by Lacey Silks
April - two years earlier
It was an ordinary day as I waited for Simon to return home from work. I was changing the sheets in our bedroom, wondering whether I should confront Simon about the phone call I’d received earlier in the day. The woman on the other line hadn’t sounded happy, and demanded to speak with my husband, who wasn’t at home.
“Tell him I will throw him out of my bed next time.”
The phone slipped out of my hand and in slow motion fell to the floor, ending our conversation. Her comment stumped me. Simon was cheating, and it didn’t seem like she even knew he was married. I sat on the bed, gathering the sheets in my hands until I couldn’t grasp at any more. I didn’t cry; I didn’t even get mad. I guess I’d been half-expecting this. Or perhaps deep inside I had known about Simon’s mistresses for a while now; but confronting him and trying to figure out how Parker would deal with a divorce was too much. It was time to file those papers that were hidden at my work. This was it, wasn’t it? I remembered a promise I had made to myself that I would never allow a man to treat me that way. Where had I gone wrong? Why would he disgrace me by cheating? My heart felt like it had shattered into grain-sized pieces.
The closing of the front door startled me. “Simon?” I yelled downstairs, but he didn’t answer.
Maybe he hadn’t heard me? Knowing that Parker was playing video games in the family room, I returned to setting up the bed.
“Daddy!” I heard Parker’s happy voice as he greeted his father. A lump formed in my throat. Robbing my son of a father through a divorce was the last thing I wanted. But hopefully with the visitation rights I was planning to give Simon, he wouldn’t be completely out of Parker’s life. My husband wouldn’t fight me for shared custody, I knew; he didn’t have enough time for our son right now, and I didn’t expect him to have more in the future.
Why was it so quiet downstairs?
A minute later the whole world crashed around me when the sound of a gunshot echoed through the house.
“Parker!” I screamed. I felt like my life had been put on the pause button. I remembered screaming my son’s name over and over again, but couldn’t hear my own voice, only the repetitive sound of the shot. My legs moved as if they were stuck in quicksand, and the air felt thick and heavy, impossible to pass through.
“Parker!”
Downstairs my son stood in the living room with Simon’s gun in his hands. My husband was lying down on the floor, half-conscious, with a pool of blood underneath him. Staying clear of the liquid and any other blood stains, I took the gun out of Parker’s hands, wiped it clean, and knowing my prints were the only ones on it now, I set it down and knelt at Simon’s side. My fingers pressed to his neck. Feeling the pulse fade and watching his eyes open and close over and over again, I tried my hardest not to think of him as my husband or a victim. Simon’s mouth moved slowly as he whispered, “Murderer. Crossover Cemetery.” Those were his dying words: That our son was a murderer, and that he wanted to be buried a half hour away from our home.
As soon as Simon’s last breath escaped, I put my work hat on and examined the scene, wiped the gun again, and placed the gun in Simon’s hand to get his prints back on it, as if he’d held the gun backward, and then lowered it to the rug near enough to where it would have naturally fallen to the couch on his right side after he’d pulled the trigger.
It wouldn’t be until later that I found out my thorough job of cleaning the piece hadn’t been good enough and a part of my print remained. That print put me on trial for murder. Luckily, I had a smart and strong defense attorney who painted the crime scene as chaos and created enough reasonable doubt to set me free.
“I’m so sorry, Mommy,” Parker cried. “I didn’t mean to.”
“Parker, listen to me. You didn’t do this, you hear me?”
“But—”
“No buts. You didn’t do this. It was Daddy’s fault. Little boys don’t touch guns. You didn’t touch it.”
I held him by his shoulders, the events of what happened forming in my mind. They were the events I’d tell the police. I would never repeat that I’d seen my son with the gun in his hand to anyone. But he still had blood on his clothes.
“You heard the shot and came downstairs and went to hug daddy when he fell to the ground. Okay?”
“Okay.”
My gaze flew from my son to Simon’s limp body. I’d seen enough corpses in my life not to be affected by them, but this was different. This was my son’s father.
“Hug Daddy, sweetheart,” I whispered.
I could barely get the words past my throat, but I wasn’t about to let my son go through a trial for murder. Parker knelt in the pool of blood and lay his small torso on top of Simon’s. I shut my eyes and felt a drop fall down my cheek. His head was right over Simon’s heart, as if he were listening for a sign of life.
