Loyal Subjects

by Eva Charles

  “I’m afraid so. We need to have a talk. You and me. About wieners. The fun kind.”

  “Wieners?”

  “Wieners.”

  I cocked my head, trying to figure out what on earth he was talking about. A small tug at the corner of his mouth made me realize it wasn’t too serious.

  “They’re called hot dogs. Call them frankfurters if you must, but for God’s sake, don’t use the word wiener around little boys.”

  “What? Oh!”

  “Ohhh. Yeah. That’s why he pretends not to like them, because you use the word in public, in front of other little boys who know what a wiener actually is. It’s embarrassing.”

  “That’s why I’ve always taught Teddy to use anatomically correct names for body parts.”

  “He told me. Let me break the news to you, sweetheart. You might need to sit down for this.”

  “I think I’ll be okay.”

  “Guys never call it a penis.”

  “Some guys do.”

  “And you know this because you’ve had extensive discussions with men about what they call their junk?”

  “No. But it’s the correct word.”

  “That guys never use unless they’re seeking medical attention and the doctor is female. A guy would be more likely to call it by some stupid name like little Willy than he would be to call it a penis.”

  “Little Willy?”

  “Some men are idiots. Thought you knew that by now.”

  It was hard not to laugh. I don’t know what I did for amusement before this man came into my life.

  “Apparently, you’re not fond of the word boobies, either.”

  “How did that come up?”

  “Well, I certainly didn’t bring it up. Haven’t used that word since I was ten.”

  “What did he say?”

  “He asked me what girls call their private parts. If they have nicknames for them.”

  “Tell me you did not go there.”

  Mark lifted his hands up in surrender. “I did not go there.”

  “What exactly did you say?”

  “I told him I wasn’t sure what girls called them, but I’ve always found it’s much safer never to talk about girls’ private parts, ever. It can only get you into trouble.”

  “Coward. You could have said vagina or breast. They’re normal, natural words.”

  “Maybe for women, they’re natural words. But men only use the word breast when they’re ordering chicken.”

  “That is so not true. What about breastfeeding?”

  “If it’s your wife or a relative, feeding the baby, some poor sap might mumble nursing in a way no one can understand. If it’s a woman you don’t know, sucking on her tit is probably the first thing that pops to mind.”

  “Like it’s something dirty.”

  “No. Like you’re jealous a little baby with a pea-size brain has figured out how to get his binky anytime and anywhere he wants it.”

  “You’re right. Men are idiots.”

  “That’s why we need good women in our lives to civilize us and keep us on track.” He came up behind me and pressed his erection into the small of my back.

  “So, you and little Markie want to watch a movie tonight?”

  He placed a hand on my belly, drawing me closer. “Nothing little here, Sunshine.” He sank his teeth into the base of my neck, sending shivers skittering through me.

  23

  Emmie

  Alexa’s little brother was visiting for the long weekend, and she invited Teddy and me for dinner on Saturday night. Owen was a little older than Teddy, and he loved playing big brother. There were so many years between him and Alexa, he was almost like an only child too. Teddy loved when he visited.

  Alexa and I had become friends since the day she confided in me about being pregnant. She was lovely, patient, and kind, with a quick smile and a warm hug for everyone who needed one. So different from Cole in many ways. He was warm and kind, too. But he was tough, especially on his brothers. His wit was sharper than Mark’s, and he carried more on his shoulders.

  From the first day at Meadows Shore, Alexa took me under her wing, and helped me navigate the Clayton sisters and the Harrington boys. Although they were all remarkably down-to-earth, they were a lot to take in. Money was never a real consideration for them. They weren’t showy or wasteful, but their upbringing had been a far cry from mine. Alexa had grown up in a loving family, but there hadn’t been any money for extras. We had that in common.

  Owen was waiting at the door when we arrived, eager to give Teddy a tour of Alexa and Cole’s new house.

  “Emmie, I invited Mark. I should have checked with you, but he seems like a permanent fixture.”

