by Tara Rose
He wanted to give this amazing woman every fantasy she’d ever had, and he longed to help her discover all she yearned to know. Even the knowledge that she’d be out on a date with Carson the next evening couldn’t ruin this moment for him. Carson wasn’t here right now. He was.
Garrett stopped when her ass became pink and her moans became more like grunts. “Are you all right, baby?”
“Yes.” Her voice sounded different, strained.
He caressed her cheeks with the fur side once again. “Are you sure?”
“It stings, but I like it. That’s crazy, isn’t it?”
“No, it’s not.” He could hardly breathe. He didn’t want to fuck this up. “Tell me what you’re feeling inside. What’s going through your head?”
“It’s like every happy thought I’ve ever had is rushing to the surface at the same time. I want to laugh and cry, all at once.”
“Good girl.”
“Is that normal? Is this what other subs feel?”
“Everyone is different. As long as you’re enjoying it, that’s what matters. Shall I keep going?”
“Please. Yes, please do. Just a bit more.”
The first time Garrett paddled someone who’d slipped into subspace, he was afraid he’d hurt her. But now he recognized it for what it was, and although it was rare to watch a sub slip into it the first time she experienced impact play, he’d be damned if Teresa wasn’t at least halfway there.
He slowed down his smacks as they became more forceful, stopping every few swats to caress her skin again. She was getting pretty red, and he didn’t want to push her too far. Plus his dick was rock hard again, and he hoped she’d let him do something about that.
Just as he was about to stop, he heard her whisper, “Red.”
“I agree. You’ve taken a lot.” He helped her stand, and she shook her head slightly as if she was dizzy, so he gathered her into his arms and held her on his lap, stroking her hair and back, wishing he could just keep her with him forever.
He was in very deep trouble here, but there was no turning back now. As she snuggled against him, Garrett smiled. He hadn’t been this happy in years.
“Did I do well? Was that fun for you, too?”
“Oh, yes. It was exquisite.”
She lifted her face toward his and he kissed her. Fireworks exploded inside his head as she pushed her tongue inside and wrapped her arms around him. This couldn’t be real, and yet here she was, in his arms, and ready to make love again. For the first time in his adult life, Garrett dared to believe he’d finally begun to make up for all the shitty things he’d done in his teens and young adult years.
* * * *
Teresa clung to Garrett as he moved her onto her back. He grabbed a condom from the bed, sheathed his dick in it, and then carefully slid it into her swollen pussy. All she could do was moan and try to hold onto his arms as he thrust hard and deep. It didn’t take long for her to come, and once she had, he pulled out and gently turned her over, then slipped his dick back into her pussy.
Teresa buried her face in the comforter and let the emotions wash over her as Garrett fucked her hard now. When he cried out and came, she smiled. It was incredible to think that her body could give him so much pleasure. She wanted to stay here forever. This was the best night of her life.
Garrett pulled out, turned her onto her side, and gathered her into his arms. “Stay with me. All night. Please?”
“Okay.” She couldn’t have said no to that even if she’d wanted to.
Chapter Nine
Teresa shot furtive glances toward the main house after Garrett had kissed her a dozen times at the door to the upstairs apartment. The sun had barely risen, but she knew her mother and Saint Rosa would both be up this early. Her father opened the shop at six in the morning so he was gone already. Would they have noticed that she hadn’t come home the night before? Probably not. She only ate meals with them occasionally and no one came to the apartment to check on her or talk to her.
Garrett finally left, and as Teresa watched him drive away, she fought the urge to run after him. She’d just spent the best night of her life, and she was so conflicted over that it made her stomach contract. The fabulous breakfast he’d cooked them threatened to come back up, so she went upstairs and forced herself to calm down.
She had a date tonight with another man. She had to get some sleep this morning. Teresa groaned out loud and fell on her bed, curling up on her side. What had she done? How could she go out to dinner with Carson later as if nothing had happened last night? She’d never done anything like this in her life. Her mother would freak and so would Rosa. Puta was the least of the names they’d call her.
But she wasn’t a whore. This wasn’t wrong. What she and Garrett had shared last night was beautiful and special. She’d never been treated so tenderly and with such respect. And she wanted more of it. It was what she’d dreamed about her entire adult life. He was everything Ray had never been. And what made this even more special was the fact that he hadn’t been like this in high school. He’d found a way to change his life for the better. That gave her hope that she could do the same.
When Teresa checked her voice mail messages, her heart sank. Carson had called late last night, telling her he couldn’t wait to see her tonight. Shit. She hoped he had simply assumed she’d already been asleep. But she’d have to tell him. She wanted no secrets between her and anyone. Never again. How the hell was she supposed to that?
She groaned again then brushed her teeth and took off her clothes. She curled up under the covers and tried to push all thoughts out of her mind so she could sleep a bit more. Tonight was either going to be as much fun as last night had been, or a total disaster. Teresa prayed it was the former.
