by Blair Grey
I wanted a soul for the one that had been taken from us. Only a soul would do for me. First, the heart had to be taken and next, the soul would follow.
Heart and soul. She’d lost her heart, then she let her soul follow.
I want what’s owed to us is all.
Chapter Nine
Clyde
“I’ll come by to pick you up.” At one in the afternoon, I’d woken up with tons of energy, ready to get the day started with Tequila. Garrett had wimped out, saying he needed more sleep. But I wasn’t going to let the day get away from me the way he was.
“I’ll meet you,” she wouldn’t give up. Tequila made sure she kept homelife separate from everything else. “I’ll park at the MC. Be there in twenty.”
Looking at the phone in the palm of my hand, I’d never been on this end of the line. The end where she’d hung up and I’d been left with an order in place. “Well, damn.”
With no other choice, I got on my bike, heading to where she’d said to go. Even with being on the other side of things, I couldn’t help but feel good about getting to hang out with her again.
There was an odd familiarity about the woman. I had no idea if it was because we both came from the Marines or what. But I felt like I’d known her for a long time.
We had that ‘it’ factor. The thing that not everyone gets in their lifetime. It seemed I’d gotten it twice now.
I’d been a wild-child just about as soon as puberty had hit me. At fourteen, I found the girl next door checking me out. Slayton was a bad, bad girl too. Even if she was only sixteen, she was as bad as they came.
I’d been in my backyard, tossing a softball up in the air and catching it when she’d come outside as well. I’d had no idea that I had a woody going on that showed in my sweatpants. She saw it though. And she took no time in pointing it out to me. She also told me that if I wanted to come inside of her house – a house where only she was for the afternoon – that she could show me what wonders I could do with my new-found hard-on.
That chick was insatiable. Plus, she wasn’t popular with her own age-group. I wasn’t the one to take her virginity as she’d given that away when she was only thirteen.
She’d never told me much about things in her life. Talking wasn’t what we did. Being that her single mother worked in a free clinic, she had a whole drawer full of condoms.
After that one afternoon of some awkward foreplay, then so rather clumsy sex, she had me hooked. On the school bus ride home, most afternoons, she’d look slyly then give me a quick peek at the condom in her hand. That was the signal to find a way to get to her house, so we could do what she called learning how to be adults.
Most often, she would be lying in her mother’s bed, wearing some naughty lingerie that belonged to her mother and fit her much more plump body too tightly. She always had names other than her own that I was to call her. And she always called me, Mr. Right Now.
I didn’t care what she called me. As long as she let me do to her whatever I wanted.
After my education with her, I was ready to take off on my own by the time I’d turned the tender age of fifteen. Molly Sandoval was a nice girl who had been in classes with me for as long as I could remember. So, naturally, I thought she would want to be my girlfriend and we could learn how to be adults together.
She wasn’t into it and slapped the shit out of me when I told her what I expected in our relationship. Telling all her friends what I’d done, she had no idea how many sluts she’d sent my way.
I’d had more tail than I knew what to do with all through high school. Having one girl wasn’t a thing I even wanted.
A family moved in across the street during my senior year of high school. There were two girls and a boy. The girls went to the same high school I was in. I never knew nor cared where the boy went. The older girl never even looked my way. Which was fine with me. The younger one did look my way from time to time as I went out to my car to take it to school. I no longer rode the school bus, but they did.
I’d already decided to join the Marines after graduation. I didn’t like the way my life was going. The women were a real problem and I wanted to distance myself from what I’d started.
My reputation wouldn’t allow me to make changes while staying in Baltimore. I had to leave. I had to put a lot of distance between me and what I’d been.
It had never been my intention to do anything with that girl. She was quiet and sweet. In the last semester, she’d ended up in my free period class. It was there that I found out her name. Crystal.
I’d never done so much as even talk to her. I could feel something different with her though. The ‘it’ factor. So, on the last day of school, I spoke to her. “I’m leaving in the morning. And I just wanted to say that I think you’re the sweetest girl I’ve ever seen. You’re pretty and I just wanted to let you know that if I wasn’t the kind of guy that I am, then you would be the kind of girl I’d want to be with.”
We had a long talk as she rode home with me in my car that day. She told me how I didn’t have to be anything that I didn’t want to be. Wise, beyond her years, the young freshmen made me think that I could change.
What she and I did that night wasn’t a thing like what I’d done with all the other girls. And I never had another night like that again. No one could ever replace the memory of that sweet girl who gave me the only thing she had to give at that time. Her virginity. And I left her with a piece of my heart. I’d never regretted one moment of our brief time together either.
I never will.
Pulling myself out of my old memories, I stopped in front of the MC’s headquarters. Texting Tequila, I let her know that I was there to pick her up.
It occurred to me that I’d left behind the rep I had in high school. But I hadn’t become the man I’d wanted to while in the Marines or even after that.
I’d developed another niche for my sexuality. One where I held all the cards and the upper hand at all times. Bondage had become a fascination with me. I’d visited various clubs that let me play roles where women also came to play their own roles.
Whips and chains became a thing I dabbled in. And as much fun as being the Master was to the subs I’d played with, that was beginning to lose its edge as well.