Why didn’t I try to save him? Was it too late for CPR?
“I love you, Daddy.”
He squeezed his hands around Simon’s body before coming to me and holding onto me. I promised myself I would do everything to protect him.
My quick plan and Parker’s goodbye couldn’t have taken more than three minutes. As I hugged him tightly in my arms, I called 911.
Chapter 15
April - present day
I woke up at one in the morning, sweat beading down my back and chest. The night lamp cast provocative shadows around the room. The nightmare I’d had was as realistic as any other: me kneeling in a pool of blood, the gun with my prints, my crying son and dead husband on the floor. I sat up and leaned against the headboard. The room I’d been sleeping in felt foreign. I shivered and pulled my arms around myself, wishing Sean were here beside me, sharing my bed. Despite everything he’d told me about himself and why we’d met, I wanted to feel his arms around me, enjoy the comfort of his touch, and hear a soothing word. The smell of him on these sheets wasn’t enough, and I doubted that even a simple hold would suffice. I was desperate for the connection we’d had in Hawaii, when he was just Sean, the man who seduced me, the one who made me feel like the only woman in the world, worthy of everything he had to offer.
But things had changed now. He was no longer a simple teacher. Could I really trust that he had my and Parker’s best interests in mind?
Something flashed outside the window, startling me. A few seconds later, the sound of thunder roared. I took a sip of water and headed toward the bathroom. I felt the need to wash my face, as if it would somehow rinse away the nightmare and the dreadful memories that always came along with the dreams. It wasn’t until I got closer to the door that I heard the shower running. The door was ajar, and I snuck a curious peek inside. Sean’s silhouette was visible from behind the steam. It was beautiful and mesmerizing. He was bracing one hand against the wall and water splashed on top of his head and flew down his body, curving over the perfect muscles. He looked like a Greek statue blessed by rain with taut leg muscles, tight ass, and bulging biceps soaking in the water. A side view of the eagle tattoo on his back flashed as he adjusted his stance.
I just stood there with my mouth open and couldn’t move. He rinsed his mouth, spat the water out, and grasped his cock with his free hand. My breath stilled. His first stroke was calculated, as if he wanted to feel the full tug of his skin in his palm. Sean took a quick breath in and his lips parted. My gaze flew back to his hand slowly moving along his shaft, and I felt a swell between my legs. He grew with each movement, both in length and width. I wished the steam wasn’t so thick, so I could have a better view.
I should leave.
Yet my toes felt like they were glued to the marble floor, and my heels dug into the soft carpeting of the bedroom, right at the threshold. I was standing at the edge of the bathroom, merely a few feet away from the shower. It still felt like it was too far. If I pressed my body against that glass door, it would not be near enough. I wanted to be inside that shower, the same one where he’d fucked me earlier in the day. When it was just us and I d
idn’t know all the information he had shared with me that afternoon.
Sean’s breath hitched as his grip tightened, and his movement became more rugged. He had that quick, quick, slow tempo in his wrist. I lowered my own hand down my stomach, then into my panties just to cup myself and stop the throbbing heat. I didn’t quite know what possessed me to do this; I half-wanted to remove my hand, turn around, and give Sean the privacy he deserved, but once my fingers touched the warm flesh, I reached deeper to feel the wetness that had collected there. I dragged it up on the tips of my fingers, right between my folds, soaking my sensitive nub.
What if he saw me? Would he tell me to leave?
Even the fear of getting caught and being embarrassed and humiliated wasn’t enough for me to stop. In fact, it made the moment that much more exhilarating. With the frenzy of lust flowing through my veins, I couldn’t leave.
My lips parted and I pressed my fingers to my clit, moving them in tight circles. It felt so good and so wrong, I was beginning to feel lost. As my knees softened, I leaned my body against the door frame for additional support.
Sean’s rhythm was unforgiving. His ass tightened every few seconds as he plunged further into his own hand. His leg muscles and ribcage hardened while his jaw tensed. His eyes were closed and his breath hitched on each of his inhales as he was nearing the inevitable orgasm.
