Hunger (Some Say Love #1)

by Jane Smith

  Kelsey wanted to scream with excitement. She knew for a fact that Charles had no idea how important stability and security felt. He’d never feared homelessness; for Pete’s sake, the man had like 6 houses. The idea of being able to simply buy someone a house as a gift blew her mind and there was no way she was going to pass up this opportunity. But she didn’t know if it was appropriate to scream with glee, yet inside her head she was. On the outside, though, she could feel the tears start to fall. This might have been the first time she’d cried since she left Brian.

  Charles grabbed a tissue from the coffee table and handed it to her so she could wipe her eyes. Then he sat back, pleased with himself for having elicited an emotional response from this heartless woman who wouldn’t agree to marry him.

  He was pretty sure that buying her a house in Bend would be the investment that sealed their fate. How could she not marry him after he bought her a house? How could she accuse him of not giving her space when the house he bought her was so far away from him? Three hundred fifty miles is a lot of space.

  Chapter 18

  Kelsey sat knitting in the lobby of the attorney’s office, waiting to be called in. She could almost imagine working in a place like this. Women in heels and dress pants bustled about the office among men in three-piece suits, carrying files and using big words; she saw it as an interesting potential backdrop for her novel.

  She’d always had a soft spot for lawyers. She knew they were hated by general society, but she also knew that they could amass a degree of wealth in their lifetime that she couldn’t imagine. Imagining it was easier now that Charles had helped relieve the struggle, but she didn’t want to spend the rest of her life depending on him for money.

  Kelsey looked around at the busy office, hoping that her divorce could be settled quickly, that the lawyer wouldn’t rip her off, and that one day she might know what it felt like to work in a place like this. It wasn’t that she fantasized about being a lawyer, she just fantasized about being a normal adult. Normal adults went to college. At her age, it was probably an unreasonable fantasy. Sure, she could enroll online or take night classes, but that wasn’t what she wanted from college. She wanted a degree, to be sure, but she also wanted to go back in time and experience new adulthood through the lens of a college student. She wanted the credibility, alumni connections, and memories of challenging professors. It was too late for that.

  Neither of her parents had gone to college. She had been naive to think that it was just something that “happened” after high school. When she realized that they hadn’t made plans for her, she’d tried to do it alone, but since Brian wasn’t making enough to support them as a couple, she had to focus on work instead.

  For a while, she thought she could straighten out her life by getting that degree, but it became clear that the degree itself wasn’t what she was longing for. It was the experience.

  Without it, she might as well live in a different world. It was hard to relate to Charles and Michael because their college experience was a seamless extension of their education. Neither of them ever spent a minute doubting they would get a degree and neither of them could rightfully empathize with her feeling of remorse over letting her 20s pass without experiencing finals, a frat party, dorm-room life, or binge drinking.

  Looking around at the divorce attorney’s office, she felt like an alien. Everyone in the room had experienced a university education. Everyone except her. And here she was, about to spend a few thousand dollars paying them to legally undo everything she’d devoted her 20s to. A degree couldn’t be undone. She vowed to herself that no matter what happened in life, she’d make sure her kids went to college.

  Before she got too far down that train of thought, her name was called and the pencil-skirted receptionist was ushering her into one of the private consultation offices. Kelsey wondered if the receptionist had a degree, and how much she made.

  Kelsey jumped when she heard her name. She’d assumed that she’d be seated and waiting for the lawyer to enter the room, but he was already there and greeted her with a hearty smile and a handshake.

  She pulled the file folders from her backpack and laid them on the table, speaking quickly. “I know you guys bill by the hour, and I don’t have a lot of money. I did some research online and started my paperwork already. I don’t know if that will save any time. I hope it does. Here’s my paperwork, I’m just a little confused about what I should do with it. I don’t know how to actually file it and the courthouse is only open when I’m at work and I can’t take off. Can you help?”

  The attorney reminded her of Samuel L. Jackson. She was relieved when she saw him; a dignified and respectable older gentleman, about Charles’ age, smiling and trustworthy.

  “This looks great.” He skimmed over the documents, flipping back and forth between pages, occasionally nodding his head and commenting to himself “got it… yes…. good job….” He pulled a pen from a desktop tray and crossed off a section of text. “You don’t want that in there. I know they make it sound mandatory, but the judge won’t look for it and I’ve seen it screw a lot of women over in the long run…”

  When he got to the last page, he closed the file and folded his hands across the desk. “You’re not asking for child support or alimony?”

  Kelsey shook her head, “No, sir. My ex doesn’t really work. He doesn’t have any money. I supported us during the marriage and I’m more afraid that if I don’t file quickly, he’s going to ask me for alimony. I don’t need or want support from him. I don’t want to ever have to hunt him down, depend on money that will never come, or let him think he has any kind of hold on me. I’d rather be completely disconnected. I know you might think that’s a bad idea.”

