A Lil' Less Hopeless

by Tara Oakes

  He was pushing himself, pulling me, pounding us together until his point was made, clarified and solidified, before releasing himself and collapsing down to me.

  I didn't know how much time had passed. I may have drifted asleep for a moment... but a semi truck passed by waking me, and I nudge Jay.

  “I guess you're giving me a ride home, baby.”

  He chuckled as he raised his pants and buttoned himself in. “Baby, I just gave you a ride.”

  I rolled my eyes as I sat up, straightening my skirt. Jay pulled his keys from his bike and played with them. “I've got a spare.”

  I held my hand out for the key, but he snapped it back teasingly. “You're gonna drive slow and stay behind me the whole way, right?”

  I plastered a sarcastic smile on my face and nodded, over enthusiastically. “Yes, sir.”

  He dropped the key into my waiting palm. “You're gonna be the death of me, Lil's.”

  I jumped to my feet and wrapped my arms around his neck. “Not for another seventy years or so.”

  CHAPTER TWO

  NOW

  JAY

  “Enjoy, and come back soon!” the elderly bronze-skinned man behind the counter called out as I leave the restaurant.

  My eyes adjust as I exit the overly-fluorescent lighting of Little Gino's. “See ya next week, Freddy boy,” I call out to the best damn Italian chef in three counties.

  It wasn't very late yet, and the dark was just settling in. Truthfully, I thought I'd be getting home much later tonight. Church had been short, with no real developments being made.

  We were still coming up empty handed on trying to locate the Slayer that helped Lil's the night the shit hit the fan at the farmhouse. We've been searching high and low for this Chris, or “Pretty Boy”, but so far.. no luck. It's like he dropped off the fucking radar.

  Lil's swears up and down that she didn't pull the trigger and shoot Shade that night. Our moles in the local police agencies have let us know enough to piece together that they found a gun matching the one that fired the fatal shot into Shade's chest. So far, they haven't been able to place the fingerprints found on it, but they've been circling like hawks. Our lawyers have been able to keep them at bay slightly, but they never seemed to have an end the questions they had for Lil's.

  If they get a hold of her prints, I know it will be a match. Fuck. If only one of us had had enough sense to take the gun before hightailing it out of there. If Lil's was telling the truth, and someone else got to Shade before she did, then I'm sure their prints will be on it, too.

  We need to find that Pretty Boy, the slayer that was in the farm house that night, and get his prints. If we find the real killer first, this will end up a hell of a lot better than if the cops settle on Lil's.

  Vicky's also on the shortlist of suspects. So far, we know she never used the bus ticket I gave her. We've got a few guys trying to track that bitch down, too. I know we don't have much time, with the amount of press the farmhouse slaughter's been getting. Chisolm's always been a quiet town. You throw two big-ticket news stories in the mix and the town goes on high alert. People want answers.

  A pretty little innocent college girl gets carjacked and murdered, and a biker thug gets ambushed and fatally shot... people don't forget that shit that easily. Especially when their daughters are driving these same streets.

  We've been working double-time trying to reassure the town that we can keep them safe, but we've been hearing that there's tons of heat from the higher ups to make a quick arrest and give the people their culprit, behind bars and far away from them.

  I've been able to keep most of this from Lil's, but it's only a matter of time before she catches full wind of it. I'm paying good money to get first word of a warrant before they throw one our way.

  Having Jess come in for a few days has been a godsend; it's been a great distraction for Lil's. I hadn't had a chance to get to meet Emily, although I'd be eternally indebted to her. I had once doubted Lil's choice in friends as I was never a fan of Christine, but so far I was liking Jess.

  Knowing Lil's as I long as I have, it's a bit awkward meeting people who know my baby as “Julia.” It was a whole different little life they knew each other through, one that I wasn't a part of. Some of Lils' other friends had turned out for Emily's funeral, too. Bobby was interesting. He may not be the type of person we usually hang around, but as long as he keeps Lil's smiling, he's golden in my book. And just as long as he doesn't start hitting on any of my guys. He was drooling like a damn dog when we all pulled up on our bikes this morning.

