Tomas," she hissed at him, even more beautiful riled up while naked, starting to fight with him as he took them to the shower.

"I am not complaining Adrianna," he started the water, finally getting to join her in there for once," I'm going to get us both very messy many times now that know I can," he promised and saw the argument settle at the implication of more to come.

"Are you trying to make up for the two months we weren't having sex?" She sounded amused, eyebrows lifted like it was a ludicrous idea.

He carefully maneuvered her into the water, taking over the task of rinsing her hair out for her, "neither one of us would survive that; the amount of sex you and I can have in two months is not a single night endeavor."

There was a smile dancing at her mouth so Tom kissed her, getting sprayed by the shower head in the process. He was happy to just wash up with her there but the brat's hands really did get up to mischief when he kissed her. With no pocket to pick she instead wrapped her hands around his semi hard shaft, and Tom swore.

"I do believe you made a birthday demand earlier that I still haven't had a chance to fulfill Tom," she warned, and then got on her knees.

Tom swore again, and he certainly wasn't half hard now. To say the brat's actions had featured in a few cold shower sessions would underestimate just how much her mouthiness was a thing for him. And now she was sucking on the length of him with a careful press of teeth, Tom braced against the shower wall as his knees went weak. He wanted to keep taking her mouth, the feel of her careful sucks and swallows drawing pleasured groans out of him, but instead he pulled himself out of her wonderful lips and helped her stand up again. The shower had an adjustable nozzle, and by the time him and Dri had finished playing with all the fun features neither one of them could really stand up right any more.

A towel on the bed, the brat naked in his arms, and Tomas went to sleep feeling like he'd had the best birthday ever.

Work on Monday was a little awkward though; Nate knew his little sister had gone home with Tom last night and Tom apparently had enough of a satisfied swagger as he walked in to make Wade laugh and put a $20 down.

"Oh piss off Wade, I'm not betting on whether or not he fucked my sister!" Nate spat, looking ready to wind off and try to belt his face again so Tom stepped back.

"Yeah he definitely did, hate to break it to you." Wade took the $20 back.

"Are you trying to get me hit again?" Tom demanded of the bartender, not taking his eyes off Nate.

"Who does won in all your fights?" Wade asked, not usually able to witness them.

"Depends on the day, depends on the fight," Tom answered, deciding to trust his best friend and looked away from Nate.

"Shit man, I hurt my fists wherever I punch you. You don't have abs but it's like punching a wall," Nate bitched, not taking a swing at him after all.

"I've been eating better," Tom said it carefully, amused to realize he had been.

"Just how long has my sister been living with you half the week?" Nate figured out the source of Tom's healthier habits.

"Pretty much since the shoot in April," he admitted, recalling the terrible sleep his shit couch provided. And the black eye Dri had nearly hid from everyone.

"When I asked you to take her home from that, it wasn't to your bed," Nate's tone was flat and Wade wisely poured the man a shot.

Tom's idiot mouth had to go for it," I didn't join her in my own damn bed until she told me to, and only then because my couch is really the worst." Wade looked thrilled to be getting a bar side seat to this fight, Monday mornings were slow.

"And apparently it took you until last night to get laid," Nate gave a wry laugh, "longest foreplay of your life man."

His idiot mouth couldn't let it go "actually yesterday morning; her bed's cute."

Nate didn't we take a swing at him, Just turned to give him an astonished stare, as if he didn't want to believe him but still did, Wade was laughing again, taking his own shot of alcohol this time. "There's the suicide I was expecting."

"We were all outside!" Nate sounded so offended at the fact that he and the brat had gotten away with it too. "My dad was fighting Grace's in the yard... " Nate turned to Wade with a devastated look on his face.

"And while you were all refereeing that the birthday boy was railing your sister," Wade added maliciously, sliding Tom a shot to keep them even.

"I hate you." this time it was Nate lobbing the phrase out. Then Nate started to laugh, and Tom realized his friend didn't actually hate him for this after all. "I swear man, you hurt her and they'll never find your body."

