There You Are

by E. L. Todd

He leaned toward me and lowered his voice. “You’re going to—”

  “Whoa, whoa. Back up.” The bouncer moved to the other side of the bar and broke up a fight. It was an older man fighting with a guy that didn’t look a day over twenty.

  “A fight in a piano bar?” Conrad asked in surprise. “Come on, people. Stay classy.”

  “You piece of shit!” The older man shoved the younger one. “Fuck you, asshole.”

  The bouncer broke them apart again.

  “What are they fighting about?” I whispered.

  “Beats me,” Conrad said.

  The younger one threw a punch, and that’s when he was dragged out of the bar. The older man who stayed behind rubbed his jaw but there was no blood on his face. When he turned our way I got a look at his face.

  And that’s when I recognized him.

  “Shit.”

  “What?” Conrad asked.

  “That’s my dad.”

  Conrad did a double take in his direction. “Wow. It is him.”

  Why was my dad drinking alone in a bar and getting into fights with other customers?

  “Should we talk to him…?”

  “I don’t know.” I hated my father and wanted nothing to do with him.

  Conrad watched him sit at the bar again. “He looks like he’s having a bad day.”

  “Maybe he lost his job or something.”

  He turned back to me, telling me what I should do with just his eyes. “I think we should talk to him.”

  “Why?” I said it harsher than I meant to. “He deserves every bad thing that happens to him.”

  “That might be true,” he said. “But he’s still your father.”

  I rolled my eyes. “Whatever. He didn’t care about being a father anymore when he ran off with that skank.”

  “If you were having a bad day would he be there for you?”

  I looked away. “Probably…”

  “Then let’s stop by and say hi.”

  “We’re supposed to be on a date.”

  “Well, we’ve been on a million of them so I think we can ditch this one.” He held me by the elbow and guided me off the stool. “Come on.”

  “Ugh.”

  “That’s my girl.” He put his arm around my waist and guided me to the place where my father was sitting.

  I didn’t want to do this. I still resented him for what he’d done. But I also pitied him deep in my heart.

  We came to Dad’s side and waited for him to acknowledge us.

  He stared at his half empty glass in front of him then sighed. He turned our way with irritation written all over his face, like he expected us to be another nuisance. When he recognized my face his demeanor completely changed. “Lexie?”

  “Hey, Dad.” I tried to sound cheerful but I couldn’t. “Conrad and I just wanted to stop by and say hi.”

  Conrad shook his hand. “It’s nice to see you again, sir.”

  Dad nodded and looked him up and down before he turned back to me. “You kids having a good time?”

  “We decided to get a few drinks before dinner,” I said.

  “That’s nice.” He tried to act cheery but it was clear he was miserable.

  “You doing okay?” I asked the question when I shouldn’t have. I really didn’t care for his answer.

  “I’ve been better,” he said quietly.

  “Everything alright?” Conrad asked.

  He covered his face with his hands for a second before he removed them. “I made the biggest mistake of my life and I can never take it back. No, I’m not alright.”

  I swallowed the lump in my throat because I didn’t know how to react to his vulnerability. I’d never seen him so low. “What mistake?”

  “I threw away my marriage for a short-lived fling. Now I’m alone.”

  I crossed my arms over my chest and felt my heart thump against my wrist. “You and that girl broke up?”

  “She left me,” he said with a sigh. “Ran off with some guy her own age…”

  I still didn’t feel bad for him.

  “And now I feel like an idiot. I wish I could go back in time and change everything.”

  “But you can’t,” I said harshly. “You divorced Mom and left without looking back. You knew what you were doing when you did it. You chose lust over love. You—”

  Conrad pressed his lips to my ear. “Baby, he gets it.”

  Dad bowed his head in shame. “I know I hurt your mother. And I know I disappointed both you and Macy. I have to live with that for the rest of my life.”

  I stared at him and fought the urge to yell at him.

