A Dye Hard Holiday (Curl Up and Dye Mysteries, #5) Read online

  “Why don’t you let me be the judge of that,” Wren returned with a bite in his voice. “Was it that doctor who stopped in here last week to see you?” Oh yeah, he wanted to do some biting all right.

  “He was here to book an appointment for a haircut last week, not see me.” I heard the eyeroll in Dare’s voice and wished I could see his face. I also wished for some popcorn.

  “Who’d you schedule him with?” Wren wanted to know.

  Oh shit! Please don’t tell him…

  “You,” Dare said sassily.

  “Well, won’t that be fun?”

  I jumped to my feet then. I couldn’t allow my salon to become a casualty to their stupidity. “Guys—”

  “You wouldn’t dare—”

  “Oh, I dare to do a lot of things—”

  “Guys!” They had no intention of listening to me. I held out my hand and helped Meredith off the cold, hard floor.

  “Like what, Wren?”

  “Plenty of things,” Wren said stubbornly, but I could tell he was running out of steam. “None of them are your business.” Oh, but he wants them to be.

  Of course, Dare didn’t say what he was really thinking or feeling either. He went with, “You’re such an asshole, Wren.”

  “Yes, I am. It’s best you remember it too.”

  “Like you’d let me forget it,” Dare dramatically replied before he stomped out of the little room.

  Wren poked his head around the corner. The expression in his dark eyes could only be described as defeat. “Sorry, boss.”

  “It’s not a problem. Don’t worry about Trent, I’ll—”

  “I’ll cut the fucker’s hair,” Mere said, interrupting me. Then she looked at me and waved her finger back and forth. “Remember your promise to Gabe.” I wasn’t sure that Mere would be any kinder to Trent, but he at least had a fighting chance with her.

  “Thanks,” Wren said, smiling wryly. “I owe you one.”

  “Was I this clueless when it came to Gabe?” I asked Mere once we were alone.

  She giggled and poked my rib with her finger. “Worse.”

  Nothing filled my shop to capacity quicker than murder or mayhem. The visitors that day wanted to chat about my arrest. I was horrified when a video of me arguing with that woman went viral, but glad it showed me in the best light possible. She was the one who looked like a complete nutter throwing herself to the ground and yelling like I had pushed her down.

  “Josh, I loved the way you defended your mama from that evil woman,” Mrs. Handerneski said. She was the first client in my chair that morning and she spent three hundred dollars on salon gift certificates. “The perfect stocking stuffer.”

  “Thank you, ma’am.”

  “Your hair stayed perfectly styled the entire time you played tug of war over that toy,” Mrs. Randolph said while I put foils in her hair. “It was amazing.” Of course, I had to show her what held up so well during my brawl over a talking, dancing, stuffed bear. I might’ve gotten thrown in jail, but my mama came away with that motherfucking toy.

  “I’ll take two,” she told me.

  Gabe stopped by with lunch, and I knew he was still trying to atone for the weekend. It wasn’t his fault that I was arrested, and had the situation been reversed I might’ve freaked out a little too. Yeah, he got a little overzealous with the ax at the tree farm, but we still ended up with a beautiful tree and I got me some lumbersexual sexy times after he felt better. I shivered because I was pretty sure I had finger marks on my ass from him gripping me so hard. Not to mention that our home and business looked amazingly festive.

  So, yeah, our crowded house and hectic weekend had me feeling out of sync, but that wasn’t his burden to shoulder. Realizing that, was the bucket of ice water I needed to get over myself. “Hey, you wanna sneak into the mixing room like old times?”

  “It’s occupied,” Gabe said with a smug smile and a playful wink. “I think Wren is finally done fighting his feelings for Dare.”

  I thought back to the back and forth sniping that morning. “I don’t think so, Gabe.” No sooner had the words left my mouth, a dazed and stunned Dare stumbled out the door and walked in a trance-like state back to man his desk at the front of the salon. “That doesn’t mean anything.”

  Wren came out of the room next looking like he couldn’t believe what had happened. He briefly touched his hand to his mouth and watched Dare’s sassy walk. Wren’s eyes met mine and his face turned a bright shade of red.

