by Carol Jean
“Talk to me Judy. You have to talk to me, or we won’t make it.” A pleading Steven is squeezing her hand hard.
“Simon’s father reminded me of my Dad, the moment I met him at the charity ball. He scared me. I don’t feel any sympathy for Mr. Perry. He was cruel and awful to me. Mr. Perry told me that Simon said he wanted to marry me but said he wasn’t going to allow white trash to marry his son.
“I made an arrangement with Mr. Perry that I would never marry Simon or be involved with him in any way. It was a legal document. If I had anything to do with Simon he could sue me or do whatever he wanted to do to me or Stalwart.”
Steven groans.
“He was interfering in Stalwart and was preventing the deal I’d worked on for more than a year. If that deal fell through, I would be at the mercy of Perry Corporation and they would be able to tear Stalwart to pieces and destroy it. I signed it. Mr. Perry released Wade and Shockley and I completed the deal.
“But it’s getting bigger and bigger than just Mr. Perry. More and more people are involved and hurt. Every time I turn around, it’s going to someone else who is hurting because of me.”
“I can’t believe this. That’s why you went to see Simon’s dad, to see what he was going to do to you?”
“Yes. I thought he was going to destroy Stalwart out of revenge for my family killing Simon. I had to try to save my company. I told him, that Simon came to help me when the accident happened but I didn’t know and couldn’t stop him because I was unconscious. He said he had no sympathy for me and I should get out of his way.”
She’s gasping for air.
“Mr. Perry really wasn’t as mean as he was that first time. He said he had no intention of punishing me because he wouldn’t stoop that low. But his words triggered dark memories.” She shivers and fights her need to runaway. She must stay and talk to Steven instead.
“When my Dad beat me, he’d beat me until I couldn’t cry or scream any more. I’d usually pass out. He’d kick me and tell me to get up off the floor and get out of his way. When Mr. Perry said that to me, I just wanted to crawl in my corner and cover up in my blanket, because if I was warm I could stop the tremblies.
“I ran from Mr. Perry to go find my blanket and ended up in the alley.”
“Did Simon sanction that agreement?” Steven’s voice sounds disbelieving.
“I’m not sure. I wasn’t thinking very clearly. I think I remember, Mr. Perry saying something about Simon saw the document and tore it up. I never asked Simon if he knew about it. He never said anything about it. It was between me and his father.”
Steven clears his throat.
“It’s the same with Richard. Simon funded his chef career and it cost him dearly. Simon’s father was furious that Richard wasn’t going to work for the company. He threatened to fire Simon. Simon told him to go ahead and he’d wait at Virginia Beach with a margarita and a beautiful woman, while the company folded from mishandling and lack of growth. Simon was hurt badly though. He loved his father and looked up to him as a role model. After that it was different . . . uncomfortable between them.
“I remember a time, when his dad was king to a lot of people. But after the fight with the Shockley’s and Mrs. Shockley shooting him, he kind of lost it.”
“So it’s true about the affair with Mrs. Shockley and she shot him.”
“No. Not Mrs. Shockley he had an affair with their daughter. The girl killed herself. She was pregnant. Simon had to handle all that. He financially secured Shockley’s business that was failing because of the Shockley’s bereavement over their daughter. Last I talked to Simon about you and Stalwarts he was outraged that Shockley was going to go along with his dad and not sell to you.”
“I was right! I guessed right. I’m so glad. I also signed an agreement with Mr. Perry that Stalwart would buy Shockley, but would accept financial records that were no older than five years. It all makes sense. That’s what the fighting was about. DeShaun said Simon was in the office with Mr. Shockley and Mr. Wade and there was a lot of angry yelling. It makes sense now. Simon really was a good guy, wasn’t he?”
“The best.” Steven’s voice cracks. “And that makes everything worse, doesn’t it?” Steven holds out his hand. She takes it.
“Yes.”
Chapter 47. Warrior Princess
They didn’t want the Judy’s, so they dumped them in the frig.
