by TJ Dallas
A young girl with long blonde hair stood behind me with tears in her eyes. I didn’t know who she was, but my stomach dropped as I caught sight of a nasty black eye.
“Kit?” Harry jumped over the bar and took the girl in her arms, pushing her hair aside to inspect the bruise.
You know her? I asked.
I met her in Brighton. “Kit, what happened?”
The girl, Kit, suddenly burst into tears, and Harry cradled her to her chest. She sobbed, burrowing her face into Harry’s shirt, and Harry caught my eye. Can you grab me some ice?
Sure. I stood up on the footrest of my stool, leaning over the bar to grab a tea towel. “Lara, fill that with ice for me please, toots.”
Lara nodded, her gaze falling to Harry and Kit behind me. A flush of jealousy rose on her cheeks, but she promptly passed the tea towel back.
Harry took the ice and gingerly held it to Kit’s brow. Kit finally revealed a small smile, taking the ice pack to hold it in place.
“Are you all right, pet? What brings you to my domain?”
Kit shrugged, her cheeks blushing. “You said I could come visit you, right? You said you’d take me to see the castle?”
I stifled a giggle.
Aww, leave her. She’s sweet, and innocent, and I don’t mind taking her. She wants to see the One O’Clock Gun.
Well, don’t play with her too much. Lara was sweet and innocent as well until you corrupted her.
Harry smirked but chose to respond to Kit instead. “I certainly did, pet. But I wasn’t expecting to see you again, after ...” She fell silent, averting her gaze.
Harry, what did you do?
The tattoo gun I mentioned? It was Kit’s.
My eyes widened. Tell me you didn’t steal it?
I borrowed it. She shrugged, but I couldn’t miss the flush of colour on her cheeks. I returned it, obviously.
“I’m just grateful you gave it back,” Kit echoed, and Harry’s shoulders relaxed. “I couldn’t have completed my training without it.”
“You graduated? That’s awesome.”
“I got sacked from the pub, though.” Her face fell. “I got kicked out of my flat too, as I wasn’t able to pay the rent.”
“It’s a good thing a position just opened up here, then.”
Kit’s eyebrows jumped. “Do you know the manager? Do you think you could get me an interview?”
“I am the manager,” Harry replied, chuckling.
“You’re not?” The shock in Kit’s voice was unmistakable.
Harry hadn’t bragged about her club for once? I thought. This pregnancy is doing strange things to her.
Harry turned, trapping me with a dark glare. I haven’t told her about that. I’d prefer to keep that to myself.
Of course; I wasn’t going to say anything.
Good. She turned back to Kit, motioning for her to remove the ice pack so she could take another look. “You’ll be OK; the swelling will go down. What happened?”
Kit looked at the floor. “One of my friends came out for a cigarette when we left the pub that night, and he saw us. He said ...” She went silent for a heartbeat, swallowing hard. “He said I was disgusting, and he called me a dyke.”
Tears welled in her eyes again, and I realised what had prompted her all the way up here. Some people would call it a coincidence, others called it serendipity, but the universe worked in mysterious ways. The universe had delivered her to the Cardinal for Harry’s help.
“He hit you?” Harry growled, gritting her teeth.
“Well, no. But his girlfriend did.”
“Was that the one with the hooped earrings, by any chance?”
Kit chuckled. “Yes, that’s the one.”
Harry chewed the inside of her cheek. “There’s a hotel downstairs. Let me see if there’s a room tonight, and we’ll figure out what to do in the morning, OK?”
Kit nodded, her shy smile coming through again. Harry gestured towards me with her head, and I brought a smile to my lips. “Good evening, toots.”
“Kit, this is my girlfriend, Althea.”
Kit’s eyes widened as she looked between us. She started to stutter, and Harry set a delicate hand on her shoulder.
“It’s all right.”
Kit looked at me, and I winked. Her cheeks couldn’t have gone a deeper maroon.
“Relax. The first rule at the Cardinal: never be ashamed of something you enjoyed. And from what I hear, you certainly enjoyed it. But only three, Harry? Tut, tut. You must be getting old.”
