by C. A. Harms
Three not-so-sneaky people scrambled away from the opened front door as we walked inside. They had obviously been eavesdropping on my apology.
“You get to provide dinner, though.” Alena looked over her shoulder at me and winked, a big smile covering her sweet lips. “Pizza sounds good to me.” Looking back toward the spies that were trying to appear innocent and miserably failing, she asked, “What do you all think? Noah should get us pizza, right?”
A couple yeses and one hell yeah were offered, and I chuckled as I pulled out my phone to get dinner ordered.
Chapter Nine
Alena
Hayden had stuck around for opening day, which was turning out to be amazing. I had never expected such support from the townspeople; it was humbling. Women I had never met before were offering me congratulatory hugs before they gathered their purchases and walked toward the door.
Sassy Ladies was a hit.
Close to closing time, the bell above the door jingled, announcing a new customer. I turned around with a huge smile on my face only to feel my chest seize with hate.
Stacey entered the store with an older woman at her side. I assumed the woman was her mother, seeing that I had heard most ladies in town disliked Stacey.
“Well, isn’t this place cute,” the older woman said as her gaze roamed over the store.
Cute, really?
I looked back over my shoulder and found Hayden looking at me in confusion.
“Stacey,” I mouthed, and his face lit up with recognition.
Leave it to Hayden to add his own dramatic touch to Stacey’s. There was no way he would just sit back and allow her to take a stab at me. He wasn’t that type of friend. “Well, thank the heavens, because cute is exactly the feel we were shooting for.”
I snickered and instantly bit down on my lower lip to stop it.
“Welcome, ladies, feel free to look around, and if there’s anything we can help you with, don’t hesitate to ask,” I said trying to defuse the tension.
Stacey’s stare connected with mine, and I knew she was weighing her competition. In her eyes, I was sure that’s exactly how she viewed me.
My phone buzzed on the back counter, and I rounded the end to get it just as Hayden lifted it and looked down at the screen. “Well, isn’t that just adorable.”
I snatched the phone from him and looked at the display. It was a message from Noah with a picture attached.
Noah: Little man has found his new best friend.
In the picture, Austin was sitting atop Storm, one of Noah’s father’s prize horses, with a huge smile on his face while Jackson stood at his side. Since the night Noah showed up at my shop, things were different between us. Not a day passed that we didn’t talk, and the sweet, random text messages he sent throughout the day always put a smile on my face.
Things were still a little stressful when it came to Austin, though. Stacey has been throwing around hints about Livingston being boring and suffocating, which in turn made Noah panic and feel as if he had to spend every free moment with her in close range.
I looked up from my phone with a big grin and found that Hayden was watching Stacey and her mother. They were moving around from rack to rack, checking over the clothing. As Stacey continued to look down at her phone, I couldn’t help but wonder if Noah was texting her too.
When her phone rang, she quickly swiped the screen and lifted it toward her ear. I tried to remain discreet as I watched her face morph from neutral to what I assumed was her “pissed off at the world” expression.
“What do you mean papers? What papers?” she demanded in a tone that made me jump. “No, Daddy, we’ll be right there. Don’t you dare let him leave without me talking to him first.”
When she looked up and her glare connected with mine, she held it for a few moments before gripping her mother’s elbow and dragging her toward the door.
“What on earth has gotten into you?” her mom said as they passed the counter.
“Daddy said there’s a lawyer at the house. Apparently to serve me papers,” she whispered, but not very quietly.
My stomach clenched as I busied my hands to keep from staring at them. I knew exactly what papers she must be talking about. Noah’s attorney had informed him that she would be served this week.
I guess that day had come.
Before the door closed behind them, she took one more chance to shoot me a look. And If looks could kill, I would have dropped dead that very instant. Apparently I was now high on her enemy list.
“Damn, she is a bitchy one, isn’t she?” Hayden exclaimed as the bell on the door jangled from the impact of her abrupt exit. “I think even her mother wanted to smack her.”
“I have to call Noah,” I said as I quickly dialed my phone.
His deep chuckle filled the other end of the line as he hollered out, telling someone to give him a minute. I assume he was speaking to Jackson or Austin. I could hear muffled voices hollering back just before he spoke into the phone.
“Hey, sweetheart,” he said in a husky tone.
“Hey, um…” I paused as I thought about how I would tell him to prepare for DEFCON five. I was sure shit was about to hit the fan. “I thought I should call and give you a little heads-up. Stacey got the papers.”
“How do you know?” he asked, his voice suddenly sounding more serious than before.
“Well, she was in the store with her mom.”
“They served her while she was at your shop?” he asked, sounding panicked.
“No. Actually, she got a phone call from her dad. I just overheard her talking with him, and then she told her mother they had to go. I just assume the papers she mentioned are those your lawyer was serving. Unless she’s pissed someone else off, that is.” I stepped toward the back of the store for some privacy as a couple more customers entered. It was almost closing time, but I would let Hayden take care of it. I had something else to deal with right now.
“Well, dropping off Austin should be interesting.” He chuckled. “But she can’t leave town now, and after we go to court, that will be cemented. Unless she decides to settle this outside of court and give me joint custody. That would save a whole lot of trouble.”
