by Julia Black
I pushed those thoughts away and enjoyed being out with a handsome man and child-less. Though, I felt guilty about it. It was like I was betraying Luana for enjoying an evening without her.
“Hey, what’s going on through that pretty head of yours?” Josh asked as he parked his jeep back into our building’s parking lot.
“Thinking about Luana, whatelse.”
“Didn’t Adam send a text saying he had put her down to sleep already?”
“Yes.” I glanced down to my phone. I hadn’t let that thing out of my sight for one second. “Over an hour ago.”
“Then now she’s sleeping. She’s fine.”
I looked up at him. “I know.”
He slipped out of the car. I opened my door, but then Josh was right there, holding the door for me and offering me his outstretched hand.
“Madame?”
I smiled as I rested my hand on his. “Thank you.”
He helped me out, then wrapped an arm around my shoulders, and together we climbed up the stairs to the third floor. In silence, I opened the door of my apartment for us, took off my shoes, and went directly to the kitchen. There, I grabbed a wine for me and a beer bottle for Josh.
Josh watched me from the living room. With a small smile, I joined him and sat beside him on the couch, my legs on his lap.
“I hope she had a good day,” I said, looking at my glass.
“It seemed like it,” Josh said. “From the pictures.”
“Pictures can be deceiving.”
Josh reached over and ran his hand over my jaw, down my neck. “Hey, don’t think like that. You’re just torturing yourself.” His fingertips paused at the strap of my dress. “I confess I’m not very comfortable with this situation, but I’m trying to be hopeful. He is her father, right? And he seems to want to do right by her now. Hopefully, he really changed and he’ll be a good father now?”
“Hopefully,” I whispered.
“Besides, I’m done with sad stories.” He let out a long breath. “I had enough of a bad childhood for a dozen kids. Hell, a hundred kids. Luana can have a free pass on the sad stories.”
We both had briefly mentioned sad stories before. I wondered what happened in his childhood that made it so horrible. “Want to talk about it?”
He turned his green eyes, a pained shine on them. “There’s not much to tell.” He shrugged dismissively. “I was in the foster system since I was born. I have no idea who my parents were and why they didn’t want me, I just know I spent my first three years into a good house, at least that’s what I was told, until my foster mother died. My foster father spiraled down into depression and I was taken back. After that, it was a string of bad foster home after bad foster home. The people I lived with pretended life was perfect when the social workers came to visit, but they were horrible to us the rest of the time.”
A pang ran through my chest. Shit, that was … heartbreaking. I scooted closer to him. “Us?”
“Yeah, there were more kids. Most of the houses I’ve been at had at least two other foster kids.” He paused. “I was fifteen when I moved to a house where there a was five-years-old girl, also a foster kid. Her name was Grace, and she was the most beautiful and sweet angel. Her laughter was contagious and she loved playing with the older kids. She felt special, she said.” He looked at me with a small smile on his lips. “She had blond curls and bright blue eyes. Luana reminds me of her. Not just the physical appearance, but the innocent and joyful way of a little girl.”
I tilted my head, understanding now why he was so drawn to Luana. “What happened?”
“Our foster mother was more horrible to her than anyone else. Bit by bit, Grace’s smile faded and her energetic aura seeped away. One night, I found our foster mother slapping Grace.” I gasped. “It’s not that uncommon, you know. I got many slaps and even punches when younger, but as I grew older and bulked up, they couldn’t hit me anymore. But little, sweet things like Grace didn’t stand a chance. I lost my mind at the sight of Grace begging for our foster mother to stop and advanced on her. I punched her and broke her nose.” He straightened on the couch, as if trying to get away from me. “I immediately pulled back, terrorized I had just hit a woman. The thought had never crossed my mind, even though I wished these horrible people got what they deserve.” He let out a long breath.
