by Zoey Parker
Dayton might be a fool for coming to Potentia, trying to climb the ranks by dragging my family name through the mud, but I’m not about to call the man a complete lunatic. There’s madness to every method, and it’s all about getting into Dayton’s mind. What is the bastard thinking?
Dayton probably wants to reclaim his old glory, and what better way than to tie the Hanleys to murder one? Now I need a play. It’s doubtful he’ll take money, so maybe I’ll dangle my power in front of him. See how he likes Potentia when the heat is turned his way.
For now I’ll be climbing to see a friend in a high place myself.
Russ has informed me Dayton’s left for St. Louis. The man owns a second home there that he has yet to put on the market. Keith takes that location with Russ’ car while Russ and I take my car to the local station.
The same officer is behind the desk. If he recognizes me from my visit a month ago, he doesn’t reveal it by sending me in the direction of Art Dayton’s office. Instead when I ask to see his chief, he dials a number and sends me right through.
That’s the Hanley name at work there. Access to the police chief’s office in a finger snap.
“Chief Isaac.” I shake the man’s hand.
He’s standing, waiting for me near the door. His handshake is firm and he claps his other hand over mine. Unlike Dayton, Isaac is all smiles. “It’s good to see you, Luke. I was just with your father yesterday. We had a round of poker; of course, he cleaned me out.” He held up his hands and chuckled.
Gesturing to a seat in front of his desk, he rounds to plop down in his chair. “How’ve you been? All this time I’ve been getting second-hand reports from your pops, but it’s great to see you in the flesh.”
I smile. I like Isaac. He’s mellow, capable, and deserving of his position. He’s also the guy I’m depending on to help me turn this around as gently as possible.
“I’ve been good.” I say, relaxing before I dive into the issue at hand. “And how’s your family? The wife? The kids?”
He catches me up on his brood, all seven of his children. It’s no surprise they had seven kids. Though they’re well into their 60s, like my father, they cuddle and canoodle like randy teenagers.
Funny how that gets me thinking of Lily. But before I can analyze how my thoughts went that route, Isaac steers the conversation to Derrick’s murder.
“I heard about that.” I say.
“It’s nasty stuff, Luke.” He scratches at his jaw and the short, salt-and-paper beard, his shaggy, graying brows sweeping down. “Bad business, I say. Nothing like it in Potentia, not in my twenty-three years of service here. Sure, we have the occasional crackheads getting rowdy, somebody getting hurt, but this?”
“You suspect foul play?”
Sighing, Isaac leans forward. “Between you and me, this Smyth wasn’t a clean guy. We have his priors and they’re an arm’s length and none of them for petty crimes. We’re talking prostitution, alleged sex-trafficking, drugs, smuggling, and extortion. He’s been busy, that’s for sure, right up to his death by the looks of it.”
“I heard. Two bullet holes.”
“Oh?” Isaac’s brows pop up.
I explain my visit to Dayton, a good enough segue to where I’m taking this conversation.
“I see,” Isaac hums, his silence broken by a knock on the door. It’s the officer from the front desk. He’s here to tell me I have a visitor waiting out there. I figure it’s Russ and if he’s in here then he must have tried to reach me to warn me of Dayton’s return.
And he couldn’t call me because I don’t have my phone on me. Wonderful. I forgot the damn thing in the car. My head’s been God-knows-where since Lily told me about her brush with Art Dayton a few hours back.
Guess I’ll have to speed things up.
“Dayton’s been questioning me, Chief, about Derrick Smyth. I wouldn’t worry so much if it were only me, but he’s going after my girlfriend as well.”
“Has he?” Chief Isaac’s scowl gives me hope. “That’s odd. And how long’s this been going on?”
I tell him a month. That deepens the brackets around his mouth, the flesh between his brows puckering up with his confusion.
“That’s troubling,” he drawls.
“I took Dayton on because of his stellar record in the city, and the references of both the mayor and a lieutenant colonel. I was happy to have an experienced officer join our force.”
So what Russ has told me checks out—Dayton does have connections high up and the mayor and a senior police official have his back.
“I heard about his partner’s dying in his last sting, a narcotics bust involving a sex ring, if my memory’s all tidy up here.” Isaac tapped his temple, then lowered his hand. “But what I don’t get is why he’s reaching out to you?”
“I believe a witness saw Derrick Smyth near the dealership. Then again, Floyd and I have filed reports of criminal activity before on our property after hours. Mostly teens smoking pot, setting up base back there.” I don’t need to mention the vacant, untamed land surrounding Hanley Auto. The chief knows.
“That’s right. I took some of those reports myself,” he says. Then he sighs. “I knew Dayton was on the case, but I have to admit, I didn’t see much sense in pursuing it and exhausting our energies, at least not in Potentia.