  “I’m glad you invited him. He probably would have showed up, anyway. He’s not shy like that.”

  “Did I hear my name?” Mark snuck up from behind and wrapped his arms around my middle, planting a hot, possessive kiss on my neck.

  “Oh God. Are we going to have to put up with this all night?” Cole asked his wife.

  “Don’t act like half of Boston hasn’t been treated to you two going at it,” Mark quipped, barely taking his lips off me.

  “Get Emmie a glass of wine, and take the black bean dip she brought to the kitchen island,” she instructed Cole. “And you,” Alexa said to Mark, “no comments about the honey-do list, leashes, or ball and chains. And not one kitty comment, like I’m too naïve to know what it means. Besides, when it comes to kitties, you are in no position to judge.”

  Mark slapped his hand over his chest, pretending to be wounded. “Don’t let her fool you. She seems like a sweet little social worker, but she’s got the dark heart of a lawyer.”

  “And you’d do best to remember that.” She waggled her eyebrows at him.

  “Can I help with something?”

  She shook her head. “It’s an easy dinner. I made mac and cheese and chicken nuggets. It’s Owen’s favorite. That’s the good news. The bad news is it’s what I made us for dinner, too. A grown-up, spicy version, and a Southwestern salad.”

  “That sounds completely decadent and absolutely delicious.”

  “Good. I thought we’d eat early with the kids, and then they can watch a movie, and maybe you two can go for a walk in the neighborhood, or get a drink somewhere. I know you don’t get a lot of time alone.”

  I’m sure the anxiety showed on my face. Alexa didn’t know every detail about my past, but I told her how much I worried about Teddy.

  “There are a few restaurants with nice bars within a couple miles of the house,” she suggested.

  Before I could respond, the boys bounded into the kitchen. “Can Teddy sleep over?”

  “Can I, Mom? Please.”

  “Please,” they both begged in unison with the cutest puppy-dog faces. Those two were trouble.

  “You guys go wash your hands, and the grown-ups will talk about it.”

  They ran out of the kitchen as quickly as they came in, and I was grateful to Alexa for not putting me on the spot in front of the kids.

  “What do you think?” she asked.

  “He’s never had a sleepover before. He doesn’t have clean clothes or a toothbrush, or anything.”

  “We have extra toothbrushes, and I’m sure we can find a clean T-shirt somewhere around here.”

  I hesitated.

  “You can stay too, if you think he’d be more comfortable,” Cole said. “We have a house full of bedrooms we’re not using—yet.”

  Alexa beamed at her husband.

  “Thank you. But the last thing you need is two more houseguests.”

  “Are you kidding? We’d love it. When we bought this place, our plan was to fill it with people we love.”

  Mark was getting himself another beer. He was uncharacteristically quiet, but I knew he was hanging on every word.

  “Okay. If you’re sure you don’t mind.”

  “Yay!” Alexa cried, wrapping me in a big hug.

  Mark swaggered over, and
leaned across the kitchen island from me. “What will you possibly do with all that free time?”

  The question was packed with innuendo. None of it subtle, or obtuse. I’m sure everyone heard it as clearly as I did. I smiled shyly, and he brushed his finger over the tip of my nose.

  “I’ll get them to bed, and you two should go out for a drink,” Alexa offered.

  “Or something,” Mark murmured.

  Cole groaned loudly, as if he had a sudden, painful cramp.

  “Emmie would like a nice glass of wine at a classy place, before something.” Alexa elbowed Mark in the ribs. “Don’t be such a dog.”

  “Emmie will have everything she wants. Don’t you worry.”

  Mark

  Talk about dumb luck. I had hours to spend alone with Emmie. This never happened without an intricate plan. World War II was fought with a less complex strategy than it took for me to get her alone for more than twenty minutes at a time. This was a gift. And I had a couple of pipsqueaks to thank for it.

  “Normally I’d be more than happy to stand outside kissing you all night, but this is a family neighborhood. Should we find a dark bar?”

  “How about if we stop for a bottle of wine on the way to your place?”

