Tainted Black

by Shanora Williams

On my boat. Just the two of us. No one to watch. No one to hear. No one to interrupt. Just the mere thought of that was more than enough to run with.

  This girl was mine. Her pussy? Mine. Her entire body—all for me to explore, indulge, and be greedy with. Everything about her was going to be mine, and I would have been damned if I allowed anything to take her away.

  Fourteen

  It’d been a while since I woke up happy.

  You know, the feeling you get when your heart beats madly. A stream of morning sunlight beams down on you and you can’t help but feel wonderful because sunlight means brightness and happiness, and everyone in this world could use a dose. I wasn’t just content, moving forward with my life and taking it one minute at a time. There was depth in my exhilaration.

  There was a smile on my face, light in my eyes as I looked into the mirror in my bathroom. With my towel draped around me, I watched as water spilled down my chest from the tips of my wet hair. I had no clue why I had even washed it. It was going to be messed up by tonight. I suppose that didn’t matter. I wanted to look great for Theo. Fan-fucking-tastic.

  So, after blow-drying and flat-ironing my messy mane, I hurried out of the bathroom, taking out one of my favorite bathing suits. It was a red one-piece with one shoulder strap, the waist and the back of it cut out in the shape of an oval. Yeah, I admit it showed a lot of skin, but it was perfect for this evening.

  I checked the time on my alarm clock in the corner. 12:14. I had an hour and a half to finish getting ready. Just as I reached for my cover-up dress, Margie knocked on the door, calling my name.

  “Come in!” I called, sliding the dress over my bathing suit. Margie was inside before I could tug the entire thing down. When she spotted the flash of red, a slight frown etched her face.

  “You’re leaving already?” she asked.

  “Yeah. I have plans with…” I paused. I didn’t want to tell her who I was spending my day with. Her eyes were inquisitive, no judgment present. “Theo wants to show me his boat.”

  “Oh, I see.” I expected her to say something about it, but she didn’t. “Well, I wanted to tell you that your father and I most likely won’t be home until later tonight. He has an appointment at four, and after that I have to go meet my son for his band concert at eight.”

  I gasped. “What?! Margie, you didn’t tell me you had a son!”

  Her cheeks turned a soft shade of red. She shrugged in a bashful, adorable way. “I was afraid that if I brought him up, he would be all I talked about. I didn’t want to ruin your summer with stories about him.”

  “Yeah right! That’s amazing. How old is he?”

  “Only a few years older than you. Twenty-nine.” She beamed, clearly proud.

  “Wow. That’s really great. I bet you’re an amazing mother.”

  She laughed, her cheeks still rosy. “I did my best to raise him. He’s a very good boy.”

  “I bet.”

  I dropped my gaze. Speaking of moms made me a feel a little ill. I had no clue where my mother was. It was like, after I went off to college, I no longer mattered to her. I guess she figured I’d be okay without her, which happens to be true, but the least she could do was check in, email me during her travels at least.

  “Well, have fun on your boat trip.” Margie’s voice cut through my thoughts. “I hope you and Theo have a blast. You deserve it after the hell your father put us through this week.”

  “Yeah.” I blew a breath, tucking my hair behind my ear. “Dad can be a little wild.”

  Her face was gentle as she stepped back, giving my room a look around before grabbing the door handle. “Just be careful, mi amor,” she said softly. “Have fun, but be careful.” Margie was out of the room before I could even blink.

  When she was long gone, I turned and faced the full-length mirror hanging on my closet door. My expression hinted of confusion. Margie had experienced this before. She probably knew exactly how I felt—ecstatic, ready to see a man of another generation and spend my day with him.

  She most likely knew how it felt to wake up happy and feel like all worries were gone. I bet she never wanted it to end, the same feeling I carried with the mere thought of Theo.

  Sighing, I walked to my closet and pulled out a small tote bag. After putting a few necessities inside, I went back to my bathroom and applied a light coat of makeup to my face. Then, I examined my reflection, pleased with the finished product. It wasn’t too much, but it certainly wasn’t basic.

  I smiled.

