by LK Collins
“Absolutely, and I will,” he says.
“Soon?”
“Yes, soon.”
“It means a lot to me, that you’re willing to let that part of your life go.”
“Abby, for you I’d do anything.”
I smile, his words so small, yet so reassuring. “Thank you. What are you planning on doing for work?”
“I’ve got a lot of money saved up, so I won’t need to work for a while. I can take care of all three of us.” A huge grin spreads across his face and I can’t help but do the same. “When the time’s right and I need to worry about that, I will, but for now, I’m just focusing on one thing, keeping you both safe. Have you thought about what we talked about last night?”
Latch and I discussed me filing for divorce, and the thought of serving Darrell with papers makes me sick to my stomach and it’s not that I have doubts about being with Latch or that maybe one day I think that I’ll want to get back with Darrell. Because I won’t. He’s not my future, Latch is. I Even if I weren’t pregnant, I wouldn’t want to be with Darrell. But I’m terrified for the hell that will rain down upon me when I cross that bridge.
“I have, and like I said last night, Darrell’s not going to just let me walk away.”
“Yes, he is.”
“Latch, he’s never been told no in his entire life.”
Latch laughs and looks at me sideways. “I mean it, he’s always been spoiled, and when his family realized he had Major League potential, it just went out of control. And then he thought the whole world owed him a favor.”
He takes my hand and places it in his. Looking me in the eye, his sparkle from the sun as he says, “I just want him out of the picture.”
“Me too, and he will be. I promise I’ll file. For now, let’s focus on us and the baby.”
He accepts my answer, but inside, I fear he’s not happy about it. My phone rings, and without looking I know that it’s Darrell. He’s been calling every morning when he wakes up, and each day, he’s becoming more and more nervous in his text messages that follow, like he’s sensing something’s up. I ignore the noise and focus on Latch. He is my future. As bleak as it seems at times, he’ll make everything okay.
I trust in that.
19
Latch
Finally turning my phone on, I know that I need to end things with my clients, and I’m ready. But looking at the amount of people that entails makes me sick. There are so many missed calls and text messages that it’s shocking. I didn’t realize it at the time, but I guess I’d become a drug to some people, the same way that Abby is to me. Looking at Abby reading out back, I just want to be with her, not dealing with the bullshit from my past, so I decide to handle it later and power my phone back down, what’s another day? But before I can turn it off, I get a text from my grandma. Don’t have much service, but wanted to check in on you.
I text her back. We’re hanging in there. Not sure how long we’ll be staying here, but truly appreciate it.
You’re always welcome, as long as you need, dear, she responds.
Thank you! Have you heard back from Dr. Rosland? He’s who she sold her practice to when she retired. He worked across the hall from her for years and now runs a full service office out of her building.
No, but I’ll call him again, he’ll get you in. I love you.
Love you too!
My grandma and Dr. Rosland have known each other for years. He’s one of the best OBGYN’s in the state, so I’m praying that he’ll be able to see us and give Abby the best care possible. Plus, I’m hoping to keep all of this off her insurance so Darrell never finds out. She already had the hospital seal her records from her visit the other day. Pulling this off is going to be a huge hurdle, but I am going to give it my all. For the two of them, I have to.
Walking out back, the setting sun shines so beautifully on Abby’s face. I hate to interrupt her, but the truth is that I can’t get enough of her.
“Hey, you,” I say leaning down and kissing her on the lips. She smiles, kissing me back and scoots over so I can sit next to her on the lounge chair. “Feeling better?” I ask.
“I am, thank you.”
“I talked to my grandma. She’s calling Dr. Rosland again, so hopefully we can get in and see him soon.”
“Good.”
“Do you feel like getting out at all?”
“No, not with Darrell being in town.”
I smile looking at her beauty and respond, “You can’t let him affect you like that.”
