by Riley, Alexa
“That’s what you’re not getting, Cherry. While I haven't thought of another woman, you’ve spent these last few years out here. With him. It fucking eats me up thinking about that shit. Those fuckers took so much from me. Then I gotta see him come into my woman’s house and put his hands on her. There is only so much a man can take.”
“Carter, that’s not fair! I had no idea because you won't tell me anything! Don’t put this all on me. I didn’t even know you wanted me. Don’t you get that? I walked into that prison to the one person I thought cared about me and you told me to get out. You crushed me.”
“Baby,” he says softly, dropping the bag to the floor and taking a step towards me. I retreat in response. I finally have us talking, and if he touches me I know that’ll all go out the window. Carter is too good at distracting me.
“Justin may not have been anything great, and for the record we’re just friends now. We’d never really done anything more than kissing, but I don’t have a lot of friends or people who’ve been here for me and you’re pushing them out of my life – a life that you haven't been a part of.”
“That’s where you're wrong. I’ve been a part of your life for nine years.”
Picking up the bag from the floor, I start putting back the things he packed. “I need more. You have to make me understand if you want me to go with you. I’m sure you can pull your Carter caveman act and get me out of this house, but if you want me to come with you without a fight you have to give me more.”
I feel him behind me. He brushes my hair off one shoulder and kisses me softly there.
“I know I can be a dick sometimes. It’s how I grew up. I didn’t get much softness from the world until you. But I’ll take you kicking and screaming, Cherry, because your safety will always come first to me, even if it makes you hate me. That’s something I’ve been dealing with for years. I couldn’t tell you things at first because there were always ears on me and, well, now I’m scared once I lay it all out for you, you’ll truly hate me and run. That’s not something I’m sure I can take.”
I turn and look up into his eyes.
“Please,” I beg in a soft whisper.
“You and those fucking pleases,” he says, pressing his forehead against mine. “All right, I’ll tell you.” Carter picks me up, I wrap my legs around him, and he sits in the corner chair in my bedroom. “I’m going to lay it all out for you and then you can ask your questions if you have any.”
“Mmkay,” I mumble, and place a soft kiss on his lips for encouragement. I’ve never seen Carter so off balance like this before. It makes me want to pull him closer.
“I’ve been running the streets since I was a teenager. My home life wasn’t great, but it was a place to go at night and not have to watch my back like a lot of the kids in the neighborhood had to. That all changed one night when I came home and found my parents dead. My father was tied to a chair and shot in the head. My mother was lying in a pool of her own blood. It looked like they were using her to make my father talk. What they wanted from him I don’t know.”
I lean forward and nuzzle my face into the side of his neck planting soft little kisses there. I can’t imagine Carter as a young boy finding his parents like that.
“I ended up in the system and it didn’t work for me. I had a lot of rage and fought a lot. I would get sent to one home then another. I finally got so sick of it I just took off and went back to my old neighborhood. Cops could never figure out who killed my parents, but now knowing what I know I think they were paid not to ask questions. “
“Oh, Carter,” I gasp against his neck.
“I found focusing on revenge for my parents helped calm my anger, so that’s what I did. I made friends, did some shady shit, and slowly built myself a crew. But I did something not a lot of people do. I didn’t let people know I was in charge. Saint and I made ourselves out like we worked with a crew, just part of the team. No one ever met the boss so no one knew I was the boss. Everyone just thought Saint and I reported to someone higher up. I don’t have a need for power like most of these bosses do. Fuck that shit. I just want control and I’ll do whatever I need to get that control. Even if that means pretending to be a nobody. I don’t need people kissing my ass. I just need them to get done what needs to be done.
“Then I put feelers out. When you work on the streets, you start to pick up people’s MOs and it didn’t take me long to see the similarities between my parents’ murders and how O’Leary likes to take people down. He has this thing for going after men through women. This isn’t normal. Most crews leave the women alone. It’s like an unspoken rule.”
I close my eyes and squeeze them tight. How could this man want to be with me? My father killed his family. I can feel warm tears slip past my eyelids.
“Your father ran a pretty dirty crew and didn’t like to play by any rules. I knew if I wanted to get close to him, I had to catch his attention, be something he wanted. Fighting gets you noticed on the streets, so that’s what I started doing. I’d get into any underground fight I could find. It’s not hard to become the best and the most vicious when you don’t think you have much to live for. I also had my crew start spreading rumors that I could be bought. It didn’t take long to get noticed and your father hired me. He thought I came from another crew and he snatched me up. I didn’t plan on being there long. In and out. I wanted to destroy his world. Make his little empire fall…but then, there was you.”
Sitting up, I look into his eyes. His whole tone changed when the story came back to me.
“Me?” I ask.
“Yes, you. I wasn’t prepared. Your father did a wonderful job hiding you. I didn’t even know you were there. I’m not sure how he did it because I can’t imagine anyone not noticing you,” he says softly as he strokes my cheek.
“He never let me go anywhere. He said people would use me against him. I never understood why he had me. I was just kept caged away.”
“Baby, I never planned to use you against him. Hell, I didn’t even know you were there. When I walked in that room and saw you, I knew I was fucked. I wasn’t prepared. I did this to you.”
