Page 5 of Beneath His Touch

4

MATTHEW

Iwalk into Twisted Oak to meet Crew there for dinner. All of the other guys are busy with their families. Asher and Lennie’s twin daughters are giving them fits and not sleeping through the night. Trent and Kennedy have their hands full with Briar and another one on the way. Johnny and Winnie are in the same boat with Sebastian and her being pregnant as well.

Tysen and Macie are nearing the end of her pregnancy, which means she’s in full-on nesting mode, according to Tys. It's part of the process the further along she gets in her pregnancy. Jagger and Lyric are in a similar situation. She initially thought kids wouldn’t be in her future, but being with Jagger changed things. He’s got his business, she is doing stuff with his parents, and finalizing projects after her dad passed away has been a kick in the dick, from what Jagger says. Shae and Luke are always up to their eyeballs with work as entrepreneurs, like everyone else in our group.It’s making family get-togethers almost impossible, which has been rough on us all.

Then there’s Jude and Ronnie being thrown into parenthood of sorts with his sister, Rory. Shit went down fast, and we're all still reeling from the multitude of trauma she’s faced and more that’s brought up the past for Jude, too. Through it all, Ronnie has been rock fucking solid and in his corner the entire time.

That leaves Crew and me, the last two standing, but if I have my way, Letty and I will be together before too long. Christ, I can still feel her presence all around me, her soft scent I attempt to smell whenever I get so much as a lingering sensation swirling around me. As for Crew, I’m not sure what he’s got going on. It used to be the others who kept to themselves, but now it seems more and more that Crew is doing it, and it's up to me to pull it out of him, or at the very least let him know we’ve got his back. It’ll be up to him if he actually brings the conversation up to begin with. Maybe he’ll talk about it tonight, but if not, the ball is in his fucking court.

I check if Crew is already here and where he’s sitting. Usually, it’ll be at the bar, but since we’re here to not only have a drink but to eat, I wait at the hostess stand since I don’t see Crew anywhere.

“Welcome to Twisted Oak. How many will be joining you tonight?” Amaya, the hostess with her name tag pinned to her shirt, asks.

“Thank you. Two, please,” I reply, thinking it’s weird that Crew isn’t here yet, when he’s usually the first to arrive at any function.

“Of course, right this way.” We meander through the tables. While it’s usually busy on a Friday night, it’s also getting later in the evening, so all of the early birds have long since left. “Here’s your booth. Letitia will be your server tonight and will be right with you.” My body tightens as I think about a woman with a similar name. The last time I laid eyes on her was twenty-four hours ago, and it wasn’t nearly enough time, even if she watched me jack my cock, never making eye contact like I craved. Still, I’ll take a few minutes in her presence over none at all.

“Sounds good,” I respond, my mind already drifting off in an attempt to keep my cock from coming to life at thoughts of Letty. It’s been a constant state for me. Even while going through drafts at work today, the thoughts have simmered right at the surface. I take the menu Amaya placed on the table and read through the specials for the week. Each month, they switch it up, and since I haven’t been here in a while, I may as well see what’s new.

“Christ, what a fucking day,” Crew says as he slides into the booth in front of me. His shirt is untucked, buttons undone, and he looks like he’s had a rough time at the office.

“That bad?” I close the menu. I know what I’ll be ordering. I’m sure not a single fucking meal will compare to the one Letty cooked for me last night. While she made enough for leftovers for tonight, the thought of sitting in my penthouse alone didn’t appeal in the least. Therefore, I saved the food, and I’ll more than likely eat it tomorrow night when I’m no doubt working through the weekend.

“Fuck yes. Goddamn Todd and his bullshit. He foisted off an intern on me, like I’m some damn new engineer and not apartner. The damn person was supposed to start today. Who the hell starts a job on a Friday?” In the middle of his rant, I’m caught off guard by who appears at the edge of my peripheral vision.

“Nobody I know of.” I settle back in my seat, relaxing a bit further in order to see if it’s who I thought it was. The name isn’t one you hear very often, and I’m well aware of what Letty is short for.

“Idiot. I swear Todd is doing his best to piss me the fuck off. But enough about me. How’s shit with you?” I think there’s more to his story than Crew is willing to divulge, but at least he’s talking instead of sulking, for now.

“Good. Work’s busy, and I’m about to stop taking new clients for the time being. It’s either that or bring in another attorney. You know as well as I do how that goes.” Crew makes a noise of disgust. He did it to help his company get going, much like anyone else does, inadvertently shooting himself in the foot in the process.

“I should have done the same. Now, look at me. Good for you, though, and depending on how this intern shit goes, I might have to make some tough decisions myself.” Whereas Crew’s office is three stories high and has more room for around fifty or so employees, my place of business isn’t the same. It’s an old storefront with a sitting area in the front, a place for my assistant, and a closed-off room for an employee lounge. In the back is my office, away from everyone who could potentially hear things they’ve got no business discussing.

“Yeah, no thanks.”

“Hi, welcome to Twisted Oak. My name’s Letitia, and I’llbe your server for the evening. What can I get you started on?” Her name, her voice, and her scent wrap around my dick like a vice, making me want her beneath me even more.

“Hey, Letty.” She didn’t make eye contact with me at all, looking everywhere except at me. When I use her name, I finally get her attention. Crew stays quiet, observing what’s going on between us. Thank fuck for small favors.

“Matthew, hi. Um, sorry.” Letty tucks a strand of hair behind her ear, betraying a shyness I’m not used to from her. Maybe because it’s we're out in public or because of the scene in the bathroom. Either way, it’s hot as fuck.

“No need to apologize.” I’m ready to say more and probably would if Crew didn’t clear his throat. Fucking asshole. I ought to kick his shin under the table.

“Oh, right, what can I get you to drink?” She collects herself, pulling back her shoulders to regain the strength I’ve seen in the comfort of my penthouse.

“I’ll take a bottle of Miller Lite and fried pickles.” Crew gives her a nod before he shoots a look my way.

“I’ll do the same, minus the appetizer.” My eyes eat her up like they always do when I’m in her presence. Tonight, she’s not in her usual shorts and tank top. This is different. Her hair is in a braid and on the side compared to her usual ponytail. Her face is usually devoid of makeup, but I can tell there’s a slight dusting of mascara and blush, along with a gloss on her lips. The tight black shirt showcases the swell of her breasts with each breath she takes. It’s also a button-down shirt, and I can see it’s struggling not to pop open. Motherfucker, the black skirt isn’t helping matters, either, and neither are the low heels. Her ass and hips aredisplayed in such a way that it only elongates her legs even more.

Legs I’ve imagined wrapped around my waist more times than I can count, not to mention wanting her firm thighs on either side of my head while I hold her down on my face. There’s no more attempting to keep my cock from perking up. Anytime she’s around, the damn thing has a mind of its own.

“I’ll be right back with your drinks and put your appetizer in.” Letty gives me a quick smile before she turns on her heel and walks away. I watch the sway of her hip with each step she takes, moving further and further away from me. It’s not until she’s completely out of sight that I return my focus to my friend.

“So, that’s the famous Letty Barnes, huh?” Crew says with a tilt of his lips and a cock of his eyebrow. I’ve been tight-lipped when it comes to her. My brothers will give me shit, telling me I should go after her and giving me advice when I should listen to my damn self.

“That’s her, and staying away from her is becoming impossible,” I admit more to myself than to Crew.