by Claire Adams
“You have to.” He pinched my clit.
I moaned. “Don’t you dare,” I said, my voice strained.
“Do it.” He pinched harder.
“No,” I gasped. He circled my areola.
“No?” He squeezed my clit as hard as he could, and my head flew up.
I cried out.
“Louder.” He flicked my nipple and bit down on the back of my neck.
I screamed. I tried so hard, but I couldn’t fight that feeling, or the wave pounding through me. It came in quick bursts, a flash, a jolt, and then a shockwave of raw energy that tore out, and seemed to hover over my body as it ate through and traveled down into my core.
When he pulled out, he ducked down to hand me my clothes.
“Thanks,” I said. I turned around to grab them and started getting dressed. His face was bright red, and sweat ran down his forehead.
“Are you free tomorrow?” he asked.
“Of course; are you inviting me over?”
“No, I’m demanding that you come to my house and take your clothes off the second you walk through the door.”
“I could just show up naked. It would save me some time.”
“No, it would take all the fun out of things.”
“Do you think they heard us?” I asked when I pulled on my pants.
“Let’s go find out.” He pulled his pants on and led me out into the hall. All I could hear was the sound of the TV in the living room, and people talking outside. The guys barely noticed when we walked out, and one swung his head so he could see what was happening when we passed the TV. Jake winked at me before we walked outside.
Chapter Thirteen
Jake
I felt like I’d crossed a barrier between dirty and perverted. This was the first time I’d ever acted out sexually when my family was around. Normally, just the thought of Elizabeth sitting in the next room was enough to keep me limp for at least 12 hours straight, but that wasn’t the case when I was around Maria.
I’d never seen a woman that could drive me wild like she did. It wasn’t about the way she looked. It was her essence—the way she moved, the sound of her voice. I could already feel the urge growing inside me when we walked outside.
Andrew was passing out plates of food, and everyone was sitting around talking and eating. They’d lit up the fire pit and formed a circle of chairs around it. Maria took a seat while I filled our plates up. “You really have something special, don’t you?” Andrew rested his hand on my shoulder and motioned to Maria, who was looking back at me.
“I don’t know. I guess finding out is half the fun.”
“You just don’t know when a girl is giving you the look. She likes you.”
“You think so?” I asked.
“You like her, too. I can see it. I’m proud of you, man. I don’t know why you felt like you had to hide her from us.”
“Because I don’t like the scrutiny, and your wife is giving it her all. A few more hours and she’ll have Maria convinced that I’m a baby killer.”
“She’ll come around,” Andrew said.
Maria and Elizabeth still talked to each other. I didn’t know what to make of it. I knew Andrew’s wife would find some way to get me into trouble, but they were occupied with Haylie, who seemed to think Maria was a fairy princess judging by the way she latched onto her.
The day got later. The football game was over, and the food was closer to being finished. I chanced a look back into the kitchen. There were four kinds of meat, six different mayonnaise salads, and every kind of chip and soda imaginable.
Eventually, Elizabeth backed off Maria, which was a relief, but Maddie sat at the table now, brooding. It was only a matter of time before she said something or did something to bother Maria. I thought I’d take a chance and sit with Maria to scare Maddie away. When I got close, Maddie sighed and stormed off, just like I’d hoped.
“Don’t worry about her,” I said, sitting down next to Maria. “She’s harmless.”
“She hates you more than Elizabeth does. It’s kind of sad.”
“It happens—a lot,” I said.
“I’ll bet it does.”
It was meant to be a simple, offhand remark, but I couldn’t help but think about what Andrew said.
“Are you having fun?” I asked Maria.
“I am.” Haylie was ducked down with her face behind a clump of grass just a few feet away. Maria waved at her, and she pounced with a growl. Maria picked her up, swung her around, then set her down.
“Up,” Haylie demanded.
Maria happily obliged her. “You’re so sweet,” she said in a playful voice.
“You’re the main attraction,” I said.