  The attorney nodded his head, “You’re right. I do think it’s a bad idea. Did you know that the state can handle all of the collection and distribution of child support, including prosecuting him in case he doesn’t pay? Since you received state benefits for the kids, you’re actually required to file for support. The tate won’t allow for no child support in your case.”

  Kelsey had seen that in her research but believed she was misinterpreting it, because it just didn’t sound fair. “OK, then what’s the minimum I can ask for?”

  Samuel Jackson hummed to himself a little bit. “Are you sure you want to ask for the minimum? How sure are you that he has no resources? Many people will hide resources during a divorce. How open would you be to allowing the judge to set the child support? It would involve having both of you bring your documentation, like employment records and bank statements, to be examined and assessed so that the court could make a judgment based on both of your assets and income. One of you will end up paying child support, regardless of the custody arrangement.”

  Kelsey panicked. “I think I would not be open to that idea, sir. I’m sorry, I’ve made a friend since we separated who has been very generous with me since my divorce and one reason I don’t need or want child support is because he’s buying me a house. That’s an asset.” Kelsey stopped herself before she told him about the car and the cash in the bank, afraid he’d end up charging her more. “My ex really has nothing and he never will. All of my assets were acquired after we separated. Are you saying that I could be liable to pay him child support if my net worth is higher than his, even if he only sees the kids every other weekend?”

  He nodded his head. “Yes, that’s right. So maybe you are better off just asking for the minimum.” He flipped through her paperwork, scribbling notes to himself in the margins before he spoke again. “The cheapest and fastest way to do this, once the paperwork is rewritten, is to have your ex sign it so the judge doesn’t have to bring you both in to review it. If the divorce terms are mutually agreed upon, then there’s no court date. The judge just signs it and it’s over. How likely is it that your ex will fight about this? You said he has no money, can he afford a lawyer?”

  Kelsey shook her head, “No, he’d never hire a lawyer. He’d represent himself if he di
sagreed with something.”

  He nodded and smiled. “I will have the final papers drawn up, you can pick them up here on Friday morning after 8am. After that, you’ll have 90 days to serve him with the papers and try to get him to sign them and return them to you. We bill at $250 an hour and I imagine, since you’ve done most of the work, that this will just take a few hours to complete. However, we do require a minimum retainer of $2500. You can log into our website to monitor the billing and set up notifications when certain milestones are reached, in case it takes us more time than we anticipated.”

  Kelsey swallowed hard. She had the $2500, and she’d expected that the fees would be in that ballpark, but hearing him say it out loud felt overwhelming. She took a deep breath and reminded herself that she was lucky to have it. It was more than a month’s worth of preschool-teacher’s income. But she had it. She stood to shake his hand and thank him for his time.

  “One last thing, Ms Weber.” Kelsey turned to listen. “You need to make sure he signs this paperwork before you get that house in your name. The paperwork here doesn’t reflect that in your assets. That’s the only thing that could delay this case. You can’t get the house until after the paperwork is done. And you can’t let your ex know you have it or he will have grounds to ask the court to re-evaluate the case after a year.”

  Kelsey nodded her head. Shit. I’m supposed to be looking at houses tomorrow morning. What are the odds that I’ll find one right away? Should I cancel? Should I wait until after the paperwork is done? “Thank you so much. I will keep that in mind.”

  Chapter 19

  After days and days of teasing, sexy text messages, Michael had enough. He had to see her. He didn't care if she lived in Bend, he'd make the drive after work today. He just needed to tell her.

  The opportunity came quickly enough. She said, “I want you” and he simply replied, “What time?”

  She was off work at 5pm that day, so she said ‘six o’clock’.

  He said, “That's in 5 hours. I'm going to cancel my afternoon meetings and drive to you.”

  She hadn't seen him since the coffee date a few months ago. When she found out that Charles lived in Seattle and not Portland, she knew it would be difficult to get to Michael, so they connected via text, email, and occasional phone calls.

  Their daily text exchanges had been extremely intimate. She was 100% honest with him about absolutely everything and for some reason, he still liked her. She kept him updated on the Charles situation, she told him all about her marriage, and about Sarabeth’s declining health. He was her closest confidant.

  Her honesty inspired him. He opened up about his previous relationships, his ongoing professional pursuits, his hopes and dreams for the future and most of all, the desire he had for her.

  Plus, he was funny. He made the most amazing impromptu puns, and he was smart. He could turn her on instantly with the most delicious texts. “I was at a furniture store today and I saw a chair the color of that skirt you were wearing when we met. I got hard just thinking about what it would have been like to bend you over the table at that wine bar like I wanted to. I sat on that chair and realized that I still regret not kidnapping you that day and bringing you home with me. Would you have gone with me?”

  He brought out the sass in her and she replied, “No, because then it wouldn't be a proper kidnapping. You'd have to bind my wrists and throw me over your shoulder to make that happen. Kicking and muffled screaming are important ingredients in a kidnapping.”

