by Jess Bentley
James’ face goes still as stone, and Carol’s jaw drops so low it almost hits the table.
“What do you mean, you’re moving to Auckland? You can’t move to New Zealand, Pierce. That’s ridiculous. You’re going to take Chloe and move to a country on the other side of the planet? No. I forbid it,” Carol says, the hand holding her glass of wine shaking. James reaches over and gives her arm a reassuring squeeze.
“Son, are you sure it’s a non-negotiable?”
Carol lets out a squeak. “You can’t be serious, James! You can’t let him go! You can’t let our son move so far away. And take our only grandchild with him? This is madness!” Tears are forming in her eyes, and I can’t tell whether they are tears of sadness or rage. But James just shakes his head.
“My darling, Pierce is a grown boy, and it isn’t our place to tell him what he can and can’t do anymore. Even so, while I will be requesting a thorough vetting of the details of this deal, it does sound too good to pass up. If this is what it takes to take CSL to the next level? I don’t see how we can say no.”
Carol crosses her arms over her chest stubbornly. “Will you at least let me spend some time with my granddaughter before you go? Is that too much to ask?” Carol reaches out to take Chloe from me, and then holds her like it’s the last time she’ll ever see her. I can’t blame her. I’ve been in that position before and it’s impossible to even fathom saying goodbye to Chloe.
“Mother, don’t be ridiculous. We aren’t leaving for a few weeks yet. We have to settle a few things up in New York before we go, so it will take some time.”
James raises his eyebrows. “’We’? I take it that ‘we’ isn’t referring to just you and Chloe?”
Pierce looks at me with a grin that makes my heart flutter. Somehow, I wasn’t expecting this to come up tonight, but he looks ready to get everything out there. Well… almost everything.
“Mom, dad. Arie and I are together again. We’re a couple. I mean, if she’ll have me, that is.”
My eyes go wide. Did he really just ask me this in front of his parents?
“Of course. If you’ll have me,” I say, shocked this happening. Shocked that so much has changed in my life in such a short amount of time. James and Carol just sit there, continuing to look utterly baffled, while Chloe grins and waves her chubby little hands. Finally, Carol breaks the lingering silence.
“My goodness, what an unexpected and delightful turn of events! I couldn’t be happier, Arie. Really, I couldn’t. And you are going to move Auckland too? Your family is okay with that?”
I force a smile. “Well, it’s just me and my Uncle Sal and Aunt Marie. As you know. And the truth is, I don’t think they will mind if I leave. They have enough to worry about with the garage and…”
“Your uncle’s gambling habit,” James says, not missing a beat. My eyebrows shoot up, and Pierce’s face turns bright red with rage.
“What the fuck, dad? How did you even…”
James gives a small shrug. “I told you I was going to look into her background when she just showed up again. It’s what I do. I love you, Arie, but it felt fishy.”
Oh, god. Does he know about Chloe? How well did Bailey cover his tracks?
“I understand, I guess. But what did you find out that was so terrible? Besides Sal’s gambling problem, that is. Which I am sure you will admit has nothing to do with me,” I respond, trying to remain as calm as possible. James and Carol look at each other with concerned eyes, and I am suddenly petrified that this is it. They are going to out me to Pierce and I won’t be able to tell him myself, to explain things for myself, and he’s going to be furious.
“Honey, you could have told us you were sick. That was nothing to be ashamed about. I only wish you’d come to us at the time. We could have been there for you, supported you. Even while Pierce was gone. There was no reason for you to be alone. Even when he was being a shit, we were still your family,” Carol says with a sad smile. Once again, I find myself overwhelmed with a combination of guilt and absolute adoration for this family who seems to love unconditionally.
“I didn’t even consider it. I thought…”
James shakes his head. “You thought wrong, young lady. You were part of our lives for the better part of a decade. We never would have abandoned you in your hour of need. But, what is past is past. How are you feeling now? Is everything better?”
