Bare Hearts

by Youngblood, Devon

  PARKER

  “Is that all you’re going to give me?” I ask. I know there is something deeper when it comes to him. She avoided it earlier, but she had no choice but to answer.

  “For now, yes; I just don’t like talking about him,” she tells me with a somber look in her eyes. I decide to drop the subject for now.

  Inside, I am glad that I made the decision to pay her a visit at home and confronting her about my feelings. I knew, deep down, she wouldn’t be able to deny the attraction between us. If she did, I would have declared her crazy and had her committed. Luckily, we didn’t have to go with such an extreme measure.

  The food arrives and we waste no time getting right to it. I grab a forkful of food and my mouth instantly dances from all of the flavors. “You were right; this is amazing,” I say, pointing to the food with my fork.

  “I told you,” she says smiling.

  We have a light conversation in between bites, when all of sudden Lily stops chewing her food mid-chew. A look of shock spreads across her face as her eyes lock onto something or someone in the corner of the room.

  “What is it Lily? You look like you’ve seen a ghost,” I ask, concerned and looking in the same direction.

  “We need to leave. That man over there is my father,” she says, pointing in his direction, as she continues chewing her mouthful of food. I look in that direction, as she is already waving the waiter down.

  “Can we get this to go?” She asks, looking up at the waiter.

  The waiter disappears to grab to-go-boxes. Before I can ask why she wants to leave, she tilts her head to the side to shield her face to keep her father from seeing her. Unfortunately he is already walking over toward our table. Here I am, confused as hell, because she didn’t want me to know anything about him.

  As he approaches the table, I see he has on a dark suit. She definitely has his thick dark hair and big brown eyes. He is every bit Italian.

  “Lily, is that you? Well I’ll be damn if it isn’t my only daughter.” He says, bending down toward her. I can already tell he is cocky. She tilts her head back up, faking a smile; I can tell it’s fake. It’s a grit your teeth kind of fake.

  “It’s me, in the flesh. What are you doing here?” She asks flatly, as the waiter brings the to-go boxes.

  “My baby all grown up. I just got out. And I heard about your mother. I’m so sorry.” He lightly rubs her cheek with a finger, and she moves her head to keep him from touching her. “Is this your boyfriend?” He asks while pointing at me.

  “Yes, I am,” I say before she can answer. I feel my jaw clinch. This guy is a total creep.

  “Good to meet you. I’m Tony.” He holds his hand out to shake mine. I look at it, and then back up at him. Instead of shaking his hand, Lily and I get up to leave.

  “We were just leaving. I suggest you don’t bother me,” she says coldly. Clearly, there is history with these two that runs deeper than I initially thought.

  She stands and I follow close behind. Once we reach the car and get inside I ask her, “What the hell was that?”

  “That is my father. He just got out of prison,” she turns her face, looking out the window.

  “Prison; what the hell was he in there for?” I ask, concerned.

  “Parker, he is in the mob. The less you know the better. He is not a good guy; in all kinds of illegal shit.”

  “Is he dangerous? I’m not comfortable leaving you at your house if he is, or your aunt for that matter.”

  “We’ll be fine,” she tells me.

  “Lily, you need to tell me what I’m dealing with. Talk to me; now is the time to let me know,” I tell her.

  “I told you, he’s into illegal shit; got locked up for it. Yes, he can be dangerous if you piss him off. He got locked up when I was around eight years old. I talked back to him once and he back handed me, and then he beat the living shit out of my mom. I was so happy when he got caught and got locked up. I thought he’d be out of our lives forever.”

  To hear that story and what she’s been through, I just want to wrap my arms around her to make everything okay. Her words emanated pain and suffering.

  “Maybe you and your aunt can stay at my house,” I suggest.

  “Absolutely not. I will not be fearful of that man again. I am a grown woman now, and he can’t hurt me.”

  “Then let me be clear, I’m staying at your house, just as a precaution,” I say, insisting.

  “Fine, I’m sure my aunt won’t mind. I probably should try to get my aunt out of town, just to be on the safe side.”