“Then again, I want to know these streets are safe. My kids are all grown up, but there are plenty of worried parents wondering if a dangerous, gun-wielding maniac is out there. My bet is on a deal gone wrong; Smyth crossing the wrong person, but that’s it. The case is Dayton’s...was Dayton’s.”
I try not to show my elation at that last part.
“Clearly I got him pegged wrong.” Chief Isaac allows that statement to hang in the air. Then he bobs his head, decision made. “I’ll see to it that I have a talk with him. Don’t you worry Luke, and tell your girlfriend she hasn’t got anything to fret about.”
We finish off with some small talk, and I leave the chief’s office feeling confident that Art Dayton is ruined.
Chapter 15
Luke
Russ is back in the car when I slip into the driver’s seat.
He nods. “Done?”
“Done,” I tell him. Together we head to Lily’s apartment. Kerry’s face is flushed when she opens the door. She looks winded, and I can see why as we step into the apartment, taking in the living room.
“Holy…” Russ mumbles beside me.
Holy is right.
“Did a mall explode here?” I ask Lily when she emerges from the bedroom in a black, floor-length flowy dress. It skims her frame, hiding those bountiful curves, but she looks beautiful all the same.
My open jaw says so, and Lily ducks her head.
“We decided retail therapy was an order,” Kerry pipes up. She hooks arms with Russ, batting her eyelashes. “You’ll help me get my bags home, won’t you?”
He’s a goner. Meanwhile, I’m not faring any better. Before I can process what I’m saying, I toss Russ the keys. “Take my car.” His ride is with Keith, but I’ve no plans to go anywhere for the rest of the night.
I need to give my woman some attention, especially with the day we’ve had. I also want to give the news to her personally.
Russ and Kerry leave noisily, thanks to Kerry’s mountain of bags. Russ is loaded when he walks out the door. I lock up after them, rounding on Lily. She’s standing where I left her, lips parted, eyes glazed. Her chest is rising and falling quickly, her hands nervously pressing together.
Gathering her up in my arms, I lock our lips together. She moans softly in my mouth. On her toes, her arms come up around my neck, fingers spearing through my hair from the base and tugging as she deepens our kiss. Her breasts are flush to my chest, and my huge erection is suffocating in its confines.
I need her first. We’ve got all the time in the world to talk after. I’ve been sitting on this desire all day, waiting for the right moment.
She yelps when my hands cup her buttocks and
lift her up, my mouth ripping away to hoarsely command, “Wrap those legs around me tight. We’re going for a ride.”
I trot us to her room aware of how close Lily is, her lips doling butterfly kisses, teasing pecks, to my stubbly jaw. I groan when she latches onto the base of my throat, her mouth sucking intensely, like I’m the last thing she’ll taste for the rest of her life.
My knees almost buckle under me. I’m all too happy to see we’ve staggered to her bed. I drop her off and she makes a squeaking noise before her breath pushes out her lungs. Lily stares up at me, her shy smile flipping my stomach over. The nerves flower out of nowhere.
So I resort to what I know.
“Turn over,” I tell her. “Get up on all fours, babe.”
She slowly gives me her back, wiggling up to her knees and hands, her butt facing me. I can’t help but reach out for that lush flesh. She fills my palms, the indents of her panties making my mouth water. When I press my nose to her crotch from behind, she yips, the shock jerking her forward and away from me.
“Oh no, you don’t,” my voice is muffled, spoken against her clothed snatch.
She throws her head back at the vibrations. She begs for me to touch her, and once I tire of feeling her through all those layers keeping us apart, I find the zipper of her long dress, free her and shimmy it down her curves. She helps me by straightening her legs, making it easier to pull her out of the dress and toss it aside.
“Fuck me, Lily.”
She gasps...then giggles. She shakes her ass in what must be new crotch-less panties, voice thick with need, asking, “Do you like them?”
“Do I like them?” I echo, grabbing a round, creamy globe. She likes when I handle her ass, spread those cheeks, and knead them like freaking dough. My fingers leave behind red marks from her grip. I wonder what her behind would look like with a different kind of mark.
Striking out, my hand collides with her ass cheek.
“Luke,” she pants my name.
Her sunshine brown curls tumble over her back, her body tightening and ass bouncing with my gentle lashings. I pace myself. Slapping one buttock and then stroking it gently, before cracking down on the other and giving it the same loving squeeze.
Back and forth, until my hands are smarting and Lily’s breathing hints at her impending release. As much as I love the idea of her coming with just the spanking play, she’s going to have to hold out.
I want her orgasm on my dick. He’s thirsty for her juices, has been all day, and we've both been patient enough I would say.
Smack, smack.
Two more before I go back to massaging her, my tongue darting out to wet my dried lips, my body humming at the sight of her glowing red rear.
Her puffy outer lips, pink and moist, are poking out of the open hole where her panties are purposely missing the thin pink cotton covering. Lily’s juices make it all too easy to test her pulsating, tight channel with two digits.