I answer, but try to steer the conversation away from my health as quickly as possible. We end up spending two hours at Martinelli’s, talking, laughing, and eating the most amazing food I’ve ever tasted in my life. Well, since the restaurants in Auckland anyway. By the time the waiter arrives to ask if we’d like after-dinner drinks, I think I am about to explode.
The waiter walks away with a polite nod as we get up from the table, and I can’t help but hide my confusion. “Don’t we have to pay a bill or something?”
Pierce laughs. “We don’t. And that’s because my parents pay so much to maintain their claim on this table, the food is considered a perk. We just tip the wait staff, but the food and drinks are considered part and parcel with the ‘membership fee,’ as they refer to it. I’ve never asked how much they pay and honestly, I don’t want to know. I have a feeling it’s probably my inheritance.”
“And Logan’s,” James says as he walks up behind us. I stifle a snicker, but Pierce scowls at his father. Carol strolls up next, with Chloe asleep in her arms.
“Why don’t you kids take a walk and enjoy your night? Let me take my grandbaby home with me and soak her up while I can?”
I only hesitate for a second before suddenly relishing the idea of being alone with Pierce for a while, and then realizing this is the perfect opportunity for me to talk to him.
“Sure, I bet Chloe would love that. And we can pick her up in the morning after breakfast?”
We walk outside and Carol gives us a little shove in the opposite direction. “Whenever! Just go have fun. You deserve it.”
We part ways and Carol and James head in the direction of the house, while Pierce and I start toward the park. We don’t say anything, just walk in silence, the warm night air hugging us like a blanket as the sounds of the city play a concert more soothing than any conversation. There is so much unspoken between us, and so much that doesn’t need to be said. The only thing left is the one huge thing I am too afraid to say, and I don’t know even know where to begin. So, as we turn the corner and walk in front of an alley, I resolve that now is the time.
“Pierce, I…”
“Do you trust me, Arie?” Pierce asks, cutting me off.
“Of course, I trust you. What kind of a question is that?”
Pierce smiles at me and grabs me by the shoulders, spinning me around into the alley until I bump back against the brick wall of a brownstone. The alley is dark, and mostly obscured from view by the road, but I can feel my heart racing at the thought of what he’s hinting is about to take place.
“Good,” he whispers into my ear as he lifts my arms over my head, and kisses me with a fire I haven’t felt in him yet. I gasp under the pressure of his body, at the way the hot brick feels against my skin as he presses all of his weight against me. When he pulls away, I can barely breathe.
“What the hell are you doing, Pierce? We can’t do this. Not here. Are you crazy?”
“I am. You make me crazy. And we can do this. We’re going to. I want you, Arie. Right fucking now.” He pulls down the top of my dress, my breasts fall free, and he takes my nipple in his mouth. He sucks it between his teeth, and I have to bite my lip hard to fight back the moan that is building deep inside of me.
I feel like my whole body is about to buckle when Pierce kneels on to the ground at my feet. He slides my panties down over my thighs and I descend into a giant mass of shivers. He can’t seriously be doing this. Not here? Not like this.
“Pierce! What the hell are you...?” I can’t finish.
He looks up at me as he meanders his hands up my inner thighs, sending a
shudder of apprehension and desire up my skin.
“Tell me, Arie,” he says as he spreads my legs apart, lifting one higher to reveal my burning sex to him, “how does this feel, baby?”
Pierce leans forward and blows a warm stream of air across my wet folds. My back begins to arch against the wave of intense pleasure, like I have no control over it. Is this really happening?
“That’s… amazing,” I manage to croak out.
He leans in closer and licks a lazy trail to my clit, stopping to pulse his tongue against my core. “And how is that?”
Oh, Jesus. “Even better.”
He groans against my smooth skin, licking fervently as I drag my nails down the brick wall behind me. I reach down and run my fingers through Pierce’s thick, beautiful hair. But he grips me tighter, and I have to anchor myself to the wall as he laps at my clit with rough strokes. I think they can hear my moans in Brooklyn.
