His parents wedding anniversary was coming up in a couple of weeks and they had invited him but he wasn’t sure if he was even going to show up for the party. He didn’t want to deal with the two of them. Maybe because his mom gave birth to him at fifteen she thought she had missed out on something during her life. His father wasn’t much older than his mother. He had just turned sixteen the day after Jim was born.
Thank God, his grandparents were still young enough to step in and help his parents out while they finished up high school and then college. He always knew who his parents were but he always thought of his grandparents as his true parents. They taught him how to be giving, loving and understanding of other people. He was going to pass those qualities on to Trevor with or without help from his ex-wife.
Jim looked at his son trying to find a way to answer him without making his mother look bad. He didn’t want to put Trevor in the middle of what was going on with him and Kathy. “Trevor, when you hear your mom tell you stuff like that, don’t pay attention to her. Anytime you aren’t sure about anything she tells you always remember you can come and ask me, okay?”
“Mom tells me that you’re a liar and won’t be honest with me. How do I know who to trust?” Trevor asked him.
A deep, unaccustomed pain filled his chest at the doubt in his little boy’s voice. He never wanted Trevor to be worried that he would never tell him the truth.
“Trevor, no matter how much you might not like my answers all of the time, I will always tell you the truth. You can ask and know that I will not lie to you.”
Hazel eyes a shade darker than his stared up at him with a huge amount of trust in them. He hoped that Trevor never lost his belief in him because of lies that his mother filled his head with when he wasn’t around.
“I believe you, Daddy. I know you will always tell me the truth.”
“Good, now will you take that small white box by the wall out to Dante in the truck? I don’t want to leave it here. I need this space completely empty for the painters.”
Running away from him, Trevor grabbed the box off the floor. “Do you think he’ll let me play some games on his cell phone?”
“Ask him and see what he tells you,” Jim yelled as Trevor ran out the front door.
Shaking his head, Jim smiled at the abundance of energy that his little boy constantly seemed to be filled with. I don’t ever remember having that kind of get-up-and-go when I was his age.
Moving around the room, Jim took in the empty space hoping the vision he had for it would come true. The painters wouldn’t be coming until next week because he was having the bathroom’s plumbing fixed along with checking the lighting.
The place would take almost two months to get in shape, but the wait would be worth it. He was even getting a new black and gray sign made to have placed on the roof. The new Choppers sign was the biggest investment when it came to the redo because he was having it custom made by a new designer who was friends with Dante. He had seen this young man’s work and Romalliti was the hottest artist out there.
As the thought of redoing something crossed his mind, the memory of yesterday and what happened with Keira lingered around the edges of his brain. He couldn’t shake the vivid recollection of how good the two of them were together…no, how perfect they were together.
Who knew that the tightly wound Keira Winters would be so sexually compatible with him? The second he slid his cock inside of her he hadn’t wanted to leave the unbelievable paradise that he had found there.
He hadn’t fathomed being with too many women since his divorce. Bambi held on to the belief that she might spend a night or two in his bed, but he never wanted her in that way. Hell, he never contemplated he would be interested in spending more than a night with a woman until sleeping with Keira.
Even when he was younger he never had the staying power he’d possessed last night with Keira. He would never forget a single detail of her face as her beautiful body bounced up and down on his cock while she was straddling his thighs. Honestly, ending up in bed with Keira wasn’t a part of his plan when he knocked on her door to check up on her, but he sure as hell wasn’t upset that it was where the two of them ended up for most of the day and night.. Shit, he was hoping Keira wouldn’t pretend they hadn’t spent yesterday learning what pleasures they could give to each other.
Even after he finally left this morning after kissing Keira goodbye, she filled his thoughts until he couldn’t do anything else but focus only on her. The date he went on with her to Dante’s restaurant ranked pretty high for him–like an eight out of ten. Plus the sex was off the charts. He was more than ready to carry her over his shoulder back to the closest bedroom.
All of what he was thinking was good for him. Yet, he wasn’t too sure where Keira’s mind was today. She might be taken aback by his sudden interest in her after all of the disagreements between them. Keira was very skeptical when it came to things. So, he might have to take moving things to the next level with her very slowly because he wasn’t positive about what the next step should be himself. All he knew was that he did enjoy the short period of time they’d shared together.
He was man enough to acknowledge that he wouldn’t be against having another dinner date with Keira. Maybe the next one could be a little more romantic. She might try to blow him off and pretend that last night didn’t blow her mind too, but he wasn’t going to let her do that. He was going to break that hard shell of hers down even more until it no longer existed.
Doing a favor for Dave wasn’t the reason he wanted to go out with Keira again and surprisingly the mind-blowing sex wasn’t the deciding factor either. The only reason he was interested in seeing Keira again was he found her extremely attractive and more challenging than any woman who had been around him in such a very long time.
It was intoxicating to him how Keira, although still not totally back to her old self, still found a way to make him pursue her. The chase was giving him a thrill that he never imagined it could.
