“I need you to go get him,” she said, screaming in pain. “Please go find him. I think he had a show at . . .”
“I’m not leaving you. No!”
“I need him,” she said. “Please, I won’t do this without him again. He promised me.”
My breathing stopped. My father wasn’t there when I was born. I never knew that.
“I’m going to call a taxi to take me to the hospital. Get your father, and meet me there.”
“I’ll get Annie’s parents,” I said. “They’ll drive you.”
She nodded, and I bolted out the front door. Annie’s parents didn’t agree with my mom and dad’s long-term affair, but that never stopped them from helping us out when we needed it.
Annie answered the door in her pajamas. Without even a word from me, she screamed for her parents, who quickly came to my house. I knew my mom would be in good hands with them.
My mom and Annie’s mom went to the hospital while me, Annie, and her dad went to look for my dad. I knew where he lived. My mom and I walked past it enough times, but he wasn’t there. He had a show at a local club, but there was no way that Annie and I were going to be allowed in, so we headed to the back with Annie’s dad.
After banging on the door, a strange young guy answered with a beer in his hand. Annie’s dad tried to speak, but the guy just started to shut the door.
Pushing on it with everything I could, I screamed out, “Ashton Kingston! I need to see him! He’s my father!”
The guy looked down at me, then to Annie and her dad, who nodded. “Wait here,” the guy said.
The door closed, and I stood there staring at it, hating I had to track down my father, hating I wasn’t with my mom, wondering how she was, how my new baby sister or brother was. I was excited not to be an only child anymore, even if that deadbeat was the father. I’d make sure my little brother or sister was well taken care of.
Annie squeezed my hand, and her father rested a hand on my shoulder as we waited a few more minutes. It seemed like an eternity. I just kept staring at the door. All I knew was that my father better be on the other side of that door when it opened again. I didn’t care if they had to drag him off stage.
The door finally opened, and a woman with bleach blonde hair answered. “I’m Vicki Kingston.”
So this was the woman he stayed married to, instead of being with my mom and me? As much as I hated it, jealousy filled my body. This woman had nothing on my mother in the looks department. And from the way she glared at me, I knew she wasn’t as nice, either.
I looked straight in her eyes. “Pierce Kingston.”
I saw her inhale a swift breath—like the one you’d take just before you die.
Like the one my little brother took before dying on my mother’s stomach at just a minute old.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Day twelve. I should write a song. Instead of the “Twelve Days of Christmas,” it could be “The Twelve Days of Celibacy.”
On the twelfth day of celibacy, my diet gave to me: one set of blue balls, two chafed hands, three holes I can’t touch….
You get the idea.
Still, I’m almost halfway done with this whole mess. Dr. Lorraine should be happy with my progress. I see her tonight. Maybe I can convince her to let me out early for good behavior. Either way, with each passing day, my florist bill is getting lower and lower. Sutton always texts and thanks me. Sometimes I get a call, but it’s obvious she’s still leery. I might have to come up with something other than flowers to convince her.
But first I have to get Tawny off to the airport. It’s going to be a long day. Her flight leaves at six, so I’m up by three-thirty and on my way to pick her up and see her off. Her mother can’t be bothered, I guess.
Pulling my car in front of their house, my skin grows ice cold. I hate that place. My dad’s place. When my mom was alive, and we were still his “other secret family,” we’d sometimes walk past here. My mom would look up at it, wishing it was her inside. I always knew Ashton Kingston was my dad. He’d pop in and out of my house, fuck my mom, bring me some expensive gift, but it was never more than that. My mom believed it was. I guess she had to. She believed one day he’d leave Vicki for her. Looking back, her believing was a lot better than the alternative. Because once she gave up on him, that’s when things really went to shit.
Vicki had an ironclad prenup. My father wasn’t going anywhere, but my mother couldn’t see that. When she died, I was brought here. To this house.
“I’m all ready,” Tawny says, the front door flying open. “I didn’t sleep at all.”