“Did what to me, Carter? I don’t get what you mean. The only thing you ever did to me was push me away.”
“Apparently I didn’t do a very good job of it.”
“What does that mean? You don’t want me?” I hate how my words come out in a whine.
“No. That’s not it. I just meant everyone could see I wanted you and I think your father saw it most of all. He tried to test me and I failed. He would throw random women at me that I would push away. You controlled my every thought. It was fucked up and I knew it. You were too young but I couldn’t help myself. And, Cherry, you sure in the fuck didn’t try to help. It seemed like at every turn, you were all but tumbling into my lap.”
I knew what he was saying was true. I did anything and everything to get his attention and hold it. I’m just as much to blame for that.
“But when I looked at you I saw so much light and innocence – something I’d never seen before. I wanted it. I wanted you so damn bad, and my plans started to slip through my fingers. Vengeance wasn’t sounding so sweet anymore. I didn’t have a cover in place to stay in your father’s crew long and I knew it was only a matter of time before he found out who I was. I tried to cover my tracks the best I could, but some people just can’t be bought. I felt it coming and I knew I had to get out of there and take you with me. I didn’t care anymore about taking him down. I just wanted you out of there, because we all know what your father uses against men to control them.”
“The women they love,” I whisper.
“Bingo. I knew I could have you. You wanted me, I could see it in your eyes. I also knew you were too young, but I thought fuck it. We’ll run. I’ve got the money for the shit I’ve been doing on the streets for the past ten years. I’d get us out of the country, let you grow up a little, and then we could be together.”
“What went wrong?” I ask. That night is
still so patchy for me and I’m ready for him to fill in the hole.
“He caught me. I always had eyes on you, Cherry. I’ve had them on you for the past eight years, even when I wasn’t there. I told you we had to run. I had someone slip you a note. Then I got word that they knew. By the time I got there…” Carter closes his eyes like he’s in pain, as if he’s seeing it all over again.
“I found you like I found my mom but you were still breathing. Thank God. Like I told you I called the cops, I didn’t care if I went to jail for the murder I committed while getting to you, whatever got you to the hospital faster. I got word to Saint, the one person I knew who would have my back and told him I would be going in, that I needed him on you. But when you came to and didn’t remember, your father acted like nothing happened. He brought you back home, and you had no idea, no memory of the danger you escaped. I let it be because I knew he was just waiting for me to get out so he could use you against me. I knew that, until then, you were safe. Your father doesn’t fear much but he’s scared of me – so scared that he was willing to use you against me. Then you came to the prison that day. I was trying to make it seem like I had no interest in you. Even tried to play if off like I blamed you so that maybe your father wouldn’t hurt you in an attempt to get at me. I know it was a reach but I was desperate.”
I wrap my arms around Carter tighter. It breaks my heart to think of all he went through – that he was willing to drop all he had worked for to be with me, the daughter of the man who took his family from him. “I love you,” I say, letting him know I understand now.
Standing up, he places me on my feet. “You don’t get it, do you?” he asks, looking at me like I’ve lost my mind.
“Get what, Carter?”
“I fucked up your life because I’m a selfish bastard. My plans of ruining your father’s life fell back on you. You should hate me. You should be screaming at me to get out and get away from you. I thought if I could hide parts of the story from you, that I could keep you. Fuck, I’m already a bastard so why not? That’s what I thought to myself. I was so fucking happy when you told me you were carrying my baby. I knew you were tied to me then. No way could you shake me free now. I could justify it more to myself. I was able to rationalize why I could keep you.”
“It’s not like that,” I say, but he isn’t hearing me.
“How goddamn crazy is it that in my plans of destroying your father, I actually got a family. What kind of fucked up shit is that?”
I grab his face with both hands and make him look at me.
“You listen to me, Carter. I had no life before. My life was so bland, with nothing in it. You walked into my world and were the first person to show me emotion. I lived for you. This is not your doing. It’s my father’s. You may have started our tumble down this hill, but I’m glad I’m here with you. With or without you showing up at my father’s house, I would have run one way or another. The only difference now is I wanted to run with you. It’s why I came to the prison. I was there to tell you I was leaving and I would be waiting for you. But the way you acted, I was scared you were still with my father, and I was leaving that life behind.”
Carter just stares at me and I have no idea what he is thinking.
“I still want to leave that life. Can you do that for me? Can we do what needs to be done and move on…together?”
“You still want me? I don’t have to fight you kicking and screaming?”
“No, no more fighting you. As long as you don’t keep me in the dark and we’re a team, I’m with you.”
“You’re willing to leave this life behind after everything I told you? You didn’t want to leave it moments ago, Cherry. Now you’re going to have to help me understand.”
“See, you think laying all your cards on the table was going to scare me away but you’re wrong. It only makes me love you more. You have fought for us for the past nine years. I want to be in that fight with you. You’ve sacrificed so much for me. Leaving this life behind is a small price to pay but hopefully you’ll finish this, and we can be free. No more hiding. Just you and me. Together.”
