My Redemption: Second Chance Series

by S. K. Lessly

  Later that night, I woke up startled. I felt a warm body attached to the right side of my body, which was something that I wasn’t used to feeling. It’s been a while since Sabrina and I slept together so I knew it couldn’t be her. Then who could it be? Don’t tell me I brought home a stray?

  I squeezed my right arm and felt the body snuggle closer to me, her hand snaking along my chest, lying to rest at my hip. Then her scent hit me and my eyes flew open. An unfamiliar ceiling came into focus and it took me a second to know where I was and who was lying in my arms. I smiled and let out a breath I had no idea I was holding.

  Lauren was in my arms. I was lying in her bed, after yet another fantastic night and I was still here, with her. I couldn’t believe it. When I came over tonight, I didn’t expect we’d end up in her bed, despite the strip of condoms I had in my pocket. That was just optimism. Yet, the last few days had been hell so I should’ve expected it.

  I’d been thinking about her ever since she left my house in a panic. I wondered what she was thinking, if she hated me or thought I took advantage of her that night. Work kept me busy the last few days, which allowed me to focus on saving lives. But the moment I left the firehouse, all I could think about was her; the way it felt to kiss her, to have her wrapped in my arms, to be inside her.

  I had never experienced anything like what we shared in my basement a few nights ago. I was like a dog in heat, blinded by the need to have the woman I’ve wanted for months. The woman that had starred in every gotdamn fantasy I had since the moment I laid eyes on her. And as I said, my fantasies did nothing for the real thing.

  The woman was so… incredible.

  The way she moved on top of me, the talented way she took what she wanted from my body and gave it just as good, was sexy. Every cell in my body exploded with desire from the feel of her slick body against mine. Her touch was going to be my undoing, I knew it. The feel of her soft hands over the hard plains and valleys of my body ignited something in me that never burned before, possessiveness.

  I wanted Lauren for myself. I didn’t want her touching anyone else, ever. I didn’t want her kissing anyone else and I damn sure didn’t want her giving my pussy to anyone but me. She was just… fuck I couldn’t put it into words. There was just something about her that stirred my soul, that mended me, connected with me, fit with me.

  I shouldn’t feel this way about her. We’d both just gotten out of a relationship, ones that we thought would last forever. Hell, we both thought we had found our soul mates. There was no way we should be lying here with each other, naked. We shouldn’t have any type of relationship but friendship; Lauren was right about that. The thing was, I couldn’t imagine us any other way but what we were now. From the moment I laid eyes on her, I felt it, felt something between us. At first, I chalked it up to me being miserable at home and wanting the attention from another woman, but as time went on and I got to know Lauren better, I knew that wasn’t the case.

  I could have easily been with other women and cheated on Sabrina. Women threw themselves at me wherever I went, the grocery store, the gym, hell I would get approached even while I was working. But I never acted on those advances. No matter how dismal my home life was, I would never betray my wife.

  That night when I met Lauren by her car, that was the first time I ever wanted to say fuck it all and leave with her. The pull toward her was so strong that for a moment it clouded my judgment. I didn’t want anyone else, didn’t see anyone else but her. And when I found her standing in my basement, with her husband at that, and I knew. I knew one, fate fucking hated me, but two, I knew without a doubt if given a chance, I’d make her mine. I now had to convince her of that fact, which wouldn’t be easy.

  “What are you thinking about? I can hear you brain working.”

  I startled slightly from the sound of her raspy, sleep-filled voice. I gave her body a squeeze and smiled in the dark room.

  “I thought you were sleep.”

  Lauren’s arm tightened around me then moved her hand up my chest to rest at my neck. She snuggled closer breathing me in and moaning.

  “I was… don’t change the subject. What’s going on in that head of yours?”

  I sighed again, but this time for other reasons. Should I risk telling her what’s really going through my head? From our conversation earlier, I didn’t think she was ready to hear that kind of truth. But maybe I could tell her the watered-down version.

