by Freya Barker
Instead of handing over the packet, I rip it open with my teeth, and carefully roll the condom down his length myself.
“You own me,” he whispers, leaning in to brush my lips with his.
His fingers play through my slick heat before he slides two hands under my butt and lifts me up. I place both of my hands on his shoulders and brace myself as he positions me over his straining cock.
“Take me,” he orders, waiting for me to claim him.
I slowly let myself sink down on him, watching the expression of sheer rapture on his face as he fills me so deep, I can’t tell where he ends and I begin.
I get so lost in the sensation of riding this powerful man; I don’t even realize I’m crying until he lifts a hand and brushes at my tears. He doesn’t say anything though, seeming to understand these are tears of an emotional release other than sadness or pain.
“Hold on, I’m taking over,” he suddenly growls, as he surges up.
With one arm under my ass and one across my back, he flips me down on the couch and drops in the cradle of my thighs, his body now covering mine. One of his hands slips between our bodies and effortlessly finds my clit as the head of his cock presses deep inside me, hitting the mark with every surge of his hips.
“I’m coming,” I warn him when I feel the tension coil tightly before it snaps into wave after wave of my climax.
“Beautiful,” he groans in my neck as his hips buck his release.
It takes a while to regain our respective breaths, but when Nick lifts his weight off me, I groan at the loss of him. I fold my arms behind my head and watch as he ties off the end of the condom he removed.
“Hope to God you bought more of these,” he remarks when he catches me looking. “I’m not done with you yet. Although, I think we should move this party to your bed.”
I giggle like a damn schoolgirl when he pulls me up from the couch and guides me in front of him, down the hall to my bedroom. I can’t remember if I’ve ever traipsed around the house naked. I went from living with roommates to living with a baby; I don’t think I’ve ever had the opportunity. It feels liberating.
Beside the bed, Nick pulls me into a one-armed hold, kissing me deeply before he unceremoniously dumps me on the mattress. He disappears into the bathroom and returns with a wet washcloth, just minutes later.
“What are you doing?” I yelp, when he spreads my legs wide and lays the icy cold cloth between my legs. “That’s cold!”
“I know,” he grins. “No worries. I’ll take great pleasure in warming you up again.”
The cold is bordering on painful, but when just moments later, Nick’s warm tongue slicks between my legs, from back to front, the flush of heat is instant. I have only a second to consider myself lucky I had a shower earlier, before any rational thought evaporates at his touch. His hands press against the inside of my knees, spreading me even wider before his head disappears again, the flat of his tongue trailing a wet path from my ass to the tight bundle of nerves at the top of my folds. A deep, long shiver runs the length of my body at the slightly illicit sensation.
“Not now,” his voice vibrates against my sensitive flesh, as a digit firmly massages the tight ring of what thus far has been uncharted territory. “But one day, I will have explored all of you.”
His meaning is clear, and rather than being threatening, it feels more like a promise.
One I’m afraid I won’t be able to resist: I am clearly putty in his hands.
DAMMIT!
First it was the tough-looking dude taking off with her kid. Then I got to the trailer and the hag was screaming her head off over some dumbass shit. After I got her ass settled down, I told her I was going out for smokes; little did she know where I was really headed.
Hmmm...
Interesting—looks like Ms. ADA has herself a little action going on tonight.
CHAPTER 17
Stacie
“It was huge!”
Mak spreads her arms as wide as she can in illustration.
“That big, huh?” Nick asks, a smile on his face.
“Yup. It’s a Ka...what was it called again, Uncle Ben?” she asks my brother, who is busy scowling at Nick.
He’s been glaring at Nick since he and Mak walked in twenty minutes ago, catching us in the middle of breakfast prep. Still in our PJs. Well, I was in PJs; Nick had just pulled on his jeans, which hung precariously low on his hips.
Mak was too distracted, checking out my face, to notice the silent interaction between the two men in my life, which resulted in Nick tagging his shirt. He found it on the floor by the newly delivered coffee table, which also did not go unnoticed by Ben.
