Imperfect

by Cherry Shephard

  The club is dark, with strobe lights everywhere. It’s as pitiful as I remember. I go straight up to the bar and ask for Troy. The bartender looks me up and down, but points to a darkened corner of the club. I thank him and turn away, heading for the corner he indicated. There’s a small round table and I recognize Troy as he sits there, surrounded by girls and two people I never expected to see.

  “Stone,” the woman gasps, scrambling to her feet.

  “Effie.” I incline my head slightly at her, my eyes never leaving Shannon’s ex-boyfriend.

  “Can I help you with something?” Harold Kensington asks gruffly. “We’re kind of in the middle of something.”

  “This won’t take a minute,” I promise. “I just need to speak with Troy. Privately.”

  “Anything you have to say to me,” Troy slurs, gesturing around with his hands, “you can say in front of my friends.”

  I consider his words in silence for a moment then nod. “Okay,” I agree, spurring into action.

  I grab him by his shirt and drag him up, pinning him against the wall as I punch him in the face.

  “Start talking,” I growl.

  “What the hell are you talking about?” he whines, holding his hands up to his bloody nose. “I don’t know anything.”

  “Wrong answer.”

  Arrested on my wedding day.

  I could almost laugh at the irony, if I wasn’t so damn miserable. I’m sitting in a dirty cell in my mother’s wedding dress, arrested for a murder I know Troy committed. They didn’t even let me keep my wheelchair.

  I sigh and close my eyes, my shoulders slumping in defeat. It’s almost morning, and I’ve been told I’ll be transferred soon to town, where I’ll face the judge. I can’t deny it. I’m fucking terrified.

  What’s going to happen to me? Will they put me in jail for twenty-five years? Execute me? My chest tightens as panic starts to set in, my breathing becomes labored and I feel like I might throw up. Or faint. Or both.

  What must Stone be thinking? If he hadn’t regretted marrying me before, he sure does now. I feel tears pricking at the back of my eyelids, but I refuse to let them out. If I start crying now, I’m afraid I’ll never be able to stop.

  Stone kissed me, right before I left with the police. At the time, I thought it was love, but now I’m sure my heart was just playing tricks on me. It wasn’t a kiss of love, no matter how much I wish it was. It was a kiss of sadness. One last kiss of regret. I’m going to lose Saddles; that fact hurts my heart more than anything else. The bar that was my daddy’s pride and joy for all of his life is about to be sold off to pay his debts. I should have fought harder, convinced Stone not to file for an annulment. Sure, he never said that, but where is he now? Probably drowning in a bottle somewhere.

  I think about Zeke. The poor kid who’s already been through so much in his short life. First his mom, then his dad . . . now me. He was just starting to trust again. Just starting to smile again. I hope he’s okay.

  I hear a noise and my head shoots up. One of the young officers who arrested me at my wedding steps into the light and unlocks the cell door. He has a wheelchair, and my heart sinks. It’s time.

  The officer helps me into my chair, but doesn’t handcuff me. I’m slightly thankful for that small amount of dignity he’s given me. He pushes me out of the cell and down a long, cold stone corridor before exiting into the main waiting room of the local police station. I can’t bring myself to look up, see all those people I know. They’ll never think of me in the same way again. I’m a pariah, an outcast. A criminal.

  “Shannon?” I hear a male voice call, and hope blooms in my heart. Could it be? I’m almost too afraid to look.

  But then he’s there, dropping to his knees in front of my wheelchair, grabbing me and holding me tightly, as if he never wants to let me go. I start to cry as I cling to the front of his shirt, and he doesn’t try to stop me. He doesn’t push me away. He just keeps murmuring, over and over. “It’s okay, baby. It’s okay. Let it all out. I’ve got you. You’re safe now.”

  “Shannon!” I look up through my tears as Ruth and Zeke run into the police station. I barely have time to brace myself before Zeke throws himself into my arms, tears streaming down his face as we hug each other tight.

  “How are you doing, Shan?” Ruth asks, wiping away a few tears of her own.

  “She’s going to be fine,” Stone says firmly, his eyes fixed on me. “We’re going to go home, and we’re going to be just fine.”

  I hear a commotion at the other end of the station, and we all pause as I see Effie and Kensington in handcuffs. “What the hell?” I gasp. Then I see him. The reason for my nightmares. The man I once called my lover. Except he doesn’t look as powerful as I once remembered him. There’s blood on the front of his shirt, he’s lost a lot of weight, and there are bits of tissue inside his nose. He’s a mess.

  “Shannon,” he says, sounding almost surprised. He looks me up and down. “Why are you in a wedding dress?” I don’t get the chance to answer him as he’s taken away.

  Effie and Harold are still protesting their innocence about something; I’m still not even sure why they’ve been arrested. I turn my eyes up to Stone, who explains everything:

  Rachel was a twenty-five-year-old prostitute, who also had a terrible drug habit. When her pimp had refused to pay her bill, Troy had been instructed to ‘take care of the problem’. A sense of relief floods through me at the knowledge that the truth is finally out. I knew Troy had killed that poor girl in the water, but I’d never been able to prove it.

  But Stone isn’t done yet.

  Daddy had tried to see me before he died, but Troy told him I was sick. When Daddy told him of his financial troubles, Troy had offered to pay for the refurbishments. My father had accepted his offer, never knowing the money really came from Troy’s boss, Kensington, the secret head of the most prominent drug gang in town. When Daddy had been unable to pay his bill in time, Troy and Effie had gone hunting. They’d set the dogs loose, knowing they’d go after Lady . . . and Daddy.

  I listen to his story as tears pour down my face. My poor father. All he’d ever wanted in life was to provide for his family. He didn’t deserve to pay for his mistakes in such a horrible way.

  I can almost hear his voice now.

  “Don’t cry, buttercup,” he says with a smile as he wipes away my tears. “Clearly, that boy has no idea what a treasure you are.”

  I smile through my tears as Daddy wipes at my cheeks with a tissue. I’d really liked Zachariah, but he’d used me to get to Natalie. They always did.

  “Oh, Daddy,” I cry. “Won’t I ever find a boy who likes me?”

  “Of course you will, buttercup,” he says gruffly. “You’re only fourteen. One day, you’re going to meet a handsome young man, and he’s going to wipe away your tears, and treat you like the princess I know you are.”

  I look up into the concerned face of the man in front of me. How did I not notice it before? What I always wanted was right here in front of me, all along. My husband. But will he still want me? Now that I don’t need his money, will he ask that we annul our marriage? I’m suddenly tired, I need to go home and rest. I need to think. “Can you take me home, now?” I ask Stone.

  Shannon hasn’t realized yet that we don’t need to be married.

  With Effie and Harold arrested, the debt owed to her daddy is cleared and Saddles is saved.

  A selfish part of me doesn’t want Shannon to figure it out. Not yet.

  I gently lower her naked form to the bed, trying to be as careful as I can with her injured leg. Zeke has gone to Ruth’s, to give Shannon and I time to figure things out.

  She smiles up at me and something blooms in my heart, something I haven’t felt in a really long time. Love. I fucking love Shannon Harper.

  No, I correct myself silently. Shannon Stone. My wife.

  I lower my lips to hers, my teeth gently nibbling on her bottom lip as I draw it into my mouth, worrying it. She moans and wr
aps her arms around my neck as my lips travel down her throat, heading straight for her breasts. My lips wrap around her nipple, suckling lightly. Her back arches, pushing her nipple more firmly into my mouth.

  My hand sweeps down her ribcage, trailing a path across her navel to the small, well-groomed, triangular patch between her thighs. I gently part her legs and slide my fingers down the slick folds. She cries out and grips my shoulders, digging her nails into my flesh as I rub and tease her sensitive skin. She’s so wet that movement is easy and she rolls her hips, drawing my fingers into her warmth.

  My cock swells, and I have to stop for a second to adjust my jeans as they tighten across my balls.

  “Take them off,” she moans, but I ignore her, replacing my fingers between her legs. She gasps as I find her clit and gently flick it a couple of times.

  I slide down the bed and position myself between her thighs. Draping one leg over my shoulder to open her up, I spread apart the lips of her pussy with my fingers.

  My lips immediately find her clit, and I suck rhythmically as I slide two fingers deep inside her. My teeth very lightly graze her sensitive flesh and she cries out, pulsing around my fingers but not coming. Yet.

  I push my face closer to her, my free hand going up to pluck at her hard nipples as I continue to tease her clit with my lips. She cries out again and this time she does come, but I don’t slow down. I push harder, faster until her cries all begin to connect to one another. I feel her start to shake and only then do I stop.

  I stare down at her flushed face and my cock twitches with need. I want nothing more than to bury myself deep inside her, but suddenly the bed isn’t good enough. I need . . . more.

  I pull my pants off and waste no time picking her up. I carry her out of the bedroom and into the kitchen, where I sit on one of the chairs and carefully position her astride my legs, facing away from me. Her good leg remains bent at the knee while the injured one stays straight, propped up on a chair, both spread apart as far as is comfortable for her. I position my hard cock at the entrance to her pussy and slowly press up inside her. My fingers go to her front, where her splayed legs allow the lips of her pussy to stay spread open, baring her to my touch. And touch is exactly what I do.

  As I press in deeper, my fingers find her clit, lightly rubbing it in a circular motion. She gasps and her head drops back against my shoulder as she moves her hips on me. I grit my teeth as my fingers gently pinch and roll her clit around in my fingers. My other hand moves up to her nipples, where I tease them into hard points as I thrust into her again. I sit back on the chair, embedding myself firmly inside her wetness. I’m already so fucking close; this isn’t going to be the romantic love-making session I’d planned.

  But Shannon doesn’t seem to want that, anyway.

  Her fingers move down to her clit, pushing mine gently out of the way as she toys with herself. I renew my efforts and thrust into her hard, over and over, until she’s bouncing up and down on my cock. Feeling my balls tighten, I squeeze my eyes shut as I grip her hips, moving her faster on me. “Shannon,” I grit out between my teeth.

  She knows.

  I fall apart as she bounces again, and I feel her come directly after me, pulsing around my cock as she cries out.

  Our breathing is harsh in the quiet room and I rest my forehead on her back, trying to catch my breath. Gently lifting her off me, I carry her back to the bedroom and set her on the edge of the bed. She picks up her clothes and begins to dress, not saying anything. I pull on a pair of shorts lying on the floor, not bothering with a shirt. A million thoughts are going through my mind. Has she realized we no longer need to be married? If she has, does she want a divorce? An annulment is out of the question now that we’ve had sex. The marriage is consummated. Legal. A fire burns low in my stomach as I consider the implications. Am I ready for this? A wife, a son?Yes, I tell myself firmly. I’m ready. “Shannon,” I say, sitting down on the edge of the bed. She lifts her face to me, and it hurts my heart to see tears glistening in her eyes. “What’s wrong, babe?” I ask, brushing her hair out of her eyes.

  “I don’t want this to be over,” she cries, tears streaming down her cheeks.

  I pull her close to me, holding her tight. “It’s not,” I whisper. “Why would it be over?”

  “Because,” she says, pushing away from me gently. “You think I don’t know? Harold was arrested, which means any debt my daddy had is gone.”

  My heart stops beating for a moment, and I feel the room start to spin. She knows.

  “You won’t want to stay married to me,” she cries.

  I almost laugh in relief. “Of course I want to stay married to you, Shan,” I tell her, kissing her forehead gently. “I fucking love you, babe.”

  “Yo-you do?” she stammers, looking up at me with a tremulous smile.

  “I do.” I nod. “How could I not? You got me off alcohol, forced me to grow up and be a father. A husband. You’ve made me a better man. I almost died when I lost you. I don’t ever want to feel that way again.”

  “Oh, Stone,” she exclaims as she wraps her arms around my neck and pulls me down for a kiss. “I love you, too. I don’t know how it happened, but it did. You saved my life.”

  “I think we’ve saved each other’s lives,” I say gruffly, fighting back my own tears. “Just do me a favor, okay?”

  “What’s that?”

  “Will you wear that mini-skirt I love? With no panties?”

