Impact (Iron Orchids Book 3)

by Danielle Norman

  “What did he want? Did you tell Kayson and Carter? Are they on it? Why didn’t you call me?”

  “Son, just listen.” Pops sliced his hand across his throat signaling for me to shut up.

  “He wanted money. Maybe Bee for money, not completely sure.”

  I sat in a chair listening to Katy tell me about yesterday’s events. My father stood behind her, signaling for me to stay calm, and the entire time a fury boiled inside me. Not at Katy, no, but at this man. How dare he try and hurt my girls? I’d protect them with everything in me. This was my family.

  “We’ll get an attorney. We’ll make his life miserable.” I pounded my fist on the table. “After the courts are done with him for criminal, we’ll go after him in civil court.”

  “Son, let’s not discuss that now, okay?”

  Pops was right, I’d worry about that later. Right now, safety. I needed to think about her safety, their safety. “My house. Please stay at my house?”

  “Okay.”

  “Okay?”

  “Yeah, okay.” I was taken back by her words; she acquiesced a lot easier than I had imagined.

  “Bee, she’s out of school. I have a lot of family—”

  “I’m going to leave you two to talk.” Pops slid back out the door.

  “Until all of this settles down, please can Bee stay with Mana or Soph?”

  “Okay.”

  “You’re awful compliant. Is there something else?” I felt like I had a medicine ball in the pit of my stomach waiting for her to tell me what other shit had happened.

  “No, nothing else. I agree with everything you said. Yesterday as I was replaying all of this, I kept thinking that this was it. You know everything now. I have no secrets from you, not a one. That if we are going to have any kind of future together then now is the perfect time, fresh start and all of that. Provided of course you don’t have any other secrets. You don’t do you?”

  “No. Wait, yes, I do.”

  “You do?”

  “Yep.” I dropped to one knee. I didn’t have a ring or a speech, nothing, I only had the woman and this crazy undying love for her. “I can’t keep it a secret any longer, I want you to marry me.”

  “What?”

  “You heard me. Marry me. I know it’s crazy, but say yes. It’s one little word. It will have the greatest impact on all of our lives. Yours. Mine. Bee’s.” I stared up and watched the emotions that washed across her face.

  “We’ve known each other a month. What kind of people get married after a month?”

  “The kind who are supposed to. The kind who know this is it.”

  “Yes.”

  “Yes?” She nodded.

  Holy hell, she said yes. Standing, I wrapped her in my arms. “We’ve got to go. Now.”

  “Go. Where? It’s a workday.”

  “We’re taking a sick day.” I tugged her hand and pulled her out of the conference room.

  As I stepped into the hallway, I saw Pops. The look on his face told me he’d been standing there long enough to at least hear the last part. “Real men will break her bed but never her heart.” Pops patted my shoulder as I passed him.

  The blush on Katy’s face at Pop’s words was adorable as I led her outside.

  I couldn’t get home fast enough. I would never have believed that in such a short time my life could have changed so much. I’d never been able to go back, I couldn’t. Katy and Bee were my world, my life. I knew that sound she made when I slid inside her. The smell of her hair when she climbed out of the shower. The way she wound that stray lock of hair that always fell in her face around her finger while she concentrated. I would always remember the things that were important to me, and Katy was at the top of that list.

  When we finally reached my house, we couldn’t get inside fast enough. We stripped as we raced to the bedroom.

  I unzipped my jeans and kicked them off as she shimmied out of her skirt and then pulled her top off. “Hey, you know what you look like?”

  “What?” She gave me a dubious smile.

  “The rest of my life.”

  “I want to smack you for being so cheesy, but damn it all to hell if you didn’t just melt my heart.”

  She climbed onto the bed, and I followed, sliding my hand up her leg so that I could cup her sex. “Yeah, I don’t think that was your heart that just melted.”

  She smacked my arm, and I let out a chuckle. “Come here, you.” I lowered my lips to hers and our mouths melded together. Our breaths were in sync and I knew that I wanted to spend the rest of my life making her happy. Erasing every nightmare she’d ever had. I only wanted to see her smile from this day on. Pulling back, I licked along her jaw, nibbling to her ear.

