Daddy's Home (Firebacks Book 1)

by Linda Verji

  “Excuse me?” Lucky’s eyes widened and his mouth dropped open.

  Was he daft or something? She repeated, “You give me one million dollars and you and your wife can have the kid.”

  He just stared at her for a while, his expression stuck somewhere between shock and horror. Sonia returned his stare with a hard one of her own and a defiant hand on her hip despite the fact that she was quaking inside. One million dollars would tie her problems up in a neat little bow and drown them in a lake somewhere. She’d be able to get rid of Félix and start a new life somewhere else.

  “Let me get this straight…” His words were slow, as if he didn’t quite believe what she was saying. “You’re selling our child to me?”

  She’d already gone too far with this game anyway. What was one more step into the dark?

  “Think about it.” Waving away the pinpricks of her conscience, Sonia reasoned, “You and your wife won’t have to deal with me anymore. Pay me and I disappear out of your life completely. I’m even willing to sign papers guaranteeing it.”

  “You’re serious?”

  “Do I look like I’m playing?”

  The tense silence returned as Lucky considered her offer. Sonia had negotiated with too many men not to know when they liked what she was serving and knew she had him when his eyes took on a contemplative look. She went for the throat. “I’ll need the money by tomorrow.”

  “Tomorrow?” Lucky laughed. “Now, you’re playing. You think I can just snap my fingers and a million dollars will just appear?”

  “Why not?” She shrugged. “Aren’t you the great Lucky Ford, legendary Firebacks wide receiver? Shit it or something.”

  “You know you’re something else, Sonia. I can’t believe—”

  “Ey, Ey! Save the lectures for your wife,” She walked to the door and pulled it open, “Come back when you’ve got my money.”

  * * *

  The million was tempting, no lie.

  Lucky considered Sonia’s offer as he walked back to the main house. One million dollars could make Sonia disappear forever and allow Zain to finally let him completely back into her life.

  The sliding door slid open effortless as he entered the kitchen and walked into the house. Complete silence met him. It wasn’t the kind of silence that came with everyone being asleep – it was the lonely kind that came with three of his children spending the night across town with their mother while the other was with Nadifa.

  It was a dead kind of silence.

  Lucky walked up the stairs, switching off the lights as he went. He hadn’t realized how big his house actually was until the silence had crept in – silence that Sonia had provided him with a way to get rid of. Once his whole family was back together, their home would come alive again.

  But what if Sonia has some kind of hidden agenda?

  His forehead furrowed at the thought. Sonia wasn’t the kind of woman whose words you could trust. He’d need an ironclad, steel-clad, and platinum reinforced contract to keep her in line and away from Ashenafi, the rest of his family, and him.

  Ash.

  Was there any good way to explain to your son that his mother had sold him?

  Nope! He’d deal with it later. The most important thing was to get rid of Sonia’s toxic presence. Lucky’s mouth straightened into grim determination as he entered the master bedroom. He was going to give Sonia the money she wanted.

  He stripped off his sweater and threw it towards the bed. His aim was a bit off. The sweater landed on the bedside table and caused a picture frame to tumble to the ground, face up.

  Zain. Oh shit!

  How the fuck was he going to convince his wife to let him do it?

  CHAPTER 24

  Zain had been enjoying her new relationship with Lucky. They weren’t living in the same house, sure, but it felt like they were finally on the mend. The time apart had given them space to learn about each other again. It’d also allowed them to remember the good things that’d drawn them together in the first place.

  She’d forgotten how good Lucky’s game was! She got flowers, gifts, and impromptu dates when they weren’t in counseling. Then were the naughty messages he sent while she was at work that had her thinking of just letting him hit it. The man was bringing it and he was bringing it hard. She was afraid she was going to break soon and ask him for sex, even though he was the one who still hadn’t got rid of Sonia.

  “I’m telling you,” Chryssa insisted, “Polo’s doing something to her in that house.”

  “Stop being so dramatic.” Zain said. Her cell was propped between her shoulder and ear as she stirred a spoonful of sugar into a steaming cup of ginger tea at the kitchen counter. “She’s probably just busy.”

