by Beth Rinyu
He went to introduce himself and I cut him off. “What the fuck do you want?”
“Look, I told Nicole the other day, I don’t want this to get ugly.”
“It’s already ugly. It got ugly on the day you decided to walk away from your responsibility and left Nicole to deal with everything on her own.”
“Well, I was a lot younger then. I was –”
“Yeah, so was Nicole. Do you have any clue the hell that girl went through because of you and your fucked up family? And now you expect her to feel sorry because your father is dying? I’m telling you right now, you and your family, stay the fuck away from Nicole and Ryan or it will get a lot more than just ugly.”
The smile that stretched across his face made me want to knock his head off his shoulders. “Well, Mr. Big Time Attorney O’Maley, that’s why I came here to see you today. I have a proposition for you that will benefit both of us. BC industries, you know, that company that’s suing you, is my father’s. Settle on the offer that was presented to your company and I will disappear just as quickly as I did ten years ago. Keep pursuing it and I will have to fight to get to know my son a little better.”
I shook my head, unable to believe what I had just heard. “Oh, so I see how this goes. You are going to use an innocent child so you can make sure that you get the most money that you can when your father croaks. You are a bigger scumbag than I thought.”
He raised his eyebrows at me and smiled. “Hey, he’s my blood.”
I stood up and walked over to where he was standing. “He isn’t fuckin’ anything to you. All you were was some stupid ass teenage boy who couldn’t keep it in his pants and then ran behind Mommy and Daddy, instead of facing your responsibility. You were a fuckin’ coward back then and you are a coward now. Obviously, your little internet search that you did on me didn’t tell you everything. I don’t make deals with anyone, especially not with scumbags like you. I’m not a seventeen-year-old girl that you and your family can manipulate. Now, you better get your fuckin’ ass out of here because I’m really close to bashing your head into that wall. Another thing you missed on your research about me – don’t ever piss me off.”
“Suit yourself. I’m sure Nicole won’t be too happy when she realizes that you’re not willing to swallow your pride and settle on a case for her.”
I felt my adrenaline pumping and rage taking over just as Paul walked in with my lunch. I was so thankful, because I probably would have ended up killing this guy. “Get the fuck out of here and don’t let me ever see you here or around my family ever again, because next time you won’t be so lucky and have someone walk in and stop me from what I so want to do right now.”
“Violence is a horrible trait, you know. I hope you don’t behave this way in front of my son.”
“You fuckin’ dick –”
“Dailan, calm down,” Paul said as he held me back. “I think if you know what’s good for you, you should leave now.”
I glared at him one last time before he turned around and walked out the door.
“Who the hell was the guy?” Paul asked.
I couldn’t even answer; I was too pissed. Paul finally walked out. I picked up the picture of Nicole and Ryan from my desk. Now this case had become personal and I would do everything that it took to make sure that scumbag didn’t see a dime of that money or hurt Nicole ever again.
Chapter 20
Nicole
The week flew by and Dailan was virtually non-existent. The only time I would see him was if I happened to wake up in the middle of the night. I was sleeping by the time he got home and sleeping when he left. I was so glad that tomorrow was Friday and, hopefully, a date night with Dailan. I had forgotten to remind him that my parents were taking the kids. I was trying my best to stay up and wait for him to get home. I lay down on the couch, telling myself that I was just going to rest my eyes before falling into a deep sleep.
I opened my eyes to the touch of Dailan’s lips on my forehead. “Hey, beautiful, what are you doing sleeping down here?”
“I was trying to stay awake to see you. I miss you.” I sat up and rubbed my eyes.
He sat down next to me and hugged me. “I miss you too, Nicole. I promise that it will start slowing down in a few weeks for a little bit.”
“I hope so. Ella and Ryan are missing you too.”
“I know,” he said sadly.
“Well, did you forget that we have a date planned tomorrow night?”
I could tell that he had by the look on his face. “I did, but I promise that I will be there,” he said as he kissed me on the lips.