* * * *
Carson picked up a shift Tuesday morning only because he’d slept so well the night before. He’d called Teresa around ten, hoping the phone wouldn’t wake her, and left her a message. He’d forgotten to say that he was working today, so he called back as soon as he had a second to himself, and left her another message saying if she needed to reach him to call the desk at the station rather than his cell. He usually turned if off when he was working, especially on day shift when there were so many others around him, and it was busier than on the off shifts.
He was so excited about taking her to dinner later that he could barely concentrate on his work. When the desk phone rang about noon and he answered it, he smiled at the sound of her voice.
“Hi, I’m so sorry I missed your calls last night and this morning.”
“It’s okay. I keep odd hours.”
“I’m very excited about tonight.”
“I am too. Is six still okay?”
“Absolutely.” Something in her voice was off. Had anything happened? He hoped not. He would have heard about it, surely, unless she hadn’t told the cops.
“I’ll see you then.”
“Okay.”
Carson stared at the phone for several seconds, seized by an irrational urge to call her back. But then he got busy again and had to push it out of his mind for now.
After work, he took his time getting ready. It had been so long since he’d taken a woman out to dinner that he actually felt nervous. How silly. But Teresa wasn’t just any woman. She was someone who had come to them for help, and Carson wanted to give that to her. Not only to keep Ray Hammond from ever bothering her again, but he wanted to help her find the life she so desperately wanted to rebuild here in Racy.
She was outside when he pulled in the drive, standing on the front lawn talking to her mother. Carson had never actually met Maria Rodriguez, but he knew who she was. Everyone did. He got out of his car and tried not to gawk at Teresa. She wore a simple black dress with red trim that looked like she’d had it a long time. The material was worn in places. But he didn’t imagine she had a lot of money for new clothes, and it hardly mattered. She looked stunning in it.
Maria turned her cold, dark eyes on him and narrowed them. Cars
on braced for it. “You went to school with Magdalena, didn’t you?”
“Yes, ma’am. I did.” He stuck out his hand. “Carson Decker.” When Maria didn’t shake it, he pretended to wipe something off his jacket and glanced toward Teresa, who looked like she was about to cry. “You ready to go to dinner?”
She nodded. “Yes. Definitely.” She cut her gaze toward her mother. “We’ll talk about this later, okay?”
Maria crossed her arms and glared at Teresa. Teresa turned and walked toward the passenger side of Carson’s car, and he sprinted around to open it for her. She shot him a grateful look, and he didn’t speak again until they were on Market Street.
“Want to talk about it?”
“We have to.”
“Okay. I’m listening.”
She didn’t say another word until they were in the parking lot of Gino’s. He started to get out of the car but she placed a hand on his arm. “I have to tell you this. I want no secrets between us. I’ve spent too many years living with and hanging around people who were never honest about anything, and I can’t live like that.”
He turned to face her. “Teresa, whatever it is, just say it. It’ll be okay.”
She looked so uncomfortable that he fought the urge to pull her close. Whatever it was, they’d deal with it. He guessed it had something to do with her parents because it had looked like she and her mother had just had an argument, or were still in the middle of it as he pulled into the driveway.
“She was upset with me because I didn’t come home last night.” Her voice shook, but Carson didn’t touch her yet. He had to let her get this out and set the pace here. “When you called me last night I wasn’t sleeping. I was with Garrett Amato. I ran into him Sunday morning and he asked me out. We went to a movie yesterday and…” She took a deep breath and looked him right in the eyes. “And I ended up spending the night with him.”
Carson forced his face to stay neutral. Years of cop training helped him pull it off, but inside his blood boiled and his ears rang. “Did he hurt you?” He knew Garrett would never do that, but the cop in him had to ask.
Her eyes widened. “What? No. Of course not. Everything was consensual. But the guilt is killing me right now.”
“Why? Because you’re out with me now, or because your parents knew you hadn’t come home?” He knew he sounded like kind of a jerk, but he couldn’t help it. She was an adult and free to go out with whoever she wanted, and to have sex with whoever she wanted as well, but he could hardly help the jealousy coursing through his body. Garrett wasn’t the same player he’d been in high school, but even that knowledge didn’t help.
“Because I’m with you.”
“Does Garrett know you’re having dinner with me?”
She nodded several times. “Yes. Absolutely. I told him we were before…before anything happened.”
“Just say it, okay? Just say you told him before you two made love.”
She recoiled slightly.
“Sorry. It’s just that you don’t have to sugarcoat anything with me. All right? I’m a cop. I can take the bluntness. In fact, I prefer it.”
“All right. Okay. Before we had sex, I told him I was going out with you tonight. He said he appreciated the honesty.”
He couldn’t help but notice that she’d referred to the act as “having sex” and not “making love.” That meant they weren’t a thing yet, right? He had to know that before they went inside. He had to know he had a chance with this woman. “Are you seeing him again?”
“I don’t know. We’ve made no plans.”
Carson let out the breath he’d been holding. “And how do you feel about that?” He had to know that, too.
“Carson, I don’t know how I feel about any of this. I’ve never had a stable relationship with any man, let alone two. Ray and I didn’t date. We hooked up. And then we shacked up. And when we had sex, it was one-sided and bordered on abuse. Hell, it was abuse at times. I was an idiot, okay? I didn’t know what the hell I was doing. I still don’t.”