“Would you like a glass of wine? I’ve never had any before. Becky told me she keeps a few nice bottles on hand. I think I’d like to try some.”
Mr. Chung sold wine, so Judy didn’t feel as stupid as she did about condoms, but Steven is obviously an expert.
The Sad Simon’s faded as he chose a bottle of Merlot and told her it about its properties and health benefits and the bouquet and the year and why it was important. A good wine with dinner helps digestion and it’s relaxing, conversation is better and people usually eat less and more slowly. “Woofing down food isn’t good,” Steven playfully tweaks her nose.
“Unless it’s green/gray sludge and then that’s the only way to drink it,” she says and Steven laughs for the first time since they left Chef Richard’s place. It makes her feel good that she can make him laugh. She’ll try harder to do that more often. They sat on the living room sofa, sipped wine and talking about wines, his business, grade school, high school, college, his daughter and where they’d go on their honeymoon.
“Rt. 66, open road, good Mom and Pops to stop and eat, cheap motels, trashy souvenir shops, and they have bars with dancing to a bad band or a great jukebox. We could chug a few beers and dance all night and maybe if we’re lucky we could get into a fight or two. You’d have my back, right Judy?” He laughed as my mouth falls open.
“Sure. Sounds like fun. Maybe we could go to a pool hall. I’ve always wanted to learn. But I don’t like the cheap motel thing. I’m kind of picky about clean sheets and lots of hot water.”
Steven laughs. “Okay, I’ve give you that one. I can teach you play, I have a table at my house.”
“You have a pool table? You must have a big house.”
“That’s right you’ve never been there have you? Well, it’s a man cave for sure, open concept, very few walls and lots of stretch out space. Beer takes up most of the refrigerator. I have a wine cellar in the basement. There are four bedrooms, five baths and a yard big enough to play tag football during Saturday college games, or Sunday half time.”
“You have a lot of friends?”
“Yea, I’m pretty social but Simon never came over without at least three other guys or girls tagging along. That take out order Richard did for Simon was food for my place. With girls, we had about twenty or so there; pretty normal for a nice Sunday.”
She’s awed that she’s known him for years, and knows nothing about him. “Do you invite your customers from the club?”
“Clarence and his brother, Chauncey and a few of their kids, but I usually don’t mix work with pleasure. What did you do on Sunday’s, Simon and I always talked about inviting you?”
“You did?”
“Would you have come?”
“Probably not. I’ve never done anything like that. I wouldn’t know how, plus Sunday is my best day at the office. I’d get more work done than I did all week.”
Steven’s crease is back.
“I always thought it would be fun to have friends and go to parties. I think that’s one of the reasons I like Stalwart so much. I only hire people, I like and I make sure work is fun for everyone. I want them to want to come to work. It’s my family. I think a big family is best, so I keep growing it.”
“More wine?” Steven offers.
Judy shakes her head no and smiles.
“What?”
“It was good and you were so accomplished with the opening and stuff. I was very impressed. I shouldn’t push it.” She sees his crease deepen. “Steven, my Dad is a vicious drunk. His blood runs through my veins. Less is better, don’t you think?”
�
�Judy you could never be like that?”
“I get really angry sometimes. Once you said I was a lethal weapon.”
“I was teasing you.”
She opens her eyes wide and smiles in disbelief. “That’s really not honest, Steven, and you know it. I figured it out, you know.”
His crease deepens.
“The alley, that was you I attacked, wasn’t it? I thought it was Simon and I wanted to throw him out of the alley, but he grabbed me before I could change places with him. I fought. I wasn’t holding back. In my mind, I didn’t have a choice, Simon had to live and I had to die and no one was going to stop me, not even Simon.
“I was blind, sick and weak, but I took you down didn’t I? Clarence said you were hurt and I hurt him too. He said you had to sedate me to stop me from fighting.”
