by Ryan Michele
I smile down at my boy, fighting to keep my thoughts from showing on my face. “It’s chocolate, buddy. When I was a kid, Grandma used to give Uncle GT and me chocolate hearts just like this every Valentine’s Day. And you know the best part?”
“Wha?” He takes his adorable little eyes off the package for one moment as he asks but quickly focuses back on the box.
“The best part is we got to eat it right after breakfast every year.” I rub my hand over his belly and he starts to laugh.
“Can I eap it?” Coop looks over at Cruz then up at me. I glance at Cruz. He’s sitting back in his chair, lip turned up on the side, just watching our exchange.
“Yep. This is from me and Daddy.” Of course, Cruz had no idea, but I’d never tell Cooper that. Cruz and I are in this together and if I have to help him along the way, I have no problems with that. I didn’t expect him to remember and hell, it’s a bullshit holiday anyway. I tell my boys I love them all the time, but I needed to do this tradition with them. Something that I can pass on. Fuck, where the hell is all this sentimental bullshit coming from? It’s gotta be a mom thing. I swear it’s changed me.
“Wheelly?” Coop’s excitement blasts through the room. He knows he usually can’t have sweets until later in the day. I don’t have many rules for him, but I made this one when I found him standing on a chair in front of the pantry eating a full pack of candy bars at seven in the morning. I’m not an expert, but that can’t be good.
“Yep. You want me to help you open it?”
Coop pulls the box away like it’s his lifeline and no one is touching it. “No.” He hops down and turns to me. “Tank you, Mommy.” My heart melts. He uses his index finger in a come here motion so I bend down level with his face. He places a very slobbery kiss on my cheek. Warmth fills every crevice of my body. I suck in every bit of this moment.
“You’re welcome, buddy.” Coop heads over to Cruz, doing the same thing. I just stare at them; I love watching my boys together. There is something about their interactions that mesmerize me. Cruz always says he doesn’t know what he’s doing, but he’s a quick learner. As am I.
“Tanks, Daddy.” Coop bounces on his toes in excitement just as Cruz wraps his arms around him, lifting him up off the ground. Coop laughs as Cruz tickles him, and it is the most beautiful sight a woman could see. A strong tough sexy man loving his child. It doesn’t get better than that.
“You’re welcome.” Cruz sets him down. “Now, go eat it.” Coop runs off and I can hear the ripping of the cardboard box as he goes. Cruz’s eyes flash to me. “You’re a hell of a mom.” My throat tightens, but I choke that shit down and slide the other box across the table. Cruz follows the movement with his eyes, and then looks back up at me. “For me?”
“I couldn’t get Coop one and not you. You might think I’m picking favorites or some shit. Can’t have that,” I joke, waving my hand like it’s no big deal. Really, it’s not. I knew Cruz wasn’t into that shit and it doesn’t bother me one bit.
Fire burns in his eyes and my pussy clenches. I still find it unreal how just a look from him can set me off. “When do we take Coop to Ma’s?”
I turn to the clock. Oops. “Shit. In about ten minutes.” I still have to pack for him.
“Good. I can’t wait to fuck you uninterrupted. All. Damn. Day.”
“You’re here!” Ma exclaims from the door. Coop runs into her arms, almost knocking her over.
“Happy Valentime’s Day, Gamma!” Coop yells then runs into Pops’s waiting arms. “Happy Valentime’s Day, Pops!”
It’s so weird seeing your children interact with your parents. It’s a whole different dynamic. When I grew up, I remember Ma scolding GT and me for running around the house. But Coop? He can run, climb up the walls, or shake the damn house down and nothing. Ma does pull him back when it’s over the top. When I asked her why, she told me something that stunned me and I had never thought of before. She said that while she was raising my brother and me, she had to teach us life’s rules, like consequences and eating right. With Coop, it’s Cruz and I that have to do that, while she gets to have fun and enjoy him without having to be as hard on him as she was with us.
I made the joke that she gets to be the fun one and I have to be the mean one. She didn’t bat an eye in saying ‘yes’ right away. I don’t feel like I’m the mean one, but I do try to keep Coop on a good path.
“Come in. I have something for you.” Ma smiles in her knowing way and part of me is excited to see what Coop will tell her.