"You should have seen them last week man," Wade smirked, "even Sybil shut up."

"These are going to be the most interesting pictures of my life," Tom scrubbed his face, trying to focus on the first clients of the day.

He hadn't really thought about it last week either, the photographer had told him to get near Dri and he'd taken the opportunity; the fact that there was photographic evidence of it now was almost weird. Tom wasn't one of those guys that liked having his picture taken all that much; how the brat stood having all the eyes on her all the time was beyond him.

Sybil unveiled the pictures for them all to see on Tuesday, and it made for another wildly uncomfortable day at work.

One; Adrianna looked as good in the pictures as Tom remembered and it only made him miss her even more. Two; Adrianna looked as good in the pictures as Tom remembered, but he was in two of the pictures they'd gone with. Three; when Nate saw the two pictures Tom shared with the brat, he belted him across the face again.

One of the pictures was the one Tom expected; Dri on the bar with Tom's back to the camera, his fingers tangled in her garter and it looking for all the world like love affair about to start. But it was the other picture has got him hit, from when Tom had kissed Dri before the shoot. This time Tom was facing the camera but his focus was clearly all on the brat he was kissing, his body pressed against hers possessively. He'd hurt too much at the time to appreciate what it had looked like to those watching but new Tom knew; it'd looked exactly like he'd grabbed her and kissed her. Only the mask he'd put on to cover the beating had hidden his identity.

Thankfully those were the only shots involving Tom, but there were others of Dri; several on the bar that Tom had seen, but the ones from upstairs were new. And one in particular had his attention because it was the brat in that dress, but sitting more like he had been at the Casino Royal night; Giving the camera a familiar hand gesture.

Although Adrianna had pulled her model face back on after that kiss, this photo was evidence that he'd been on her mind regardless. The part of him that wasn't so civilized was deeply satisfied but that didn't stop his jaw from hurting. And before things could get truly out of hand, a whole pile of busy walked in the front door in the form of tables full of hungry clients. It passed the day at least.

"What the shit?" Wade's voice was a warning, his surprise pulling both Nate and Tom's attention off of the clients that had demanded attention during the dinner rush.

Tom was fairly used to seeing the brat in either her regular clothes, or what his brain had dubbed 'work' clothes, but even he had to take a moment from clearing a table to give Adrianna and Grace a long look. Nate nearly dropped food on his table of clients too, poor bastard; Dri had put Grace into a corset.

It was neither the suede or sheer ones he'd seen the brat in, but the black satin top was too deliberate to be the redhead's. With corset Grace had on a familiar pair of leather shorts Tom had seen on Dri last, though the fit was certainly different. But for all that Grace's outfit was unusual, it was Adrianna's that all but broke Tom's damn brain.

She was wearing his garage shirt again, the sleeves still rolled up to her elbows but the rest carefully tucked at the waist with a belt; turned into a goddamned dress. His eyes tracked down and found the tantalizing peek of a garter on her thigh that beat his thoughts senseless. With her hair up in a messy looking bun Tom knew the back of the shirt was legible, and he grinned at the brat.

"Did you really show up at my one job, wearing my shirt for my other job?" He couldn't help but challenge before ever saying hello.

"I came to look at my latest series of work Goon, anything else that occurs is simply... prudent planning," she acted like she was innocent.

"I think I broke your brother, these things hurt but they're super effective," Grace interrupted their fight to remark to the brat, and Tom had to look at Nate.

"Man, breathe before you pass out," Tom called out to us best friend, hearing Wade laugh.

"Any chance there's a third sexy babe walking around for me?" Wade called out, loud enough even people at tables looked over at him.

Somehow Tom found himself looming over the brat, having walked over to her without realizing it. "Prudent planning?" Tom asked with a smirk, all but ignoring the others as they talked.

"Lizzie, the photographer, sent me copies of pictures this morning so I knew Sybil would have hers already. With you and my Nitwit brother both on shift today I honestly expected a brawl to have occurred," her eyes did that sweep Tom had learned was Dri looking for damage.