“Good. We have to make up for some lost time. Plus your birthday is on Saturday.” I kissed him softly on the lips. “I saved you some dinner.”
“I’m not even hungry. I’m exhausted.” He stood up and took my hand, pulling me from the couch. We headed up to bed. It was so nice to curl up next to him and feel his arms wrapped around me. I rested my head on his chest. It was only a matter of minutes before he was sound asleep. I closed my eyes and smiled, knowing that tomorrow night I would have him all to myself.
***
I decided that instead of going out to dinner, I would cook dinner. I wasn’t much of a cook, but over the past few years, my cooking skills had improved. So tonight, I would be making one of the few things that I was good at: Pasta Primavera.
Dailan said that he would be home around six, so I knew that meant to have dinner ready for eight. I was sexting him all day to ensure that he didn’t forget. I wasn't surprised when I looked down at my phone to find a text from him at seven: Leaving now - Sorry. Lucky for him, I knew him all too well.
Dinner was just about done. I turned down the lights and ran through the house, lighting all of the candles. Dailan's smile was a mile wide when he walked in the door. "Happy early birthday, Mr. O'Maley." I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him deeply. He kicked the front door shut, his lips never leaving mine. He pushed me up against the wall and ran his hands up and down my body. "Wait, wait, wait. Dinner is almost ready," I said.
"Don't worry; this won't take long.” He flashed me that crooked little smile and I melted.
"Well, that stinks." I giggled.
"Oh, don’t worry darlin’; this is just the first course."
"Oh, you promise?" I asked as I ran my hand along the scruff on his face.
He looked at me and nodded. God, he was so sexy. He still knew how to unleash the butterflies in me. He wasted no time lifting up my skirt and removing my underwear. He quickly dropped his pants and boxers and wrapped my leg around his waist. He pushed me up against the wall and I felt the fullness of him inside of me. He was breathing heavily as he moved in and out of me. I ran my hands up and down his back and kissed him on the neck. I knew that was his weakness. "Nicole, you must want this to be over even quicker," he whispered in my ear.
"No, but I know there's more to come. Plus, your birthday is tomorrow.” I smiled up at him and kissed him on the neck again.
“You know how to drive me fuckin’ crazy.” He lifted my shirt over my head and removed my bra. He teased my breasts with his tongue and he began to move about inside of me again. My back was banging against the wall with each thrust that he made. I was getting so turned on. It had been so long since we were able to have sex anywhere but the bedroom. I let out a cry of pleasure as my body tightened around him, just as he released himself inside of me. My arms were around his neck as I pulled him closer. He was breathing hard. He looked down at me with that sexy smile that made me want to start all over again. “I have the best wife ever, you know that?”
I looked up at him and smiled. “Let’s see if you’re still saying that after you taste the dinner that I made for you.”
***
After dinner, we spent the rest of the night in bed, making love until the wee hours of the morning, like we used to do, before both our lives became so hectic.
I looked over at the clock that was flashing 2:15. I was exhausted. “Wow,
we haven’t been up this late having sex in a long time.”
He pulled me on top of him and pushed my hair behind my ear. “Kinda like how it used to be when I first met you.”
I smiled just thinking about those days when Dailan and I would play our little cat and mouse game with each other. “Yeah, back when you were trying your hardest to get me to sleep with you.”
“What?! Oh no, I think it was the other way around. You just put on your hard-to-get act, but I knew all along that you wanted it.”
I laughed, knowing that he was absolutely right in his assessment. There was no one I wanted more back then or now than him.