Don’t start, pet. She fell asleep before I could rack up any more. Harry caught my eye, and I smirked.
Kit couldn’t face me, and I giggled to end her discomfort. “Care for a drink? Might take the edge off that bruise; it looks sore.”
It took her a few seconds to compose herself. “OK.”
“What will it be?”
“Vodka and lemonade, please.” Kit sat on the proffered stool next to me. “It’s nice to meet you.” She held out her hand, and I shook it.
“And you. Any friend of Harry’s is a friend of mine.”
She blushed, flinching as she withdrew the ice pack from her temple to place it on the bar. Lara placed a vodka and lemonade and another glass of red wine in front of us, and I nodded a thanks.
Harry spoke up. “OK, Riley’s got a room available. Someone’s preparing it just now. Did you bring your stuff?”
“Well, I wasn’t expecting a job and a place to sleep tonight, so no.” Kit laughed. “I’ve got a few things in my car, but it’s mainly the tattooing gear. Don’t get any ideas.” She stuck her tongue out.
“Not so shy now, pet?”
“I guess not.”
“A good start.” Harry grinned. “Welcome to the Cardinal.”
29
Althea
Harry had two weeks to go now, with the smallest bump underneath her shirt. She wore her blazer when she was working and an oversized hoodie when she wasn’t, trying to disguise it as much as possible. No one at the club knew, not even Lara, and she wanted to keep it that way.
She was becoming more fatigued as the days dragged on, though, and more than once tonight, I’d discovered her leaning against the bar, catching her breath. She’d need to start taking it easier, and I vowed to talk to her, but right now, all I wanted was her; I wanted her in my arms, I wanted her lips against mine, and I wanted to forget the world.
When the lights finally went up, I followed her into her office. She jumped when she noticed me, and I took the till drawers from her hands. She rolled her eyes but said nothing as I balanced them on her desk, then wrapped my arms around her neck and kissed her.
She exhaled as she kissed me back. I held the back of her head, pulling her closer to my mouth as her tongue danced with mine. Her teeth grazed my bottom lip, biting gently.
“Can I help you, pet?” she purred.
“Don’t say anything,” I said, tugging her into another kiss.
She moaned as I grabbed her collar and shuffled backward. I sank into the chair behind her desk, and she straddled me. I felt the slight curve of her abdomen against my torso; she was heavier now. I broke the kiss to look down, unbuttoning her jeans and slipping my hand underneath the waistband. She moaned again as I found her clitoris, my lips parting as I watched her face.
For several minutes, I played with her, and she rocked her hips, her breathing getting deeper. She got steadily wetter, coating my fingers with her desire, and soon, she let out a sensual groan. I knew she was close.
I lay my hand on her belly as she started to come, squeezing her eyes shut and panting. The baby moved inside her, and I captured her lips in another kiss. It was deep, and I groaned through it as she rode out her climax, soaking my hand and moaning against my mouth.
She finally settled in my lap and asked, “What was that for?”
“Whatever happens, you’re still mine. Am I not allowed to make love to my girlfriend?”
“Oh, make love. Is that what we’re calling it now? Whatever happened to good old-fashioned fucking?” she replied, and I giggled. She pressed her lips against my forehead before standing up and buttoning up her jeans. “I should start counting these tills, though, or I’ll be here all night.”
I nodded, my eyes taking in her body. I don’t know how, but she was sexier now, more than ever, and I realised what she’d felt with Georgia. There was something about the tender swell of her abdomen that was sending me into overdrive.
I grabbed hold of her waist, tugging her towards me. Lifting the bottom of her shirt, I pressed my lips against the taut, smooth skin. I exhaled before looking up and saw she’d been watching me warily.
“I haven’t changed my mind,” she whispered.
“Why not?” I replied, unintentional desperation in my voice.
She carefully kneeled at my feet, taking my hands in hers and bringing them to her mouth. She pressed her lips against my knuckles.