“No, she will always be the center of attention.”
I moved closer and whispered, “I disagree.”
She tensed up until Haylie smacked her in the face. “Haylie, no,” Elizabeth shrieked and ran over to get her. Just before she grabbed her, she gave me a sour look.
“Don’t worry,” I called after her. “You won’t have to deal with me forever.”
She pretended not to hear me and retreated to the kitchen. “She does hate you,” Maria said. “You wanna know the first thing she said to me?”
“I have been wondering.”
“She wanted to know what’s wrong with me.”
I laughed. “Really?”
“She calls me the one-nighter.”
“She just hates me cause she can’t have none.” We watched as Andrew used a pile of newspapers, twigs, and a log to build a fire in his fire pit. Elizabeth collected chairs, staying as far away as she could, and set them up in a circle around the pit.
“Did your brother sneak in any liquor?” Maria asked.
“He took me aside and asked me how I pulled a girl out of my ass, so I threw it into the neighbor’s yard.”
“Oh,” she chuckled. “I bet he was pissed.”
“I’m top dog,” I told her and looked her over with a seductive grin. “He wouldn’t do anything.”
“Do you think they know?” Maria whispered.
“Andrew doesn’t. What about the girls?”
“No, Elizabeth suspected something at first, I think, but I told her I didn’t need anyone to validate my relationship, and she shut right up. I think she likes me.”
“Seamless.” I nodded with satisfaction.
Elizabeth started taking chicken off the grill. Haylie ran outside and rushed up to Maria. “Up, up,” she demanded. Maria swept her up into her arms. Haylie took a seat on her knee and reached up to grab her hair. Maria let her swipe her tiny fingers through. Haylie laughed. “Soft.”
Maria and I both smiled. “You must really love kids,” I said.
“It’s her.”
“I know. The enthusiasm is infectious.” I waved at her.
Elizabeth glared at me from her place near the grill, where she shoveled a mound of burgers onto a platter. She moved on to a pile of ribs. “Those are the most prized items in this place,” I said. “Come on. We have to go to kitchen now if we want some.”
“Alright, sweetie.” Maria set Haylie down and got up to follow me. Haylie grabbed her hand. “Guess she wants to come, too.”
Elizabeth watched closely, but she didn’t stop us from taking her into the kitchen. “This is the longest I’ve been around Haylie in Elizabeth’s presence,” I said.
“I think it’s me,” Maria said.
“Food’s ready,” Andrew announced.
I snatched two plates of ribs the second Elizabeth set them down on the counter. “I told you to stay out of my kitchen,” she snapped.
I handed a plate to Maria. “I just wanted to make sure she got some,” I said.
Elizabeth looked at me, then Maria, ruffled her brow, and walked out. “She backed down pretty quickly,” Maria said and spooned herself up some macaroni salad. “I’ll bet she’s surprised by the way you’re treating me.”
I pulled two beers out of the fridge. “Eh, she’s probably too beat from
cooking. Come on, let’s go sit down by the fire.” I handed her a beer and led her to the fire pit, where she started to sit down next to me. “Come here.” I motioned for her to sit in my lap. She did and wrapped her arm around my shoulder. I reached up and gave her a kiss, then pulled her closer so that she sat on my pup tent. She smiled and dug her hips in. “There you go,” I said.
“You’re a dog,” she whispered.
“Woof,” I snarled and tore into a rib.
Maria laughed.
“What?” I asked.
She took one of the napkins she held under her plate and swept it over the side of my mouth. When she did, she met my eyes and went bright red. I pretended not to notice. “Thanks,” I said and went back to my food.
Cara sat down to our right and leaned over. “You two are so sweet together. Don’t listen to anything those catty bitches say. I think you have something.”
“Thank you,” Maria said. “You’ve been so nice.”
The food was amazing; the chicken savory, the ribs smoky and sweet. We both watched as the fire grew, and sparks flew up over flames. Maria moved over to the next chair so she could pick up Haylie. The little girl rested her head on Maria’s shoulder and fell asleep on her lap.
