Karma

by Barbara Huffert

“Maybe you should check.” Abby was lost in his game.

  Jesse surveyed the area as if searching for a more secluded spot. “Think so?” Jesse asked, pulling her with him. “What if I don’t want to wait until we get home?”

  “I don’t want you to.” Abby decided she didn’t care who saw them as long as Jesse went back to touching her.

  “Then I won’t.”

  Jesse positioned her in front of him, obviously to be able to watch the park while his hands roamed. He made sure his erection was pressed between her cheeks and she had no doubts of how she affected him. Jesse freed her other breast, giving it the same attention as the first. When he opened her jeans, Abby rested her head back against his shoulder.

  “Oh yeah.” His fingers slid into her. “Just as I suspected. So wet. So hot.”

  Abby moved against his probing fingers. It was insane to want him to touch her like this in public but she couldn’t manage to protest. Without thinking, she gasped loudly.

  “Shh. Gotta keep it down. We can see if anyone’s coming before they get here but I don’t think we should advertise what we’re up to anyway. If you don’t think you can keep quiet, I’ll have to stop.”

  “No,” Abby whispered desperately. “God no don’t. Jesse please.”

  “That’s better.” He chuckled. “I really want you to come and I don’t want to wait.” He curled his fingers inside her pussy to stroke her most sensitive spot. “Do you have any idea how much I love to feel you let go? How good it is, knowing my touch does this to you? I could hold you like this forever, with one hand on your breast and one inside you. Do you like this as much as I do?”

  “Yes,” Abby replied breathlessly.

  “Oops, can’t ignore this.” He shifted his hand so his thumb pressed against her clit. “You seem to like when I do this too.”

  Abby felt his pressure on her swollen bud and arched into it. Somehow she held in her cries of pleasure as Jesse coaxed her over the edge. He held her when she would have fallen but instead of withdrawing his hands, he waited.

  “So hot,” Jesse restated as he tongued her ear. “Do it again.”

  “But…”

  “Shh. No buts. One more before we go. Please, Ab? I feel so good when you come for me.” As he persuaded her, his hands had resumed their prior tasks. When she gave in to the stimulation, he chuckled. “Thank you. You make me feel so special when you share this with me. You make me so happy.”

  This time, when Abby’s breathing calmed, Jesse turned her in his arms so she could see as he licked his fingers. “Hope you’ll let me have a taste when we get home.”

  “Oh God.” She shivered at the thought. “What about this?” she asked as her hand covered the bulge in his jeans.

  “It’ll keep until we get there.” Jesse stopped her protest with a kiss. “Haven’t you figured out that sometimes I enjoy waiting so I can make this more about you? We’ll take care of me later. Much later. After you let me indulge my need to watch your face as I explore you again.”

  “You explored me earlier.”

  “So?” Jesse led her from the park. “I’ll never be done exploring you. And before you say it, yes, I’m sure and no, I’m not going to get tired of you. Question. Do you want to suck my cock again?”

  “Jesse!” Abby pretended to be shocked. “Yes, you know I do.”

  “And will you still want to tomorrow after you have tonight?”

  “Oh. I get it. You’re saying you can’t get enough of some things.”

  “Only when it comes to you, I can’t get enough of anything. Don’t think I’m talking just sex here. As good as making love with you is, I’d say the same thing if that part of our life suddenly ended. I’d miss it, sure, but I want you, not just your charms.”

  Abby slid her arms around his waist when Jesse hesitated. “Me too,” she sighed. They walked in companionable silence for a few blocks until Jesse slowed. Abby instantly understood why when she saw him looking at the house they were approaching. It was exactly what Abby had always dreamed of before Earl destroyed her dreams.

  “What are you thinking right now?” Jesse stopped in front of it.

  “It’s perfect,” Abby whispered.

  “Really? You like it?” She nodded. “It’s for sale. I’ve looked at it twice. I’m not trying to force you into anything but will you walk through it with me?” She nodded again. “Please say something.”