Steven stands up and pulls her up against him. He holds her face with both hands and looks deep into her eyes. “You were beautiful, focused, and brilliant. You were a warrior princess, unafraid and the best fighter I’ve ever trained or seen.”
Steven kisses her, sweet and brief. “I promised I’d never hurt you. I didn’t want to punch you out and hurt that beautiful face, so I hesitated and you caught me with an upper cut and down I went. It was perfect Judy.”
Steven is laughing, but Judy doesn’t think it’s funny. “You had perfect style and didn’t even hurt your hand. I was so proud of you. Scared that might have to hurt you, but proud as I’ve ever been of anyone.
“When you grabbed six-foot-seven, three hundred and fifteen pounds of Clarence and threw him in three seconds flat, the thought that went through my head was that I didn’t get it on video.”
This man is as stupid as Simon. What about she was ready to hurt him that he thinks is funny and admirable? “Well, I’m glad I made you proud. Later, when I realized what I did and that I came so close to hurting you or killing you Steven, I don’t think I’ll be able to fight ever again. I don’t trust myself.
“Simon is dead, but at least I didn’t kill him with my own hands. I could have killed you Steven.” She yells trying to get him to understand, but Steven laughs. She wants to pull away but he’s holding her so tightly that she’d have to hurt him to get away.
“We’ll work on it, my beautiful warrior princess. We’ll work on making you my warrior queen and I think we should get started right now.”
Chapter 48. Loving Warrior
She isn’t angry anymore. She’s excited. Everything that happened during this very long day and everything she and Steven talked about is gone . . . over. Poof! She is in the now as Steven whispers in her ear, “I want to make love to you,” sending shivers down her spine where they settle between her thighs, waiting and ready.
Steven undresses her and lays her stretched out on the bed. He stands for a long time looking at her. “You are so beautiful. I could spend the rest of my life just looking at you.
She’s never been naked in front of anyone, let alone a man, but this is Steven, he’s more than just a man to her. He’s been in her life since the first day she walked into his club. His words are with her everyday even when she didn’t want them to be. After everything that has happened, she’s happy. She and Steven are together. She’s not shy or embarrassed to let him look at her naked body. She watches his eyes looking at her and loving her. It feels so right.
When he starts to undress, she can’t just lay and watch. She’s overwhelmed with the need to touch him, to look at him from his gorgeous face and bright blue eyes to his perfect toes.
He patiently let’s her explore his body. She touches him everywhere, studying his body and exploring his manhood, a part of a man that she’s never seen before. Steven takes her hand and puts it on him, holding hers to show her what feels good to him.
She’s panting from excitement, not fear or anxiety. He’s so comfortable with his body and explains how everything works and then he lays her down and explains everything about hers. Then he shows her. She comes again, this time because he using his mouth and tongue.
She nearly pulls his hair out and is sure her screams for “Steven” and “more” can be heard miles away. She apologizes, but Steven laughs and says he likes to hear her enjoy what he does to her and he likes to make her come.
Steven is on his knees, stroking her with his hand, kissing her and puts his finger in her mouth. “I’m going to put it inside you.”
He’s so sexy talking to her and she almost laughs because he sounds almost like he’s still her trainer. He is, but this is better than showing her a new boxing move.
His voice goes on but it’s getting throaty and deep. As a virgin she will be tight inside and at first it would be uncomfortable and might hurt some but not more than she can stand. He’s going to go slow and give her time to feel him inside her and let her body adjust to him there. Steven strokes his finger up and down on her opening as he talks on and on and on.
“Please Steven.” She is more than ready for him. He holds his finger just inside her, kissing her lips and neck and ears and then sucking and kissing her breasts. He gently nips her nipples with his teeth and her hips lurch up and Steven pushes his finger all the way inside her.
“Ahaaaa.” It surprises her that it feels like an invasion, but she looks into his eyes, all caring and watching her, she pushes against it wanting more.
He holds it there, unmoving, and kissing her with a secret smile on his beautiful lips. “You’re very wet. Good job, Judy.”