I ignored all of them and focused my attention on stretching breakfast for two, to four.
My daughter, who is seldom at a loss for words, provided a wonderful diversion with her excited recounting of her fishing adventures.
“Kokanee salmon.” There’s no mistaking the soft tone to his voice when my brother answers Mak. He loves her to distraction, and vice versa.
Part of me wonders if perhaps Ben doesn’t also feel a little put out by his niece. She’s had him as the only man in her life, but now has to share that spot with Nick who, since taking Mak to his ranch, seems to have gained her favor.
I slide a plate with a stack of pancakes on the counter, and turn around to grab the bacon I kept warm in the oven. By the time I turn back, there are two pancakes left on the plate, and the three of them are already stuffing their faces.
“Hey,” I protest feebly, setting the bacon down and quickly grabbing for a piece or two before that is decimated by grabbing hands as well. “You’d think you guys are never fed.”
“Strenuous activity always makes me hungry,” Nick says with a wink, and I have to turn away when I feel myself blush. Most of our night, and all of our morning, had been spent burning huge amounts of energy in the most pleasurable of ways.
Ben clears his throat loudly and I quickly grab the coffee pot.
“More?” I ask Ben, blatantly ignoring the undercurrents in the room. Bless Mak, who continues to stuff her face, undeterred by any tension.
“Half,” Ben says after a pregnant pause that causes Nick to look up from his plate. “I’ve gotta get back to the campground shortly. Large group of hunters coming in.”
“What’s the latest on Isla and the baby? How long are they staying in Arizona?”
Ben’s expression softens instantly at the mention of his family.
“They’ve got most of Al’s house packed up and are moving it bit by bit to a storage unit. One of his buddies there is going to ship it once Al’s found a place here in Dolores. Until then, he’s staying with us. Isla says once they have his house empty and on the market in another week or two, they’ll rent a trailer for the rest of his stuff and start driving.” Ben gets up and walks over to where Mak is sitting, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. “I should head out. I’ve got stuff to do. Thanks for keeping me company, kiddo,” he says to Mak, who looks up at him adoringly, with her mouth full of pancake.
“Later, Uncle Ben,” she manages, but not without spraying him with crumbs.
“Don’t talk with your mouth full,” I admonish, following my brother to the front door where he turns to face me.
“You good, Sis?” he asks, touching his fingers carefully to the scar on my face, but I know he’s asking about more than just that.
“I’m good.” I smile reassuringly, as he tosses one last glare over my shoulder, undoubtedly directed at Nick who’s been quietly eating and listening. “Why don’t you come by for dinner tomorrow?”
“That depends...are you cooking?” he asks with a smirk.
“Kiss my ass, Ben,” I fire back, which only makes him grin wider. With a peck on my cheek, he walks out.
“Mom,” Mak calls out as I close the door behind him and turn back to the kitchen. “Can I go fishing?”
“First, clean your room,” I instruct her firmly. “I checked this morning and
it looks like a bomb exploded in there.”
“I was packing an overnight bag,” she snaps, as if that should explain the state of her floor.
“Not sure how stuffing some clean underwear and a toothbrush in a backpack needs to result in half your closet on your floor, but you need to pick it up before you do anything else.”
“Fine,” my moody girl spits out, before stomping off down the hall with attitude that can’t be missed.
“Holy hell,” Nick mutters, looking after her in shock. “How did she go from sweet to snarling like that?”
Before I can explain the pitfalls of early onset puberty, there’s a rap on the door.
“IN THE LAST SIX MONTHS, three guys you prosecuted were released on parole, and all of them have been checking in with their PO on schedule,” Drew says.
He popped in to see if we’d had any disturbances last night, and to let us know that they didn’t get any help from the few prints they collected from Mak’s window. I quickly hopped in the shower and put some clothes on, while Nick played host and put on a fresh pot of coffee. I didn’t want to leave those two alone together for too long.
