by Naomi West
“You're going to hate it,” Star said.
“I've heard it all, sweetie. Try me.”
Star bit the bullet and briefly outlined the plan and recent events to her. She left out her trip to Quentin's place, or their tracking down Brendon. She didn't want her friend to think she was getting wrapped up in all that stuff she'd finally escaped.
Patricia's eyes went wide, and her mouth dropped open as Star explained the situation for her. “You what?” she hissed in a voice low enough that no one in the office could hear. “I thought you wanted something better from your life, Star? And now you're hanging out with some biker dude? What the fuck are you thinking?”
“It's not like that,” Star said, distraught. Patricia never swore. “I think this is good for me. Maybe I need the stability in my life.”
“Then find a boyfriend, or a husband. Or get a fucking cat, like Mr. Wiggles!”
“See? This is why I didn't tell you,” she quietly-as-possible hissed back, not wanting to make a scene at her friend's work anymore than Patricia did. “I knew you were just going to overreact!”
“Overreact?” Patricia said, taking a step closer. “You're letting some random biker knock you up for money, Star. How the hell am I supposed to react? Do you want me throw you a party with a cake that reads 'Hope It's a Boy! And That You Didn't Get Hep-C?'”
“That's uncalled for. Tanner's clean.” Star gritted her teeth and set her styrofoam coffee cup on the counter. She looked her friend dead in the eyes. “And you're supposed to react like a friend.”
“I am acting like a friend. You, though, are acting like a horny fucking teenager. You're thinking between your legs, and not between your ears.”
Of all the people she had left in her life, Patricia was her best friend. The person she'd unburdened herself to when her father had gone to prison. The person she'd turned to for support when her mother had left the state with her new, drug-addled husband. Now, with Patricia's reaction to her decision, she couldn't be sure anymore. Star just shook her head. “Look, I've gotta go. I'll talk to you soon.”
“Uh . . . oh . . . okay?”
Star tossed her half-full coffee cup in the trash and walked quickly out of the break room.
“Star!” Patricia called from behind her. “Wait!”
But, she was determined. With her head held high, she headed out the front entrance of the store front office and back out onto the sidewalk.
She spotted her little hatchback where she'd left it earlier and climbed in. She gripped the steering wheel tight with both hands, wild thoughts filling her head. Well, that was one job hunt down. And maybe one friendship, too.
Fuming, she pulled out into the street and slammed on the gas, sending her little car struggling and sputtering, as she headed home.
# # #
Something wasn't right about her apartment when she got inside. Certain things, like her phone charger and her stack of bills, seemed out of place.
She walked through her small living room, a perplexed look on her face as she spotted out all the small details. A pillow on her couch had been moved. She was almost certain it had been on the other side when she'd left that morning. An empty glass she'd used for a quick drink of water wasn't in the sink anymore, it had been moved onto the counter.
It felt like someone had been here while she'd been away. The whole place just seemed . . . off. But, like they hadn't cared about putting everything back the correct way.
Dread began to fill her. What if the intruder was still here? Waiting for her. Maybe he was going to pounce when her guard was down. For the first time, she wished she owned a gun. Or even a baseball bat.
But that didn't make any sense. She shook her head. She hadn't heard anything since she'd walked in, not even the neighbors. As small as this place was, and as thin as the walls were, there was no chance anyone could hide in here without her knowing it. A sneeze from the walkway woke her up sometimes.
She went back into the bedroom, her senses keen to take in any more small changes. She looked around, but didn't spot anything out of sorts, at first.
Then, she saw it.
On her nightstand. A piece of notebook paper folded over in half.
Star walked over and picked it up, opened it. A short note was scrawled in black ink across the sheet: “Gonna start sleeping here myself if rent don't get paid soon.”
Her mouth dropped open.
She couldn't believe he'd invade her privacy like that! What kind person would do that to someone else? Unbidden tears began to form in her eyes.
She crumpled the note up into a tight wad and stalked out into the living room just as there was knock on her door. “Who is it?” she called out.
“Tanner.”
Thank god, she thought. If it had been Martin, she didn't know what she'd have done, how she would have protected herself. She flew to the door, flipped the deadbolts, and threw it open.
Tanner stood there, just as sexy as ever, with his tight tee shirt, tight jeans, and Blood Warriors vest. He took one look at her and knew something was the matter. “Tell me what's going on,” he said, his voice full of iron, as he stepped into the room and closed the door behind him.
She tried to hold back the tears. She really did. But, having him appear just like that, just like a knight in shining armor. She couldn't help it. She just broke down, and let all her tears go. She buried her face in his chest, sobbing as all her money problems, family problems, and the argument with Patricia came spewing out in one bawling explosion.
He took it in stride, though. He soothed her as best he could, stroking her hair as she began to explain.