“But we both know she’ll drag this out—you know, for the dramatic effect,” I added, and he laughed.
“I got another hour before I got to take him back. What are you doing for dinner?”
“Hayden leaves tonight around six thirty to drive to the airport. He flies out at nine. After that, I’m free.” Excitement set in at the idea of spending some time with Noah. Maybe now that Stacey couldn’t just pick up and leave, things could be different.
“I’ll call ya after I drop Austin off. Maybe I’ll grab something and we can hang out at your place.”
I couldn’t help but smile at his suggestion. “Okay.”
“I’ll call ya soon,” he said just before saying good-bye and ending the call.
“Girl, you better get home and shave.”
I turned around and found Hayden hovering in the doorway just behind me. “Don’t look at me like that,” he said when I cocked an eyebrow at him in confusion. “Last night, watching The Voice, those damn legs of yours felt like porcupines. If Noah is coming over, then you are in desperate need of a shave.”
“Why?” I said with a smirk.
“Please, if you don’t jump him, you are insane. Even I can barely contain the heat within me when he walks into the room. Tonight it will just be the two of you, and honey, you are so getting some.”
Heat rose in my cheeks as a smile spread out over my lips. God, I hoped he was right.
Chapter Ten
Noah
“I can’t believe you,” Stacey said as she stormed down the steps of her parents’ porch. “You have a lot of damn nerve.”
I shut the truck door so Austin didn’t have to hear this shit. I guess I had given Stacey too much credit. I actually thought she would wait until he was out of earshot to start in.
; “You wanna yell at me, fine. But you’re damn sure gonna wait until Austin is inside. If you call me names and pull your fucking drama, you don’t do it in front of him.” I narrowed my eyes at her, daring her to spout more bullshit. “I’m gonna get him out, and you’re gonna slap on a smile and take him inside. After that, you can pick up where you left off.”
All she could offer was a glare as she crossed her arms over her chest.
As I gathered Austin and his things, he began rambling about Storm and Uncle Jackson. I smiled as he shared his excitement with Stacey. She did as I asked, replacing her scowl with a forced smile.
“It sounds like you had a great time,” she told him as she knelt before him.
“I did, and Daddy said I could ride him again Saturday.” He looked back at me, and I nodded, assuring him he could do just that.
“We’ll see. I’m not sure what we’re doing yet,” Stacey said, and his smile slipped. I ground my teeth and held back from letting her have it. She wasn’t gonna keep him from me, no matter how pissed off she was.
“Hey, buddy,” I said as I placed my hand on his shoulder. “Why don’t you head inside and let Grandma give ya a bath?”
He nodded his little head as he turned and wrapped his arms around my leg. “I’ll see you Saturday,” I said as I leaned down and picked him up. Wrapping my arms around him tightly, I gave him a hug and kissed his forehead. “I love you, little man.”
“I love you, Daddy,” Austin replied as I lowered him to the ground. He ran off into the house, and as soon as the door closed behind him, Stacey started once more.
“Suing me for joint custody. Really?” she seethed, her nostrils flaring and her hands fisted. “You’re an asshole. All you had to do was ask me, and I would have allowed you to see him.”
I chuckled because I couldn’t control it. “Allowed me to see my son, how generous of you. But let me tell you something. I don’t need your damn permission. I’ve been waiting for weeks to say a few things to you, so now seems like as good a time as any.” I stepped toward her, and she took a step back.
“I don’t buy for one fucking second that you didn’t know he was mine. I think you found some sorry son of a bitch that bought your story and you sunk your claws into him. But when that shit blew up in your face, you had no other place to go. So coming back here and finally telling me I had a son was the next step.” Her eyes grew wide, but I sure as hell was not done yet.
“You won’t keep Austin from me. I will not allow you to tell me when I can and can’t see my son. You don’t get that power. I’ve put up with your shit for weeks now, thinking we had some chance of reconnecting. But I can assure you that will never happen. I despise you. You kept him from me, knowing every day you looked at him that he was, in fact, my son. I will never forgive that. I will tolerate you because you are the mother of my child, but that is the extent of our relationship.”
She looked up at me with wide eyes, and I waited for her to argue.
“We can do this outside court through our attorneys, or we can take it to court. But one way or another, you will never take him from me again.” At this point my adrenaline was pumping, and I was having a hard time maintaining my cool. I took in a deep, calming breath and hung my head to gain some control.
“Imagine what it would feel like to have him taken away from you.” I lifted my head, looking her directly in the eyes. “What it would be like to be told you could only see him one day a week. Could you do it?” I was getting more emotional with each word. “Because I can’t. He’s part of me, and not seeing him would break me. Please don’t make this hard for us. He’s our son, Stacey. I don’t want to take him away from you any more than I want you to take him from me.”
***
I stopped by Bill’s Diner and picked up two of their specials, hoping that tenderloins and fries would be okay with Alena. Every task I performed after talking to Stacey was almost robotic. I truly couldn’t remember the steps I had taken to get where I was, but there I stood in the alley outside Alena’s apartment, holding a paper bag with two Styrofoam containers tucked safely inside.