I put my wine glass over Luana’s pink table then scooted even closer and caressed his shoulder, his neck, his chin. He was very brave for admitting to his past to me. “I agree that hitting a woman, anyone really, isn’t a great thing, but I’m glad you were there for Grace.”
“After that, Grace and I were taken out of that house. I know she was placed somewhere else right away, but it took a few weeks for me to go to another one, which was just as terrible as the previous one, though thankfully, it didn’t have any younger kids for me to defend. I just had to take care of myself.”
“Have you ever heard from Grace again?”
“No.” He shook his head.
I pressed my hand to his chest. “Sorry you had to go through such terrible moments.”
He covered my hand with his. “I remember being awake at night, trying to come up with a plan. How could I escape this life? How could I leave it all behind? There weren’t many answers. Unless I ran away for good, I would always end up back in foster care. But, I tried another route. I studied like crazy, got the best grades, did several volunteer works, got high scores on my SATs, and applied for several colleges. I was accepted to them all, but since I had no money of my own, I went to the one who offered me the best scholarship. Kids in foster care get money from the government to go to college, as long as we follow some rules, but I wanted to make sure that, if the foster care system dropped me, I could take care of the tuition myself. So I worked while attending college, then applied to med school. I decided I wanted a good life, and even though I’m swimming in debt now from college and med school, I know that once I graduate and do my residency, I’ll get a good position in a clinic or a big hospital and have a good salary. I’ll pay off my debt in a couple of years and enjoy the rest of my life.”
The fact that he didn’t mention finding love and marrying and having kids didn’t escape me. “That is a good plan,” I said.
He sighed. “I just bared my entire shitty life to you. Sorry for that.”
I grazed my nails on his neck. “No need for apologies. I liked that.”
My heart wrenched, thinking of how terrifying it must be to wake up every day in a foster home, not knowing what would happen that day, if he would stay, if he would get beaten, if one of his foster siblings would get beaten. But he was lucky. So many kids probably turned into bitter and depressed people because of the way they had been treated. With help, they could get better and have a normal life. Josh was able to draw strength and character from that experience without professional help. He focused on the path ahead and fought for it. And he had made it.
I was glad he had shared his story with me. And to show him how much I appreciated that, I would now share my story with him.
***
Josh
I thought that once I had told her about punching my foster mother, Kiera would have freaked out and told me to leave. Instead, she caressed me. She touched me with her fingertips and her nails, sending shivers down my spine.
Was this woman for real?
She reached for her wine glass from over Luana’s pink table. “Do you want to hear my sob story?”
My stomach clenched. What if what she told me was even worse than my experience? I wasn’t sure I could take it. “You don’t need to tell me.”
“It’s okay. I want to.” She sipped from her wine. “Well, I had a boyfriend of sorts in high school, Adam Nelson. He was able to convince me to sleep with him, and me, in all my innocence, didn’t realize that was all he wanted from me until it was too late. We slept together for about a month, then, when the thrill of the challenge passed, he dumped me. And, a couple of weeks later, I found out I was
pregnant. I was seventeen.” She swished the wine in her glass. “Adam said it wasn’t his, even though I had never slept with anyone else. Obviously, my parents, who are prim and proper, freaked. They wanted me to get an abortion.” I tensed, my hand wrapping around her ankle. “They took me to a clinic, by force, and I escaped. After that, they forced me to quit high school because God forbid their rich friends found out their precious daughter was pregnant. During labor, they called in social services and tried to put my baby up for adoption.” I cursed under my breath. “I was a minor and they were responsible for me, so I didn’t have a say on it.” She paused, her lips pressed into a thin line. I could see remembering what she felt was wreaking havoc within her. “Then I had the brilliant idea of running away. I got my car, which thankfully was in my name, some of the jewelry I had gotten for my Sweet Sixteen the year before, one little bag with some clothes and other things, and ran away.”
I shook my head “That’s crazy …”
She nodded. “Not as crazy as giving part of me up for adoption. I wanted her. I was willing to take care of her, but my parents didn’t get that.”
I frowned. “What happened then?”
“I went to another state and hid in motel rooms, changing towns every couple of days, because I was sure my parents had called the police on me.” She paused. “Then, a month later, I turned eighteen and I stopped running. I was an adult and I had my car, which I sold to give me some money along with my jewelry, and I was determined to do it. I was going to make it somehow.” A sad smile stretched across her lips. “I met Mercedes at the motel I was staying. She worked in the reception desk, and she kept saying she was too old to work and should just retire. She immediately took me under her wings. After finding out I had some cash, and that I was willing to work while Luana went to a daycare, she showed me this apartment, which had just become vacant, and she took care of Luana while I went out for job interviews.”
“Did you find anything?”
She nodded. “Right away. It’s the same job as I have now.”
“At the D’Angie & Co.”
She nodded. “Then, I put Luana in half-day daycare, it was all I could afford, while Mercedes took care of her the other couple of hours I was out. Then, I got my GED, and, as you know, now I take college classes online. Hopefully, I’ll graduate before Luana becomes an adult.” She let out a hollow chuckle.
I squeezed her ankle. “You will graduate way before that.”
“Maybe.”
I ran my hand over her smooth legs. “And your parents?”
She shrugged. “I have no idea. I mean, I think they still live in the same gigantic house I was raised in, and still go to the same posh country club, and still drive the same kind of ridiculously expensive car, but I haven’t seen them since I ran away.” She paused, her throat bobbing. “And they never came looking for us.”
What fucking idiots. How could Kiera’s parents, with all the education and cash they seemed to have, just pushed their daughter and granddaughter away and never tried to contact them? That was inconceivable.
I shook my head. Even real and rich families were flawed and had problems. It was a good thing I was so determined to not have any serious relationships and get married and have kids. I shouldn’t and couldn’t have it.
And yet, here I was, watching this pretty woman with whom I didn’t have a serious relationship—or so I told myself. No, I knew we didn’t have anything more than just a good time and great sex. Neither one of us wanted a serious relationship and that was perfect. Right now, we could just continue with whatever we had.
And continue we would.
I slid my hand up her legs. She fixed her eyes on me and I took that as an invite. I took the wine glass from her and put it away, then I crawled over her. I pressed my body down on hers and my mouth to hers. She parted her lips instantly and let me in. Kissing her was just too good, too hot. Her taste, her tongue, the way her lips fit mine … so fucking perfect.
I glided my hands under her dress, but then she broke the kiss and pushed me away.
“What the …?”
“Relax.” She stood, a wicked smiled on her lips. “Relax and enjoy.” She pulled out her dress, revealing red lace lingerie.
My mouth fell open and my cock twitched with plain desired.
“Holy fuck …”
I didn’t know where to look first. Her plump breasts, barely covered by the lingerie, her small waist and flat stomach, her round hips and the barely there lace skirt. Her hair fell down her back in smooth waves and her green eyes shone with mischief. With her red lips and her smile, she was pure perfection.
“Do you like it?” she asked.
“Is that a trick question?” I asked, not understanding her question. Of course I liked it.
She reached for me and undid the button and zipper of my pants, and I inhaled deeply. She pulled my pants and boxers down as she knelt on the floor. I tensed as she leaned forward, closed her mouth around my cock and sucked hard.
“Holy fuck,” I whispered, entwining my fingers in her hair. I fought the urge to guide her, because really, oh fuck, she knew what she was doing. I just cradled her head, wanting to feel more than her mouth on me.
She grazed her teeth, she licked, she sucked on my dick. Kiera clasped her hands around my ass and pulled me hard to her, taking me deep. Shit, it was too much and not enough. Heat surged in my chest and traveled down to my limbs. My ecstasy was building and I didn’t want to come yet. I glided my hands to her shoulders and gently pulled her back.
I reached for her, but she slapped my hands away. “I’m in charge here.”