  “Do you think your mother will ever take me back?” he asked hopefully.

  “No,” I snapped. “Mom isn’t someone you treat like that. She’s not a pit stop. Besides, she’s seeing someone and she’s pretty damn happy.”

  “She’s seeing someone…?” He looked at me with devastation.

  Now I felt a little pity for him. “His name is Logan and he’s really nice. Macy and I like him a lot. He makes Mom happy. I haven’t seen her smile like that in years.”

  Dad closed his eyes and rubbed the back of his head. “Fuck.”

  I never heard him cuss before.

  “How serious are they?”

  “Very serious.” Actually, I didn’t know. “She’s moved on and found someone better. I suggest you leave her alone.” I turned away and grabbed Conrad’s arm. “Let’s get out of here.”

  Conrad didn’t move. He stayed in the same place and gave me a sad look. “I’m going to make sure he gets home okay.”

  “What?” I hissed.

  “He’s almost drunk, Lexie.”

  “So?” I snapped. “Who cares?”

  “You do,” he said. “You can stay with me until I get him home safely or I can get you a cab. Which do you prefer?”

  “The only person you should be looking after is me.” I knew I sounded like a child but I didn’t care in that moment.

  Conrad didn’t call me out on it because he knew I was upset. “I can do both.” He gave my father a hand and helped him out of the stool.

  I crossed my arms over my chest and stomped my foot like a child.

  Conrad guided my father out of the bar then waved down a cab. When he got him in the backseat he grabbed my hand to get me inside.

  “You can sit next to him.”

  Conrad didn’t argue and did as I asked.

  I got into the seat by the window and we drove to his apartment on the other side of town. The ride was tense. No one said anything. I just watched the meter climb higher and higher.

  When we reached his apartment Dad got out.

  Conrad turned to me. “I’m going to walk him to the door. Stay here.”

  I wasn’t planning on leaving anyway.

  Conrad was gone for about ten minutes before he came back to the cab. The meter ran the entire time and the driver made twenty bucks just sitting there. It was money down the drain.

  Conrad gave the driver the address to his apartment before he rested his hand on my thigh.

  Pissed, I ignored him and looked out the window.

  “We all make mistakes,” he said quietly. “Before you rip into him and disown him, remember that.”

  I turned his way, murder written all over my face. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “It means you aren’t perfect either. No one should be persecuted for one action.”

  “Conrad, he dumped my mom on the side of the road and hooked up with someone else.”

  “I’m not saying what he did was right,” he argued. “But he was a good dad before all of this happened, right?”

  I looked out the window again.

  “It sounds like he had a mid-life crisis and didn’t handle it very well. When the situation passed he saw reason again.”

  “No, his little skank left him. That’s what happened.”

  “You have every right to be upset but don’t completely cast him out.”

  “I can do w
hatever the hell I want, Con. Maybe you should just stay out of it.”

  “I can’t,” he said. “You’re the most important thing to me. I can’t just say things you want to hear. I have to say things you need to hear.”

  I was still angry with him despite his pretty words. I spoke to the driver and gave him my mother’s address. “Change of plans. Take me there.”

  Conrad’s eyes narrowed to slits. “No, I don’t think so.”

  “I don’t want to stay with you.”

  “Too damn bad.”

  “Now you tell me what to do?” I asked incredulously.

  “I do when you’re being a brat.” He told the driver his address. “Don’t take her anywhere else. There’s an extra tip for you if you do what I say.”

  “Ugh.” I threw my arms down in frustration. “I’ll just walk home.”

  He chuckled in a sinister way. “I’d like to see you try.”

  ***

  After we got out of the cab Conrad gripped me by the arm and pulled me into his building.

  I twisted out of his grasp. “No. I’m walking.” I turned on my heel and headed for the sidewalk.

  Conrad rammed me from behind then threw me over his shoulder. My ass was in the air and my face was directly in line with his back. My hair dangled toward the ground. “Put. Me. Down.” I hit him in the back but it just hurt my hand instead.