  I went back to my tote bag, strapped it over my shoulder, and hurried downstairs. Fortunately, Margie was in my dad’s bedroom, helping him get dressed. I spent nearly thirty minutes in the kitchen, pacing back and forth, waiting for time to pass me by.

  When it came to him, I was very impatient.

  I waltzed to the living room, peeking through the blinds, spotting Theo’s Harley parked in the driveway next to the Charger. I hadn’t seen his bike out in a while. I didn’t hear it come or leave from Primrose.

  Flicking my wrist, I checked my watch once more. I still had fifteen minutes to go before going to his place at the time we had planned. Walking into the kitchen, I placed my bag on the countertop and opened it, giving it one last check.

  Snacks? Check.

  Cell phone? Check.

  Sunscreen and tanning oil? Check.

  I headed for the living room again, walking in small circles beneath the twirling ceiling fan.

  Alright. That’s it.

  Sadly, I could no longer wait. I picked up my tote bag from the kitchen and hurried out the front door, locking it behind me.

  In no time I was in Theo’s driveway, walking past his red, silver, and black bike. My finger ran across the rubber handles, my other hand drifting across the smooth leather of the seat.

  “Can you believe it’s still the same bike?” Theo’s deep voice sounded behind me. It was close, and when I turned, he was only a few feet away, smiling with a bag slugged over his shoulder.

  “This is the same one?” My eyes broadened. “The one you were about to…” I cut my sentence short. I refused to bring up the night he almost destroyed this “toy” of his.

  “Yep.” Grinning, he walked around me, placing his bag inside one of the leather saddlebags attached to the sides. “I like to keep up with my toys.”

  “Wait.” I held my hands up, looking from him to the bike and then him again. “We’re taking Ol’ Charlie?”

  “Hell yeah!” He swung his left leg over the seat and sat, the bottom of his boots landing on the concrete. He grabbed the helmets hooked on the handlebars and put his on before handing me a solid black one. When I accepted it, he steadied the bike and gripped the handles. Then he looked my way, saying, “Come on, Little Knight. Boat’s waiting.”

  I stood, wide-eyed for a several seconds, as I held the helmet to my chest. Never had I ridden on Theo’s motorcycle. When Izzy and I were younger, he refused to take us on a ride until we were sixteen or older, but when we turned sixteen, we were no longer interested in taking a ride on his bike—well, let me rephrase that. Izzy was no longer interested in riding her dad’s bike, but I would have been willing and ready if the conversation of a bike ride with Theo Black ever arose.

  Theo patted the spot behind him, his brown eyes warm and welcoming. Unable to prevent my toothy, child-like grin, I strapped on the helmet and hopped on.

  I made sure my tote bag was secure between us, and then I snaked my arms around his solid waist. When I was settled, he brought the engine to life. At first I thought his body was vibrating from the rumble of the bike, but it turned out he was laughing, glancing over his shoulder as he reversed the bike down the driveway and the wheels touched the street.

  “Ready?” he asked, peering over his shoulder.

  “A little nervous,” I admitted.

  “Don’t be. I’ve been doing this bike riding thing for years.” He caressed the back of my hand for a short second and then pulled away, gripping the handlebars again.
I looked to my left, at my house.

  Margie and Dad were walking out the front door. She assisted him, most likely telling him to be careful. Dad had no clue what was going on, following her lead.

  Margie looked up, eyes averting from me to Theo in less than two seconds. Theo happened to look as well. “Caregiver?” he asked over the deep grumble of the engine.

  “Yes. She’s nice. Don’t worry.”

  “Hmm.” He smiled at her. She returned a wary one. I gave Margie an assuring grin, and when Theo asked if I was all good, I excitedly nodded my head, and he took off, leaving Primrose and Margie’s line of sight.

  Something about that little stare of hers made my stomach churn. It was almost like this woman could read the future, but if she could only understand that this was just a temporary thing, she wouldn’t have been so worried.

  I figured I knew what I was doing, and I knew Theo would be okay with me leaving once this was all over. I was riding it out, taking each day as it came. I wanted to talk with Margie more about this, but until then, I decided to forget about it.

