She laid her head against the steering wheel and shut her eyes.
Why do I keep deluding myself into thinking he’ll change?
When she lifted her head, she caught a glimpse of Billy. He carried a backpack as he strode out of the alley toward the street. Was he off to place another bet? She hesitated a minute, then pulled out of the lot slowly.
Billy rounded the corner then disappeared.
“Where are you going?” she asked aloud. Rolling to the end of the street, she waited and watched as he continued walking. Curiosity niggled at her. She turned into a convenience store and started after him on foot, hanging back enough so he wouldn’t be aware of her. When he entered the Grace Covenant Church she thought about turning back.
Oh, hell. She was already here. If he saw her, then so be it. Pulling in a steadying breath, she pulled open the door and entered the church. Billy was nowhere in sight, but she followed the handwritten signs that read, GA pointing down a short corridor. When she got to the door, she was able to see through a small window inside the room. About a dozen people sat thankfully facing away from her. A woman stood at a lectern at the front of the room speaking. She recognized the back of Billy’s head, but lost her nerve so she stayed in the hallway and listened.
“I’d like a moment of silence for those still suffering,” the woman up front said.
Everyone in the room put their head down and spoke in unison. “God grant me the Serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.”
The leader introduced herself as Ty. “If you think you have a problem with gambling, you are welcome to attend this meeting,” she told the small crowd. “In keeping with our primary purpose, we ask all who share to confine their discussion to their personal experience with their gambling addiction and recovery from it.” Ty’s gaze roamed the group. “Is there anyone here for their first GA meeting?”
She saw one hand go up on the right side of the room.
Ty smiled at the man. “We’re glad you’re here. Please stay after the meeting and get to know some of us over coffee and pastries. If you need a sponsor, see JoAnn, our chairman, after the meeting and one will be provided for you.” He pointed to an elderly woman in the front row.
The hand raiser nodded. The meeting continued with a reading from something called “The Big Book.” After each page was read, someone would stand, introduce him or herself by name, saying, “I’m so and so and I’m addicted to gambling.” Then that person would share an experience that related to the page they’d just read.
Just when Marissa thought the meeting was nearly over, she saw Billy stand.
“My name is Billy, and I’m addicted to gambling. This is my third meeting.”
“Welcome, Billy,” came the response.
“I thought my wife was nuts when she said I had a problem with gambling. That was a few years ago.” He hung his head. “Now she’s my ex-wife, but I love her more than I’ve ever loved anyone, and she won’t have anything to do with me. I gambled away a lot of our money, some of her jewelry, and all of my heart.” The last word came out as a croak. He cleared his throat and continued. “I understand now that I do have an addiction. That it’s a disease I need help with. Which is why I’m here.” He shrugged his shoulders and chuckled. “I figure since I’m in a church, it can’t hurt for me to pray she’ll take me back someday, right? Since I’m here anyway.”
A few people in the audience laughed and Marissa smiled through her tears.
“On my way here, I nearly relapsed,” he continued. “My old bookie gave me a lift. I had used a watch my wife…my ex-wife gave me a few years ago to pay for a stupid bet I made.”
She tried to make out his wrist, but his hands were in front of him, out of her field of vision.
“That was a few days ago. He wanted me to place another bet today. I refused.”
A few people applauded.
“I paid him all the cash I had on me, and the guy was decent enough to give it back.” He held up his arm and showed the crowd his watch. It’s all I have left of her.”
Marissa bit back her tears. She couldn’t contain herself if she had to listen to more. Quietly as she could, she backed away from the room and left. She’d heard enough.
Joel was right. Billy really was making an effort to change his life. As she walked to her car, she finally let the tears flow freely. Maybe she was a fool to believe in him, but she did. Her heart and her body had never stopped loving him, never would.
She parked her car in front of the church and waited.
When he came out a few minutes later, he stepped over to the open passenger window and leaned on the door. “What are you doing here?”
“Get in.” When he did, she pulled away from the curb and drove toward the restaurant. “Going to work?”
He nodded, still staring at her.
“Can we take this slow?”
She heard him gasp. “By this, you mean you and me?”
“Yeah.”
“We can take it any way you want, baby, as long as you say yes.”
She couldn’t keep the smile off her face. “Yes, Billy.”
The moment she parked behind the restaurant, he reached over and wrapped her in his arms. “I love you so much, Marissa.”
She breathed in his scent and met his stare. “I know. I love you, too.”
Epilogue
Six months later…
Marissa swung a sledgehammer into her kitchen wall and surprised herself at how good it felt. Finally, they'd begun work on the long-overdue remodel and expansion of their little house.
"Enjoying yourself, baby?" Billy struggled to pry a high cabinet loose. It finally came free and he rested his upper body on it, panting. "Next new kitchen you want comes in a new house, okay?"