It was getting later. The soft blue sky changed to indigo, then navy blue. Eventually, Elizabeth came to take Haylie to bed.
“Should we go?” I asked when she was gone.
“Yeah, I’m getting tired. Let me just say goodbye to Cara. I really liked her.”
“She’s a sweetheart.” I found Andrew sitting on the couch in the living room, where he was drinking a beer. His face was red, and he had a drunken smile.
“I can’t believe you did it, bro.”
“What do you mean?”
“You found a good one. We all like her.”
“I wouldn’t go that far,” I said.
“No, I mean it. You should bring her around more often.”
“Okay,” I lied.
Andrew got up and gave me a hug and a pat on the back. “You have a good night.”
“You too.”
“Are you leaving?” Elizabeth walked out of the hall.
“Isn’t it wonderful?” I asked sarcastically.
She walked right past me to Maria and gave her a huge hug. I stepped outside a bit to hear what she said. “You’re the dumbest woman alive, but you’re still good. Come back anytime you want.”
“Thank you.” Maria gave her a warm smile. When we walked out, she said, “It’s a shame. They’ve all got their hopes up for us. I feel bad.”
“I do too, honestly. I’m sorry to do this to you.” We climbed into the car.
“No, I had fun. It’s them I feel bad for. I just hope they don’t find out.”
“Nah.” I turned on the ignition and pulled out. “I think we fooled them.” I pulled a wad of hundreds out of my pocket when we pulled up to the house. Maria tensed up when she saw it. “Here.” I tried to hand it to her.
She stared at it for a second, sighed, then took it and opened the door without a word. “You need me tomorrow?” she asked.
“Yeah, if that’s okay?”
“No, I’d love to.” Her former reluctance seemed to melt away.
“Good, I’ll see you then.” When I walked inside, I leaned back against the door. It was too real. I could almost believe that we were a couple, and that was dangerous territory. My problems were too big for one girl to handle, and if I let her get attached, she’d end up getting hurt. I didn’t want to see that happen.
Chapter Fourteen
Mercedes
“Do you like your new job?” My mom pulled a pitcher of tea out of the fridge and poured us both glasses. Then she set mine on the table behind her. A pot of macaroni steamed behind her.
“It’s nice,” I said. “The pay is good.”
“You don’t need to do this, Mercedes.” Her bright red face was slick with sweat, and her blonde hair was flying out on all ends. She probably hadn’t had a chance to brush it all day. This was the longest she’d been at home all week.
“I won’t hear it.”
“You’ve gotta live your own life,” she said. “I won’t drag you down.”
“How was Dad?” I took a sip. “Did he seem okay when you picked him up?”
“He was tired. He fell asleep on the way home, but he managed to get himself up to his room.”
I smiled at that. “Good. I know he’s been pretty weak.”
“I think he’s getting better. I honestly do.” My mom checked the pot and stirred the macaroni. “I’m more worried about you. I’ll bet they work you to death.”
“It’s not so bad. I don’t mind.”
“You can do so much more. You’ve already got your degree.”
“I know, Mom, and I want to do more, but I’ve been looking for months. You know that.”
“It’s worth the wait,” she said. “I’ve seen too many people give up after college. I don’t want that to happen to you. Do something with your life.” I reached into my pocket and pulled out the hundreds I’d been saving up. She glared at me. “Don’t you dare.” I unfolded it so she could see. She froze and stared at me with her mouth open.
“Just take it. Dad needs it, you need it, and while you’re at it, Mom, quit one of your jobs. I’m tired of seeing you hobble around after you’ve been on your feet all day. It’s not healthy.”
She eyed the money, clearly speechless. Then she pursed her lips and picked up the pot of macaroni to pour it into the strainer. I left the money on the table and got up to pull out the milk and the butter for her. When I turned to her, she leaned against the sink with the steam flying into her face. It did nothing to hide the tears. I rested my hand on her shoulder, but she pulled away and grabbed the pan so she could pour the macaroni back in. “You think you could take this to him?”
