Ex-Con Times Two

by Jay S. Wilder

  He holds his palm up to silence me. “Please… enjoy yourselves tonight.” He nods at Jake, gives Katelynn a smile, and leaves.

  “We should go out more often,” Jake says.

  “Yeah,” I mutter. I take my seat and unfold my napkin.

  “What?”

  I peer up at him. “Nothing.”

  I’m shaken by what just happened. I don’t like all the attention suddenly being showered on me and I need a moment to breathe.

  Jake’s eyebrows push together as his eyes drift towards the ceiling. “That man looked kind of familiar… Hold up. He’s the one from yesterday!”

  I glance at Katelynn. She watches me with interest, waiting to hear where this story is going.

  I don’t like the thought of her hearing the breakdown of yesterday’s events. Having someone judge me because of my past is bad enough. Katelynn hearing the story would be salt on the wound.

  I know I’m not perfect. I don’t claim to be.

  But I shoot for it, and all because of Katelynn.

  My Kitten.

  Well, our Kitten.

  Knowing she thinks the world of me and Jake is what makes me want to get up each day and keep working on becoming a better man.

  Jake keeps going. “He’s the one that left because he knew we’re ex-cons.” His eyes sparkle. “And now you’ve saved his life. Talk about fate.”

  Katelynn shakes her head, making her earrings dance against her neck. “Wait. What?”

  “It’s not important,” I tell her.

  Her lips twitch. “He left because he knew you were in prison?”

  “Yes.” The word is heavy and thick. I hate saying it.

  “That’s awful.”

  I lift a shoulder. “It is what it is. You had your own hesitations the night you found out about us.”

  She frowns. “That was different. We had an intimate relationship… Plus I was afraid. A lot was going on.”

  I pick up my menu. “Let’s just forget about it.”

  They both fall quiet and study their own menus.

  The wine arrives and the mood lifts. I pour us glasses and Jake raises his for a toast.

  “To many more anniversaries.” He looks at Katelynn. “Bet you didn’t know this was our one year, huh?”

  She takes a drink of wine and smiles against the glass’ rim. Setting her wine down, she reaches into her purse and pulls out an envelope. With a flourish, she sets it on the table.

  “You’re right,” she says. “I didn’t know. I just happened to get y’all these for no reason at all.” She bites her lip in pleasure and smiles wide.

  Jake opens the envelope and pulls out three tickets. “The rodeo?”

  “Uh-huh.” Katelynn folds her arms on the table and excitedly leans forward. “It’s coming to town in two weekends and I thought we could go.”

  “Is that where you were this afternoon?” Jake asks. “To get tickets?”

  She impishly shrugs. “Maybe.”

  I squeeze her knee. “Thanks, babe. It’s an awesome gift.”

  I can’t make sense of my crossing paths with the same hard-edged man twice in two days—both times in unfavorable circumstances. Katelynn looking at me with soft eyes makes it a little easier to forget about what’s just happened.

  But it’s still on my mind, nonetheless. I saved a man’s life tonight. I’ve never had the opportunity to do that. The fact that it’s a man who blatantly dislikes me is beyond humorous. I tried to forget about this guy and now here he is, back in my face again. It’s like the world just won’t let me move on.

  I shouldn’t be worried about what he thinks.

  But I am. I am, and I hate it.

  I’ve only had two glasses of wine, but I’m tipsy. My head spins as we drive home. Hunter stays in the driveway to check the mail while Jake helps me upstairs into the apartment. From the driveway, Hunter’s and John’s voices float up the stairs. Hunter must have run into John getting out of the car. I hear them mention something about Savannah. She’s been dodging me lately, but I think it’s because she and Jared have secretly been seeing each other. I’ll give her a few weeks to fess up. She always does, and I don’t see Jared as the type to hold much close to his chest.

  The choking scare comes back to me. “Do you think that man will be all right?” I whisper to Jake. “It didn’t seem like he wanted to talk about what happened at the shop yesterday.”

  He scratches his jaw. “We’ve worked hard to get where we are, Katelynn. Having someone waltz in and act like we’re no good because we served time ain’t pleasant… Even if it’s a complete stranger.”

