The Boy Who Has No Redemption (Soulless Book 8)

by Victoria Quinn

  So, he obviously expected to get laid on Thursday.

  Well…he wasn’t wrong about that.

  After the shitshow with Paul, I got paranoid about what kind of guy he might be, so I got tested too, especially since I didn’t plan to sleep with anyone else for the foreseeable future. I logged in to my account, took a screenshot of the results, and then replied to his email with my own attachment.

  Not a single sentence was exchanged between us.

  We just let it be.

  “You’re really going back to work?” I sat beside Cleo on the couch. After work, I stopped by and brought her cupcakes, so she had a special treat to enjoy. Her treatments had ended, and now she was starting to look revitalized. It would take a while for her hair to grow back, but she still looked like the beautiful woman I remembered, just a little skinny.

  “Girl, I’m so bored. Sitting around and watching TV all day is not my thing. I’ve been helping them downstairs with emails and phone calls, but it’s just not the same. If this was the lifestyle I wanted, I would have retired when I got married.”

  “Yeah, makes sense. You just shouldn’t rush it.”

  “I’m not going to be lifting anything or running around at first. I’ll just ease into it. With Deacon back at work and Daisy doing her schoolwork virtually, I just sit around. I’m looking forward to getting back into the swing of things.”

  “Having a purpose will probably make you feel better too, in your own way. Even if I weren’t a single mom, I would still be working. I like working.”

  “I can tell,” she said with a smile. “You’re like me.” She leaned forward and grabbed one of the cupcakes before she took a bite. “It was nice of you to bring these over. Daisy and I will share them.”

  “They’re Lizzie’s favorite.”

  “So, she’s graduating on Friday?” she asked. “She’s starting high school in the fall… Can you believe it?”

  I shook my head dramatically. “I can’t believe I have a teenage daughter. I just can’t. Yesterday, she was crawling on the floor in diapers, and now she’s going into the last segment of her adolescent education.”

  “How did she do in her math class?”

  “B. She wanted an A, but she’s happy with it.”

  She smiled. “Derek is very gifted in explaining things to people. He inherited his father’s intelligence but got his social abilities from Valerie and me. It’s given him a perfect composition.”

  “Yeah, he is perfect.”

  She watched me for a while, like she expected me to say something else. It reminded me of the way my own mother looked at me when she wanted to get something out of me. “Derek told me you guys worked it out. That’s great.”

  “Yeah. We’re just…taking it slow.”

  “He’s been really happy. We’ve loved seeing that.”

  I noticed it too.

  “We’re so happy he didn’t give up on his rocket program. He’s trying again, which is great. He’s got interns at his company, which is also wonderful. He’s talking to Kevin again… We feel like we got our son back.”

  “Yeah…”

  “Because of you.” She rested her hand on mine. “If he’d never met you, I’m not sure what would have happened. I like to believe everything happens for a reason, and I think the two of you met for a big reason.” She smiled before she pulled her hand away. “I know Derek’s behavior was inexcusable, but I think that’s behind you, and you don’t need to worry about that happening in the future. I think my son will be the man both you and Lizzie deserve. I think he’ll be worth it in the end, because he’s the best man that I know.”

  “Yes, I consider myself to be very lucky.” I knew what was out there, and there wasn’t another Derek Hamilton or anyone of his caliber. I took a tour of the dating apps and was far more disappointed than I’d thought I would be. I knew finding the right man who was compatible with both Lizzie and me was just impossible. Not only was Derek perfect, but he had a perfect family, a family I got to be a part of.

  “And he’s lucky too, Emerson. It’s not every day that you find someone who loves you for you—and I know you love Derek for all the right reasons. It’s not about his money or his connections. It’s about everything underneath.”