  “Paul?”

  Lauren sat up and looked down at me. I couldn’t see her features completely, it wasn’t enough light coming from the windows. Yet the worried sound in her voice had me speaking before I could catch myself.

  “I don’t think I can control myself around you,” I admitted on a breath.

  I reached up and ran my hand through her hair, pushing the thick strands behind her ear, her ponytail coming undone at some point during me driving her into her headboard.

  She studied me in the dark, probably looking for the truth in my eyes. Despite the darkness, I gave her what she needed.

  “You don’t have to,” she said finally and I let out a breath and chuckled.

  “Wow, this honesty thing is working.”

  She laughed. “What do you mean?”

  “When I went to see Vargas, I told him about you.”

  She stretched her leg over my hip, straddled my thighs and placed her hands on either side of my shoulders. I reached for another pillow and placed it behind me, propping myself up a bit.

  “What did you tell him?” she asked.

  I shook my head and touched her chin with a finger, before dragging it down her neck to her collarbone. I traced her there absently, thinking about my conversation with Vargas.

  “That’s way too much to repeat, but after I bored him with my woes, his advice was that I should tell you what I want and things would work itself out.”

  Lauren raised a brow at my admission. “And…what do you want?”

  I met her eyes but remained quiet for a spell. That question on whether I should tell her everything I’d been thinking and feeling rose again. However, the answer to my question materialized as well; give her honesty without completely freaking her out.

  Yeah, good luck with that shit.

  “You,” I replied, my voice low yet strong and demanding. I traced her now slack jawline with my index finger, stopping just below her lower lip. I continued. “I want you any way I can have you. I want to get to know more about you, spend as much time with you as I can for as long as I can.”

  Yup, I have shocked her into silence. Now here comes the letdown.

  Yet, that wasn’t what she did.

  She smiled down at me and caressed the side of my face. I did the same to her and she leaned into my touch, her smile warming not only her face but me as well. My chest swelled and my heart started beating uncontrollably. I pulled her to me to brush my lips against hers, however before I could touch her sexy ass lips, she whispered something that made my soul rejoice.

  “I feel the same way.”

  I couldn’t help the shit-eating grin that spread along my face. I cupped her face with my palms. “Yeah?”

  She nodded. “Yeah.”

  I kissed her hard on the mouth, once, twice before my tongue invaded her mouth in a kiss that took my own breath away.

  When I let her up for air, we were both panting, our breaths sweeping over each other’s faces.

  “Damn, you know how to kiss.” She said to me and I chuckled.

  “So do you, baby, so do you.”

  I went to pull her in for another earth-shattering kiss, my body realizing just how close her warm center was to my now hard as fuck dick, but she placed her finger on my lips stopping me.

  “Wait, I have a question?”

  “Okay, what about?”

  “You know a lot about me already. What more do you want to know?”

  My eyebrows furrowed into my forehead. What more do I want to know? Is she kidding me?

  I took he
r by surprise and switched our position, putting her on her back and me on top. She squealed as I moved her, but as I nestled my shaft against her slick heat, the humor on her face evaporated. I buried my face in her neck and started kissing her, sucking and biting the spot underneath her ear that was guaranteed to make her soaked for me.

  “Paul…” she whispered, her legs tightening around me. She grinded against my hard-on, the wetness from her pussy coating my shaft. I bit her neck and growled against her goose-pimpled skin.

  “Fuck, baby.” I grounded out before I lifted my head to meet her eyes. “I can’t wait to learn every inch of your body.” I continued circling my hips against her core, giving her the friction against her clit she craved. Her eyes rolled shut and her body shuttered underneath me. “I want to learn your cues, what makes you squirm, moan, and scream. I want you climbing the walls for me, begging for more.”