  “Been there, done that,” I told him, hoping to ease his embarrassment.

  “Excuse me. I just need a minute,” Wren mumbled then walked out the back door, presumably to get some air and gather his wits. He looked turned on and a little angry too.

  Gabe and I turned our attention back to the reception area. Dare sat in his chair staring off into space looking bewildered as fuck. I wondered if he was even aware that he was tracing his lips with two fingers or if his hand moved on its own.

  “Been there, done that,” Gabe said, nodding at Dare. “Must be something the stylists drink in here that helps them drive a man to the brink.”

  “Oh, I thought you were referring to the wonderment Dare appears to be experiencing,” I replied, trying my best to sound like I had hurt feelings.

  “Baby, you’re the king of wonderment, but in the beginning, you were equal parts pleasure and pain. Maybe even sixty forty with pain taking the slight edge.”

  “But you’re not sorry.”

  “You are the best thing to ever happen to me, Sunshine. Never doubt it for a minute.”

  My chest swelled with love and tenderness for the world’s sexiest police captain. Oh, that reminded me. “On a scale of one to ten, how bad were you harassed this morning over my arrest on Friday?”

  “Thirty.” Shit! Gabe crooked his finger for me to lean toward him. “Don’t you worry about it; I can handle myself.”

  “Hey, the mixing room is free now.” I waggled my brows suggestively.

  Things clipped along at a happy, drama-free pace until about three in the afternoon. It started when Mere got sick. She assured me it was normal and swore she was good to go, but I sent her home to rest. She looked more relieved than angry when I walked her to her car and made her promise to call me later. Wren and one other stylist had lighter schedules that afternoon and offered to pick up her clients if they didn’t want to reschedule. Dare started making calls and I wasn’t surprised to hear which clients were flexible and which ones wanted to wait for Mere to return. Of course, Mere offered to stay later through the week to make up for it. I was happy that most of the clients were willing to work with another stylist rather than have Mere working twelve-hour days.

  I thought the crisis was diverted until Dare received a bouquet of flowers from a delivery man. I knew by the look on Wren’s face that he didn’t send I Want to Fuck You flowers, which meant they were an apology from Trent. I was familiar with his moves, in fact, I think it was the same type of mixed flowers he sent to me all those years ago. Wren stared daggers at the colorful blossoms while Dare gushed over their beauty. I was pretty certain he planned to sever the flower heads with his shears as soon as he got the opportunity. I bet he would pretend they were Trent’s head too while laughing maniacally. Damn, I’d been hanging around Chaz and his overactive imagination too much!

  Eventually, Wren stopped glaring at an oblivious Dare and things fell back into a peaceful rhythm. That all came to a screeching halt when Trent showed up for his haircut around five. Fuck! I never asked which day he was scheduled. Mere went home, Wren looked like he was going to stab Trent in the eye at any minute, the other chairs were all filled, which left only me to cut his hair. I promised Gabe though. I chewed on my bottom lip for a few seconds before I made an executive decision. I was a laidback employer, but I could put my foot down when it was needed.

  “Wren, can I please talk to you for a minute?”

  “Sure,” he said, but he hadn’t budged from staring at Trent and Dare.
/>   “Wren,” I repeated. The second time got his attention and he followed me to the kitchenette. “I need you to cut Trent’s hair and preferably without piercing his nut sac with your shears.”

  “Damn, I hadn’t thought of that. Thanks, Josh.”

  I shook my head in frustration. I clearly wasn’t getting my point across if he thought I was trying to help him ruin my business. “Listen, I can’t cut his hair or my husband will hunt him down and kill him. I need you to put your difference aside and cut the fucker’s hair.” Wren’s mouth dropped at my salty language. “Furthermore, get your head out of your ass and you won’t have to worry about some jackass creeping in on your guy.”

  Wren was a big guy—tall and strong, but I went toe to toe with him. There was no way that I was letting Trent leave my salon unsatisfied so he could complain to people. He was just the type too. There would be no letter to the editor about my salon. Fuck no!

