Something's Gotta Give (Tempered Steel Book 3)

by Adams, Maggie

  “Look at me, Peaches. Tell me you like it.” Chance speared her with his gaze as his tongue flicked out to touch her quivering silk covered flesh.

  Helplessly, she looked at him loving her with his mouth. His words fueled the flames of her desire. “Yes!” She panted, grabbing his head and forcing him closer to her waiting heat. She just needed….Her breath came in a quick gasp and all her nerve endings tingled when he took a particularly sensitive ribbon of flesh between his teeth and tugged gently. Georgia quivered as the first tremors of her orgasm racked her body.

  Georgia’s felt Chance tear her panties off her legs to feast on her sweetness. With the tip of his tongue, he touched her. She caught fire, screaming his name and pulling his hair, but he didn’t seem to mind. He nipped her clit and Georgia’s climax ratcheted up another notch. He drew his talented tongue up higher, pushing harder. His finger invaded as his tongue withdrew, tipping up, finding that special spot as his mouth closed over her engorged clit and bit down.

  Georgia screamed as the orgasm sent her to the stars. If Chance hadn’t been holding her so tightly, she would have simply melted to the floor while she slowly came back to earth.

  Chance pushed Georgia back onto the bed and kicked off his shoes and pants. He stood tall above her, watching her with hooded eyes as she tried to catch her breath. Tight muscles corded across his body, fresh puckered scars traced his magnificent chest and his…..Oh God, he was so big. Maybe she should say something.

  Falling upon her, he sucked in his breath. “Oh Peaches. I’m experiencing your softness against my skin for the first time. God, nothing ever felt this good.”

  He lightly skimmed his fingers along her cheek, down her collarbone, then her arms, allowing her time to adjust to the weight of his body. He sucked in his breath as she traced the scars on his back from the fire. He shuddered as her fingernails grazed his spine, her hands shyly cupping his ass. His eyes locked with hers as he raised up on his arms, hips grinding into her pelvis, helping her feel all he had to offer her.

  Chance drilled his gaze into her as he grabbed her legs and wrapped them around his waist, bracing himself with one hand and seeking her slick opening with the opening. He tenderly rubbed his finger against her, then slipped into her welcoming warmth ever so slightly. She was so damn tight. Georgia whimpered in anxiety and he hastened to reassure her.

  “You were made for me, Peaches. Just relax and let me take care of you.”

  He had to be careful, but she was pulling him toward her, making it almost impossible to go slowly. Still, he prodded slowly, a shallow stroke, a gentle nudge until she gripped his shoulders and lifted her hips. She felt so good, so right, instinct took over. As he thrust into her, shock mingled with joy as he tore through the barrier that held her most precious secrets.

  Chance stilled. He raised up on his arms to look at her. “Georgia? Oh baby, I’m so sorry. I didn’t know. Are you okay? You know it’s never going to hurt like this again, right?”

  Chance begged for forgiveness as her body clenched around him. She caressed him, so warm and tight. She clung to him like a velvet glove.

  “Chance, it hurts. Please.” Georgia began to wiggle against him, trying to find comfort.

  Chance gasped at the increased pressure on his swollen cock. “Oh sweetheart, don’t wiggle. I want you used to me, before we…” he groaned as he sensed his balls draw up. He tried to be gentle as he withdrew a bit. She whimpered. “Just a bit, baby. It will feel good. I promise.”

  Chance kissed her until she relaxed, tangling their tongues, gently nipping her earlobes. He recognized the moment she softened, wrapping arms and legs around him.

  He only hesitated a moment. “Oh God, Georgia, I’m so sorry, baby, I can’t wait. You’re just too perfect.” Chance began to slowly pump into her.

  She clawed his back, aching for more of this exquisite intimacy. “Chance, yes, oh yes, please,” she cried, clinging to him.

  They became one in a blinding force of passion. Her tight sheath squeezed around him as he continued to thrust inside of her again and again, his need to find his own release overcoming his vow to be gentle. She met him with equal ardor.

  “More, Chance, more.” She bucked against him.