  Carrying small things while riding isn't usually a tough thing to do. When those things just so happened to come right out of a fucking four hundred degree oven, it was a whole other story. My dick is on fire, and not in the way I like. I have less than a minute left before I'm pulling in my driveway, but it's gonna be a long sixty seconds....

  ******

  I can hear the laughter before I even reach the front door. I smile to myself... that sound is music to my ears right now. It's been a hard day, a long day. Too much death and heartache and bad news... I'm glad they're able to find a little bit of joy in the middle of it.

  “Lil's! Baby, I'm gonna leave this stuff in the kitchen!” I call out into the den, where the blue-hued light is dancing on the walls. The sound pauses and footsteps approach as I set out the containers.

  Slender arms grab around me, as I lay out some napkins.

  “Smells fantastic! What'd you get?” She squeezes as she eyes the setup on the countertop.

  I turn around and place my hands on her hips, setting back to rest against the counters edge.

  “A little bit of everything. You two eat up, I'm gonna hit the weights and then a shower.”

  My fingers teasingly play with the hem of her tank top, coaxing the cotton aside to graze the softness beneath. Lil's shudders, and I smile triumphantly. Just knowing I can make her body react with a touch makes my burnt dick twitch.

  Jess throws me a thumbs up and starts to pile her plate. Lil's scrunches her nose and asks, “You're not eating, baby?”

  I bend in and kiss the nape off her neck, before pushing myself off the counter. “Nah... I had a couple slices with Freddy while waiting for the food. I'm good.”

  Lil's shrugs her shoulders, and then shifts her gaze over to the lasagna. “Mmm, 'kay... I'll save you some.”

  I laugh while letting her pass, but can't help but take a healthy smack at her ass while she does it. Who is she kidding? She's gonna devour every bite and lick the plate clean. Lil's has no self control when it comes to Freddy's lasagna.

  ******

  The noise vibrates through the floor and I'm able to hear the surround sound as I pound my way through a few sets of bench presses. The girls are finishing their movie. She must have seen this movie a dozen times already. She made me watch it with her one night and she practically knew it word for word.

  I move on to the free weights and feel my skin heating up, so I pull my shirt off and throw it on a nearby shelf. With each successive round of reps, I zone further out and get lost in the exertion and release of each movement until my veins swell and plump through my skin.

  The noise abruptly ends upstairs and footsteps make their way across the floorboards before fading. I drop the weight in my hands to the floor between my feet and stretch my neck and shoulders. The slight creaking of the steps turns my attention to the staircase, and I grab a towel to pat at the fevered dampness from my skin.

  “Hey, babygirl...”

  She answers me with her eyes, running up and down the length of me. They cloud over and she nods approvingly. “Very nice.”

  I cock my head to the side. “I aim to please.”

  Lil's licks her plump lips over themselves, while sauntering her way to me. She runs the sharp edge of her finger nail over my skin, tracing the indented seam between each muscle. My baby knows every inch of my body, just as I know hers... but every once in a while she just takes it all in as if seeing
it for the first time.

  “Umm hmm...” She replaces her finger with her warm tongue, trailing and kissing her way across my chest, teasing from nipple to nipple. Her teeth scrape the heightened peaks and her eyes dart up to mine while her hands continue their exploration further and further down until she settles on the full weight of my stiffened cock.

  She expertly pushes at the elastic of my gym shorts until they hang off my hips, springing her favorite of all my muscles to life.

  “How 'bout a workout?”

  As if she even needed to ask.

  I grab at her quickly and press her softness into me, working my hands in the thin material of her tank top, pulling to remove it from between us. Her tits crash into me, spilling their flesh out as she struggles to get closer. These babies have really fuckin' blossomed lately. I steal myself from her lips and bend down to latch on to one of her perfect little nubs, sucking hard and deep as I massage the other.

  “Yes...” she moans, and grabs at my hair, my shoulders, edging me on.

  My hand dives deep into her panties. Yup. She's damn ready.

  “Christ, Lil's...”