My fingers scissor her open, earning me a gasp for my attention. I pump them in her, liking how her hips come back down. God, she’s so keeping this underwear on while I bury myself in her.
I drag my sopping fingers from her core and, before she can complain, I push my palm to her mound, the heel of my hand digging against her opening, my fingers cradling her clit. I keep my hand on her like that, one-handedly unbuckling my belt and ripping open my fly.
Lily’s delirious, trying her best to get the most out of my hand by pushing down against me. I can’t blame her, and I sure as hell don’t want to tease her any longer. I want us joined, bonded.
It suddenly strikes me how much Lily’s become a part of my life. Imagining a day without her hurts and picturing her moving on with another man breaks something inside me.
“I’m going to take you bare,” I tell her, needing to claim her and stop those images in my brain.
We’ve been careful to use contraceptives since that night we fought over the morning-after pill. We haven’t talked her wanting a baby or romance or a real relationship. It’s been condoms and her pills since then.
But now I want her without any barriers, consequences be damned.
So I think I get a nod, and go about uniting us.
Thrusting forward, I impale her, balls deep, my engorged shaft swallowed up by her hungry cunt.
Lily’s loud panting turns to moaning. She wails for me to move and I do, pumping in and out of her hard, hauling her back against me, our thighs slapping against each other, making music of their own.
At one point I’ve dragged her knees to the edge of the bed for better access, my body keeping her from slipping off backward. Lifting her up, her back now pressed to my chest, I palm a breast through her lace-trimmed bra, my other hand sliding down her soft belly under the band of her panties to rouse her clit. I know the instant she splits apart and comes undone.
I bite down on her shoulder and grunt, hips rocking forward, body tightening with my release.
Lily’s loud moan claims the room, her channel pulsing around my cock. Over the roar of blood rushing in my ears, I do believe she’s calling me, letting her neighbors know I’m the guy pleasing my woman.
I keep her in my embrace long after we’re down from our highs. I move my mouth from her shoulder and marvel at the hickey I’ve left behind.
Settling her down carefully, she flops onto her belly, sliding her warm slip of a cunt off my still-hard cock. I stroke myself, loving how her juices have soaked me. And she’s filled too, her pussy pulsing out little dribbles of my white cream.
I lightly smack her ass and Lily’s eyes fly open. Dropping down beside her, I pull her onto my chest. She closes her eyes, a smile lifting her lips. “So tired…”
“Sleep,” I whisper, and she lulls off in my arms. I watch her all night. At some point my legs dangling off the edge of the bed fall asleep themselves. I move us closer to the headboard, plumping pillows and drawing the covers over us, and all while my hands are on Lily.
I won’t be able to let her go, I realize. Not ever. Losing Lily is too painful to entertain.
I guess now I have to figure out how I’m going to propose making this—us—official. Real.
Chapter 16
Lily
Kerry’s over with ice cream faster than she promised on the phone.
She leaves her goody bag on the coffee table, her purse hitting the floor by the couch. Opening her arms, she beckons me closer. The hug is exactly what I need. Kerry holds me until the dry sobs stop rolling through my body. She hauls me back enough to study my face.
Turning us to the couch, she pushes me down and falls to her knees by the table, digging through the plastic bags from the store. She sets out the ice cream, alphabetically by flavor.
I count nine flavors while she’s hauling out a smaller bag of clear plastic spoons.
“We’re trying them all,” she says, opening the first small carton and passing me a spoon. “And you’re not leaving this couch until you’ve numbed it all away...at least for now.”
I nod, holding out my hand for a spoon.
Over that first spoonful, I sob and pluck the spoon out of my mouth, swallowing the ice cold cream hard, unfeeling of the chocolate-y, nutty burst on my tongue. It’s all plain vanilla to me at this moment.
“I can’t,” I say.
Kerry, bless her heart, purses her lips and bobs her head, sympathy brightening her eyes. She slides up on the couch beside me, her arm coming around my shoulders. She holds me to her side, my head resting in the crook of her neck.
“They’re all positive,” I choke out. “Every single one of the five I bought. I know that sometimes they can be false, but five tests don’t lie!”
Kerry’s silence urges me on.
“What am I supposed to do? How do I tell him? Luke will flip.”
“He won’t,” Kerry begins.
“You don’t know that,” I retort, snorting. Then I apologize, sagging with guilt. She’s only here to support me, after all. This isn’t her mess to clean u
p.
“Can I make an observation?”
My words have dried up for now, so I gesture for her to go on.
“From how I’ve seen Luke act around you, he doesn’t seem the type to pump and dump and run.” She warningly raises the hand not holding my shoulder. “Let me finish. Being outside of this relationship, a mostly objective party, and speaking honestly as your friend, I do really believe Luke cares for you.”
“But does he love me? And is he ready for a baby?” I give her a long look.
Kerry shakes her head. “I can’t tell you that for sure. Though there is a way to find out…”