  Chance pumped furiously into her welcoming warmth and moved his hips, grinding into her clitoris and he felt her tighten once again, watched as she went flying to the peak with an explosion of sensation that left her crying tears of joy.

  Chance let himself go then, his face a mask of ecstasy. He spilled his seed into her with a shout of release.

  “Always more, Peaches. I’ll always want more of you,” he murmured as he lowered himself onto her body, needing to feel her softness against his skin. “I’ll never get enough of you.”

  In the aftermath of the sensual storm, the pair slowly came down to earth and slid into the sheets, content to hold each other and bask in the afterglow of their first union.

  “Why didn’t you tell me, Peaches?” Chance asked as he rolled to his side to look at her. She had given him her virginal body. She owed him an explanation.

  She thought about being flip. Oh, I wasn’t doing much with it anyway. Or obtuse. What? That old thing? Forgot I had it. But he had given her such pleasure after the pain, she couldn’t be anything but honest. “I was waiting for someone I cared about,” she mumbled, not meeting his eyes.

  “Look at me,” Chance commanded. He tilted her face up to meet his eyes. “I am honored that you chose me, Peaches. And I promise to prove myself worthy of such a gift.”

  Georgia tried to smile, but it was a feeble attempt as she glanced at Chance. She was still nervous. His eyes grew darker and his smile took on a predatory gleam. She was inexperienced, but she wasn’t a fool. He wanted her again.

  Did it mean he cared about her, even a little bit? Or was he simply using her for release? Self-doubt washed over her. She suddenly felt a little sick to her stomach. Had she just made a terrible mistake?

  As if he could read her thoughts, Chance leaned in and kissed her softly on the lips. “I’m crazy about you, Peaches.” He kissed his way down her throat, to her collarbone, then between her breasts.

  “What…What are you doing?” She gasped as he took her swollen nipple between his fingers and pinched lightly. Oh God, how could he make her want him so soon?

  “You wanted more, Peaches. I’m giving you….” He kissed the slight curve of her stomach, then pressed his fingers into her pussy. She arched off the bed at the riot of sensation his tender caress evoked.

  Chance smiled. “More, Peaches.”

  Sometime later, exhausted and satisfied, they fell asleep in each other’s arms as the sun gave way to the starry night.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  It had been a crazy week of stolen kisses and frenzied loving, and Georgia had cherished every minute of it. She and Chance had worked with an easy familiarity at the daycare. But at night, oh Lord, she blushed just thinking about it! Chance had taken her to heaven so many times, she thought she might put pearly gates at the entrance to her bedroom. Hesitant at first, she had shyly asked what she could do to please him, and he had patiently instructed her in the fine art of lovemaking. As she grew bolder, so did he, and together they explored each other’s bodies, and she had been more than willing to be “thoroughly debauched” as her historical novels called it.

  “You have become a crazed sex fiend, Georgia,” she murmured quietly as she picked up the toys while the smaller children napped in what was once the dining room. Raised voices came to her from the kitchen, where the older kids were supposed to be reading to themselves.

  She peeked into the baby room to make sure everyone was still asleep, then headed for the kitchen. “Boys! You’re supposed to be reading, remember?” she reprimanded in a whisper. She noted the baseball bat sitting in the kitchen corner. “And what’s the bat doing in here?”

  “Tommy wanted to make sure he had first swing when we went out for afternoon play,” Caleb explained.

>   Georgia shook her head. Some things were just more important than following the rules, like who gets the first swing in baseball. “Okay, but this is not going to become a habit.” She gave a stern look to Tommy, who hung his head and nodded.

  “Now, quiet, please or no baseball for anyone.” Satisfied she had put the fear into them, she headed back down the hall to the living room.

  “Hello, Georgie.” Trudy Mayweather stepped out of the shadows of the spare bathroom. She held a wicked looking knife in her hand. Her face was once again painted with a rough hand. Blood red lips and cheeks stood out against her pale, sweating skin, and the baby blue eyeshadow highlighted the crazy gleam in her eyes.