  I never cared about money because I worked hard to have what we needed. As long as I could support my parents and my daughter, I was happy. It was much easier to generate your own wealth than to deal with an asshole just because he had a good job. But it was nice to know that Derek could fix any financial problem that came our way, that he could take care of us if I couldn’t. I didn’t have to stress about Lizzie’s college fund or anything else, because he could handle it. It was nice to be taken care of for a change. I’d spent my life taking care of my daughter and my parents.

  “Can I ask what changed your mind?” she said quietly. “Because it seemed like you were set in your decision.”

  I stared at the cupcakes for a few seconds before I answered. “It was what you said, actually.”

  “What did I say?”

  “You said that you believe you’ll end up happy no matter what your decisions are, because things just work out. So, if I didn’t take Derek back, I would find somebody else; he would find somebody else. But then I asked if you would be just as happy if you ended up with someone else besides Deacon…and your answer was no.”

  Her eyes softened.

  “I knew I would never be nearly as happy with someone else as I’ve been with Derek…not in a million years.”

  When I mentioned Derek and I were going to dinner, Cleo offered to watch Lizzie. I was used to deferring to my parents as babysitters, but Cleo was so excited to spend time with her that I let her take her.

  I opened the door, and Cleo and Daisy were there.

  Daisy looked me up and down then let out a quiet whistle. “Day-yum, you have to let me borrow that dress.”

  My cheeks reddened slightly at the compliment, because I really did try hard to look nice. I splurged a little on a pretty dress, black and backless, with matching pumps. I had no idea where we were going to dinner and this was probably way too fancy for whatever Derek had in mind, but I felt slightly insecure by the women who had been with him recently…wearing double-zero jeans with big, fake tits. I didn’t want to look ordinary. I didn’t want to be a disappointment. “Thanks.”

  Daisy twirled her finger. “Come on, we need the full spin.”

  Cleo swatted her wrist. “You’re embarrassing her.”

  “What?” Daisy asked. “She looks hot. She looks so hot that I’m a straight woman, and even I can’t stop staring at her.”

  Cleo swatted her again. “Well, keep your hands to yourself.”

  Lizzie came out and hugged them both. “What are we doing tonight?”

  “Well, we thought we’d go to the movies and then dinner,” Cleo said. “And then bake a cake together at home.”

  “That sounds awesome.” Lizzie turned to me and gave me a hug. “Tell Derek I said hi.”

  “I will, sweetheart.” I hugged her tightly because she was growing up so fast.

  “We’ll drop her off before eleven,” Cleo said. “Or…she can stay in one of the guest rooms, and I’ll drop her off in the morning.”

  Daisy waggled her eyebrows at me.

  “I want to spend the night,” Lizzie said. “I’m out of school, so why not?”

  I didn’t want to argue with Lizzie in front of Cleo and Daisy, but I also didn’t hate the idea of Lizzie being out of the apartment for the night. “Alright.”

  Daisy gave me a thumbs-up and winked. “You do you, girl.”

  “What?” Lizzie asked.

  “Nothing.” Daisy wrapped her arm around her shoulders and took her to the door.

  Cleo gave me a wave. “We’ll see you in the morning.”

  “Thanks for watching her,” I said.

  “Oh, we don’t mind at all,” Cleo said. “We’re excited to spend time with Lizzie.”

  They all st
opped in front of the door when Derek appeared, ten minutes early. He stood with his hands in his pockets, wearing dark jeans, a white tee, and a black leather jacket on top.

  Fuck…I loved it when he wore that leather jacket. And he knew it. He fucking knew it, so he wore it on purpose. It was a slightly cool evening, but not cold enough for him to wear a jacket since he always ran hot, so it was intentional.

  That bastard.

  Derek’s gaze was on me, ignoring his family, liking the dress as much as his sister did. He didn’t even notice Lizzie right in front of him.

  “Hey, Derek,” Lizzie said. “Your mom and sister are taking me to the movies.”

  Derek shifted his gaze down when he heard her voice. “That sounds nice. You guys have fun.”

