by S. M. Shade
“I was buffed and dipped and coated in every kind of cream and lotion imaginable.” I set her down carefully and walk her to the table, pulling out her chair. “You made dinner?” she asks as I’m returning from the kitchen with the tray holding the aluminum takeout containers.
“Something like that.”
She giggles at the sight of them, then leans across the table and kisses my cheek. “This is the most romantic thing anyone has ever done for me.”
“You deserve it.”
“And you deserve what I have for you, but it’ll have to wait until later. I’m starving.” Her smile shifts something inside me. It always does. Seeing her happy feels like a weight has been lifted from my chest.
We spend the evening eating, talking, and laughing. For once, the shadow that’s darkened our lives fades a little, letting us forget for a while that I have a court date less than a week away. When we finish, I pull a blue rectangular box from my pocket and place it in front of her.
“Dare, you’ve done enough. The spa, the dinner, you didn’t have to get me anything.” Her soft hand slips into mine.
“It made me think of you,” I confess as she holds the necklace in front of her face, watching the diamond catch the light.
“It’s beautiful. A hummingbird?”
Coming around the table, I pluck it from her fingers and drape it around her neck. “Yes, a hummingbird’s heart beats over twelve hundred times in one minute. Its tiny body has to work so hard just to survive, but it not only lives, it flourishes. Like you. After all you’ve been through, you keep fighting, keep trying to make things better for yourself and others. My hummingbird.”
There are tears in her eyes when she gets to her feet, and I pull her into my arms. “I thought I was happy before,” she sniffs. “I thought I was living, but I was just existing, going through the motions. Until your voice came through the wall and changed everything. You made me want more, with you, and out of life. I love you.”
“I love you too.”
Stepping back, she laughs and leads me to the bedroom where she finds the lingerie set on the bed. “Dare,” she breathes, running her fingers over the material.
“That’s more a present for me.”
Her mischievous grin falls into place. “Not sure it’ll fit you, but we can give it a shot.”
Damn, I love her smart mouth.
Chapter Sixteen
Ayda
I can’t believe Dare went to so much trouble for Valentine’s Day. The spa was wonderful, and I even decided on a Brazilian wax while I was there, something I don’t usually do. Leah was a lot of fun, and she helped me shop for Dare’s gift. I mean, what do you give a guy like him? So rough and mean when he needs to be, but soft hearted when it counts. I couldn’t just get him a card or something too girly like a stuffed animal.
“I know just the thing,” Leah announced, and dragged me into a boutique. Alex stood guard outside the door while she held up a tiny scrap of material that can’t possibly be considered panties. I ended up with them, though, along with a bra that barely covers my nipples, and sheer thigh high stockings.
On our way out, I found a display of romantic knick knacks and games, and impulsively bought a set of Love Coupons. Each coupon offers a different sexy act, some innocent, some not so much. I can’t wait for him to use them.
I’m tempted to wear the beautiful lingerie set Dare gave me, but I decide to stick to my original plan. “I have something for you, but I need a few minutes,” I tell him, grabbing my bag and locking myself in the bathroom.
Standing in front of the mirror in tiny panties, a bra, and a white tutu, the stockings pulled up to mid-thigh, I almost chicken out. Every scar I have is on display. Maybe I’m just making a fool of myself, trying to be sexy for him. Scars aren’t sexy.
“Everything okay, darlin’? he asks, tapping on the door. Crap. How long have I been standing here staring at my body like something is going to change? Closing my eyes, I remember the loving way he kissed my scars, and take a deep breath. He’s seen me naked. I’m being ridiculous.
“Fine,” I call, then open the bathroom door, the Love Coupon booklet in my hand.
He freezes as soon as I walk out, his eyes darkening with lust, and I know I have nothing to worry about. He looks like he wants to devour me and I can’t wait. “Fuck Ayda, are you trying to kill me?”
Long strides tear across the hardwood floor until he’s looking down at me. With the most innocent smile I can muster, I peek up through my lashes at him and open my hand holding the coupons. “Happy Valentine’s Day.”
