I laughed with the others as we looked to make sure nothing was coming as we crossed to the sidewalk in front of the mall entrance. We only had to wait until the one car that was close passed. When we reached the sidewalk, Carly was still watching the car that had driven past.
“What’s up?” Sami asked.
“Just weird. That car looked like the same one parked on the street across from Sue’s house,” Carly said and frowned.
“Are you getting back into deputy mode?” Bailey asked.
“There are hundreds of those cars around, but it is strange because that one has the same scuff mark over the passenger side rear tire well. Like they got too close to something and before they realized it, they scraped the side,” Carly said, then turned and pulled the mall door open.
“Well, they’re gone now. What do think about going down one side of the mall, then we can go to the food court and have lunch before hitting the other side?” Luna said as the five of us walked inside.
“Good grief, can’t go anywhere with you guys if you aren’t thinking of food,” Carly said and shook her head.
“Hey, eating for three,” Luna answered.
“I’m not eating for three, but I am thrilled to eat and have it stay down,” Sami added.
“I stay hungry. I’m going to weight three hundred pounds before this pregnancy is over,” Bailey commented.
Carly hooked her arm through mine. “Let’s get them waddling along, River, because I don’t think they’ll wait for us to reach the food court. They will stop at every store on the way that has food. Cookies, pretzels, and then drinks, which brings us to locating the nearest restroom.” I chuckled when Luna, Sami, and Bailey flipped Carly as they passed us.
I closed the door, set my shopping bags in the corner of the living room, then fell back onto the couch and sighed. Even though I was tired, I was looking forward to seeing Dom. I caught myself throughout the day wondering what he was doing.
The shopping trip had been long, but I enjoyed every minute of it with the women. When they dropped me off, we made plans to get together soon. We’d have to wait for Carly, who was starting back to work tomorrow and then Bailey to be off. Luna filled in at a couple of the club businesses when they needed her, and she handled the books for Ghost and Dare’s construction company that had just gotten up and running. I looked forward to spending more time with them.
I was proud of only having a moment of sadness today. We’d stopped in the baby store to look around. Luckily the women were too busy to see the couple of tears that slipped out when I picked up a tiny outfit. I let myself have the moment, then took a deep breath, wiped away the wetness, and put the outfit back down. Hopefully one day, it wouldn’t hurt to think about what I would never have. I’d have to be content spoiling other people’s children.
Who knows, when I got over not being able to have my own, adoption was always an option. There were plenty of children in the world that needed someone to love them.
The ringing of my cell phone had me up and moving to the kitchen. I’d forgotten I’d left it charging on the counter when I left the house.
Looking at the screen, I inwardly groaned when I saw my mother’s number. I debated answering, but manners had me swiping the screen.
“Hello, Mother,” I said in greeting.
“River,” was her reply because it’s so hard to ask how someone is doing.
“How is everything with you and Alfred?” I walked around the kitchen, fixed a glass of tea, then opened the back door. I stood in front of the screen door enjoying the breeze that was blowing into the house.
“That sounds lovely, Mother,” I said at the appropriate time of the conversation. I knew she would get to why she was calling eventually because there was always a reason. My mother was not a call to chit-chat woman.
I didn’t know how long I was on the phone—I mean how many fundraisers can one woman chair—then she switched to how Alfred always ignored her when she wanted to update something in their house—on and on with things I’d never had an interest in.
When she finally got around to the point of her call, I had to ask her to repeat what she said because I zoned out on the stool I pulled out and sat on. No sense being uncomfortable while I listened.
“Sorry, Mother, can you repeat that?” I asked, and her sigh came across the airways as clear as if she sat beside me.
“I said I’ve done what you asked and haven’t given your new number to Thomas, but he wants to talk to you, River. I don’t know what it would hurt to listen to the man. He told Alfred that he knows he messed up, but he still loves you.”
“Mother, that is one of the great things about being divorced. I have no obligation to listen.”
“Don’t get smart with me. I’ve not said anything to you about how the divorce has affected Alfred and me. We can’t go to social events or parties without the whispers and looks. Thomas Sr. is upset, too.”
“So...you’ve all sat around and discussed my divorce?” I asked, closed my eyes and pinched my nose.
“Well yes, his son is distraught, why wouldn’t he want to help him.”
“Like you want to help me?”
“Yes!”
“And what are you going to do to help?” Nothing was ever going to change our relationship. When would I learn and just move on?
“I’m trying to tell you. Call Thomas or let me give him your number. You pushed for a speedy divorce by telling him you would let every one of his clients and friends at the country club know what he’d done unless he signed the papers. You forced his hand, he didn’t want the divorce. He feels his chance of any type of reconciliation is getting slimmer by the day. You can’t be happy there, River. I mean the area is pretty, don’t get me wrong, but that is what vacations are for. And if you want to teach so bad, why don’t you apply at one of the private schools here? At least you would know the students are from upper middle class to the substantially wealthy in the area. Their parents are looked up to in the community.”
I rubbed the back of my neck. The tension was there, and I felt the beginning of a headache.
“So, I’ll give Thomas your number, and the two of you can work on reconciling.”
