by J. L. Mac
“You’re a shitty liar, baby.” I gasp as he punctuates his statement with a rough pinch of both my nipples. His chest shakes with laughter. Jerk. I scoff at him and his hands fall from my breasts. He is full out laughing now.
“Hey! Shut the hell up!” I put on a bra and turn to face him. His hand clutches his defined abs as he laughs uproariously. I perch my hands on my hips and scowl.
“Are you done yet?” I snap. He keeps laughing his awesome ass off.
“A fish? I mean really? Baby, you have to know you are a shit liar. Oh damn that was funny.” He calms and catches his breath. He steps towards me with extended arms. I am not hugging him. Asshole. I bat him away and continue getting dressed.
“Oh c’mon don’t pout. It’s fine. I get it. You need to go over to your place, but I want you to stay with me as much as possible.”
“Fine,” I huff.
“Besides, you need to stay with me tonight. I have a surprise for you bright and early in the morning.” I spin around to face him. He is gorgeous in just boxer briefs.
“Tomorrow is Sunday what could we be doing in the morning?”
“Did you miss the surprise part, baby?” I roll my eyes. He is chipper as hell since I agreed to date him and I guess being chipper also means he is a smart ass.
“Fine, whatever. Let’s go. I have bills to pay and have mail to check and I am sure my trash can smells just splendid.” I pull on a cotton cap sleeve top and a pair of jeans. I spin in the full length mirror. Damn my ass looks nice in these. I will have to agree with Brian. Gay men apparently do have a serious sense of fashion. Damon smacks my ass. No doubt he is thinking the same thing I am.
“Need to give Brian a raise,” he mumbles to himself. I snicker inwardly. He likes my ass. Total ass man.
“C’mon baby. Quicker I get you there the quicker I get you back here. Let’s go.” I smile and take his hand. I don’t particularly enjoy the idea of going back to my shit hole, but I have to. I won’t be there long. I know he wants me here tonight and honestly I do too. I am in deep already. Who wouldn’t be though? He is Mister fan-fuckin’-tastic. Any woman would be crazy about him. I am no different.
I slide the key into the lock and open the door. I walk in to be greeted by the disgusting smell of the leftover tuna salad I tossed out two days ago.
“AH! Fuck! Tuna!” I run for the trashcan and cinch up the draw string in a hurry. I yank out the half full trash bag and hurl it out my front door onto the stoop. I’ll carry the sour shit to the dumpster on our way out.
“Oh shit, open some windows, will ya?” Damon strides through my small shit hole opening windows as he goes.
“Geez, that’s disgusting. Is there a dead Fish in the can or what?” I see him choke back a laugh at my expense and I glare at him.
“Har-har very funny,” I say flatly. I move through my place making quick work of tidying up. I catch Damon watching me at every turn. I grab my mail and toss out most of it since all I usually get is junk. I slit open my utility bill and nearly fall over when Damon whirls me around and snatches the pile of bills from my hand.
“Hey! That’s private!” I grab at the stack of letters, but he holds them out of reach.
“What are you doing? Give them back!” Damnit! This is embarrassing as hell. He better not open them all. He will see how far behind I am on my phone and electric bill. I’ll die of mortification. He flips open the folded utility statement. Kill me now. I can feel my pride wither and fucking die at my feet. I turn and walk to my crappy futon couch. I flop down and my shoulders slump in defeat. I can hear him shuffling through my mail and I just want to crawl into a hole and die. I am behind on just about everything, but my last two paychecks went into the garbage. I ripped them up and tossed them in the can. I knew Sutton didn’t have the money to pay me and the store is really my passion too so I figured if Captain isn’t getting a dime I shouldn’t either. It was a sacrifice I made in hopes of buying more time to maybe save the store. I fell behind on everything in the process. It’s all so screwed up. He rounds my futon and sits beside me. I cross my arms on my knees and lean forward to hide my face in my lap. His big hand goes to my back and rubs small circles between my shoulders.
