by E. L. Todd
“Cedric gets in the way?”
“It’s hard to leave him alone in a room because he cries. He’s aware of everything at this point.”
“That sucks.”
“It does sometimes,” he said. “Having Cedric has made my life a million times better. I couldn’t picture my world without him. But I wish I was getting as much sex as I used to.”
“Maybe you should get a nanny,” I suggested. “She can watch Cedric while Skye meets you in the city after work. You can have dinner and hook up in a hotel room. Then you can drive home.”
“That’s an idea…” He rubbed his chin. “But I really love seeing Cedric when I come home. I don’t know if I could wait that long to see him. Besides, I prefer Skye’s cooking to eating out anyway.”
“Well, you’re out of options,” I said. “You better start beating off.”
He cringed. “Masturbating sucks. After I got sex for the first time I hardly went back.”
“Me too.” Now that I was married I definitely couldn’t picture myself using my hand. Why would I when I had the wettest and tightest pussy in all the land? I married Trinity for a lot of reasons, and the sex was one of the biggest reasons of all. She was the only woman who could satisfy me and make me want more at the same time.
“I guess I could ask Skye if she wants to do that once a week,” Cayson said. “Meet up in the city and shack up at a hotel.”
“Or you can just have Sean and Scarlet watch him.”
“That’s a little awkward though,” Cayson said. “I know we’re married but it’s still weird to tell your in-laws you want some alone time with their daughter.”
I rolled my eyes. “Whatever. They can get over it.” My father-in-law just told me off for having sex with his daughter in a car. It was awkward at the time but you move on.
“So, when are you recording the album?”
“Next week.”
“What are you doing with the shop?”
I shrugged. “I need to find someone to take it over.”
“Why not just sell it?”
“No way,” I said. “That place is my baby. I might go back to it one day.”
“Have anyone in mind?”
“Probably Radio,” I said. “He’s a smartass but he can handle everything on his own. My dad likes him too.”
“Your dad likes everyone.”
“True. He’s not a great judge of character.” My phone lit up on the table with a text message. I miss you. It was Trinity.
I grinned from ear-to-ear. “Looks like my wife needs that D.”
Cayson finished his beer then threw his money on the table. “Rub it in, asshole.”
“And I’m gonna give it to her so good. Conrad is going to hear us downstairs.”
Cayson cringed. “Do you want your brother-in-law to hear you?”
“Well, no,” I said. “I was just making a point.”
Cayson shook his head. “You’re a weird dude.”
***
Trinity and I skipped dinner because we were going at it like it was our honeymoon. When I finished and came inside her, Trinity kissed me and grinded against me, making me hard all over again so we could go another round.
My dick was actually sore from all the sex.
But I loved it so much so I kept going. It wasn’t just the intercourse I enjoyed. I loved kissing her and fisting her hair in my palm. The way our bodies moved together, covered in sweat was such a turn on. She squeezed my hips with her legs. When she dug her nails into my skin I was turned on beyond belief. And seeing her want me so badly, like she couldn’t get enough of me, was the best part.
When I couldn’t go any longer without a decent break I pulled out of her then lay on my back beside her. I was sweaty and out of breath.
Trinity cuddled into my side and closed her eyes.
“What’s gotten into you?” I said through my heavy breathing.
“What do you mean?”
“Why are you so horny lately?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know. I just love making love to you.”
“Is it your pregnancy hormones?”
“Could be.”
“Well, whatever is causing it, I like it.” I kissed her forehead and felt the sweat on my lips.
“Maybe I just love my husband.”
“Ooh…I like that answer even more.”
Chapter Four
Silke
The movers took all of my belongings and carried them back into the house Arsen owned. I didn’t have a lot of things because I’d only been living on my own for a few months but it was still serious work moving everything.
I returned my clothes to the closet. Arsen’s clothes were on the far right, exactly where they had been when I originally grabbed my things and left. He didn’t change anything, like he expected me to come back eventually.
I set my electric toothbrush on the bathroom counter next to my sink. All of his things were exactly where they used to be. His roll of toothpaste was still sitting there along with his electric razor.
When I went into the kitchen I realized he hadn’t used the dishes in a long time. He switched to paper plates, probably because he hardly cooked while I was away. When I opened the refrigerator I saw nothing but water and snacks for Abby. There didn’t seem to be anything inside for him, probably because he ate out all the time.
Arsen came into the house and set a box on the counter. He wore a workout shirt that outlined the muscles of his chest. When he opened the box he pulled out the kitchen towels I’d taken with me. He examined them for a long time, like he was remembering our life together before I left. He swallowed the lump in his throat before he set them on the counter.
“It’s nice to be home again.”
He turned to me, the emotion in his eyes. “It is. It never felt the same after you left.”
My life never felt the same after I left either.
He gave me a small smile before he returned to unpacking my things.
“I shouldn’t have given up on you. I’m sorry.”
Arsen had his arm in the box and he stopped the second he heard me speak. He slowly pulled his arm out and looked at me, the smile gone. “I deserved everything that happened, Silke. Don’t apologize.”
“But you’ve never given up on me.”