  “Yeah, okay,” Wren said after a long pause. I liked that he didn’t dispute that Dare was his guy. “But I don’t have to like it.”

  “Certainly not,” I agreed. “Go out there and show Dare that you’re a mature adult. After we close, ask him to go to dinner with you.”

  Wren scoffed like it was the dumbest thing he ever heard. I leveled him with the look I gave to my husband when he was being too stubborn to live.

  “I’m sorry if you thought I was joking. I’ve been watching the two of you circle each other like pissed-off alley cats for too long!” That last part came out louder than I planned it. “Knock it off, and get each other off, Wren. We’ll all be better off for it.” Okay, that was totally inappropriate, but he seemed to like that remark.

  “Yeah, okay.”

  “Atta boy,” I said, placing my hands on his broad shoulders and turning him. I gave him a gentle, but firm, shove. “Go get him.”

  I was congratulating myself when I returned to the salon, but my relief was short-lived when I overheard Trent confirm dinner plans with Dare. I took one look at Wren’s face and made a hasty decision that I hoped I wouldn’t regret.

  “Wren, you have an important phone call,” I said, lying through my teeth. “I’ll cut Trent’s hair.” I held up my shears and smiled wickedly at Trent. “Right this way,” I said gesturing to my chair. “I’ll be right back.”

  I went into the kitchen and sent Gabe a quick text.

  Baby, Mere went home sick and Wren wants to kill Trent. I have to do it. I promise it won’t mean anything to me. It’s just business. Love you, bye.

  Then I turned my phone off, slid it in my pocket, and hoped for the best.

  I DIDN’T DRIVE ACROSS town to the salon to supervise the haircut like I wanted to, especially after Josh turned off his phone after sending the text. Of course, I wasn’t surprised when my call went straight to voicemail. He had made his decision then went about his business. Josh had never once manipulated me by purposefully triggering the possessive beast that lived inside me. He was confident in my love for him and wasn’t starved for attention. I teased him about being a diva, but he was easy to understand once you peeled back the layers and got to the heart of the man.

  His love for his—our—salon was a close second to his love for his family and friends. I could tell from his text that he felt stuck between a rock and a hard place. I even chuckled a little at his attempt at humor. It was true that I had nothing to worry about, so instead of making a fool of myself and embarrassing my husband, I remained home and waited patiently for him to come home. Okay, I wasn’t the least bit patient and frustration probably rolled off me in waves as I paced the floor of his dance studio. I assured my raging beast that Josh belonged to us, but he needed more than words; he needed a demonstration.

  That’s why I sent Josh a text to let him know where he could find me when he got home and provided an acceptable way he could atone for breaking his promise to me. I wasn’t mad, just annoyed. It seemed like that damn Trent somehow orchestrated everything to go his way. I didn’t like it, or him. I didn’t want my husband’s hands on any part of his body.

  “Are you going to make me dance for my supper?”

  I was so preoccupied that I didn’t hear Josh walk into his studio. I rounded to face him. I hated the apprehension and worry I saw in his warm eyes. I wasn’t out to punish Josh; I wanted to connect with him in a way that only we shared. “Something like that,” I said, offering a crooked smile to lighten the mood.

  “Gabe, I—”

  Closing the gap between us, I cut off his words by taking his mouth in a rough, hungry kiss, capturing his gasp and tasting his surprise. I was always so hungry for him, so fucking hungry. It never went away nor did it lessen. It grew with every beat of my heart.

  “I haven’t worked on a routine in a long time,” Josh said sheepishly when we pulled apart to breathe.

  “Yesterday, I heard a song on the radio and it transported me up to this room.”

  “Transported?” I could tell that it took a lot of control for him not to snort.

  “That’s what you do to me, Sunshine. I hear a song and see you dancing on your pole.” I placed my hand on his neck then leaned my forehead against his. “I want you to strip down and dance for me, baby.”

  I took my seat in the padded chair in front of his pole and watched as he slowly removed his clothes, swaying to a rhythm only he could hear. When he stood in front of his pole wearing nothing but his pair of navy-blue briefs, I hit play on my phone. A shiver worked through me when “Believer” began to play, because Josh made me a believer in all things.

