Imperfect

by Ari Reavis

  I grin as he helps me up from the couch. “You just wanna see me in my bikini again.”

  “Well yeah, that too.”

  I look around the room, at the pool that I’ll miss so much, as Damir gets our bags.

  “Stop looking at the room like that.” Damir chuckles.

  I turn my sad eyes to him. “I don’t wanna go.”

  “We can always come back for another weekend.”

  “Or you can just build me a house and make my bedroom just like this. Waterfall and all.”

  “Don’t tempt me. You sure you have everything?”

  “Yup.” I sigh. “Let’s go. I have plans for the ride home anyway.”

  “Oh? I’m intrigued.”

  He doesn’t need to be for long though. As soon as the limo pulls out of the parking lot, I’m on my knees in between Damir’s legs. I suck him so good, I’m sure he will never forget it.

  The driver takes us back to the school parking lot where my car has been this weekend, and then I drive Damir to his apartment.

  “I have one more gift for you,” Damir says when we arrive.

  “Damir.” I groan. “I cannot wait for your birthday because I’m going above and freaking beyond.”

  “Be my guest.” He chuckles. “It’s just a small one.”

  He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a keychain.

  “To my apartment.” He explains.

  My breath catches. “Thank you Damir.”

  He kisses my cheek. “So...drop by some time. Whenever.”

  ”Or I might just stay here tonight.”

  His smile grows, and my decision to do just that is made because apparently I can no longer go even a few hours without this man. Oddly enough, that thought doesn’t bother me at all.

  Chapter 10

  “You’ve gotta be fucking kidding me!” I hiss as I march from my trailer towards the other side of the site.

  I guess it’s not enough that I’ve come out of my apartment every morning for the last month to a ticket on my windshield. Now he’s showing up at my work sites too. Not to mention that I’ve come out of restaurants and stores with Mariah to find tickets for illegal parking on streets I’m not even fucking on. This is too damn much and the worst part is, I know I really can’t do shit about it.

  “You do know you’re working for a criminal, right?” I hear Miller saying to Stanley and Carlos as I get closer. “He’s a drug dealer. There’s no telling what he’ll get you mixed up in.”

  “Is there a reason you’re on my fucking site?” I ask once I reach him.

  Miller turns to me with that arrogant ass smirk he always has on his face when I see him.

  “I’m an officer, making sure people are safe...from people like you.”

  “Me? Is that right?” I cross my arms. “I would say this town needs more protection from crooked ass cops than it does me. Wouldn’t you?”

  His face goes red as his fist clenches. “Watch your damn mouth, you scum piece of shit.”

  He steps closer to me, looking like he expects me to back up, but fuck that. Writing tickets is one thing, but intimidating me isn’t something I’ll ever let him think he can get away with. When we’re damn near nose to nose, he stops.

  “People like you never change. You can act like you left your past behind, but we both know you’ll never be anything more than a little hoodrat, running back to the streets to make a fast buck.”

  “I was young and stupid. What’s your excuse? You’re a middle-aged, balding man who apparently has nothing better to do with your time than go around harassing law abiding citizens. I’d say If anyone is never going to change, it’s you.”

  Stanley and Carlos snicker from the side of us, and Miller’s eyes cut to them.

  “We’ll see who gets the last laugh.” He snarls before walking past me, bumping my shoulder as he goes.

  I shake my head and look over at Stanley and Carlos.

  “I’m sorry he was bothering you,” I say.

  Carlos shrugs. “You already know I’ve had my share of interactions with police.”

  “For the record, I don’t give a shit about whatever the hell he was saying,” Stanley tells me. “You’ve never hid your past from either of us. I know you’re not any of the things he was saying.”

  “How long was he here?”

  “Just a minute or two before you came out.” Stanley answers. “Came over to a group of us asking if we’d seen anything suspicious.” He smirks. “Got mad as hell when Carlos, said, ‘Yeah, you.’”

  I can’t help but laugh, even as anger from what Miller asked them fills me.

  “He was trying to tell us that if you’re doing anything and we don’t tell, then we’re messing with our probation.” Carlos adds.

  “I would never put you guys in jeopardy like that.”

  “We know,” Carlos says. “But apparently that asshole doesn’t.”

  “But you should be careful with men like him.” Stanley warns me. “They’ll do anything to prove their point. Even when they’re wrong.”

  His words slam into me, sounding eerily similar to my dad’s. Am I being a fool in not starting to wonder just how determined the cops here are to see me behind bars? And what lengths they’ll go to see me there?

  “I hear you.” I nod. “Go ahead and get back to work.”

  The tension in my shoulders starts to make them ache again as I walk back to my trailer. That’s the thing about having a past. No one really gives a shit what a cop does to you because he must be doing it for a reason, right? I can barely concentrate the rest of the day, trying to keep the anger from consuming me at this prick showing up here. Remembering my promise to Mariah, I text her about what happened, but since she’s at work, I don’t expect a response. I call and text Mariah as I drive home, but don’t get a response.