“What else are you behind on?” I groan into my lap, but know that he won’t let it lie.
“A couple things,” I say into my lap and it comes out sounding all muffled.
“The store?” He knows me well already apparently. I have never been this transparent to anyone else. This openness and emotional shit is so far outside of my comfort zone.
“Yes,” I admit reluctantly.
“Sutton hasn’t taken a dime recently because the store can’t really afford it. I knew he didn’t have the money so I haven’t cashed my last two paychecks.”
“You aren’t going to worry about any of this anymore, understand?” I bolt up from my beaten down position.
“What? You aren’t paying my delinquent bills Damon! I do have some sense of pride.” His serious eyes and tightened jaw tells me I am about to battle this too. Dammit! I can’t win anything with him.
“So do I, and my woman worrying about money when I have an ass-ton of it isn’t something I can be proud of. I’m taking care of your finances. End of discussion.” And there it is. Battle lost. Great.
“Okay.” I can’t even look him in the eye. This is a new low for me. No one has ever paid my bills. Failure feels like complete shit.
“Hey. Don’t you dare feel shame. What you did by forfeiting your money is admirable. Most people are too selfish to do such a thing. You are looking out for Sutton and the store. You are an amazing woman whether you realize it or not.” Oh please not again. Tears. Again. What is my problem? My lip quivers and I can feel tears coming.
“I just never wanted to see the store close. I tried really hard. I did.” I wipe away the tears as they spill onto my face. I try to look away from Damon, but he won’t allow it. His hand grips my chin and forces me to look at him tears and all. Great. I have less pride and dignity by the minute.
“We are going to get things on track starting tomorrow. Don’t worry about it anymore.” I wipe my face and take a cleansing breath. I lean over to him and kiss him with all I have. I want him to know how grateful I am for him. I don’t know how I got so lucky and I am damn skeptical of it, but I am happy to have him nonetheless. I may not be able to be proud of my life, but I am damn proud to say that for once I have something to call my own. I have something I feel I can trust. I have Damon. Being his is something I can be proud of, and I am.
By the time we finish taking care of things at my place it was dinner time. I offered to cook on the way back to his place and he was happy for me to get back in his kitchen. I guess he likes my poor man cheeseburger casserole.
“We have to stop by the store. I need some ingredients that you don’t have. I already looked.”
“Okay what store?” he asks in the most genuine way that I almost feel bad for laughing. I look at him and a snort escapes me as I try to swallow down my urge to laugh. He seriously doesn’t know shit about grocery shopping does he?
“The grocery store, Damon. You know where they keep all the food,” I quip. He averts his eyes from the road for a split moment to glare at me. It only furthers my amusement.
“You don’t buy your own groceries do you?” He looks over and he has that same damned sheepish look that gets me every time.
“Aw, you don’t. My big handsome lover man doesn’t know how to grocery shop does he?” I say in a ridiculous baby voice.
“I absolutely know how to purchase groceries.”
“Mhmm, sure you do. Just pull into the next grocery store you see…big man.” I laugh under my breath again.
“Yeah, I’m going to show you just how big I can be when we get back smart mouth.” My stomach flips. I mean, actually flutters with excitement at his threat. I know he will make good on it and I am eager to get what I need from the store and get out!
“Promises. Promis
es.” He turns into a supermarket parking lot and finds a spot. Once he opens my door and I step out his hand lands hard on my ass cheek and I yelp right there in the parking lot.
“Keep teasing me, baby and you won’t be able to walk tomorrow.” Oh hell. Stomach flutters kick into overdrive and I flirt with the idea of encouraging him. He slips my hand into his and laces our fingers together. It feels nice. It feels like we’ve done this for a million years and it’s part of my identity. He is right when he says that seeing each other feels like breathing. It feel like breathing and living and all things good and right in the world. It feels like a damn dream and I dread waking up.
I stroll through the aisles with him in tow and grab the things I will need to make our dinner.
“What are we having?” he asks while tossing miscellaneous items in the shopping cart. He must feel like a kid in a candy shop.