  I look at the floor. My heart feels heavy. “Hunter saved that man… even with what happened at the shop.”

  “He wouldn’t think of doing otherwise, Kitten.”

  I nod with appreciation. If only they knew they truly have such amazing character. “He’s amazing.” I step forward and give Jake a kiss. “You are, too.”

  “What’s going on in here?” Hunter stands in the front doorway and watches us. I seductively bite my lip and reach for his hand. He kicks the door closed, quickly pulling me to his chest.

  Rodeo tickets were a small, simple way to show Hunter and Jake how I feel about them. Really, my emotions need to be expressed in a bigger, more meaningful way.

  Seeing Hunter jump into action tonight—and for a man he should probably hate—made my love for him keeps expanding. I have to show him just what he’s done to me. I have to let him know he’s an amazing man who’s worthy of the best.

  But words won’t work for that.

  I drop to my knees and undo Hunter’s belt buckle. He watches me through half-closed eyes. I unzip the pants and reach into the slit in the front of his boxers. My hand closes over the warmth of his dick. I pull it out and kiss the tip.

  Stoking the underside of his shaft, I lick a trail from the base to the head. I circle my tongue around Hunter’s width. He pulses against my touch and his hand presses against the top of my head. I open my lips wide and slip them over the end of his dick. His familiar taste fills my mouth. I suck it in and let it fill me up.

  I bob my head on his dick, taking my time. He hardens more in my mouth, but his skin stays satin smooth. A deep growl forms in his chest.

  “God, Kitten,” he hisses.

  He gently eases me off of him.

  “I’m not finished,” I protest.

  “And I haven’t gotten started yet.”

  I keep my eyes on him as I stand. A new pair of hands encircles my waist. I drop my head against Jake’s shoulder, still keeping my gaze on Hunter’s the whole time.

  Jake runs his hands across the front of my stomach and down my thighs. He pushes my skirt up and exposes my upper legs. Hunter shuffles forward and gets to his knees. His tongue hits my inner thigh.

  I close my eyes as Hunter takes his tongue up my leg. He pushes my panties to the side. His hot breath hits my opening, each exhale making me shiver.

  His mouth presses against my mound and drags downward. His tongue flicks against my lips and runs back up to my clit, where it makes tight circles.

  I cry out and drop my weight backward, against Jake. He kisses my neck and squeezes my breasts through my dress. My nipples tighten under his touch. A painful ache stretches out from my breasts and goes to my core.

  The pleasure increases. I’m close to the edge. Hunter knows it, but he’s not going to take me there. Instead, he stands up and pushes my panties all the way down. He and Jake pull off my dress and bra. Jake lifts me in his arms and carries me naked to the bedroom.

  Hunter follows our steps, shucking his shirt as he goes.

  Jake lays me in the center of the bed. I roll onto my side and prop my head up on my arm to watch them undress. Jake quickly catches up to Hunter. They stand to face me in the moonlight coming through the window, the two beautiful halves of the best thing in my life.

  “Dang,” I whisper.

  Jake raises an eyebrow. “What’s that?”

&nb
sp; “I’m one lucky girl.”

  “Not as lucky as us,” he grins. He jumps onto the bed and makes the mattress bounce. He settles behind me and runs his hands down my legs.

  Hunter gets on his side facing me. We lock eyes and move towards each other as if we were magnets. One of his arms slips under me and the other presses between my thighs. Pleasure ripples through me.

  Hunter kisses me open-mouthed. Our tongues frantically run across each other. A deep hunger fills me up and makes me ache.

  Behind me, Jake stretches my ass cheeks. I feel the hard tip of his dick graze across my lips. With a firm thrust, he enters me. My walls sing with joy and a moan pushes from my lips and enters Hunter’s mouth.

  Jake holds my hip and slowly thrusts up into me. I reach down and close my fingers around Hunter’s length. His dick pulses with the same need I’m feeling. I rhythmically stroke it, speeding the pace up and taking it back down.

  Hunter presses against my clit and makes slow circles. Wetness seeps out of me, coating Jake’s dick and Hunter’s hand.

