Maybe Swearing Will Help

by Vale, Lani Lynn

  “Yes.” I paused. “No. What was it you were saying?”

  My mother snorted. “I want you to come down this weekend. Ashe is coming down for her birthday. And there’s no reason you can’t come, too.”

  “Other than working.” I laughed. “But I’ll switch. We can drive down together.”

  There was a long, silent pause as my mother digested that statement. “You can?”

  “We’re adults,” I lied. “We can tolerate each other for an hour and a half while we drive home.”

  Ashe tossed a grin my way and picked up the box and walked it to the back door.

  I watched her leave but come back in almost seconds later with her hands over her chest.

  “I gotta go, Mom,” I said. “I’ll see you this weekend.”

  “Okay, love you. Bye!” my mother chirped.

  I didn’t reply as I shoved my phone into my pocket and walked up to Ashe.

  “What is it?” I asked curtly.

  She all but fell into my arms as she trembled.

  “There was a man outside by the dumpster,” she shivered. “I scared him. He scared me. I think he was homeless and digging through our trash.”

  I curled my arms around her shoulders and pulled her into my chest tight, not liking it that she was startled enough to be shaking.

  “Do you want to call the police?” I asked.

  She shook her head no.

  “No,” she said. “I can handle it. It just scared the shit out of me, that’s all. You ready? If I spend too much more time here, I’m going to start playing with them.”

  I laughed and wrapped my arm around her shoulder, guiding her outside.

  Once we were out there, though, I kept an eye out for the man that’d scared her but saw nothing.

  ***

  “Jesus…” Ashe breathed. “You’re so good at that.”

  I gave one last lick of her pussy before trailing my tongue that still tasted of her all the way up her stomach, stopping when I reached her breast.

  My eyes lingered on one nipple, noticing that it was a tad bit darker in color.

  I frowned and circled the areola with one finger, grinning like the fool that I was when she hissed and arched toward me, wanting more.

  “Feel good?” I questioned, momentarily forgetting that I was supposed to be conducting an experiment.

  “Yes,” she whispered huskily. “Everything you do to me feels good.”

  I grinned at her words, liking that she felt that way.

  I adored the fact that all I had to do was lick the tip of her breast and she was squirming for another release.

  I liked even more that she opened her legs up for me wide and grabbed me by the hair, ordering me without words to get on with what I’d started.

  Smiling, I moved until my cock was situated between her thighs and rubbed, dragging my bare cock up the length of her exposed pussy.

  I rocked it along the length of her, coating my cock in her juices, and loving the way we sounded together when I did.

  She bit her lip, her breasts swaying with my movements, and I couldn’t stop myself from reaching up and palming one in my hand, giving it an experimental squeeze.

  She hissed, her hips jerking, and my cock accidentally lodged at the tip of her entrance, making me groan.

  Both of us froze as my cock head slid about a quarter of an inch inside, neither one of us moving a single finger.

  Her nipple became harder in the palm of my hand, and I witnessed goosebumps break out all over her body.

  It took every single ounce of willpower that I had not to forge my way inside. Not to fuck into her so hard that she felt me in the back of her throat.

  In fact, the urge to do this was so fucking strong that I had to physically lock my body down to keep from moving.

  And even then, another quarter of an inch slipped inside.

  She moaned and raised her hips, causing her pussy to engulf even more of my cock.

  I couldn’t move away, but I couldn’t make her stop.

  Instead, I sat there and watched as she raised her hips up and down by using her heels planted in the bed on either side of my hips.

  She fucked the tip of my cock—all that she could get due to the position—while watching the play of emotions roll over my face.

  I closed my eyes and tried to pull away. Tried to tell myself this was wrong.

  But when I did, Ashe used my momentum against me and rolled with me, using my superior focus to take advantage.

  The moment I found myself on my back with my cock—my very bare cock—inside of her to the hilt, I couldn’t move.

  Couldn’t speak.

  Could only feel.

  I hissed in a breath, unable to form one coherent thought.

  Well, one I could.

  That being: I’d never felt anything so perfect before in my life.

  The feel of her heat surrounding me like a gloved, heated fist? Paired with her wetness? Then the way she pulsed around me?

  “Oh, God,” I breathed. “Oh, God.”

  Ashe had done nothing but sit there, with my cock buried deep inside of her.

  Her eyes were closed, and a look of pure bliss had overtaken her face.

  “Sweet baby Jesus,” she breathed. “This feels like everything.”

  I knew exactly what she meant.

  She tightened her muscles again, causing me to curse and reach for her hips. Not to push her away or anything, but to bring her even closer. To force her to stay exactly where she was, and not move a single goddamn muscle.

  “Oh, fuck,” I breathed. “Don’t move.”

  She didn’t move per se. But what she did do was twitch.

  And that twitch was enough.

  My thumb moved on its own volition, spreading out to brush over her clit.

  And that one single touch felt like I’d taken a rocket and set it free throughout her veins.

  She started to pulse. Her breathing picked up.

  Her head went back as her nipples pebbled into such hard peaks that I wondered if they hurt.