  “I used to imagine a house like this. Before Earl, when my roommate and I would get lost in our daydreams. I’d love to see the inside. Maybe you can call tomorrow?”

  “Sure.” He returned her smile. “No pressure, I promise.”

  “I know.” She took one last look at the house before starting to walk. “I want to say something, okay?”

  “Go on.”

  “We both know I left without any real plan past getting out alive. I was heading for Harry’s because my old boss called him, not because I decided that’s where my life should be. I don’t have a home. As long as it’s not next door to Earl, one place is as good as another to me. I can see how much you like it here. You already had a plan before I barged in. This is a nice little town and it doesn’t scare me. I think I’ll like your friends if they let me get to know them. Tell me something. If you hadn’t met me, would you move here and start your business like you talked about?”

  “Most likely.”

  “And you would live in that house?”

  “Probably.”

  “Then I think you should. If you were going to, you should do it. I don’t want you to give up what you wanted because of me. I’ll need to relearn how to exist no matter where I go. I may as well do that here if you want to stay.”

  “I want to live someplace that makes you happy.”

  “I know but you still don’t understand. It doesn’t matter to me. There is no one place I always dreamed of being. The only thing different about this town is that you wanted to live here, so let’s stay.”

  “We should look around before we decide.”

  “Look around for what? Do you think I’ll have some big revelation and suddenly know where I’ll be able to fit in? I don’t think it works that way. If you honestly believe your friends will give me a chance, then I think we should live here.”

  “Why don’t we give it some time before we make any decisions? I don’t want you to say that unless you’re sure you would feel comfortable here.”

  “Fair enough but I’d still like to go see that house.”

  “Deal.” Jesse opened the door to the gatehouse and let Abby walk in first. When he locked it behind them, he caught her around the waist. His erection flared as soon as he pressed himself against her curves. “Are you still wet for me?”

  “Hmm.” Abby wiggled in his arms. “Not sure. Maybe you need to check again.”

  “Definitely,” he agreed. “Come upstairs with me. This may take some time and I want us to be comfy.”

  “So considerate.” Abby felt his hands through her jeans as they climbed the steps. She was amazed at how quickly her embarrassment over her size had disappeared when Jesse showed her how much he liked touching her. She didn’t even cringe as much when he kept looking at her.

  In the bedroom, he caught her from behind again. “Don’t think you’ll be needing these clothes anymore tonight,” he announced as he raised her sweater. Pausing to caress every inch, he slowly undressed her. “Much better.” He cuddled her against him.

  “You too,” she urged, wanting to feel the heat of his skin.

  “Not yet.”

  Abby pulled away and faced him. “Please? I like the way your body feels against mine. I want to touch bare skin when I reach for you, not your shirt. You can indulge all you want but I’d like to watch you when you move. Don’t make me wait to feel your warmth.” Abby unbuttoned his shirt as she spoke. When she pushed it from his shoulders, she pressed her flesh against his chest. “Much better,” she deliberately used his words. “You won’t need the rest of your clothes tonight either
.”

  Jesse gave in as Abby knew he would. “Candles,” he requested, sensing she would prefer them to bright light. Abby waited where she had been standing. She wasn’t surprised when he reclaimed his position against her back.

  “Mm.” He cupped her body as he had in the park. “Slight change of plans if you don’t mind.” He didn’t wait for her to answer before he maneuvered them so he was balanced against the edge of the table. “I think I should show you what I wanted to do in the park.” His feet between hers opened her enough to let him slip into her from behind. Instead of thrusting, he rested inside her while his hands resumed their torment. When Abby shivered, he shifted his hips slightly. “I want to feel you come around me. It was good on my fingers but this will be better,” he encouraged while his hands excited her. When Abby gave in to the sensations, Jesse tensed but remained still. “Much better,” he declared, echoing her.

  Abby reached past his hand to fondle him. “Much,” she agreed. “Not as good as it could be.”