  Conrad carried me into his building then took the apartment to his floor.

  “You’re such an ass.” I hit him in the back of the leg.

  Conrad didn’t seem affected at all.

  When the doors opened he carried me down the hall to his door. Once the entrance was unlocked he walked inside then kicked the door closed behind him.

  “I’m going to kick your ass the second you put me on the ground.”

  “Whatever you say, baby.” He carried me into his bedroom then threw me on the bed.

  “You’re such a—”

  He was on top of me instantly. His mouth was glued to mine and he kissed me hard, almost carnally. He undid his jeans then lifted up my dress in a single fluid motion.

  I tried to push him off but he was too heavy.

  He situated himself then shoved himself inside me.

  The second I felt him the fight within me stopped. I lay back and enjoyed all the sensations he gave me. My body automatically responded to him, becoming wet and warm. My hands snaked to his arms and held on.

  Conrad looked into my eyes as he thrust into me. “There’s my girl.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  Slade

  I got into bed beside Trinity then turned off the lamp. “We’ll be home soon.”

  “I know.” She lay beside me and stared at me. “This place isn’t bad. Actually, this bed is more comfy than ours.”

  “It is pretty nice.” I fluffed my pillows. I was in a much better mood since Sean told me the good news. I nailed that motherfucker to the wall and there was nothing he could do to escape. He was right under my thumb and he was about to be squashed. Soon, he would be gone for good and Trinity wouldn’t have a single thing to worry about.

  Trinity didn’t close her eyes. She kept looking at me.

  “Need something, baby?” My hand moved to hers under the sheets. “Water?”

  “No, I’m okay,” she said. “I was wondering if we could try…”

  I knew what she was referring to. My body ached for hers but not in a physical way. Whenever we made love it seemed to fix everything. But this situation was different. It was a lot more complex and difficult. “I don’t want to rush into anything. I would much rather take things slow.”

  “I know but…I feel like if we never try it’ll just be more difficult.”

  I rolled over and faced her. “It’ll never be difficult if the timing is right. It’s just you and me. When things get going you won’t be thinking about anything else besides us. You’ll go into a trance…where nothing else exists.” That’s what always happened to me when we were together. My mind never drifted to other things. That happened with former lovers but not her. I was engaged the entire time, consumed by the woman sharing my soul.

  Her hand moved to my chest then she slowly pulled up my shirt, her eyes directed on mine.

  I felt the fabric rise and noticed the increase in my heartbeat. I wanted her, like always. She was mine, before she was violated and after. The incident didn’t change the way I felt about her. To me, she was still untouched.

  When Trinity got the shirt to my neck I helped her pull it off. My chest was bare and my ink covered most of the skin. Trinity touched my ribs then felt every muscle in my chest. Her fingers lingered over the tattoo of herself. She examined every feature of me like she’d never seen it before.

  I didn’t undress her or make a move. I wanted her to do what she wanted, to know there was no pressure. If she wanted to stop, she could stop.

  She moved to my boxers then slowly pulled them down. When they were at my knees I kicked them off. I was completely naked beside her, and I was hard. Anytime she touched me I was aroused. It was impossible not to be.

  She stared at my body, taking me in like I was a piece of art. Instead of fear in her eyes there was something else.

  I would normally pull off her bottoms or at least take over the foreplay but I kept my hands to myself. The last thing I wanted was to rush things and make her feel uncomfortable. I never wanted her to compare me to that piece-of-shit.

  Trinity sat up then slowly pulled her shirt over her head. She usually didn’t wear a bra to bed and she wasn’t wearing one now. Her small, perky tits were on display for me to enjoy.

  But I didn’t look at them.

  I looked into her eyes instead. None of this was sexual. It was purely spiritual.

  She pulled her pajama bottoms of then lay there in just her panties.

  I waited for her to take those off too.