“I’m really trying not to, but it’s hard. Can we just stay in?” She pulls me closer to her and I hover my body above hers. Our eyes stare into one another’s and gently I leave a kiss on her lips, then her cheek, then neck, chest, and I push her shirt out of the way exposing one of her tits as my cock becomes so hard. She grabs the back of my head and pushes my mouth hard against her body. I form my lips fully around her erect nipple and pull up, causing her to whine out in desire. Grinding my cock into her, I hold our bodies together and nip her tit. She yelps and I pull away.
“Did I hurt you?” I ask, covering her boob back up.
“No, they’re just sensitive.” Lifting her in my arms, her iPad falls against the chair and I leave it there, carrying her into the house and up to our room, she smiles at me, calming my insides. Making me forget about everything except for this moment, right now. Gently, I lay her on the messy bed and immediately grab the waist of her sweat pants, tucking my fingers underneath as I slide them slowly down her legs. Her phone rings in the distance, and I push away the noise. She pulls her t-shirt up and I tell her, “Touch your nipples.”
She grasps them between her fingers, rolling them back and forth and I settle down on my favorite place, between her legs. I blow a cool breath of air on her sex as I descend down on her, smelling her sweetness as I begin to please her. In the distance her phone rings again, and I know it’s him.
Sonofabitch!
It takes me out of my zone and I pause, waiting for the noise to stop. “Don’t stop,” she whispers, pulling me back to her, urging me to continue. I lick her again as she grinds her pussy against my face. I look up watching how much she’s enjoying this, and then close my eyes, owning this moment and this time with her, no matter the background noise.
Drowning out the rest of the world, I push her body to the max. She’s close to coming – I can tell from her harsh breaths – and I take her there. Flicking my tongue strongly back and forth over her clit, her body rattles in my hold as she comes, screaming my name. I’m not sure whether I love when she comes more or when she says my name. But I can’t bring myself to stop, still sucking on her as her body bucks in my grip. She pushes me away again and I kneel between her legs, grabbing my cock through my sweats.
She looks up at me and her phone rings again. “Fuck!” I shout and hop off the bed. “Leave it, Latch.” Her voice stops me dead in the center of the room and I turn to her, pushing away the noise for that second. “Ignore it.”
“Can I just turn it off?”
“He’ll stop. Just focus on me; I need you!” Her hand glides down her body and rests atop of her sex. I know in this instant that I’m screwed. Nothing else matters but getting inside of her, so I close the door to the room to muffle the ringing and drop my sweats, stepping out of them. Abby gestures me to her with one finger and I walk over, presenting my cock to her lips, needing her touch, her hold, her attention, to wash away the noise of her phone. She clenches my shaft and strokes it so flawlessly. My eyes move to her cunt, where she is rubbing herself, and I take over nudging myself forward. She takes me into her mouth, covering her lips all the way around me.
“Oh fuck,” I grunt out as she swirls her tongue around my dick, followed by the strokes of her hand. Leaning down, I hold on to the back of her head and meet her tenderly thrust for thrust. Grunting with every pump. She makes me feel things no other woman has. A fire inside of me ignites. As I fight it, she opens her eyes, those gorgeous fucking eyes that
drew me to her the day I met her. Dropping my head back, I let her control me, coming so hard, that my body shakes with intensity. I pump her full and when I’m done, she’s still bobbing like an animal. My face contorts as another fast orgasm hits me hard and I let go. “Yessssss,” I groan.
She takes what I give her, clearly proud of herself, and I shake my head. Loving how lost we get in one another, without any toys or props, just with who we are. With what God gave us. Spreading her legs wide, I enter her pussy, my cock still as hard as when we began. She arches off the bed, digging her fingernails into the mattress and I work her, pleasing and fucking her. Sweat beads on my forehead with every pump. She pulls me down to her and wraps her legs around me, urging me to keep going. She’s moaning, causing my whole body to ignite and I lean up, looking down at her tits as they bounce from every thrust. My balls tighten again, and I make two fists propping myself up on the mattress over her, already ready to come…again.
Damn this woman!
I stop and she looks at me with concern on her face. “What’s wrong?” she asks.