The pressure underneath my working fingers soared. A few more circles and I would explode. Watching him masturbate was driving me crazy, and when I heard my name trail on his lips just before his knees buckled and he came with a loud grunt, I lost it. I bit my lip to seal in my scream. Tasting blood in my mouth I felt tears trickle down my cheeks as the orgasm spread through me, jerking my body over and over. It was unbelievable. I rubbed myself harder, making it last longer, and the spasms continued until I saw Sean’s body twist toward me. Before my climax had a chance to cool down, I stepped out of view and tiptoed on my shaking legs back to bed, holding onto myself, feeling the swell between my legs slowly subside.
What have I done? How could I betray his privacy like this?
Just as my heart rate began settling, the shower turned off. A minute later I heard Sean’s steps swish over the rug by my bed. I shut my eyes and held my body still as I prayed to not be outed. What was he doing? Why was he here?
After a moment, his voice broke the silence. “Did you enjoy that?”
What? Oh, no!
I kept my eyes closed. He couldn’t have known that I had just watched him come and joined him in the process, could he?
“I know you’re awake, April. And I know you watched me.”
I slowly opened my eyes. He was standing by my bed with his hands on his hips, completely naked, his cock firm and proud right in front of my eyes.
“I’m sorry. I needed to use the washroom, but you were there, and then… I’m sorry.”
“Don’t apologize for something you’re not really sorry for. Did you like watching me jerk off?”
At least he didn’t know I had climaxed along with him.
“I shouldn’t have done that,” I whispered.
The covers flew off my body and the next thing I knew I was flipped on my stomach. Sean straddled me from behind as his hand slid over my ass, traveling down to between my legs. I wanted to protest, but my body needed his touch more than the emotional resistance. He spread my legs apart and moved the soaked fabric of my panties to the side, feeling me.
“You came with me,” he whispered into my ear. It wasn’t even a question. Sean knew what I’d done, and I felt my whole body heat with embarrassment.
“April, I want to be the one who makes you come. The only one.”
A whimper escaped my mouth.
“And with you, pure satisfaction is not acceptable. I want perfection and a flawless execution. Your spasming nerves will feel like I performed a miracle. Each time you come in my mouth or around my cock, it should feel like you got a pair of angel wings and flew to a fantasy land built specifically for you.”
Shit! I was definitely in knee-deep. Actually, that was a lie; I was drowning. Sean had not only graduated from the School of Seduction with a Ph.D. in express arousal, but also summa cum laude. His fingers were playing around my opening, teasing and probing. My hips tilted higher, betraying me as the swell between my legs was revived, deepening my urges as he teased me.
“You’re so wet, baby. Tell me you want me to fuck you.”
“Aha.”
“Aha, what?”
I wanted to relinquish control of my sexual needs to him so badly. Yet so much had happened... so many questions still had to be answered. But that deep throb between my legs became more uncomfortable. I couldn’t stand it.
“Fuck me, please,” I begged. I needed him hard and deep. Sean was the only one who could get rid of that pounding ache I couldn’t completely relieve on my own. He was the king of seduction and satisfaction, and I was merely a peasant in need of his merciless cock.
With one swift pull, my panties were ripped off my ass. His thick cock swept up and down my crack, tantalizing me. His crown filled me first, and hungry for more, I tilted my ass higher.
“Easy, there.”
But I couldn’t wait. I pushed my knees into the mattress and lunged backward, forcing him inside me and sighing with relief. I didn’t recognize the woman I’d become, never having been this forward in bed. I was usually in control of my urges, setting aside my brewing needs. With Sean though, control wasn’t even an option. In fact, I wanted him to be the one to lead me and guide me to pleasure.
“Be careful what you ask for, sweets.”
I hated when he called me sweets, and he must have known it. The word caused some sort of rage to come from within me. I grasped the sheets and tilted my ass higher at the same moment that Sean took my hips into his hands and drove inside me.
“More,” I breathed into the pillow.
Sean didn’t disappoint. Tonight, his hips didn’t recognize the meaning of slow, only an unforgiving rhythm that drove my senses wild and had my mind spinning. I was somewhere else again, lost to the feeling of ultimate bliss. I imagined the red marks on my ass darkening as he slapped his pelvis against me, a pattern of five points from his fingertips being left on my skin, right around my hips, as his grip tightened. I felt my pussy leave a coating of my excitement around his cock on each exit. If he thought he was the one dominating, then he was wrong. I was the one leaving a trail of myself on him. With each pound, more would seep onto his shaft, and it made me feel more confident.
“Come for me, sweets. