Finding Strength: A Club Dark Novel

by Reagan Hollow

  A low moan escapes my lips when his warmth returns, swirling around my bundle of nerves, his tongue building a rhythm of slow circles. A delicious throbbing in my core sets in moments before my release takes over, spreading like fire from my head all the way down to my feet.

  Coming down from a high only he can take me to, he crawls up my body, his mouth latching onto the cloth still covering my breasts.

  “This is in the way,” he growls. Without any notice, he tears the bra from my chest, throwing it across the room. Just as fast, his mouth clamps down around my nipple, sending shockwaves straight through my body. I feel the sharp scrape of his teeth just before he sinks them into my sensitive flesh. My back bows off the bed as a whimper comes out. His tongue trails around the imprints I’m sure he just made before he repeats his actions on the other side.

  Now overheated with sensations and desire, my body latches onto his, wrapping my legs around his back as he slides the rest of his body flush with mine.

  “Make love to me, Cory,” I say into his mouth, running my hand down his torso until I reach his smooth, rock hard cock, giving it a little squeeze and take delight when he growls into my ear.

  “Oh, I plan to baby.” At an agonizingly slow pace, he very gently begins to push into me. I’m not sure if he’s being careful not to hurt me or if he’s just trying to kill me with the tortuously slow pace, taking his time to make sure I feel as each inch of him pushes in deeper. My walls clamp down around him, welcoming his intrusion. Our moans come out together, each on bated breaths as he slides himself completely out only to slowly slide all the way back in, this time, his hips slam into mine once he’s fully inside.

  “Ahhh!” I scream.

  “Are you okay?” His body stills.

  “Oh, my God, yes. Don’t stop.” I claw at his back, willing his body to move against mine again.

  Not having to be asked twice, his hips slam back into mine and I cling to him even tighter, my nails digging in deeper.

  Our bodies rock against each other, a slow, even tempo, neither of us wanting to rush. Our breaths become frantic, the pressure building in my core with each slow and steady rock of his hips.

  “Hold on tight, baby.” Is the only warning he grants me before his arms snake around my back to lock down on my shoulders, as if to hold me in place. Grabbing onto the flesh at his back, I prepare myself as his tempo picks up, slamming into me harder and faster than before.

  My orgasm takes me by surprise, as his thrusts become more frantic, my walls clenching down hard around him.

  “Oh God! Oh Cory!” I moan as wave after wave of pure bliss take me over. I feel him stiffen above me as his wordless release rolls through him, before his body goes slack and he collapses above me, still taking care not to bear too much weight on me.

  Our breaths erratic, we both feel content to just lie here in each other's arms.

  “No matter what’s thrown our way, we’ll get through it together.” He kisses the top of my head.

  I hope he’s right.

  I see the doubt on her face, but I’ll make her see the truth. She has nothing else to worry about, so long as she’s with me. I’ll make sure of it. I’ve felt like I’ve gone through this life, just existing, going through the day to day motions, only to get from one day to another for far too long. Then, Lacey came along, breathing life back into my bleak existence, and I refuse to let anything else come between us.

  Hopping off her bed, I peek out the door to make sure no one's around, before throwing a blanket over our naked bodies, scooping her into my arms, and walking her all the way to the shower in my private bathroom. Gently, I set her down on the cold floor, the blanket pooling around our feet, and turn the shower on full blast.

  Gathering her back into my arms, I walk her backwards until her back connects with the wall and the warm cascade of the shower, falls around us.

  Our mouths pull together like magnets drawn to each other, and I swallow the yelp of surprise that threatens to escape her lips.

  Picking her up, she hooks her legs around my waist, and I slam into her in one fluid movement.

  Feeling her back arch as her warm, tight pussy clenches around me, has my dick throbbing with need and begging for more.

  I take a moment to savor her, stilling deep inside her body, a sense of home taking over me. This is where I’m meant to be, she is where I’m meant to be.