We all step into the house, greeting each other with hugs and man hugs. Cruz brings in Cooper’s bag and stuffed dinosaur that he loves so much.
“Come here, Cooper.” It’s like I’m replaying the morning as Ma pats her lap and Coop climbs up. She holds out a white box and Coop’s eyes widen in surprise.
“Mommy! It’s jus like ta one you gabe me!” he yells loud enough for the neighbors to hear. At Ma’s surprised expression, a fulfillment races through me that I did something right. I did something good in this mom game that I’m trying so hard at. I want to be the mom that Coop deserves. I’m proud to have Ma as my model. I say nothing.
“Well, your Mommy is a very smart woman. Did she tell you the fun part about this box?”
Coop’s head bobs up and down like one of those dolls. I can already see his sugar crash coming hard later today. Ma will get the fun of that for a while.
“Eap! I dit to eap it!” His excitement punctures my ear drums. I feel the need to rub it out of my ears. Damn, that boy.
“Yes you do, little man. Go on in and ask Pops for some milk, too.” I quirk my brow as Coop runs off, and Ma just shrugs.
“What? Two chocolate hearts isn’t gonna kill him. And the milk balances it out.” Ma’s laugh echoes through the living room and I follow suit. “So, you decided to follow our tradition?” she asks and I sober a bit.
“I want to give Cooper the childhood he deserves. I want to do this right, Ma.” She moves next to me on the couch and pulls my hands into hers.
“Baby girl, you are gonna make mistakes. You may even make some doozies along the way. It happens. As long as you have that baby boy’s best interest at heart when you make those decisions, that is all you can do. Traditions are good. It’s the things you’ll remember when I’m dead and gone.” I cringe at her words. She pats me, knowing my thoughts. “You need to pass these on to your boy. I’m so very proud of you that you did.”
I don’t want to cry. Please water move away from my eyes right now. Throat please open up so I can breathe. Dammit. I just can’t.
“Princess, you have a huge heart that you only let a select few see. That heart is what is going to pull you through raising Cooper and any other children you and Cruz have.” Other kids. Shit. I’m hanging by the skin of my teeth with the one. “I raised you to be able to put up with bullshit. That’s what this life hands us sometimes and hopefully, I gave you all the tools you need to put Coop on the right path.” This is by far the deepest conversation about parenting that Ma and I have had. With so much drama going on and everyone trying to keep their heads above water, it’s been difficult. I can definitely say in this moment that I have the best mother ever, and I hope that I’m even a fourth of her when it comes to Coop.
“Here.” Ma hands over my very own red-foil-covered chocolate heart. A lone tear dribbles down my cheek and I let it. No use in fighting it.
I take it and wrap my arms around my mother. “I love you,” I whisper softly in her ear, and her squeeze on me tightens.
“Love you too, baby girl.”
“What’s going on?” Cruz booms from the doorway, concern evident in his tone. I give him a reassuring smile.
“Just mother-daughter stuff. You ready to go?”
Cruz points behind him with his thumb. “Pops has Coop at the table with his chocolate and milk. He’s happy as shit.”
“Come over here,” Ma orders, and he doesn’t hesitate. She hands him a white box. “Happy Valentine’s
Day, Cruz.” Ma smiles wide as Cruz leans down and kisses her on the cheek. “All right. You two get out of here. You are taking up our time with our grandson,” she jokes. We say our goodbyes and leave with our red chocolate hearts.
“Pull them down now and get over here,” Cruz growls, turning off the car just as the door to the garage hits the ground. His heavy breathing warms the air, an electric current filling the tight space of the car. My man is more than ready.
Without further prompting, I do his bidding by shoving my pants and thong down and kicking them off, but then I just sit back in my seat. Stretching my leg up, I rest my heel on the ledge of the window. I drag my fingers through my already hot heat, releasing a moan that would make a porn star proud just to egg his ass on. He wants it, come and fucking get it.
“Think you’re gonna fucking toy with me, woman?” I’m at a loss for words. “That pussy is mine and I’ll take it and have it whenever the fuck I want. You got me?”
