by Sam Crescent
He slid his fingers across her clit, watching and waiting for her to come apart. When her orgasm came, he held her close as she shook in his arms. Driving his dick inside her, he felt every inch of her milking him.
When it was over, he picked her up, pulling her into his arms as he sat down in his chair. Stroking her hair, kissing her neck, he breathed in her vanilla scent. This woman, the love of his life, meant the world to him.
“I’m scared,” she said.
“What about?”
“That you’re going to leave me. I know I should be hard about it and not care, but I do.” She pulled back and stared at him. “I love you more than anything in the world.”
“I’m not going anywhere, Scarlett. You’re mine. You belong to me. Most men would let you go, to find what you needed, who could give you what you wanted, but I’m not a gentleman. With you I’m going to be so fucking selfish because I don’t want to lose you.”
Her lip wobbled. “I like you selfish.”
“Seeing you with Gunner, knowing you’re with him, I’m not jealous and I’m not afraid. I like it. It makes me hot for you. You do trust me?”
“Yes.”
“Good. I know I can trust him above everything else. He’s my best friend.”
“Why didn’t you join the club?” she asked.
“It’s not really my scene. I’ve got other commitments.”
“You don’t want it?”
“Gunner was away for five nights. I couldn’t be away that long from you, baby. Never.”
She cupped his face, kissing his lips. “Do you love Gunner?”
He stared into her eyes, knowing she was searching for something. “Yes.”
“Have you and Gunner ever … done anything?”
“No, we haven’t.”
“Do you want to?”
He cupped her face and kissed her lips. Sliding his tongue into her mouth, he felt her body respond to his. “I’ve got a few things to do. Why don’t you head upstairs, get ready for bed? I’ll join you in a minute.”
“Okay.”
She pressed her head to his. “I don’t know if I’ll ever look at this dining room table the same way again.”
He laughed. “I’ve fucked you on it enough times.”
“I know. This felt different.”
John eased her off his lap and kissed her one last time, watching her go. He and Gunner had never fucked each other. There had been touches, but nothing like that. Running fingers through his hair, he knew without a doubt that Scarlett would continue to ask questions. He also knew keeping stuff from her like getting Gunner to make her pregnant would hurt her.
He was doing the right thing.
He truly believed that.
Glancing down at his cock, he tucked himself back into his pants before cleaning the table.
He had to be careful with how he dealt with Scarlett and Gunner. The last thing he wanted to do was ruin what he hoped to build.
****
“Thank you, Mrs. Williams,” Daniel said, taking the toy out of her hand.
Scarlett smiled at the little boy and stood up. She’d just fixed the toy car for the seventh time that day, but she didn’t mind. Providing all the kids were happy then she was more than happy.
Moving across the play area, she straightened the books, picking up two that had been thrown on the floor. Next, she straightened up the chairs, and finally sat down to watch as one of the girls put together a puzzle. She handed each piece to Fiona, being careful not to interfere or to show her where the piece went. The children had to learn to do the basics themselves.
She loved her job, watching kids, taking care of them, being mindful of what they needed while also being firm when they pushed too far.
“Scarlett, phone call.”
Glancing over at Mary, the woman who owned and ran the day care, she got to her feet and smiled. “Did they say who it was?”
“No.”
From the snooty way she responded Scarlett knew it was Gunner. Mary had made her opinions known about the MC. Scarlett didn’t agree with them, but like she pointed out, her husband was friends with Gunner and they’d been in the service together. She was sure Mary was waiting for any opportunity to fire her.
“Hello,” she said.
“Scarlett, so sorry to do this to you. I just got a call from the principal. Bennie’s been suspended, and I need you to go and pick him up. I’ve already spoken to the principal, and I’ll deal with him later. John’s in a bind, and the boys are busy. Do you mind?”
“No, I don’t mind. What about Carlos?”
“He’s not been suspended.”
“You want me to pick him up as well?” she asked.
“If you don’t mind. I know it’s asking a lot.”
She chuckled. “It’s not asking much of anything. I can get them. Don’t worry. I’ll feed them as well.”
“Thanks, Scarlett.”
“No problem. I better go.” She didn’t like the way Mary was shooting daggers toward her.
Hanging up the phone, she made her way over to Mary. “I’ve got to go and do a favor. Can I take the rest of the day off? I can work all day Saturday.”
“You shouldn’t be mingling with the likes of them. Bad news, the lot of them.”
Scarlett gritted her teeth, not wanting to get into this argument today. She just wanted to leave so she could pick up Bennie.
Staring at Mary, she waited for the other woman to finish before she let her go. Mary had a bad streak inside her when it came to the Satan’s Demons MC. Scarlett didn’t know why it was there, or even what the cause was.
There were times she did expect Mary to fire her, but each time she waited for it, it never came. She didn’t even know if Mary could fire her for an association with a club outside of work.
Either way, she didn’t want to risk it, just in case she was in some way able to fire her. This wasn’t about trying to piss Mary off.