  Looking deep into her eyes, I find peace there, and my heart soars. Without a word, I pull out and slowly rock back into her, taking my time to make tender love to her like I’ve never done before; I don’t do tender. Yet, for her, I’m finding I’ll do anything.

  We lose ourselves in the steady spray, me swallowing her cries, her making fresh marks wherever she can dig her nails in, until we are both too weak to stand any longer.

  Pulling her from the shower, I wrap her in a towel and guide her to my bed.

  Settling in behind her, wrapping my arms around her tiny frame, I feel her quivering, tiny shakes taking over her body as I realize she’s crying.

  Turning her in my arms to face me, I catch a tear as it slowly trails down her cheek. “Why are you crying?”

  She looks up at me, tears still fresh in her eyes, my heart stuttering in my chest at the thought that I may have put them there. “I don’t feel like I deserve you,” she whispers.

  “Shh, baby. Why would you even think that? It’s me that doesn’t deserve you. I am darkness and you are the light. You make me a better man and for that I will always be grateful.” I try to soothe her, rolling over onto my back and letting her get comfortable with her head against my chest. “You’ve got me now and forever.” You’ve always had me. I think to myself. “And in case it wasn’t already clear, you’re not going back to that room, your place is here, with me.” Which is how it should have been when I first brought her back. My first mistake was creating distance between us, I’m fixing that now.

  I’ve lost count of the weeks that have gone by. Cory and I have managed to settle into a sense of normalcy around here. Amber moved back home, with the promise that she’d be around as often as she can. I’ve also noticed that Alex hasn’t been around much since she’s left, though I already saw that coming.

  Cory finally started going back to work full time, and boy does he pull in some hours. If he’s not at the club, he’s in his office. How he finds the time to rest is beyond me. Slowly, the sickness from the pregnancy started receding. I haven’t been back to the doctor since Amber and I went, but Cory lined us up with the best OB in Seattle, and I have an appointment with her next week. I’m nervous because I no longer have any kind of urges to get rid of my baby, yes, she’s my baby and will remain a she until I’m told otherwise.

  After being up far too late just talking one night, we both decided, it doesn’t matter who fathered this baby, she’s still mine, and Cory says that’s enough for him. There’s still a small trickle of doubt rooted into the back of my mind, and I try not to let it eat at me. I need trust that his mind won’t change when he’s faced with the reality of his decision. I don’t know what I’d do if he changed his mind, but what I do know is that from now until forever this tiny baby growing inside of me will always be number one.

  We talked about converting the room Amber and I stayed in into a nursery once the baby is born, and Al took it upon himself to make sure I had every magazine, book, and pamphlet dedicated to a baby's needs, so I’d have a diverse reach when we decide to furnish it. I swear that man is more excited to welcome a baby into the house than we are.

  “How’s the baby shopping going?” Amber plops herself down on the couch beside me. She wasn’t kidding when she said she’d be here every chance she got.

  “Ugh, I’m lost. What does a baby even need besides something to cover its butt and keep it warm? All this high-tech shit has my eyes bleeding. Who needs a crib that costs more than my car?” I question, showing her the over two-thousand-dollar crib staring back at me.

  She laughs, an outrigh
t throaty thing that has me wanting to punch her in the throat. Calm down hormones.

  “What’s so funny?”

  “Sweetheart, a baby needs so much more than diapers and clothes. Have you thought about a parenting class?”

  “I thought those classes were meant for deadbeat parents?” I question

  “Girl, you have a lot to learn.” She shakes her head before angling her body toward mine, pulling one of her knees onto the couch between us.

  “A lot of new parents will take a few classes to prepare themselves. Yes, it can be court ordered if one or both parents are found to need it, but no one will frown upon you for wanting to prepare yourself.” The thought of joining a class, with a room full of other people, has my stomach turning. I’ve never had an aversion to large groups before, but now, the idea doesn’t sound appealing.