Chapter Thirteen
Tanner
The more Star told him, the more upset Tanner got. His chest tightened up, his eyes became narrower, his blood boiled at a faster pace.
He didn't know why her story was affecting him the way it did. It shouldn't have, that was for damn sure. After all, this was about fucking and making a baby, not about being in a goddamn relationship. But, even though his head was saying he shouldn't be getting this upset, the rest of him was screaming for blood.
Another knock came at the door. Star stopped mid-sentence, her gaze swiveling towards the front entrance. “I think that might be him,” she whispered. “Please, just let me handle this.”
“Fuck no,” Tanner grumbled. “I'll do this.”
“I'm not your girlfriend, Tanner Rainier,” she said as she got up and crossed to the door. There wasn't anything mean about the way she said. It was just a statement of fact.
She took a deep breath and opened the door. “Hi Martin,” she said as she opened the door a crack. “Saw your note just now. Nice of you to stop by . . . again. And so soon.”
Tanner ground his teeth together. She shouldn't have to be dealing with this motherfucker. It should have been him doing the talking.
“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” Martin said, his voice nasal and whiny. “Glad you got it, kiddo. Let it serve as your notice, okay? I want you caught up by the end of the week, or you got two choices. You can be out on yer ass, alone. Or you can be on yer back, with a partner.”
Tanner stood up and started to pace. His hands were fists at his side. Fuck this guy. Fuck him and his stupid fucking rent. And fuck him for threatening to take back-rent in sex. Star wasn't his ol' lady, but Tanner would be damned if some sniveling piece of shit like this was going to take advantage of her or anyone else.
But, especially not Star. Not the future mother of his child.
“What?” Star asked, raising her voice. “Look, I paid you what you wanted, didn't I? I put off my other bills, so I could get caught up with -”
He cut her off with a dismissive wave of his hand. “Nah, I changed my mind, alright? Landlords are like women, got it? It's our prerogative to change our minds. I need the money by the end of the week, kiddo.”
That was it. That was enough for Tanner. He crossed to the door in two big steps, ripped it out of Star's hand and threw it open.
The door bounced off the drywall with a loud thunk as Star and Martin both stepped back. Only Martin had a surprised look of terror on his face.
Tanner was on him like a rabid dog. “You listen to me, you white trash cocksucking son-of-a-fucking-bitch,” he yelled as he grabbed Martin by the collar of his sleazy wife-beater and slammed him against the neighbor's front door.
Martin threw his hands up defensively, tried to shield his face.
Tanner shook him like a pitbull shaking a rat, thumping his head back against the apartment door. “You leave Star alone, you hear me? Her rent's fucking paid as of now! You're messing with the Blood Warriors!”
“O-o-o-okay,” Martin stuttered out, his hands still up in front of his face.
Tanner gave him another shake. “We take care of our own, you shifty fuckface. You come near her again, you even fucking think of her, me and my crew will come down on you like a ton of pissed-off bricks.”
“Y-y-yes, I got it.”
Tanner grinned into his face, into the terror there. “Yes what?”
“Sir? Yes sir?”
“Give me your wallet, Martin.”
“Wh-what? Why? You going to rob me?”
He shook the landlord again. “Give me your fucking wallet.”
Martin reached into his back pocket and pulled out his wallet. He held it up for him to take.
“Let me see your ID.”
Martin flipped it open with his shaky hands and held it so Tanner could glance down and see it.
“3522 Culver Dr., huh?”
The landlord nodded.
“Nice place over there,” Tanner growled. “Ms. Kowalski still live down at the end of the block?”
He nodded again, realization dawning in his eyes. “You know where I live?”
“I do now, Martin,” Tanner said with a wicked, sadistic grin. “You come within twenty feet of Star, I'll make sure you understand the meaning of pain. The deep, philosophical meaning of it. You get me?” He shook the man again, just to impress his point a little further.
“Y-y-yes,” Martin stammered out.
Tanner sniffed the air. What was that smell? He looked down at the wet spot that had formed at the front of Martin's jeans. He looked up knowingly and caught Martin's eye. “I think I've made myself clear.”
The landlord nodded fiercely. “Yes. Yes, you have.”
“Good,” Tanner said and released him. “Now. Fuck. Off.”
Martin scrabbled away from him, in his hurry knocking himself all over the neighbor's wall. Still looking back at Tanner in wide-eyed fear, he slipped on the concrete, but caught himself and came up running.
Tanner hollered after him. “Say hi to Ms. Kowalski for me!” He watched him hop in his old, beat-up truck and pull away with a screech of burnt rubber.
When he was gone, Tanner turned his attention back to Star's apartment. He walked back through the open door and shut it behind him. A wave of satisfaction washed over him. At least there were some problems he could manage to solve.
Star was standing there, shock and surprise on her face.
