THIRST

by Deborah Bladon

  “Be gentle?” she asks with a lift of both brows.

  It’s taking every ounce of strength within me to control the need. My hands inch toward her bare skin. I want to bite it, bruise it. I want her to feel me tomorrow and every day after.

  She grabs hold of the base of my dick and I groan aloud. “Fuck me, Dexie. Just fuck me.”

  She lowers herself onto me, inch by deliciously dizzying inch until I’m buried to the hilt.

  I let her set the pace. Achingly slow strokes of her cunt over my cock drive me mad.

  I rest my head against the headboard and stare at her as she rides me.

  Her eyes are closed, her lips parted enough to reveal those two overlapping teeth and her hair flows down her back as she takes what she needs from me.

  “I love you,” I whisper so softly that I know she can’t hear.

  She arches her body, her hands leaping back to rest on my thighs and she fucks me hard, chanting my name over and over, imprinting every nuance of this perfect moment into my memory.

  ***

  “What’s the cure for a sore pussy?” Dexie snuggles under the blanket on my bed.

  “My tongue.” I stick it out.

  “No.” She shakes her head. “It was so deep. I don’t think I’ve ever come that hard before.”

  I know I haven’t. I shook through my orgasm, holding her tightly to my chest as I pumped out every last drop.

  “I take that as a challenge.” I hand her a bottle of water.

  She takes a sip. “A challenge?”

  “I can make you come harder than that.”

  She gazes at my semi-erect penis. “Not tonight.”

  “Tonight.” I take the water from her and down a gulp.

  The sound of my phone ringing catches her by surprise. She jerks her head to look over at it sitting on the nightstand. “Saved by the bell.”

  I laugh. “You’re not getting off that easy.”

  “I see what you did there.” She closes her eyes. “You get me off easy, Rocco. Your hands, your mouth, that big beautiful cock of yours.”

  My phone quiets but only for a second. It starts ringing again.

  “It’s after midnight,” she says quietly. “Answer it.”

  I do. I pick it up, my brow furrowing when I see who is calling. I swipe my finger over the screen to answer it. “Pop?”

  His voice quivers on the other end. “I need you, son.”

  “I’m coming,” I say without hesitation. “I’m on my way.”

  Chapter 51

  Rocco

  Four hours later I’m staring out the window.

  It’s not the view I wanted or expected.

  I’m not looking into the apartment of the only woman I’ve ever loved. I’m gazing at Manhattan as it starts to wake.

  It’s a typical day for most of the city. People will roll over in bed to see the face they adore. They’ll eat breakfast, brush their teeth, dress and head off to wherever they earn a paycheck.

  It’s a day like any other for most of New York City.

  It’s another day in hell for my father; for me.

  I glance over to where he’s sitting on a chair. His eyes are closed, but he’s awake. He’s been up all night.

  The sound of an announcement over the intercom system cracks one of his eyelids open.

  “Are they...”

  “No.” I glance back out the window. “No word yet.”

  I scrub my hands over my face as I listen to him sigh. “How, Rocco? How did this happen?”

  How did we end up in a hospital again waiting for news about the woman who owns his heart? How the hell do we get through the conversation with the doctor who will explain to my father why his new bride took a nap after dinner last night and didn’t wake up when he tried to rouse her?

  How do I hold my father up through the loss of another woman he loves?

  “Let’s wait for the doctor, Pops.” I try to sound upbeat. I have enough fucking practice doing that.

  I did it when Irena was wheeled into this same hospital three years ago on a gurney after she collapsed on a sidewalk.

  She had just left my apartment ten minutes before.

  Ten fucking minutes.

  We had spent the morning at the Met together and then had lunch at her favorite French restaurant before we went back to my apartment for a cup of coffee.

  I had hugged her, told her I loved her, and she set off to see my sister.

  Some stranger called an ambulance after they watched her fall to the concrete.

  She never regained consciousness. She died in this hospital as I sat in the waiting room holding tight to my father’s hand.

  It was the same after my mother died.

  It was days short of my seventh birthday, but that fact got lost in the grief.

  My dad told me endless stories about my mom in the years after she died.

  He cried every day.

  I tried to soothe him but what can a kid do when his own heart is broken into a million pieces?

  “Mr. Jones?”

  We both turn at the mention of our names.

  My dad pushes himself up from his chair, his knees wobbling. I go to him, wrapping my arm around his shoulder.

  “April is resting.”

  “Is she awake?” My father asks in a strained voice that I’ve heard too many times in my life.

  “No, sir. She’s still unconscious.” The doctor kneads his hands together. “We’re waiting for the results of the tests. We’ll know more when...”

  “When you get those,” I finish for him. “When will that be?”

  “I put a rush on them.” He looks to my father and then me. “You can sit with her if you like.”

  My dad looks up at me, his brown eyes sullen and cloudy with a grief that’s been there more often than not in my lifetime.

  This is the price you pay for love.

  The words he said to me when I was eight-years-old echo in my mind.

  “Did you call...”

  “I called,” I assure him. “Chloe is on her way. Nash is out of town, but Luke will come as soon as his shift is done.”

