by E. L. Todd
“Beauty.” I leaned over her and pressed a wet kiss to the area between her perky tits.
Her hand slowly moved into my hair. “Beast.”
“How’d you sleep?” I asked as I kept kissing her. My lips trailed up her neck and to her jaw.
“Amazing—like always.”
I moved over her and pressed my hard cock into her thigh, telling her I wanted to make love to her before I got my day started. With her, I needed it all the time. Only she could satisfy this specific craving. Her round tits looked delicious as she lay on her back below me. I loved the feel of her long legs as they wrapped around my waist. Anytime I was inside her it felt unbelievable.
My hand moved between her legs and I inserted a finger inside her, making sure she was wet for me. When I felt the moisture I sucked my finger before I moved over her, ready to move inside her.
Silke’s arms moved around my neck and she released a quiet moan as I pointed my tip at her entrance.
“Daddy!” Abby pounded on the door.
I sighed and bowed my head.
A disappointed look came into Silke’s eyes.
“Dad, wake up!” Abby pounded on the door again. “Take me to the park.”
I growled under my breath. “I’ll be ready soon, sweetheart. Go get ready.”
“Every time you say that you take forever!” Abby yelled.
“Well, I mean it this time,” I said through the door. “Now go.”
Her feet trailed away on the hardwood floor as she headed back to her room.
I turned back to Silke. “Sorry about that.”
“It’s okay.” Her arms moved around my neck again and she pulled me toward her.
“I’ll have to make this quick. I’m sorry.”
“As long as you make me come I don’t care how long it lasts.”
I pressed my lips to her ear. “I’m always up for the challenge.”
***
I packed Abby’s things and got ready to take her back to Lydia’s. I hated this part of the weekend. When I picked Abby up on Friday afternoon I was always so excited. Spending the weekend with her was wonderful, even if it interrupted my sex life with Silke, but when I had to drop her off again it broke my heart every time.
Silke stood by the door as I escorted Abby to the entrance. “She’ll be back again soon.” She always said things to make me feel better.
The truth was, I wish Abby could stay with me all the time. I didn’t like Lydia as a person and I also didn’t like her as a mother. But there was nothing I could do about that. I would be stuck in this predicament for the rest of my life. Fortunately, that wouldn’t happen with Silke. Our children would live with us so at least I had that.
“Ready to go, sweetheart?”
“Yes.” Abby bowed her head in sadness.
“You’ll be back before you know it.” I tried to remain optimistic with her so she wouldn’t feel down. I hid my pain from her. If she knew how much it hurt to watch her walk away it would hurt her too.
Abby kicked the floor like she wanted to throw a fit.
My phone rang so I glanced at the screen. It was Lydia. I wasn’t late so I didn’t know why she was calling me. “Hello?”
“Hey, Arsen,” she said in a sweet voice, like we were friends.
“I was just about to walk out and bring Abby back.”
“Actually, let’s get dinner.”
I didn’t enjoy spending time with Lydia but I didn’t see a way around it. It was important for Abby to see us as a team even though Silke was the woman I was in love with. That didn’t make it any easier. “Sure. Silke and I will meet you.”
“I don’t want her there.” Her voice came out savagely. “Just the three of us.”
I always insisted on Silke coming along because Lydia needed to understand she and I would last forever. There was nothing she could do to keep us apart. Just because she didn’t come to dinner with us didn’t mean she didn’t have a huge presence in Abby’s life. “Fine. Where?”
“How about that Italian place we usually go to?”
“Sure.” I didn’t give a damn.
“I’ll see you soon.” She hung up.
“What did mama say?” Abby asked.
I forced a smile. “We’re going to dinner.”
“Yay.” Abby raised her arms in the air. “Silke too?”
Silke’s face fell in sadness.
“No, she can’t go this time,” I said. “But you’ll see Silke next weekend.”
“Oh…” Abby sighed in sadness.
“But we’ll have a good time,” I said.
Abby turned to Silke and hugged her. “Bye, Silke.”
“Bye, honey.” Silke hugged her tightly. Judging the sadness on her face it was just as difficult for her to say goodbye. Silke took care of Abby the way I did. She gave her baths, helped her get dressed, made her dinner, and read to her at night. Silke was a second mom and she did a great job. We were at team.
I moved to Silke and gave her a PG kiss on the lips. “I’ll see you when I get back.”
She plastered a fake smile on her face. “Have a good time.”
“We will.” I apologized with my eyes.
She squeezed my upper arm. “Go. I’m sure Abby is hungry.”
I gave her a quick hug. “Love you, Beauty.”
“Love you too.”
I kissed her cheek then walked out with Abby.
***
Abby sat beside me and colored in her coloring book. Lydia watched her with a fond look in her eyes. Our plates were on the table, almost empty from the feast we just finished.
I ordered a glass of wine to take the edge off. I could only deal with Lydia if I was a little buzzed. She infuriated me beyond reason. I suspected she had these little play dates more for herself than for Abby.
“How’s work?” she asked.
“Fine.” I wasn’t very talkative with her. I just didn’t have anything to say. “Business is good.”