  She hesitated for a moment before she pulled them off.

  “We don’t have to do this,” I reminded her. I could wait as long as she wanted.

  She kicked them aside then scooted closer to me on the bed. She hadn’t touched me yet but she was close to me.

  I waited for something to happen, for her to kiss me or touch me. Nothing ever came. “You need to tell me what you want.” It needed to be perfectly clear. If it became tense or uncomfortable that could lead to more problems.

  “I want you to kiss me.” She tucked her hair behind her ear.

  “Where?”

  “On my mouth,” she whispered.

  I slowly moved in, giving her plenty of time to change her mind. I hadn’t kissed her in weeks and I missed it. It made me realize how much I took for granted. I cherished her all the time, but I never treasured the simple pleasure of kissing her.

  My mouth reached hers and they embraced gently. I just felt her lips with mine, noting her breathing and body movements. I softly massaged her mouth, noting how soft and plump her lips were.

  I would normally wrap my arm around her waist or dig my fingers into her hair but I kept my hands to myself. If I became too aggressive she might push me away altogether.

  Trinity slowly kissed me back, her breathing hinting at the excitement in her blood. In the beginning there was hesitance but that slowly faded away. Her hand found mine on the bed and rested her fingers on top.

  I interlocked our fingers together.

  She ended the kiss then rested her face against mine.

  And my heart fell into my stomach. This was too hard for her. Maybe it would always be too hard for her.

  “I want you to kiss me like you usually do.”

  The hope in my heart picked up again. “Be more specific, baby.”

  “You usually kiss me everywhere…” She ran her hand down her chest and her stomach.

  “You want me to kiss you in those places?” I asked in clarification.

  She nodded.

  “You have to say it, baby.”

  “I do.”

  I leaned into
her then slowly guided her against the bed. When she lay down I moved on top of her and slowly kissed her chest then her neck. I loved the area with my mouth, tasting a hint of vanilla.

  She breathed deeply underneath me, her chest rising and falling with exaggerated movements. I couldn’t tell if she was turned on or nervous. I kissed her stomach but didn’t go any lower than that. She never specificed that region so I stayed away from it.

  I kissed her for a long time, and I didn’t mind at all. It would take time for her to get back into the swing of things. If this is what she needed I was more than happy to oblige.

  “Slade.”

  I immediately stopped and looked her in the eye, unsure if I did something wrong.

  “I want you to kiss me…down there.”

  I held her gaze without blinking. “You’re sure?”

  “Yeah.”

  “All you need to do is tell me to stop and I will.”

  “I know.”

  I kissed the skin over her heart before I moved to the area between her legs. I loved eating her out. It used to gross me out with other girls but with Trinity it was one of my favorite things. I was determined to wash away any trace of the fiend who tried to take something that didn’t belong to him.

  I started off slow and kissed her inner thighs, not going straight for the kill. I cherished her legs with kisses because I found them innately sexy. Whenever she wore a tight dress and heels, her legs were out of this world.

  I moved up and passed the area I wanted most then kissed the small bump of her belly. It was bigger than it was a few weeks ago, but the size difference was hardly noticeable. I could tell because I was obsessed with it.

  I trailed my lips down then placed a soft kiss over her folds.

  She visibly tensed. It wasn’t clear if it was in arousal or fear.

  “You want me to stop?”

  There was a pause before she spoke. “No.”

  “I can,” I said. “Don’t force it.”

  “I’m not.”

  I returned to kissing her. When my tongue found her entrance I was relieved to feel how wet she was. At least she was turned on. I kissed her more vigorously and felt my arousal increase. I loved everything about her pussy, from the smell to the taste.

  She clenched the sheets on either side of her and released quiet moans.

  I kissed her harder so I could take her into a different place. If she fell into the moment with me she wouldn’t think about anything else. I kissed her longer than I normally would, wanting her to enjoy it as much as possible. I didn’t care about getting any pleasure, only receiving it.