  I pressed my cheek to Theo’s back, the wind causing my flat-ironed hair to flap wildly. A wave of comfort washed through me as I felt his muscles tense and then relax when he made a turn or came to a stop.

  Theo was a natural at this, owning this bike of many years. He rode through Bristle Wave casually, passing by cars, large trucks, and even pedestrians, some whom may have secretly envied us.

  I could get used to this. I really could.

  It took about fifteen minutes to reach the docks. Theo parked his bike in the lot a short distance away and then kicked the kick stand out. Once he helped me off, he opened the compartment and pulled out his bag. I stepped back, my legs like Jell-O, but the rest of my body completely relaxed.

  “Liked the bike ride?” he asked, grabbing my hand and leading the way to the docks.

  I looked up at him. “It was surprisingly fun.”

  It didn’t take too long to get to his boat. We crossed two paths of wooden decks, and a white boat with black sails appeared. On the hull, in red print, were the words Dirty Black. Fitting.

  “This is yours?” I asked, astonished as we stepped aboard. The boat swayed with the added weight.

  Theo stepped onto the boat with poise, his cheek quirked up as he met my gaze. “All mine.”

  I looked from him to the wooden two-top table in the corner. “You said it was something simple—something to get you from point A to B.”

  “It is!” he laughed.

  “No.” I shook my head. “This is a damn party boat.” And really, it was. It was massive. The polished wooden deck was ahead; I could spot it from a mile away. Big enough for a college crowd. There was a table and a cozy, cushioned bench in the corner, suitable to seat at least four.

  “It’s a cruising boat. Got it for a steal from Old Dane.”

  “Who used to work at Dane’s? Didn’t know you still kept up with him.”

  “Yep.” His eyes lit up. “Wanna check out the inside?”

  “Sure.”

  Theo walked around his bag and led the way down four stairs in the center. When the soles of my sandals landed on polished wood, I was completely mesmerized. It was perfect.

  A curved sofa, black leather with glossy wood grain trim, hugged the wall. Sunlight filtered in from a rectangular window above it. A brown table was in front of the sofa with a short booth in the near corner. Dirty Black even had a small kitchen behind the lounging area, equipped with a small black mini fridge, a microwave, and marble countertops. This thing had to have cost him an arm and a leg.

  “Sound system is over there.” He pointed to my left. I spotted the glass case, a black music player in the cubby. “Used to have a TV, but it messed up.”

  “What happened to it?”

  He shrugged. “No clue. The screen just went blank while I was watching the World Cup a few weeks ago.”

  “Damn. I bet that sucked.”

  He walked towards me. “It was hell. It took me thirty minutes just to get back home. By the time I made it, the game was over.” He pressed his lips. “You win some, you lose some.”

  “What exactly do you do on this boat?”

  He looked around. “Chill and think.” He paused. “I spend a lot of quality time with myself here. Used to watch games but… well, you know.” He held his hands out, giving me one of his usual shit happens gestures.

  “Is it always just… you on here?”

  He blinked, confused by what I meant at first, but his expression changed when it registered. “Oh.” He scratched the scruff on his chin. “No. You’re the first woman to be on my boat—the first person really.” His forced out an uneasy laugh.

  “Wow…” I was impressed. And pleased. But I couldn’t help wondering if Theo was lying just to keep me happy like all men did. Honestly, he had no reason to lie to me. He had no reason to keep me around when this was only temporary. And if he did lie, I couldn’t be upset about it. It’s not like we were going far anyway.

  “Ready to get the hell out of here?” he asked as he walked in my direction, running his palm across my shoulder.

  “Yeah. I’d love that.”

  Theo’s head slanted downward, and for a second he watched my eyes. His gaze drifted down to my nose, going further down until he stopped at my lips. Then his mouth fully consumed mine. The kiss was sweet like candy; savory like a chocolate cupcake a girl on a diet finally had the chance to eat on cheat day. It was warm and only a little damp.

