by Cora Black
“You could always go back to school,” I reminded her. “You’re definitely not too old. People take time off, you know.”
“Yes, I know. And I’m being silly, anyway. I could never have done the coursework and the internship with Emma around. It would have been impossible. I wouldn’t trade her for anything, even the best career.”
“I can tell. You’re a good mom.”
“You’ve never seen me on my bad days. I swear, there are times when I think if I have to watch another Disney movie or another stupid cartoon that doesn’t make any sense, I’ll lose my mind. I’m sure I’ll just throw myself out a window.”
“All moms feel that way sometimes. The moms I know, the ones with young kids, need a break sometimes. You need a break.”
“Yes, well, that’s not going to happen anytime soon.” Bitterness dripped from her voice. She shook her head. “I shouldn’t say it that way,” she said. “It makes it sound like I don’t love her. I do love her, so much. And I love being her mom.”
“You don’t have to make excuses for the way you sound,” I said. “I’m sure it’s not easy. It’s okay. I’m not judging you, you know.”
“You’re not?”
“No. Why would I? I’ve been judged my whole fucking life. I know how it feels. You don’t need that.”
“What do you mean you’ve been judged your whole life?” She rolled onto her side again, and even in the almost pitch darkness I knew she was looking at me.
“No. We don’t talk about that.”
“We’ve talked about just about everything with me. I mean, things I never thought I would tell another person, I’ve told you. I guess because I don’t know you very well. The way people tell their secrets to bartenders. Does that make sense?”
I had to laugh a little. “Yeah. That makes total sense.”
“So you can tell me, too. I promise. No judging, no anything like that. I’ll listen, that’s all. Besides, I would like to know a little more about the man who’s going to be staying with me and my daughter. If you liked killing little animals when you were a kid, we might have a problem.”
I put a hand over my mouth to quiet the laughter, and finally gave in. “There’s honestly not all that much to tell. I grew up an only child. Like I told you, I had a tiny house, so this apartment doesn’t seem like a big deal to me. I’m used to it. Uh, we didn’t have any money. Almost none. I always grew out of my clothes so fast, and nothing ever fit right. I hit, like, five or six growth spurts, I think. My mom was the only parent at home. I didn’t know my dad. I don’t know if he’s alive, or dead, or what.”
“So it was just the two of you?”
“Yeah. Just like you and Emma.” Only nothing like them.
“And what did your mom do? You said she worked at night? While we were at the dinner table, I mean.”
I winced. I had forgotten that remark. “Yeah. She was a whore.”
“Oh.” Kara put a hand over her mouth. “That was so insensitive of me to ask. I’m sorry. I should mind my own business.”
I shrugged. “It’s not a big deal. It’s just a fact. She did what she had to do to support me the little she did. Most of her money went to her drug habit.”
“Oh, this just keeps getting worse. We absolutely do not have to talk about this anymore.”
“I don’t mind, really. Unless you do.”
“I don’t.”
“There’s not much else to say now that I think about it. I had some friends on the street, but they weren’t good friends—they might have been poor, but their mothers weren’t crack whores. So they all kinda looked down at me. Their mothers felt sorry for me, though. So they would sometimes feed me, or give me their husbands’ or boyfriends’ hand-me-down clothes when mine stopped fitting. That sort of thing. And I grew up, and I turned out okay. I think so, anyway. Other people might not.”
“Fuck other people.” The way she said it, and the language she used, shocked me into silence. “I mean it. Fuck them. They don’t know. Listen, do you know how many of my so-called country club friends probably talked about me for months after I left Eric? They had no fucking idea what I went through. As far as they were concerned, I’m sure, I was leaving a perfectly good husband who provided for my child and me. And I went and walked out on him. I’m sure that gossip fed the mill for a long time.”
She laughed bitterly. “The worst part is what was the real last straw was the cheating. Even the abuse wasn’t enough to make me open my eyes. When I found out he was sleeping with other women and didn’t care if I knew, that was it. But those women, my so-called friends? Every one of them knew their spouse cheated, and every one of them cheated right back. I don’t know. That was never my idea of marriage. I guess I’m old-fashioned or naïve.”
“I don’t think you’re wrong. My club’s president, Chase? He’s never cheated on his wife, and women throw themselves at him all the time.”
“Is he the one I saw with you at the diner?” she asked.
“Yeah, the one with the sunglasses.”
She made a noise like she hardly believed it. “No offense to him or anything, but I don’t see it.”
“It’s the power thing. These are women who love the club life, too. Keep that in mind. They wanna sleep with the man in charge. They wanna be able to say they fucked the president of the Blood Bandits. Like it means a lot. I guess it does to them, I don’t know. Besides, he’s not a bad guy, even if he acts like he is.”
“I didn’t mean to insult him,” Kara insisted.