Once outside, she went straight to her car. Climbing inside, she made her way to the high school without any detours. She wondered why Cherry hadn’t been called. There was no reason for her to double check. The school may have already called her and then Gunner. Whatever the reason, it wasn’t up to her. She just hoped Bennie didn’t mind her picking him up.
She parked her car, getting as close to the main doors as she could. Making her way inside, she went straight toward reception, and as she rounded the corner, she spotted Bennie, and she gasped at what she saw. His face was a mess. There was no other word for it. His eye was already swollen, and he had a busted-up lip.
She went to her knees before him. “Bennie, honey, are you okay?”
“Hey, Mrs. Williams,” he said, not looking surprised to see her.
“Did your dad tell you I was coming?”
“Yeah, he did.”
“You need to sign him out.” The receptionist cleared her throat, and Scarlett glared at the other woman.
“I expect whoever did that to him has already left?” she asked.
The woman paled.
“That’s okay. Gunner, you know, the President of the local MC, said he’d be coming to talk with you all.” She didn’t care that the woman now had a tinge of green. She was so angry at the woman behind the desk that she could fucking spit. Bennie was just a boy. Admittedly, he looked more like a man, but still. They all had a responsibility to those in their care, and this was what happened. Oh, if Bennie was her son, they wouldn’t hear the end of it.
A twinge of pain struck her, as she couldn’t say anything. Bennie wasn’t her son.
“I’m sure the principal will be waiting.”
“Good. I cannot believe you wouldn’t even offer him a trip to the nurse or something like that. He’s an eighteen-year-old boy.”
“Who started a fight,” the receptionist said.
“Last time I checked that didn’t stop anyone from being taken care of in this country. You should be ashamed of yourself.” She signed her name, glared at th
e woman, and then waited for Bennie to stand.
He tried to hide the wince, but she caught it, and it only served to piss her off.
“You look like you’re going to go all ninja on her ass.”
“I should. I cannot believe this. No one saw you.”
“I turned it down, Mrs. Williams. I didn’t want that nurse poking me or shit.” He glanced at her. “Sorry.”
“It’s fine. I’m not some delicate girl made out of china, Bennie. I’ve been around grown men who swore worse than damn sailors.”
He chuckled and gasped.
“Are you in a lot of pain?” she asked.
“It’ll be fine. It’s only because I had to sit out there, and I’ve tensed up. Dad told me not to move until you arrived.”
She opened the car door for him. “I came as soon as I got the call.”
“I appreciate it. I called Dad because Mom never picks up. Even when we lived with her, she never did.”
“I’m so sorry, honey.”
“Why are you sorry?” he asked.
“Your parents?”
“They’ve been divorced a long time. I don’t have any problem with it. You shouldn’t worry either. I don’t. Mom’s a first-class bitch, and from what my classmates like to gossip about, she’s also a whore. It’s like she treats her body like it’s a room their dads can use for a price.”
She winced, hearing the pain in his voice as he climbed into the car. She didn’t think this was about the fight either.
Climbing behind the wheel, she started up the car, driving carefully to his father’s place. She’d been there several times with John over the years.
“I’m sorry.”
He chuckled. “You don’t have to be. It’s not your fault my mom’s a bitch.”
“It’s just that … it must hurt not having your mom come and pick you up and you have to have me. I know I’m not always great company.”
“I like you, Mrs. Williams. You’ve always got a smile on your face, and you’re the first person who stuck up for me today.”
“Please, call me Scarlett. I feel really old with Mrs. Williams,” she said. “I’m the only one who stuck up for you?”
“I should tell you that I fought Finn Goldman today.”
She glanced over at him. She knew who the Goldman family was. One of the richest families in town. “What about?”
“He was talking shit about my mom. How he’d taken her out for a test drive. That shit didn’t bother me. I’ve been dealing with that most of my life. I’ve seen the men come and go from her home more times than I could count. I’m not an idiot, I know what she’s doing. It was the moment he started talking shit about the club and about my dad. I don’t like that kind of shit.”
“Oh, what an asshole.”
Bennie chuckled. “I think that’s the first time I’ve heard you cuss, Mrs. Wil—Scarlett.”
She smiled along with him. “Well, I’m glad you did what you did. You stood up for what you believe in.”
“Shouldn’t you be telling me that fighting is bad?”
“Oh, it is. I know the Goldmans though, and they have sticks so far up their asses they’ve forgotten they’re normal people.” She didn’t like the Goldmans one bit. She’d seen them around town, and they always looked down their nose at anyone less fortunate than them. It was like they were personally offended by poverty or lack of wealth of any kind.
They made it to Gunner’s house, and she climbed out, waiting for Bennie before locking the car. Bennie had his keys, and he let them inside the house.
When he made to move toward the stairs, she stopped him.
“Don’t even think about it, boyo. Just because the school didn’t care doesn’t mean that I don’t. Kitchen, now, and I’ll grab the first aid kit.”
Once she had her stuff, she made her way into the kitchen, and Bennie had removed his shirt.
She saw the bruises on his chest.
“This all from the fight?”
“Yep.”
“Damn, that looks like it hurt.” She slapped a hand across her mouth.