  “No but I’m not ready for that yet.” Jesse removed her hand and set her body away from his. “Don’t give me that look. You know we’ll get around to that. I need that taste first.” Jesse urged her to stretch out on the bed and began what would end several hours later after both of them were exhausted with the many pleasures they shared.

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Abby had her arms wrapped around Trevor’s neck as she continued to stare at the house she had shared with Earl. Jesse sat in the driver’s seat of Shane’s truck, waiting for her to make the first move.

  “You’re sure Earl can’t leave the bank?” Abby asked for the sixth time.

  “Absolutely,” Jesse replied. “Wyatt said he’ll be tied up for the rest of the day.”

  “Then I guess we should get this over with.”

  “Yes.”

  “I don’t want to take Trevor back in there.”

  “He’ll be fine here.”

  “You still think that note is okay?”

  “Yes.” Jesse had sat with her the night before as she agonized over the note she would leave for Earl with her keys. “It’s direct and to the point. There’s no way he can misinterpret anything you wrote.”

  “It seems like I haven’t been here forever, not just a week and a half.”

  “A lot has changed since then.”

  Abby finally turned her face to Jesse and laughed. “You’re going to give me a calm and reasonable answer no matter what I say today, aren’t you?”

  “Yes.” He covered her hand on Trevor’s neck.

  “I don’t know why I’m being such a coward. He’s not even in there. The house can’t hurt me.”

  “No but the memories are still in there.”

  “We can’t sit here forever. Come on.” She hugged Trevor and told him to stay as she and Jesse got out of the truck.

  Abby slid the key in the lock and pushed open the door. She stepped inside and looked around. As she feared, the memories of Earl’s abuse, both physical and mental assaulted her.

  “Nothing here can hurt you.” Jesse squeezed her hand for reassurance.

  “I always hated this house.”

  “There’s no trace of you here.”

  “Earl wouldn’t let me keep things around. He said all they did was add clutter and I didn’t need that since I had enough trouble keeping the house nice without it.”

  “Earl is a twisted asshole. This is colder than most hotel rooms I’ve stayed in. Our house is going to be nothing like this.”

  “Don’t talk about that now. Let’s just get my stuff and get the hell out of here.”

  “Lead the way.” Jesse could feel the tension vibrating through her. Hopefully, they would be done soon so she could accept that this was the last time she would set foot in this house.

  In the kitchen, Abby yanked items from drawers while he packed her cookbooks. When she had all she wanted, they moved on to the rest of the house. Walking through it, Jesse tried not to see Abby crumpled on the floor as she had described. After all her possessions were stowed in boxes, they took one last look around.

  “It’s a good thing you’re here. I might smash things if you weren’t.”

  “I doubt if that would make you feel any better.”

  “No, probably not.” Abby placed her keys and the note she had written to Earl on the hall table where she said she always stacked his mail. “I bet Earl turns purple when he realizes I was here today. I half wish I could see his face.”

  “We could wait.”

  “No! I want to be long gone.”

  “Fine. Let’s get these boxes to the truck and we’ll take off.”

  Abby was walking behind Jesse and didn’t immediately see the woman standing on the curb. “Abigail, what do you think you’re doing?” Marge James shrieked when she noticed Jesse watching her.

  “Hello, Mom.” Abby cringed as she placed the box in the truck. “Which of the neighbors tipped you off that I was here?”

  “I’m waiting, young lady.” Marge ignored Abby’s question.

  “Isn’t it obvious? I sent you a postcard. I’m taking my things.”

  “You’re taking this little rebellion too far, Abigail. Stop acting like such a spoiled brat and march those cartons right back where they belong. You have poor Earl at the end of his rope, worrying about you.”

  “Poor Earl? Poor Earl! I can’t believe you’re calling him poor Earl after the way he treated me.”

  “He treated you as you deserved. With your behavior, you should be grateful Earl has given you so many chances. Not many men would overlook your blatant disrespect.” Jesse returned with more boxes. “And how dare you bring another man into that house! Where’d she find you, on a street corner with one of those ‘will work for food’ signs?”

  “That’s enough. Leave Jesse out of this.”