I feel helpless, at the mercy of the pleasure Pierce is inflicting on me. I am lost in the sensations and the fear of being caught, and I love it all. My sex throbs under his skilled tongue, and waves of pleasure crash over me.
Pierce leans back and kisses my mound. “You’re so gorgeous, Arie. I want to see you come, baby. All over me.”
He latches his lips around my clit, and firmly sucks, pulling it into his mouth. He sends my whole body into a flurry of lightning with his touch, working me harder and faster, pushing me toward a cliff of pure pleasure, then directly over the edge.
I come in a cry that is far louder than I mean to let out. My whole body spasms, shuddering and trembling and soaring as he sucks and licks and nibbles on my clit.
Pierce laps up my release, propelling his tongue into my channel before getting back to his feet and pressing me harder against the wall. As I begin to feel I’m going to collapse right there on to the alley floor, overcome with ecstasy, Pierce unzips his pants in one swift motion. He raises my legs in the air, supporting me with his arms, and in a swift, powerful thrust, he buries his cock inside of me.
I cry out, even though I know it’s a terrible idea, especially in this part of town. Holy shit, what the hell are we doing right now? His cock throbs inside of me and I pull at the lapels of his shirt collar.
“Pierce, we can’t do this. Not here. What if someone sees us? What if…”
He quiets me with a passionate kiss, pushing his tongue past my dissenting lips to circle my own with a need more intense than anything I’ve ever experienced. Over and over he laps, letting me taste my own juices in his mouth, allowing me to relax and adjust to his size, which is always new and surprising. He lets his hands slide up my body, until he finds my nipples. Then he begins circling them in firm but gentle strokes with his thumbs as he pulls back, sliding his thick member out of my channel until only the head remains inside.
The loss of his thick manhood inside of me rolls through me in a rush and I can’t help but whimper at how empty I suddenly feel.
“What’s wrong, baby?” Pierce asks, concern in his eyes.
I let out a little groan. I know we shouldn’t be doing this. Not here. Not in public. But I don’t want him to stop either. So, I search his perfect green eyes and tell him exactly what I want.
“I want you to keep fucking me, Pierce.”
He slides, unhurried and measured, back inside of me, filling me up until nothing else exists in the world but him, and me, and the way our bodies feel connected together. He leans his head forward into my own, so we can’t look anywhere but in each other’s eyes, as he strokes my breasts.
I kiss his dimpled chin and lean into him. All I’ve ever wanted was to feel safe, to feel like someone would love and protect me and be stronger than me when I needed it. Now, in this moment of passion with Pierce, I feel like I finally have that. And I never want it to end.
With a mischievous grin, I whisper in his ear. “I want you to fuck me, Pierce. Fuck me like you mean it. I want you to take me for real. For always.”
Pierce pulls back and looks deep into my eyes again, searching my face for confirmation. “Really? I don’t want to…”
I nod and kiss him.
“I love you, Pierce. You could never hurt me.”
I close my eyes tight, taking a long breath as Pierce trails kisses across my collarbone and throat. Then he plants his hands on either side of my body, bracing himself against the wall.
All at once, he thrusts back inside of me, burying himself as deep as he’s physically able. All of the air blows out of my lungs in a hoarse puff, exploding from my mouth in an unexpected rush. Fuck. He pulls back and thrusts again, increasing his speed as he uses the wall for leverage, driving his hips until he wedges me against the brick with every stroke. Over and over, I slam against the wall, scraping against the rough brick and feeling my skin start to react, but I don’t even care. I just wrap my legs tighter around Pierce’s waist, securing my feet together for control.
With each blow of his body against my own, my breath escapes in a gasp and a blinding orgasm is building inside of me. I want to come while I’m riding him, so I tighten my muscles around his cock like a vise as he comes inside of me. But just as I slide harder into him, forcing my hips into his, he pulls away from me. His cock slides free of me, leaving me feeling empty again, and wetness slides down my thighs.