"One of them got me hit," Tom admitted, lifting a hand to the back of her neck and kissing her now like he had then.

"You're about to get hit again." Wade cheerily warned.

"I've got to say that is weird looking with him in the horror gear." Grace criticized, the only one seeming to have no trouble with the change.

"They kind of match, thematically," today Tom was in a hockey mask he'd pushed up to kiss Dri, and coveralls with fake blood. "But still dude, that's my sister," Nate belted his shoulder and only then did Tom shot kissing the brat.

"So much for the distraction cleavage Ads," Grace laughed, their little show drawing enough eyes to make Tom uncomfortable.

Dri signed and pulled his hockey mask back down to give him anonymity again, "It was worth the effort Grace, just don't break Nate's nose again," she only then stepped every from him, to go sit at a booth with Grace.

Tom had to go back to working his area, the booth with their women in Nate's section. But it was distracting as all get out to look over and see Dri's legs on the booth seat with that garter strap leading upwards.

"You can't both leave early today!" Wade called out worry.

"She's in a corset, he's got priority," Tom admitted reluctantly, but Tom knew the effect those tops had.

Hell, last time Dri'd worn one he'd left a hickey on her chest and he'd been sober.

"Yours got your goddamn name on her back, " Wade pointed out as if that fact wasn't already screwing with Tom's heed.

"Not helping." Tom pointed out and tried to focus on his job, realizing Dri and Grace had come in for dinner.

Nate come by, swearing enter his breath as he got them drinks, it wasn't even anything alcoholic so both Wade and Tom pulled out $20s.

"The ladies are leaving and Nate can't go with," Wade's bet.

"The ladies aren't leaving and we're both stuck here watching from a distance," Tom could feel the frustration oozing from his friend.

"They're going upstairs to dance," Nate ran a hand through his hair in a rough drag.

"Fuck-shit." Tom's curse made Nate laugh harshly.

"Upstairs, where guys like you two used to be would go to try and pick up babes just like them?" Wade slide the $20d at Tom, hid bet closest to count. Somehow it didn't feel like a win.

"Graceless; in a corset, just upstairs, and I'm stuck down here," Nate thumped his head down on the bar top Wade was laughing behind.

"Suddenly your Queen having your name on her back right now probably ain't so bad 'Big Guy'. "Wade ribbed them both mercilessly.

It should have, but Tom had caught sight of more than just the garter on the brat as thigh. Either she had the same gear he'd gotten his fingers tangled into for the picture, or close enough to count, because as they got out of the booth the shirt-dress hiked a little.

"Wade, I will actually pay for shots of liquor if you'll shut up," Tom strangled out, slapping both of the $20s back on the bar top.

"What?" Nate sounded alarmed, thankfully not having caught the same sight at all.

"I can't tell you man," Tom shook his head, "not without getting hit again." His idiot mouth sometimes.

Wade took the money, shut up, and poured them all shot and Nate wisely didn't press for more of an explanation. Things were still unsettled between him and Nate when it came to the brat, but that was okay to. Tom wasn't going anywhere, and from here on out he'd get to hit back.

Tom was stuck working a late table while Nate and Wade disappeared upstairs; finally closing from dinner to just the dance entrance going upstairs. He nearly ran up the stairs, hearing the throb of music despite the half-filled dance floor. June could get full if the night was right, but it was still safely Tuesday so it wasn't hard to find Dri at all, or see that she was as safe as could be near the flailing redhead. Even Nate wasn't trying to get too handy on his fiancée just yet; and the man's eyes were fervently glued to Grace's corseted cleavage. But Grace lived up to the Graceless Nate called her, and Tom saw the brat dodge a wild swing.

Those were definitely the strappy things he recalled from the photo shoot, and Tom was looming over Dri again though he'd left the mask downstairs. Tom wasn't a dancer; he didn't like crowds really, or want to learn choreography, and thankfully the brat never seemed to want to make him try either. "My shirt and those strappy things under, are you trying to kill me?" he demanded in her ear.