  “How is it you know so much about this?” I only asked to make conversation, but noticing her suddenly grow silent beside me, my curiosity is instantly piqued.

  “You don’t have to tell me.”

  “No, it’s okay. I was pregnant once. Not long after my family kicked me out, I got mixed in with the wrong crowd. I thought I was in love and drugs became my best friend. When I found out I was pregnant, I tried to sober up. I took one of those parenting classes myself. But Garrett, the guy who knocked me up, was adamant that he didn’t want kids. One night, I was lying on an old dirty mattress in an abandoned building, that myself and a handful of other people called home, when he came charging through the doors. The rage in his eyes still haunts me to this day. He didn’t stop, just came straight at me, pummeling his thick, heavy boot into my stomach over and over, until someone pulled him away. I was dumped outside a hospital where a kind nurse took me inside, and what I already knew was confirmed. My baby was gone. No way would it have survived such brutality.” Tears cover both our faces as I listen to her story. I knew on some level that she’d had a rough past, but I never would have guessed it was this. “I guess I should be thankful. It’s because of Garrett that I fully sobered up, and walked into your man's bar the night I was released from the hospital.” She finishes, wiping the tears from her face.

  “Amber,” I call her attention to me, seeing the dazed look in her eyes, it’s apparent that she’s still trapped in her memories. “I’m so sorry that happened to you.” For all the strength she carries around, you would never know what she buries down deep.

  “Nothing to be done about it now, it’s all water under the bridge.” She visibly shakes herself and pulls me to stand as she rises. “Come on, you and I need a day out. Go tell your boy-toy you’ll be back later.”

  I laugh at her attempt at making light of the situation.

  Finding Cory in his office, I knock twice and push the door open without waiting. My steps are halted in the doorway at the sight of him sitting all regal behind his desk, computer in front of him, and a pair of sexy as shit reading glasses perched at the end of his nose. He looks fucking HOT, making me feel like I should cool my lady bits if I’m going to be in his presence. I walk over to him and quickly explain mine and Amber’s plans before I say, fuck her, and take him right here right now. But of course, he doesn’t make it that easy on me, grabbing my wrist as I turn for the door. “And where are the two of you going?” His voice is low, taking on a sultry sweet edge that licks right up my spine, making my knees tremble. This fucker knows just what he does to me.

  “I don’t know, Amber said a girls’ day,” I say softly, doing my best not to let him see the effect he’s having on me. Like that’ll ever happen. He knows my body inside and out. There’s nothing I can hide from him.

  I didn’t realize he left his desk until he’s staring me right in the eyes, his body growing closer to mine, as I inch further away, a solid bank of wall halts my escape. Before I can think, his body collides with mine, trapping my arms in his hands and thrusting them above my head. His nose traces a path at the hollow in my neck, eliciting tiny little shivers trailing up and down my back. He pins me to the wall with his hips, giving me front row action to the hard on he’s sporting in his jeans. “Take a driver and your cell. I want to know where you are at all times.” He says all of this as he trails kisses up and down the side of my neck. Who in their right mind would argue his logic with a pair of lips like his, caressing them.

  “Ummm-Hmm,” was meant to be an agreeance, but came out more as a moan. He laughs into my throat before taking a step back.

  “Go ahead, have fun with your friend. I’d join you two, but I have a mountain of work to do.” He gives me one last sexy smirk; the fucker knew what he just did. I’m not going to be able to enjoy a day out with a friend without thinking about him. Ass.

  Turning on my heel, I walk right back out his door, listening to the sound of his laughter carrying down the corridor, mocking me with his smugness. I’ll show him. Cory Lewis, you’re playing with fire, baby, and I burn hot!

  I’ll give it to the girl, when she invited me out I was expecting another low-key sports bar, not a Babies R Us. She has totally taken surprised to a whole new level. Walking inside, I’m immediately overwhelmed with all the pinks and blues staring me right in the face. I feel a nervous breakdown coming on, it’s sudden and unexpected, yet another thing I’m not used to.

