HisMarriageBargain

by Sidney Bristol

  “And I am your mother.” She turned and handed him a cup of tea.

  “I don’t like this brew.” He wrinkled his nose at the cup.

  “Drink. Make your mother happy, Samuel. You owe it to me. Plus, it’s good for you.”

  He grimaced. Drinking a little tea was a small price to pay for the havoc he’d wrought on her life. He sipped the brew and wrinkled his nose. It tasted worse than usual, which was disgusting.

  She sat across from him, crossing her ankles and folding her hands in her lap. Everything his mother did was measured and controlled. “That woman is not good for you. Look at her. All those tattoos! What a horrible thing to do to yourself.”

  “Mom, lots of people have tattoos.”

  “Not you. Or me.”

  Great.

  He rubbed his jaw. “Actually, Mom, I do have tattoos.”

  Her jaw went slack and her eyes round. “You do not.”

  “I do. And I’ve had them for a while. Not everyone who has tattoos is a bad person, Mom. We live in a different time now. And I’m married to Autumn. I hope that in the future you’ll be able to accept that.”

  “I can’t do that. I can’t accept that.” She closed her eyes and shook her head.

  “Well, Mom, I’m sorry then.” Sammi tipped the cup back and downed the rest of the tea. It tasted more bitter than usual going down. He shook his head and grabbed a sugar cube off the tray to take the taste away. “I’ll talk to you about this later, but I think it’s best if we leave now.”

  “You’re leaving me to be with her?”

  Sammi stood and shrugged. “She’s my wife, Mom.”

  His mother got to her feet slowly and closed the distance, her gaze trained on him, something fierce behind her eyes. “She’ll never be your wife. She is a Gomer. A prostitute. And you are not Hosea, Son.”

  Sammi placed the teacup on the trolley and cupped her shoulders. He knew she loved him, but the manner in which she was acting in the name of his benefit was doing more harm than good. Still, he was lucky to have a mother who cared.

  “Autumn makes me happy, Mom. Maybe you’ll accept that someday.”

  * * * * *

  Autumn peeled the jacket off and tossed it in the backseat of the Escalade as Sammi pulled out of his mother’s driveway. Her pre-suit-purchase clothes were balled up in a bag in the floorboard. She itched to be out of this stupid outfit. Yet again she’d dressed for someone other than herself. Sammi’s world was too complicated. There was a complete rule book somewhere she wasn’t allowed to see.

  “I’m sorry,” Sammi said after a full ten minutes of silence.

  “Don’t worry about it.” She crossed her arms and stared out the window, feeling more than a little sullen. What had she done to deserve his mother’s wrath? What had she done wrong?

  He made a hard left and the SUV came to a sudden stop. Autumn grunted and flattened her hand against the dash.

  “What the fuck?” she snapped.

  Sammi pulled into a parking spot at a carhop. He popped his seat belt and turned toward her, one hand on the dash, the other on the back of her seat. “Don’t pull that shit. Be angry. Get pissed off.”

  Autumn rolled her eyes. “Why? What’s the use? What good will it do to get angry at your mother for being like every other old, judgmental woman that sees me? I’ve heard everything she has to say about me and worse. Spending time being pissed off and angry about it does me no good. It just means that bitches like her win.”

  For several moments they stared at each other, the sound of country western music seeping into the car from the speakers mounted on the exterior of the Sonic carhop. Sammi’s shoulders slumped and he rubbed his face.

  “I didn’t think she’d react that way.”

  “I understand what she’s thinking. I know what people see when they look at me. Big, fake tits, lots of tattoos, a giggly, bubbly personality. I’m not stupid.” She stared into his eyes, hoping he understood the way she did. “I know people think I’m a whore or a prostitute or a porn star, but I’m not. And what matters is that I know it. I’m never going to be happy being anyone except who I am. Bad decisions, baggage and all. Your mom can hate me, but that’s on her.

  “I guess what I really don’t like about this weekend is that I didn’t go into these situations as me. I went as this weird, sterilized version of who you could be married to. I’m not Julia Roberts. This isn’t Pretty Woman. You can’t dress me up and change who I am.”