His tight grip on my arm stops my movement. I flutter my lashes at him in a ‘What, baby?’ way. I recognize the instant he snaps, the blaze in his eyes turning into a damn forest fire. His hand tightens as he yanks me out of my seat. In a flash, his cock is at my entrance as I straddle him in the seat. When the hell did he take it out? He grips my wrists behind my back, holding me in place as a powerful hip thrust sends him so deep I scream. The bite of pain as my channel expands to meet his size only fuels the rush in my belly. He doesn’t give my body a lot of time for it. My feet plant on some part of the car on either side of him, hell if I know what at this point. His relentless thrusts invade my body, hitting every nerve-ending with each glide. Holy shit.
My wrists are lodged between my back and the steering wheel, causing the horn to blare. My body jumps at the sound, but relaxes instantly.
“My girl fucking likes my dick. Don’t you?” Thrust, pull, thrust, pull. Oh God. “Likes my dick so far inside, you feel me knocking your fucking tonsils. Right, baby?” I love when he talks like this. It’s like a detonation button that sends everything spiraling. “That pussy’s tightening around my cock, don’t you fucking come till I say.” I whimper, the coil inside of me ready to unleash. Math. I fucking hate math. Calculations begin forming in my head as I try to stave off the orgasm. His strong hand grips my chin, pulling my focus on him. “On me.” Fuck. I hate that he knows me so damn well. The way my clit grinds into his pelvic bone starts a rippling effect, I’m pretty sure I can’t stop.
“Please, Cruz. Please.” This man right here is the only one I’d beg and I’m not one bit ashamed of that fact. When it’s your man, everything means a fuck-of-a-lot more.
“You’re burning, babe. Just like I fucking like you.” Cruz’s cock swells inside of me and I tighten. It’s coming. Shit I can’t stop it. “Now, babe. With me.” Sounds escape my lips that pierce my ears as roll after roll of pleasure invades me. My head flies back, smashing me into the steering wheel. Cruz’s grunts and groans come seconds later. I wiggle down on his cock, clamping my inner walls on him. He loves that shit. More hot jets spurt into my body.
I rest my forehead on his shoulder, my breathing having a difficult time catching up with the fact that I need oxygen. My wrists are released and small prickles fly up and down them. We sit there, my man lodged inside of me, taking his time to calm down.
“Babe. You’re gonna need to climb off. I’m covered in my fucking jizz.” I burst out laughing and try to regain myself when he growls. He hates being covered in his own cum. He says mine is fine, but his, no fucking way. His days of jacking off are way over.
We make a mad dash for the bathroom, stripping off the rest of our clothes, Cruz hitting my ass on the way. His laughter fills the air with mine. I love this man.
“Get in the shower and fuck me,” I say, squeezing his hard ass once we reach the shower door.
“Greedy,” he mumbles, but he doesn’t make me wait. He yanks me under the hot spray and his lips attack. He pulls away slightly, and I open my eyes to meet his. “Love you, babe.”
My insides twist. “Love you, too.”
“Let’s go for a ride,” Cruz says, coming out of the bathroom naked as the day he was born and looking mighty fine. Damn, that man. Even though I just fucked him, my pussy wants more. He was not wrong calling me greedy, I am, for him. And with a child-free day, I’m taking advantage.
“Sounds good.” It’s been a while since the two of us have ridden together. It is very hard to do when you have a young one and are mostly confined to a cage with a car seat. It is what it is and I love my boy.
I won’t tell Cruz this, but riding was part of my plan for us today. I miss it and need to do it with him, side-by-side, feeling the air. I change into jeans and boots, leather surrounds my body from my chaps to my rag. I braid my long, dark hair and put a leather lacer in, crisscrossing the strings until it comes to the end of my ponytail. After riding with my hair free when I was a kid and needing a bottle of conditioner to try and get through it, I learned my lesson.
Climbing on Sting, my ’97 Ultra Groundpounder Hardtail, I rev the engine and the sound sends warmth through me. The red and black paint combined with the chrome motor, handlebars, and hubcaps make it hot as hell. I look over to the sexiest man I know, sitting astride his black and chrome Harley Thunder Mountain and latching on his lid. Black shades cover his eyes in the sexiest of ways, but I can feel him penetrating me with his gaze. He gives me a smile and takes off.
