“I will give you a million moments if you just let me,” he whispered.
Holding his hand up, palm out, I paused before I placed my hand against his. He looked at our hands, pressed firmly against each other before linking his oversized fingers with mine.
I should've run, but instead I lay with a man who had given me nothing but words and a good fuck. He was not worth it. But there was nowhere else I wanted to be.
“Don’t talk. If we talk I have to think, and I don’t want to think tonight I just want to feel,” I pleaded.
He placed our conjoined hands on my hip, maintaining a respectable distance between us.
He stared into my eyes until he drifted off to sleep, and only then did I have the nerve to cuddle close to him. I pressed my head against his chest, and listened to his breathing. My last thought before sleep overtook me was, “Drake came back.”
Cherry Webb
My eyes snapped open as the mid-day sun filtered through the window, and I ran my hand over an empty mattress.
Drake was gone, again.
I quelled the urge to pout, and plastered a smile on my face instead.
After all, he thought enough of me to show up for a few hours. Get a life, Cherry. He’s not worth it. But God, I wanted him, and was sure that feeling would never go away.
I was fucked. I had become entirely too wrapped up in that kinky, beautiful bastard.
Drake Hart
Eleven-years-old
“Katie, Billy has made some lemonade. Why don’t you go in and get me a glass,” Jerry said as he walked over to the swing Katie and I were sitting on.
Katie loved lemonade, and before Jerry even finished talking she had thrown the Barbie and sissy-looking Ken doll we were playing with down on the front porch and took off squealing for Billy.
I didn’t enjoy playing with her dumb dolls but Katie was the master manipulator, and so cute I let her have her way most of the time.
Jerry sat down beside me and slumped. I stared straight ahead, sensing what he was about to say was not a good thing.
For several long minutes, we both sat there, watching our feet move along with the motion of the swing.
After letting out a deep breath, Jerry reached over and took my hand in his, squeezing it. His hands were rough from all the hard labor he had done in his life, but they were warm and I would never admit it but I like the contact.
“I saw your Mom last night.”
I cringed and let out a slight moan. “Yeah, what’s it to me?”
I hated the sound of my own voice, but I wouldn’t hide my feelings anymore, I hated that woman.
“She signed her rights away. So I can legally adopt you now.”
I took in his words, turning them over and over in my mind. With a flick of a pen, the person who gave birth to me wrote me off as if I never mattered. It should’ve made me happy but it didn’t. Instead it was as if the scab to all my old wounds had been ripped off. With a trembling lip, I faked a smile. This was supposed to have been good news. That woman could never come back for me. Katie and I would finally belong to someone who would love us.
“What are you going to tell Katie?”
All she had known her entire life was Jerry being Daddy. She never had to know the nightmare of living in a house with the monster who had us.
“That is the thing. She only signed her rights away to you. She wants to see Katie again.”
I stood so hastily I almost caused Jerry to flip over in the swing. “No!”
Jerry gripped my arm. “She has just spent a year in rehab, and she still keeps in contact with Katie’s real father. She wants to get to know her daughter.”
“But to hell with her son. She’s some mom.” I stomped off to find Katie. It had been my job to protect her since she was born, and I wouldn’t stop because that bitch wanted to see her.
Drake Hart
Hearing her mumble about me coming back had woken me from the nightmare of my past. I was a fucking loser. I didn’t deserve to feel complete but that was exactly how she made me feel, and I knew when everything came out I would hurt her again. These few memories I had of her would become the newest nightmares that kept me up at night. I should run and get it over with. But my feelings for her were too real and kept me coming back for anything I could get.
I even debated telling her the truth. I couldn’t. At this point it would just cause her to hate me sooner rather than later, and I couldn’t live with Cherry hating me so soon.
This weekend I would devote every moment to her and maybe somehow work my way a little into her heart.
The front door was still slightly ajar as I entered to the amazing view of Cherry staring at me with a look of surprise. She shifted the robe she was wearing and took in the two large bags of food I was holding, nibbling nervously on her bottom lip before saying, “I thought you had left.”
Oh, God, she thought I had left her without even a good bye. Was I that big of an asshole? A sick knot had formed in my stomach that I hadn’t felt since I was a little boy at the mercy of my mother.
“I wanted to fix you breakfast and went out to pick up some stuff.” I bent down to kiss the hurt look off her face. I wanted to drill on the good points and leave the hurt for another day. “I make a killer omelet.”
I started walking toward the kitchen.
“Drake, wait.”
I snuck in her house the night before, surely making myself at home wouldn’t be what set her off. I stalled but didn’t turn to look at her. “Sweetheart.”
“Where have you been?”
I turned on my heels to catch the look in her eyes that showed the untold sadness she held in her. I cringed, knowing every move I was making would only add more misery in her life.
“James use to leave me for days.”
Fuck, I was no better than that ass.
I sat the bags I was holding on the ground, and walked over until I was within an inch of her. “I was in North Carolina, working on a job. I couldn’t call. I couldn’t have anybody tracing me to you.”