He hoped Keira was playing her best game because he didn’t mind losing, but he wasn’t going to give up until he got what he wanted which was her.
Chapter Twenty-One
10:45 am
Prison Work Crew
Los Angeles, CA
The hot sizzling sun beamed down on the top of his head causing more sweat to fall down his forehead into his eyes as he picked up the pieces of paper, soda cans and the other variety of litter that was scattered across the sides of the highway.
He couldn’t believe that he had been locked up for almost seven years before they even thought about allowing him to qualify for this fucking work release program. He shouldn’t have been given any prison time in the first place because he hadn’t done anything wrong.
Wiping the sweat off his forehead with the back of his hand, Dalton Blake glanced at the low life criminals working around him complaining about how uncomfortable they were working out in all of the heat.
God, why was he even in the same space as them? Damn it! He had MBA from Harvard. He should be working at a high paying job instead of being out here with these part-time drug dealers, car thieves and petty delinquents.
I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for that lying bitch True Williams…no True Campbell. A car zoomed past him, the occupants yelling some kind of offhanded insult.
Since the first day when the guards dropped him off at prison, he’d been fighting off sex starved men from making him their new boyfriend while praying his cell mate didn’t want to make a late night call to his bed.
His backstabbing ex-girlfriend was tricking some rich idiot into placing a ring on her finger. True had gotten everything she ever wanted whilst he’d been living in his own personal hell.
I have to pay her back. If she hadn’t testified against me I wouldn’t have ended up in prison. She’s even the reason my brother Mark is dead now. He went after her best friend Jenisha and ended up dying in the fire he’d set for her.
Dalton could feel his ha
tred for True boiling up in his gut and working its way through his entire body. He had to get out of jail and the quicker he did the sooner he could pay his bitch of an ex-girlfriend back for sullying his near perfect life.
All he needed was an opportunity to sneak away from these other inmates. Continuing on further down the road, Dalton noticed how far out the guards had brought them to clean off the highway. He wasn’t dumb. He could figure out a way to escape the next time he came here.
He wouldn’t be able to do it today because the guards were paying way too much attention to them. He had to wait for the right opportunity and then plan his freedom. The second he did get free True would get everything she deserved for crossing him in that court room all of those years ago.
“Dalton, get your head out of the clouds and get your ass back down here,” the male guard yelled at him. “I took this job for the extra money, not to baby sit your grown ass. We’re leaving. We don’t have all day to wait for you.”
Dalton opened his mouth to yell something nasty back, but quickly snapped it shut. He couldn’t afford to do anything to get him taken off this cleaning crew. It was the best thing that had occurred in his life in a very long time. In addition, this job might be his only chance at an escape and he wouldn’t fuck it up. The taste for revenge was too sweet.
“Yes sir, I’m coming,” he yelled walking faster to catch up with the other prisoners who were already in line waiting to get back on the bus.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Standing at the side of the curb, Keira stared into the huge canary yellow moving van at her father’s motorcycles. She remembered that Jim had mentioned in passing he was thinking about redoing her father’s old floor plan for Choppers, but she didn’t think it would be this soon. Jim hadn’t been the new owner for that long.
How could he know this quickly that he couldn’t or wouldn’t be able to deal with Choppers the old way? He could have at least given her some warning that he was going to do this today since they knew each other on an intimate level now.
Wait until I see him. I’m going to give him a piece of my mind…hell, I might give him more than that Keira stormed towards the front door and into the shop.
Once she got inside Keira looked around, but Jim was nowhere in sight. As she spun around to leave she ran into a hard, warm chest. Tilting her head back, Keira’s eyes connected with Jim and before she could utter one word he kissed her until she wrapped her arms around his neck, and continued to kiss her until she felt her knees go weak.
“I missed you,” Jim whispered against her mouth before stepping back. “I came looking for you when we brought the van here, but you were gone.”
Keira wondered how Jim could even form a sentence when her mind and body were still buzzing from their kiss. She was having a hard time trying not to kiss him again and he wanted to carry on a conversation.
“Keira, are you going to answer me?”
“I was at the mall with Charisma shopping for a birthday present for Dave. She called about forty minutes after you had left.” She speculated why Jim had come looking for her. Did he want another replay of yesterday and this morning? Or had he come looking for her about something else?
“What did you want?”
“I wanted to ask you out on a real date. I know that we’ve done things a little differently. So, how about we try it the correct way? After I get the motorcycles dropped off at Dante’s place I can go home, change and pick you back up around six o’clock,” he suggested. “I know this perfect out of the way restaurant that I’ve wanted to take someone to. I would like for it to be you.”
“Don’t you think all of this is happening pretty fast? Maybe we should rethink going out with each other again.”
She was trying to back away from Jim, but he was one step ahead of her. Keira could tell he was going to put up a fight instead of backing off like she hoped he would. Her interest in Jim was piqued as well as her curiosity about him. She was eager to see what new side of him might show itself surprising her more than he already had so far.