  “I’ll sit with her.” He nods his head slowly. “I’ll sit until she wakes up.”

  I pray to god that happens soon.

  My phone chimes in the pocket of my jeans. I slide it out.

  Dexie: I know it’s late, but is everything all right? You left so quickly.

  I had left her in my bed when I hastily dressed and took off. I told her it was a family issue because that’s what this is. It’s an issue that my family has dealt with far too many times.

  “Is that Chloe?” My dad cranes his neck to look at the screen of my phone.

  “No, Pops.” I kiss his forehead. “Let’s go see April.”

  He leans against me. “I promised myself I’d never love again. My heart can’t do this, Rocco.”

  The pain he’s in is palpable. I feel it in every cell of my body.

  I can’t do it either.

  Chapter 52

  Dexie

  Rocco: Everything is fine.

  I reread the text Rocco sent me three days ago.

  It’s the last I’ve heard from him.

  He hasn’t picked up when I’ve called him. My texts since then have gone unanswered and his apartment has been dark since I let myself out the other morning, locking the door behind me.

  I step forward when the elevator doors fly open.

  “Dexie.” Rhoda approaches me. “I was just about to leave.”

  “What are you doing here?” I look past her to where Shona is seated behind the reception desk.

  I treated myself to an expensive coffee at Palla on Fifth because I needed to get out of the office and my stomach hasn’t been able to handle food.

  There’s a weight in it. It’s a sinking feeling that whatever is happening in Rocco’s life is going to change mine forever.

  “I came to congratulate you.” She claps her hands together.

  I m
otion for her to follow me down the hallway. I offer a Shona a weak smile as we pass her desk. “Am I right to assume you’re here with an offer, Rhoda, and you think I’ll be accepting it?”

  She follows me into my office, waiting until I close the door behind us.

  “You’re joking, Dexie.”

  I turn to face her. She’s dressed as impeccably as ever. The designer handbag on her shoulder is a new piece from a collection just released last week.

  I know I shouldn’t allow my personal feelings to impact my business decisions, but I’m miffed that she hasn’t tested my product out. If she’s as interested in my handbags as she says she is, why isn’t she using one?

  I pop up a brow. “Joking?”

  She thins her lips. “Did you promise Suzanne you wouldn’t say anything until the ink was dry on your contract?”

  “Suzanne Belese?” I ask while my brain tries to play catch-up with her last question.

  “Your new partner.” She cocks both brows.

  I shake my head. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

  “Rocco told me.” She slaps the top of my hand. “Technically, Rocco convinced me to back off so you’d accept Suzanne’s deal. I have to admit, it’s the best choice for you.”

  I lean a hip against the side of my desk and repeat my last words. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

  She tugs on the green silk scarf around her neck. “What do you mean you have no idea what I’m talking about?”

  I shrug both shoulders.

  Her gaze bounces from my face to the wall behind me. “Rocco called me late last night and told me to drop my interest in your company.”

  He did what?

  “I told him to go to hell,” she goes on, “I’ve always viewed myself as the best partner for you. No one understands the beauty of a designer bag more than I do.”

  She twirls her handbag around.

  “I had my offer ready to go.” She moves to settle into a chair in front of my desk. “Rocco told me about what Suzanne is offering you. I can’t match that.”

  I haven’t heard a peep out of Suzanne since I had lunch with her and Rocco.

  “What is she offering me?”

  Rhoda crosses her legs at the knee. “Are you seriously telling me that you don’t know about this?”

  “I’m dead serious.” I rest my head in my hands. “Please, Rhoda, tell me what the hell is going on.”

  “You haven’t talked to Rocco or Suzanne about this?”

  I look up at her. “No. I haven’t.”

  “I let the chicken out of the coop.” She pushes to stand. “It’s not my place to tell you what I know.”

  “Please sit.” I motion to the chair she just rose from. “This is my business. It’s my life. Who I partner with is my decision. I have a right to know.”

  She tosses me a brisk nod. “You’re right.”

  I watch in silence as she sits back down.

  She runs her hands over the front of her navy blue pants. “Rocco told me that Suzanne will take you under her wing. Dexie Walsh will become a subsidiary of Belese. You’ll use their manufacturer and your bags will be in the Belese boutiques right next to Suzanne’s bags. You’ll retain creative control. The numbers work in your favor Dexie. You trade a portion of equity for a royalty. It’s a strong offer.”

  It sounds like a dream come true.

  “Working side-by-side with Suzanne is just what you need.” She manages a small smile. “The California sunshine is a bonus.”

  “California sunshine?” I question with a knit of my brow.

  “You’re moving to California.” She looks at her handbag. “That’s where Suzanne’s studio is so you’ll be learning the ropes there.”

  I pinch my eyes shut. Rocco wants this for me? He wants me to move across the country?

  “Promise me you’ll act surprised when Suzanne calls you.” Rhoda’s on her feet again. “I didn’t mean to spill the beans and ruin anything.”

  “You didn’t ruin a thing.” I push to stand. “Will you see yourself out?”