“I deserve better than this. My kids deserve better. Henry has asked everyday if you were coming over. I didn’t know what to say.”
Shit, she was right. She deserved a hell of a lot more than me.
My jaw tightened. She stood there so vulnerable in only a robe. The contrast between what I saw when I looked at her, and the way she saw herself when she looked in the mirror was stark. What I felt for her grew at that moment.
I was on her in an instant, one hand on her lower back and the other one wrapped around her neck. I wasted no time, prying open her mouth with my tongue, plunging deep and hard.
She moaned and raised up on her tiptoes, giving me better access to her body. My hand lowered to cup her ass when I sunk my teeth into her lower lip, with enough force to hurt. “This will never be over. Tell that little boy I will always come back.”
I flipped around without another word and picked of the bags of food on the floor.
“Let me go change. I’ll meet you in the kitchen,” she said.
I gripped the bags I was holding, trying like hell to get control of myself as I listen to her turn and walk away. I had no idea how much I was willing to tell her about the past week but I would show her what I hoped our future could look like.
I moved the first piece of bacon to the frying pan when she entered the kitchen. She had changed into a t-shirt and pair of flannel pajama bottoms, making sure every inch of skin she could cover was covered.
“You can’t just leave again without something.” Those incredible green eyes of hers went large again. As much as I loved staring into those eyes, I couldn’t handle knowing that I was the one who had put that look into them. Fuck, I didn’t call because I wanted to keep her safe from that side of my life. Not because I didn’t want to talk to her.
I was trying my damnest not to throw the spatula I was holding. I wanted to hit something, and it had nothing to do with my sexual libido. Anger was taking over, a
nger that was directed totally on me, and I needed to ease that anger before I scared Cherry totally away. I had been so worried about working and keeping her safe, I hadn’t even thought that not hearing from me hurt her worse.
Flipping over the bacon, a spark of grease flew up and landed on top of my hand. “Shit,” I screamed, letting the spatula fall onto the stove top.
“Come here, baby, let me see if you will live.”
Cherry had my hand in hers, scraping her thumb over the red burn. It should have been the gentle way she was touching me that caught my attention but it wasn’t. It was the unbelievably perfect smile that lit up not only her eyes but the whole damn room that did.
“I was working. Nothing else.”
“Huh,” she said, and looked up at me.
“Manning, my assistant, discovered some information I needed to check on myself. I wanted to call you. I wanted to hear your damn voice so bad but I couldn’t. I couldn’t talk, knowing what I was doing.”
“Next time at least send a text,” she said, and kissed the top of my hand before letting it fall back to my side.
I wanted to pound my fist into my chest like a fucking gorilla. She was letting it go. However, the warning in my sweet Cherry’s voice was signaling she wouldn’t tolerate it again. I had to quit fucking up.
I managed to cook Cherry a breakfast worth eating.
I poured the eggs over onto the oversized plate, and slid three pieces of bacon before adding a side of biscuit and gravy.
“Breakfast is served, my sweet,” I said, setting the plate down in front of Cherry.
She took a bite, and her eyes widen as I took a seat opposite her. “This is seriously above par. You can cook.”
“Am a man of many talents,” I said, picking up the pot of coffee. I filled up her cup and mine, letting a little of it splash out over onto her walnut table. She giggled. Damn, I love the sound of her laughter.
“You didn’t have to do all this. I usually just eat oatmeal when the kids are not around.”
I pressed my lips together to avoid smiling at the cute expressions she was making. “I don’t have to do anything, but I wanted too. I know I haven’t showed it but I like taking care of you.”
Cherry took a bite, and then another, hardly pausing long enough to swallow. I barely touched my food, I simply enjoyed watching Cherry; the way she worked the fork between her teeth, the small hums emanating from her lips, the way her eyes shined when she looked in my direction. I took a drink of the mimosas I had mixed earlier, and witness the eyebrows of her beautiful face scrunched together. “Long night, it’s a Buck’s Fizz.”
“A what?” She let the fork she was holding slip from her grasp.
“Mimosas,” I took another drink, and motioned for her to come hither. When she moved closer, I kissed her, letting the cold, crisp liquid pour from my mouth as I did. It was so unexpected, she moaned. “Good?” I whispered.
She nodded. I lean back over the warmth of her lips and let more of the drink pass between us. The feel of the coldness of the drink passing between us caused my cock to twitch. Shit, nobody but her. I pulled back. “Not too much, don't want the kids finding us drunk.”
“The kids won't be home until Sunday,” she said and placed her hand on mine. “Like you didn’t know that. I seriously doubt you would have broken into my house if you didn’t know the kids were gone.” She paused and bit down on her bottom lip. “Or I hope not.”
I laughed at the quizzical way her eyes studied me. “No, I don't think they are ready for an early morning visit from Drake yet.”
“They like you. I’m glad too. I want my family to like you.”
I wanted them to like me too. I needed them in my corner when the truth came out.
