“Like maybe I was too rough. I’m kind of big and bulky, and maybe I hurt her.” I was sure I had torn her, but I didn’t want to say so. She seemed to really like it at the time.
“Hurt? Did she tell you to stop?”
“No, it wasn’t anything like that. Jesus, Nick, I’m not an animal. But there was blood on the sheets.”
“Ah, you popped her cherry.”
“Nah. No way. She definitely seemed experienced.”
“It doesn’t matter, my friend. Maybe she had regrets after. It was a big moment, and she barely knew you. Maybe like you said, it was too much.” It was an interesting take on the way things had ended, and I felt horrible thinking she’d given me her virginity. “If she had told me, then I would have done things differently, you know? Like made it special or something.”
This made it all even weirder, and now I knew I had to talk to her.
I got dressed, and we met the others down in the bar, where Clay was hitting on one of the waitresses. When I walked in, he whispered something in her ear, and she shook her head and walked away.
“Making friends, I see.” I gave him a hard look. “The sad thing is, one of them is going to bite and get way more than they bargained for.”
As the words escaped my lips, I hated to think that was what had happened with Tara. She had bitten off more than she could chew, and now she had regrets.
“Let’s go,” said Rylen. “I’m starving.”
Before anyone could react, my phone rang. I glanced down and didn’t recognize the number, but it was from North Dakota. “Hey, it’s a call from home. I better take this.”
My look of concern must have made them wonder. They stood there with me as if they were just as anxious to hear.
“Hello?”
“Hello, Zane.”
The voice put me on alert, and I could tell the others caught my change in temper. “Heather. What the fuck are you doing calling me?” I hadn’t gotten a call that she was being released, but I wondered what that bitch could want.
“Oh, I just thought you’d like to know that I’m out.”
“You’re out? Very funny.”
Nick’s hand fell on my shoulder, and the guys got serious, knowing how upset the woman made me.
“No, I’m not kidding. I’m out of prison on good behavior, and now, I want to see my daughter.”
“You can’t see her. That’s never going to fucking happen, Heather. You might as well accept that you don’t have a daughter anymore.”
“That’s a cute fairy tale, Zane, but you know there’s nothing you can do to change her DNA. And she’s mine. If you think I’m going to sit by and let you raise her without me, you’re fucking mistaken.”
“She doesn’t know you anymore. You’d be doing her more harm than good, so if you care, if you love her, you’ll just crawl the fuck back off to your gutter and leave her be. I’m not letting you see her. Deal with it.”
“I guess we’re going to have to play hardball, Zane. But you should know, I’m well rested and ready for a fight.” With that, the bitch ended the call, and I clenched my jaw so hard I heard it crack.
“You okay, brother?” asked Nick.
“She’s out.”
“Fuck,” said Clay. “How can they just let her go? Don’t they have to tell you?”
“They are supposed to, but if they tried to call the house phone, I’m not there, and if they called the office, I’m not there. So who knows? She’s going to try and take Mila.”
“They won’t give her to that junkie,” said Clay. “We’ll all speak up for you and what a good father you are. They’ll never let that happen.”
“Courts like to place children with their mothers,” said Rylen, who was only trying to explain to Clay why I was worried at all.
“Fuck that.”
“Yeah, fuck that. Before I let that happen, I swear to take her and run.” I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself. Heather was good about doing that kind of shit. “She’s just blowing smoke. I’m not worried about her.” My parents were still away with Mila, so it wasn’t like she could do anything anyway. Aside from that, I had security at my house. “Come on. Let’s eat.”
I knew seeing Tara would make me feel a whole lot better.
But when we got to the buffet, Tara wasn’t there. Could the day get any worse?
Chapter 16
Tara
As it turned out, I had forgotten I was off the following day, and I felt terrible for lying to Zane about having an early morning.
Sleeping in was nice, and when I finally woke up, wishing I was still in Zane’s arms, I knew I had no one to blame but myself for leaving.
Who knew what might have happened? What I thought was the best sex possible could have paled in comparison to round two.
When I rolled over in bed, my body ached in the most amazing ways, and I could have lain there forever, dreaming of him inside me until the knock at my door ruined my fantasy.
“Just a minute,” I said, expecting it to be the woman from next door wanting to borrow my phone again.
“Hurry up, Tara,” Karen said. “There’s some weird guy down the hall looking for his peter. I don’t want to be out here when he finds it.”
I unlocked the five locks I had on my door and greeted her with a yawn. “That’s Mr. Stan. He’s looking for his dog, Peter.” Despite my telling him that telling strangers he’s lost his Peter and asking if they’d seen it was a bad idea. “He’s harmless.”
“Oh, well, that’s a relief.” She stopped and looked at me as if there was something on my face or in my hair.
“What?” I asked.
“You look different.” She gave me the side-eye. “Did you do something to your hair?”
“No, I just rolled out of bed.”
“You do look rather refreshed.” She walked in, dropped her bag on the floor by my old green sofa, and plopped down. “Get dressed. We’re going shopping.”
“Shopping requires money,” I said. “And I’m saving mine.”