“And she had two cups of coffee,” Vicki says, appearing over her shoulder.
Tawny throws her arms around her mom’s neck, and Vicki gently strokes her hair. They fight a lot. I hate Vicki, but there is a certain love between them.
Vicki’s eyes catch mine. “Thank you for driving her.”
I just nod.
Tawny takes her mom’s hand, pulling her out the door. She’s still dressed in her nightclothes, which are far more conservative than I remember. She used to love to prance around in her bra and panties, sunbathe without a top on.
“Do you have everything?” Vicki asks her, and from the expression on Tawny’s face, it must be the thousandth time.
“Yes, Mom.”
“I know you’re almost sixteen,” Vicki says. “And there will be boys in the program.”
“Pierce already gave me the sex lecture,” Tawny says. “Relax, I’m going to study music, not get pregnant.”
“Famous last words,” Vicki teases.
“Besides, I probably got your genes, Mom. What it take you, like ten years to get pregnant with me?” Tawny snips.
“That’s not the point,” I say, shaking my head. “Let’s go. Don’t want to miss your flight.”
I load up her stuff while mother and daughter have a few more goodbyes. Then Tawny hops in my car. “Pierce,” Vicki calls out, stopping me.
“What?”
She glances at Tawny through the glass. “You’re very good to her. Your father would be proud.”
“I don’t give a fuck.”
She steps closer. “I just think it’s best if we try to get along, for Tawny’s sake.”
I look back into my car. Tawny is the only thing holding me to Vicki, this house, the past. I turn back toward her when I feel her hand on my arm. Yanking it away, I sneer at her, “What is this? You need more money?”
“You know, we don’t have to hate each other,” she says.
I can’t help the grin on my face. At least she admits she hates me. “I think hate is best.”
*
It turns out to be just one of those days. It starts with the early morning airport run. Any day I have to lay eyes on Vicki, that house, I know the rest of the day is fucked. It’s seven in the evening when I barrel through Dr. Lorraine’s door, shaking the rain off and finding her straightening some magazines in the waiting area. “Sorry, I know I’m late.”
She looks down at her watch. “You’re right on time.” She motions for me to head into her office, but I pause and wait for her to go first. She smiles. I think she’s testing me. “Go ahead, take a minute to catch your breath.”
I sit on my sofa, my spot for the last few weeks, but I don’t want to catch my breath. I want to let her know that I’m almost through with her. “Twelve days.”
“Twelve days?” she asks, raising an eyebrow.
“Yeah.”
“I’m sorry. What are we talking about?” she asks.
She has to be kidding. “Twelve days, no sex.”
She chuckles. “Oh, forgot to mark that on my calendar today.”
“So, I’m almost halfway to being out of here.”
Her head does this weird tilt thing, and I know I’m about to be unhappy. “Pierce, I think you’ve been misunderstanding. This thirty days of abstinence is an assignment, not the end of our time together.”
“No, I do this, and then I’m free. You s
ign that damn paper saying I’m done with the therapy. That’s the deal!”
“That was never the deal.”
“Then what the hell am I doing this for?”
“Personal growth?”
“You are crazy,” I bark, jolting to my feet. “I don’t need this.”
“You’re free to go,” she says, her calm tone only pissing me off more.
“You’d like that, I bet. Then you could report me as noncompliant.”
I sit back down and spread my arms out on the back of the sofa. We are back to how we started. She simply smiles and stares at me. Well, two can play that game. I plaster on my best smile, the one that always drops panties, and wait.
We spent the next forty-five minutes in silence, with my face hurting from holding the damn smirk.
She closes my file and gets up. “Time’s up.”
Damn right it is.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Two sex-filled days later . . .
I wake up to the sound of the garbage truck outside the hotel. One supple leg is draped over my hip, another over my chest. Huh, that’s not humanly possible. I lift my head and smile. It’s possible when you’ve got two women in your bed at the same time. These two were in the hotel bar after my session with Dr. Lorraine. We ended up in one of the empty guest rooms, and I haven’t come up for air since.