“I know. It’s okay, I don’t think it would hurt his feelings. He knows he’s not a model,” I said. “Anyway, he has plenty of opportunities, and before he met his wife, Trisha, he took it every chance he got. The man’s a legend. Two, three women at once, sometimes twice in the same day. He was a machine.”
“Sounds like a prince.” She smirked.
“My point is, the minute he met her, it all stopped. He devoted himself to one old lady.”
“Old lady?”
“C’mon. You’ve heard that before.” I stroked her arm, her hair. It was so soft. “The old lady of a biker. The girlfriend or wife, the one they settle down with.”
“Oh, I see. And that’s it? He’s faithful to her?”
“I think if a person is the kind of person who settles down, they find the right person and settle down. Eric’s not that person. I can’t believe I just said his name while I’m here in bed with you. Fuck, I can’t believe I’m talking about him while I’m in bed with you. How fucking stupid am I?” I laughed a little.
“Well, I’ll tell you one thing.” Kara got up on her knees, straddling me. She pinned me to the bed with her hands on my shoulders. “Whoever he’s been sleeping with isn’t getting very much. Nothing like you.” She wriggled a little, her hot mound just above my cock. I could feel myself getting hard.
“Oh really?” I didn’t mind hearing that—what man would? That they were better than a woman’s ex?
“He’s nothing,” she said.
I pulled out another condom, handing it to her. She unrolled it over my hard length, then hovered over me again.
“When you’re inside me, it’s like something else entirely. Like nothing I ever felt before.” She positioned me, then lowered herself until I was fully inside. We both groaned.
Kara threw her head back, dark hair fanning out behind her. “When you touch me,” she whispered, rocking back and forth, undulating like a wave. “It’s so good, I can’t stand it.”
“When I do this?” I ran my fingertips over her tits. They were so big, so perfect, so firm—even though she had a kid, her body was incredible.
She sped up her rocking, groaning again. “Yes. Like that. You know just what to do. I can’t take it, I swear. I feel like…like…I’m going to crack open into a million pieces…”
I played with her tits, watching her rock her body to another orgasm. She was a beautiful thing—eyes closed, mouth open, little grunts of pleasure coming from her as she t
hrusted onto me. I held her hips, digging into her soft flesh, working her up and down as I thrusted upward from below.
“Yes…yes…oh, Dom…so good…” She leaned forward, tits in my face. I sucked one, then the other, taking turns. Listening to the way she mewled and whimpered, feeling the way she got tighter around me the more excited she got. I pounded away at her, holding her ass, moving her up and down while my mouth worked on her delicious body.
“Oh…baby…oh, Dom…” she whispered in my ear, trying to be quiet just like I tried. The last thing we needed was for the kid to walk in the room. I bit her neck, holding back a grunt as she slammed onto me again and again. She gasped, digging her fingers into my shoulders until I was sure she had to draw blood.
“I’m coming…oh, God! Yes!” Her body tensed, shook, while her muscles pulsed around my cock. I didn’t wait until she finished to keep fucking her. I moved her up and down while she came, quiet little shrieks coming from her as I kept going. She never loosened around me, never stopped gripping like a vice. I thought she might still be coming, over and over. I held on as long as I could. I wanted her to keep feeling it for as long as her body would let her.
I couldn’t hold on forever, though, and finally I broke loose with a long, low groan as I shuddered. It was bliss, the feeling of letting go everything built-up inside me. From the sounds of it, Kara had a lot to let go of.
She rolled over, gasping, panting for breath. “That’s why,” she whispered between gasps.
“Why what?” I looked over at her—sweaty, messy, breathing like she just ran a marathon. Probably more beautiful and sexy than she had ever been in her life.
“Why…I acted like I did after the first time. I never felt that way before.”
Chapter Sixteen
Kara
It was amazing how different the world looked after that first night with Dom.
So that was what I had been missing all those years! Eric had sometimes demanded sex a few times a week—less and less the longer we were together, of course, once he started cheating on me. He’d left me alone after a while, for the most part. Looking back, it had slowed down after Emma was born. He had tried to convince me to do it even when I was beyond the point of exhaustion. When he finally figured out it wasn’t going to happen when I was fast asleep, he’d started looking elsewhere. It had almost been a relief.
But for all the times when I’d thought things were best, when I had thought it couldn’t get more hot and steamy, I’d had no idea just how good sex could be. I had been playing in the minor leagues before Dom came along, teaching me things about my body I hadn’t known were possible. I giggled to myself as I made breakfast, thinking that if nothing else, I’d be grateful to him for that alone.
It was more than that, though. The way he’d held me like he would always protect me. I believed him when he said the words, mostly because of the way it had felt with his arms around me. In those quiet moments, I’d believed him. Just being able to believe a man for the first time since my father died meant the world to me.
He was a late sleeper, I noticed. Emma scurried down from her bunk and looked for him the moment she woke up. “Where’s Dom?” she asked, poking her head into the kitchen in case he was with me. I laughed at her bedhead, and the way she hadn’t changed out of her nightgown with the princesses from Frozen printed on the front.