Chapter 21
Dailan
Nicole finally fell asleep, resting her head on my chest. I was still wide awake. Even the great sex that I had just had didn’t curtail my thoughts. I didn’t tell Nicole about my little visit from that dirt bag the other day and I didn’t intend to. I didn’t want her to have to worry anymore about it. There was no way that I would ever allow him to hurt her or Ryan again. I was always so driven to win all of my cases, but this one was now a crusade that I knew I had to win for both professional and personal satisfaction. I looked down at Nicole, who was sleeping. I really was a lucky man to have her as my wife and I would do whatever it took to shield her from the pain that she had faced in her past. She was my everything. She had given me a beautiful daughter and Ryan. Not to mention, sex with her was still as amazing as the first time. I closed my eyes and smiled, thinking back to the first night that we had slept together:
I knew that I would be having sex with her that night, from the moment that she opened her front door and I saw her standing there in that little black dress. I always thought she was hot. But that night, she was scorching hot. I couldn’t stop staring at her ass; it was perfect. Her sarcastic remarks and hard-to-get façade throughout the night just added to my want for her. Little did she know, but it was total foreplay for me. I had to give her credit; she was definitely slick with some of her comments, so I decided to get her back a little. I walked her to her door and I could tell that she was just waiting for me to kiss her. There was nothing more that I wanted than to stick my tongue down her throat, not to mention other places. I wanted to push her up against the wall and fuck her brains out. As hard as it was, I played it cool, leaving with just a “good night.” The look on her face was priceless. I headed down the steps, giving her just enough time to stew a little. I couldn’t wait any longer; I wanted her bad. I knocked on her front door and watched as she tried to hold back a smile. “Do you always answer the door at this hour of the night without asking who it is?”
“Tell me about it; look what I just let walk in,” she said, making me want her even more than I already did just moments ago.
“Do you ever just shut up?”
“Did you forget something, Mr. O’Maley?”
“I believe I did.” I couldn’t get my mouth on hers quick enough. I needed this girl now! She rubbed her thumb along my face, looking up at me with those beautiful hazel eyes and I was gone. “Screw getting even,” I said as I pushed her up against the wall and began to kiss her again. She removed my tie as my hands began to wander up and down her body. I lifted her off the ground and she pointed me in the direction of her bedroom. I couldn’t get her dress off fast enough. She began to unbutton my shirt as I undid the last of the buttons and threw it on the floor. I stared at her body in just her bra and underwear. She was so tiny, a little skinnier than I was used to, but that just made her even cuter. She started to undo my belt buckle and unbutton my pants. I was hard as hell for her and I knew that if I put it in her now, it would be over way too quick. I wanted to enjoy every last bit of her first. I took her hand and moved it away. “Not so fast.” She looked disappointed. But she wouldn’t be for long. I hovered over top of her as she lay down on the bed. The things I wanted to do with her. I had never been this turned on by any other woman as I was with her. I kissed her neck as I removed her bra. She smelled so good, making me want her even more. Her tits were perfect. I couldn’t resist running my tongue over her hardened nipple.
“Oh, Dailan, please!” she cried. Just hearing her say my name and finally admitting that she wanted it made me smile. I moved my lips slowly down her stomach. I had never wanted to go down on a girl so badly. I couldn’t wait to taste her. There was nothing hotter than staring up at this beautiful woman above me, waiting for me to go down on her. My tongue began to move around. She was so soft and warm. Everything about this girl was perfection. I started out light and easy and became more intense. I was teasing her, letting her excitement rise and fall. Her stomach began to contract. She raised her hips and tightened up. She let out a scream just as I tasted her sweet, delicious release. She was breathing hard as I looked up at her. I couldn’t fuck her fast enough. I took off my pants as quickly as I could and tore open the condom wrapper. I stood over top of her and seeing the longing in her eyes made my dick even harder. I had to catch my breath as I entered her. Even with the condom, I could still feel her warmth. I moved around inside of her and it was only a matter of minutes before she was screaming my name again – damn I’m good. She pulled me closer and began to kiss my neck. She was driving me crazy. After bringing her to another orgasm, I finally gave in from what I was holding back from doing the moment I walked back through her door. I came at the exact same time that she did again. Mind blowing was the only word that came to mind. Sex with Miss Morgan was sweeter than I imagined and I definitely wanted – no, I needed more of it.