CARTER
My heart is so full of love. I stand up still holding Layla. I can’t believe she still wants me after everything I’ve told her. I look around the room and I don’t know what to do with myself. I’m energized, excited, but mostly really horny.
“Carter, you okay?” she giggles.
“I’m great, baby, just looking for a surface to fuck you on.”
She laughs as I take her over to the small dresser and put her bare ass on it. I reach down and pull out the top drawer about an inch and prop her heels on it. I scoot her naked body to the edge of the dresser so her cheeks are hanging over a bit and her pussy is wide open. My cock is hard, thick, and fucking needy.
“Lean back and brace your hands behind you, Cherry.”
She does as I ask and the sight of her spread out is enough to have me cumming on myself. My cock twitches, as if to tell me to hurry up. I press my cock to her wet opening and slide home. I rock slowly in and out, just feeling her pussy grip me. I stand there with hands by my side and focus on where we’re connected. I watch as my dick disappears inside her, and then comes back covered in her cream.
Her knees are far apart and she can’t really move in this position. Her head is thrown back and her neck is exposed, her gorgeous mane of red hair spilling down behind her. This is why I’ve never needed porn. Seeing her like this, taking my cock and lost in her own pleasure, is my greatest fantasy. What we are doing now is more than lovemaking, more than fucking, more than anything we’ve ever done. It’s primal, it’s need, but it’s more. It’s not ravenous or rushed. This right here, this is decadent. I feel it everywhere. On my skin, in my heart, and through her soul to mine.
My steady rocking has her on edge, and I know we’re both close to the finish.
“Cherry, look at me,” I whisper and she lifts her head, our eyes meeting.
“I fucking love you,” I say softly, and reach down to thumb her clit.
“Oh, God, Carter. I love you too, baby.”
As soon as she says the words, I feel her pussy start to squeeze me. Because she’s locked in this position, her orgasm hits her hard, and all she can do is take it. I keep my steady pace and continue rubbing her clit to stretch out her pleasure. Her shouts turn to screams and soon I can’t understand anything but the need to give and take pleasure. All I know is her pussy has my cock in a death grip and I lose my load. I push into her hard, one last time, and empty myself into her. As the last of my orgasm spurts inside her pussy the bedroom door is kicked open.
I spin around, keeping Cherry behind me and I’m ready to fight to the death.
“Okay, Chuck Norris, put down the fisticuffs.”
I’m assuming this is Jeanette, Cherry’s girlfriend, and she’s currently in some kind of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon karate stance, acting like she’s about to strike.
“Whoa, his dick is huge!” she says in the way of a greeting. “This must be Carter,” she leers, wiggling her eyebrows.
I look down and see my cream-covered cock is still hard and pointing right at her.
“Jeanette, shut the damn door!” Cherry yells from behind me as she gets off the dresser and tries to move around me. I hold her behind me because I don’t want Jeanette seeing her naked. I don’t care if she’s a friend. Cherry’s body is all mine.
“Okay, okay. I’ll be in the living room, but you’ve got five minutes before I’m back in here giving this dude the five finger death punch,” she warns and walks out.
“She knows that’s made up, right?” I ask Cherry.
“I don’t think so. But do me a favor and don’t tell her. I don’t want to break her heart.”
“No problem.”
We get cleaned up as best as we can and finally get dressed. I pull on a gray T-shirt and jeans with my brown boots. As I’m lacing them up I look over and see Cherry putting on something similar, She’s in a gray V-neck
shirt with dark skin-tight jeans showing off all of her curves. My eyes follow the length of her body down to her adorable red heels. They’ve got to be four inches and have little bows on the back. I’ve just fucked her and those goddamn bows have my dick hard again.
I walk up behind her and push my jean-covered erection into her ass.
“Carter, if we fuck again while Jeanette’s here, she might ask to join in.”
That’s all she needed to say and I step back three feet.
“I’m not sharing you with anybody, baby. So don’t ever get any ideas about you and me with anybody else. Got it?”
She giggles and turns back to the mirror to fix her hair and makeup. “Glad we’re on the same page, baby.”
I feel a little relieved that she agrees with me on this and I give her a little kiss on the neck.
“I’m going to pack up a couple of bags for you and then I’ll give Saint a call. Go talk to your friend and tell her that when women shout like that, it’s a good thing.”
“Oh, she is more than aware, Carter, she’s just not used to hearing it from me.”
“Well, she better get used to it. You’re mine now,” I growl and smack her on the ass. She grins over her shoulder at me and walks out of the room. I start packing Cherry’s things as I dial up Saint.
“Yo!”
“Why the fuck didn’t you tell me?” I bark into the phone.
I hear Saint taking in a long breath before letting it out. “I know you. You had stuff to handle and that shit would have fucked with your head. Hey, being pregnant doesn't change anything.”
“That’s where you’re wrong. It changes everything,” I snap.
“Really, C? What does it change? You’re still trying to clean shit up so you can be with her, baby or not.”
I know he’s right but I’m still pissed I didn't know. I’m still mad at myself for not being here with her for the last three months, so I just ignore his question with my own “Where’s your ass?” I ask. Our phone conversations are so full of charm.