“He’s asleep,” I said. Then my heart nearly stopped, and I froze in panic.
“Where? I thought he was gonna sleep on the couch.”
I scrambled for an excuse. “Yes, and he did. When I got up, I told him he could sleep in my bed for a while, so I didn’t wake him up while I made breakfast. He was still very sleepy. I don’t think the sofa is comfortable for him.”
“It’s very lumpy,” she said. “Maybe he could sleep on my bottom bunk?”
“I don’t think so, sweetie.” It was hard not to laugh when she offered it so freely, so willingly. “I think it would be a little small for him.”
“Right.” She shrugged, then went off to the living room to say good morning to her toys. It was part of her daily routine. I sighed with relief, slumping against the kitchen table. Mental note: make sure Dom goes back to the living room before Emma gets up.
I filled our bowls with oatmeal and berries, then settled in to watch the news with my girl. For a three-year-old, she really liked watching Good Morning America. It seemed strange to me, but maybe she was destined for a career as a journalist or broadcaster. She always had comments on the news stories, too, some of which were unnervingly dead-on. Her savviness was a worry to me. How much did she understand about her father? How much did she not tell me?
I heard a noise coming from my room through the paper-thin wall between the living room and bedroom. That was another worry. Had we woken her at any time during the night? I thought not, or else she would have come to the bedroom door. It still amazed me how I’d managed to keep quiet. Just the thought of being with Dom was enough to get me a little wet again.
“Oh, hey.” He tried to look casual when he came around the corner. I had to give him credit for that. He ran a hand through his dark, messy hair, then over his stubble-covered cheeks.
“Good morning,” I said. “I told Emma how you moved to my room once I woke up, so I wouldn’t wake you.” I smiled brightly.
“Right. That was nice that you did that.” He nodded emphatically. “Good morning, Emma.”
“Morning.” I didn’t know why she acted so shy again. She hid behind my arm.
“What’s wrong with you?”
“Nothing. I just don’t want to talk yet.”
I shook my head—was this the girl who had looked for Dom the moment she got out of bed? “Okay. You don’t have to. Do you mind if I go to the kitchen to make Dom some breakfast?”
“Don’t worry about it,” he said. “I have to go out for a little while so I can pick up something.”
“You’re leaving?” I asked, standing up. My heart took off at a gallop.
“Just for a little while. I have some stuff to take care of, like getting clothes. I have to talk to my guys about club things. And I thought I could pick up some food, too. You’re running a little low.”
I thought about my nearly empty wallet. “I don’t have money for a lot of things, so just the basics, please.”
“Like I was gonna charge you,” he said with a smirk. “Come on.”
“Don’t do that,” I said. “Please. Don’t pity me.”
“I don’t pity you. Damn it.” He glanced at Emma, who shook her head.
“That’s a swear word,” she said, shaking her finger.
I bit my lip to hold back a smile. “He’s a grown up, honey. He can say what he wants.” I turned back to him. “Though it would be nice if he could hold back a little.”
“That was holding back,” he growled. “You don’t know what I really wanna say to you right now. You’re lucky she’s here.”
“Oh, is that it? I’m lucky?” I dropped my voice to a whisper. “Maybe you’re the one who’s lucky that she’s here, so I could tell you a thing or two about how I don’t like it when people tell me what to do and how to feel. I don’t need pity or charity.”
“Which. This. Isn’t.” He rolled his eyes. “I’ve gotta go. Do me a favor and text me a list of things to buy from the store, okay?” He pulled his leather vest off the armchair, sliding it on.
“Ooh! Are you gonna ride your motorcycle now?” Emma asked.
I frowned. “How do you know he rides a motorcycle?”
“I told her,” he said. “Was I not supposed to do that? Is it bad?”
“Cut it out,” I muttered just low enough for him to hear me but not her. “You’re not amusing.”
He turned to Emma rather than answering me. “Yeah, I’m gonna ride my motorcycle. Maybe I’ll let you ride with me sometimes, if your Mommy isn’t too mean to let you.”
Oh, that son of a bitch. “That’s enough. Go. Do what you have to do.” I pushed him
toward the door.
“If you don’t tell me what to buy, I’m gonna come back with nothing but sugary cereal and soda. It’s up to you.” He left, chuckling to himself. I wanted to slap the snide attitude out of him. The nerve!
I turned back to my daughter, who was totally enamored of him the way only a child could be. He was big and interesting, different from anyone else in her life.
“Is he gonna come back?” she asked.
“Yes, honey. Whether I like it or not, I think he’s gonna come back.” At least he’d left before my mother showed up. I thanked God for small favors as I took a shower, then convinced Emma to change out of her favorite nightgown. At least she wasn’t begging me to let her watch the movie for the ten millionth time. Another small favor.