“Speaking of family. Mine is having a cookout at my dad’s and step-mom’s. We should be getting ready to leave.”
Because I’m so fucking ready for them to meet the lady who had finally silenced all my demons.
Drake Hart
Twelve-years-old
Our birth mom came today. I told her hi four times. She ignored me as if I had the incurable disease of human decency. It wouldn’t have bothered me if not for the fact she had taken Katie skipping away with her. Katie had her share of limitations but loving someone was not one of them. I saw it in her eyes. She was trying to see our mom for what she should be, not what she was.
Jerry or Dad, I’m not sure what to call him yet, told me it was for only two days. But I’m not sure he understood what hell two days with that monster was. Katie was too innocent; she didn’t have any fight in her.
I threw the book I was holding against the wall. I had started reading Harry Potter to Katie. Reading had become my escape. I could disappear from the real world full of pain for hours. Harry Potter was one of my favorites. I’d already read it twice, but I kept going back to it. I, too, was once a small boy hidden away except I didn’t have a magical land to escape too. I decided Katie was old enough to enjoy the land of wizards and magic. I wasn’t wrong. She loved it and laughed at all the wrong places. I think she laughed because she knew no matter how tough I pretended to be, she had a way about her that got under my skin and controlled me.
Dad tapped on my door, and I was jerked from my thoughts. He stood right in front of me, looking down with that damn look of pity. Glancing sideways, I gave him my best I didn’t give a damn look. But I did. I never cared about anything more than how Jerry felt.
He knelt down in front of me. “I know how much Katie means to you, and the last thing I wanted was to see her leave with that woman. But son, our hands are tied.” He sat down right beside me and cradled me under his armpit. It felt nice. “Son, we all have demons in our lives. Some we create ourselves, others are forced on us, but one day someone will come in your life and when she is near all the demons in your head will go silent.”
Dad was wrong. My demons would never stop howling until that woman was out of our lives forever. That day, I made a pact with myself. No matter who I hurt or what I did, I would take back the power that woman stole from me. One day, I would never have to answer to anybody ever again.
Cherry Webb
Holy Freaking Crap, his family. Drake reached across the table to lift my chin with a gentle finger.
“Breathe, Angel. They will love you and you are going to be crazy about them.”
“Do they know?’
“Know what?”
“About me? That am freaking old,” I said, suddenly anxious.
Drake busted out laughing which never did anything to ease my nerves. “You’re thirty-six that doesn’t constitute old just yet. Now my dad’s sixty-two. He’s the one pushing the old thing.”
Drake got up and started to walk around the table, pausing a few feet away he reached out to drag his fingertips along my cheekbone. His expression was unreadable but he had a sense of sadness in his eyes. “Now go get ready but don’t look to hot my dad kind of likes younger women.”
I jumped up. “Be back in five.”
It was hard to decide what to wear. They never discussed what to wear when you are meeting the family of the man who was trying to turn you into his submissive play toy at any of the etiquette classes James forced me to attend. I cringed, thinking about Drake’s true intentions.
I pictured what Drake was wearing. It was a picture I could easily get off on. A pale yellow button-up shirt clung to his chest, only showcasing his hard pecs that I had to fight to keep my hands off of. A pair of khaki shorts that fit his hips so perfectly I was positive they had been made just to showcase his flat stomach ripple and that V that disappeared into the hem. It also didn’t help that they displayed his long, muscular legs. Okay, that was not helping I needed to focus on me. I ended up wearing a pair of white linen pants and a deep blue silk blouse. Ruby complimented it one time, telling me that I looked best in dark colors. Not too causal but not dressy either. A quick glance in the mirror told me my hair was jacked, so I pulled it back in a sleek bun.
After applying some concealer and a little mascara, I raced down the stairs. “Well, this is as good as they are going to get.”
Drake was waiting, patiently, at the foot of the stairs, and of course I wasn’t paying attention so I ran right into him. He steadied me, before pulling me close onto his chest.
“Fuck, no one should look this good,” he murmured in my ear. “Tonight, I’m taking you to my playroom.”
That smell that was so Drake Hart made it impossible to think. I didn’t need to think anyway. His playroom was not the thought I wanted to have when I met his family.
His fingers traced languidly down my spine, his breath flowed down over my neck. I slid my hands under his shirt to explore the hard ripples of his stomach. Shit, he felt good. I moaned.
“My girl likes my stomach. Doesn’t she?” He tilted his head slowly, and softly touched his hot, moist lips to mine. “We better go before I veto the day and take you up to your bedroom instead.”
I realized after driving over an hour that I had no idea where he was taking me. We passed through the suburbs and was on a road that rounded up north into the backwoods. And then we were past homes altogether, only driving through fields of cotton and soybeans. I was at the point of asking if he was carrying me off for some ritual or something when he pulled into a small gravel road. The surrounding corn field encroached on both sides of the road, leaving only a few feet visible as it twisted and turned around the corn like maze. And then after a mile or two, it came into view. It was not what I expected, and I wasn’t even sure what I expected. But it was not this.
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