"Okay." She giggled, imagining how the room would take shape with all stainless-steel appliances, cherry cabinets, granite countertops and wood floors. The contractors would even enlarge the room by adding an additional ten feet onto the back of the house, a feat which had taken a mountain of red tape and nearly a month of wrangling with the city's historical preservation board.
Billy's Gamblers Anonymous sponsor, Leon whistled as he helped Billy slide the cabinet toward the back door. "Careful what you say, buddy. Now she'll want to move."
"He may be right." Marissa heaved the sledgehammer to her shoulder, gave the wall another chop. She caught Billy's eye before he made it out the door. He threw her a playful wink.
No way would she move out of this place. Sure, the catering company was going gangbusters and for the first time, they actually had extra cash to fix up the house the way they—well, she—had always dreamed. But this was their home, the house they both loved. Since she'd convinced Joel to come clean to Billy about faking his kidnapping, the pressure of repaying a debt of over a hundred thousand dollars no longer weighed so heavily on him. The old gambling debts Billy owed his cousin added up to less than a third of that and he'd already made good headway on repayment. Thankfully, Billy's initial feeling of betrayal had quickly given way to relief.
The guys came back inside, dripping with sweat and went right to work on the last remaining cabinet. When they'd finished, Billy thanked Leon and walked him out.
Marissa listened as the door shut, heard Billy's footsteps approach. He appeared in the doorway, leaned against the jamb and pinned her with a crooked grin. Slowly, his gaze swept over her body and she shivered under the scrutiny.
Moisture pooled between her legs. How could he do that to her with a look?
"How about we finish this later?" He lifted an eyebrow, offered his hand and a sultry stare. "Contractor won't be starting work until the morning. I do some of my best work at night."
She stepped into his arms, breathed in the raw scent of man mixed with peppermint. A bead of sweat ran down her neck, between her breasts. The demolished kitchen fell away. Suddenly there was only them, only a narrow hallway on the way
to the shower and the bedroom. Since he'd moved back in three months ago, they hadn't been able to keep their hands off of each other.
He led her to the bathroom, turned on the shower. But she knew the water would do nothing to douse the sparks shooting between them. He kicked off his shoes and peeled away his socks. She tugged on the waistband of his jeans, pulled the snap open, then eased the zipper down over his growing erection. His breathing was rough, ragged as she lowered his pants, letting his rock-hard flesh spring free. “Someone’s awfully excited.” She watched him cast off his shirt and swallowed against the awe at his naked beauty.
He lifted her T-shirt over her head, growled appreciatively when he cast his gaze upon her breasts, stroked his thumb over her rigid nipples. Yearning rushed through her, electrified the steamy air all around them. Marissa quickly shucked off her shorts and panties. They stepped into the shower together, huddled close as the hot water cascaded over them.
Billy soaped up his chest, his muscled shoulders and powerful arms. Marissa ran her hands over his sudsy skin, moved her attention to the swelling shaft below his waist. She continued washing him, sliding her hands around his torso to his perfect, tight ass.
Billy brushed his lips over her forehead, her cheek, finally settled on her mouth. She parted her lips, allowed his velvet tongue entrance. His minty taste was addictive and she wondered how she’d gone an entire year without it. His cock pressed against her stomach. Breaking the kiss, she fixed him with a smoky stare, then lowered herself to the ledge of the tub and crooked her finger at him.
With a shit-eating grin on his face, he stepped closer and she took his erection in her hands. God, she loved his cock. The head was almost heart shaped and when he was excited, as he was now, the color deepened to scarlet and thick veins pulsed with need. All for her. She squeezed his shaft and a single bead of seed escaped the slit on top. She hungrily licked it away.
He rolled his head back and moaned his appreciation. “Baby, you know what I love.”
She flicked her tongue along the underside, cupped his ball sack and felt him vibrate with rising excitement. He curled his fingers into her hair, moved his hips closer. Yes, she knew exactly what he loved so she took him into her mouth, swirled her tongue around the head. He’d grown into the man she always knew he could be and she wanted to give him as much pleasure as he always gave to her.
Her pussy grew slick with moisture. She needed him inside. Giving him a final swipe with her tongue, she eased his cock out of her mouth.
“Your turn.” He got to his knees, lowered his head between her thighs as he grasped her hips, forced her closer. With the tip of his tongue, he barely touched her clit, so gently, yet just enough that it tantalized her into wanting more, wanting it all. Her flesh swelled, prepared for his advance. Forcing her legs wider, he licked her folds, suckled her nub until she panted with yearning.
“Fuck me, Billy.” She shocked herself with the gritty request. “Please, make love to me. I need you inside me.”
