I grinned, and God love her, she was riveted. Being a good con man was all about weaving good stories, and even when it came to my actual past, I wanted to weave a web she would be ensnared in.
“Did you? Have to fight the strong man, that is?” she asked, eyes wide with fear for my little ten-year-old self.
“The thing is, the strong man turned out to be a big softie. There truly wasn’t room for me in their bunks, but he offered me his side of the bed, which he shared with the bearded lady. Gotta tell you, I was terrified of the gal for a good while. But…things changed, ya know? Things got better.
“Bruno and Felicia took me in, raised me like their own. They taught me everything I know about being circus folk. I gotta be honest with you, Ella. Running away from my childhood home was the best thing I could have ever done. Up until I met those carnies, I didn’t know what family meant. Now…now, they mean the world to me. I keep in touch when I can, even work the shows on occasion, but…”
I trailed off, catching myself before I slipped up and revealed my current occupation.
“Anyway. Tell me about your childhood, little bird. It couldn’t have been all bad. All that money—you probably had a Ferris wheel on your back lawn.” I smiled.
She tensed, and I knew immediately that I’d said the wrong thing. I drew her into my arms, and to my surprise, she didn’t protest when our nude bodies were pressed flush together. There was nothing sexual about the embrace; I was simply offering Ella the comfort she so obviously needed. She buried her face against the bare skin of my shoulder, and we floated peacefully in the water as she gathered her thoughts.
“No Ferris wheel, I’m afraid,” she began, her voice wobbly.
All I could think was how I wanted to clobber anyone who had made her feel so melancholy about her childhood. Then again, I didn’t think she would welcome me slugging her mother.
“My mom was always working. Of course, she saw to it that I had the best care available, the most prestigious homeschooling program anyone could ask for. I was just…lonely. Mother was never home, and she kicked my father out when I was just a baby. He was too much of a free spirit for her tastes. My mother curses his name to this day, says he’s the one who put these silly dreams in my head,” she whispered, and I felt tears drip onto my shoulder.
I stroked a hand through her hair, humming softly under my breath like my adoptive mother always had. It had comforted me, and I could only hope that it would bring some peace to this beautiful caged bird.
“Have you tried to get back in touch with your father? He sounds like he would be on your side in all this,” I said, and her body quaked.
“He would have been on my side, had I bothered to look him up during the years he tried to reach out to me. My mother had turned me against him to the point that I thought he could only be looking to get money off of me. I later realized that he probably just wanted to get to know me. By that point, I had been so cold and callous towards him, I couldn’t even consider reaching out to him. They say that money can’t buy happiness, and my mother always argued that whoever came up with that was a fool. In her eyes, money was the only means to happiness.”
I drew away, looking her in the eyes. While I knew I had been lucky to grow up with a family who loved me and was willing to show it, I never could have expected that the money I lacked could tear a family apart so cruelly.
Funny how the world worked sometimes.
Chapter Ten
Paul
Ella stayed in my arms, lost in painful memories as I tried to soothe her. I would have done anything to take the ache away, but it seemed there was nothing I could do besides be there for her, holding her tenderly. She seemed to be a thousand miles away, and I knew I had to draw her back to me somehow. I caressed her cheek gently, guiding her into looking me in the eye. She met my gaze reluctantly, her tear-streaked cheeks reddening in embarrassment.
“You must think I’m so silly, being so troubled by something so far in the past,” she murmured.
I tilted my head, smiling sadly at her. Such a precious creature had done nothing to deserve so much self-doubt.
It troubled me that she thought I would judge her harshly for her emotions. It wasn’t as if she were some entitled brat who had a loving family she was turning her back on. It seemed that her mother had worked to see that she was the only figure of stability in Ella’s life. Martha Beck obviously cared very little about her daughter’s wishes, only wanting to manipulate my pretty little polly into following her desires. I had a feeling that I would end up exchanging words with the old hag before all of this was over.
That was to come some time in the future, however. Now, my thoughts lay with the woman in my arms.
“You’re not silly, Ella. How could I think that about you? All you want is the opportunity to control your own life.”
I paused, brushing a hand through her hair.
“Tell me something, doll. Do you believe in fate?”
She looked confused by the abrupt change in subject, and she hesitated for a long moment before shrugging her slender shoulders.
“As far as I can tell, my fate is dictated by my mother. If you’re asking if I believe in some higher power…” She trailed off, and I interrupted her before she could continue.
“I’m not asking for a rundown on your spiritual beliefs, Ella. I just want to know the one thing. Do you believe in fate?”
She rested her hand on my chest, right above where my heart lay pounding beneath. My beautiful little bird drew her lip between her teeth, looking troubled by what I may have thought of her answer.
“I suppose. I just wish I could…take the reins. Grab the bull by the horns, dictate my own fate.” She sighed.
I cupped her face in my hands, pressing my lips gently to hers. After a long moment, I drew away to consider her properly.
Her eyes were still rimmed with tears, but there was something else in her gaze. A desire that was becoming increasingly familiar between us. I dipped my head, pressing kisses all over her face. Along her cheeks, on her forehead, even one dotting her nose. She managed a weak giggle, shoving at me in spite of the fact that she obviously enjoyed the attention.