She swiped at the tears spilling down her cheeks before he could, and then he pulled her close and held her while she sobbed. “I’m sorry. I can’t seem to stop crying and I hate that. I just want to live a normal life, you know? Does that make sense? I want what Julie has. I want what Ria has. I mean…what I mean is that if I’m going to have a man in my life, I want him to be normal. Not a criminal. I want him to have a job, and to treat me with respect and love.”
She pulled out of his embrace and stared into his eyes. “Is that really too much to ask? Why can’t I have that? Why?”
“You can have that. Of course you can.” He stared into those dark eyes for long moments, and the jealousy was gone. Just like that. Garrett wasn’t here now. He was. And Teresa looked at him with so much trust and clarity that his heart nearly stopped. He’d spent so much time buried in the past, and then buried in his work, that he’d never really lived.
This sweet, vulnerable girl had endured a shit storm of bad luck because of bad choices, but that didn’t make her a terrible person. She clearly wanted to change, and she wanted to start over. And he wanted to help her do that. He didn’t think about it. He merely cupped her face in one hand, and kissed her.
Her lips were warm and yielding, and when she parted them, he slid his tongue inside. She moaned softly and wrapped her arms around him, pulling him so close he felt as though they fused. Faint voices reached his ears. People walking by in the parking lot, no doubt, but he didn’t care. He just kept kissing Teresa.
When he finally released her mouth, her eyes were bright and full of lust and hope, and that did it. His heart nearly melted, right then and there. It would be so easy. So easy to let go and fall for this beautiful girl like a stone. And why not?
But he had to be careful for both their sakes. She had a lot of baggage and a very real threat that they all needed to find and eradicate from her life before she could move on. But there were no threats tonight. Tonight there was the heavenly smell of olive oil and marinara sauce from Gino’s, Teresa’s pretty dress that fit her like a glove, and her big, dark eyes that shone with happiness.
And Carson was determined to enjoy every second with her.
Chapter Ten
Teresa couldn’t stop smiling as they were seated, or while she glanced over the menu, even though the words made no sense. She could still feel Carson’s mouth on hers, and the way it had felt to be in his arms. He hadn’t pushed her away or rejected her, even after all those words had come flying out of her mouth and she’d started to cry. She hadn’t expected that.
And he was still gazing at her with a combination of lust and intrigue. She could hardly believe it. He looked so different dressed up like this than he had in his uniform, but both looks were sexy on him. His royal blue shirt brought out the color of his eyes, and the gray sports jacket looked perfect against his dark hair.
She inhaled the scent of his cologne, not recognizing it, but then she didn’t know any of them very well. She only knew she loved the scent, and it would forever remind her of this night. When their server came over to take their drink orders and explain the specials that night, she closed her menu and nodded when Carson asked if he could order wine for them both.
“In fact, if you’d also order the food for me, I’d be grateful. There are too many choices and I can’t decide.”
He smiled and ordered an appetizer that she couldn’t immediately translate, as well as an eggplant dish for her and something with fish in it for him. Their server left and she took his hands across the table, drawing strength from their warmth. “Spanish is similar to Italian in many ways, but I only caught part of that.”
He smiled and translated for her. “Polpo all’Insalata is octopus salad, pasta ncasciata is one of their specialties here. It’s baked penne with eggplants. And pisci spata cunzatu is baked swordfish. I’ve had it here before and it’s heaven. I hope I chose wisely, not knowing what you like.”
“It all sounds perfect. And
I love eggplant. My mother makes dishes with it all the time. It’s a traditional ingredient in most Mediterranean countries.”
“Oh good. I’m glad I didn’t screw that up.”
She chuckled. “Not at all. Thank you.”
“So is your family from Spain?”
“My father’s family is from Spain but my mother’s family is from Mexico. We used to visit my maternal grandmother in Mexico City when I was younger, before she passed away.”
“Have you been to Spain as well?”
“No. That would have been way too expensive for all of us to go. Mexico was cheaper because we drove, if you can imagine what that was like.”
He shook his head. “I can’t.”
“My parents took turns driving all day, and as each of us became old enough to drive, we took turns as well. It usually took us two days just to reach the border, and another day to reach her house. We’d stay in really cheap motels along the way, and it was hard to get enough sleep.”
“Wow. How long would you stay in Mexico?”
“About a month. My father spent a lot of money on phone calls because he wanted to make sure everything was okay at the shop. He’d leave one or two of his employees in charge, but he didn’t really trust anyone. Still doesn’t.”
“I’m assuming you did this in the summer, then? So you didn’t miss that much school?”
“Yep. And that made it so much more enjoyable because of the heat.”
He laughed, and then she glanced around. “It’s really beautiful in here. I feel like royalty.”
“It’s less pretentious than it used to be. I hope you’re not uncomfortable here.”
“Oh, no. Not at all. But it’s certainly nicer than Nan’s Place.”
“That’s very true.”
Teresa had to say something about what had happened in the car. Small talk about her family and the restaurant wouldn’t make it go away. It had to be addressed. “Thank you for not judging me or thinking I was nuts back there in your car.”