"If that were the case I'd tell you it was the full lingerie set on under the shirt Goon. "she didn't hesitate to challenge back at Tom's brain went to uncivilized places. "Tomas! " Dri's cry of surprise wasn't loud in the club as he once again hoisted her over his shoulder, hand carefully holding the edge of the shirt to cover her ass.

Instead of threats, Tom heart the brat's brother laugh as Tom simply carried her right on out of the building entirely, her own threats probably idle. And since he was still driving the Jeep, Tom was able to open the passenger door and all but drop Dri onto her seat. "I'm not a sack of fucking potatoes Tomas!" she fumed at him.

"I need to get us home before I strip you out of that shirt to see that set underneath Reinita." Tom warned and he wasn't jolting. "Fairly certain you not liking public discussions of your sex life also means no public demonstrations either, and that back seat is tempting Adrianna."

That at least stopped her arguing, which was good because he knew he only had so much control. From the outfit she'd worn to his work, to the attitude, Tomas wasn't certain what the brat had thought she was going to provoke, but he was gladly going to show her.

She barely got into the apartment before he was pressing her back against the door, kissing her. Tomas finally got to tangle his fingers in the garter straps again, using his grip in the back of her thighs to lift her up until she wrapped her legs around his waist. He took them to the shitty couch, sitting down and untangling his fingers only unclip her belt and toss it aside. Tom had never undone buttons so fast in his life, opening the shirt to frame Dri's body and only then did he manage to stop kissing her so he could look.

The straps encircled her thighs several times, going up to her narrow waist over a different pair of panties then the photoshoot has called for. Those had been satin and fairly modest, these little beauties were as strappy as the garters were and only had a little scrap of fabric covering between her thighs. The bra was slightly better, strappy as shit but having a little more coverage in their cups.

"Goddamn it Dri," Tom had to take a second and just drink in the sight of her, too fucking beautiful for words.

"You're in far too many clothes still Tomas," of course his Reinita had an opinion or two to share, "I may have to take a page from your book." It was all the warning she save before trying to

put the coveralls off him in a quick tug. Work clothes covered in fake blood she was gentle with, but Tom's own white t-shirt underneath got as torn as hers had on Sunday. Tomas may have thrown Dri on the bed a little a few heat heats later, coveralls on the floor in seconds with the rest of his clothes.

He peeled the garage shirt off of her and tossed it aside to, but Tom left all the wonderfully strappy bits in place. As he kissed her, her hands once gain roamed, trailing mischief across his skin so Tom retaliated by tracing the lines of every strap on her body. And that little piece of fabric between her legs counted too. Once again Adrianna went silent but responsive, her arousal expressed on gasped breaths and how her body arched into his touch. He used the straps to flip the brat over, glad to have literally covered her ass earlier because the little fabric panel did not exist here.

"You were trying to kill me, wearing this to my workplace, and with only my garage shirt to cover it too," he growled in her ear, and instead of arguing with words, she ground her ass back against his crotch.

Devil woman.

So like he had when she was in those goddamn leather pants, Tom slapped her as with a crack and the strangled sound the brat made turned him savage. She braced her hands against the headboard as he swatted his hand down again, landing in the same spot and this time Dri gave a harsh exhalation just shy of a moan. His restraint lasted to the third smack; Adrianna gave an actual moan and Tom tore the excuse of panties off of her before sinking into her with a desperate thrust, fingers once again tangled in those straps.

And his Reinita was no lady because she was absolutely soaking wet for him, he rough thrust getting a pleased gasp in as if she'd been wanting exactly that. With her braced between his looming body and the heavy wooden headboard, Tom was able to use those oh so convent straps to hold the brat in place as he set a relentless pace; his grunts matched by her soft cries of pleasure.

Tom wasn't actually certain he had the self-restraint to stop from cumming first when Adrianna's arms went weak and she brought her chest down to the mattress instead. His next thrust went as deep as her body could take and Tom couldn't breathe past the sensation, Dri cried out loudly as well, the squeeze from her body encouraging his bad behavour, and Tom grinned as he fucked her deep and hard again.