  When I walk up to my door, I see flickering lights coming from under the door. Confused as hell, I turn my key and go inside. What I see releases every last bit of tension that was in my body. Mariah in the middle of the living room, laying on blankets, with tons of candles surrounding her, not a stitch of clothes on her beautiful body. I can’t get the door closed quick enough.

  “You’re home.” She smiles, turning to the side and balancing her head on her bended arm.

  “I might never leave.” I grin.

  “Why are you not taking off your clothes yet?”

  “I should take a shower first.”

  She shakes her head. “No. I want you just like you are.”

  I hesitate another second, then Mariah lays back down and spreads her legs on the blankets. Seeing her pussy, bare and waiting for me, is all the motivation I need to take my clothes off as quickly as possible.

  My eyes eat up every inch of her while I walk over to her, stepping around the candles to get to the blankets. When I drop to my knees before her, she smiles up at me and the moment has come, when the words bubble up to the surface, and I couldn’t keep them down if I tried. But I’m not trying to keep how I feel inside anymore.

  “I love you,” I say.

  Her eyes soften at my words, and she sits up until our faces are inches apart.

  “I love you,” she returns.

  I close the space between us and kiss her, wrapping my arms around her back to bring her body against mine. Knowing that she loves my hands, I slowly bring them down her skin as my tongue gets its first taste of her. She opens her mouth for me, moaning when our tongues meet, then she’s climbing into my lap. My dick slides through her pussy when she moves her hips in circles.

  Our mouths break apart when she raises up and takes my dick in her hand, pumping it a few times before positioning it to her opening. Even my tip sliding into her is enough to make me groan, but when all of me is inside her, her wetness enveloping me, I put my forehead to hers, already having to hold back from coming.

  She raises and comes down slowly, looking into my eyes and giving me small gasps and moans as she goes. I move my hands to her hips, gripping tig
htly and keeping her body close to mine while I bring my lips to hers again and again. Short kisses and pulling away when she tries to deepen them. Only when she whimpers, do I grin and ask for what I want.

  “Tell me you love me again,” I whisper against her lips.

  “I love you.”

  I give her a deep thrust.

  “God, I love you.”

  I drive up into her so hard and fast that her breasts move against my chest. Bringing my hand up, I clench the bottom of her face, keeping her looking at me as she bounces on me. When her eyes begin to close, and I feel her start to spasm around me, I kiss her, taking her moan into my mouth when she comes.

  I grind her down on me until her back stops arching and she releases a sigh. Then I lay her down on the blankets and look at her, from her face to her breasts, to her pussy until she wraps her legs around my waist and brings our bodies closer together. When I begin pounding into her, my balls tighten, needing the release so bad, I can hardly see straight. Her hands go to my ass, pushing me into her harder and I let go, coming inside her and somehow getting more turned on even in that moment knowing that my cum is filling her. She pulls me down until my face is in her neck and runs her fingers up and down my back.

  “You should get a tattoo I can trace.” She chuckles. “I assure you that it feels amazing when you do it.”

  “Maybe a big Mariah right down the middle.” I joke.

  “I won’t stop you.” She laughs. “I cooked. All by myself.”

  “Well let’s eat.”

  We both go into my room, her putting her clothes back on, and me throwing on a T-shirt, boxer briefs and sweatpants before going into the kitchen. She puts a bowl into the microwave while I get out two plates and pour us some soda. When she takes it out, the smell isn’t the best, but even if she made stir-fried shit, I’m going to eat some. She plates some baked chicken and mashed potatoes before pouring some gravy over it. I take my first bite while her back is turned just in case, and oh God, it’s awful. And I mean, gag at first taste awful. This beats the breakfast she made at my parent’s by a landslide. And that’s...pretty hard.

  “Well?” She asks, eyes wide and hopeful.

  “It’s...something else.” It’s all I can say without lying.

  She sits down and puts her forkful in her mouth. She chews once, twice, a slow third time before taking a huge gulp of soda and slamming the cup down with a full body shudder.

  “God, that’s horrible,” she exclaims.

  I burst out laughing. “I mean, as long as you said it and not me.”

  “I don’t even know how the hell you swallowed that dry.” She chuckles.

  “Love. Pure love.”

  She walks around the counter and kisses me.

  “Well, thank you for letting me think I had this cooking thing figured out for all of five seconds. But God, let’s go get some dinner.” She pulls me out of my chair.

  We go to a diner a few blocks away, and Mariah tells me about her day. I tell her about the plans I have to get started on Liam’s house tomorrow.

  “And have you started thinking about what you’re gonna do with my house?” she asks.

  “Started?” I laugh. “I have been dreaming of what I want to do to your house.”

  “Well whatever you do, I need you to make that bathroom like a damn spa. A tub we can soak in together.”

  “Oh, so I’ll be living with you?”

  “Well, you’re certainly welcome to.”

  She reaches into her purse and slides a key across the table to me.

  “Call it an early birthday present.” She smiles.

  “I will. And don’t be surprised if you come home and find me waiting on your couch naked. I will be stealing your idea at some point.”

  “Steal away, my love.”

  “My love.” I grin. “I could get used to that.”

  “I could get used to hearing you telling me I love you...at least once a day.”