Like she has a choice? He’s driving her crazy.
“You’re driving me crazy, Steven.” He laughs at her. It’s his best that says he’s enjoying himself.
Kissing and sucking on her clit, he calls it but she calls it heaven, he begins to move his finger in and out, in and out and then she can feel him curl it upward and is stroking her inside. Sparks fly. “Steven!”
He keeps doing that, while he watches her face closely. Deep in her belly her arousal is starting to peak, her belly is convulsing and Steven slides two fingers inside her.
She groans loudly and he’s still moving and she’s about to come again. Steven pulls his fingers out of her. She groans and watches as he puts himself there. He looks huge and for a second she wonders how he’ll fit. But he’s left her sweating and breathing hard and wanting him more than ever. She doesn’t care if he fits inside her. She just wants him there.
“I’m going to take you now Judy. You’ll feel it.” Steven’s words and voice makes her hips jump off the bed.
“Please Steven.”
She feels him stretch her opening and move into her slowly. Deeper and deeper and then Steven slams inside her until he’s all the way inside her. She feels a sharp pinch and hears Steven groan and call out to her.
“Oh my God Judy, Oh my God.” He’s very still, not moving, but lays down on her holding her face and kissing her lips and eyelids and everywhere.
“I love you Judy. I’ve loved you since the first day you walked into the club.”
He feels huge and hot inside her and she can feel some hurt inside, but as he kisses her and nuzzles her neck and smiles at her, her body relaxes and it doesn’t hurt at all.
“More Steven. Please more.”
With his face close to hers and their eyes locked on each other, Steven raises his weight off her like a pushup and slowly begins to move. In and out with small moves and then longer ones, it’s like dancing with him. It’s easy to match his rhythm and it feels so good and comfortable.
This is what she’s needed from him for so long. Faster together, she watches his face and eyes and he watches her. Faster and he pulls nearly out of her and then slowly back in all the way.
“Ahhhhh. Feels good.” She moans as she begins to feel that delicious promising tension rising deep insider her like it did before.
“I feel you coming Judy. You are exquisite and feel so good.” He breathes and then really begins to move. “Let go Judy. Let go and let it happen. I’ll be with you.”
Her body explodes and St
even is moving faster and harder. She can see the look of adoration in his eyes. He consumes her. He stays with her taking her higher and higher until she doesn’t think she can stand it. Steven slams hard inside her and gasps and let’s himself come inside her. She feels him. She feels his release, his pleasure and tears burst in her eyes when another wave rolls through her body.
With a satisfied smile that she’s sure matches hers; Steven slowly pulls out of her. It hurts in a sore not sharp way. He rolls off her and takes her with him and they’re lying chest-to-chest and face-to-face and holding on to each other as tight as they can.
Her face is wet with her tears. “We’re quite a pair aren’t we?” She says and sniffles. He kisses her wet cheeks, rubs her back and butt gently, until she’s fully relaxed on top of him.
They lay together until they’re calm. She’s never felt such happiness, even with Stalwart.
“That night . . . Simon was coming by to have dinner with us. With Simon there it was -- to me -- the same as introducing you to my parents. After dinner Simon was going home and I was taking you to my house, where I planned a fire, an incredible brandy and you and me together all night.” Steven sighs and kisses my temple. “I thought I had lost you forever . . . that I would never get another chance to love you,” he whispers, closes his eyes and is asleep.
She watches his easy breathing and his lips part. His lashes are long and thick and rest softly on his cheeks. “Beautiful,” she whispers and moves slightly. A crease appears between his eyes and he pulls her tighter without waking. She laughs softly realizing that crease has been as much a part of her life as BB.
Chapter 49. Not Dead
Her finely honed routine has eluded her since Steven and Simon came and took over her life. She’d missed it. Efficient, enjoyable, nourishing and now she has routine but with happy on top. Like his kisses, Steven has lots of ways to make love. She hopes he’ll never run out of ways to teach her.