“The thing about fate, Ella, is this: we’re all on this seemingly endless train, plummeting towards oblivion. No one knows where it began, and most people don’t know where it ends. They go their whole lives trying to seek out their destiny when it may have laid before them all the while. You and I are coming to one of many train stops, Ella. I believe in fate. I also believe that…” I paused, averting my eyes.
I couldn’t believe how deep my feelings for this gorgeous girl ran. I wasn’t ready to drop down on one knee or anything like that, but I was certain of one thing, and you can bet your sweet ass I was going to give voice to it.
“I believe that some people end up entwined in this crapshoot we call fate. It’s a hell of a thing, Ella, but in the short time I’ve known you, I’ve grown to care a lot about you. I’m not the sort of guy who settles down with a girl, I’m not the sort to fall in love, but…hell, birdie. You’re turning me into a real sap here.”
Her eyes were wide, fresh tears spilling down her cheeks. I wiped them away, and she clutched my hands with her own. She tilted her head to kiss the insides of my palms.
“What could a man like you possibly see in me?” she asked.
I smiled, drawing her closer.
“Myself, for one,” I teased, hoping to break the doom and gloom that seemed to have settled.
She narrowed her eyes at me, and for a short moment I was sure I had blown my chances. I should have kept with the sap; cute girls with sad eyes love sap.
Dammit Paulie, keep it together.
To my surprise, her face soon shifted into the cutest little grin I had ever seen, and she drew me in for a kiss. Her lips parted, and I slipped my tongue into her mouth. I explored it fully, seeking the most sensitive areas. Her tongue curled against my own, our mouths seeming to perform their own little
acrobatics show.
I drew away, and she tangled her hands in my hair, pressing her face against the side of my neck. Her teeth scraped against my skin, and I had to swallow a moan of pleasure as she nipped and teased me.
“Do you want to see how well I can hold my breath?” she asked, slipping further down my body to flick her tongue against my nipple.
I chuckled breathily, knowing that I had let myself fall in too deep. I was head over heels for this broad, and there was no stopping the feeling brewing within my gut. For once, it was something besides arousal. I wanted to properly show this girl how I felt. A pool seemed an inopportune place to do it, but I figured beggars couldn’t be choosers.
“How about you see if you can beat my record,” I murmured with a wink.
She looked tickled pink, allowing herself to be drawn to the deeper end of the pool. She tangled her hands in my hair as I pressed her flush against the side of the pool. All too eager, she gave me a gentle nudge downward.
I grinned, lowering my hands to her shimmering and heaving breasts. I reached up to tweak one of her nipples, and she gasped softly, holding her fist against her mouth to muffle herself.
“Aw, I don’t get to hear my little bird sing?” I teased, taking that same nipple and giving it a tight squeeze.
Her hips jerked forward and she lifted her hands to guide my free hand to her other breast. She braced herself against my shoulders as she struggled to keep from bobbing up and down so much. Her jaw was clenched, and it was obvious that her arousal was growing higher and higher with each passing second.
“Just go with the flow. Let the water take you. I won’t let you go that easily,” I whispered, pressing my lips to her neck.
Flicking my tongue out, I tasted the salt of her skin as well as the chlorine of the pool. It might have been an unappetizing taste, but at any rate, I sucked eagerly at that single spot on her neck, not stopping until she was desperately whispering my name.
I drew away, pleased to see a deep purple love mark on the side of her neck. I pressed a kiss to the dark mark, kissing my way down to her breasts. Her nipples were already hard, and damn, you could probably cut glass with the things.
Feeling a throb between my thighs, I wasted no time taking her nipple between my teeth. She gasped out my name, gripping my hair almost painfully. The pain only served to send another jolt between to my manhood, and I looked up to confirm that she was okay.
Her eyes were intense, her bottom lip drawn between her teeth. I could feel the gentle push of waves, and noticed that her hips were jerking almost frantically.
“Paul, please,” she managed, throwing her head back as I brought my fingers down to her moist slit.
I traced her entrance, grinning up at her as she gasped and struggled to keep herself from crying out too loudly.
“So excited already, baby girl. We haven’t even gotten to the main attraction!”
I winked, inhaling a deep lungful of air and diving under the water. I gripped her buttocks, drawing her pussy to my mouth as I felt her brace against me.
Slowly, I pushed my tongue out, careful not to allow any water to get into my mouth. As I tickled her swollen clit with the tip of my tongue, she began to thrash, nearly kicking me. I shifted her legs to rest on my shoulders, keeping her firmly in place as I traced my tongue around her entrance. Then, I pushed my tongue inside her, my nose pressed flush to the few soft brown curls on her mound.
I couldn’t hear her moaning, but the telltale twitch of her muscles indicated she was hitting her peak fast and hard. I exhaled through my nose, bubbles tickling against her most intimate area. She struggled to get away from me, and I worried I had done something wrong when she yanked me to the surface.