  “Jesse, hmm? So you think you’ll do better with this low life? He doesn’t look like much to me. Can’t even operate a razor. Does he even have a job or did you meet standing in line for welfare?”

  “Don’t you ever look past what you see? Not that it’s any of your business, but Jesse has a very good job. And I’m going to be baking for a diner.”

  “Oh please. I’m supposed to consider that some kind of accomplishment. My low-class waste of a daughter bakes cookies while her booby prize Neanderthal does what? Digs ditches or some other equally glamorous job?”

  “I told you to leave Jesse out of this.”

  “If that’s what you want, why are you flaunting him in my face? You can take those boxes back in now, stud. You’ve served your purpose but my daughter isn’t going anywhere with you.”

  Jesse squeezed Abby’s shoulder briefly as he ignored Marge and went back to the house. “You’re not listening. I’m leaving. You have no say in the matter so just stay out of it.”

  “Don’t you dare talk back to me, Abigail. I did my best by you after your no good father deserted us but you never appreciated any of it.”

  “I’m glad you brought him up. Why didn’t you tell me when he died last year? How could you keep that from me?”

  “It was for your own good. There was no need to bring him up after all that time. He didn’t want you. When are you going to give up on your silly notions about him?”

  “Because they’re not silly. I spoke to his lawyer yesterday. I know you destroyed the letters he sent me. I know he paid child support all those years when you pretended he left us without a dime. I know you took the money he left me in his will. What did you do with it?”

  “You little bitch! I deserved every penny for putting up with you. You have no right to question me. After all I did for you!”

  “Right, Mom, all you did for me. Perhaps I should thank you for not letting me have friends on my own when I was a kid. Or maybe I should thank you for the nights you were so drunk you did things like drape plastic wrap on my head and tell me it would create a force field so I wouldn’t be able to move. No, those things aren’t big enough. Why
don’t I try being grateful for the way you always made me feel guilty that Dad left? Or the way you made me believe he honestly deserted us? Better yet, why don’t I thank you for introducing me to Earl?”

  “You never were happy until you made a complete spectacle of yourself.”

  “I don’t get it. Why do you hate me so much? Why did you help him hurt me? Why did you keep sending me back, knowing he would have killed me eventually? You knew what he was like. Why did you encourage me to move in with him?”

  “If I hadn’t, I would have been stuck with you forever. But you couldn’t even manage the few simple things I assured Earl you could do. All he wanted was someone to keep the house nice who could help him entertain his associates. With that fancy place you worked in during college I thought it wasn’t asking too much. Do you know how many times I had to deal with Earl’s unhappiness? I thought you had finally grown up enough to stop being such a disappointment but you proved me wrong over and over again. I never would have let your father persuade me to have a child if I’d know I was going to be saddled with you.”

  “So you didn’t ever want me.”

  “Of course not. Why would I want some sniveling misfit who drained the life out of me the way you did? I should have stuffed you in a pillowcase and drowned you the first day when I saw what an ugly thing you were. I couldn’t believe Earl found you tolerable. Of course that was before you turned into a beached whale. I was surprised Earl didn’t turn away from you sooner since you lacked passion even before you let yourself go like this.”

  Jesse glared furiously as he closed the tailgate. He sense he shouldn’t interfere and that Abby had to have this out with her mother but it seemed to take tremendous control to stay out of it. “That’s it, Ab.” Jesse kept his voice level.

  Abby and Marge both stared at him. “You’re going to regret this the rest of your life. When you come to your senses don’t come crawling back to me.”

  “My only regret is that I listened to you as long as I did. Until today, I really didn’t believe you honestly hated me like it seemed sometimes. Don’t worry. I won’t be back. I still don’t understand you but it doesn’t matter anymore. But I’m not like you, Mom, so I will tell you something I think is important. Earl has been sleeping around for years without using protection. If part of the comfort you gave him included sex, you might want to get tested. I hope you’ll be happy now that you have what you always wanted, a life that doesn’t include me.”