  Instead of sticking around for a long conversation, the three of them moved farther into the hallway to leave, Cleo’s arm around Lizzie’s shoulders. When Daisy passed Derek, she gave him a playful nudge in the side and whispered something.

  He ignored her.

  Their voices sounded down the hallway until they took the stairs.

  Now, his eyes were on me, intense and hard, looking at me like he did every day, but now it somehow felt different. He stepped into my apartment and left the door open. With his hands still in his pockets, he kept his eyes on my face instead of letting his eyes wander down like they had earlier. He cleared his throat. “You look…nice.”

  “Thanks. You do too.”

  He turned back to the hallway. “Ready?”

  “Yeah.” I grabbed my clutch and locked the door behind me before we headed down the hallway together. My heels gently tapped against the hardwood floor as we made our way to the top of the stairs.

  He walked beside me with his hands in his pockets, not making conversation.

  It was quiet, really quiet, and neither one of us said anything because we were thinking about something else.

  When we reached the stairs, I stopped and glanced down to the next landing.

  He stopped beside me and turned to look at me, studying my face to find the answer to the holdup.

  I turned to look at him, to see his clean jaw because he’d shaved before he came over here. His hair was a little shorter because he got a haircut too. He’d perfected himself for this evening, and not because we were going out in public. His clothes fit him nicely in all the ways I liked, his shoulders broad and powerful, stressing the threads of his jacket that pulled it together. His shirt was tight over his flat and wide chest, the outline of his pectorals slightly visible. His jeans were low on his narrow hips and fitted to his lean and muscular thighs.

  He stared at me through the silence, like he was sizing me up the same way, noticing the way I did my long hair in soft curls that would be easy for his fingers to glide through. The black dress was thin and provocative, squeezing my hourglass frame tightly, short to show off my legs, backless so he could see my bare skin all the way down to my ass.

  I remembered when we tried to get burgers after work, but neither one of us cared about eating because there was only one thing on our minds. Our date would probably be quiet because we already knew each other better than anyone else. It would be a long and torturous meal that neither one of us cared about…and we would probably just take the food to go. “You want to order a pizza?”

  Clothes piled on the floor at the foot of my bed, the gentle sounds of heavy kissing mixing with the sound of his belt as it landed on the hardwood floor of my bedroom. My dress was the first thing to go, and since I had nothing on underneath, I was ready.

  He pushed his boxers off quickly, getting down to his chiseled nakedness, and his thick arms wrapped around me once again, his mouth moving to my neck to kiss me and drag his tongue over the heated skin, for his warm breath to blanket me with desperation. His fingers squeezed me as he kissed the hollow of my throat, worshiping my body with his kisses, with deep love.

  My arms latched on to his shoulders, and I tilted my head back to let him kiss me everywhere, take me however he wanted. I could feel the wetness between my thighs because I was ready the second I saw him standing outside my door. I didn’t think about the past. I just fell into him, our heavy breathing escalating, my nails clawing at his skin like old times.

  His arm hooked underneath my ass, and he lifted me easily, tilting his head back slightly to keep kissing me, his powerful physique steady and strong, holding me without shaking, my hair falling into his face.

  He carried me to the bed and set me down gently, moving between my legs in a swift movement he used to make all the time. Our bodies fell into the familiar compatibility, so instead of feeling like the first time when we weren’t used to each other, it felt like the hundredth time but with more anticipation, more desperation.

  He held his mouth over mine as he positioned himself between my thighs, his warm and hard cock resting against me, drooling at the tip, leaking all over my skin just the way I dripped onto my thighs. One arm slipped under my thigh, and he angled his hips so he could slide into me, pressing his big head between my soaked lips and gliding in with almost no resistance. He moaned with every inch, breathed hard as he looked into my eyes to see my reaction match his.

  My hands gripped his ass, and I pulled him the rest of the way, so anxious that I couldn’t wait for him to take it slow. Even if it hurt, I didn’t care. I wanted that dick that I’d missed every day, that dick that was mine now…forever.