  Four weeks later

  I flex my leg under the bar, reveling once more in the fact that I no longer have to wear that damn bandage.

  “Hey, Shan,” Ruth says, walking up to the bar with a tray of dirty glasses. “You got a sec?”

  “Of course,” I smile. “What’s up?”

  She pauses and puts the tray down. “I need to quit,” she finally states, turning to face me.

  “What? Why?”

  “I think I just need to get out of this town,” she answers. “So much has happened, I think I need to just got out there and find myself again.”

  “But what about Keets?” I ask. He’s going to be devastated when he finds out.

  She smiles ruefully at me. “He’s a great guy, Shan, but he’s not the right one for me.”

  “Are you sure?”

  She nods. “Yeah,” she says quietly. “I’m sure.”

  “Okay, well, this place won’t be the same without you.” I’m so upset I can’t think straight, but she needs to do what’s best for her.

  “I’m sure it won’t be.” She laughs. “Are you going to be okay?”

  “Yeah.” I smile. “My sister’s coming home next week, so I’ll get her to help Keets out while Stone, Zeke, and I are on vacation.”

  “I can’t believe you’re going to Hawaii,” Ruth exclaims. “You’re going to be so tanned when you get back. I want photos.”

  “Of course.” I laugh.

  We’re silent for a minute, just looking at each other. Then she throws herself into my arms, hugging me tight. “I love you, Shan. You’ll always be my best friend.”

  After she’s gone, I’m wiping down the benches when Keets walks in.

  “Hey, hon,” I greet with a smile. “How’re you doing?”

  He gives me a tight smile in return, but says nothing. He helps himself to a shot of whiskey from behind the bar. “Listen,” I start. “Next week, when we’re away, my sister Natalie will be here to help out around the bar. Is that okay?” She’s beautiful, stubborn, and extremely opinionated. He’s going to have the fight of his life on his hands. I’m almost sorry to be leaving and missing the show.

  He nods, but doesn’t say a word. It’s as though all the fight has gone out of him. My heart is breaking for him. I leave him alone and walk into the back office, closing the door behind me.

  “Hey, babe,” I hear a voice growl from directly behind me.

  Stone. He must have been hiding behind the door, waiting for me. The idea has me instantly wet.

  Before I can react, s
trong arms snake around my waist and I’m suddenly spun around and picked up, my legs wrapped around his waist as he grinds his hard cock into me through my thin shorts.

  I moan and wrap my arms around the neck of my husband. “Hey, yourself,” I whisper, pressing my lips hotly against him. “Do you think Keets will be all right?”

  “He’ll be fine,” Stone promises. “Right now, I only want to think about my gorgeous wife.”

  I feel him start to push my shorts down over my ass, but I grab his hand and stop him. “No,” I whisper, sliding down his body until I’m kneeling in front of him. My hands go to the front of his jeans, rubbing his hardness through the material as I snap open the buttons and push them down and off his legs, ripping his shoes off at the same time. He’s wearing nothing beneath and his hard cock juts up proudly, right in front of my face. I grasp the base in my hand and look up at him, slowly licking my lips. “I’ve always wanted to do this,” I say wickedly, sinking my mouth down over him as he throws his head back, groaning loudly. My mouth moves over the head of his cock as my hand grips the base.

  “Stone?” Keets voice comes from behind the closed office door, followed by a loud knock. I try to move my head, but his hands fist in my hair and force my head closer, I flick my tongue over the head. I do it again . . . and again. I love the salty flavor, the way he thrusts his hips toward my face.

  “What the fuck do you want?” he groans, his hands shaking on the back of my head. He’s so damn close.

  “I just wanted to let you know I’m going to pick up the new chairs from town.”

  “Fine,” Stone grits out, and I can’t contain the grin that spreads across my face. He feels it, and yanks my hair so hard it hurts. But I love it.

  “Do you need anything?” Keets asks through the door. I can hear the grin in his voice. My eyes shoot up to Stone’s. He fucking knows.

  “Yeah,” Stone calls out, shoving his cock further into my mouth, making me gag a little. “I need you to fucking leave.”