"Tom!" Adrianna saying his name like that, like a warning and a challenge all at once, left him needing to pound into her until the wet pulses from her orgasm compelled his own.

He braced around her body, kissing the back of her neck gently before slipping free of her and flopping to the side with a grunt. "Definitely trying to kill me.'

The brat just laughed at him for a moment, braced on her arms to talk, "And you wanted to try and do that in the back of the Jeep."

"I'm willing to do that anywhere you are Adrianna," he smirked and gave her ass one last smack before she moved. "And considering that you came to my work, dressed like you did, we're both lucky it wasn't the back of the Jeep today or else Nate and Grace would have definitely caught us."

She didn't argue as she got up to go to the bathroom. Tom couldn't help but watch her walk, the straps framing her now in an erotic way without panties as she sauntered by and he nearly leapt out of the bed to follow after when she asked, "Shall we?" and the shower turned on.

Devil Woman.

They even managed to shower, Tom happily exhausted by the time he curled around Dri in bed.

But to the world didn't cease to exist simply because he'd fallen in love, and despite how distracting the brat could be, he'd gotten the GPS location of where the tracker had gotten to. And so far there'd been no indication that it'd been discovered yet either. It'd been hacked to be 'dead' except for a half second pulse once every ten minutes to indicate location. The time delay meant unless they were unlucky a sweep would miss it, but also meant a fair bit of distance could get covered before a location update. But since Tom was trying to figure where the car had been and not where it was going to, he was fine with the trade-off.

Every data point would give them more information to work with, this silent boss of Jerred's still leaving Tom uncomfortable. And finally having dipped his toes in the business side, Tom could tell there were monsters in the deep waiting. The beating William and Randall had tried to inflict only a small taste of it. [Races Sat; big money, some interested eyes looking for drivers. Ladies get their own poker night] Jerred's text was followed by the usual location text. But then to Tom's surprise there was a follow up text. [Boss has dealt with William and Randall. Tell your woman the boss has his eyes on you, no one else should take a swing at you] Two weeks after the fact this should be old news; instead the entire message left Tom feeling uneasy.

It left him quiet at work, especially since Nate was thankfully off. Tom hadn't been subtle about taking Adrianna home last night, and he intentions had not been for cuddles alone. He wasn't going to hide his relationship now that everyone knew so his best friend would have to make peace with it, but Tom did appreciate the time to let Nate forget a little. And the corset Dri had given Grace to wear probably helped soften Nate's memories of the night too.

[You get to play poker, I get to race; who do you thinks gonna win more money?] he texted the challenge to the brat, knowing she was at a shoot all night.

[The Supra ready?] he was surprised she texted back so fast, not surprised that she was hedging her bets.

[Will be after tonight. Would have been last night except distraction cleavage and prudent planning walked into my bar]

Wednesdays were slow, and Tom was standing at the bar as he texted, Wade giving him mild shit for being whipped. He was not expecting to open the next test from the brat and literally drop his phone in surprise. So of course Wade picked it up and looked, his eyebrows disappearing into the shaggy hairdo.

"Yes ma'am." Wade agreed with the caption under the picture.

Dri was doing some kind of jewelry store shot or some such, because she was decked out on bling. His Reinita had snapped a selfie wearing a literal tiara, and what looked like diamond and gold chains wrapping around her throat and laying out over her chest as the only clothes she had on. Tom knew she used modesty covers for these kinds of shoots, but in the pic she angled so no sign of it showed. She looked naked, covered in gold and diamonds, smiling at the camera with that beautiful challenge in her eyes, and the caption under it read [Yesterday wasn't distracting, this is distracting]

Devil woman.

"You know, I can't really give you hell about being glued to your phone nowadays if this is the shit she's texting you." Wade handed his phone back over and poured two shots.

At one point, not too long ago, Tom hadn't checked his phone if he was around other people unless he had to. Now if he knew it was Dri, she became the priority, had been for a while really "Usually it's a picture of my lighter that she's nicked."