  “Trudy!” Georgia put a hand to her chest. “What are you doing here?” She noted the knife firmly pointing at her. Her breath caught. What the hell was going on? Although Trudy had always been as vicious as Rochelle, Georgia had never held any ill will against the homely woman. It was obvious Trudy was only doing Rochelle’s bidding when she had been so mean to Georgia.

  “You’ve made Rochelle cry and I can’t have that. Rochelle wants Chance. You need to go away.” Trudy jabbed the knife toward Georgia as she advanced and Georgia retreated until she hit the wall.

  “I don’t understand. Chance is just helping me. He could leave any time. Put the knife down and we can talk.” Georgia inched toward the front door, hoping Trudy would follow. She had to get her away from the children. Then she would figure out how to get away from her.

  “You don’t have to do this, Trudy. Does Rochelle know you’re here?” Georgia prayed that Rochelle wasn’t hiding somewhere. She didn’t know how she’d get two crazy women out of the house without alerting the children.

  “Don’t you say her name! You are not allowed to say her name! You have always been bad for Rochelle.” Trudy shouted. She shook the knife at Georgia. Her wild eyes gave Georgia little hope of getting away.

  Georgia took hope in Trudy’s rant. Obviously, Rochelle was unaware of what her trusty sidekick was doing. Just a few more inches, Georgia slid closer to the door. She didn’t remember if it was locked or unlocked, but she couldn’t stand by knowing that this crazy woman had a knife near her little ones. She tried to look to the side to see the lock. Just a few more inches.

  “Why couldn’t you leave Chance alone?” Trudy whined. “Chance is for Rochelle. Now I have to get rid of you. I’m sorry, but you have to go.”

  “I know you like Rochelle, but you do not have to do this. If she wants Chance, she can have him. You do not have to hurt me or anyone.” Georgia’s back hit the door.

  “I love Rochelle!” Trudy screeched. “And she loves me. She tells me. She says that Chance will love me, too. When he sees us together, he will be so happy.” Trudy began to pace but continued to wave the knife at Georgia’s body. She shook her head. “I know Reverend Pyle says it’s wrong, that it’s a sin. But Rochelle makes me feel good, and I make her feel good. She tells me. She loves me, too. She just needs a man. That’s all. It’s not a sin. It’s love.” Trudy started to cry. She regarded Georgia with evil eyes. “But you’re in the way.”

  Georgia frantically tried to twist the knob on the front door. With a sinking heart, she realized it was locked. How was she going to get out of this? Chance and Missy Dee would find her when they got back from the store. Oh God, the kids would find her before then. She had to get out of here. She couldn’t let the little ones see her dead in a pool of blood. “Trudy, please, let’s do this outside. You don’t want to hurt the kids.”

  Trudy cocked her head to the side and looked at her. “I’m not going to hurt the kids. I just need you to go away.” Georgia heard a slight movement in the hall and Trudy whirled around, the knife facing the unknown noise. Georgia flung herself at Trudy with all of her might, knocking both of them to the floor. Georgia cracked her head on the coffee table, momentarily stunning herself. Trudy wiggled from her grasp, reaching for the knife, where it had dropped a few feet away.

  Georgia knew she couldn’t reach it in time to save herself. She closed her eyes and started to pray that God would be merciful and the children would sleep through the sound of her being murdered.

  Whack!

  With a screech, Trudy fell on top of Georgia, the knife skittering as it hit the floor. Georgia pushed the crazy woman off her, as blood dripped down her arm. Trudy was knocked out, a vicious slash across the back of her head. Georgia looked up to see Caleb, with the baseball bat, shaking, but holding it in a firm grip. The other boys were hanging on the door frame, their eyes wide in fear. Georgia kicked the knife under the sofa so they wouldn’t have to see it and tried to get up, but a wave of dizziness sent her to her knees.

  Suddenly the front door was kicked in, landing on the unconscious Trudy. Chance stepped through as Caleb swung the bat with all his might. Chance caught it in one large hand and jerked it out of the young boy’s hand. “It’s all right son. It’s over. You did just fine.”

  He pulled the boy in and hugged him as the child began to cry. “She was going to hurt, Miss Peaches. She said you needed to go away and be with another lady.”