  “Mmm, yes. That’s sounds amazing but—"She began but her words fell away to moans of pleasure when I slid my dick between her wet folds. Shit, I couldn’t help it. Despite my plea to keep her safe and protect each other from our past. She was right there for the taking. Her juices coating my dick was teasing the fuck out of me. I wanted to feel her again. Feel her pussy as it clamped down me, as it milked me dry. I’d deal with the consequences later.

  “Oh… Paul… shit… everything you do to me feels good.”

  “Yeah,” I replied, my lips against her neck again, kissing, nibbling. I angled my hips away from her, pulling my dick almost all the way out of her then sliding back into her, slowly.

  She arched her body into mine and tightened her legs around me.

  “Fuck, baby… your pussy feels so good… so fucking tight.”

  I swiveled my hips, stroking her long and slow, letting the sensations of our connection consume me. She felt like heaven, her body soft, her core cradling my cock as if it was made for me. She was made to fit me, to take me and damn if she wasn’t doing just that.

  “More, baby,” she cried out and fuck I gave her more, deepening my thrusts, moving harder, faster. “Yes, baby. Just like that. Oh, that feels so good.”

  I shifted so I rested on my knees and languidly slid my hands underneath her thighs. I pushed them back against her chest and gave her more, falling deeper inside her in the process.

  When she felt me slide against that sensitive hidden patch of flesh, her eyes grew. She started to move away from me.

  “Where the fuck are you going?” I gritted out as her muscles began squeezing the hell out of my cock.

  “I…I…” she stammered and I shook my head.

  “Oh, no baby. You said you wanted more, and that’s what I’m going to give you.” I promised and started hitting that spot that I knew was going to make her see stars.

  Her pussy hugged my dick, tighter this time and I knew she was about to come.

  “Yeah, that’s right baby, come all over this dick, fuck you’re so gotdamn sexy.”

  I let go of her thighs and braced myself against her headboard using my hands. I didn’t need to hold her anymore. I had found that place inside her that would turn her into putty underneath me.

  “Oh, Paul, fuck… yessss… fuck me baby, oh yessss… fuck me, fuck me…”

  See what I mean? Putty.

  I bit my bottom lip and watched her come apart underneath me and fuck it was the sexiest thing I had ever seen. And I wanted to see it again. I would see it again until the birds started chirping and the sun peeked over the horizon, she would break apart for me over and over again.

  Second chances are only for those who are not afraid to try again. - Unknown

  22

  Lauren

  My summer was turning into one of the best summers I’ve ever had in my life. Paul and I were spending a lot of time together. When he got off work, he would come straight to my house, shower and crash for a few hours. Once he was up, we’d hang out together, go out to eat, or go for walks. Sometimes we would make dinner together or rather he would make dinner and I’d watch him.

  We had no strings attached and no expectations. It was just great conversation, occasional date night and sex all the freaking time. It was heaven if you ask me. We did create a pact to never speak about our significant others or put pressure on each other to define what we were doing together. We vowed to just enjoy the here and now and not think about our future or past.

  I wasn’t going to lie to you, there were times when I questioned what in the hell we were doing? He and I both just got out of a relationship that took a lot out of us emotionally and mentally. We shouldn’t be spending so much time together. We should be mending broken hearts and trying to figure out where our lives were heading without the two people we expected to live forever with.

  However, that wasn’t what we were doing. No, every chance we got, we were fucking each other’s brains out, spending a crap load of time together, and learning everything we could about the other. And it was good. The friendship or relationship we were creating was good. Being with Paul felt right to me, as if we were meant to be together, or at least that was my thought. But that’s crazy right? I had no clue I wanted to be with Sebastian forever until years down the line. How could I feel this way so soon about Paul?

  And did he feel the same about me? He told me he wanted me, but that could only mean sexually. The man was unable to keep his hands off me. I wasn’t complaining. It had been a while since a man desired me like this. But was that all he wanted? Probably and I guess I’d have to live with that. There’s no way I was asking him to share his feelings, he’d definitely run the other way. I just have to suck this up and enjoy the here and now, as we agreed.