  “I was hoping you’d say that. We don’t need to stop. I have a few bottles of the red you like.”

  We were inside my apartment five minutes when Emmie’s phone rang. “I need to get it.” She pulled out of my arms, and reached for the phone. “It’s Ruth.”

  “Great.” Just great.

  “Hi, Ruth.”

  “No. Teddy and I are staying at Alexa and Cole’s tonight.”

  “No. It wasn’t the plan, but the boys wanted to have a sleepover.”

  “Uh-huh. I’m sorry. I should have called. I didn’t mean to worry you.”

  I was biting down on a knuckle so I wouldn’t grab Emmie’s phone and tell the old lady to fuck off, before I tossed the damn thing in the trash.

  “Yes. We’ll be back late morning. I’ll call you if the plan changes. Do you need anything?”

  Me, right here. I need something.

  “Good-night.”

  “What’s the deal?”

  “She was wondering where we were, and starting to get worried. I should have called.”

  “You’re not a kid. You don’t need to call.”

  “It’s common courtesy. Maybe I should check on Teddy.”

  “You can if you want. But he was fine when you called from the car. And he gave you the brush-off pretty good when you tried to say good-night before we left.”

  She was strung tighter than a fiddle. My friend Ruth had elevated cockblocking to a whole new level.

  I eased Emmie into the corner of the room, and pinned her wrists against the wall. “Get out of your head. Don’t let her ruin our night.”

  “I won’t.”

  Right. “Shower. Let’s start there so you can relax.”

  “I don’t need a shower. I’m clean.”

  “Clean, huh?” I murmured into her neck. “We’ll have to fix that.”

  I laid a couple towels on the warming rack, turned the steam on inside the shower, and undressed while Emmie leaned against the counter, fidgeting.

  “You coming in with your clothes on?”

  “No, I guess not.”

  “Well, get going, then. Otherwise, I’m dragging you in, clothes and all.”

  I could have had her naked in ten seconds, tops. But she was edgy and unsure right now, and I needed her to come to me.

  I sat on the bench, steam pouring into the small space, and waited. After several very long minutes, the door opened and she stepped inside.

  “I thought we were showering?”

  “We’re relaxing first. Come over here.”

  She sat near me, her head supported by the tile wall, our thighs grazing. I wove my fingers through hers.

  After a couple of minutes, she stretched her legs out in front of her. “This feels so good.”

  I inched closer. “Mmhm.”

  “Was that a heated rack you hung the towels on?”

  “Yep.” I slid my hand up and down her thigh.

  “I love warm towels.”

  “If all you can think about are warm towels, I must be doing something wrong.” She turned her head to smile at me. “I really need to up my game with you, Sunshine.”

  She started to laugh. It was a beautiful sound. Maybe the most beautiful sound I’d ever heard.

  The steam surrounded her, like a dense fog, turning her hair into spirals around her face. Her skin was rosy and glistening. She was dreamlike, at once with me, and other times, just out of reach.

  My cock throbbed, aching with need, as I pushed my fingers through her hair, and slipped my tongue into her hot, wet mouth. She purred, and as much as I wanted to slide her onto my cock, we’d already been in the hot steam for a long time.

  I dragged her off the bench, and turned on the shower. She gasped at the change in temperature. “I’ll keep you warm.” I caged her against the wall, shielding her, as the water pulsed from every direction.

  I fought against pinning her ass against the tile and filling her with one brutal thrust, like I desperately wanted. Instead, I swirled my hands and mouth over her skin, warming every inch of flesh. When I was insane with need, I turned off the shower and grabbed the warm towels. Neither of us was completely dry when I climbed on top of her in my bed.

  I was out of my mind, and didn’t entirely trust myself to be careful. “I need you to tell me if it starts to get too rough.”

  She responded by pressing into me, rubbing her pussy against my grateful cock. When I didn’t immediately fill her, she lifted off the bed and took matters into her own hands. “No.” I panted. “You’re a long way from that, baby. First, I’m going to make you as crazy as you made me.”