Nothing solid had ever come from any of my playthings. Perhaps I didn’t respect the women who willingly gave themselves to me, to do whatever I wanted to them. If that was the case, I hadn’t fully realized it yet.
Part of me still wanted that aspect. But another part did not.
“Texting?” Tequila asked as she came out to me, wearing tight white leather pants, brilliant blue stilettos, and a V-neck white shirt that showed her ample cleavage to the max. One long braid hung down her back. “You’re lucky I’m in a good mood.”
“And what does that mean?” I held out my hand to take hers, so she could get on my bike behind me. “You look stunning, by the way.”
“Thank you.” Her chest brushed against my back as she put on the helmet that matched her shoes that she’d carried out with her. “Texting me, instead of coming up to get me isn’t a thing I usually even respond to.”
“Then I consider myself lucky.” I noted that I shouldn’t do that to her again if I wanted to continue to see her. And I did want to see her again. “And thank you for not ignoring my text. So, where should I go from here?”
“Anywhere is good. You should see all the sights.” Wrapping her arms around me, she put her chin on my shoulder. “As long as I get to hug you is all I care about.”
Tequila was a mixture of moods. Sweet one minute, sultry the next, and all the while there was this underlying tone of toughness. “Hungry?” I asked.
“No. You?”
“Nope. I ate at the hotel.”
“I ate at home.” She pecked my cheek. “Come on. Let’s get going. I can’t wait.”
As I took off, just the feeling of having her behind me with her arms wrapped around my body had me flying high. She leaned into the curv
es with me, showing me just how seasoned of a rider she was.
Four a solid two hours we rode before I found a quiet-looking place to stop. As I parked underneath a canopy of tall trees, it pleased me to no end to find we were alone in the clearing.
One picnic table sat between two trees and that is right were Tequila headed as she got off the bike, pulling off her helmet as she went.
I pulled mine off too, leaving it on the seat of the bike as I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face. “So, do you have helmets to match all of your shoes?”
“Ha, ha.” Placing the blue helmet on the table, she looked at it, then her shoes. “I’ve got five of them. Black, blue, red, purple, and of course teal. Teal’s my color. It’s the color of the walls in my bedroom. And it’s the color of my carpet in there too.”
“Maybe one day you’ll let me see this teal bedroom of yours.” I had high hopes it would be soon too.
“It’s highly doubtful.” She wiggled her finger at me as she sat on the top of the picnic table, her feet on the bench. “Little less talk, a lot more action.”
“I think I can handle that.” The woman was a bit like the girls I’d dealt with in high school and a bit like the way I’d been after I left high school. But then there was this aspect of sweetness to her as well. “You are one unique woman, Tequila,” I wanted to know her middle name as her first name seemed a bit stunted, “tell me what goes after that.”
“After Tequila?”
I nodded. “Yep.”
“Salt and lime, usually.” Her smile told me she knew what I’d meant. “But my middle name is Rose.”
“Tequila Rose Santos.” I loved the name. Standing between her knees, I put my hands on her shoulders, caressing her cheeks with my thumbs. “So, tell me about Tommy.”
“No.” Her eyes glazed over. “He’s not a subject that we’ll talk about. I keep my family private.”
“You can ask me anything about mine.” I felt that might help her feel like she could open up to me.
“Why would I do that, Clyde?” I’d drawn something out of her as she stared into my eyes so hard I felt her mind entering my brain.
“It’s normal to get to know a person and the people they love. Don’t you want to have a normal relationship with me?”
“You can’t seriously be talking about us having a relationship right now. We just met yesterday.” Moving her hands up and down my arms, she smiled. “This isn’t a relationship.”
“I think that when two people know each other, there is always a relationship. I don’t mean it in a serious way. I mean it in the basic sense of two people who are working or hanging out together. It’s a simple thing, really. You’re the one who’s making it seem like more than it is.”
“Whatever.” Leaning in, she whispered, “Shut up and kiss me.”
This isn’t going the way I want it to. “So this is it then? Just sex?”
Pulling back, she shook her head. “Who said we’re going to have sex? Not me.”
“What you’re saying is that I’m reading you all wrong?” I knew better than that. “You’re not one of those people who like to play emotional games, are you?”
“No. I don’t play games. I just take it as it comes and goes.” Taking my hands in hers, she pulled me closer to her. “I want to get to know you and you get to know me. Let’s leave all others out of it. You’re making me anxious with all the family questions is all.”
I needed to stop. She was right about one thing. It was too soon to be getting into intimate details about our families and our personal lives.
So, I let it all go and kissed her.
For now, all we’ll get to know is how sexually compatible we are, Tequila Rose.
Chapter Ten
Tequila
The way my body reacted to Clyde’s made me want to beat my own ass. His hands moved down my arms as we stood in front of my home. “I had fun.”
“Me too.” I did have fun. Lots of fun. And I hated how much I liked being with the man. “Thank you for bringing me home.” My brother had called to ask me if he could go get my car so he could go see a movie as my mother wanted to use her car to go do the grocery shopping. We needed one more car. But getting my brother a car wasn’t on the agenda yet.