Chapter 22
Nicole
Even though I was able to sleep in, I couldn’t. My internal alarm clock was set not to let me sleep past seven, so I tossed and turned for a bit before finally getting out of bed. I kissed Dailan, who was still fast asleep, on the cheek. I went downstairs and made some coffee. I called my mom, knowing that Ella probably already had her up. I told her that I would pick them up, but she was insistent that she would drop them off after they went out to breakfast. It was so nice to have time alone with Dailan, but I missed Ryan and Ella when they weren’t around. Since, I had nothing else to do; I pulled out my planner and began to do my lesson plans for the week. Less than two weeks left of school, not that I was counting or anything. I was halfway through the next week when I heard a knock at my door. I couldn’t imagine who it was this early in the morning. I looked out the window and saw Tommy’s car and immediately answered the door. I wrapped my arms around myself, suddenly realizing that I was still in my pajamas and braless. “Hey, Tommy, what are you doing here so early?”
“I’m heading out for the day and figured I would stop by and wish your husband a happy birthday, since he was too busy all week long to have a drink with me.”
I nodded. “Yeah, I’ve hardly seen him all week too. He’s been working a lot. He’s sleeping.”
He sat down and I handed him a cup of coffee. “Why’s it so quiet in here? Where’s the kids?”
I laughed. “They’re at my parents’. They slept over there last night.”
“Oh, no wonder why my man is still sleeping. Rough night?” he smirked.
“Well, I don’t know about ‘rough.’ But a lady never kisses and tells,” I joked.
He smiled. “Yeah, well Dailan’s a lucky guy.”
“Yeah, he is, isn’t he?” I joked. I took a deep breath to prepare myself for the question I was about to ask him. “So what’s going on with you?”
He looked away, like he didn’t want to tell me. “Not much.”
“Really?” I pressed on, not really wanting to know, but feeling like we had to get it out in the open.
“I guess Dailan told you.”
I nodded. “Yeah, he did. Look, Tommy, it’s not my business, but just be careful. You know she’s still married. I just don’t want to see you get hurt.”
“Thanks for looking out for me, but I’ll be okay.”
“Okay.” I had said what I needed to say. The rest was on him. Dailan came down the stairs
and into the kitchen. God, he was so sexy, wearing just his pajama bottoms. If Tommy weren’t here right now, the things I would be doing to him. I stood up and wrapped my arms around him. “Happy birthday!” I said, kissing him softly on the lips.
“Aw, how sweet,” Tommy teased.
“What the hell are you doing here so early?” Dailan asked.
“Well, good morning to you too, ass. I thought I would be nice and stop by to wish my dearest and oldest friend a happy birthday before I leave for the weekend.”
“Where are you going?” Dailan asked.
Tommy looked at me and then at Dailan like he didn’t want to answer. I knew exactly where he was going – Renee’s. “That’s okay; you don’t have to hide it from me. I said what I had to and I’m not saying anymore where that’s concerned.” I handed Dailan a cup of coffee. I stood behind him and wrapped my arms around him, resting my head on his back.
“I’ve got to go into work for a few hours today to finish some things up,” Dailan said.
“Oh, Dailan, no! It’s your birthday. Ryan and Ella want to spend time with you.” I hugged him tighter and placed a tiny kiss on his shoulder.
“I promise; it won’t be for long.”
“Damn, Dailan, why didn’t you just settle on that damn case, instead of running yourself ragged like this,” Tommy said.
Dailan shook his head as if he was trying to tell Tommy to shut up. I lifted my head from his back. “They offered you a settlement? Why didn’t you just take it?” I asked.
“Because it was a ridiculous offer and they don’t have a case,” he answered. “So where you going today, Tommy?” he asked as if he were quickly trying to shift the subject.
“On that note, I think I will go take a shower,” I said, giving Dailan one last hug and kiss. “You have a good weekend, Tommy.”
“See ya, Nicole,” Tommy said.