  Then she started to come.

  By one single touch.

  Just one.

  And Jesus Christ, it was everything that I never knew I wanted to feel.

  I’d heard of Tantric Sex before. And honestly, I wasn’t sure what we were doing was quite ‘Tantric Sex.’ But whatever it was, I decided it was about as close to the real thing as we’d ever get seeing as we were both hot-headed, in control, get it done now kind of people.

  When she was finally done, her orgasm having left her a wrung out husk of a woman, she collapsed to my chest and breathed deeply against my chest.

  All the while, I closed my eyes and tried to tell myself not to come.

  “Ashe,” I croaked.

  She moved until her hand was cupping my chin.

  “What?” she mumbled, her fingers playing along the length of my beard.

  I swallowed hard.

  “I need you to get off of me. Slowly,” I ordered.

  She sat up, and I hissed, unable to help the way my hips bucked inside of her.

  I cursed and gritted my teeth, using every single bit of control left in my body not to come.

  “Off.”

  One word.

  Said so stiffly that I thought that she might get pissed.

  She didn’t.

  She laughed.

  The bitch laughed.

  And what happened when bitches laughed? Their internal muscles contracted and released.

  It was by everything that was holy that she managed to get off in time for me not to come inside of her tight sheath.

  She was just lifting her leg off of my hips when my cock started to erupt with my release.

  Hot jets of cum shot from my cock, coating her thigh and breasts with the first shot, and then my belly and chest with the second, third and fourth.

  And when I finally was able to
draw breath again, I looked at her with haunted eyes.

  “How the hell am I ever supposed to put another condom on after that?” I breathed.

  She didn’t have an answer, and neither did I.

  What I did have was a burning need to run. Get the hell out of the bed and away from her sexy, hot, naked body before I did something else I was going to regret.

  I did just that, moving until I was in the bathroom.

  Turning the shower on, I stepped inside and told myself that it was okay. I could do this.

  Only, she followed me inside the shower, and those pep talks didn’t work when she was so close.

  They didn’t work at all.

  As evidenced by the things that I did—again—minutes later.

  Pissed off at myself and her twenty minutes later, I stiffly walked out of the shower and dried off as I moved.

  When I was wearing a pair of knit shorts, I looked at her with annoyed eyes.

  “We need to eat,” I murmured. “I’ll order Chinese.”

  Hours went by, and that niggling feeling that’d been there before sex, and then after dinner when we’d eaten, went away.

  It hit me again like a freight train in the middle of the night.

  One second, I was dead asleep, and the next I was sitting straight up in bed, dislodging the sheet from both mine and Ashe’s body.

  She shivered, her body curling closer to mine as she searched for the warmth.

  My eyes took in her naked form in the moonlight, and I lingered on one spot in particular.

  Her stomach.

  Sensitive nipples. Weight gain—though I would never, not in my lifetime, admit that to her. The throwing up randomly. The exhaustion.

  I thought back to how she’d eaten earlier, being pickier than normal with her food.

  She’d skipped over the noodles from our Chinese dinner, instead focusing on my egg rolls. Egg rolls that she didn’t usually like. Not at all.

  Now, I wasn’t an expert on this or anything, but I wasn’t a fool.

  We’d had sex one time that could’ve led to something more…and that something more was here, staring me straight in the face.

  One thought, getting louder and louder in my skull, kept hammering through my brain.

  As I lay back down and covered us up once again, I tried to say the word that was rolling around in my skull.

  I may not be able to say it out loud yet. But I could sure the fuck think it.

  Pregnant.

  Sensitive nipples? Check.

  Greater appetite? Check.

  Mood swings? Did sex count? If yes, then check.

  Boobs bigger? Fuck yes.

  Nausea/loss of appetite for no reason? Remembering the cats’ box smell from earlier, I would gauge that as a yes. Then her refusal to eat the noodles that she loved because they ‘didn’t sound good?’ That would be another yes.

  Why did I know about the signs and symptoms of pregnancy? Because my sister was very open with everything that changed when she got pregnant with my niece, leaving very little to the imagination.

  But one thing was certain. I needed to find out more. And I had a feeling Ashe had no fucking clue.

  I was almost thankful for the SWAT callout that had me leaving my bed early that morning. Because I knew that if she woke up beside me, we’d be taking the truck straight to the store and finding out if my assumptions were correct.

  Chapter 15

  I don’t always go the extra mile, but when I do it’s because I missed the exit.

  -Ashe’s secret thoughts

  Ashe

  “There’s another box,” I whispered into my phone at the back of the class.

  Ford paused for a second, I assumed to get to somewhere quieter, and then said, “What?”

  I repeated my earlier statement, getting an ugly-eyed glance from the girl a few seats over.

  “Fuck,” he said. “Give me ten minutes, then I’ll go.”

  Relief poured through me.

  After last night, I kind of expected him to say no.

  He’d been acting very strange this morning when I’d called him after I woke up, barely sparing a word to me.

  Eventually, I’d just written it off to him being in a weird mood and began my morning routine.

  Which led to now, an hour later, as I told Susan that Ford was on his way and was using my keys to get into the shelter.