“No, I’m not going to rethink anything,” Jim said as he pulled her closer. “Furthermore, I’m rejecting your feeble attempt at telling me to back off. I’m going to be at your house tonight. You better be ready or you’ll wish that you had taken my invitation seriously,” he threatened softly.
“What will happen if I don’t agree?” He wasn’t about to do anything to her.
“Baby, you don’t want to test me and find out,” Jim teased giving her another kiss before patting her on the ass and then moving away.
Keira stood motionless in the middle of the room as she realized how excited she was about going out on another date with Jim. She was intrigued by what thrilling something else he might offer her.
If she said yes right now and made a decision quicker than she thought she would, Jim might think he had the upper hand on her. She should make him work a little bit harder at getting her to go out with him again.
Spinning around, she caught sight of Jim as he grabbed his helmet and keys off the counter. Her eyes wandered over his back remembering how tight his ass was when he was walking around naked in her bedroom. It was a sight that she could get used to seeing more often.
“I’ll be ready and you better be a man of your word. I expect to be impressed by you.”
Jim stopped in his tracks on the way to the door. She knew that he’d heard her and she was counting the minutes until he told her what he thought about her comment.
“I thought I proved last night that I was a man of my word. I guess if you need a refresher course in my skills, I’m more than happy to give you another class anytime you want, sweetheart.” Jim continued on out the door leaving her to think about what he’d just told her and making her wish it was already time for their date.
Chapter Twenty-Three
“Dante, I want to thank you again for watching Trevor. I thought Kathy would be at home tonight, but she has a date with another new guy. I swear I have to get my son out of that house and away from that woman and her circus of men.”
Jim snatched his jacket off the back of the kitchen chair and shoved his arms into the sleeves. He couldn’t believe that he was actually still talking about his ex-wife while getting ready for another date with Keira. He was excited and a little nervous about tonight. He wanted things to go really well, but it wouldn’t if he didn’t get his mind off Kathy and all of her nonsense.
“Kathy isn’t going to change, so why waste time worrying about her? Trevor is with me tonight. He’s going to have some of my famous spaghetti and meatballs. After dinner I told him I would play a video game with him. There’s nothing for you to be worried about. You only need to focus all your energy on your gorgeous date; unless, you’d rather I step in and you stay home with Trevor. I’ll give Keira your apologies.”
Jim knew Dante was only trying to test his patience and it was working. Women were constantly throwing themselves at his friend, but he wasn’t going to allow Keira to get that close to Dante.
“Thanks for the offer, but I think that I can handle going out on a date with Keira without any help from you. I think you have enough women dying to date you.” Jim left the kitchen and stopped to check his reflection in the mirror by the door one last time. He wasn’t the type of guy to go over how he looked, but he did want to look especially good tonight. This would be his first ‘real’ date since his divorce from Kathy.
“Hey, you can’t fault me for trying. I thought you might tell me no, but I asked anyway.” Dante followed him into the room. He picked up the remote control off the table before taking a seat on the couch. “You better get going before you’re late. Keira doesn’t seem like the type of woman who would appreciate you standing her up.”
“I’m leaving,” Jim said, opening the front door. “Don’t forget to make sure Trevor has finished all of his homework before he plays any video games. Hopefully, he won’t still be mad at me and take it out on you.”
“Trevo
r will get over you going out on a date with Keira. He was only mad because he couldn’t go with you. I’ll talk to him about it over dinner if he’s still mad at you.”
Pausing in the open doorway, Jim looked back over his shoulder at Dante. Doubt about going out with Keira tonight eased into his mind. He didn’t want to let Trevor down like his mother constantly did by breaking his promises to him.
“Maybe I should stay at home. I’ve never seen him act out like that before. Trevor is usually so tough and independent even at seven years old because of growing up around Kathy more than me. He counts on me because he knows that he has no one else in his corner. No, I’m not going. I’ll call and cancel with Keira. She’ll understand.”
He wasn’t about to bail on his little boy not even for a date with Keira─ no matter how much he was planning on showing her a good time. He was a parent first and anything else in his life came second including Choppers.
“I know you aren’t serious,” Dante said, tossing the remote control down on the cushioned seat next to him. “Trevor was only trying to make you feel bad and he’s doing it. He’ll be okay with me for a couple of hours. Go out. Have some adult fun and conversation. Leave me here with the kid. Now, I would leave before Keira changes her mind and not even open the door when you show up.”
Jim hated that Dante was right. Trevor was only testing him and he shouldn’t fall for it. He might need to have a talk with his son tomorrow about how he was too old to throw a temper tantrum.
“You’re right. I’m leaving, but call me if you need to. I’ll come right back and deal with Trevor.”
“I doubt I’ll need to,” Jim heard as he went out the door closing it behind him.
Chapter Twenty-Four
The lyrics from Purple Rain filled Keira’s house as she finished getting ready for her date. The need to call Charisma and share her news was eating at her, but she changed her mind at the last second. Her hand had actually touched the phone before she snatched it back. Tonight she just wanted to have fun with Jim and not have any other worries on her mind.
The Men of CCD: Help Wanted Page 9