  I’m pleased she doesn’t put up an argument. “That might be a good idea, since we don’t know what we’re dealing with,” I say. “It kills me to know you’ve been through such horror. I want to protect you if something does go down,” I tell her.

  I pull into my driveway, so I can pick up a change of clothes. “Wait here; I’ll be right back,” I say, closing the car door behind me.

  Inside my place, I grab a change of clothes as quick as I can. In a flash I’m back in the car driving us to her place. Hopefully, her aunt won’t mind.

  “I called my aunt while you were inside to let her know what’s going on. She is fine with you coming over,” she says. “Matter of fact, don’t be surprised if she gushes over you. She threatened to throw herself at you if I hadn’t agreed to go out with you today.”

  I chuckle. “That is some funny shit. It’s a good thing you agreed to go out with me then.” I say trying to lighten the mood.

  She smiles, but is silent the rest of the drive to her place. I know she is thinking about him, and it kills me to know what she’s been through.

  Once we pull into the driveway, we make our way inside. Her aunt greets us as soon as we go in. She hugs me, kissing each of my cheeks, then doing the same with Lily, embracing her into a hug.

  “Aunt Becca, you should probably head out of town. We don’t know what he is up to. And I’d hate to see you put in danger. I’ve already lost my mom,” Lily tells her Aunt.

  “Do you think he scares me, because he doesn’t? I dare him to step foot on this property. You two kids go on and get settled in and I’ll lock up,” she insists, shooing us up the stairs.

  With my bag in hand, I guide Lily up the stairs with my other hand on the small of her back. No matter the circumstances, I want to protect her. She burns a fire deep inside me and even now I want nothing more than to take her to bed, comfort her, and make her forget about seeing him. She leads me down the hall and to her room. Inside, I drop my bag on the floor pulling her into an embrace, wrapping my arms around her waist. She buries her head deep into my neck, wrapping her arms around my neck.

  “Thank you,” she says, bringing her face in front of mine. “I appreciate you being here.”

  I bring her into me, gripping her tighter in my arms. “I like your room. It’s so….girlie,” I smile into her neck.

  “Don’t make fun,” she says, leading me to her bed. She disappears into her bathroom only to emerge in a pair of black boy shorts and a short black cami. She is damn sexy as she climbs the bed on her belly, propping her head up with one arm. That image alone is enough to get my fire burning.

  “So, you like to boss people around, huh?” She asks jokingly.

  “Only if it means protecting the ones I care about,” I tell her, sliding down so I’m lying down to her level and she leans down to kiss me. I grip her neck to keep her mouth on mine.

  “What do you want from me?” She asks, pulling her head up looking into my eyes.

  “A little bit of everything.” I grin. “Now, stop talking.”

  I bring her face back down to kiss her, deeply. The fire inside me is magnifying by the second with her this close to me, and barely wearing anything. I loop my fingers on the hem of her cami and she flicks it off in one swoop, barely moving her position. She starts unbuttoning my shirt, slowly, one at a time, then pushing it off, and rakes her hands over my chest. Sliding her hand farther down, she unbuttons my jeans and
yanks the zipper down. She moves to pull my jeans completely off, pulling my boxer briefs with them, and I help her by raising my hips.

  Climbing on top of me, she grips my face, kissing me forcefully. I let her tongue explore as I slide my hands over her bare back. Not letting her have too much control, I flip her so she is beneath me. I rub my thumb over her nipples as they erect from my touch. Sliding down, I run my tongue over one, then the other. She arches her back when I slide down even farther to insert my finger inside her. “Mmm, so wet for me.” I look up locking my eyes with hers running my tongue over her sensitive spot. Her eyes are hooded and a guttural moan escapes her. Still arching her back, I glide my tongue over and over her sensitive spot as she moves her hands and squeezes her tits together. That show alone is enough to make me cum. Her body shakes and tremors as her orgasm releases. I slide my tongue back up, her body and her eyes are still hooded and lust-filled.