“Ella?” I inquired gently.
She only moaned in response, forcing our lips together once more and reaching a hand down between us. She slipped my manhood free of the shorts I’d kept on, stroking her hand along my length. I gasped against her, trying to sputter out an explanation that this was about her. As if reading my mind, she drew away and met my gaze.
“I want you inside me,” she said firmly, leaving no room for argument as she pressed our lips together once more.
She guided me towards her entrance, and I hesitated for a moment before grabbing her by the hips. I aligned myself just so, and she wrapped her legs around my waist, aided by the buoyancy of the water. I grinned as the water carried her up and down, sliding along the length of my member.
“What are you waiting for?” she demanded, desperation clear in her voice.
Seeing the expression on her face, I was certain that I had never seen someone so adorably aroused in my life. Before I could offer her a response, she used the leverage from her locked ankles to push me into her. A strangled groan fell past my lips, and I buried my face in her shoulder.
Her tight inner walls clenched around my cock, and I was certain I wouldn’t be able to hold out for long. I hadn’t realized how worked up I had gotten bringing her near to the edge. I swore to myself that I would hold out until her ecstasy came, which would in turn bring me to my own.
Adjusting the way our hips aligned, I rested my back on the concrete of the wall as not to scrape up her back. I pulled her onto my length fully, and her breath seemed to catch in her throat. She squeezed her eyes shut, shifting her hips until I was only halfway inside of her. Then, without warning, she shoved our pelvises back together. I cried out at the same time she did, and neither of us seemed to need any further instruction as we frantically made love in the afternoon sunlight.
The fact that someone could walk up on us at any given moment only fueled my desire, though she seemed altogether oblivious to it.
“Sure hope no one sees us,” I breathed into her ear, making the possibility very clear.
It was a tossup; she could either panic and break away from me, or get hornier than she could have ever imagined. She moaned gutturally, thrusting her hips against mine even more frenziedly. I thanked my lucky stars that my pretty bird had such a naughty streak in her.
All at once, Ella’s whole body tensed, and she clenched around my manhood. I groaned against her shoulder, no longer able to contain myself. I spilled myself inside of her, absently musing how bad I should have felt for the pool boy who would have to clean our mess.
Seeing her body stiffen with ecstasy, however, the water droplets on her body dancing in the sun…I couldn’t have felt bad if I’d wanted to.
The moment was over all too soon, and she drew away with a dazed smile. I glanced at my watch, thanking God for a moment that it was waterproof. A jolt of surprise surged through me as I realized the final circus performance would be that night. I couldn’t miss practice, not again. Especially when there was a chance that my sensual role could light the fire anew within my lover.
“I have to go. The circus act is tonight, and…I’d love if you could be there,” I said in a rush.
Ella nodded, still in a bit of a daze. It pained me to leave such a beauty behind, but she seemed to shake off her reverie, shifting to grab her soaked clothes and pull them back on as she emerged from the pool. I grabbed my shorts, pulling them on as best as I could manage before leaving her with a final parting kiss.
I know, I know. I should have been thinking about the con. The whole situation felt as if it were slipping away, and there was nothing I could do to stop it.
Chapter Eleven
Ella
The moment we had shared in the pool had been nothing short of magical, and Paul’s words about fate had me seriously thinking about my future. I wasn’t prepared to abandon my mother altogether, though I could imagine what she’d say if she knew what I’d been up to with the gorgeous circus performer: ‘Darling, if you’re going to act like a whore, you could at least get paid for your services.’
I had no plans to explain the passion I held in my heart for Paul, but I hoped at the very least she could come to see that he wasn’t as bad as she may have expected. I was certain she saw him a
s little more than a sleazy carnie, but I was also certain that if she saw his performance in the circus, she would be forced to see how talented he was. Failing that, she would at least see how gorgeous he was.
After taking a shower in my room, I dried off and dressed in something I knew my mother would like. It was the gaudiest dress I had brought with me on the trip, but she’d insisted I bring something extravagant to watch the entertainment she had put together. Truly, I didn’t even remember packing the dress, but I wouldn’t have put it past my mother to sneak it into my suitcase.
Rolling my eyes in exasperation, I flattened the sequined dress against my figure. My body still felt as if it were aflame where I had been touched so intimately, but I couldn’t allow myself to get swept up in the sensations. I wouldn’t get much done, lying in my bed and fantasizing all day.
I shook off the thought, feeling myself get flustered at how unlike myself I was being. If my mother had known the things going through my head, I was certain she would have disowned me in a heartbeat.
I was being unruly, altogether acting like the sort of ‘free spirit’ she claimed my father had been—a regular scoundrel. It would break her heart if I continued down this stretch, but for once in my life, I was going to allow myself to be selfish. I didn’t care if she claimed to be heartbroken by my so-called betrayal; I was going to live my life to the fullest.
As I approached my mother’s room, however, my confidence began to wane. She would usually be out drinking around this time of day, but I had messaged her to tell her I was looking for her. She’d replied that she was relaxing in her room, though in all likelihood, relaxing meant feeling sorry for herself.
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