  Sammi blew out a breath and reached for her hand. They linked fingers, his thumb swiping across her palm. “I didn’t think of it that way. I don’t want you to be anyone except who you are. I just want us to have fun. Be happy.”

  “I know.”

  He leaned across the center console and kissed her sweetly. She sighed and kissed him back. To know she had his support meant the world. His hand cupped her cheek, guiding her face to the perfect angle. Whatever he wanted, she was ready to give it. Her body, her heart, it was all his.

  “Is it totally wrong that you turn me on right now?” he whispered.

  “I’m not going to complain.” She giggled and squeezed his thigh.

  “Okay, okay. How about we get some food and figure out a better way to spend the last few hours of our weekend?”

  Autumn grinned. Oh, did she have some ideas. “I’d like an order of sex with a side of orgasm, please.”

  Sammi froze, staring at her. “I was thinking furniture shopping, but I like your idea better.”

  “Can we do both at once?”

  “I don’t know, but I’m game to try.”

  * * * * *

  Sammi plopped down in a plush armchair and sighed. This shopping trip had a serious lack of sex, but so far they’d picked out a dining room set, an office suite and now were on to additional den and living room furniture. In the span of about an hour they’d dropped close to ten grand and he couldn’t think of anything better to spend it on.

  Plus, he’d gotten to watch Autumn bounce around testing how comfortable everything was.

  “What’s this chair’s fuck factor?” he asked. She’d claimed all furniture needed to be rated on how useful it was for sex on a scale of one to five.

  “Recliners are a one.” She wrinkled her nose.

  “A one? Whatever. This is a great chair for cowgirl.” Naked, her boobs bouncing. It was a great idea.

  “Yeah, if I’m doing all the work.” She rolled her eyes. “You’re so sunk in there that you’ll get no thrust and I’d just be bouncing around, doing it all on my own.”

  The visual sounded damn hot to him.

  Sammi popped the lever and the footrest rose. “Prove it.”

  Autumn cocked her head to one side, one brow lifted as if to say, “Really?”

  She glanced around. They were in a far-flung corner of a warehouse store and hadn’t seen another human for a quarter of an hour. Then again, Sammi wasn’t very concerned about being caught at this point.

  Autumn strutted toward him in the manner of the seductress, one foot in front of the other, an extra sway to her hips. The way she stared at him was predatory, but if she was the hunter, he might not mind being caught.

  She stopped at the armrest and pulled the elastic band out of her hair, shaking her head until it tumbled down her back in curling waves. Her hair was fantastic. He waited, curious how she’d prove him wrong. She tugged her navy skirt to her upper thighs and straddled his lap. Somehow there was just enough room to accommodate both of them.

  “Did you just tell me to prove it?” Her voice was low, seductive.

  He leaned forward. “I did.”

  Her lips curled up in a naughty smile. She placed her hands on the back of the recliner and ground her pelvis against his.

  “Mm.” His eyes drifted closed as she stroked him with her body. It felt too good for her to stop just yet.

  “See, you’re really at my mercy. Can’t do much about it, can you?”

  “Why would I want to?”

  Aut
umn chuckled. He could feel her hands stroking the front of his trousers, and the next thing he knew she had him skin on skin. He gasped and dug his fingers into the armrest.

  “Autumn—”

  “You dared me. The more you protest the longer this’ll take and maybe we’ll get caught.” Judging by the twinkle in her eye, he didn’t think she’d mind one bit.

  And maybe he didn’t either. It wasn’t as though years from now it would be something that would come back to bite him in the ass. Speaking of asses, he slid his hands up the backs of her thighs to caress the muscular globes.

  “You wouldn’t happen to have a condom, would you?” She worked his pants down his hips, freeing his cock and caressing his balls.

  “Shit, fuck me, yes. Wallet. Back pocket.” He lifted a little and she dug under him for the folded leather. Sammi tore it from her hands and yanked the packet out.

  “Someone could be watching us on camera,” Autumn said quietly, watching his face intently.