I don’t know how long I stood there, but when the porch light flipped on and the door came open, Alena stood in the doorway looking back at me with concern.
“Are you okay?” she asked.
I stepped inside, and she backed up, creating enough space for me to stand within the entryway. “I’m good now,” I said in a whisper, bending at the knees just enough to lower my mouth to hers. Alena whimpered when I bit on her lower lip, lightly sucking on it. She sagged back against the wall, and I placed my free hand on her hip, loving the feel of her body beneath my palm. “I brought dinner,” I whispered just before pressing my body tightly against hers. “But suddenly, I’m not very hungry for food.”
“Me either,” she said in more of a pant.
Alena wrapped her arms around my neck and began frantically climbing my body. The bag of food hit the floor as I gripped her ass in my palms and turned toward the stairs. She hooked her legs around my waist and anchored them together behind my back.
This was not the first time I had been in her apartment, so I knew the exact location of where I wanted to be. Our tongues tangled in a heated kiss as we bounced down the hallway, a mess of hands and lips. Once we entered her bedroom, I pulled my lips from hers long enough to find the exact location of her bed.
I had hoped we could move things along now that I no longer had to fear Stacey disappearing once again with Austin, but never had I pictured it going quite this fast. But being a man with needs, and Alena being the one I needed, hell if I was going to slow this down. I had held on long enough, and it was time to take all that was coming to me, without a second thought. I had lived in the past long enough.
I lowered her to the bed and wasted no time laying my body over hers. Alena gave a very pleased sigh and began gathering my shirt in her hands as she pushed it upward. “Off,” she directed, and I chuckled at her eagerness.
“You too.” I was only half teasing, but she did not hesitate. She removed her hands from my shirt and fisted her own. In one swift movement, her shirt was over her head and tossed to her left. I watched in amazement as she pinched the center of her bra, unhooking the clasp. Her breasts spilled out, and I fucking moaned at the sight of them.
She wasn’t even fully undressed, and I was already speechless. I ripped my own shirt over my head, lowered my mouth to her chest, and sucked a nipple into my mouth. Alena weaved her hands through the hair at the back of my neck as she arched her body up, pushing her breasts farther out.
My cock was pressing against the zipper of my jeans, and the restriction was growing slightly uncomfortable. When she lifted her hips and began rocking against me, I felt like a teenage boy. I was hanging on the edge of losing it long before I wanted to.
“Yes,” she whispered.
Looking up at her, I continued to suck lightly on her nipple, teasing the peak with a flip of my tongue. I released it and trailed my tongue along her stomach. Our gazes connected as she panted with need.
With a slow, teasing movement, I gently began to lower her pants, not yet letting my eyes wander from hers. The coloring in her cheeks showed how frantic she felt. This tension between us had been building a long time, and it had been placed on hold for long enough. In that moment, I was sure there had never been a woman I wanted more than I wanted Alena.
As I rose up enough to toss her pants to the floor, I reached for my wallet and fumbled for a condom. I had placed it there weeks ago when I had first taken Alena out, hoping the night would lead to us needing it.
She watched me closely as I took the opportunity to unbuckle my own jeans and remove them before tossing them onto the pile of clothes now covering her floor. I smirked as I allowed her the time to scan my body while I did the same with hers. She was fucking beautiful, and I was trembling with the need to take her and truly make her mine.
She parted her legs as I slid my hands up her thighs and stopped a
t the edge of her panties. The silky material was dampened by her arousal. I pressed my thumb over that spot and made a circular motion, and she moaned a needy yes while lifting her hips from the mattress.
“Please,” she whimpered, and I looked up to find her lips slightly parted, her tongue resting against her lower lip. “I want you,” she confessed.
No longer was she my sassy girl, she was needy and demanding. This sparked my arousal. I slipped my finger beneath the side of the pink silk covering her pussy and slid it through her wetness. “Damn, Alena, so wet.”
I pulled the material to the side, lowered my body between her thighs, and ran the tip of my tongue along the crease of her leg. I left a trail of kisses as I descended on her clit. As I sucked and bit it gently, she began rotating her hips, begging for more.
The moment I pressed my tongue inside her, she moaned. “Noah, yes,” she said as she rocked against my face. It took what felt like seconds before she fisted the sheets at her sides and tensed as she came.
The flushed tone of her skin was a sure sign Alena was riding high.
Chapter Eleven
Alena
I had never come so hard. I mean, yeah, I’ve had some pretty amazing orgasms, but that one took my breath away. It truly had to have been from the built-up tension I’d felt since I first met Noah. I had fantasized about this very moment for so long, and now I felt like a crazed woman.
I wanted more. God, I needed more.
When the fog began to fade, I opened my eyes to find Noah hovering above me. As his lips crashed against mine, his hardness pressed against my sensitive center. I could taste myself on his lips, and the idea of what he had just done enhanced my need for more.
I wrapped a leg around him, urging him to give me what I craved.
During the time it took me to come down from my recent high, he must have taken a moment to put on the condom, because when he pulled back, I could see he was more than ready.