  “I can’t do this,” I say and rush right back out the automatic doors; the natural air from outside doing wonders to pump oxygen back into my lungs.

  “Hey, are you okay?” Amber rushes up to me and my bent over form. She guides me over to a bench a few feet down the walkway.

  “Honestly, no. I don’t know what’s going on with me lately. Just the thought of being in a crowd weirds me out, but walking in that store...” I take in a mouthful of air, pulling it way down deep into my lungs, feeling my chest expand before slowly exhaling. “I just can’t handle it.”

  “Oh sweetie, I’m so sorry. We don’t have to do this right now.” She gives me a sympathetic smile, which only heats my blood to a boil. What the fuck is wrong with me? I am not this person dammit.

  “No, it’s okay. I’ll be okay,” I lie, but resolve myself to getting the task done. How am I ever going to bring myself to believe I can take care of another human being if I can’t even pull myself together?

  Standing on shaky legs, I make my way to the dreaded store. Don’t get me wrong, the idea of me becoming someone else’s mom has started to sink in, but being up close and personal like this, it’s just not something I prepared myself for. It’s not proving to be as easy as I thought it would be.

  “Hi, welcome to Babies R Us, would you like to sign up for one of our registries today? We have complimentary gifts for those who complete it here in our store.” A perky little blonde comes out of nowhere, she can’t be more than sixteen or seventeen years old maybe. She’s dressed in a green polo with the store name across the left side of the chest. Her shirt is nicely tucked into a pair of pressed khakis. She looks prim and proper. Like a kid still in high school, who really didn’t have to work, but wanted extra pocket change to hangout on the weekends.

  “We’d love to.” Amber answers for me when she sees me just staring at the girl, opened mouth like a fish in a bowl. I snap my jaw shut and give my new best friend a glare meant to incinerate her where she stands. She only shrugs, giving me a look as if to say what else are we going to do?

  Reluctantly, I drag myself over to the very inviting chairs set up in the middle of the store. The perky blonde, whose name tag reads, Beth, slides into a rolling chair in front of a computer. She starts clicking around on the keyboard before handing me a clipboard.

  “I’ll just need a little bit of info from you and a copy of your ID Then, you’ll be able to walk around the store and scan anything you’d like to add to your wish list. Once you are done, we’ll supply you with invitations that will give everyone the link to your registry.” She looks between the two of us, “When are you guys due?” I almost choke on the air now trapped in my throat, “Oh, we aren’t...” I begin, but Ambe
r cuts me off. “We aren’t sure yet, we’ll have a definite due date next week,” she gives me a wink, “our little bundle of joy should be making an appearance just after New Year’s.” I can see the barely contained laughter she’s hiding, and I realize she’s messing with the girl. Holding back a laugh of my own, I reach over and grab Amber’s hand, threading my fingers through hers and giving them a squeeze. This lasts for all of two seconds before the laughter finally gets the best of both of us.

  Little Beth gives us both a strange look before she stands with the ID I gave her, promising to be back once she’s made a copy.

  “God, I needed that. Thank you,” I say to Amber

  “Anytime, baby momma.” And again, we are both rolling in the laughter when Beth returns with my license. Glancing down at the clipboard, I realize I haven’t even touched it. But the thought of moving forward in this pregnancy is getting just a little bit easier, thanks to Amber. What did I ever do before this girl?

  Handing back the form, after filling in a few essential basics like my name, address, age, and date of last menstrual, the girl hands me a type of scanner with instructions just to point it at a barcode and shoot. The menstrual part was the hardest. With all I’ve been through, my minds a bit fuzzy on when. I want to say it was the end of April maybe the first week of May?

  “Let’s go shoot some stuff, babe,” Amber says, keeping up with our little rouse. I shake my head at her and smile. She’s one of a kind.