He scratched the back of his head, wondering if he'd maybe overdone it a little bit. Sometimes, though, you had to act that way to protect your own, to keep them safe. He hoped he hadn't scared her too badly.
“Look,” he said, as she came up to him, “I'm sor-”
She cut him off with a finger pressed to his lips. “Shut up.”
“I -” Tanner started.
“I said shut up.” She grabbed him by the hand and led him back into her room. She turned to him as she brought him to a halt beside the bed. “I want to thank you.”
“Oh,” Tanner said. “You -”
But, she was already down on her knees in front of him, unbuckling his jeans and tugging at the zipper.
He let her drag his jeans and underwear down to his knees. He looked down at her, her perfect heart-shaped face, as she gazed longingly up at him. He was already twitching to life.
She looked down at his cock, took it in her hand, then looked back up at him and kissed the tip softly. She snaked her tongue out and swirled it around the head, wetting it, then took it into her mouth.
Tanner's eyes rolled back in his head at the sensation. He wondered why they hadn't been doing this the whole time. He could feel himself coming to full attention already.
Star stroked him as he hardened in her hand, and continued her swirling tongue bath. After a moment, she withdrew her lips and pressed them to the underside, groaning as she began to stroke him with her mouth.
His hands wandered down to her hair. Most girls that gave him head, they wanted him to grab hold and take charge. Some even begged for it. He didn't want to with Star, though. She knew what she was doing, and he wanted her to pleasure him the way she was comfortable. So, instead, he just stroked her hair.
Done teasing him to full length, she took him into her mouth. Tanner moaned as she enveloped him in her wet warmth, as her tongue circled around his cock and her teeth gently grazed over his skin. He'd thought she was all prim and proper, before. Now, as she took care of him so expertly and eagerly, he wasn't sure.
She would draw him all the way in, then pull him all the way out. Each time she moved forward, she'd force the tip of his cock to part her velvety smooth lips.
His knees felt weak each time, as pleasure shot up from his toes to the tips of his fingers.
She took his cock from her mouth and replaced it with her hand. She stroked up and down as she angled him in such a way that she could get to his balls. She sucked first one, then the other, into her mouth, tonguing him all over.
He groaned and moved his hips with each of her strokes. It had been so long since he'd had a blow job this good, he couldn't even remember who it had been from. Already, he could feel his cum building.
“Are you close?” she asked just before she started to lick up the underside of his shaft like a popsickle.
“Uh-huh,” Tanner grunted.
She took him back into her mouth and, with her eyes back on his, began to bob her head up and down his shaft.
He reached down, caressed her cheek with his thumb. She looked so beautiful down there on her knees, her eyes so full of longing. He'd never been with a woman like this before. So strong, but with such a strange past. Then, it happened. He couldn't control his hips anymore and let out a low groan.
She took all of him in her mouth, sucking gently and swallowing with each load. When he was finished cumming in her mouth, she stood, daintily wiping a bit from her sultry, smiling lips.
“Fuck, that was amazing,” he groaned as all the tension drained from his body. He'd never had a partner like her before. Never.
“Don't thank me yet,” she said, smiling as she reached up and began to unbutton her top, “cause we're not done.”
Chapter Fourteen
Star
Star dropped her clothes in a pool at her feet as Tanner busily stripped out of his.
She'd never wanted a man more than she wanted Tanner Rainier right then. His taste, sweet and salty, was still in her mouth, and she wanted more of him. This wasn't just about making babies anymore. It was about making him hers. She stepped out of her panties and beckoned him to the bed with a crooked finger.
He came over to her, took her into his arms. His hard cock pressed into her belly as he crushed her body to his and took her mouth with his own. They kissed, their hands running across one another's bodies, as their tongues explored each other's mouths.
Tanner broke the kiss and pushed her back onto the bed. He grabbed her legs and pulled her to the edge.
“What are you?” Star gasped as he dragged her to him.
“Just returning the favor,” he said as he dropped to his knees and pulled her to his lips.
Oh, he was good, too. Anticipation filled her as he his goatee brushed along her skin and he wetly kissed her inner thigh, as his tongue tickled at her flesh. She tried to move her leg, but he held it firmly.
“
Not till I say you can move.” His breath was hot on her sensitive skin as he spoke.
She moaned and spread her legs wider. “Can I at least do that?”
“That,” he said and gave the spot just above her clit a swift lick, “you can definitely do.” He went down on her like a pro, his tongue swirling on the outskirts of her clit, teasing her. He'd switch every few strokes and give her a lick on the lips, suck them into his mouth.
Helplessly, she ground herself into his beautiful mouth and tongue, as she threw her head back and moaned. “Oh, Tanner, God that feels good.” She twisted her sheets in her clenched fists, amazed at how close she already was.