  Georgia saw Missy Dee coming toward her in a blurry wave as Caleb’s words registered in her brain. This was all her fault. She had been selfish, wanting what she knew she couldn’t have. And now, poor Caleb would live with this trauma for the rest of his life. Trudy was crazy but she was right. Chance didn’t belong with her. She couldn’t take this kind of risk. She wouldn’t. She wasn’t brave enough to face this again.

  Her time with Chance had come to an end.

  ***

  That evening, Chance bundled Georgia up after all of the children had left with their parents. Georgia had a goose egg on her forehead, but no concussion .The police were still at the house trying to piece together how it all had happened. Trudy, though not dead, was going to have a hell of a headache and a very, very, long stint in a psychiatric ward. They had also taken Rochelle into custody for questioning.

  But Chance could care less about all of that. He was worried about Georgia. She now sat in his living room, staring at the TV, not uttering a word.

  “Georgia, honey, it’s going to be okay. Everyone is fine. Let’s get you to bed.”

  She nodded mutely and walked like a robot with him into his bedroom. He closed the door quietly and tried to take her in his arms. She stiffened immediately.

  “Peaches, you need to come back to me. We need to fix this. Tell me what I can do to fix this, baby.” He gathered her in his arms, although she was still unresponsive, and held her tight.

  He whispered in her ear, “Please, Peaches. You’re scaring me.”

  She refused to look at him. “I think I need to shower.” He was beyond frustrated. Something was terribly wrong. He watched her walk toward the bathroom. Seconds later, he heard the shower running.

  Knowing he couldn’t do anything but wait for her to come out, he made a quick decision to run up to the house and check on Missy Dee. He knew his mom was fussing over the old woman, but she had come to mean a lot to him in the past few weeks. Georgia was worried about her as well.

  He reached the back porch and opened the door to the kitchen only to find Sam and Angel kissing passionately. He started to back away, but Angel saw his movement and came out of Sam’s embrace.

  “How is she doing?” Angel asked with a blush at being caught.

  “Not good. She’s vacant. I can’t seem to reach her.” Chance ran a hand through his dark locks. “I was hoping maybe mom or dad would have some advice. I feel like I’m losing her.”

  Angel moved out of Sam’s embrace and went to Chance. Standing on tiptoes, she kissed him on the cheek. “I’m going to go and stay with her. You take your time.” She headed out the door, and Chance was left with Sam regarding him, a severe frown on his face.

  “Want some coffee?” Sam asked as he walked over to the kitchen counter and grabbed a cup.

  Chance sat down heavily, his head in his hands, elbows on the scarred kitchen ta
ble “I don’t know what I want anymore. I did this to her. My fucking around did this to her.”

  Sam sat across from his brother, cradling a hot coffee mug. “You got to knock that shit off, brother. You had no way of knowing. And you need to convince her of that, too. That’s what she needs. And you can’t waste time like this, either. That woman needs a strong hand. She’s floundering right now, and she needs someone to tell her she’s not alone and she has someone to lean on. She’s afraid to ask for what she needs. You need to give it to her now. Show her you aren’t going anywhere, no matter what life throws at you.”

  Chance looked up at his brother in shock. “So what am I supposed to do, Sam? Just go into the house, tell her to take her clothes off and fuck some sense into her?” He shoved off the table, disgusted with his brother.

  Sam came up as well. “That is not what I’m talking about and you know it. That woman is submissive. She needs a firm hand.”

  Chance looked at his brother. “That may work for you and Angel, but how the hell is it supposed to work for me and Georgia, Sam? Until a few days ago, she was a fucking virgin. I’m sure she knows nothing about BDSM.”

  “Then you teach her.”

  “Somehow, I believe the last thing she needs right now is me to spank her ass. Thanks for nothing.”

  Chance started out the door, but Sam slammed it shut. “You have no fucking idea what you’re talking about. I am not talking about “playing”. I am talking about you being the damn Dom. You go in there. You take care of her. You tell her what she needs to know. You hold her. You make love to her. You don’t give her any choice in the matter.”