“Chicken cordon bleu. My dad use to make it, but he never got a chance to teach me how so I taught myself. I try to duplicate his recipe as best as I can. I think I have it pretty close.”
“Oh.” Oh? Seriously? No back flips for gourmet cordon bleu? Damn. I guess my man likes to slum with his women and his food. I smile to myself over my private jab and keep walking through the store. Once we get all the things we need and check out, Damon gets us back to the penthouse so I can make dinner. I fiddle around in the kitchen with all the gadgets and cookware. His kitchen is really a dream. I could cook in here every day.
“Hey, can I cook in here every day?” I muse aloud.
“Will you be here every day?” Oh shit. Awkward. Does he want me here every day? I don’t want to crowd either one of us.
“Because if it were up to me…” Damon rounds the island in the middle of the kitchen and stalks toward me with trouble written on his handsome face.
“I’d keep you here all the time. Whether as my woman or my prisoner it wouldn’t matter. I’d still keep you. Right. Here.” He jabs a finger down on the countertop and my eyebrows rocket up my forehead. He wouldn’t! Wait. He probably would.
“You would, wouldn’t you?” A naughty smile eases onto his mouth. He grabs me about the waist and hoists me up onto the counter.
“You’re learning fast, baby.” I love hearing that slip off his tongue.
“I love that,” I whisper breathily as his fingers lightly graze the inside of my thigh. My body responds to his touch quickly and I feel the warmth of my arousal slicken my flesh for him.
“You like what?” I know he is teasing me, but I am fresh clay in his hands when his masterful touch is on my body.
“When you call me baby.” My eyes roll back as his finger tips explore higher up my thigh close to the junction between my legs. I inhale sharply when his hands cup behind both my knees and jerk me wider to accommodate his hips.
“Say it again.” I can feel his warm breath on my cheek and my body hums in response to his touch, to his voice, to his scent. I am at his complete mercy and I love it.
“I love it when you call me baby.” I repeat. His fingers skate to my thrumming center and slip beneath the surface of my shorts.
“I can feel how much you like it.” His thumb begins rubbing small light circles across my clit and I moan as I lay my head forward on his muscular shoulder.
“Tell me why you like it when I call you baby.” I can’t think I can only feel. I smell him and I feel him. It’s euphoric. The speed of his rubbing increases and my heart pounds in my chest.
“Ah…I just…like it,” I sputter. His movements slow and I feel robbed!
“Uh-uh. Tell me.” Dammit! He is going to torture me until I tell him.
“I-I don’t know! I just like it.” His movements slow even further and I want to cry and slap him all at the same time.
“Tell me, Josephine.” He growls in my ear.
“Because it makes me feel like I’m really yours!” I whine.
“Don’t forget it either.” He rumbles as he shoves me back to lie across the island. My back hits the granite surface with a thud. I don’t even know how, but before I know it my shorts and panties are missing in action, and Damon’s awe-inspiring mouth is on my neglected pussy.
“Oh my, oh, Damon,” I moan. My head rolls from side to side and his sinful tongue slides in and out, up and down. I have never been taken to climax so fast. I feel my stomach tighten. My cheeks feel like they are on fire. My extremities are buzzing with a tingling sensation that travels throughout.
“Ah! Damon!” I scream his name and see spots. I convulse right on the countertop. I shudder and shake as pure pleasure rolls through me. Damon stands up right from his crouched position between my thighs. He has a naughty as hell grin on his face.
“Don’t even fucking brag, guy!”
“Just say it one time. Come on, baby.” He purrs and it does the trick. I’m pathetic.
“It makes me feel like I’m really yours.”
“Who’s?” he taunts.
“Yours,” I mumble.
“One more time. Who’s?” He puts a finger behind his ear to mock being hard of hearing.
“Yeah, fuck off, big man.” He chuckles then presses his full lips to mine. I barely kiss him and he growls at my rebellion.
“You had better kiss me, woman.”