I shake my head, praying the intensity inside of me will cease. With worry laced in her voice, she asks, “Latch?”
“I’m good, I just wanna come again.”
“Then let go.”
“No, I wanna fuck you longer and enjoy your pussy for a while,” I grumble.
“And you can.”
I nod, agreeing with her as I start to move. This time I keep it slower, stroking myself inside of the heaven that is her pussy. Taking my thumb I rub it over her clit and rest up on my knees. Looking down at my cock as I move in and out of her, I can’t help but imagine what that future holds for us. I find solitude, a place isolated where it’s just the three of us. But I am pulled from the bliss as there is knocking on the front door and I stop.
“Who is that?” Abby asks me.
“The fuck if I know.” I walk to the window that overlooks the street, but can’t see the door. Suddenly afraid for Abby’s safety, I tell her, “Stay here.”
She nods as I pull on my sweats. The knocking continues as I walk downstairs. I look out the peephole, but don’t see anyone. It can’t be Darrell. I’m sure it’s someone for my grandma. I decide against answering it, but they bang this time and I yank the door open, pissed off. The sight of Darrell’s stocky frame greets me and before I can react, he lunges in on top of me. I fall backwards, hitting the floor hard on my back. Immediately I go into defense mode. “Where the fuck is she?” he yells as we both have our hands on each other’s throats.
Anger courses through my veins, like I’d tell him a thing. I push him off me, and we both stand back up. “Fuck you!” I swing hard with a right hook and catch him. He stumbles backwards, catching his footing, and comes at me again just as Abby screams, “Stop it!”
I hit him again connecting with a low punch, completely focused on fucking him up for showing up at my grandmother’s house like this. Blood pools from his nose and she screams, “Stop!” But I can’t and land another punch as he lunges at me again. Motherfucker isn’t backing down. My adrenaline is peaked and it feels so good to lay into him. This is what his pathetic ass deserves. He’s wobbly and I push him down as Abby steps in front of me. The second that I sense she’s there I stop, grabbing her by the waist and stepping a few feet away from him. “Stop it!” she screams again and he looks at her in my arms.
There is a fire in his eyes and for the first time in my life, I am scared. And I’m not scared for my safety, but for Abby’s and the baby’s. I don’t know him, but from what I’ve heard, I wouldn’t put it past him to get physical with her. Instinctively, I place my hand over her stomach and step in front of her, keeping a firm grip on what is rightfully mine. He looks around me at my hand and then up at her.
As all of the blood drains from his face, he says, “This is why you’ve been sick. It’s why you left…”
“You need to get the fuck out of here,” I tell him, looking down at him.
“Why? So you can steal my wife and my child?” his tone is defeated and I stay firm in setting him in his place. “The baby isn’t yours, motherfucker. It’s mine.”
“Tell him, Abby, tell him the truth.” He’s panicked and lying. He’s lost her, and for him, that has to be the worst fucking feeling in the entire world.
“Darrell,” Abby speaks up and clears her throat. “You know the baby isn’t yours. We haven’t slept together for almost a year. In that time, I’ve been with Latch. You and I are through. I want a divorce.”
He laughs sadistically, “What sort of bitch name is Latch?”
I smirk at him and keep one hand on Abby and the other in front of me, ready to fuck him up if he makes a move. “Is that all you heard?” I ask him. He stares at me with a blank expression waiting for me to do something. “She’s done being disrespected by you. She wants a divorce.”
“Well, good for her, ‘cause she’s not fucking getting one.”
20
Abby
“Do you want some water?” Latch asks me as I lie on the bathroom floor.
I shake my head, feeling so sick to my stomach. I cannot believe that Darrell showed up here. I thought I was safe here. I have no clue how he found me. It scares me that he was able to, though, and I fear what else he is going to do.
Latch sits next to me and pulls me onto his lap. I lay my head comfortably on him and let all of my worries fade into him. He promised he’d keep us safe and he did just that.