  “Nice choice.”

  He said nothing else after that, choosing to communicate through spinning and dancing. Josh let the music work through him as he alternated between sensuous moves on the ground or spellbinding moves on the pole that showed off his flexibility and agility. I knew it took a lot of strength for him to look like he was walking on air. I loved watching the ripple and play of muscles beneath his beautiful skin. My eyes locked on his round ass, knowing I would soon part those cheeks and sink my dick deep inside him while he cried out my name.

  I didn’t recall the song being so long the first time I heard it, but maybe it was my eagerness to get at him that made it seem longer. I wasn’t complaining though because I asked for my man to dance for me, and he didn’t disappoint. I removed my clothes and coated my cock with lube in anticipation of the moment I could feel his bare skin against mine then crossed the room and captured him in my arms as soon as the last note ended. I yanked his briefs down his legs so that he stood naked in front of me.

  Josh wrapped his legs around my waist when I lifted him and raised his arms above his head to grip the pole. “You gotta love a man who comes prepared to fuck.” Josh hungrily licked his lips and said, “So, fuck me already.” He undulated his hips, grinding his ass against my raging hard-on and his dick against my abs.

  He didn’t have to tell me twice. I slid one hand between Josh’s parted legs to work his ass open while he devoured my mouth like he might not get another chance. Damn, my man knew how to turn me inside out and make my body beg for more. My blood pulsed through my veins, especially along my shaft, making it throb deliciously. The urge to fuck him was greater than my need to breathe, but I didn’t want my pleasure to end too soon.

  “Fuck me, Gabe!” Josh demanded, riding my fingers. “I want you inside me now.”

  He was as desperate to have me as I was him. Knowing that he was right there on the beautiful edge of sexual sanity with me made it that much sweeter, hotter. My need was ignored so I could focus all my attention on him, and my man loved having his ass played with. I alternated between teasing strokes with one finger where I barely grazed his prostate to pegging the gland with two fingers. Then I pulled out and circled his nerve-laden pucker to ratchet up his desire even more.

  “I’ve learned my lesson,” Josh said between gasps of pleasure slash pain from getting so close to his climax before I brought him back down. The desperate way his body shook made both my
heads swell.

  My reason for demanding a dance from my husband was more out of selfishness than one of life’s teaching moments, but maybe subconsciously I did want to show him that he belonged to me. I lined my dick up to his ass and penetrated him to the base of my cock in one hard push. “All mine,” I growled against his throat.

  Josh squirmed on my cock like a worm on a fishhook, but not from discomfort. He wanted me to move inside him. I saw how much he wanted to take control. Not tonight, my love. Suddenly, it was a battle of wills like old times—both of us pushing the other to the limit; neither of us willing to budge. My husband got his way nine times out of ten, but that was one night I refused to give in.

  I kept Josh pressed tight between my body and his pole, ensuring that he didn’t have the mobility to work my cock like he wanted to. I knew what he liked, knew what he needed, and set out to show him who was boss, if only for a few minutes. Josh yanked my hair when the combination of the push-pull friction of my cock inside his ass and the drag of his cock against my abs drove him to the edge.

  I kept my eyes locked on him as I gritted my teeth and fucked him with everything I had. The Josh I first met would’ve closed his eyes or tried to block me from seeing the love and joy my body gave him, but not the Josh I married. He smiled wickedly because he knew it was only a matter of time before he turned the tables on me, and I would enjoy every fucking second of it.

  Josh took a few staggering breaths before his mouth fell open and he came on a silent scream like a sexy mime. His chute tightened almost painfully around my cock, tearing my orgasm out of me. When the last quake faded, I stumbled to the chair with a boneless Josh still draped around my body.

  “Don’t drop me, Captain Caveman!”

  “Oh, that’s my new favorite!”

  “Your caveman routine is hot as fuck, but I never try to bring that out in you on purpose.” Josh smoothed back the sweaty strands of hair that were plastered to my forehead. “Surely you know there is no one else for me.”