  “Busy doing what?” Chryssa asked. “The girl is a housewife.”

  “I saw her on Wednesday evening at the hospital with Asia.” Zain kept her voice low because the kids were asleep in the spare room and she didn’t want to wake them.

  “Doesn’t count,” Chryssa said. “It’s been a week since I talked to her. I call her and she doesn’t pick up.”

  “Yeah?” Tasha wasn’t picking up her calls either, had looked agitated, and hadn’t said more than two words to her during their brief run-in at the hospital. It’d been enough to make Zain look at Asia’s charts to see if maybe something was wrong with her, but there’d been nothing out of order with Asia. So this was a Tasha problem!

  It all looked suspicious – extremely suspicious!

  “It’s not like her,” Chryssa added. “I’m telling you that he’s doing something to her and I’m going to find out what it is tomorrow.”

  “I wouldn’t if I were you,” Zain warned just as the buzzer sounded. There was someone at the door, but the clock on top of the fridge said it was past eleven. Who would be at her door at eleven? She pattered on bare feet out of the kitchen, still talking to Chryssa. “You know Polo doesn’t like you.”

  “The amounts of fucks I give about that nigga and what he likes are so few that I couldn’t afford gum with them if they were pennies.” Chryssa snorted. “I’m going over there tomorrow morning.”

  “Well then,” Zain said as she peered through the peephole. She only found Lucky standing outside her door. Sighing, she ended her conversation with Chryssa. “Call me after you’ve seen her.”

  She belted her robe tighter around her waist to cover the black negligee beneath it before she unlocked the door. Ignoring how mouth watering he looked in just a white tee and grey sweatpants, she asked, “What are you doing here?”

  “Couldn’t sleep.”

  “Okay! So?” Her hand rested on the jam of the door, her body partially blocking his entrance into the house. She couldn’t see what his sleep habits – or lack thereof – had to do with her. They no longer slept in the same bed.

  Instead of answering, his eyes roved hungrily over her. He started at her lips, paused over her breasts, lingered over her tummy, lower… Lucky licked his lips appreciatively, the spark in his eyes said that he didn’t mind the extra weight she’d gained from her pregnancy. Zain ignored the instinctive tightening of her pussy and clicked her fingers twice to attract his attention, “My face is up here Lucky. What are you doing here?”

  “I’m all alone in that house.” He took a step further inside and crowding his body against hers when she didn’t move away. Immediately, his masculine scent imbued her senses. Interestingly, any artificial scent now irritated her – with the exception of Lucky’s cologne. It only made her want to cuddle up to him and take in his aroma. She took a step back because she knew exactly where cuddling with Lucky would lead.

  He followed her in. His hands slid around her waist and his chest pressed against her sensitive breasts as he used his foot to shut the door. “There’s no you, no kids, Ash is staying at my mom’s house; I’m all alone in that big ass house.”

  “Boy, bye.” She slapped his hands away from her body. “You know we have an arrangement.”

  “I know.” He sighed
heavily as he walked to the loveseat and sat down. “Can I crash here for tonight? I don’t want to be alone.” He begged. “Please?”

  She knew she should’ve pushed him out the door and enforced their agreement, but Lucky looked so lost as he watched her weigh his request and as if he knew she was about to break, he widened his eyes and stuck out his lower lip.

  Zain laughed and locked the door. “Okay.”

  She walked to her bedroom and came out a few minutes later with a blanket and sheet for him. She tapped him on the shoulder. “Stand up so I can make the couch up for you.”

  “You’re gonna make me sleep here?” He looked in horror at the seat; he was tall, the seat wasn’t. “On this small ass toy couch?”

  “You know where you can find a better option? Your own house.” She tagged him to his feet as she spoke, spread the sheet over the loveseat and threw the brown blanket over it.

  “Damn!” he whined, “It’s like that?”

  “It’s like that.” She stood on her tiptoes to press a kiss on his cheek, but he turned at the last minute and caught it on his lips instead. “Goodnight, Lucky.”

  “Night, baby.”