“It really did,” he said, laughing.
Opening the first aid kit, she grabbed what she needed and looked back at him, seeing him waiting.
Stepping up toward him, she began to clean some of the dried blood from his face. He didn’t moan or flinch once.
“Your dad will be real proud that you stood up for yourself.”
“He’s going to be pissed that I’m suspended for two weeks.”
“Let him deal with that. I still don’t like that this Finn guy got to go back to class. Did he look as bad as you?”
“Worse.”
“And they let him go back to class?”
“He went to the hospital. I imagine they’re doing surgery to repair that pretty face of his.”
“So … just out of … curiosity … was saving your father’s reputation the only reason you delivered him a smackdown or was there another reason?”
She saw the look in his eyes and knew it had something else to do with it. “It’s fine if it is protecting your dad and the club. I’ve known you some time, Bennie, and I know for a fact that you’ve not gotten into a fight like this over the club before. What was different?”
“He was bullying a girl.”
Scarlett looked at him.
“Okay.”
“She’s a really pretty girl, but she’s on the chunky side and … I didn’t like the way he acted. I saw tears in her eyes as he pushed her, making her drop her books and stomping her favorite into the mud. I lost it. Like, totally lost it, and I was on him. I don’t even think I gave him a warning. I just saw fucking red. He was hurting someone, and I had to do something.”
“You’re a good kid, Bennie.” She smiled at him. “There, all better. Right, you will be doing homework. I will be downloading worksheets so that you don’t miss class, and then I’ll be making dinner before we have to go and get Carlos. How does that sound?”
“You don’t have to stay.”
“How does it sound?” she asked, hands on hips, giving him the best “stern voice” she could muster.
“It sounds awesome.”
“Good. Go and get cleaned up.”
She allowed him to leave as she got ahead with the laundry and the few odd chores around the house.
Chapter Six
Gunner saw Scarlett’s car still parked in the driveway as he made it home. He shot a quick text off to John, but when he didn’t get a response right away, he entered his home. For a few seconds he had to stop and just bask in the scent filling the house. He’d never been able to cook much, other than heating up some ready-made meals and frying some eggs. The smells were amazing, and his stomach rumbled.
Closing the door, he made his way toward the kitchen where he also heard laughter.
Rounding the corner, he came to a stop when he caught the sight of freshly baked cookies but also his two sons sitting at the counter with Scarlett moving between them, helping them with homework.
One look at Bennie and his anger found a new peak.
His son’s face was a mash of black, purple, and other colors. Not to mention the split lip or the way that he held himself, which years of being in the military and then Prez of an MC, told him his son was hurting all fucking over.
Gunner had had to sit in the principal’s office as he spoke nonstop about being a nonviolent school and all that shit. One look at his son, and he hoped whoever tried to beat on him was in more of a world of hurt.
Bennie looked up first and saw him. “Hey, Dad.”
“Yeah, ‘hey Dad.’ Who?” he asked. He couldn’t get that information out of the principal. He was going to get it now.
“Finn Goldman.”
“He look worse than you?”
“They took him to the hospital.” Goldman was a name around these parts. A man with more money than he could spend who also had a cruel streak a mile fucking long. Gunner didn’t like the asshole and had avoided doi
ng business with him for a long time.
“I’ll be talking to Goldman,” he said.
“You don’t have to, Dad.”
“I don’t give a fuck what you think I have to do. This shit doesn’t stand. I’ll be talking to the principal as well. Tomorrow your ass is going back to school. I’m not going to have this shit. You understand?”
“Yes, sir.”
He moved toward his son, gripped the back of his neck, and hugged him. “You okay?”
“Yeah. Just hurts in a few places.”
“They didn’t even clean up his face,” Scarlett said. Her hands were wringing the cloth she held so tightly. It looked like she was throttling the fabric. “I had to clean him up. He still had dried blood on his face from the fight.”
He gritted his teeth, wishing now that he’d given the principal a new asshole, but as it was, he figured this was just a fight between two kids, which it was. Only his son got the sore end of the deal. Gunner had not been able to make it back to the school, and because of that, they’d pushed his son to one side.
There’s no way he’d let that shit stand, and he’d make sure the principal knew about it as well. It was a good thing the principal was a male. He had no problem hurting men who hurt his family.
“How was school?” he asked, looking toward Carlos.
“I didn’t hear about it until after lunch, Dad,” Carlos said. He was sixteen, and already a large kid. He could take on the rest of them and still be begging for more.
“It’s not your job to fight your brother’s battles. Finish your homework.”
“Thank you, Scarlett,” Carlos said.
Both boys left the kitchen, taking one of her cookies as they did.
“Thank you for picking them up today,” he said.
“It’s fine. I was so angry when I saw him sitting there. I couldn’t believe they could leave him alone like that. He’s hurting. I didn’t know if I should make him a doctor’s appointment just to make sure nothing is broken or cracked. You didn’t answer my call.”
“You called me?” he asked.
“At the club. I don’t actually have your cell phone number. I’ve always called the club and you’ve been there.” She shrugged.