“No. It isn’t fair how you manipulate me.” I pout like a petulant child and smack on my best phony sad face.
“Come on, woman. Stop pouting and make me dinner. Just like you are.”
“Thought you just had dinner,” I toss out like a champion of battle of the wits. He winks and my smart ass tendencies evaporate into thin air. Fuck. He is so good at this game. I sigh heavily and wipe down the counter where he had his…appetizer. I get back to work making our dinner, less one pair of panties. I finish cooking, plate our food, and demand to wear my panties while I eat. Eating a hot plate of food while naked is just…hazardous. Damon saw it my way when I mentioned the ramifications of a burned vagina.
“So what is going to happen with the store now?” I cut into my plate of cordon bleu and pop in the first fork full. It’s to die for just like my father use to make. Damon takes his first bite and chews slowly. I hope he likes it.
“This is amazing. You are a fantastic cook.” His compliment has me beaming like a teenage girl with a crush.
“I really wish I could have met your parents.” He looks down at his plate and rolls the stem of his fork between his finger and thumb making the tines twirl.
“I wish you could have too,” I admit. I do. I wish they could have met this gorgeous man that is setting up shop in my heart so easily. I wish we could have those damn family dinners every Sunday that most people dread. I would kill to have family card night where we get together to gamble with fake money. I wish I wasn’t so fucked up then maybe I would allow myself to have a husband and children. I shut off my stupid run-away thoughts when I feel a lump form in my throat. Damn emotions have been way out of control lately. The rest of dinner passes without us saying much of anything. I have a feeling the emotional shit involving family is a no fly zone for both of us.
“Dinner was outstanding. Thank you.” I smile as his compliment slides past my ears and goes straight to my heart to give me that warm feeling that I am beginning to like. A lot. I smile down at the sink of dishes that I am loading into the dishwasher.
“You’re welcome. Thank you for letting me cook in a real kitchen. I like it.”
“Baby, you are the only woman who has ever made a meal in here and if I have it my way you’ll be the last.” I freeze in place and look at him with wide eyes.
“What?” He makes his way around the counter and comes to a stop close to my side.
“Nothing. Let me take you to bed.” He takes the dirty dish from my hand and closes the dishwasher. His arm wraps around my waist. His hand rests on my hip and we ascend the stairs in silence. What did he just say? The only one? What do I say to that? Do I want to be the only woman who ever makes a meal in that kitchen? My heart pounds in my ch
est. I feel like I’m losing it a little.
“Don’t over think, Josephine. I didn’t mean to scare you.” I draw in a deep breath of relief. My head tells me this is weird and moving entirely too fast. He just hinted at me living here…or something. But, my heart is happy as hell. I’m so confused with myself. I need to sleep. Sleep should help me clear my head. Without saying a word he leads us into the bathroom and turns on the car wash type shower.
“You have a complicated shower,” I say as I strip off my clothes and let him pull me into the glass enclosure. He positions us beneath the warm spray of water. I lean my head against his chest and could very well fall asleep just like this.
“Tired?”
“Tired. Satisfied. Full. Completely sexed. I guess I could use some sleep.” He holds me to his chest as his hands reach for shower gel. He squeezes some into his hands and lathers it. He spreads the soap over my tired body. I take in the scent of his body wash and the feel of his hands on me. His soapy hand glides between my thighs and gently cleans me. I wince a little from the sore feeling that our library sex earned me.
“Sore?”
“A little,” I admit. He makes a tsk-tsk noise under his breath.
“Looks like I may need to be more careful with my woman.”
“Maybe. Maybe not.” He looks at me with tender honey eyes that consume me on the spot.
“I’ll make that decision.” I half-ass shampoo my brown waves while I watch him lather shampoo through his dark brown messy hair. His warm eyes stay on me, and watch as I rinse then condition my hair, and rinse again. We step out of the shower and towel off. I skip to the closet in a hurry to get some clothes on. I am cold after stepping out of the steamy shower. Damon sweeps up behind me.