  My girl's always been game when I am, but the last week or so her drive has been off the fuckin' charts! A weaker man may not have the stamina to keep up, but fuck... I'm always up for a challenge.

  I growl low in my throat. I'll take everything this woman has to give and beg for more.

  “Tell me what you want baby...” I lick her lips, awaiting her command.

  She pauses, choosing her words. Breathing deep, she cups my cheeks in her small hands, fingers gracefully stroking over my stubbled skin. “Slow... I want to stretch out and prolong every single touch so I can imagine it will never end.”

  I replace my lips with my thumb, guiding it over her luscious bottom lip. I can feel it quivering under the pad of my finger. Sometimes I can swear that she has a direct link to the inner depths of me. It's as if she knows the sacrifice I was preparing to make for her, for our little family, if need be.

  “I'm sorry... I don't know why I'm getting so emotional lately.” She tries to hide herself as I catch the lone tear drop rolling down her cheek with a kiss.

  I smooth out her skin with my thumb, erasing all signs of the moisture.

  “Don't ever be sorry, Lil's.” I straighten, forcing her downcast eyes up. “Look at me, baby.”

  Her eyes blink away any lingering wetness, and she nods.

  Lil's brought home a book last week about what to expect, and all that. She's been reading it every night before falling asleep and giving me the abridged version. I know she's just hormonal and super sensitive, but all that aside, if I can do something to help... I’m damn well gonna try.

  Gently, I sweep her hair back over her shoulders and rest my palms behind her neck, massaging any tenseness. I massage my way down below her shoulder blades, her lower back. She swallows hard, gooseflesh breaking out in patches across her creamy skin. My hands roam past her hips, under her thighs and scoop her up, bouncing her to settle in my arms with her legs clinging around my lower hips.

  She arches her head, exposing her stretched neck for me. I nuzzle in, and slip my tongue into the hollowed space below her ear... the spot that I know is her undoing. I can feel her pulse quicken and her chest rises sharply. I carry us over to the weight bench, swaying us in time with the rhythm of our tongues.

  I turn and sit on the bench, bringing Lil's down to straddle me She leans forward on her knees and pushes down on her little pajama shorts. My palms attempt to help her, groping her ass and feeling the softness and plush padding of her curves as her cotton bottoms become nothing more than a pile on the floor.

  Slowly guiding her to settle down my length, she hisses while sliding herself to my base until I fill her fully. We both pause, taking in the moment. It wasn't that long ago when we were lost to each other. She is back in my arms, where she belongs... where she'll always belong.

  Lil's rocks herself into me, as we devour each other. Slow... just how she wants it. Her fingers speak to me, covering me and conveying their messages of her want and need. Her lips have swollen from the endless kiss we share. There is a time and place for words. Lil's is usually full of colorful ones, too, with her trucker mouth. But here, now... we don't need them. My lips, her fingers, our bodies... tell each other more than simple words ever could.

  We continue to talk to each other in this carnal way until we set each other off, panting and pulling at each other.

  ******

  Later that night, after we make our way upstairs into bed, and she lazily holds on to me drifting in and out of sleep... I ask her.

  “Baby... did you think about it, make your mind up yet?” I know she knows what “it” is. I've been asking her for the past two days.

  She stirs. “I have. I don't know what the rush is, but... yeah. Let's do it.”

  I know the room is dark but I can feel the energy from her smile, and I sure as hell know she can feel mine.

  “Yeah? You sure?” I almost don't want to ask, don't want to give her a chance to change her mind.

  In the darkness I can see her looking up at me, feel her nodding head on my shoulder. “I'm sure. It's not gonna be easy pulling off a wedding, even a small one, in two weeks.”

  Little does she know it's gonna be much easier than she thinks. When you've got a family, both blood and club, as big as we do, you could do it in a fucking day if you want to. Especially when it's imperative it gets done soon in case the club's plan doesn't work and I need to switch to my back up plan.

  “We'll do it, Lil's. It'll be beautiful and everything you want. You run the show. On one condition...”

  I feel her breath catch, and she eyes me wearily. “Wha-what condition?”

  I grin. “You call the shots for the wedding day... but me, I call them for the wedding night.”