“Have you considered expanding?”
“A few times,” I said. “But then that means I have more responsibilities, which means I have less time with Abby and—” I forgot not to mention Silke’s name. But that was impossible to do since she was such a big part of my life.
Lydia’s eyes danced in flames at my words.
The damage was done so I didn’t stress about it. “When Abby gets older and becomes involved in sports and other activities I want to be around—for everything.”
That seemed to cool her jets. “You can always hire a manager to run the other shop.”
“But that also means I have to train them.”
She shrugged. “I’m sure the investment would pay off.”
“I have enough money,” I answered. “I don’t need more.”
She picked at her food and eyed Abby. “Abby might want to take over someday.”
I couldn’t picture that. “It’s hers if she wants it but I’m sure she’ll want to do something else. Maybe my future son will want it.”
Lydia shot me a mean glare. “Excuse me?”
This subject was always touchy with her. I didn’t apologize. “Yes, I intend to have more children with Silke. Get over it, Lydia.”
She gripped her fork like she wanted to stab me with it.
Abby kept coloring, oblivious to our argument.
“Are you seeing anyone?” I asked.
“No.” She refused to look at me again.
“There are a few guys at the shop who are pretty cool. I can introduce you.”
“I’m not dating a mechanic.” She said it like it was absurd.
“What’s wrong with being a mechanic?” I demanded. “I’m a mechanic. And it takes more skill than being a teller at a bank.”
She flashed me another glare.
Holding my tongue was getting more and more difficult. I absolutely loathed this woman. Why did I want to sleep with her to begin with? She wasn’t even that pretty.
Fortunately, the check came.
&
nbsp; I threw the cash inside immediately, wanting this night to end.
“You have no right to talk to me like that,” she hissed.
I wanted to snap back but I didn’t. “Let’s not argue right now.” I glanced at Abby.
“We’ll argue when I damn well please.”
My teeth ground together in agitation. I didn’t curse in front of my daughter and it annoyed me when other people did. It didn’t set a good example.
“Don’t talk to me like that again,” she threatened.
“I won’t if you give me the same respect.”
“Respect?” she asked. “You ran out on me when I was pregnant—”
“I know,” I said calmly. “I was there.”
That just pissed her off more.
“Let’s go, sweetheart.” I packed Abby’s things and put them in her bag, wanting to avert an oncoming fight. I could handle Lydia but I didn’t want my daughter to listen to it.
We left the restaurant and walked outside. I hoped the cool night air would calm Lydia down.
But it didn’t.
Once we were out of the restaurant, she slapped me hard across the face.
Abby gasped. “You hurt Daddy…”
My face turned with the force but I slowly turned back to Lydia, keeping my anger in check. I gave Lydia a cold look and spoke to Abby. “Daddy is fine, sweetheart. Nothing can hurt me.”
“I beg to differ,” Lydia said.
I just wanted to get out of this situation. “Let me walk you guys home and we’ll call it a night.”
“We can manage.” She snatched Abby’s hand and dragged her away.
I stood there helplessly, feeling my cheek burn.
“But I didn’t get to say goodbye to daddy.” Abby kept trying to look at me over her shoulder.
“Not now, Abby.” Lydia kept pulling her away.
I forced myself to sound pleasant. “I’ll see you later, sweetheart. I love you.”
Abby tried to wave to me. “I love you too, Daddy.”
I continued to stare at them until they were out of my sight. My hands were in my pockets and I felt cold. Why did my life have to be like this? Everything else was perfect. I was a good father and I just wanted to be with my daughter.
But the devil wouldn’t allow it.
***
Silke was sitting on the couch when I got home. “How’d it go?”
The loud sigh I released told her everything.
“That bad?” She turned off the TV then came closer to me. When she got a good look at my face she stared at my right cheek, noticing the color that started to burn in the skin. Anger shined in her eyes. “I’ll kick her ass. All you need to do is give me the command.”
“She’s not worth your time,” I said darkly.
Silke cupped my cheeks then rubbed her thumb over the swollen area. “What happened?”
“I back-talked her.”
“You make it seem like you’re a child.”
“She treats me like one,” I said darkly.
She placed gentle kisses on the red skin, and within minutes my anger ebbed away. It was difficult to stay mad when I had a gorgeous woman who loved me so dearly. She lived her entire life for me, showing a devotion that was rare. She understood how to comfort me during my darkest hour. And she knew how to cheer me up. “How about I make you feel better?” She gave me a playful smile then ran her hands up my chest.
I played along. “What did you have in mind?”
Her hands glided to my jeans and she began to undo them. “I know what cheers you up.”
“You.” It was a guarantee.
“Along with something else…” She moved to her knees in front of me then pulled my jeans down.
I knew what was coming and my breathing increased. My excitement couldn’t be contained, and my hand moved into her hair so I could hold onto her.
Silke took me into her mouth. And like always, she distracted me so well I wasn’t even sure what I was originally upset about.