“No, Mother. If you give him my number, I will change it again and I won’t give it to you either.” The pause was long enough that I thought she might have hung up.
“Thomas was right, you are seeing some biker. Is he part of that club that I remember being around the area? I mean really, River, you’ve been given every opportunity, if you are adamant about not going back to Thomas, you could at least move up in class. Instead of lowering yourself. I guess I should have expected as much with you being around your father.”
“Mother, how does Thomas know that?” I asked through clenched teeth.
“So, it is true?”
“Mother!”
“Don’t you raise your voice to me! He wanted to make sure you were okay there. He hired a private investigator. The man reported back to him today and when Thomas told me, I called you because I couldn’t believe you would do something like that. I thought the man must have made a mistake. Now, I see you’ve made a fool out of me once again! How could you?”
To say I had enough would be an understatement. The heat on my face was an indication that my blood pressure was topping off. It was time to release some of that pressure along with years of wondering why the woman who was supposed to love me unconditionally didn’t. I was done.
“Since you seem to be chatty with Thomas, you can relay anything I’m going to say that you feel he needs to know. The PI better go away, or I will have Thomas served at the firm with a restraining order. And we know how that will go over. As far as seeing a biker, he is more man than Thomas will ever be. That club, as you called it. The people I have met that associated with it have been nice, accepting, and not once judgmental of me. Unlike my own mother! My father doesn’t know how lucky he is that you divorced him. My only regret is that when I got of age, I didn’
t demand to live with him.
“I am his daughter and proud of it. But I am not proud to be yours. Are you listening, Mother?”
“I will not listen anymore. I’m going to hang up and let you think about what you’ve said and wait for your apology.
“Oh no, Mother. You are going to want to stay on the line and hear it all because there will be no apology, ever. Because I am done. Do you hear me? D.O.N.E. I will not get back with Thomas, he CHEATED and by that cheating put himself in a situation of his own making. When I confronted him on it, he blamed me for his faults. And you, Mother, can keep your high society ass where it is—don’t call me, don’t write me, don’t text me—I will let you know if I want to resume our relationship. And so help me, if you call my dad and say one word to him, there will never be a chance of resuming our relationship.
“But before I hang up, I will thank you for one thing—I have found who I was always supposed to be, I’ve looked for her for years. Your call has set her free. Enjoy your life, Mother, because I plan to enjoy mine.” I disconnected the call and took several deep breaths, then laid my head on my arms. I heard the screen door and didn’t bother to look, I knew it was Dom. I only briefly wondered how much he heard.
“Let’s go. You need to get out of here and clear your head. We’ll go for a ride, then you are coming to my house,” he said and laid a hand on my back and rubbed.
No hounding me about what was going on. Just giving me support. I swiveled the stool and stood.
“I think I’d like that,” I said, then closed the door and locked it. Dom never said a word, he only grabbed my keys as we walked passed the table beside the couch. Once the front door was locked, we got on his bike, and I wrapped myself around him and we were off. As we rode, I laid my head on his back and let his heartbeat release the last of my tension, guilt, and hurt.
Chapter Eleven
Jag
I’d knocked on River’s front door and waited, but instead of hearing her moving toward the door, I heard her yelling at someone. I tried the knob and when it didn’t turn, I headed around back. When I reached for the screen door and saw her sitting on the stool, her back to the door, yelling into her cell, I stopped. It didn’t take long for me to figure out her mother was on the other end of the phone.
Overhearing River with her mom, and learning what her douchebag ex-husband had done, explained most of River’s insecurities and why she used verbal defenses to cover them. To have River, then stray, what an idiot. He never deserved her.
With her on the back of my bike, we rode in silence for an hour before I turned into Black Hawk. Everything in me wanted to prove to her that she was a desirable woman, and it was the prick’s failure in not seeing what he had, it had nothing to do with her. I also didn’t miss from the conversation that her mother was more interested in the ramifications from what the divorce had done to her social appearance than the reason why it had taken place.
All I knew were my thoughts were filled with her. And with the heat of her body pressed to mine, I was beyond worked up. I needed to show her, feel her in my arms, curled around me in my bed. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I was telling myself to slow down, not to frighten her. But by the time we were off the bike and entering my house and I really got a good look at her, nothing else mattered.
The door closed when I pushed River back against it and started kissing her. I only broke the kiss long enough to pull her jacket down her shoulders and pull her shirt over her head, then my lips were back on hers. If she had any doubt of what was going to take place, she didn’t voice it. Her bra followed next, and then I unfastened her pants. They were more of an issue because I would have to break the kiss to get them pushed down. Making the decision, I broke the kiss, knelt and removed her shoes. Everything was tossed to the side as I yanked until her pants were down. Briefly, I glanced at the thong she wore, but in my rush to have her naked before me, I slid them off to join her other clothing. As I stood, I took her body in. There was something to be said to be completely dressed while she was bare.
“Sweetheart, you are as close to perfection as a woman can get,” I said, my voice sounding hoarse to my own ears.