“Pierce, what are you…”
He suddenly grabs me by the waist and spins me around, so I’m facing the brick wall. He pulls my ass back toward him and slides my legs out wider, then positions himself right behind me. I can feel the rippling muscles of his chest and abdomen against my back, his still-thick cock against my backside. Oh, God! He slams himself inside of me in one powerful thrust, and my face pushes against the wall. My nipples rub against the brick, and the sensation makes me crazy. I find myself begging him for more, for everything, for anything he will give me.
With one skilled hand, Pierce finds my clit again, and begins squeezing and stroking as he buries himself so far inside of me I can’t get a breath. He pinches my clit between his strong fingers and I come again, practically weeping, unable to control anything that is coming out of my mouth. As my muscles tighten around him, he moans in my ear, and comes inside of me over and over again.
I sink down to the ground of the alley. I just grab for my dress, laying haphazardly at me feet, and cover up as best as I can with shaking hands.
While I recover from my orgasm and try to return to some semblance of normal breathing, Pierce steps back. He tucks himself back inside of his jeans and zips up, not caring that we’re both looking a disaster. With delicate fingers, he reaches down and brushes my hair away from my forehead, then gives me a soft kiss on my forehead.
“Are you okay, Arie?”
I know I’m smiling like a fool. “I’m fantastic. If this is how you get when we have sex outside, maybe this is the only way we should do it from now on.”
Pierce frowns and reaches down for my panties, which are sitting on the ground. He scowls as he stuffs them in his pocket. “I lost control. I was too much like the old Pierce. I was too rough with you.”
I catch his arm as he helps me from the ground, then throw my arms around him, giving him a huge hug. When I pull away, I look him right in his emerald eyes so he knows I’m serious. “No, Pierce. You weren’t. I you gave me exactly what I wanted, what I needed. Don’t you dare apologize. And you don’t have to let the old Pierce go completely. Some parts of him were all right. Wonderful, even.”
Pierce leans over and kisses me softly on the lips, helping me fasten the neck of my dress. “If you say so. We should get home. And maybe take a shower. Though I’d be lying if I said I don’t love the idea of you walking the city with my cum inside of you.”
I blush. He’s not wrong. The idea is so sexy. But now, I just want to get home so we can talk. Like I’d planned. Before the alley. Even though I can practically still feel him inside of me, it doesn’t change the fact that I need tell him the whole truth tonight. Whatever that means for u
s.
No matter how much it hurts…
Pierce
When we get back to the apartment, we’re both quieter than usual. At first I think that maybe it’s because Arie is embarrassed about what we just did, or because we could have been so easily caught by anyone walking by, but when I go to take a shower, she follows me in, and makes it very clear embarrassment wasn’t the problem. After the shower, I head to the kitchen in my bathroom, leaving Arie in the bedroom, and I start poking around for something to eat. Despite the massive meal at Martinelli’s, I’m suddenly hungry again. I can’t imagine why, I think as I stick my head in the fridge, looking for some fruit. Suddenly, Arie’s voice from behind me startles me so badly, I hit my head on one of the fridge shelves.
“Pierce, we need to talk and we need to talk right now and it can’t wait another minute.” There’s something desperate in her voice, something that makes me immediately pay attention.
I spin around, rubbing the spot on my head that I’ve just clunked. “What the hell, Arie? That couldn’t have waited two seconds until I didn’t have my head in the refrigerator? You scared the shit out of me.”
“I literally just said it couldn’t wait. Can you please sit down?”
The look on her face is making me nervous. She looks panicked, like she’s about to throw up, and suddenly… I’m not so hungry anymore. “I’d rather stand,” I answer as she sits down herself on one of the barstools.
“Okay. That’s fine. But I need you to promise that you’ll listen to me all the way through, until I’m done, before you say anything or do anything or make any decisions.”
I think my heart is going to leap out of my chest. “For the love of God, Arie. Just tell me. You’re making whatever it is worse with all this build-up.”