***
When I got off work, I walked into my apartment and removed my jacket. Silke got off at the same time I did but she usually went by her place and changed before she came over. Her place was nice but she preferred mine because it was bigger and had two bathrooms. When we got married, we would probably need a bigger place. Just her shoes alone would need their own room.
I immediately grabbed a beer and downed half of it in a single gulp. I stood in my kitchen and looked out the floor-to-ceiling windows, wondering if Silke was just around the corner.
My phone rang and I pulled it out of my pocket, hoping it was my girl to tell me she was on her way. But when I looked at the screen, I saw a number I didn’t recognize. Unsure if it was related to work, I took the call. “Arsen.”
“Arsen?” A woman’s voice came over the phone, full of tears. She sobbed into the receiver, almost breaking my eardrum.
I had to pull it away for a moment as I cringed. Then I pulled it back but kept it a few inches from my face. “Yes. Who’s this?”
She continued to sob. “Nancy…Lydia’s mother.”
Hearing the emotion in her voice and understanding her identity made me freeze in place. “Is Abby okay? Is she hurt? What’s wrong?” I immediately paced the apartment annd dropped my beer on the ground, letting it shatter into pieces.
“It’s not Abby.” She sniffed and tried to quiet her voice.
“Then what’s wrong?” I was relieved my daughter was okay. But I couldn’t think of a reason why Lydia’s mom would call me in tears. “What happened? How can I help?”
“Lydia…she was in an accident.”
My heart raced in my chest. “Is she okay?”
“No…she’s dead.”
Chapter Four
Clementine
Ward hadn’t been himself for a while. He was particularly quiet and standoffish. He didn’t speak unless I spoke to him first, and he tended to busy himself at the gym or work at home in his office.
He’d been weird since that day when I ran into Jeremy but there was no explanation for his behavior. Instead of asking him about it, I kept my silence in the hope everything would blow over.
But it didn’t.
Dinner was ready and I was waiting for Ward to walk through the front door so we can sit at the table together. But he never walked inside. When it became particularly late I wasn’t sure why he was still at work. He’d worked late in the past but it was never anything like this.
I decided to call him, and my heart raced as I listened to the rings.
He answered. “Yes?”
He never answered the phone that way. “Yes?” Irritation was in my voice.
“What do you want?” he barked.
“I want to know why you still aren’t home.”
“I went out with the lads for a drink. I’ll be back…whenever I feel like coming back.” He hung up.
My jaw dropped when the line went dead.
Did he just hang up on me?
I called him back, furious.
“Now what?” he snapped.
“What the hell is your problem?”
“My problem?” he asked incredulously. “I’m not the one with the problem.” He hung up again.
I screamed then called him back. “Don’t you dare hang up on me again.”
“Then I’m going to put the phone on the table. See ya.” He set the phone down and I heard a conversation in the background.
“Ward!”
He didn’t return to the phone. But I heard him laugh in the background while he drank his beer with his friends.
I screamed then hung up.
Why the hell was he acting like this?
***
Ward didn’t come home until two in the morning. He entered our bedroom then tore his suit off, tossing it on the floor. He usually hung up his clothes the second he took them off because they weren’t cheap. But it didn’t seem like he cared.
I sat up because I hadn’t been asleep anyway. With
out him next to me sleep was difficult to manage. “Glad you finally decided to come home.”
“Yep.” He tore his socks off then headed to the shower. He slammed the door before he got under the water.
I was so irritated with him that I wanted to bash his head into the wall. I got out of bed and hung up his clothes over the back of the chair before I sat at the edge of the bed, ready to rip into him the second he came out.
Minutes later he emerged with a towel around his waist. His hair was slightly damp and his chest was wide with strength. He checked his appearance in the mirror and ran his fingers through his hair before he tossed the towel aside then pulled out a pair of boxers from his drawer.
I continued to stare at him with my arms across my chest. “Did you have a good time?” Venom dripped from my voice.
“I did. Thank you.” He acted cheerful like he was oblivious to my hostility. Then he pulled back the covers and ignored me.
“Why are you being such an asshole?”
“Me hanging out with my friends makes me an asshole?” He shrugged. “Who knew?”
I wanted to scream and slam his head against a wall. “Don’t play stupid with me. Why are you treating me like shit?”
“I’m treating you like shit?” he asked in mock offense.
“Yes. How dare you talk to me like that? What gives you the right—”
“At least I don’t lie to you.” He sat up and gave me a threatening look. “Now that would be treating you like shit.” He tossed the covers back then headed to his closet.
“What?” I blurted. “When did I lie to you?”
He pulled a shirt over his head then jeans over his legs. “Really? You’re going to play dumb with me?” Even though it was dark I could see the fire in his eyes. “I gave up my whole life for you and our son and you have the audacity to sit there and act innocent?” He slowly crept to me then he got in my face, giving me a threatening look.
I’d never seen him this angry, and I naturally leaned back because the hostility made me uncomfortable. I’d never been afraid of him but now I was.
He leaned closer to my face. “Fuck you, Clementine.” He moved away then grabbed his keys and wallet. “I’m staying at a hotel tonight. Don’t call me.” He marched out of the bedroom.