  “Then I’ll make sure I say it more often than that,” I tell her and mean it. “My parents are gonna probably throw a parade when I tell them we exchanged those words.”

  She chuckles. “Ah yes, I did overhear a little something about love when I was there.”

  “They knew it right around when I did, that you had my heart.”

  “Your parents just knew the absolute best woman had walked into your life.” She beams.

  “And they were one hundred percent right.”

  “As long as you know it too.” She winks.

  “I’ll never forget. And if I do, make sure you remind me.”

  “Remember you said that,” she says with a chuckle.

  Chapter 11

  “This place almost looks livable,” I say as I look around Liam’s house.

  “Right? I gotta say that prank really did work out in my favor.” He chuckles.

  I narrow my eyes at him. “Let’s not take it that far. I still haven’t forgiven you for that.”

  “Yes, you did.” He pulls me close and hugs me as I try and wrestle away from him. “Because it got you Damir.”

  “We exchanged keys.”

  “Whoa, the big leagues. Getting serious then?”

  “I feel like it’s always somehow been serious. Like from the beginning, there was just something there.”

  He nods. “I get that.”

  I arch a brow. “As in, you get it because you feel that way with Nia?”

  He only grins. “Nice try.”

  “You haven’t told me anything else about her since the first time. Just that you guys have been on more dates. Give me something here. I’ll take a crumb.”

  “I do love it when you beg.” He snickers. “Um, let’s see, we are officially boyfriend and girlfriend. Which feels odd to say at this age, I guess. But we’ve established we’re not seeing other people.”

  “Which is pretty big for you.”

  “Don’t make it sound like that.”

  I give him an exasperated face. “Mr. I’ll never have a girlfriend, never settle down, never get married? Yeah, that guy saying he has a girlfriend is a big deal.”

  “I guess I just didn’t know a woman like her would come around, you know? That someone could make me feel all those things that just seemed made up before I met her.”

  My eyes widen, an aww ready to burst from my lips, but he shakes his head.

  “God, please don’t,” he pleads.

  “Okay, okay. I’ll act heartless just for you.” I chuckle.

  “Thank you. It’s all I ask for.” He smiles.

  The doorbell rings, and Liam goes to the door to get our takeout we had delivered. I get two plates and forks, before asking if he wants to eat outside. He agrees and follows me with the bags of food to his porch.

  “It’s amazing this is still the only block that looks like this in Newport,” I say as we begin eating.

  “Uh, everything in Newport looks run down, so this block fits right in.”

  “You know what I mean. It’s the only block with houses basically anywhere in this town.”

  “Me and Trouble used to come here when we were younger, pretend this was the nice side of town, as if Newport has one of those. We’d speak in these fancy ass accents and act rich.”

  We both laugh, as I push him arm. “And you guys didn’t bring me?”

  “That’s when you were in your tea party days. We had to get the hell out of the building before you brought out your tea set.”

  “That’s low.” I pause, looking at Liam out the corner of my eye, wondering if I should ask about the best friend he’d had almost all of his life. The friend he no longer had. “How is Trouble anyway?”

  He shrugs, but I see the sadness that enters his eyes. “He’s good, I guess. I only really see him when he comes to drop off and pick up his brother from the community center. I used to try and talk to him, but you kinda get tired of one word answers.”

  “I don’t understand how you guys used to be together every day and don’t even
speak now.”

  “I don’t really understand it either, but I got the message years ago. He wants nothing to do with me.”

  “Yeah, but—”

  “We’re just on two different paths.” He cuts me off. And the hard set of his jaw tells me he doesn’t want to talk about it anymore.

  “How’s his brother?” I ask instead of what I really want to.

  “He’s good. Helps out a lot with the younger kids. I see him kinda starting to go down a bad path though. And he’s young, so I know most of it is just trying to fit in, but once you go down that path...”

  “It hard to find your way back.” I finish.

  “Exactly. I wish there was something we could do for the kids there, to kind of expose them to other things. The issue is that not many people are willing to help when they find out it’s a bunch of kids from Newport.”

  I perk up. “Damir.”

  “Huh?”

  “I mean Damir already does this outreach program where he hires people who are on probation, teaching them construction. Maybe for the older kids, you guys could bring them to the work site, and they could learn a skill, really get some life experience by working with their hands.”

  “If he agrees, that’ll be nice for them. Even just to get them out of Newport for a few days will do them good.”

  “I’ll ask him when I see him tomorrow.”

  “A date?”

  “A surprise one. I’m bringing him lunch to his site.”

  “Takeout I hope. Poor guy doesn’t need to die at work.”

  “I’ll have you know I’ve cooked two whole meals now.”

  “Were they edible?”

  “Damir ate them.”

  “That is not what I asked.” He snickers.

  “Whatever. Yes, it will be takeout because... Yeah, my cooking is almost as bad as yours. Almost.”

  “Little do you know they’ve been doing cooking lessons at the center, and yours truly made chicken alfredo the other day.”

  “Well excuse me, Chef Liam.” He gives me a smug smile, and I laugh before asking, “Practicing to make Nia breakfast in bed?”

  “Actually, I am.”