  “What are you doing?” Katy had tiny goosebumps up and down her arms.

  Leaning even closer so that the heat of my breath tickled her ear. “I’m erasing.”

  “Erasing?”

  “Yep. My tongue is a fucking Magic Eraser and I’m going to erase every bad memory you’ve ever had.”

  “Oh, really? Then I guess that makes me a Hoover.” Katy laughed as she tried to compose her next words. “And I’m…” She cracked up laughing as she tried to get the courage to say what she was thinking, but her cheeks were flaming red. She wiggled until she was on top of me. “Fuck it, I’ll show you what a Hoover does.”

  She grabbed my cock as she slid her body down so she was kneeling on the bed. “It’s my turn to taste you.”

  “It’s so warm.” She stroked, bringing her cool hand up and down my dick until her thumb rubbed across the head and smeared the small about of pre-come that had beaded up.

  My whole body tensed with anticipation as she slowly lowered her mouth to me. I fought the urge to lift my body off the bed and thrust between her lips. It was the anticipation, I reminded myself. When her tongue licked across the tip, I threw my head back and was lost. She closed her mouth around the head, gliding her tongue just under the cap and slowly taking more of my cock in. The heat of her mouth, the cool air that brushed over me when she slid up, and the way she hummed when I hit the back of her throat was almost enough to undo me.

  I needed to come, and I needed her to come with me. I moved her back on to the bed. Sheathing my cock with a condom, I positioned myself at her entrance. One thrust and I was in.

  She gasped.

  “I was wrong.”

  “What?”

  “I’d thought my name on your lips was my favorite sound but I was wrong. That, right there, your gasp when I first slide into you, that’s my favorite sound in the whole fucking world.”

  She felt amazing, but I wanted to be deeper inside her, so I pulled out, flipped her over, and yanked back on her hips so her perfect ass was on display for me as I thrust back into her. Her back arched, and she fisted the blankets as I took her the way I needed to, but I still wanted more. I wanted her screaming my name. So, I slid my hand around her body and found her clit, which was the magic fucking button.

  With her head thrown back, her blonde hair slashing back and forth, I wasn’t just in my house—I was home with this woman, in her body.

  Chapter 33

  Katy

  Eventually, Damon and I made our way out of his house, my house . . . our house, and over to pick up Bee. We held hands as we walked.

  Bee was happy to see us together, and the three of us headed back home.

  “Are you going with the girls tomorrow?” Damon glanced over at me. “I’m happy to watch Bee.”

  “I’m not sure. They’re going as a gang.”

  “Will you not say gang, please? It’s bad enough that Stella is rubbing off on Tristan, she doesn’t need to rub off on my wife as well.” His words were rushed as he gave me a light squeeze.

  He was teasing, but I liked that he was as excited by the thought of me being his wife as I was.

  “Wife? You have a wife?” Bee had obviously caught part of our conversation.

  Damon stared at me, he was practically bubbling with excit
ement to tell her. I wasn’t going to ruin it for him so I smiled and gave him a tiny nod.

  “I don’t have a wife, but I asked your mom to marry me and she said yes.”

  “Where would we live?”

  I was shocked by Bee’s response. I thought she’d be too happy to even think about something like that.

  “My house. It would be our house. I thought that maybe you and I could go shopping tomorrow for your bedroom while your mom is with her friends.”

  Bee was so quiet after that, it made me worry.

  “You okay, bug? I thought you’d—”

  “Will this make Damon my daddy?”

  Oh, that was what she was worried about. I met his eyes. What did Damon want Bee to call him? He tightened his grip on my hand and nodded.

  “I think Damon would like to be your dad. What about you, Bee?”

  I waited for Bee to answer, but she walked in silence, her eyes sweeping from left to right as she replayed something in her mind. Damon met my concerned gaze a few times as we walked the last few steps in silence. Bee raced inside and ran upstairs.

  “I’m sorry.” I hoped that Damon understood. He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me into a tight hug.