  I kiss her deeply, so she can taste herself on my tongue. She gets on her knees, pushing me backward and works her way from my neck, kissing and licking until she reaches my hard on. Taking my length in her hand, her tongue gently brushes over the tip before her luscious mouth wraps completely over it. I tilt my head back, enjoying the sensation of her mouth going up and down. Before I explode, I pull her head up, kissing her once more. Quickly grabbing a condom from my jeans, she takes it and glides it over my engorged cock. I pull her off the bed and gently push her down so that I can enter her from behind.

  “Mmm so tight,” I say, gliding myself inside her. She has the most perfect heart shaped ass. Before long, I’m releasing my orgasm and resting my head on her back while I wait for my heart beat to slow. It feels like it will burst out of my chest. We lie in bed snuggled together in a blissed state.

  Chapter Thirteen

  LILY

  I wake up to the smell of bacon and eggs infusing my room. Parker is nowhere in sight. I go to the bathroom to brush my teeth and grab a quick shower before heading downstairs. Putting on a tank top and shorts, I brush my hair into a ponytail.

  In the kitchen, I see my aunt gushing over Parker already. He flashes me a wink while she fixes a plate for me. I sit on the stool next to him while he rests his hand on my thigh. His touch burns in a good way.

  “So, Parker, do you have any family around here?” My aunt asks as we eat breakfast.

  “No, ma’am. My father recently passed, as I’m sure Lily has already told you, and my mom passed away from cancer when I was fifteen. The rest of my relatives live out of state.”

  “That’s so sad; I’m sorry to hear that,” she expresses. I give her a look, as if she shouldn’t be asking such personal questions.

  “Oh thanks. This breakfast is delicious by the way,” he says, clearing his plate, and trying to change the subject.

  “Thank you dear. It’s nice to have a man in the house to feed,” my aunt gushes giving me a wink. I wish she would stop before this gets really embarrassing.

  I give him an apologetic look and receive a smile and wink from him. Once we finish eating, Parker and I insist on getting the dishes cleared and into the dishwasher.

  “You cooked, so we will clean it up. Go kick your feet up. You’ve done enough,” I tell her. I watch as she heads into the living room.

  “What do you want to do today?” Parker asks once my aunt leaves the room.

  Before I can answer, the doorbell rings and I instantly freeze in place. Who would be at the door? I give him a questioning look.

  “Wait here,” he signals and motions my aunt to move away from the door. He signals to be quiet as he listens through the door.

  “Come on; I know you’re in there, Lily. I see your lover boy’s car here,” Tony says through the door. Terror fills my insides, causing them to twist in knots. My heart beats so loudly that I think everyone else can hear it.

  “Don’t answer it,” I whisper to him. Aunt Becca makes her way to the kitchen next to me. Peeking around the corner, I watch as Parker removes a gun from the back of his pants. Holding it to his side, he answers the door.

  “See, was that hard?” Tony asks. “Now don’t make this difficult and let me in to see my daughter,” he demands.

  “She doesn’t want to see you,” Parker says in a serious tone.

  Tony puts one foot in the door, intending on coming in anyway, but Parker retaliates by pulling out his gun. “Do you not understand English, Boy?” He growls at Parker.

  “Like I said, she doesn’t want to see you. Now, let’s not make a mess in front of the girls.” Parker stands his ground. My father glances my way, as I’ve made my presence known. He backs up, giving Parker a glare, as he walks toward his car.

  Parker closes the door, putting the gun back in its place.

  “Are you fucking nuts? Are you looking for a death wish?” I say angrily. Knowing he just put himself in harm’s way.

  “Did you see what just happened? He came here to see you, just like I figured he would. I told you before, I will protect you. I know damn well you didn’t want him to come in here. Whatever he has done to you in the past won’t happen again. I won’t let him hurt you.”

  Parker brings me close into his body, embracing me. I feel protected in his arms, like nothing will come between us, not even my father.

  “He’s in the mob; he has connections. He is dangerous, Parker. You need to tread lightly when it comes to him.” I say, pulling back and looking into his light blue eyes.