He reflexively patted his pocket and wasn't surprised to find the damn thing once again missing. It wouldn't have been hard for her to have gotten it either; he'd spent a lot of the morning kissing her instead of paying attention. Somehow she'd even kept them on schedule despite that, though her grouchiness did seem less caustic. [If you're not taking the bet to win on sat because the Supra's back, just admit my driving is better than your playing] he had to challenge

"Nate and Grace are already halfway hitched, seems like you're next; pick out a ring yet?" Wade mocked with friendly cheer.

"Ha-fucking-ha," Tom shot the bartender a flat look, "I jump into things fast but its been two months," he fought the urge to check a phone as she texted back.

"Two months and you're entire fucking lives," Wade laughed at him, "Check your damn phone and for the love of god share any pictures your Queen sends. Unlike you two assholes I don't have time for a social life, I live here."

"I hate you," Tom muttered the familiar phase and looked at the text.

[you're good Goon, I'm better. Bet is on. You might want to tweak the Supra since you're working on it anyways, it'll help your odds]

[Brat] he shook his head as Wade started to hum the wedding march song.

"If you want me to ask Dri if she has any single friends, you better piss off man." Tom warned, focusing on the few clients coming in on a Wednesday.

He left the Nightside in the Jeep and drove out to his parents place, giving Cerberus attention before focusing on the Supra. He'd pulled the battered panels and replaced them, this last

night was just finishing the paint. The rest of the garage was set up for his father's work the next day and Tom took a good few moments to get a little work going on one of these as he'd been slack about helping out as much lately. And he knew it wasn't going to get better now that he wanted to steal more time for him and Dri that didn't involve being at work somehow.

Tom had just decided he really was going to cut his hours at the Nightside when Cerberus got up from his lazy seeming sprawl to stand at the garage entrance with his tail wagging. A moment later he heard a familiar voice quietly calling to the dog, "And how is my favourite pain in the ass doing?" Dri's amused voice made him smile and Tom buried the expression before she saw it and claimed she was talking to him.

He turned from the engine he was cleaning, seeing her with another ridiculous hairstyle held in place by a pound of little pins, an astonishing lack of makeup probably thanks to wipes, and her wearing a much safer outfit this time. At least, Tom hadn't had the overwhelming urge to go feral due to her sweater dresses yet; though this one being backless certainly helped.

"What time is it?" He asked instead of saying hello, holding a hand out to her. He was covered in grease, and still smelled slightly of spilled beer from the Nightside; she came anyways.

"1 am, aren't you going to be tired for work today?" she wasn't wrong there.

"Usually, but I catch up on sleep Thursday nights." And then he loses it again on the weekend but she knew that. "Aren't you supposed to be at a shoot?"

"Photographer and client started to disagree about the direction the shoot was taking," Dri pressed a light kiss to him, Tom carefully resisting the urge to touch her with his hands still greasy "Egos got bruised. and the photographer walked off the set, leaving the entire issue for the client to figure out. So I got paid to show up, get glammed up, sit around while idiots fought, and had one whole photo taken the entire night, and that's the selfie I sent you."

She stood out of the way, leaning against the work bench as she started to pluck the pins out of her hair while Tom finished cleaning the engine for his father. Normally he'd just crash on the couch and go to work from there if needed, but she'd taken a taxi from her shoot to his parents just to see if he was still there.

"This is good enough, lets go home and get what little sleep is left." He tossed the rag aside, petting Cerberus who'd claimed the couch for himself.

"Good plan," She'd gotten all the pins out of her hair, Tom guessed about eighty some odd this time, and Dri swiped the pile of them and tucked them into her purse Her hair swung around her in heavy waves that Tom knew would be warm to the touch.

He managed to get washed up at the shop sink enough to feel safe enough getting his hands on her for a proper kiss. Her hair was warm, her skin soft under his hand, and suddenly Tom wasn't all that tired any more. Still, it was a quiet drive back to the apartment, and despite stripping to her skin, Tom simply curled around the brat to sleep.