  “Give her time. We told her a lot in a few minutes’ time. Tomorrow will be good for us, she and I will go out and spend the day together.”

  “I’ll start dinner.” But truthfully, I didn’t feel like cooking. My excitement from the day had evaporated, and I aimlessly went through the motions of setting the table. I was worried about Bee.

  “Dinner’s ready.” My words came out a lot lower than I had intended, but Damon still had heard me.

  “I’ll get Bee.” He headed for the stairs. “Hey, bug, dinner’s ready.”

  “Coming, Daddy.”

  I dropped the spoon, spaghetti sauce splattering all over the front of me and across the floor. The small chandelier above the table swung as Damon bounded up the steps. The sound of Bee’s laughter rang through the house as I grinned and started to clean up the sauce. They were still carrying on as I fixed our plates and set them on the table. When they came down the stairs, Bee was smiling, and Damon’s eyes were slightly wet.

  “You okay?” I twirled a forkful of pasta, waiting for my daughter to answer. “You were so quiet, I was worried.”

  “I was thinking.”

  “About what?” I fought to hold back my laugh at her seriousness.

  “My birthday. Damon’s mom said that she was throwing me a birthday party. Do I still wish for something? I was going to wish for Damon to be my daddy and for us to live here with him forever, but since we just got that, what now? Are those my wishes?” Bee tilted her head as if these questions had plagued her.

  “You can absolutely ask for something else.” My answer seemed to pacify her, and she smiled before stuffing a huge forkful of pasta into her mouth.

  Wednesday afternoon, Damon brought me home from work just after lunch, and I changed into jeans and tennis shoes and slid on a T-shirt. I didn’t have biker boots but would add those to my list of things to eventually get. The girls showed up and were all dressed similarly to me but wearing their Iron Orchids leather vests.

  Ariel tossed me mine. “Welcome to the club and the family.”

  I loved the thought of being part of this family, this loud and loving family.

  The sound of more bikes rolling up had Damon and Bee running into the kitchen to join us.

  “Hi, Aunt Stella.”

  “Hey, bug. What are you doing this afternoon?”

  Bee grabbed Damon’s hand. “My daddy and I are going shopping to get stuff for my bedroom.”

  I swear to God the woman’s ovaries had to have just exploded at the single sentence because mine sure as hell did.

  “You two should talk to Aunt Vivian. She is the one that painted Harlow’s room.” Sophie pointed to Vivian.

  Bee knew Vivian, Everly, and Piper but not as well as the rest of them. “You’re my aunt?”

  “Absolutely!” Vivian beamed. “What kind of room do you want? Do you want a princess room?”

  Bee thought for a second, then her eyes got big and bright. “Fairies.”

  “Like Tinker Bell?” Vivian asked.

  “Yes, in Pixie Hollow.”

  “You got it. Next weekend, we will do your room.”

  “We’ve got to go.” Stella snapped her fingers. “Our appointments start in just under an hour.”

  I gave Damon a wry look. I still wasn’t sure about doing this, but I gave him a kiss and then bent to hug and kiss Bee before I followed the girls outside.

  The entire ride, my stomach churned over the thought. Yes, I loved the idea, but for me, Katy Nichols soon-to-be Christakos, the girl opposed to commitment, making a permanent decision such as this was so out of character I wanted to run.

  Stella made a U-turn and then parked in front of a small building on Mills Avenue that looked more like a house, and each of us lined our bikes up side by side. Walking up the few steps, we opened the door, and I took one last deep breath and shook off my fear.

  “Which four of you want to go first?” One of the guys asked.

  Stella, Piper, Vivian, and I all raised our hands, but I was the one who went back first. I removed my right shoe and sock and stretched my legs out on the table as Xavier pulled out tubes and a small machine.

  “This is the orchid you want, right?” He held up a picture of a plum-colored flower.

  “Yep. Is there any way to add a small bumblebee to mine, kind of like it is flying above?”

  “It won’t be very detailed because it’s so small, but you’ll know it’s a bee.” Using a pen, he drew the flower and a small bee onto my ankle.