  Paul continued to host cookouts and gatherings at his house, minus four people, of course. It was awkward at first, being around our friends without our mates, but eventually things went somewhat back to normal. Paul and I remained doing the friend thing around everyone we knew. We joked around with each other, laughed and interacted with our friends as if nothing had changed between us. We tried to maintain normalcy, well I tried anyway. I couldn’t say the same for Paul. Let me tell you, his freaky ass was something else during these shindigs.

  We could be in the living room at his house with Samson and Melissa, Tonya and Tyler playing games or listening to music and he would find a way to whisper crazy things to me without no one being the wiser; unless the huge blush that would bloom on my cheeks was any indication of how he affected me. But that wasn’t all he did. He also found a way to touch my ass when no one was around.

  And don’t let me head downstairs to use the restroom. One time he cornered me in the bathroom and took advantage of me. I knew our friends would notice we were gone and I told him as much. But his freaky McNasty ass just whispered in my ear, “They’re wasted upstairs. They don’t know if they’re coming or going. All I know is, right now, I need you, baby.”

  I knew he was right about the crew being wasted beyond comprehension. Before I had gone downstairs, I had noticed Tyler and Samson were hanging on for dear life both sprawled out on the couch and recliner eyes closed. I believed Samson was even snoring. And their significant others were also passed out, on the floor right next to each other. Don’t ask how they managed to fall asleep on the floor, to this day I still couldn’t figure that out. They had been sitting next to their husbands and the next thing I knew they both went to the floor.

  Needless to say, I let him fondle me, which led to some very hot, very kinky drunk sex in his not so accommodating downstairs bathroom. When we emerged from our secret tryst, and went back to his living room, Samson was awake and staring at us.

  He didn’t say anything to us but I could see the questions in his eyes. I smiled at him and started ribbing him for not being able to hold his liquor in the attempt to get his mind to focus on something other than the questions running in his head. It worked and the rest of the night he didn’t give us a second glance. Still, I wondered if Samson knew what Paul and I had been doing for the past few
weeks.

  I had asked Paul one day if he had told Samson about us. Of course, he told me that he hadn’t said a thing and I believed him. I just… there was something in Samson’s eyes that night, and a few other times we all were together, that told me he knew something was going on. Not that I cared. Both Paul and I were adults and we were technically single. Yeah… alright, I was lying through my teeth. It bothered the hell out of me. But what could I do about it?

  I was beginning to get attached to Paul. I would miss him terribly while he was at work and I was off. Since the summer started, Paul’s work hours changed to support vacations for his firehouse. Sometimes, he’d work for four, twelve-hour days straight, instead of his normal forty-eight-hour shift, before he’d get time off. All he’d have time to do was go home, shower, then sleep for hours before he was back on the horse the next day. I saw him, don’t get me wrong, but it wasn’t the same as having him all to myself.

  Like right now. Today he was on one of his four day stretches and I had been going out of my mind without him. I woke up last night and started to bake, which was what I did when I was on edge. I decided to bake a few pies and began gathering the ingredients so I could make some homemade pie crust first. I remembered Paul saying how much everyone at the fire house demolished the two pies they took to the firehouse the day after Thanksgiving. So, I figured hey why not bake a few pies and drop them off.

  I didn’t think it would be too forward if I donated some homemade pies to the house and, you know, see Paul at the same time. Showing the heroes of our community a little bit of love and appreciation was a good thing, right? Yeah, I was full of shit, but I still had good intentions, even if most of my intentions would benefit me in the end.

  I ended up slaving all night and into the next day. At about two thirty, I pulled the final two pies out of the oven to cool. I had called Paul’s cell a couple of times to see if he was at the firehouse before I made my way over there, but he didn’t answer. I waited for about an hour and tried again, but again didn’t get him. Trying not to feel like a complete idiot or allow my mind to wander to places it shouldn’t, I decided to drive by the house in an hour. If he was there great, if not, I’d give them the pies as I said I would.