Now here’s a sexual experience worth remembering.
I look down at the blonde, her lips pillowed against my neck. Can’t remember her name—we’ll refer to her as Girl A. As for Girl B . . . well, I currently have a view of her ass resting on my chest. Take that, Dr. Lorraine.
The first thing you should know about threesomes is that there are rules. I mean, you don’t want anyone to feel left out. Besides, I don’t know these women, and I do have some standards. I never, and I mean never, perform oral sex on a pussy I don’t know. I told them that straight up. They seemed fine with it.
Umm, Girl B is waking up, and she has her mouth on my cock already. “Fuck,” I groan out, waking up Girl A, who starts kissing my neck. Love these girls. I lift her head and push it lower, so she can give Girl B a little lick. Girl B adjusts herself so her face is riding Girl A while she sucks my dick, and I can lean back and watch the whole fucking thing. The king of my castle.
“Open the damn door,” Annie yells, banging on the door.
Girl A and Girl B don’t seem phased by it, continuing to lick and suck and nibble. “That’s it, baby, deep throat it.”
“I swear to God, if you don’t open the door, I’m coming in,” Annie yells. “You know I have keys.”
I sit up, forcing my dick out of B’s mouth, and she actually pouts. I flash a naughty grin and adjust the girls so they are in sixty-nine then wrap a sheet around my waist and go to the door. I take one last glance at the vision of two women sucking each other off and open the door.
Annie’s eyes slide up and down my body with a sneer—judgment. “You fucking smell like old, leftover fish.”
She barges through the door. I have to give her credit. She only pauses in her step for a second. She throws a pillow at Girl B. “Get out.”
Girl B lifts her head, licking her lips. “Relax, you can join us.”
Annie puts her hand on her hip and turns to me, pointing her finger. “You, shower.” She pulls Girl B up by her hair. “You two get dressed and get out.”
“Hey, who made you Chief Pussy in Charge?” Girl A asks.
Annie points her finger in her face. “Listen here, you little cunt. Get the fuck out before I rip that weave out of your head!”
Weave? I watch them get dressed, noticing where the hair has been added in. How did I not notice that before? Annie shoves them out the door and pushes me toward the shower, sidestepping used condoms along the way.
“Gross.” She pushes me in the shower. “At least you were safe.”
I lather and wash my hair, using the extra suds to whack off, still hard from my unfinished blowjob. I step out of the shower and wrap a towel around my waist. “Annie, do you see my clothes?”
I remember locking up my watch and wallet. I’m not stupid, but don’t remember what happened to my clothes.
“Annie?” I walk into the bedroom. Annie’s back is to me, but I can see her thumbnail being chewed on. “My clothes?” She moves over to the closet and sure enough, they are hanging neatly inside. Don’t remember doing that.
Now I can really see Annie’s face, tears staining her cheeks. “Annie, what’s wrong?” She shakes her head, and I slip my pants on and walk to her, rubbing her arms gently. “Did something happen?”
She turns around, her eyes on the ground. “You fucked two women.” She barely gets the words out before she collapses into tears. “God, this was so much easier when you were with Daphne. I could convince myself that you are okay. That you’re happy.”
“I’m fine.”
Her eyes lift to mine, her head shaking. “We both know you’re not, and we both know why.” She reaches up and strokes my cheek. I can’t make out the look in her eyes, disappointment, hurt. A knock on the door causes her to step away. “Please don’t be mad at me.”
“Why would I be mad at you?” I ask.
She walks toward the door, and I grab my shirt, slipping it on and working the buttons.
“I was worried,” Annie tells me and opens the door.
“Fuck,” I groan, seeing Dr. Lorraine standing there.
“How many times do I have to say no, thank you?” she quips.