“That’s different,” he whispered. “You never gave me a reason to.” He pulled everything out of the box then returned them to their rightful place in the kitchen.
After I was done in the kitchen I retrieved another box from the truck. Dad already had one in his hands. “Damn, this is heavy. What the hell is in here?”
Abby was at his feet. “Grandpa, I can carry it. I’m strong.” She flexed both of her arms.
“I’m sure you are, munchkin,” Dad said. “But I got it.”
I read the side of the box. “It’s my art collection.”
“Ugh.” Dad carried it into the house. “No wonder why it weighs a ton.”
I grabbed a purse that had nothing inside of it. “Sweetheart, could you carry this inside for me?”
“Sure.” Abby jumped up in excitement when she was allowed to help.
“Thanks. You’re a life saver.” I handed it over and watched her carry it into the house with both arms.
I grabbed another box and lifted with my legs.
Arsen immediately took it from me. “Beauty, stick with the lighter things. I don’t want you to hurt yourself.”
“I can handle it, Beast.”
He carried the box into the house anyway.
“I don’t get it.” Slade came out of the house with a sleeveless shirt, showing the ink up and down his arms. “If you took off one day, how did you take so much shit with you?”
“I bought it when I got my new apartment,” I explained.
“Then take it back.” He grabbed a box from the back of the truck. “I should be at home with my wife right now.”
“I didn’t ask you to help. You volunteered.” He was such a pain
in the ass sometimes.
“Whatever.” He carried the box up the steps. “First, I marry you and now this.”
“Again, I never asked you to.”
“Well, Arsen did.” He walked into the house.
Arsen came back out for another box. He came to my side by the truck and looked down into my face. “Do you have plans later today?”
“Nothing besides taking a nap.”
“Well, you want to go pick out a ring for me?” He held up his left hand, showing the bare skin without a wedding band.
I wanted him to wear a ring even though my reasoning was entirely possessive. I wanted everyone to know he was off the market, that he was the other half of my soul. I wanted everyone to know we were man and wife. “Yes.”
He smiled. “Good. It doesn’t feel right now wearing something.”
“You could get some ink instead.” Slade came up behind us. “That’s what I did.” He held up his left hand. “It’s perfect. I don’t have to remember to put it on before I leave the house. And it’s sexy. I know Trinity likes it.”
“That would be cool,” Arsen said. “Since I work on cars I can’t wear a ring anyway.”
“Then do it,” Slade pressed.
“No, that’s your thing, man,” Arsen said. “I’ll figure something out.”
I actually liked the idea of a tattoo ring. The idea of it permanently being ingrained into his skin was deeply romantic. And it suited him. Arsen was still rough around the edges even if he was a father and a husband.
“I really don’t care,” Slade said. “There are tons of different designs you can get. It’s not like it’ll be identical to mine. Besides, the tattoo on my chest symbolizes my love for Trinity in a more profound way. The circle on my finger is just a formality.”
“Nah,” Arsen said. “I don’t want to cramp your style.”
“I really like that idea,” I blurted out.
Arsen looked at me in surprise. “You do?”
“Yeah.” It suited Arsen’s personality much better. I couldn’t picture him wearing a physical band. He used his hands way too much.
“Yeah?” His lips formed a slight smile.
“My sister has good taste,” Slade said. “Sometimes.”
Arsen looked down at his hand like he was picturing it.
“Do it. Do it. Do it.” Slade kept chanting. “I can do the ink for you. Or my dad.”
“What do you think?” I asked.
“I like it,” Arsen said. “As long as Slade really is cool with it.” He looked at him with the question written all over his face.
Slade rolled his eyes. “Dude, no one can have ownership over inking. People think tattoos are trashy and lame, but they’re works of art. If that expresses your love for Silke then go for it. I think it’s appropriate because it’s forever. You can never take it off and no matter what you’re doing it’s there. That shit is beautiful.”
Arsen smiled then looked at me. “I’m going to do it.”
“Yeah?” I asked.
He nodded. “And I want Ryan to do the honors.”
“Shouldn’t I do the honors?” Slade asked. “I did marry you.”
“True,” I said.
Arsen looked a little uncomfortable. “It’s just…Ryan and I—”
Slade clapped him on the shoulder. “I’m just screwing with you, man.” He laughed then walked back into the house.
I stared at his fingers and pictured the ring. “It’s pretty hot.”
“You like that?” Arsen asked. “Then it’s another reason why I should get it.”
“I think it suits you.”
“Yeah. Me too.” He wrapped his arm around my shoulder and kissed my temple.
***
“You’re ready for this?” Dad set up his needle and pulled his gloves on.
“Yeah.” Arsen sat in the chair, his left hand resting on the armrest. He looked relaxed, like he wasn’t concerned about the permanent ink being etched into his skin or the fact the pain may be uncomfortable.
“Since it’s so close to the bone it’s going to hurt,” Dad warned.
“I’ll be fine,” Arsen answered.
Slade sat in the corner with his arms across his chest. “You’re in good hands, man. Dad is the best of the best. And I’m not just saying that because he’s my pops.”