“Love coupons, huh?” His grin turns wicked as he flips through the booklet, and tears one out. Uh-oh. Maybe I should’ve read through them. He hands me one that says “Kinky card. Take me any way you please.”
His gaze sweeps around the room, and he stalks over to the window, removing the cloth curtain tassels before returning to me. His large hands travel over my ribs, cupping and massaging my breasts. “Hands out in front of you, darlin’.”
Without a word, I hold them out and he ties my wrists together. I gasp as I’m unexpectedly lifted off my feet, and my arms loop around his neck, my tied hands resting on his nape while he carries me to the bedroom wall. I love the way he carries me around like I weigh almost nothing. Compared to his bulk, I guess I do.
“Keep those hands right there, babe,” he orders. As much as I hate being told what to do in everyday life, I apparently don’t have a problem with it in the bedroom. Without putting me down, he unhooks my bra and lets it fall to the floor, his mouth instantly covering my nipple. I swear, he’s barely touched me and I’m already soaked for him, which he discovers as soon as his hand slides between my legs, ripping the tiny panties away.
“Oh!” I cry out as his fingers plunge inside me.
“Yeah, you like that? I know you do.” His low gravelly tone seems to vibrate through my whole body.
“You have no idea how many times I laid here and listened to you. Pictured you and what you were doing to yourself. I wanted to see the look on your face when you came so bad. Right here,” he says, burying himself inside me in one hard thrust that steals my breath. “I’m going to fuck you right here against the wall where you drove me fucking insane.”
With my hands tied, all I can do is hold on and enjoy the ride. And damn, the man can fuck like a champ. After we try to buff most of the paint off of his wall, he turns and bends me over his bed. My arms are stretched in front of me, my feet dangling just above the floor when he slides back into me, gentler this time.
His hand runs up and down my legs that are wrapped around him. “Love these stockings. I’m going to buy you a hundred more.”
His tongue travels up my spine until his hot breath fills my ear. “Look at you, bent over my bed, helpless, sexiest fucking thing I’ve ever seen.”
I can’t take it, the sound of his voice, the slow, devastating strokes, and the way he pauses to gyrate his hips, sending darts of pleasure shooting through me. “Dare,” I plead.
“I know,” he soothes. “You’re so close. All you have to do is ask for it, darlin’.”
All pride goes out the window when he delivers another languorous stroke as if he could do this all night. “Please, make me come.”
“Yeah?” he murmurs, leaning over me again. “Like this?”
The pad of his finger rubs one, two, three small circles on my clit, while he drives deep and fast. I can’t believe the sound that comes from my throat. I’ve never screamed from an orgasm. I always thought it was exaggerated, something done in porn for the men’s sake, but I was wrong. He pushes me over the edge and I lose my fucking mind, screaming his name as I come harder than I ever have in my life.
As I regain my senses, his voice fills my ear. “I’m not done with you, babe. Not even close.”
The rest of the night is a sex soaked blur. I think he manages to take me on every surface in his apartment. It’s nearly dawn when I beg for mercy, and we finally fall aslee
p.
My body aches and I groan as I open my eyes the next morning. Dare’s bright blues are staring at me, a satisfied grin on his face. “Ugh, what are you smiling about? I think you killed me.”
“And you loved every second of it.” His palm lands on my ass with a sharp crack. “Get up. Sadie called. Says she has some big news she has to tell you in person.”
“She’s coming over?”
“On her way. I’ll go make us some coffee.” He drops a kiss on my forehead before rushing out of the room. His upbeat mood makes me smile. After weeks of moping around, all it took was a night of kinky sex to cheer him up. I’ll have to keep that in mind.
Dare and I are sitting at the kitchen table, drinking coffee when Sadie shows up with a huge box of donuts. “Did you wipe out the bakery?” I laugh, and her face lights up.
“We’re celebrating.”
“Okay, what are we celebrating?”
“Karma,” she announces, grabbing a cup of coffee and joining us. “You’ll never guess who was just assigned to me as a patient.” She doesn’t give us time to guess before announcing her news. “Victoria.”