“Then go watch me. I’ve got to find something to wear. I have ruined two dresses this week.”
“Do I even want to know how?” She had probably let some stranger rip it off of her while she was stealing his wallet.
She gave me a hard look as if she didn’t like my tone. “I caught one on a nail sticking out of my shitty apartment’s door trim, and another got torn by the cat’s claw. Exciting enough for you?”
“Fine, I’ll go. I might even splurge a little myself.” It wouldn’t be a bad idea to have a few nice things in case I had the chance to see Zane again.
“Splurging? Glowing face? Did I miss something.”
I grinned and played aloof. “What? I don’t know what you mean.”
“Like hell, you don’t. What is going on with you?”
“I went out last night.”
“You went out?” Suddenly, her eyes widened. “With that guy?”
“His name is Zane.” I walked into my bedroom to get ready for shopping, and she followed.
“And what exactly did you and Zane do?”
“What didn’t we do, you mean?” I met her eyes in the reflection of my mirror and wagged my brows.
“You didn’t.”
“Oh, I surely did. I’m surprised you didn’t notice that I’m walking funny.”
“Was his cock as big as the rest of him? He’s built like a fucking mountain, that one. Did you climb him like a tree?” She was practically bouncing on my bed.
“Settle down,” I said with a laugh. “We went to Cirque du Soleil, and we left early and went back to his hotel room. I swear, just being around him made me so horny. I could barely wait until we got back to his room. I don’t know what came over me.”
“So, you lost the V-card to a tourist? I’m impressed. And he’s a damned fine one. Tell me everything.”
“Well, it was amazing, and I think my toes might have curled, but it got awkward after, and I bailed.” I bit my lip and looked
away, not wanting to see the look of disappointment on her face.
“So, he was one and done?” She shrugged. “It happens.”
“No, he wanted me to stay, but I got a little freaked out. I didn’t want him to know it was my first time.”
“Guys eat that shit up, Tara. He would have loved it. They like to collect cherries. You didn’t tell him at all? He wasn’t suspicious?”
“No, I mean, maybe. I’m not sure.”
I felt so nervous just talking about it. But we talked and talked through the rest of my getting ready, and I ended up having a million questions for my more experienced friend.
A few hours of shopping later, we were still talking about it. As we sat eating lunch salads at our favorite salad bar, she leaned in across the table. “Did you use protection?”
I glanced around and hoped no one was within earshot and, if so, that they weren’t paying attention. “We didn’t have any. But I trusted him. He said he was tested after his last relationship. And I’m on the pill.”
“I’m going to pretend that’s not completely hypocritical of you and just be supportive. But next time, you should bring some—at least three. Trust me. He’s a nice guy, but even nice guy’s lie now and then, especially when their cocks are swollen.”
I nodded. “I was a little embarrassed at first, but then it just felt so good I didn’t care, you know? It was just so hard not to want it to be more. I guess that’s why I bailed. I don’t want my heart to be broken. Zane is gorgeous and nice and even a gentleman, you know? I just don’t know if he’s looking for anything serious or more than what I’ve already given him.” I picked at my lettuce, not able to eat. I had too much on my mind.
Karen reached for her napkin, wiping her mouth. “He’ll let you know, but in the meantime, you have to ask yourself a question. What do you get from it? If the answer is amazing sex, then it’s worth it. You don’t have to put your heart out there.”
“I told him that we didn’t have to read anything into it. He just said okay without putting up any protest.”
“Well, who says you can’t use him the same way? Let’s face it. If he’s spending time with you, you’re at least getting his company and your sexual needs met. It might even lead to more. It’s been known to happen.”
“I wouldn’t want to think of him with anyone else,” I said, feeling my stomach turn. “I really want to see him again.” I wanted more, dammit.
“You have to start thinking in terms of being a hit-it-and-quit-it girl. You’re too beautiful to be hung up on one man.”
“I can’t help it. He’s the type who leaves you wanting more.”
“What do you even know about him?”
“Lots. We talked a lot about his job and his friends. He works in the oil industry in North Dakota. He’s a foreman, probably makes good money judging by the big tips he leaves me, and he said he owns his own home.” I tried to think of the things we’d talked about before the show and before our hormones took over.
Karen took a sip of her drink and gave me a big grin. “How big is it?”
I winced, knowing she’d ask me sooner or later. “At least ten inches, two on the girth easily.” Her eyes widened as I whispered across the table. “His body is amazing.”
“Damn. That’s enough to fall in love. I’m jealous.” She gave me a pouty look. “Why can’t I find someone who’s nice and packing a snack like that? You’re glowing just talking about him.”
“I don’t know what to do. He’s leaving town soon, and I guess I’ll never hear from him again.”
“Tell him you’d like to stay in touch. You could maybe hook up now and then when he’s in town. He’s got a friend here, so who knows? It’s a reason to come back.”
“I don’t know. What if he says no? What if he agrees with not taking things too far?”
Karen stabbed her salad and dunked it in ranch dressing. “At least keep him open as an option. It can’t hurt anything. Maybe he’ll have you come to his house and spend a sexy weekend in bed. You need a vacation.”