  Layers of pleasure stack on top of each other. They fill me up till I feel like I’m going to explode all over the place. Still, they keep on coming.

  Jake’s hips pulse against me and his fingers tighten on my hip. His breath coats my neck and creates delicious chills along my back.

  My unchecked cries flow into Hunter’s throat. He twists my hair and kisses me deeper. Our hands stroke each other in a perfectly matched rhythm. His dick tenses in my hand. Pre-cum coats my fingers.

  The pleasure in me swirls into a tight ball and explodes. I break my lips from Hunter’s and cry out into the room. He bursts in my hand, his hot release shooting across my palm and hitting my stomach.

  Behind me, Jake gasps and buries his full length inside me. His shot hits my walls and disappears inside my throbbing core.

  Keeping my hand lightly wrapped around Hunter’s length, I kiss him deeply. He gently pulls away from me and I turn my face and cover Jake’s lips with mine.

  Taken separately, their kisses fill me with joy. Taken together, they complete me.

  One year. I can’t believe it’s already been one year. As my guys guide me to the bathroom and clean me up in the shower, I have the same thought that’s been on repeat in my head for months:

  I’ve struck gold.

  On Monday, the three of us ride into work together. Since my job at the logistics warehouse is only a few minutes away from the shop, we end up carpooling together a lot of days.

  Sunday passed without Hunter saying anything about the man at the restaurant. But it wasn’t like he was in a chipper mood. He spent the whole day moping around the apartment.

  Jake and I could tell something was on his mind, but the couple of times we asked what was going on he waved us off and claimed everything was fine. By dinner time last night, I gave up. Hunter can be like a brick wall if he wants to be. If he doesn’t want to talk, there’s no use in trying to get him to.

  At five o’clock I hop in my car and drive over to the shop to pick the men up. They don’t always finish right at five, but I love hanging around the shop waiting for them. I have a few books stashed in the waiting room and my favorite hazelnut coffee creamer is always in the fridge.

  Plus, I like to get behind the desk every once in a while, and answer the phones. There’s something forbidden about getting to be the secretary that’s sleeping with the two hot mechanics.

  I park at the edge of the lot and poke my head into the garage. Jake and Hunter are bent over the engine of a car.

  “Hey y’all.”

  They look over at the same time. Jake smiles but Hunter just gives me a grim nod.

  “Are you the only ones here?”

  “Yep,” Jake says. “Jared just left. He has a hot date with some girl who’s a cheerleader.” He wipes his hands on a rag and throws it over his shoulder.

  “What are y’all thinking of eating tonight?”

  Jake shrugs. “Anything is good with me.”

  Hunter just stares into the car’s engine. If you’re going off of his attitude, I might as well not be here.

  “What’s wrong?” I walk over to them and peer into Hunter’s face.

  “He’s worried about business,” Jake explains. “He’s been on edge all day, thinking that guy is spreading dirt about us.”

  “Oh.” I give it some thought. “How has business been?”

  “Same as usual.”

  Hunter’s jaw tightens. “That doesn’t mean it won’t change. It’s only Monday.” His nostrils flare and he looks out of the garage and across the parking lot. “It’s not right. We’ve worked fucking hard to get here. People shouldn’t judge us for things that happened years ago.”

  I rub my hand against his arm. “I know, Hunter. It sucks.”

  My chests tighten and my eyes burn. I blink back the tears. Is this the way he felt last year when they told me they were ex-cons and I ran for the hills?

  I hate the thought of causing either of them pain. The possibility of someone else doing it to them eats me up inside. I want to find this man and give him a piece of my mind. I want to let him know how idiotic it is for him to judge Hunter and Jake this quickly.

  I should know. Once upon a time, I was quick to judge them myself. It’s something I’ll always regret.

  I also know how hard it is for Hunter and Jake to even get some people who’ve known them for a while to trust them. Though my dad has always been grateful to them for rescuing me last year, it took him a while to truly warm up to my ‘boyfriend’ and his roommate. His protective side came out full throttle after he heard I was moving in with them.