I just walked in to overhear Drew.
“So what then?” I ask, pulling up a stool and smiling at Nick when he slides a fresh cup of coffee in front of me. “I mean someone clearly wants to mess with my head, at the very least,” I offer.
“Well,” Drew drawls out. “I’ve been doing some digging into that girl’s family. The one Nick alerted me on?” he clarifies when he sees my questioning expression.
“Becca?” I ask, turning to Nick, who’s looking a little sheepish. “You talked to the sheriff about her?” His only response is a self-conscious shrug of his shoulders. It only melts me a little bit more. Somehow the fact that a single guy, who by his own admission has no experience with kids whatsoever, would display such concern for a little girl, he’s met only once, is heartwarming.
“The family moved here last year from Grand Junction,” Drew continues. “Mom’s records show she’d been picked up for soliciting a few times. I spoke with a vice officer who dealt with her, and he tells me that CPS had just opened an investigation when the family suddenly up and left. I’ve contacted CPS, but they had little to add, just that a neighbor had been concerned about the little girl and had called them in. They were interested in the family’s whereabouts though, and plan to forward the file to someone local. Chances are they’ll contact the school here, and I’ve given them your name,” Drew says to Nick. “Since you alerted me.”
“Feel free to give them my number too,” I tell him.
“If you’re sure,” the sheriff asks. “Because that neighbor who called the CPS on them in Grand Junction? His trailer burned to the ground, not days after. It was arson and the old guy barely escaped with his life. Swears it was the boy, but the family was gone the morning after.”
NICK
Stacie cooked, so I’m doing dishes while she shows Drew the door.
What was supposed to be a quiet morning, turned out to be rather hectic. I could’ve done without the blatant hostility from Ben, and certainly without the antagonizing smirks and grins from Drew, both men I considered friends. I would’ve rather had breakfast in bed, as we’d planned before everyone came barging in.
“I have a dishwasher, you know?” Stacie teases when she slides her arms around my waist from behind and rests her head against my back.
“Faster this way,” I tell her, putting the last of the plates in the rack and wiping my hands on a towel. I turn to take her in my arms. “Can I quickly hop in your shower?”
“Sure.” She smiles up at me with her head tilted back. “There are towels in the linen closet in the hall. I should check my emails, I haven’t been online since Wednesday, and I’d like to make sure my last research passed muster before I close out that case. I’d like to come into the office on Monday, if that’s okay with you?”
“If you feel you’re ready, then of course it’s okay.” I drop a brief hard kiss on her lips before turning down the hallway.
I’m just rinsing off the fruity soap I found in the shower, when the bathroom door flies open.
“Nick? Where’s Mak?” Stacie says, pulling open the shower curtain.
“Fishing,” I tell her, turning off the water and grabbing for the towel. “When you were in the shower earlier? She said you okayed it when you checked on her room.”
When I see the expressions on Stacie’s face morph from shock to stark fear, I am instantly nauseated at the strong feeling of dread rushing through me.
“I didn’t,” she whispers, but I’d already gathered that from her reaction.
I’m tugging my jeans over my wet legs and rush down the hall, pulling my shirt on over my head. With bare feet shoved in my boots, I run out the door, eyes already scanning the river across the street. I hear the crunch of gravel behind me as I come to a stop on the riverside path, and feel Stacie’s small hand grab onto the back of my shirt as she catches up.
“Where is she?”
“Mak!” I yell over the rush of the water.
“Makenna!” Stacie tries, stepping up beside me as we scan the riverside as far as we can see.
I spot a lone fisherman, a few hundred feet upriver, and start walking toward him, Stacie still hanging onto my back.
“Excuse me,” I start, drawing the man’s attention. “Have you seen a little girl with a fishing rod out here in the past thirty minutes or so?”
“You’re looking for just one?” the older man asks. “Because there were two girls coming down the path earlier, but only one with a fishing rod. They went up river not that long ago.” He points further up the path and Stacie shoots past me, running.