But instead he slipped his fingers into her entrance. Her muscles clenched around him as her craving built to a fevered pitch. Silvery ripples of pleasure rolled through her body. He raised his head, fixed her with a wicked grin, then dropped his gaze to her chest.
She lifted her breast toward his mouth. He immediately clamped on her nipple, ripping a loud gasp from deep in her throat. She teetered on the edge of ecstasy for several moments, then slipped over, drowned in pleasure that reached to every nerve ending.
Still reeling from her orgasm, she sucked in a breath of heavy, moist air as Billy moved his attention to her other breast. She wrapped her fist around his engorged cock drawing an appreciative growl from him.
He licked the valley between her breasts, the hollow of her throat. “Turn around.” He ordered. “Get on your knees.”
When she did, he kissed her back, sending gooseflesh sprawling across her skin. Then he snaked his hands around her and cupped her breasts, rasped his fingers over her distended nipples.
The shower started to cool off, and it was a good thing because Marissa feared she’d burn up under Billy’s heated touch. He moved his fingers lower, slid them over her thighs, along her sensitive folds. As he spread her apart, she felt his erection push against her ass.
He gripped her hips, eased the head of his cock inside her, just a tease, then withdrew it.
“Billy, give it all to me.”
His laugh heated her skin. “Take it easy, woman. I want to savor you like a fine wine.” He planted a sweet kiss on her neck. “Or more accurately, like a petit four. A little package, but a delicacy loaded with rich, creamy sweetness, inside and out.”
She smiled as he thrust deeper into her, filled her up.
Another kiss on her back. “I love you, baby.”
She rocked against him, meeting his rhythm stroke for stroke. He stretched her to the max. It hurt for an instant then the pleasure rose like steam building inside a pressure cooker. Cool water rained on her backside as her man took his pleasure, gave her hers.
She felt him stiffen, heard the hitch in his breath right before he came in a pounding explosion that she was sure all the neighbors must have heard. Her release came swiftly after, crashing over her in a liquid rush of bliss.
Billy tightened his arms around her, held her against him and she felt his heart thumping a mile a minute. He laid his head against hers.
Cool water ran down her neck, but the heat refused to be doused. She shut her eyes, savoring the moment. “I love you, too.” And she’d bet everything the feeling would last forever.
About the Author
Wynter Daniels has authored more than three dozen romances, including contemporary, romantic suspense, and paranormal romance books for several publishers including Entangled Publishing and Carina Press, as well as for Kristen Painter’s Nocturne Falls Universe. Along with author Catherine Kean, she launched the Cat’s Paw Cove series in 2019. She lives in sunny Florida with her family and a very spoiled cat named Chloe. After careers in marketing and the salon industry, Wynter’s wicked prose begged to be set free. You can find her on the web on Facebook, Twitter, and her website.
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Also By Wynter Daniels
Reimagining Mr. Right – Cat’s Paw Cove: Publisher: CPC Publishing, 01/2020
Gambling on the Artist – Cat’s Paw Cove: Publisher: CPC Publishing, 10/2019
Her Homerun Hottie – Cat’s Paw Cove: Publisher: CPC Publishing, 9/2019
A Witch in Time – Cat’s Paw Cove: (with Catherine Kean) Publisher: CPC Publishing, 9/2019
Courting the Cat Whisperer: Publisher: Sugar Skull Books, 9/2018
Beauty and the Bigfoot Hunter: Publisher: Sugar Skull Books, 6/2018
The Yin to His Yang: Publisher: Sugar Skull Books, 2/2018
The Genie’s Double Trouble: Publisher: Sugar Skull Books, 9/2017
The Best Man’s Proposal: Publisher: Entangled Publishing, 9/2017
The Fortuneteller’s Folly: Publisher: Sugar Skull Books, 5/2017
Chasing the Stag: Publisher: W. Daniels, 11/2016
Emerald Intrigue: Publisher: W. Daniels, 11/2015
Shades of Sexy, Box Set: Publisher: W. Daniels, 01/2015
The Surrogate Husband: Publisher: Entangled Publishing, 12/2014
The Witches of Freedom Moon, Box Set: Publisher: W. Daniels, 04/2014
Dream Magic - The Witches of Freedom Moon, Book Three: Publisher: W. Daniels, 04/2014
Killer Magic - The Witches of Freedom Moon, Book Two: Publisher: W. Daniels, 10/2013
Hidden Magic - The Witches of Freedom Moon, Book One: Publisher: W. Daniels, 10/2013
Burning Touch & Tropic of Trouble: Publisher: W. Daniels, 4/2014
Protective Custody: Publisher: Carina Press, 05/2011 (ebook & audio book)
Employee Relations: Publisher: W. Daniels, 04/2011 (ebook and print)
Game of Smoke and Mirrors: Publisher: W. Daniels, 03
/2011
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