“I don’t know. It’s all so fast. I guess I just got freaked out last night. I wish now that I had stayed. I think about him all the time, and I hated waking up alone this morning.”
“That sucks. But just wait. You’ve awakened a monster, my friend, and now you’re going to want it all the time. You’ll be thinking about him in the shower and when you get all warm beneath the covers at night.” She enjoyed teasing me. Always had.
I could feel the heat rising to my face as I looked around and spotted an old man sitting at the table next to us. It was unclear if he was listening, but I kicked her under the table anyway. “Shush.”
“Are you going to eat that salad or not?”
“I can’t. I can’t stop thinking about it.”
“You’re hungry for more, aren’t you?”
I shrugged and gave a little nod. “Maybe.”
“Then nothing else is going to satisfy. You need to have more of that man. I’d make sure I did before he leaves.”
“He’s supposed to be around a few more days.” I’d know how he felt if he stopped showing up at the buffet. If he didn’t, I’d know he was avoiding me.
“So, seduce him. Make him want it again, just as much.” She made it sound so easy. And I supposed things like that were easy for her. Her personality had always shined while I had always been way too cynical.
“How do I make him?” I asked. I had a feeling about what she was going to say, and I wasn’t wrong.
“Jump his bones, honey. You can’t go wrong with that.”
She couldn’t go wrong, maybe, but I was sure to screw it up somehow.
We finished what we could of lunch, and I forced myself to have a few more bites of the salad, which just didn’t settle right.
After, we went to our favorite boutique, where I found a sexy blouse and a pair of designer jeans. “This is pretty,” I said to Karen, who was in the dressing room next to me.
I turned in the mirror, looking at the way the material lay just right against my curves. There wasn’t one seam digging in or pinching, and there wasn’t a ton of loose fabric in odd places either, just smooth, form fitting, and flattering. It even showed off my breasts while not exposing too much of them, and I felt like a lady instead of a hooker.
“Come and show me,” she said. “I need your help zipping anyway.”
“Fine.” I walked over and found her with her hair up.
I zipped her dress, and before she even looked in the mirror at it, her mouth fell open as she saw me. “Look at you, hot mama. That is spectacular and so your color.”
“I feel good in it.” I smoothed my hands down the jeans.
“It’s the hormones. I swear, even your tits look bigger.”
I panicked and turned to the mirror. I didn’t want anything looking bigger. But I looked the same to me.
She giggled. “Maybe you’re just sticking them out more.”
“I feel good. Confident. Like I am wearing it, and it’s not wearing me, if that makes sense.”
“Oh, it does. Trust me. We all have those times when things don’t fit, Tara. It took me a long time to figure out what worked and what didn’t, so I just always stick with those lines.”
“I guess I’ve finally found my lines,” I said as I smiled at myself in the mirror and turned to look at the back again, checking the fit of the jeans, which was perfect.
“Well, you have to get it,” she said. “And don’t even say no because you already said you were going to splurge.”
“Oh, I’m getting it, and with any luck, I’m going to get to wear it for Zane.” I turned in the mirror, looking at the back and how it accentuated while flattering my curvy bottom. “I can’t wait to see him again.”
Karen laughed. “Well, then we should go to the intimates department because what you wear beneath those clothes is going to be equally as important when you have someone seeing them too.”
My face turned red. I hadn’t even tho
ught of that. There was just so much to consider now.
By the time we were done, I had spent much more than I had set out to, but I was pleased with the things I’d gotten, including three beautiful bra and panty sets. It wasn’t as if I didn’t have pretty undergarments, but these were sexy but still tasteful, while making me feel a little naughty. Maybe it was just what I needed to take my confidence even higher.
I didn’t know if Zane was ready to see me again, but I was ready for him.
Chapter 17
Zane
As Clay and I walked down to meet up with Rylen and Nick, who had made an early morning run to the casino, I caught my friend giving me strange looks.
“What?” I said.
“You’re too quiet. And frankly, you’re scary when you’re quiet. Always have been.”
I didn’t know whether to be insulted or not, but I took it in stride since it was coming from an overgrown child. He was probably smart to have a little fear in him. “I’m just thinking,” I said. I didn’t really want to talk about it.
“Did you confirm if she’s really out?”
“She’s really out. I’m not worried about her.”
“I’m sure we’ll have more fun tonight. We’re going to the magic-show thing Nick was telling us about and then to the club after.”
“I’m not worried about what we’re doing, Clay. I’m not sure I can make it another day here.”
“What happened to your girl? Did you see her at all yesterday?”
“No, she must have been off, and I haven’t tried to call.”
“You mean she’s not blowing your phone up?”
I already felt like shit that she hadn’t. “Look, I don’t want to talk about it, okay?”
“Fine. I’m just your oldest and best friend who is trying to help bring you out of your funk. If you want to talk, I’m here.”
“I appreciate it.” A lot could be said about Clay, who wasn’t always the most mature of us, but he was a good friend who cared when he wasn’t a selfish fuck-up.
Nick and Rylen were standing in the lobby, talking on their cell phones, and both ended their calls when we walked up.
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