*
What the hell, Annie? How dare she call Dr. Lorraine? I slam some things around on my desk, leaving Dr. Lorraine to wait outside my office with Annie. I need to regroup. I can’t deny what happened. She was going to find out anyway. The woman can read me so easily, plus I missed our appointment this morning. I sure as hell didn’t remember she made house calls, though.
I’d been almost halfway through my diet, too. Now it’s back to day one again. Well, Girl B had her mouth on my dick. I guess day one will start tomorrow. Holy hell.
And Sutton—God, what have I done? I know we aren’t a couple. Hell, we aren’t even dating, but I also know she was counting on me not to be another douchebag asshole. And I just failed, epically.
“Can I come in?” Dr. Lorraine asks, poking her head in my office.
I motion for her to take a seat. She closes the door and sits in front of my desk. She’s on my turf now. I sit behind my desk and say, “I’m sorry Annie called you.”
“She was very worried,” Dr. Lorraine says.
“She shouldn’t have been,” I say.
“I’m very worried,” she says.
I look into her eyes. “Don’t worry about me.”
“It makes you uncomfortable to have people worry for you.”
She doesn’t say it like a question. She says it like a fact. “I’ve got work to do. I’m sorry I missed our appointment and that you came all the way down here, but as you can see, I’m fine.”
“Physically, maybe.”
“Emotionally, too. Annie is the one crying. Go counsel her.”
“I’m not giving up on you, Mr. Kingston. You can have orgies until the cows come home, and I’m not giving up.”
“Why the hell not?” I ask.
“Because you are a good person.”
“Did you not see where I was this morning?”
“I saw.”
“Still think I’m a good person?”
“Absolutely,” she says, leaning forward on my desk.
I feel my chest crack slightly, my armor not holding up as well as it used to. “You don’t know me.”
“Who knows you best?”
“Probably Annie.”
“Is it alright with you if I ask Annie to come in?” she asks. “I’ll just be asking her some questions.” I give a halfway, what-the-hell nod, and she calls for Annie to join us. Annie comes in, her eyes red and puffy. She doesn’t look at me at all. Dr. Lorraine motions for her to take a seat.
; “Annie, Pierce thinks you know him best. Would you mind answering some questions for me?”
She glances at me. Crack, there goes another kink in the armor. I’ve really upset her. I get up and round my desk, kneeling in front of her. “Annie,” I whisper, gently tilting her chin up, and a rush of tears fall off her face.
“Please don’t,” she weeps out, jerking her head away.
I look at Dr. Lorraine then back to Annie. “Annie, you’ve seen me with other women before. Why are you so upset?”
“I was so worried about you! That’s why I came in the room! I didn’t expect to see what I saw! I just walked in on two women performing . . .” She waves her hands in the air. “How would it make you feel if you walked in on me with two men? One up my ass and one in my mouth?”
I’m not going to respond to that. No right answer there.
“Annie,” Dr. Lorraine says, redirecting us. “Describe Pierce for me.”
“Driven, controlled, focused.”
“Told you she knew me,” I say.
“What else?”
Annie tucks a piece of hair behind her ear. “He can be very sweet.”
“Only when I want something,” I say.
“Shut up,” Annie barks at me. “What did you want from me when you stayed with me all night when I had the flu?” I open my mouth, but she cuts me off. “Or when you held my hand when I had to put my puppy down?”
“What else?” Dr. Lorraine asks.
“And you should see him with Tawny,” Annie says.
“His sister?” Dr. Lorraine asks.
Annie nods. “The other night she had stage fright, and he got up on stage and played with her. He’s very tender.”
“Now this is getting ridiculous,” I say. “I’m not tender.”
Annie looks at Dr. Lorraine. “You saw it a few minutes ago.”
“Saw what?” I ask.
Dr. Lorraine turns to me. “The way you came to Annie when she was crying. You approached her slowly. The way you tilted up her chin so slightly, very concerned for her.”
“He’s like that a lot,” Annie says. “He’s got a sweet, tender, sensitive soul under that asshole facade.”
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