  The uncertainty sent a thrill of excitement through him. This was wrong, taboo even, but not knowing somehow made it more of a thrill. He ripped open the condom packet and pushed her hands aside to roll it on.

  “I don’t care.”

  “So should I go slow?” Autumn’s smile spread and her dimples winked at him.

  “Sunshine, do whatever it takes to prove to me this chair is a bad idea.” He grinned back, already knowing he was buying this chair. No one else would sit in this pleasure seat.

  “Oh, someone’s being ballsy.” She tossed her hair and shifted, rising above him with one hand on the back of the chair.

  Despite his bravado, he knew this coupling needed to be quick. He grasped his dick and passed it through her folds. Autumn’s head rolled back on her shoulders and she hummed. Sex with her would never get old.

  Autumn wrapped her hand around his wrist and guided him to her entrance.

  “Are you watching?” Her voice was breathy, aroused.

  “Hell yes.” The sight of his cock kissing her pussy was enough to get his rocks off, the feel of her sinking onto him even better.

  They groaned in unison as she took all of him in one gentle glide. She leaned forward, pressing her breasts against his chest and rolling her hips.

  “Damn,” he groaned.

  He massaged her breasts through her clothes, finding the hard barbell piercings and swiping his thumbs over them.

  “Mm, that feels good,” she muttered.

  Autumn began a steady, driving rhythm, pistoning up and down on his cock. Her lower lip was captured between her teeth, her breath hissing out.

  Sammi gripped the armrests, thrusting slightly with her. She had a point—the recliner hindered his movement, but it didn’t seem to hinder hers. He wanted her breasts in his palms, the round globes overflowing his hands, free to suck the turgid peaks.

  “Autumn. You’ve got to come, baby.” He grasped her ass with one hand, digging in his fingers.

  She leaned forward, changing the angle and burying her face into the back of the recliner. The little noises she made during sex were muted, but this close he recognized all the signs. He reached between them and found the piercing. Once, twice was all he needed to tweak it before he felt the clamping down of her inner muscles. Her motions stuttered to a halt as she froze.

  Sammi pulled his feet up for more leverage and thrust. She recovered enough to move in tandem with him, one hand on his face, the other on his shoulder. They stared into each other’s eyes, and fuck him if he didn’t see love staring back at him. Something inside unlocked and release rushed through him suddenly.

  Autumn ducked her head, kissing him and swallowing his surprised shout.

  He wrapped his arms around her, drained and shaken. What had just happened?

  Chapter Fourteen

  Nose Piercing—Either a hoop or stud through the outer nostril.

  Morning light shone through the windows, cheerful, bright and a stark contrast to the way things were going so far.

  “Are you sure I can’t get you anything? Do you want me to stay home today?” Autumn gripped the end of the bed to keep her hands from shaking. Fuck Mary and Kellie if they got pissed at her for staying home to be with him, she’d do it if he asked her to.

  Sammi lay on his back, his complexion pale and a line of sweat beading his brow. “No, I’ll be okay. Going to call into the office and let them know I won’t be in today.”

  “What about seeing a doctor?” She hadn’t realized until this morning when she found Sammi in the den with a bump on his forehead hugging the trash can that she didn’t know anything about his medical information.

  “I’ll call and talk to the doc.” He didn’t sound excited about that, but she couldn’t blame him. “Go on, I’ll be fine.”

  “Call me if you need anything, okay? Anything at all?” She wanted a magic wand to wave over him and fix this illness.

  “I will.”

  Autumn didn’t like leaving him alone, but he needed to rest and she wasn’t going to be able to let him be. She wiped his brow with a rag left on the nightstand and gave him a quick kiss. The words “I love you” were on her lips, but she swallowed them down.

  “Bye.” She smiled and left him to rest.

  During the drive to So Inked, she rolled the weekend over in her mind. Anything to do with meeting his friends and family had been a disaster, and then yesterday afternoon happened. She didn’t know what sparked the change, but Sammi had looked at her differently last night. They’d been busy directing the placement of new furniture, but she hadn’t missed the way he glanced at her or watched her when he thought she wasn’t paying attention.