“Are you okay?” he asks me, his voice laced with concern.
“Yeah,” I whisper, not knowing if it’s the truth or not.
“I’m scared something’s wrong; I’ve never seen you this sick.”
“I’m okay, Latch, really. I think it’s just the baby and the stress from today.”
“Can you take more medicine?”
“I already took what I could today.”
“I’m sorry today turned out the way that it did, beautiful.”
“Me too.”
“Why don’t you lie down in bed and try to rest?” he asks me.
“’Kay.”
He scoops me up in his arms. My body is cradled against the warmth of his chest as he carries me to the bed. Tenderly, he lays me down and cuddles his body around me, pulling me close to him. As he covers us up, I ask him, “What if Darrell won’t give me a divorce?”
“He will, Abby, he has too. He can’t force you to stay married to him. Yeah, he might stall, but it’ll happen. Plus, you know I’m in this for the long haul. Right now, we need to stay focused on you and the baby’s health.”
Even with Latch’s words of encouragement, I can’t help but be anxious knowing that divorcing Darrell is going to bring everything out into the spotlight, and that includes who I left Darrell for and what Latch used to do for a living. The media will paint a nasty fucking picture, one that will ruin both of our reputations for good.
“Close your eyes, sleep, baby.”
Latch hasn’t called me “baby,” since we used to sleep together as escort-client, and the familiarity lights a glow inside of me. The comfort of his body and the knowing that we will make it through whatever is ahead soothes me.
_____
I wake to the smell of bacon and it reminds me of when I was a kid. Every Sunday morning my mom and dad used to cook breakfast; the smell would wake me up just like today.
As I roll over, I am surprised to see Latch still asleep next to me. His arm is draped on his pillow around his head. If he is still sleeping, then his grandmother must be home. I shake him awake and he looks down at me alarmed.
“What’s wrong?” he asks.
“I think your grandma is home.”
He blinks a few times – his tired eyes are so damn sexy – then he takes in a big breath of air pulling my body close to him. “Yup, smells like it.”
Inside I am nervous, considering that Darrell’s mom and sister have hated me from day one. I don’t have a good track record with women of the family.
Plus, she is the most important person to Latch. He kisses the top of my shoulder and then runs his hand over my stomach and asks, “How are you feeling?”
“Better,” I respond, thankful that my stomach has settled. Gradually, he slides his hand down my stomach ‘til he’s over my sex, where he spreads open my pussy and plays with my clit. As wonderful as the feeling is, I cannot help but worry that the first time I’d meet his grandma would be during us fucking around, which is exactly where this is going to go if I don’t stop it, so I close my legs around his hand and he can’t move anymore.
Then before I know it, I am on my back with Latch hovering above me. He’s naked, his rock hard cock bobs above my chest as his eyes blaze with desire. “Did you just stop me?” he asks.
I nod, trying not to laugh at how serious he is being. He has both of my wrists in one of his hands and I love how he can make all of my worries disappear just by being his fun self. Again he touches me, but this time he slides two fingers inside. “Don’t ever make me stop.”
“Mmmmhhh,” I moan.
“Understand?”
“Yeah,” I barely can get the word out as he moves in and out of my pussy, the simple pleasure from just his hand is so great that I bite my bottom lip to stay quiet. “That’s it, take it like a good girl.”
“Latch, time to get up,” his grandmother calls from outside of the room and we both freeze.
My eyes get wide as the fear of meeting her like this takes over. “Breakfast is about ready.”
“Thanks, Grandma, we’re coming,” he calls out with his fingers still inside of me.
“See? That’s what I was talking about!” I scold him in a quiet tone and smack his thigh.
“Well, she didn’t see a thing, so you have nothing to worry about.” After stroking his fingers a few more times, he takes them out from inside of me, and sticks both of them in his mouth, sucking off the wetness from my pussy as he hops out of bed. Then sliding on a pair of shorts, he asks me over his shoulder, “Well, are you coming to breakfast or not?”