Fuck. I move, quickly following him. Damn man, always has to be in the lead. I’ve gotten better with it since Cruz, but I have my moments where I want to be first. Childish, so I never admit it to anyone. Once we make it to the open road of the highway, I can finally breathe.
This is one of my most favorite places on earth, riding next to my man. I love seeing the leather against his skin and the way his arms flex as he shifts. Damn. The rumble of Sting feels damn good and seeing Cruz beside me just adds to the thrill. I will be revved up once we stop. Cruz better be ready.
Nothing better in this fucking world than riding next to my woman, the breeze blowing over me. Since the moment she told me that Ma was watching Cooper, I planned out exactly where I wanted to take her. It’s not that romantic shit you see on TV, but it’s something that I’ve been thinking about. What better day to do it on?
We ride for hours and I lead Princess exactly where I want her. We pull off the highway onto an old country road and stop at a small clearing. Trees line the place, giving a sense of seclusion, but I know that on the other side of them is a house. Princess doesn’t need to know that though. I found this place doing a run awhile back with the guys, and something about it made me think of my girl. I don’t know if it is the quiet here or what. Never really thought about it again until this morning. But it’s fucking perfect for what I have in store.
I cut the engine and take off my lid, placing it on the handlebars. I swing my leg off my bike and move toward Princess who is doing the same. Instead of letting her get off, I throw my leg behind her and sit on the back of her bike. You can bet your fucking ass you’ll never catch me on the back of my woman’s bike again.
Only for this.
She looks back at me, shock and puzzlement registering on her face. “What are you doing?” Inside, I smile as she takes off her shades, showing me those deep eyes that I love so much.
“Turn around,” I order and her eyes narrow. She gets off then slides back on so that she is facing me.
“What are you doing?” I don’t answer. Instead, I pull her close to me, my hand wrapping around the back of her neck, and kiss her. Our tongues duel for dominance, but I win every fucking time. God, I love the fucking taste of her. Princess’s body melts into mine and I hold on tight, her with my arms and the bike with my thighs. Her lips follow me as I retreat but she doesn’t make contact.
I reach into my pocket and pull out the little piece of metal that I’ve been carrying around for a month now, just trying to find the right time. Princess is not a get-down
-on-one-knee kind of woman. I thought long and hard about just how and when I’d ask.
Thank fuck for Valentine’s Day, and Ma for that matter.
Her eyes widen as she takes in the ring I’m pinching between my fingers. Her breath catches and she shifts from that badass woman I love so much, revealing the softness that I also love.
I don’t do the shopping shit, but made an exception for this. When I saw this ring, I knew it was meant for my woman. The ring is fourteen-karat black gold with a two-carat black diamond in the center. The guy at the store asked what kind of cut I wanted and I looked down at my leather. It’s the only kind of cut I know about, but then he said this ring is princess cut, and it sealed the deal. White diamonds wrap around the large stone and the band. On each side of the large diamond, smaller round diamonds sit. The ring is fucking kickass and I know she’s going to love it.
“You’re gonna marry me.” I leave no room for discussion.
Her brow quirks. “I am, am I?”
“You are.”
“I don’t know what shocks me more. The fact that you just asked me to marry you, or that you are on the back of my bike.”
“Didn’t ask. Told. And, babe, don’t get used to it.” No way in hell I’m riding bitch. Fucking never.
“You gonna put it on or just hold it all night?” she teases.
“I should turn you on my knee and smack your ass.” Lust sparks in her eyes. She’d really enjoy that. I love my woman. She stays silent as I slide the ring on her left hand.
“It’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen, Cruz. It’s so… me.” Her whispered voice is laced with surprise. She holds it close, taking in every part with fascination.
“No, you are, babe.” Her lips crash into mine as I steady the bike with my legs, making sure to keep upright. This shit will go downhill fast if Princess’s bike hits the ground. I’ve seen this shit in movies and on porn. They make it look so goddamned easy. It’s not fucking easy, that’s a pile of shit. It’ll take every fucking muscle in my legs to make this shit happen. But I’m a determined man. “Now, I’m gonna show you that I’m a fuck of a lot better than this bike.” Confusion fills her face, her brow knits, and I can’t believe she doesn’t remember right away. She fucked this damn thing right in front of most of the guys in the club, and it was the moment I decided she would be mine.