  She turned off the lights for him on her way out. Her tea had been sitting so long on the kitchen counter that it had cooled. Luckily her stomach had calmed down enough that she didn’t need it. She poured the liquid into sink and rinsed her cup before she headed to her bedroom where she discarded her robe and slipped into bed.

  She’d almost drifted off when she heard it – an irritating creaking that could only come from the couch as Lucky tossed and turned on it. Considering how small her place was and with her room being just next to the living room, every moan, groan, toss, turn, and creak was magnified tenfold.

  She’d scrubbed in for three surgeries before she’d somehow managed to pick up the kids from school for their regular Friday to Sunday sleep over. It’d been a hard day. The last thing she needed was Lucky bumping around interrupting her sleep. She waited for him to settle down, but fifteen minutes later he was still going strong.

  Damn him!

  She slipped out of the bed in a huff and marched to the living room. Flicking on the light, she protested, “What the hell?”

  “What?” He’d kicked the blanket to the floor and was lying on his stomach, his arms crossed under his chin.

  “What’s with all the rolling around?” she asked. The irritation in her voice was evident. “Settle down already.”

  “I told you it was too small for me,” he returned with just as much irritation.

  “Fine,” Zain huffed. “Let’s go.”

  “Let’s go where?” He narrowed his eyes in suspicion. He probably thought she was gearing to throw him out.

  “To my room, idiot.” She motioned towards her open bedroom door. “You can come share the bed with me.”

  “Really?” Lucky’s eyes immediately lit up and a small smile begun to form on his lips. She stopped it in its tracks.

  “But you can bet there won’t be any funny business. If you don’t keep your hands to yourself it’s back to the couch.”

  “Unless you beg,” he scoffed as he stood up.

  “You wish,” she threw over her shoulders as she led him into her room.

  Once they were both in bed, she switched off the bedside lamp and turned her back to him ready to go to sleep. Instead of taking her cue, Lucky kept shifting restlessly until Zain sighed in frustration, “Go to sleep.”

  “Can’t.” His deep voice vibrated in the darkness. “I can’t sleep in the same bed with you unless I’m holding you.”

  “Then go back to your own bed.” She yawned.

  “Please,” he whined.

  “Negro, are you trying to run game on me?” she asked sleepily. When there was no answer from his side of the bed, she said, “Fine, but only cuddling.”

  Lucky curved his body against her back, pressing his dick against her ass. Oh! He was definitely playing her. She should’ve kick him out, sent him back to the couch – scratch that – back to his house. Instead, she ground into his burgeoning erection. “That better be a gun.”

  “Shut up and sleep.” Cockiness laced his voice as he tucked himself firmly against her backside and rested a hand over her tummy.

  She tried to go to sleep and failed. Zain couldn’t ignore the slow circles he rubbed against her tummy. With every movement of his hands, he pushed up her negligee until the fabric lay bundled just below her tummy. When he started to pull it further up she slapped her hand over his. “Stop that.”

  “Can’t.” He kissed her neck, maintaining a firm grip on the fabric as he tagged it up. “I just want to see how much your body has changed because of our baby.”

  “I’ll take a photograph for you tomorrow.”

  “Uh uh,” he refused as he fit his hand below the fabric. His touch was warm against her skin and stirred heat throughout her body. She rubbed her thighs together as desire begun to sear in the pit of her belly.

  “Stop,” Zain made the obligatory protest, even as she ground harder against his cock. Now that the only fabric between them was that of his sweatpants, the feelings were much more intense.

  “Uh uh.” Lucky’s hand slid further up her body to cup her breasts. She whimpered as he massaged and caressed the swollen flesh while his lower body rocked into her slowly. She hissed when he plucked at her nipple. Lucky, so attuned to her sounds, knew it wasn’t one of pleasure. He stopped instantly, “Baby, did I hurt you?”

  “I’m just a little bit sensitive right now.” She kept her hand over his to keep him from moving it completely – she didn’t want him to stop. “Just not too hard, okay?”

  “Okay.” The teasing resumed, but was lighter as his fingers soothed her sensitive flesh.