  He stilled as he enjoyed the connection between our bodies, his eyes closing as he felt the wetness and the warmth between us, the tightness with which I squeezed him. His breath stopped for an instant before he gave an audible moan, all the muscles of his chest and back tightening when he became reacquainted with my eager body.

  My nails curled into his skin and dug deep, my hips bucking slightly on their own, my face resting against his because it felt so good to make contact, to feel how perfectly our bodies came together.

  He started to thrust into me, taking a deep breath every time he was all the way inside me, exhaling when he pulled away. He kept going, his thrusts deep and slow, his lips almost touching mine, releasing pleasurable moans over and over.

  My nails dug deeper into his back, and I writhed, so full of his big dick that I wanted to come already. He was gorgeous from head to toe, and every time that hard body rubbed against my clit, I felt myself slip even further toward the light. “Yes…” I loved this man with every piece of my heart, admired his good soul, adored every single part of him—even the mistakes. I could see the future between our breaths and our moans, see us grow old and fall deeper in love, surrounded by our kids, living into old age until we left this world together. It was the kind of love that went deeper than the effects of time on the body, and that made me desire him more. His muscular body would fade, his hard jawline would soften, but he would still be just as beautiful to me as he was now. I held him close as I came, getting to the finish line in record time because every interaction with him for the last few weeks had been foreplay. Seeing him standing there in his leather jacket and looking at me like he couldn’t wait to rip my dress off was just as much a turn-on as him kissing me and touching me.

  As if he’d been holding on just long enough for me to go first, he came with me, grunting and arching his back as he continued to rock into me, his dick hardening just a little more as he exploded from the head and filled me with the first load of the night. His body stilled, and he breathed through the pleasure as he rested his forehead against mine, his eyes glazing over in pleasure.

  My nails relaxed into his skin, and my legs curled around his waist because I wasn’t letting him go. He was still hard inside me, so he didn’t intend to go anywhere either. “Lizzie is sleeping over…”

  He pulled his forehead away so he could look into my eyes, his expression satisfied but also eager. “Thank fucking god.” He started to thrust into me again, this time hard, this time deeper, making my headboard tap into the wall…over and over.

  27

&n
bsp; Derek

  I opened her bedroom window because it smelled like a teenager’s room.

  When I came back to the bed, I glanced at the time on the nightstand.

  Two a.m.

  I felt like I just got there.

  She had the sheets pulled to her shoulders as she lay in bed, her eyes full of exhaustion, but she continued to keep them open.

  I got into bed beside her and held her against me, bringing our bodies close together. When I hooked her thigh over my hip, I could feel my arousal everywhere, but I didn’t care. I still had more to give, so these sheets were officially ruined.

  Her hand moved up my chest until it cupped my neck. Her fingers gently played with my hair at the back of my head, and she watched me with heavy eyes, like she was tired but wanted to stay awake to look at me.

  “We never ordered that pizza.”

  A soft grin moved on to her lips. “Oh well.”

  My hand slid to her stomach, and my fingers spanned completely across it. “I can still order one.”

  “It’s late…”

  “This is Manhattan. You can get a fresh pizza at any time of night.”

  “Okay, you talked me into it.”

  I grabbed my phone off the nightstand and ordered it from my phone before I dropped it on the sheets between us. I returned to looking at her, unable to believe she was really next to me, that we were back to what we were—after everything that happened. The peace that settled on my soul was inexplicable. I felt like a new man, but also the man I used to be…the man I actually liked.

  “I think your sister might be gay.”

  I chuckled at her joke. “No, you’re just that sexy.”

  “I don’t know about that…”

  “That’s just how she is. She likes to make women feel good about themselves. My mom felt really insecure about losing her hair, so Daisy took her shopping and helped her get some new clothes so she would feel pretty around my dad. She’s just thoughtful like that.”