I pause with a donut halfway to my mouth. “Seriously?”
“Yep. She was performing the night before last and shattered her knee. It’s bad. She’ll walk again, but her dancing days are over.”
Wow. Just like that. This woman ruined my life, put me in the hospital for months in the worst agony a person can feel. Then proceeded to rub it in every chance she got. I can’t deny a part of me is thrilled to know she’s lost the thing she loved most, the same way I did when dance was taken from me.
But it wasn’t really taken from me. I’m not capable of performing professionally, but I can still dance, still teach and pass on my love of the art. I may have scars I have to live with, but more and more, I’m being shown that they don’t matter nearly as much to others as I thought they did. I mean, I did manage to land the hottest man I’ve ever seen in person.
Dare tilts his head, catching my gaze. “Ayda? What’s wrong? I thought you’d be happy.”
“I am, but it just seems wrong to revel in someone else’s pain, no matter how much they deserve it.”
“Don’t tell me you feel sorry for that bitch!” Sadie exclaims.
“Not at all, but I can’t, you know, celebrate it either.”
Dare wraps his arm around my shoulders. “You are too damn good for me.”
“Yeah, she is,” Sadie agrees before I can argue with him.
“Sadie!”
“Sorry, he’s right. You’re too damn good-hearted. You make the rest of us look bad.”
I shove her shoulder. “I am not, and I do not. Are you taking her as a patient?”
Sadie throws her head back, laughing, her blond ponytail swinging. “Hell no. I told my boss I have a conflict of interest. When he asked me what is was, I told him I hate her and there’s a better chance I’d kick her in the knee than try to improve its function. He took me off of her case. Turns out it didn’t matter anyway. Her insurance company dropped her because she hasn’t paid the premiums, so she got kicked to the indigent hospital. Guess there isn’t much money in dancing, huh?”
My eyes dart to Dare, who can’t hide a grin. He shrugs. “Sometimes, people get what they deserve.”
* * * *
I don’t know how Dare can be so calm when I’m a ball of nerves. This is it. The day we find out whether we’re going to be torn apart for years. I expect the worst since I crossed Talbot, and he promised his father would make sure Dare gets the maximum sentence.
We haven’t spent a day apart since the day I spent a few hours in jail, and I can’t imagine my life without him now. I want him curled up on the couch with me every night while we argue over what TV shows to watch. I want his warm arms around me every night, protecting me from the world. I need him. It all comes down to today, so why is he so cool and calm when I’m about to sweat through my blouse?
“Everything is going to be fine, darlin’. Trust me,” Dare says, squeezing my hand as we park at the courthouse.
“I know. Tonight, when this is over, I’m going to give you the best blowjob you’ve ever had.” My remark gets the response I was hoping for when he laughs and squeezes my hand again. I don’t want him worrying about me or how I’ll handle things when he should be worried for himself. He never talks about prison, but I know his time there affected him, and I can see the fear he tries to hide at the thought of going back.
“I’m holding you to that.”
We enter the courthouse, hand in hand, and I’m surprised to see a small crowd gathered outside the courtroom we’ve been assigned. I expected a couple of Dare’s friends might show up, but everyone is here. Justus and Jeremy stand next to Landon, who is wearing a really uncomfortable looking yellow suit that looks like it was borrowed from the Outbreak movie. A few feet away, Mason is deep in conversation with his brothers, Alex and Parker, their heads leaned together. Zoe and Leah sit on a bench, and Tucker leans on the wall beside them.
“I’m going to have a word with Mason,” Dare murmurs, and I nod, joining Zoe and Leah.
“How are you?” Leah asks, as I take a seat beside her.
“Trying not to throw up, how about you?”
“Same,” she replies with a sigh. “Dare says he has it all under control, but I’ve been here before.”
I give her a hug and she wipes her eyes. Fighting to swallow the lump in my throat, I twist my hands together. I have to be strong if I don’t want him worrying about me instead of his own future. Tucker places a hand on my shoulder. I haven’t seen him since our sledding day, and the sight of him all cleaned up and healthy makes me smile. He’s put on some weight, obviously all muscle, since his days living in the parking lot.