“Thanks,” I manage before taking off after her.
I quickly lose sight of her when she disappears around a corner, but run harder when I hear her call out, “Mak!”
By the time I catch up, Stacie is already reading her daughter the riot act. Her little friend, Becca, is standing off to the side, her eyes darting around, as if looking for an escape route.
“You are grounded for life, young lady,” Stacie scolds Mak, an admonishing finger waving in her face. “What were you thinking?”
“You said I could go after I cleaned my room. My room is clean,” the spunky little mite fires back with some serious attitude.
“I said first clean your room, implying we’d talk after. And we didn’t. I certainly didn’t check your room and tell you that you could, like you told Nick. You lied.” At those last words, Mak turns a guilty look to me. I try to keep my face impassive, but it’s hard not to melt at the tears gathering in her eyes. “And what are you doing all the way over here? You know you’re supposed to stay in sight of the house at all times. I was scared out of my mind.” Stacie’s voice cracks.
“Becca said her line was stuck. I was just coming to help,” Mak says, her bottom lip starting to wobble at the sight of her mother’s distress. “I’m sorry.”
She points at a discarded rod at the edge of the river and I walk over to pick it up. One firm tug pulls the line free from whatever was holding it captive, and I quickly reel it in. I hand the rod over to Becca, who is still looking around worriedly.
“You should probably head home too,” I tell the little girl.
“I’m sorry too,” she whispers, before sending one last concerned look at Mak and Stacie, and rushing up the path.
I pick up Mak’s discarded rod and tackle and turn away from the water to find mother and daughter with their arms around each other, hugging it out.
“Why don’t we take this inside?” I suggest carefully, and lead the way back down the trail, checking occasionally to make sure they’re following behind.
“Go to your room, Makenna,” Stacie says when we walk in the door.
“But, Mom...”
“No arguments, Mak. I need a moment to cool off before I deal with you.”
“This is so not fair,” the defiant girl says, foldin
g her arms over her chest, exactly as I’ve seen her mother do in an argument. However, this is not the time to wave a red flag in front of Stacie, who pulls her shoulders almost up to her ears. I insert myself between them before she explodes.
“You heard your mother,” I intervene in a low voice. I’m probably overstepping all kinds of lines here, but I’ll deal with that later. For now all I’m interested in is disarming this explosive situation.
Mak looks at me through squinted eyes, but I don’t even blink. I can see her trying to come up with a retort, but she eventually gives up, turns on her heels, and stomps down the hallway.
The loud slam of her door seems to break something in Stacie, whom I’m just able to catch as she tries to get past me to get to her daughter. She only struggles for a second before she collapses, sobbing against my chest.
“She’s gonna be the death of me.”
I firmly close my mouth, and just hold her, no matter how much it’s on my lips to say: “The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.”
Somehow I get the sense that observation may not go over well.
SO FUCKING CLOSE!
I caught the little brat this morning as her mom was still snoring off the dope I supplied her with last night. Anything to keep the bitch quiet so I could execute my plan. I was frustrated as all hell to find the kid’s bedroom door locked, and I didn’t want to kick in the door with her asshole brother next door. So far he’s been manageable, but I don’t know how far I can push it when it comes to his little brat sister.
So I’d lain in wait until I heard someone scurrying around the kitchen. She was just trying to disappear back into her room with some cereal when I snuck up behind her. It didn’t take much to get her to open up about her little friend. Especially when I told her in detail what I’d do to her if she held out on me.
The odds were long, timing it so I could get at the little bitch while fishing, but other than at school, which already fucking failed, it was the best way to try and catch her alone.
I couldn’t believe my luck when I saw her coming out of the house with her rod. Using the little brat to lure her friend had been a stroke of genius. It would’ve worked, if not for that same bald guy I’d seen sticking it to the ADA bitch through the window last night, barreling out of the house and yelling the kid’s name. The bitch was close on his heels.