“I still don’t remember what happened that night,” she said, taking a breath. “I was raped, Althea. How can I raise this child, knowing that’s how it happened? I cannot love it how I should.”
“But what if—” I started, but she shook her head, cutting me off.
“I’m sorry. Truly, I am, but it’s my decision, and as much as I love you, I cannot commit to this. My choice was taken away from me once, and as a result, I’m carrying a child that was forced upon me. I’m tired, I’m irritable, I’m uncomfortable, and I’m not myself. No one is taking away my choice in what happens now. I will make sure the child will be well cared for, but in another month, everything will go back to normal.”
“It won’t, though,” I said, tears forming in my eyes.
“Don’t do that,” she mumbled, looking away. “I know I sound cold-hearted, but this is hard enough. I understand what I’m giving up. Please don’t make it any harder.” She kissed the back of my hands again, and I felt her tears on my skin.
I couldn’t bear it, and I shoved the chair backward, kneeling on the floor with her. I placed my hand underneath her chin. Her eyes were wet, slow tears streaking down her cheeks, and my heart ached. I held her head in my palms.
OK, I thought, drying her tears with my thumbs. You’re right. It’s your decision, and I’m on your side, no matter what. I love you.
She broke down, and I pulled her to my chest. Her hormones clearly weren’t helping, and she buried her face into my shoulder as I rubbed her back. She finally settled, and I wiped her cheeks again.
“Go upstairs, right now. Run a bath while I count these tills, and I’ll join you soon, OK?” I wasn’t taking no for an answer.
She conceded, too tired to reply, and I helped pull her up, planting a soft kiss on her cheek.
I counted the tills as best I could. I didn’t know how she organised her paperwork, so I recorded the figures on a scrap piece of paper and threw the till drawers into a safe underneath her desk. She’d told me the passcode when she’d been drunk one night, and thankfully, she’d never changed it. I didn’t fancy leaving several thousand pounds lying around overnight.
I switched off the light and locked the door. The staff were still cleaning up, but I knew Cody would take care of it.
I headed to her flat and was pleased to see she’d done as instructed. Her hair was still wet from the bath, and she wore an oversized T-shirt and a small pair of shorts. She lay on top of her bed, her elbow bent, resting her head in her hand as she leafed through a bartending magazine. I leaned a shoulder against the door frame as she skimmed her eyes down the page.
“Did you know there’s a brewery called the Omega Aleworks? They ferment the ale in three different kegs, each composed of a rare wood to add flavour. It sounds nice.”
“Yeah,” I replied, too busy focusing on her body to listen. My stomach was in a knot, my arousal through the roof, and I couldn’t soothe the fire within me. I could just make out the slight curve of her bump underneath her T-shirt, and I chewed my lip as my eyes trailed over her long legs.
She eventually looked up with a frown. “You OK, pet?”
I nodded, unable to form a coherent sentence. The corner of her lip pulled up in a knowing smirk. She shook her head.
“You’ll want to do something about that, you know, or you’ll wake Riley up tonight. She gets grumpy if you disturb her dreams.”
“Do something about what?”
I don’t know why I asked. Harry had known me long enough to recognise when I was horny, and I couldn’t hide it. My breath was shallow, my neck flushed, and there was a thin layer of perspiration on my chest. She knew my panties were soaked.
Harry sat up to rummage in her bedside drawer. She leaned back against the stack of pillows at the headboard, a bottle of moisturiser in her hand. She held it out to me, her eyebrows raised.
I climbed onto the bed, lifted the T-shirt over her head, and watched her dark hair tumble down over her bare shoulders. I accepted the bottle with a grin, kneeling between her legs. I poured lotion into my palm and rubbed my hands together. It smelled of coconut, and I placed my hands on her gently swelling stomach. The baby kicked, and Harry stared at the ceiling.
I kept massaging over her abdomen, along the creases of her hips, around her tender breasts, and ultimately over her broad shoulders. She was more vulnerable than normal, but she was nevertheless still strong. I had no doubts that she’d still be the one to protect me right now, should anything happen.