  His response, of a series of m's followed by, “Oh, muffled screams will definitely occur.” told her that the idea turned him on, too.

  Amanda teased her about being a slut, but Kelsey gave herself license for the sluttery by reasoning that up until now the only man she'd been intimate with since her senior year in high school was her husband.

  Plenty of women got a little slutty after their divorce, she was just being efficient. Besides, in her heart, Charles was actually a job.

  Kelsey left work, picked Amanda up to babysit and packed an overnight bag to stay at one of the nicer hotels in Bend. She'd never been there and didn't think she knew anyone who worked there. Bend was a small town and her biggest fear was that she'd run into someone she knew.

  Chapter 20

  That fear was unfounded. Michael had already eaten dinner, so they greeted each other awkwardly and, to her surprise, he kissed her hard and deep the instant she walked in the door. The anticipation was too much for her, she felt her insides turning to mush immediately, she was wet and hungry for him.

  She dropped her bag to the floor as the door to the room shut behind her and he pressed her into the wall. She could feel his cock pressing into her and wanted it buried inside her as soon as possible. She brought her knee up alongside his hip so she could wrap her leg around him and pull him closer to her. He lifted her skirt and pressed himself harder into her. That was why she’d worn a skirt.

  His mouth was delicious. She devoured him; he was clean but didn’t taste like toothpaste. She imagined he was always this delicious. Brian had been a smoker, so she never enjoyed long kisses with him; in truth, she avoided his mouth because the smell of him made her gag. Charles' tongue was like a chicken's beak, jabbing unpredictably into her mouth at irregular intervals with a hard stabbing motion, then suddenly licking awkwardly at the sides of her mouth. But Michael, his tongue was sweet, almost fruity, and his mouth and hers seemed to be dancing. There were never any surprise awkward movements, just unified sucking, tasting, nibbling, and licking as if this was why mouths existed.

  It didn't take long before Kelsey grew weary of standing upright and pushed him away just long enough to grab his hand and pull him toward the bed. He followed eagerly, gasping at the sight of her when she pulled her shirt up over her head. Charles never seemed to notice lingerie, but she'd enjoyed shopping for it with his money. Michael was a different story.

  “Oh my god, leave that bra on. I need to see more of this for a minute, even though it's killing me not to have your breasts in my mouth. You turn me on so much. I swear, I have dreamed about this since the day I met you.” She had been dreaming about it, too, and couldn't believe they were finally together. He rubbed her nipples through the lace and she was dying to be free from the constraints of this- the most comfortable bra she had ever owned.

  As one of his hands groped hungrily at her breast, the other one slid up into her skirt. Feeling his hands in both of her most sensitive spots was almost more than she could handle. She unbuttoned his pants and sought out the prize, savoring the first (of many, she hoped) moments his cock would be throbbing in her hand. He moaned with pleasure as she stroked his shaft. She was dying to have him inside her, the waiting was too much.

  She begged him, “We've waited so long for this, please fuck me now.”

  A month’s worth of text-message flirting followed by her begging him to fuck her “now” had him fully aroused. “You want my cock in you already? We're only getting started, baby. I need to taste you first.”

  She gasped, knowing that she'd be coming hard and fast very soon, and his fingers found her clit right at that moment. She gasped again, and with every panting exhale she found herself moaning and egging him on. “Yes, my god that feels so good.” He leaned her back onto the pillow and pressed his hand deeper inside her until she was writhing with pleasure.

  Surely the people in the next room were hearing this, but neither of them cared.

  She was sopping wet and he pulled her panties off and tossed them aside, lifting her knees and lowering his head down into her lap. He parted her folds with his fingers and began licking her wet pussy with long, savoring strokes of his tongue. He moaned and moved slowly, lingering and tasting her like she was his first dessert.

  “Oh my god, you are delicious. I can't get enough of you,” and the long slow strokes turned into suckling and she found herself coming again while he egged her on. “Are you gonna come for me again? Oh yes, my god, you are so beautiful. Yes, I can f
eel that, my god, you are amazing.”

  All of her muscles relaxed at once and he backed off long enough to take off his pants and start entering her slowly. She wanted him so badly, she tried pulling him deeper into her but he insisted on going slowly. “There's plenty of time for that, I want this slow. I want to savor this.” He looked deeply into her eyes while he said it and that made her want him even more.

  She’d had no idea how hungry she was for this. And she’d never been with anyone who ravished her so thoroughly. She loved the way he felt and hated that he was making her wait and loved that he was making her wait and more than anything she wanted him pounding hard into her, but she took it slowly, panting and moaning. She could feel her orgasm building again and felt her muscles clamping down on his cock.

  He loved this. “You're not gonna let me in, baby? Do you want me to stop?” He paused mid-thrust, knowing it would drive her out of her mind.