“Hey, Tucker. Thanks for coming,” I tell him.
“Dare gave me a chance when I didn’t think I deserved one. A job and a place to live. I’ve got his back.” He squeezes my shoulder. “And he’s not the only one. Look around, honey, he has a lot of support and so do you. Everything will be okay.”
“That’s what everyone keeps telling me,” I say with a reluctant laugh.
My hands tighten on the edge of the bench as another group approaches, stopping to talk just down the hall. Talbot is dressed in a sleek, clearly expensive suit, and I notice his jaw isn’t wired anymore. His eyes meet mine and he smirks, his expression that of a man who doesn’t have a worry in the world.
It’s the same expression his father is wearing as he nods at passersby. He’s a senator, a former judge with powerful men at his beck and call, of course he has nothing to worry about. He’s just here for appearances, to watch his son testify against the man who beat him. He was able to buy Talbot’s way out of what should have been attempted murder charges for his attack on me. This should be a piece of cake.
The only one who doesn’t look confident and pleased is Victoria. She’s sitting in a wheelchair, her right leg encased in plaster from her thigh to her ankle. Her eyes find mine for a brief second before she looks away in misery.
The day I hit her, she told me that she had nothing to do with Talbot stalking me and trying to keep me away from Dare. Dare seems to think Talbot has some kind of obsession with me, too, but I know better. I was just an opportunity for him to be cruel. His girlfriend wanted me gone and he was too happy to inflict damage on another person. He’s a psychopath, pure and simple.
Sadie comes rushing in. “Sorry I’m late. I had to shuffle some appointments around.”
“You didn’t have to come!” I cry, throwing my arms around my best friend.
She gives me a look like I may have been dropped on my head as a kid. “Of course I did!” Victoria catches her attention and she laughs, mumbling, “Karma is a bitch.”
A man opens the doors to our courtroom a few minutes later to let everyone inside, but a commotion at the entrance draws attention away. A group of suit clad men make their way down the hall toward us. Their clothes and demeanor
scream Fed, but surely the FBI hasn’t been brought in on an assault case. Oh god. Have they? Is this Talbot following through on his threat?
I instantly look at Dare, who doesn’t look surprised to see them. They walk right past him and make a beeline for Talbot’s group. Confused, I start toward Dare, but Tucker’s arm clamps onto mine and I’m pulled to the ground. “Gun!” he shouts, grabbing Zoe’s shoulder and shoving her to the floor, too.
The next few seconds seem to move in slow motion, like I’m watching it all unfold underwater. Talbot is shoved against a wall, his hands cuffed behind him by two agents while three more surround the senator who is pointing a gun straight at Dare. People are screaming and flooding out the exits as security tries to get a handle on the situation, eventually locking down the building.
Sadie is tucked in a corner, filming everything with her phone. “Put the gun down, senator,” an agent demands.
Montgomery ignores him, all his rage is focused on the man I love. “You! You did this! I’m being framed.”
Dare laughs. Standing there with a gun pointed at him, he laughs, and I feel like I’m going insane. None of this can actually be happening. “Framed would mean you’re innocent, when we both know you’re guilty as hell, and so is your son. But I’m happy to accept the blame for calling attention to it. Don’t worry, there are plenty of press out front waiting to see you in cuffs. I know how much you like being on TV.”
He’s goading him, daring him to shoot. “Shut up!” one of the agents barks at Dare before another inches closer to Montgomery. “This is your last warning. Drop the gun or I will shoot you!”
Montgomery looks at the agent as if he’s dirt beneath his shoe, completely inconsequential. “Do you know who I am? You can’t hurt me.”
He raises the gun another fraction, and the agent proves him wrong. I’ve never actually heard a gunshot close-up before, and it’s deafening in the confined space. At first, I think it made a weird echo, until I see Dare’s hand slam over his cheek, blood leaking through his fingers. Shouts fill the air, but I barely hear them over the buzzing in my ears. It’s chaos as the agents struggle to get control of the situation, but all I can see is Dare.