She reached up and ran her fingers through my hair and closed the space between us. River raised on tiptoes until our lips met. She started the kiss, but I took over and without pretense, I devoured her. It was the only word to describe how I demanded and thoroughly dominated the kiss. Neither of us could get enough, our tongues dueled, and I ran my hands down River’s sides, resting them on her hips. Goosebumps broke out on her skin from the trail of my hands.
I moved my hands behind her and grabbed the cheeks of her ass, then squeezed and caressed. When I lifted her up, she wrapped her legs around my waist bringing her bare pussy in contact with the material of my jeans.
She rubbed against me and my cock throbbed. I shifted to gain a better grip on her legs, and the move placed her directly over my shaft. I rolled my hips, and River moaned. I looked into her eyes and saw desire in her green eyes.
My nostrils flared, and I adjusted my grip and turned toward the stairs. In my room, I laid River on the bed and worked on my own clothing. I grabbed a condom from the nightstand, tore it open and rolled it on. Joining her on the bed, I shifted until I laid between her legs and rested my upper body weight on my forearms.
“Please, Dominic.”
I stared into River’s eyes. My whole first name rolling from between her lips had me losing the last of my control. I reached between us, felt the wetness of River’s desire for me. I wanted to take my time, worship her body, but it would have to wait. This time was going to pure need—the need to feel her surrounding me. I slammed home in one thrust. River’s back arched and her head bent back onto the pillow while I stilled to let her adjust to my size.
When the grip her pussy had on my dick loosened, I began to move. I pulled out and thrusted back in. Relentless I worked to reach my peak as I was to provide her with more pleasure than any man would give to her.
River’s hips rose to meet mine, the pace I set brutal, but she had no problem keeping up.
“Oh God, I’ve never felt like this,” River got out between pants. Heavy breathing and the slapping of skin on skin sounded in the room.
I wasn’t going to last long, but I wanted to prolong her release and mine, so I gritted my teeth and willed myself to stop. River moaned her displeasure, and I smiled as I lowered my head to her chest. Still seated deep inside her, I flicked one hard nipple with my tongue, then moved to the other and did the same.
She wiggled beneath me and brought her hand between us until it rested on her clit. Guess she figured if I wasn’t going to get her off, she’d do it herself.
She was wrong.
“Nuh uh.” I raised up until I rested on my knees and grabbed both her wrists and stretched her arms above her head. “I’ll get you off my way. But if you move those hands, I will get myself off and leave you hanging on the edge. Then I will turn you over my knees and spank your ass until it is so red, you’ll see and feel my handprint for a week.”
“You’re an asshole. Get off me and take me home. You probably can’t get the job done and that’s why you’re stalling.” River’s eyes were wide, and her breathing had picked up, which told me she enjoyed razzing me. And the tone to her voice had me swelling more, almost to the bursting point.
Christ, I had to be one sick bastard to be so turned on, but I could live with it.
“Ah, sweetheart, your mouth is saying one thing, but the quivering of your pussy around my dick tells me something different. You like what I’m doing to you, don’t you?”
“Yes!” I watched her face redden under my stare until she turned her head away. I used one of my hands to hold her wrists while I moved the other to turn her face back to mine.
“Don’t ever hide from me, River. Ever. You should never be embarrassed to ask for what you want. Sex should be enjoyable for both parties. Exhilarating if the ones involved are open with their
needs. I’ll give you what you need and take everything I want. If I don’t do something you want, then tell me.”
She watched me closely, and if I had seen one drop of uncertainty in her eyes I would have stopped, but none was there. It was as if her eyes held a challenge in their depths. Yet it didn’t keep her from trying to hide whatever feelings were there.
“I’m not sure I ca—” Her words were cut off when in a swift move, I let go of her wrists, pulled out, and flipped her onto her stomach.
I’d had enough of her head fighting with her body. Her ex had done a helluva job on her. So instead of arguing, I would just show her. I would punch that bastard in the face if he ever were in front of me.
Once I had her positioned on her knees with her cheek pressed into the mattress, I used my own knees to spread her legs wide, then plunged back in. My teeth were gritted as I held her hips and tried to give her a minute to catch the breath my move had taken from her. When she inadvertently pushed back, I took it as a sign to move. She wouldn’t be able to argue with me if she was screaming my name. And she would, several times before I was finished with her.
As I worked in and out of her, I moved my hands from her hips and rubbed the cheeks of her ass. The moan she released every time I bottomed out, told me she was enjoying what we were doing.
“Faster, Dom. I need more.”
I inwardly grinned at her breathlessly spoken words. She wanted to hide, but underneath was a woman who could match any man’s needs and, in the end, have him the one begging for more. It was just getting her to acknowledge her wants and desires. And if I had to fuck her from sundown to sunrise, and in every position I could think of, I would get River to do just that.
My balls drew up, and I knew I had held off as long as I could, but I wanted her to go over with me. Sliding some of her wetness to her back hole, I massaged the puckered skin. At first, she whimpered and I almost stopped until she pushed back, causing my thumb to breach the tiny hole. The deep groan and the shiver that went through her body had me pushing the digit in and out mimicking the movement of my cock.
Jag (Black Hawk MC Book 5) Page 10