“Sure.” I knew it was because she didn’t want him to see her cry. “Here, I can get it.”
“Thank you.” She kept her head turned when she walked back into the living room.
When I opened the door to my father’s room, I gave him a quick look. It was a game that I’d been playing. I had to measure his condition without looking at him too long, or else I’d start crying. I didn’t do it often; I wasn’t a crier, but it happened.
Blip, blip, blip, blip. I wanted to put the heart monitor on silent, but my mom insisted we keep it on, saying there was always a chance. The chemo seemed to eat away at everything it touched, especially the heart.
The hissing sound from the oxygen tank was just as bad. My father was getting smaller, deflating slowly, and his oxygen mask looked horrendous. He’d shrunk so much that it covered most of his cheeks now, and the bones stuck out the top, a stark reminder of the skeleton beneath.
I set his macaroni down on his tray and started to turn around, but his eyes opened, and he stared at me. He smiled and took off his mask in the slow, trembling way he moved after treatments. “I love you, sweetie,” he said. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome, Daddy.” I took his hand and squeezed it. “Are you hungry?”
“I could eat.” He tried to steady his hand when he grabbed his fork and managed to do it all right. He picked up a bite and pulled it up to his mouth.
“Do you need help?” I asked.
“I can manage. I have to do some things for myself.”
It was about dignity, a sacred principle in our household. “All right, Daddy.” I walked out and went back into the kitchen to make my mom a plate. She sat in the living room with her head laid back and her eyes closed.
“Mom,” I said.
She turned to me with drooping eyes.
“Here, I made you a plate.”
“No, I’m all right, sweetie.”
“I know you’re not eating.” I set it down on the couch next to her.
She stared at it for a second, then turned back to the TV. “I’m not hungry.”
“You have to take care of yourself.” I put the pla
te in her lap and sat down next to her. “Part of the reason I’m doing this is to take some of the pressure off you.”
“I can’t sit here all day. I have to stay busy, and I can’t just rely on you to pay the bills.”
“I’m more than old enough to shoulder some of the burden,” I said. My phone vibrated in my pocket. “Will you do me a favor and eat a little bit?”
“Of course,” she said and took a bite.
“I’ll be back.” I walked into the kitchen. I had a missed call from Jake. I felt a sudden rush pound through me. I knew what he wanted, and I wanted it just as bad as he did.
Jake lived in a different world, with sexy cars, a huge bank account, and a mansion. Nobody in his world had cancer. They didn’t have to work three jobs. They had nice houses, careers, and a bright future ahead of them. It was a different reality, tantalizing and sweet, but it was fake, just an escape. At least I got to spend a few moments inside it.
The rush only got worse when I started to call him. My heart pounded.
“Hey,” he said, answering quickly. He wanted me bad. I could hear how eager he was.
“Hey,” I said, a little awkwardly.
“You think you could come over in an hour or so? I hope it’s not a bad time.”
Even if it was, I’d still come, just to get away. “No, it’s fine. I’ll be there.”
“Good, I’ll see you soon.”
There was a pause while I waited for him to hang up, but he didn’t. “Okay, see you soon.”
“Hey, Mom.” I poked my head into the living room. “I gotta work. Will you two be okay while I’m gone?”
“Huh?” She was so dazed when she looked at me, like she was ready to fall asleep. “Okay, sweetie. I’ll see you soon.”
“Thanks.” I gave her a quick hug and went into my room to change. When I got to the house, I lifted my hand to knock on the door, and Jake opened it before I could. He grabbed me by the wrist and jerked me inside. Then he slammed me against the door.
He pushed himself close to me and rested his forehead against mine. I was caught in the sound of his breathing and the heat coming off his body.
“You’re so fucking sexy,” he said in a low whisper that sent chills down my neck and mixed with the heat from his breath.