“I’m sure he is,” Arsen said.
Slade lifted up his shirt and pointed to the ink of Trinity. “He did this. And he’s the only person I trusted to do it right.”
Dad tested the needle first. “Well, this is just a simple band so I’m pretty sure anyone could do it.”
“Nah,” Slade said. “Remember when Razor put that tattoo of a shit on that guy’s back?”
Dad chuckled. “I’ll never forget it.”
“That sounds like quite a story,” Arsen said.
“I’ll tell you some other time,” Dad said. He sanitized the area before he began his work. He pressed the needle to the skin and began the process.
Arsen didn’t look uncomfortable at all. He just watched him.
“You doing okay?” I asked.
“I’m fine, baby.” He grabbed my hand and held it on the armrest.
“Do you want me to distract you?” I asked.
“Your beauty already does that,” he said with a straight face.
Slade rolled his eyes and acted like he was gagging.
Dad kept working, his eyes never leaving Arsen’s finger. Sometimes he would hum quietly under his breath, singing a song none of us recognized. When he finished the top half he turned Arsen’s hand over and worked on the bottom.
“Did you guys have a good honeymoon?” Slade asked.
“It was nice,” I said. “The snow is a beautiful place when you’re in the middle of nowhere.”
“Sounds boring,” Slade said. “Trinity and I went to the Caribbean and that water is so damn blue.”
“Abby came up and joined us,” I said. “And that’s when things got really fun.”
“Your daughter joined you on your honeymoon?” Slade asked incredulously.
“We missed her,” Arsen answered.
Slade murmured under his breath. “Weirdoes…”
An hour later Dad finished. “Alright. We need to wrap it up and keep it there for a while. After a few hours you can remove it and let it breathe.”
“Thanks.” Arsen held up his hand and looked at it. Blood was still leaking out but it wasn’t much.
“I like it,” I said.
“I do too,” Arsen said in agreement.
Dad patted the blood away then wrapped it up. “You’re officially stuck with Silke.”
“There’s no one else I’d rather be stuck with.” Arsen squeezed my hand.
“It’s official,” Dad said to Arsen. “Call me Dad from now on.”
I understood Arsen’s relationship with my father because he never had a father of his own. It made me appreciate my parents even more. When I was growing up they pissed me off sometimes but they were the best parents anyone could ask for. They were there for me—always. I couldn’t imagine my life without them and I knew Slade couldn’t either.
“Really?” Arsen said quietly.
“Come on,” Dad said. “I was your dad before. Now you’re married to my daughter. I think it’s time.” He gave him a playful nudge in the side.
Arsen smiled. “Thanks…Dad.”
Dad patted his shoulder before he picked up his supplies.
I could tell Arsen was touched by the slight tint in his cheeks. He’d finally come to accept that we were really his family, whether we were related by blood or not. Even when Arsen and I were no longer together, my father still stuck by his side through the thick and the thin. He was really a parent to him, and he didn’t treat Arsen any differently than the way he treated Slade or me.
***
I made meatloaf and brussel sprouts for dinner. The three of us were gathered around the table, eating like a family. Arsen sat across from me while Ab
by sat between us.
She stabbed a brussel sprout with her fork then made a disgusted look. “I hate brussel sprouts…”
“They’re good for you, Abby,” Arsen said as he kept eating. “You want to be strong someday, right?”
“Yeah…” Abby flicked it back onto her plate.
“Then you need to eat them.” Arsen sipped his water before he kept eating.
I had a glass of wine with dinner, and whenever I offered something to Arsen he never took it. Come to think of it, I hadn’t seen him drink once since he come home drunk that night.
“Can I eat cookies instead?” Abby asked. “That’ll make me big and strong too.”
“You can have one after dinner.” Arsen usually handled the discipline when it came to Abby, unless he wasn’t around. “If you eat all those brussel sprouts.”
“Yuck.” She stared at the vegetable before she shoved it into her mouth.
“Good,” Arsen said. “Keep it up.”
Abby slowly ate her veggies, grimacing the entire time. “Daddy, what’s on your finger?”’
He held up his left hand. “This?”
“Yeah.”
“It’s my wedding ring,” he explained. “It means I’m married.”
“But it’s on your skin…” She felt her own fingers in comparison.
“It’s a tattoo,” he explained. “I work on cars so if I wear metal it could get caught on something.”
“So, it’ll never come off?” she asked.
“Nope.” Arsen returned to eating his dinner.
“So, I could get one of a unicorn?” she asked hopefully.
“Maybe when you’re older,” Arsen said vaguely.
Abby fell quiet and returned to eating.
Arsen eyed me across the table, affection in his eyes. “Thank you for dinner, baby.”
“You’re welcome.” It was nice to sit at the table like this. In my apartment I ate dinner every night on the couch. And I didn’t even bother cooking for myself. It was too much work for a single person. My nights were spent alone, thinking about the man I loved but couldn’t have.
“The meatloaf is good,” Arsen said. “I’ve never had it before.”
“My mom used to make it all the time.”
“The brussel sprouts suck,” Abby whispered.