  “Perfect.” I wrapped my fingers around the edge of the seat and leaned back, not focusing on what he was about to do.

  The first prick shocked me more than hurt, and when it didn’t hurt right away, I settled back and let my death grip on the seat relax.

  I should have waited because by the time he was almost done, I wanted to cry and rip the machine out of the guy’s hand. He kept assuring me that he was almost done, but I still wanted to kick him in the face. Whoever said tattoos didn’t hurt lied . . . they sat on a big ole throne of lies.

  When he was done, I had an orchid tattoo with a bee. I had just done something permanent and my world didn’t end. When we were all finished, each of us had something a little different with our orchid. Sophie had a princess tiara dangling off one of the petals, and Ariel had a sheriff’s star. I couldn’t wait to see what the other’s got.

  “Who’s Katy?” a woman who had as many holes in her body as a colander asked.

  “I am, why?”

  “You’re taken care of.” She must have noticed the confusion on my face. “Someone called in, and your tattoo was paid for over the phone.”

  “Damon Christakos?” I asked.

  She looked down at the slip. “Yep, and he even left extra for the tip.”

  Stella bumped my shoulder. “Someone wants to get lucky tonight.”

  I rolled my eyes. “Umm, didn’t need to do that. After almost nine years of not having sex, I’m a sure thing.” But honestly, the man was so thoughtful.

  Chapter 34

  Katy

  Sometimes I still found it weird seeing people come out of their homes and walking over to the neighbor's house. It was very Stepford without all of the freaky perfection, and unlike where I was raised. These people loved each other and didn’t pretend to be perfect.

  “Mom. Mom. That’s Harlow, can I go up there?” Bee was pointing up ahead. I looked to see Harlow, who was waving frantically back at us, and Sophie and Carter following behind her pushing a stroller.

  “Yeah, go on.” Bee darted off, and the two girls hugged before they ran inside the open doorway.

  “You’d think that it had been years since they’d seen each other and not hours,” Damon commented.

  “I know, right? I can’t believe she will be n
ine years old tomorrow.” I pouted, finding it hard to believe that my Bee bug was growing up so fast.

  When he and I walked into his parents’ home, we were greeted by the sound of happiness and the scent of lemon and spices. Bee was swept up and passed around from adult to adult just as Harlow and Gianna were while Sophie’s youngest Avril slept. Bee was as much a part of their family even though she wasn’t a granddaughter, niece, or cousin. The door swung open again and Dion, Sophie’s mom, walked in.

  “Yia Yia,” Harlow and Gianna shouted and ran to greet her.

  Of course there would be a lot of people here. With all the mayhem that was the Christakos family maybe my anxiety at having my parents around wouldn’t be that noticeable. I gave them a weak smile as they sat over in the corner. We’d spoken a few times and Damon along with Carter and Kayson had met with my father and Orion to go over their notes about Presley. Having a large family was an adjustment but I was making it.

  “The Santas are here. Did you come for my birthday?” Bee raced up and hugged each one of them. She hadn’t seen them since the event as we had started calling it. I hadn’t taken her to the community center since she wanted to stay with Damon’s family and they wanted her not to mention I felt more comfortable knowing she was with them. But I also was afraid for her to see them and relive all the memories of being snatched. From the look of Bee’s happiness, maybe it was more my own fear and I was projecting it onto her.

  “Of course. We wouldn’t miss such a special day.” Nina squeezed Bee tighter.

  “Bee, this is Jim and Nina Masterson.”

  “Can I still call them Mr. and Mrs. Santa?”

  My parents laughed but were obviously nervous wondering where I was headed with my introduction.

  “Well, that’s up to the three of you. I’m going to let you all decide. You know how you call Damon’s parents Yia Yia and Pops?” Bee gave me her exaggerated head nod. “Well, the Santas are my parents.”

  Damon’s strong fingers flexed against the lower part of my back and it gave me strength. I looked at my mother, who had grabbed ahold of my father’s hand. Bee stared back and forth with her chin touching her chest. Yep, my kid was adjusting fine, she was into her typical theatrics today.