  “Yeah, like that,” Zain sighed her approval, enjoying his expert touch. When his hand slid away she protested, “No.”

  “Baby, you feel so good,” he soothed as a hand slid between her thighs and cupped her sex. She groaned and ground harder against his dick. Dipping his fingers between her pussy lips, he whispered in her ear, “Wet already.”

  “Lucky.” She moaned as he slowly rotated her clit, massaged and flicked it repeatedly in time to the movements of her ass against his length. She ground harder. He rewarded her by massaging then flicking that sensitive bud. She needed more. Instead he withdrew her fingers. Whimpering, she tried to draw his hands back by clasping onto his wrist.

  “Sshh. Give me a second, baby.” Lucky easily slipped his hand free of her grasp. “I got you.”

  He moved away from her. The bed shifted slightly as he moved about. When his body curved around hers again, he was naked. His firm pecs pressed into her shoulders, his thighs cradled hers, and the wet head of his dick bumped against her ass.

  It was enough to remind her that this had gone further than she intended. Trying to scoot away from him, she protested, “Lucky, you promised.”

  “I know,” he tagged her back, quelling her protests by fitting one hand over her breast and the other between her thighs. “No fucking unless you beg.”

  That wasn’t exactly the agreement, but Zain wasn’t in a state to argue over it; especially not when he slowly inserted a finger inside her. She pressed a fist to her mouth to keep from screaming when he started to stroke. In. Out. In. Out. In…

  “Lucky.”

  “I know.” He pressed a second finger in, slowly driving her out of her mind with the incessant in and out movement of his fingers in her pussy while his other hand caressed her breast to the same tune. He urged, “Wider.”

  She hooked one leg over his naked thigh without argument. The position opened her completely to his touch and it all went black, or blue, or orange. Hell, it seemed as if every color of the rainbow had lined up to witness her torture at his hands. The combination of his fingers inside her and his hand caressing her breast pushed her over the edge.

  The fist in her mouth muted her small scream as she came.

  She didn’t g
et a chance to catch her breath. He shifted his body, and let his shaft slide into the space between her thighs. Its head tapped against her begging entrance as he pushed back and forwards. His movements lit her up; she cupped a hand over his cock to make sure it hit the right spot every time he moved forward.

  It’s not enough!

  She’d begun to guide him inside her when Lucky stopped her salacious effort with a hand around her wrist.

  “Beg me.” He ordered roughly. He was playing. He had to be playing! He wanted to call her out on her biting retort just some moments ago now? He repeated, “Beg me.”

  Zain could tell that he wanted her just as badly as she wanted him, but his thick head had come in between their pleasure. She could play that game too. “No.”

  “Beg.”

  “No.” She tried to fit his hard dick into her by force but he kept his hands over hers thwarting her efforts.

  “Beg me to fuck you,” he insisted. She squeezed his cock hard in retaliation. He gasped in pain, “Neither of us is gonna get our problem solved if you break it.”

  “Lucky,” she whined in frustration.

  “What?” he teased as if he didn’t know what she wanted.

  Zain kept quiet. She didn’t want to beg. He stopped moving too, prepared to wait her out. His dick throbbed against her needy pussy, promising her rewards if she’d just beg. She wasn’t going to do it. No. Never ever, ever! Not in a million years.

  If he wasn’t listening carefully he would’ve missed her whispered, “Please.”

  “That didn’t hurt too much, now did it?” He chuckled. It had, but her temporary displeasure was immediately assuaged when he released her hand and allowed her to fit him inside of her.

  “Ooh.” Four months had been too long to have gone without it. She was so tight that every inserted inch felt delicious. Her muscles slowly stretched around his length to accept his measured thrusts.

  Deeper! Deeper! Both moaned when he finally fit all of him completely inside of her.

  But it was when he started to move that the fun really began. It was a wonder how Lucky had been able to maintain the almost lazy pace considering how long they’d both been on this sex-exile. He was in no hurry and tempered their lovemaking with long, even strokes that massaged her inner walls and sent sparks of electricity through her body.