  When he started to pull away, I smiled behind his lips. He focused on mine, blinking slow, reluctant to move. But in order for us to truly be spending time alone and together with no worries, he had to get the boat going.

  “Fuck,” he breathed, his breath warm as it drifted down the line of my neck. “You’re gonna be the death of me, Little Knight.” His hand moved down my waist, rounding my ass and squeezing tight. I yelped as he spanked me, and because I wore nothing but a cover up over a bathing suit, I felt the sting.

  It excited me even more, and when he pulled away, I wanted to drag him back in and devour him whole. We have to go, Chloe, I told myself. You can get all you want as soon as we’re at sea. Just make sure to be extra greedy. So I let him go and sat on the sofa, laughing about my internal thoughts.

  It was hard not to be happy around him. With Theo, I felt like the only girl in the world. Around him, I felt like I was floating on cloud nine, wrapped in a high that didn’t go away until we were apart. But even while we were apart, I’d still think of him, and although thinking of him wasn’t as magnificent as being in his presence, I still felt a draft of that high.

  It was damn near impossible to believe that, at the end of this, we could never be. I didn’t even want to think of how much damage we actually were to each other. We weren’t a normal fling. We were unusual, rare and, sadly, the unusualness—the reality—was what stood in the way of complete happiness between us.

  After Theo sailed the sea with me by his side, the breeze running through my tresses, he finally came to a stop. As he did, I scoped the area. I saw nothing but water. I glanced to my left. I could barely see Bristle Wave from here. The peaks of the hotels, homes, and towers were all I could make out. Other than that, we were completely alone.

  In the middle of the ocean.

  Just Theo and me.

  The definition of screwed up perfection.

  “Theo,” I breathed after he picked up the anchor in the corner and dropped it in the water. “This is amazing.” I met in front of him as he twisted around. His large hands capped the top of my shoulders, head in an angle. His face was handsome and meek. The black scruff on his jaw and around his mouth made his lips appear so full and kissable.

  “Glad you like it, Knight.” His tongue ran over his bottom lip, and once he released me, he turned for his bag in the corner. “We have all day,” he sighed, digging through it and pulling out a glass bottle of Hennessy. My eyes popped as I studied the brown liquor. H
e shrugged, as if he’d just read my mind. “It’s five o’ clock somewhere.”

  Placing the bottle on the tabletop, Theo reached for the hem of his shirt, tugging it over his head. A toned, slender set of abs was exposed. There was proof that he kept up with himself, worked out hard every day and perfected his routine. As he tossed the shirt aside, looking me straight in the eyes, I knew the bottle of brown would be necessary. I had never been alone with Theo like this, in the middle of the ocean, secluded and away from the crazy world we lived in.

  While we were out at sea, it was like being on our own private island, with booze, music, and an overabundance of ogling and making out. I didn’t mind. I’d wanted this to happen for so long. Now that I had the chance, I wasn’t going to ruin it. Quite frankly, nothing could ruin or disturb us. I checked my cellphone and had absolutely no service. I suppose that was a good thing.

  Theo poured us drinks on ice, but I started with a bottle of water from the fridge. On the deck, we played a game of chess and then a game of UNO at the table. I whooped him in UNO, but he killed me in chess. Three times.

  His laughter was contagious, his aura welcoming. We sat across from each other, most times gazing into each other’s eyes, wondering what the other was thinking but other times truly having a good time—laughing, touching, grinning and all.

  It was nearing four in the afternoon. We had all day, but I knew sooner or later, one of us would get tired of this boat thing and want to go back for some grub or even some sleep. We indulged in snacks—cheese crackers, honey buns, and potato chips—but it wouldn’t be enough for long.

  Picking up my glass of cognac, I took a small sip. The liquid burned as it slid down my throat, but I continued to drink. I felt wonderful around Theo while sober, but with the benefit of this drink, I knew I would feel incredible. I drank until my short glass was empty, and when Theo came back down the stairs, he looked right at me.

  He noticed something was different. Quickly, his brown eyes moved to the empty glass in front of me, and when he realized what had happened, his smile couldn’t be prevented.