  “Mark, please.” She was working my cock good, spreading the wet bead from root to tip.

  Oh fuck! I pushed her hand away, and flipped her on her stomach. And without ceremony, I hoisted her hips and slipped two fingers inside her heat, my thumb strumming her wet clit. She continued to press into me, clenching around my fingers. I couldn’t take another second. I took my cock in hand, and rubbed it over her crack a few times, then sank into her, my fingers never leaving her clit.

  “Mark. Mark. Mark,” she moaned. Like a prayer.

  “I’m right here, baby.” I bit and licked my way up her spine, tweaking her sensitive nipples, while I rocked into her, each thrust harder and deeper than the last.

  She gripped the pillow with both hands, gasping and moaning each time I filled her, writhing feverishly under me. When I reached around her, and rubbed the swollen nub between my fingers, Emmie cried out savagely and clamped down, her head thrashing side to side. Despite the intensity, I didn’t stop. My hips and fingers moved in concert, until her body tightened and she let go, coming hard around me, clenching and squeezing until I couldn’t hold back.

  My legs were shaking when I rolled us over, carefully, so I could stay inside her a little longer.

  Emmie

  We went back to Alexa and Cole’s, and I tried to pretend I hadn’t just spent the last three hours in Mark’s bed. But of course, they knew. Alexa was too polite to say anything, but Cole wasn’t as well-mannered. He didn’t say a word, either, but he couldn’t stop smirking.

  “How was he?” I asked.

  “He did great. No trouble at all. I’m pretty sure they fell asleep giggling.”

  I nodded.

  “I’m kind of tired,” Mark said. “I think I might stay over, too.”

  “Of course you will,” Cole said wryly. “Just don’t be wakin’ up the neighbors.”

  “Cole,” Alexa admonished.

  He grinned at her. “It’s not fair. I want a sleepover too.”

  “I live here with you. You have a sleepover every night.”

  “I know. I’m one lucky son of a bitch. But I want the sleepover to start now. Right now.”
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  “Let me show Emmie her room, and get Mark settled, too.”

  “I’m good. I know my way around.”

  “Don’t give me any crap. You’re getting a room. If you sneak out of it, that’s your business. But you better make it look like you slept in the bed. Because tomorrow morning at the crack of dawn, when those little boys get up, I don’t want to be answering any questions about the sleeping arrangements. That’s up to Emmie.”

  I was mortified by the entire discussion swirling around me.

  “That’s smart.” Mark turned to his brother. “It’s a good thing you married her. She’s so much sneakier than the rest of us.”

  “Good-night,” Alexa called as her husband dragged her down the hall toward their bedroom.

  Mark rested his forehead against mine. “Don’t lock your door, or I’ll wake everyone up breaking into your room.”

  “Didn’t you get enough?”

  He cupped my backside. “Enough? What’s that?”

  24

  Emmie

  The sleepover brought our relationship to yet another level. Now, Mark wanted them all the time. And so did I.

  Things between Ruth and me further deteriorated, to the point where she barely spoke to me when Mark was around. It was painful and ugly, and so completely unnecessary. But there was little I could do about it, or at least little I was willing to do.

  She continued to babysit for Teddy, and we had dinner together when Mark wasn’t there. Otherwise, she just went upstairs when I got home from work, and ate alone. It broke my heart, and I made a point of making time just for her, hoping she would eventually come around.

  We stayed at Cole and Alexa’s occasionally, Meadows Shore, and even Mark’s apartment, although that was trickier, because there were only two bedrooms, and I wasn’t ready for Teddy to know we were sharing a bed. Not yet.

  Mark didn’t say much about it, but I knew he wasn’t happy with my decision to keep that part of our relationship from Teddy. I wondered when he would tire of all the sneaking around. A small part of me sometimes wondered whether I wanted him to tire of it, and walk away. Maybe I deliberately put obstacles in our path. I didn’t dwell on it too much, because the idea of not having him in my life was too painful.

  But I knew our days of sneaking around were coming to an end.