  “He doesn’t scare me, or intimidate me for that matter. I’ve seen much worse than the big bad wolf, trust me. I’ve been to war, remember? I’m trained in protecting others,” Parker says with a serious tone.

  I drop the subject, not wanting to fight over him. The past is coming back to haunt me. I thought he’d be gone for good; out of my life. Losing my mother has been enough to deal with.

  In the kitchen, I see my aunt cleaning. She does that when she is nervous. Hugging her from behind, she pats my arm.

  “You really should think about leaving town. I don’t want to see you get hurt,” I plead with her.

  “I can’t leave you here; especially by yourself.”

  “I’ll be here to protect her if something goes down. We can’t have you here by yourself while she is off at work or whatever,” Parker tells her as he leans against the entryway to the kitchen.

  Finally, she sees reason with Parker and agrees to leave town, but only on a temporary basis. She is a stubborn one.

  “Give me a few minutes with her,” I tell Parker and follow my aunt upstairs. The pain of leaving me emanates off her. “I really appreciate everything you’ve done for me. Stepping in the way you did, touches my heart. I could never express how much I appreciate you. You mean too much to me to keep you here.” The tears start to flow from her eyes, and I put my arms half around her shoulders. “It’s not permanent; I promise.” I pull her into me, hugging her.

  “I know. Parker will keep an eye on you. It’s just… we’ve become so close in these last few weeks, and it kills me to know Tony is out there and we don’t know what he wants.” Wiping her tears, she pulls a suitcase out from under the bed, throwing her clothes in.

  I make my way back downstairs and see Parker sitting on the couch. “She okay?” He asks as I sit next to him.

  “She will be; she’s tough.” I tell him, patting his leg.

  My aunt comes down the stairs with her suitcase in hand. And we say our goodbyes for now. “Take care,” she hugs me, squeezing tightly.

  “Please take my phone,” I insist. “Call Parker’s number, or the house phone, if anything arises,” I tell her.

  “Take care of my girl,” she says, hugging Parker. We watch as she gets in her car and wave her off as she pulls out of the driveway.

  “I don’t know what I would’ve done if you hadn’t come into my life. It’s been full of sadness and despair. Yet, you bring light to it. Make me feel safe when I’m with you,” I tell Parker.

  “Why don’t we try to forget this madness, and
do something today?” He insists.

  “Like what, it’s raining out,” I say.

  “How ‘bout’ I take you to a shooting range and teach you how to use a gun?” He tells me, bringing both my hands into his.

  The thought of actually holding a gun scares the shit out of me. I’ve never been fond of them but I can see having one for protection. Maybe he’s right.

  “What is it with you? You are so fearless; driving over the railroad in the line of a train, thriving on the thrill of riding a rollercoaster, and let’s not forget stepping up to my father when you could have gotten yourself killed.”

  “You need to learn to be fearless yourself. I know deep inside you are just as scared as you were when you were younger. You don’t fool me. How could you not be scared with a father like yours? He’s dangerous, and you need to learn to protect yourself,” Parker says.

  “Okay, you’re right.” I throw my hands up in defeat.

  *****

  At the shooting range, Parker helps assist me with picking out a gun. He chooses a thirty eight pistol handgun for me to start with. Suddenly, I’m nervous, holding a gun.

  “We’ll start with something small, but not too small; something that is easy to conceal, and easily accessible.”

  Before I start shooting, Parker goes over a few simple rules. “Only point the gun at your target, never wave it around. Keep your finger off the trigger until you are ready to shoot. Always make sure the safety is on while not in use, as well as never leave the ammunition in when not in use.”

  Now I’m even more freaked out with these rules and hope I can keep myself in check. Parker hands me a pair of safety glasses and earmuffs to put on to block out noise.

  “Now, face the target and raise the gun to eye level. Take your time aiming at the target; you want to make sure you shoot where you intend to. And gently squeeze the trigger,” Parker says, standing behind me.

  I nervously raise the gun, aiming at the target. Closing one eye, I aim at the bull’s-eye, gently squeezing the trigger as Parker instructed. Unfortunately, I miss the actual bull’s-eye, but I get close to it.