  “Think about all the great customers you have,” I tell him.

  His lips press tight against his teeth. I don’t know if he’s even hearing my words.

  A rumbling engine makes me turn around. A red truck pulls up to the garage.

  The truck’s door opens and the choking man from the restaurant gets out. I can practically feel the fury crackling off Hunter. I turn to him just in time to see his fingers curl into fists.

  “Hunter,” Jake sharply says.

  Hunter lets out an inhale that sounds like a growl and folds his arms in front of his chest.

  The man walks all the way up to us without anyone saying a word. He tips his hat at me. “Ma’am.”

  “Hello,” I say as pleasantly as I can manage, considering what I’d really like to do is kick this guy in the shin.

  He shuffles his weight around and clears his throat. His eyes settle on Hunter. “I’d like to thank you for what you did Saturday night. The paramedics said I would have died if you didn’t step in.”

  Hunter gives a tight nod but doesn’t uncross his arms. An uneasy feeling settles in my stomach. I feel like I should say something to fill up the silence, but I have no clue what that should be.

  The man clears his throat again. “I was wrong to do what I did on Friday. I thought I knew what kind of man you were based on your past… And it turns out I didn’t know at all.”

  Hunter’s shoulders relax and his arms drop to his side. Next to him, Jake looks eagerly from one man to the next.

  “Thank you.” The man holds out his hand. A long moment passes while Hunter looks at it. I hold my breath and wait.

  Hunter takes the man’s palm and gives it a firm shake. A wave of air leaves my lungs.

  “Thank you,” Hunter says. “That means a lot to both of us.”

  The man drops the shake. “Bud Stevens.”

  “Hunter. This here is Jake and Katelynn.”

  The man rubs his chin and looks thoughtfully around the garage. “This really is a nice place you’ve got here.”

  Jake speaks up. “How did you know where Hunter and I served?”

  “I know about all the ex-cons in this area. I look at the database on the regular.”

  “Why would you do that?”

  “It’s what I’ve always done. I was sheriff for thirty years. Just because I’m ret
ired doesn’t mean I can stop old habits.” He pauses. “Also, it turns out I know your parole officer.”

  Hunter cocks his head. His face is guarded and unreadable. “Oh, yeah?”

  Bud nods. “I called him up this morning and told him about what happened at the restaurant. I told him I would have died if you weren’t there.”

  I can feel my mouth falling open. I look over at Hunter and Jake. They seem just as stunned by this news as I am.

  Bud keeps going. “I also talked to my brother-in-law. He owns several food processing plants around here. Maybe you’ve heard of them. Eder Meats. I told him about your shop. He has a lot of employees who need work done on their cars. I reckon he’ll be sending some business your way.”

  Hunter blinks and stares at Bud. “Thank you.”

  Bud touches the brim of his hat. “It’s the least I can do after what you did.” He looks down at the floor and back up at Hunter. “I’ll take my time before I judge the next man I come across. You taught me there’s no point in skipping ahead and acting like you know a man when you don’t.”

  Hunter’s throat bobs as he swallows. “I’m glad you’re all right, Bud.”

  “It’s all because of you.” He nods one more time. “Y’all have a good day.”

  We stand stock still as Bud gets into his truck and drives away.

  With just the three of us again, I spin on my heel to face Hunter and Jake. “Oh God,” I breathe.

  “That was fucking crazy,” Jake says. “And amazing.”

  Hunter nods and looks at the road. There’s a softness in his eyes I’ve never seen before.

  I touch his elbow. “Hey. Are you all right?”

  His gaze falls to mine. “I couldn’t be better.”

  Joy blooms in my chest. It seems to flow out of me unchecked, like a dam broken open.

  I wrap my arms around Hunter and bury my face in his chest. “You’re amazing,” I whisper into his shirt. I don’t care that grease is getting all over my face and clothes. Having him pressed against me is worth ruining my best work blouse for.

  I take one arm, wrap it around Jake, and pull the both of them into a hug. Tears push at the corners of my eyes.

  I have two of the most amazing men in the world at my side. I’ve known it for a long time.