A jolt of excitement and pure lust coursed through me.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Kiera
I felt good. Bold. Naughty.
I hadn’t even drank too much, but I felt … free.
Rolling with the high, I placed my hand on Josh’s shoulders, pushed his back against the couch, and straddled him. His eyes went wide and his mouth parted, but his amused shock didn’t stop his hands from closing around my waist. I adjusted myself, pressing my pelvis against his, all the while staring into his eyes, loving how the surprise in them morphed into lust.
“Kiera,” Josh whispered.
Running my hands over his taut biceps, I leaned into him and brushed my lips on his. So soft, so warm. His eyes fluttered close, and he groaned. He slid one of his hands up my back and clasped my nape, holding me close. Then he crashed his mouth against mine, claiming my every breath. His soft lips moved in a sensual, almost frantic rhythm, and his tongue provoked mine, making me moan. His hand on my waist snaked to the small on my back, pressing my breasts against his chest.
Drowning in desire, I rolled my hips, increasing the friction between us. He broke the kiss and drew in a sharp breath.
I took advantage of that pause to tug his shirt up. He helped me take it off, and then his hands were around my back, pulling me to him. His mouth found my neck. He grazed his tongue on my skin, making me shiver. Eager to touch him, to taste him some more, I bent closer, reaching for him, but he grasped my upper arms and held me back.
“Hey, I’m in charge,” I complained.
“A pause in the game,” Josh said. “I just … need to look at you for a second.” His husky, thick voice wrapped around me, drawing another shiver from me. I was self-conscious and excited by the way his gaze skimmed my body. It was as if he was devouring every inch of me with his eyes. His fingertips traced the cup of my bra from the middle of my chest, up the strand to my shoulder. That simple, fluttering touch ignited my skin, sending waves of want to all my nerve endings, and I shivered again.
I loved the way he looked at me.
“You’re hot, perfect,” he said. The corners of his lips curled up as he reached behind me and undid the clasp of my lingerie. He drew in a breath as his eyes scanned my body. “Fuck, Kiera, you’re too beautiful.”
Finally, Josh reached for me, hooking an arm around my waist and clasping one of
my breasts with his free hand. He lowered his face to my chest and fitted his mouth on my other breast. His tongue lapped one nipple while he pinched the other, making me cry out. Heat rushed through my body, settling between my thighs.
Then, the hand on my breast slid down. Down my lingerie skirt and in between my thighs. He rubbed his hand on my entranced, making me hiss, before slipping a finger inside me. I cried out, but he didn’t stop. He didn’t relent. He kept sucking on my breast and pumping hard inside me. One, then two fingers. Then, as if that wasn’t enough, he used his thumb to graze my clit. God, I was a goner.
He pushed in once more, timing it perfectly with his tongue on my nipple and his thumb on my clit, and I was done for. The climax hit me hard and I trembled in his arms.
Oh, he was making me crazy, but I would make him crazy too.
Still trembling, I reached for his pants thrown aside, got his wallet, and fished a condom from inside. That caught his attention, and he just leaned back, a wicked grin on his face as I ripped the foil package. He hissed and tensed as I slipped the condom over his hard cock.
I reached in between my legs, pulled the skirt to the side, then slid his cock inside me. Very slowly. Josh groaned, and I sucked in a sharp breath.
“Holy fuck,” he muttered.
I started moving, up and down, up and down. Josh just tensed and cursed and tensed some more, while I took him as deep as I could. The friction was too much, too good. But I wanted more. I wanted all of him. As if reading my thoughts, Josh slid down the couch a little more, changing the angle and letting me take him even deeper. I cried out as I pumped up and down, up and down, taking him deeper and deeper.
The heat consumed and I felt my walls tightening. Another climax was close, and I wanted it.
“Not yet,” Josh whispered. He wrapped his arm around my waist and stood, carrying me with him. He deposited me over the dining table. “I’ve been wanting to take you again like this for a long time.”