  Thirty minutes later, I got confirmation that Ford had picked up the kittens and gotten them settled inside the cages.

  He’d also sent me photos of the kittens from last night playing away as if they didn’t have a care in the world.

  Which made me grimace because now our shelter was officially full. And seeing as we were a no-kill shelter, we’d stay that way until an adoption event could be held.

  My mind whirling away on that, I barely paid attention to the guest speaker we had today. Which sucked because he was awesome. Forcing myself to pay attention and listen, I concentrated and was able to listen long enough for the teacher to call a break.

  Since this was my three-hour class once a week, I was thankful for the reprieve and hauled ass to the bathroom.

  The coffee from this morning had gone right through me, practically forcing me to sit there for the last half hour in miserable silence until the teacher called a break at the usual time.

  I’d just rounded the corner on my way back to the class when I bumped into something solid.

  Stepping back with an apology, I was startled to know the person that I’d run into.

  Hayes looked at me, a grin on his face.

  “What are you doing here?” I asked curiously.

  He gestured with a vague flick of his hand to the classroom that was several steps behind him.

  “That’s my dad,” he said. “The guest speaker.”

  My mouth fell open in surprise.

  “Your father is Vlad Greer?” I gasped.

  Hayes’ eyes went behind me, but I couldn’t stop myself from gushing.

  “How in the… he’s… he was the one that found the Gun Barrel City killer! He’s the one that… holy fuck, Hayes! Vlad is famous in my circle.” I narrowed my eyes. “How could you not tell me this? I literally discussed my unicorn case with you, and you never said a word.”

  Hayes’ eyes were sparkling.

  “I’m afraid that’s my fault, dear.”

  I turned woodenly to find Vlad standing behind me.

  “Ummm,” I stuttered. “Sorry, sir?”

  “It’s my fault that he won’t discuss me,” he repeated. “There are people who don’t like me because I helped put their loved ones behind bars. He tries to not mention who I am in case someone turns out to be a little bit psycho. Hence the different last names.” He gestured between him and Hayes.

  My eyes sparkled as I turned back to Hayes.

  “Is that right?” I asked.

  Hayes rolled his eyes. “I have to pee. Drank too much coffee this morning.”

  Then he was gone, leaving me with his father who was smiling down at me hugely.

  “My son told me about your case,” he said. “I’m going to look into it.”

  I grinned widely.

  “That honestly makes my day,” I told him. “I had a friend who was a victim of the Hell to Haughton killer, which was originally what brought the case onto my radar. From a young age, it truly influenced me, and it really means a lot that someone with such knowledge will be taking an interest in it.”

  He winked at me.

  “Better go get to the bathroom myself,” he said. “I’d love to speak more after class if you have time.”

  I nodded my head. “I was planning on going out to lunch with my boyfriend, but I’m sure he won’t mind you joining us.”

  Only, Ford did seem to mind him joining us, and I didn’t know why.

  An hour and forty-five minutes later, I joined him at the restaurant we’d chosen over text in
the last hour and raised my brow at him and his pouty face.

  “What the hell is wrong with you?” I asked. “You’re acting really weird.”

  The muscles in his temple worked as he ground his jaw together.

  “I’ll tell you later,” he muttered darkly.

  I looked in his front seat as he slammed the door and gestured with my hand.

  “What’s all that?” I asked curiously.

  He shrugged, unwilling to answer.

  “Ford,” I said, grabbing a hold of his hand.

  “We’ll talk about it later,” he said, trying to slip his hand free.

  I’d had enough.

  “Listen, Chevy,” I growled, my temper rising. “I’m hungry, a little bit nauseous, and I have to pee. But if you force me to, I’ll stand right the fuck here until you tell me what the hell is going on.”

  Ford’s eyes narrowed.

  “Do you want to break up?” I asked, getting a sinking suspicion in the pit of my stomach.

  I’d forced his hand, and now he was backed into a corner.

  Maybe he really didn’t want anything to do with me.

  Maybe this was all one-sided.

  Maybe…

  Ford growled and moved, his big body pinning me to the truck.

  “No,” he snarled. “I do not want to break up, you silly, stupid little shit.”

  I blinked at the fierceness of his words.

  “Did you just call me stupid?” I asked, blinking rapidly as if that would help the words that I’d just heard.

  He lowered himself until he was pressing his hard length against my belly.

  “I called you a silly, stupid little shit, actually,” he growled, his mouth now on my throat, just below my ear.

  I blinked and shifted, trying to get closer to him but trying to get myself under control, too.

  But my body wasn’t listening to me anymore. It was listening to Ford.

  “That’s not nice, Mazda,” I breathed, shivering slightly when his lips met that spot between my shoulder and my neck, biting down lightly.

  My fingers clenched his uniform shirt, and I was slightly happy that he only had a t-shirt on, because when I moved my hand up to rest against his smooth, heated and scarred skin, it only made me hotter.

  I loved touching Ford.

  I’d wanted to do it for so long that sometimes I felt like I was touch hungry.

  But only when it came to him.