My stomach knotted as I recalled my failure; if I hadn’t let that man take her in Brighton, none of this would have happened. I hadn’t protected her like I should have done, and while she had forgiven me, I hadn’t yet forgiven myself.
I made a solemn oath, there and then, to protect her. I would never let anything happen to her again.
I leaned forward and pressed my lips against hers. Her lips were soft and warm, and she kissed me back, her hands reaching under my top to cup my breasts. She sighed as she realised how hard my nipples were. I broke away, pulling back.
“Fancy a good old-fashioned fuck?”
She smiled. “Make love to me instead, and we’ll talk semantics another day.”
I met her gaze, and she extracted the air from my lungs. If her eyes were the last thing I saw in my life, I’d know I had done well. Her brown eye was darker than normal, and I lost myself for a heartbeat, while her blue eye was a gorgeous sapphire, twinkling and inviting me in.
She never looked away, staring deep into my own with a fire in her eyes, and my heart hammered in my chest. Time had stopped, and for a moment, it was just the two of us, alone in the world.
I took hold of the waistband of her shorts and pulled everything over her hips. I sat back on my heels to slide them off her ankles and then leaned in and tenderly pushed two fingers inside her. Her pussy tightened around me.
Her lips parted, and her bottom lip swelled. I was barely an inch from her mouth, but I leaned closer still, holding my forehead against her and pressing deeper against her inner walls.
She still hadn’t looked away, and a silent moan lingered in her throat. Her fingers tugged on my nipples, and her eyes finally rolled back in her head. She let out a soft moan that saturated my pussy. I established a slow rhythm, stroking that magical spot inside her, her arousal coating my fingers. I wished I wasn’t still fully dressed.
“I’ll take everything off in a minute,” she said breathlessly. “Just don’t stop. Please.”
Thin wisps of hair stuck to the side of her face, and she ground her teeth together, a rumble echoing in her chest. Another flutter of desire washed over her face, and I slipped another finger inside. I kissed along her jaw, down her throat, and drew her nipple into my mouth, sucking gently.
“Right there,” she
groaned, her hand flying between her legs to hold my wrist. I didn’t let go of the nipple between my lips as I caressed that chosen spot inside her.
I held my breath as she came, lifting her head from the pillows, her mouth open. More of her arousal coated my hand as she climaxed hard for the second time tonight, moaning loudly.
She eventually opened her eyes. “You’re still inside me,” she noted, panting.
I nodded, reluctant to withdraw my fingers from her. She was wet and warm, and I wanted to fuck her all over again. I released her nipple and propped my head against her torso.
“It’s my turn,” she whispered. Her eyes were bright and unyielding. She reached over to her bedside drawer again, picking out a crimson red vibrator. What else was she hiding in there?
“Wouldn’t you like to know?” she replied out loud. “Now, I know I said I’d take your clothes off, but would you mind?” Her innocent eyes caused me to melt, and I laughed.
“Fine, but when everything goes back to normal, you are doing this yourself.”
“Deal.”
I stood up, and she rolled onto her side, watching me as I unbuttoned my top, unzipped my jeans, and removed both. I reached around my back to unfasten my bra and slipped my underwear over my thighs, throwing everything to the floor.
I clambered back onto the bed beside her and settled in, caressing the soft skin on her back. She wrapped her arm around me, pulling me closer to kiss my shoulder as her hand disappeared down between us.
The vibrator switched on, a low hum as it rested on my clit, and my hips bucked. She grinned at the immediate arousal on my face, but I only saw her expression briefly before I closed my eyes. She held the vibrator steady, the vibrations radiating throughout my core, along my arms and down to my feet, forcing my toes to curl.
My stomach tensed, and I moaned in delight. She relished in my pleasure for longer than necessary, knowing full well what I needed. It was her turn to make me beg.
“Harry?” I asked breathlessly, unable to withstand it any longer.
“Yes, pet?”
“I need a good old-fashioned fucking,” I groaned. I needed it hard and fast, or my arousal would be unbearable. I needed her deep inside me, to stand any chance of releasing the tension.