He had to have something to stimulate him into getting a job and keeping it. A car was about the only thing we had left to entice him.
“So, I guess you’re staying in tonight?” His green eyes darted back and forth, letting me know that he was a little worried that I would be going out with someone else later.
“I am staying in tonight. After staying out extremely late last night and taking off for most of this day, I need to spend time with the family.” It was the truth. I didn’t like to leave Tommy out of my life for long amounts of time. “If I was all alone, I would be happy to spend this evening with you too. But I’m not. So… well, you know.”
“I’ve never dated a woman with kids before.” His hands held mine, his thumbs grazing the backs of mine as he seemed like he didn’t want to let them go. He didn’t want to leave me.
That’s pretty damn sweet.
Clyde had ways about him that made him endearing. And other ways he had about him made him sexy as sin. He was pretty much the perfect mix of things I wanted in a man. If I was looking for a man. Which I wasn’t. Even if I was, Clyde Thomas still wouldn’t be him.
“I haven’t dated much at all. And I’ve never dated a man with kids before. All I know is how my life goes.” I bit my lower lip as he smiled at me, making my heart skip a beat. “How do you do that?”
He seemed oblivious. “Do what?”
Letting him know how much he affected me would’ve been a mistake. “Nothing. So, maybe tomorrow we can meet up. Mom makes a big breakfast on Sundays. So, I can’t go out until after noon or so. But I’ll be free from then until about sixish. I like to be able to spend time with Tommy on Sunday evenings before he has to start up the week of school.”
“Okay. Then tomorrow afternoon we’ll do something. Maybe go to a movie?” Tightening his grip on my hands, he sighed. “I’ve never not wanted to let anyone’s hands go before. You’re growing on me pretty fast, Tequila Rose.”
I shouldn’t have told him my middle name.
It sounded too good coming off his lips though. “What’s your middle name?” I thought it only fair that I know his too.
“It’s stupid. It doesn’t flow like yours does. It was my mother’s father’s name.” He shook his head. “I don’t even use my middle initial, it’s that bad. Not that my first name is all that great. Clyde was my grandfather’s name on my dad’s side. But it’s better than the middle name.”
Now I had to know. “If you tell me, then I’ll give you one more kiss. If not, then no more kisses for you today.” Wiggling my eyebrows, I hoped it would be enough to earn the information I desired.
“Kiss first, name after.” He didn’t trust me.
Moving in, I slid my arms around his neck, then planted my lips on his. The way his hands slid around my waist, then rested on the top of my ass felt natural.
He knew how to hold me. He knew how to make my heart flutter. He knew how to make me laugh too. The only thing he didn’t know was that I knew all this and more.
When our mouths parted, my breath came in jagged waves of excitement. “Damn, you sure know how to leave a girl wanting more, don’t ya?” I pressed my pulsing lips with my fingertips. “So, the name?”
“I suppose the best way to do this is quick. Like ripping off a bandage. I’ve never told anyone this. I can’t believe I’m telling you.” He took a deep breath. “This must mean that I really, really like you.” He closed his eyes. “My name is Clyde Karol Thomas.”
“Karol?” I asked, trying my best not to laugh. “Well, isn’t that something?”
Opening his eyes, he asked, “Still love me?”
“Siempre, mi amor.” Kissing his lips once more, I felt the heat building between us once more. “That means always, my
love.” Laughing a little, I thought it funny that we were saying words people waited sometimes years to say to one another – even if it was in a joking way.
“Well, if you can get past that horribly feminine middle name I’m stuck with, then I guess this is love.” He kissed me, then whispered, “You should come to my hotel after you get your son to sleep tonight. I don’t care how late it is, just come to me.” He moved his hands down to cup my ass, lifting me up a little. “We don’t have to have sex. If you’re worried about that. Or we can. Whatever.”
“I shouldn’t.” I couldn’t.
“But you should. You really should.” He lifted me a little higher.
My legs ached to wrap around him as I looked into his eyes. And the way they danced made me want to cry. If things were different, a positive answer would’ve come so easily. “Can’t.”
He started walking up the sidewalk, carrying me as he went. “Didn’t you say last night that what your man wants, he gets? Or something similar to that?” He nodded. “You did. I remember that well. So, your man wants you to come to him tonight. You can do your motherly duties before that. Then you’ll be free. What else do you have to do anyway?”
“Laundry,” I informed him. “There’s always plenty of laundry to do. My clothes, my sheets, the rugs in my bathroom, always lots of laundry to do, Clyde Karol.”
“You did not go there.” He lifted me even higher, holding me up so high that I was looking down at him.
“You’re crazy!” I couldn’t pull the smile off my face.
Being lifted up so high was like a dream to me. I’d been heavy until a year before I’d joined the Marines. I’d never thought a man could pick me up at all, much less lift me that high.
“You’re beautiful.” Easing me back to standing on my own two feet, he let me go entirely. “Have I made a terrible mistake?”
For a second, I thought he was about to just walk away from me and end things. Which he should’ve done. But I didn’t want that for so many reasons. “What?”