  She purses her lips together. “I still have an offer at the ready, Dexie. If anything changes and you want to stay in New York and work with me, I’m a phone call away.”

  “Thank you, Rhoda.” I breathe out a sigh. “I’ll remember that.”

  She walks out of my office, without a single glance back.

  Once she’s out of view, I pick up my phone and call Rocco.

  The message I leave this time is short and sweet. “What the hell is going on?”

  Chapter 53

  Rocco

  All the air leaves my lungs when I turn the corner and see Dexie standing in front of her building.

  She’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.

  It’s not the pink dress she’s wearing or the way her hair is pulled back into a ponytail.

  It’s that face and the heart that beats inside that body.

  The heart that owns me. It will always own me.

  “Rocco.” My name snaps from her lips when she sees me approaching her.

  Something shifts in her expression once she looks me over.

  I look like hell.

  Why wouldn’t I?

  I’ve spent the past three days by my father’s side as he’s navigated a medical maze.

  I’ve been home twice to shower and change clothes.

  The short beard covering my jaw irritates the hell out of me, but shaving would take precious minutes away from my family.

  “Dexie,” I say her name and something inside of me cracks in half.

  I bite back the rush of emotions that threaten to break free.

  “Are you all right?” Her brown eyes narrow, a look of concern blankets her expression.

  “I’m fine,” I lie through my teeth. “How are you?”

  “Confused,” she admits on a sigh. “Pissed off.”

  At any other time, I’d use that to my advantage. An angry fuck with her would be intense. I’ve never seen her like this.

  “What’s wrong?” I ask the question even though I know it sounds ridiculous.

  What’s wrong? What the fuck is wrong with you, Rocco?

  I chase away the annoying voice in my head with a hard swallow.

  “We should talk about this in private.” Her hand gestures to the door of my building. “Can we go up to your place?”

  My place. It’s where we made love and she fell asleep in my bathtub wrapped in my arms.

  I open the door and motion for her to go first. She ascends the stairs in silence, her back rigid and her shoulders tense.

  Once we reach my floor, I move in front of her to unlock my apartment door. I swing it open and she steps through before I do.

  “I need to use the washroom,” she announces before she takes off down the hallway. Her heels click out a frantic beat.

  I use the time to suck in a deep breath.

  I walk to the window and gaze at her apartment. It’s where I first saw her.

  The sound of my phone’s chime drops my eyes down to the screen.

  Luke: I’m with dad. Take a few hours to yourself.

  To do what? Worry? Pace? Think about all life’s what ifs?

  I type back a response.

  Rocco: I’ll be back soon. How are you holding up?

  His reply is almost instant.

  Luke: I’m ok but you know...I’m worried about Pop.

  “Rocco?”

  I turn at the sound of her voice; her beautiful throaty voice.

  “I passed by your bedroom.” Her gaze darts back down the hallway. “Have you not been home since I was here?”

  The twisted sheets and condom packages strewn all over the bed is proof that I haven’t slept in there in days.

  “Something came up.” I don’t have the strength to spew out the diagnosis and prognosis.

  Her hands fist together in front of her. “Do you want to talk about it?”

  I look back at her apartment. “Let
’s talk about you.”

  “About Suzanne?”

  That pulls my gaze back to her. “You heard from her?”

  “From Rhoda.” She shrugs her shoulder. “She told me you called her about Suzanne.”

  “You should take Suzanne’s offer.”

  That offer is a gift. Suzanne called me two days ago and I ignored every single one of her calls. She reached out to Jared and he filled her in on where I was. She came to the hospital, flowers in hand with an offer for Dexie in her head.

  She wanted to run it by me first.

  I was stunned. It’s perfect for the growth of Dexie’s business.

  “You want me to move to California?” Her voice cracks. “You want me to go there?”

  No. I want you to stay with me. I want you to marry me and have our children. I want to grow old with you and then a minute before you die, I want to take my last breath, so I don’t have to go through the agonizing pain that my father has.

  I can’t live without her. I can’t die after her.

  I can’t fucking think.

  “I want your dreams to come true.” I turn to her. “That’s what I want most for you.”

  “You think my dreams are in California?”

  “I think you have to consider what’s best for you.”

  It’s a cop-out. Every fucking word leaving my mouth is a waste of breath.

  Her bottom lip trembles as she studies my face. “Why did you call Rhoda and tell her to drop her offer?”

  “She couldn’t offer you anything close to what Suzanne is.” I scrub my hand over my face. “I didn’t want you listening to her bullshit when you have a solid offer on the table.”

  “You haven’t made your offer yet.” She takes a step closer to me.

  My offer is everything her heart desires. I’ll lease a storefront on Fifth Avenue and set up a sewing machine in the middle of it. She can sell one handbag a year for all I care.

  All I want is for her to feel fulfilled.

  “Do you want me to stay in New York, Rocco?”

  My phone rings, pushing her back a step.

  I glance down.

  Pop’s name dances over the screen.

  “I have to take this,” I say, looking into her eyes.

  She nods. “Take it.”

  I head for the kitchen. “I’ll be right back.”