  Whatever it was, she wanted to make him happy. For however long they had. It was a sobering thought that this morning’s episode only underscored. Sammi was not in the best of health, and she could only hope the doctors helped him.

  She pulled into an empty space between Carly’s Mustang and Brian’s Jeep behind the shop. Her phone vibrated in her pocket as she got out of the car. She dug it out as she made her way into the shop, stepping through the back door and into the cool interior.

  Mom flashed across the screen.

  What the hell?

  She clicked Answer and lifted it to her ear, unsure who would be on the other end.

  “Mom?” Autumn said into the phone.

  “There you are! Honey, you’ve got to come pick me up. I can’t stay here no more.” Her mother spoke in a rush, a bit of Southern twang flavoring her words.

  Kellie froze in the office door. Another, larger figure moved to stand behind her, probably Quin.

  “Mom, you aren’t supposed to have a phone. How did you get it back?” Autumn rubbed her forehead.

  “I’m checking myself out of this place. I don’t need no fucking rehab. Screw these bastards. I want to go home.”

  Kellie approached her, shaking her head.

  Autumn latched on to the visual of Kellie’s strong face, her frown. It was Autumn’s mother. No matter how much Mom screwed up, there was no changing that she was Autumn’s mother. But Autumn couldn’t keep enabling her.

  “I’m sorry, Mom, I’m not coming to get you. You need to stay there and get clean.” Her mother started screeching and cursing into the phone. “I love you and I’ll come see you in a few days.” Autumn hung up and blew out a breath. She leaned against the wall and let her bag hit the ground.

  The rehab center had kept her apprised of her mother’s progress, but Autumn hadn’t been allowed to talk to her. Not even to visit.

  “Hey,” Kellie whispered. Quin backed into the office, giving them a little privacy.

  “Tell me I’m doing the right thing, please?” Autumn begged.

  “What’s going on?” Pandora walked slowly down the hall, her gaze bouncing between them.

  “Autumn’s mom is trying to get out of rehab again,” Kellie replied.

  Pandora’s face creased in empathy. They all knew Autumn’s struggle. Pandora wrapped her arms aro
und Autumn and pulled her in for the hug she needed. Kellie patted her shoulder. In the scheme of things, if you needed to beat someone down for keying your car, Kellie was your girl. Cry over another breakup, Pandora brought cartons of ice cream, tissues and a six-pack of beer.

  “You’re doing the right thing,” Kellie said.

  “You are. She needs professional help, and you’re making sure she gets it.” Pandora pushed Autumn’s hair out of her face.

  Autumn’s phone began vibrating again and she groaned.

  “Don’t answer it. Let it go to voice mail and she can cuss you out all she wants.” Kellie grabbed Autumn’s phone from her hand and glanced at the screen. Kellie’s nose wrinkled. “Oh, never mind. It’s Sammi.”

  Autumn snatched the phone back. “Hello?”

  “Hey, am I bothering you?” Sammi’s voice was just as tired-sounding as before.

  Autumn glanced at the two women. Now wasn’t the time to tell him about her mother. He had enough going on. “No, what’s up?”

  “Could you go by my office and pick up some files for me? Just bring them home tonight.”

  “I can do that. How’s—everything?”

  “I’m feeling better.”

  She doubted that, but she let him tell her the lie.

  “Okay, I need to get going. Call later, okay?”

  “Will do. Bye, Sunshine.”

  Autumn ended the call and sighed.

  “How’s our landlord doing?” Kellie asked, one side of her mouth hitched up.

  Autumn licked her lips. What did she say? “He’s good. Working from home today, so I’m going to grab stuff from the office to take home tonight. I’ll do it later.”

  “Kellie.” Quin stuck his head out of the office and waved the phone. “It’s for you.”

  “I didn’t even hear it ring,” she muttered and headed for the door.

  Pandora picked up Autumn’s bag. “Come on, let’s get you going.”

  Autumn followed Pandora to her station and sank down onto her chair. Pandora sat on the padded table. She glanced over her shoulder to where Carly was bent over the table mounted against the opposite wall, probably hard at work with another tracing job.

  “How’s it going?” Autumn whispered, nodding toward Carly.