  She laughs as I roll over, blanketing her naked curves with my body. I hitch her leg up around me. “I should start planning now, but, babygirl... not gonna be slow this time.”

  ******

  LIL'S

  I look like a fucking marshmallow. Big, white, poofy, and fluffy. This is soo not me. But, mmmm. Marshmallows. Must remember to stop and get a bag of marshmallows on the way home.

  “Lil's... it can't be that bad. Come out and let us see.”

  See... even Sunny knows it must be bad, as she knocks on my dressing room door.

  I take a deep breath and swing myself around, trying to squeeze myself through the door and out onto the platform to be put on full display. As if it wasn't bad enough looking in one mirror, now I get to be surrounded by four full length ones, not to mention my girls, as I parade around looking like a damn cream puff.

  The sales ladies collectively sigh and clutch their chests while admiring the obnoxious display of lace and tulle before them. I try to smile, soften the blow, as Sunny, Jess and Charlie take it all in. Even Charlie, who's just starting to get to know me, knows that this dress... this pile of fondant I'm wearing... is just not me.

  “Alright. Enough of this. Let's call it a day.” Ma stands up and twirls me around to start undoing the laces of the torturous corset top. “You've been squeezed into way too many of these things today, baby girl.”

  The old sales ladies watch Jean as if she were drowning a puppy, their shocked faces are priceless. We manage to shimmy back into the dressing room and get me out of the dress, underskirts and satin slip. The sudden loss of all that extra weight causes me to wobble, holding out my hand to the wall to steady myself as I gulp in deep breaths of air into lungs that can finally expand to full size again.

  “Thanks, Ma.”

  Jean nods, hanging up the dress and underthings with great care, but utter distaste. “Don't mention it, darlin’. We've put you through enough of this crap today.”

  Comfortable once again in my long sundress, we head into the waiting room and join the girls. At least this visit wasn't a total waste. They were all fitted for their bridesmaids dresses
and Jean even picked out a slinky little number for her own dress, too. I walk up to the sales desk, just as Charlie is taking back her credit card from the woman.

  “That can't be...” she tells the uptight, prim and proper cashier. “Are you sure you have the right person?”

  I step up next to my new friend. “What's wrong?”

  Charlie looks dumbfounded. “She.. she says someone already paid for my dress?”

  Is that all? I laugh and guide Charlie toward the rest of the girls. “Jay was going to pay for it as well as Jess's. But, Clink beat him to it.”

  She looks at me, shocked. “Why would he do that?”

  I squeeze her hand gently, reassuringly. “You've got a lot to learn, sweetheart. Don't worry. It gets easier once you learn the basics.”

  Sunny and Jess are in deep conversation, with Sunny making wild hand gestures and touching Jess's hair. Great... here we go. A still confused Charlie and I step up and interrupt the two other girls.

  “Jules! Sunny is going to make me a blonde!” Wow! Wasn't expecting that one.

  Charlie and I quickly glance at each other. Obviously both unsure how to respond to the drastic makeover plans. Sunny is busy studying Jess's hair and feeling the texture, rubbing it between her fingers and mumbling to herself.

  “Ah... really? Wow.... wow.” I try to hide my shock. I fail miserably.

  She starts to panic. “You don't think I should?”

  I shake my head frantically, back pedaling.

  “No... that's not what I meant.”

  I pat her hand. Sunny barely bats an eye, still engrossed in Jess's mane.

  “Sunny is a hair genius. It's... it's gonna be great. So, when is this gonna happen?”

  Sunny chimes in. “We're gonna head over to the shop now. I've got some time this afternoon. She's gonna look fuckin' hot! I'll be finished to do your hair before we go out tonight.”

  Tonight is my impromptu bachelorette party. Nothing too big, just my main girls. At least, I hope it's nothing too big. I really didn't have much to do with it. These girls took care of everything themselves. They even got Christine to agree to go. She's not very happy that I'm actually getting married before she is. I understood when she declined my invitation to be one of my bridesmaids, with how busy she is in the last stages of her own wedding plans. But still, it hurt.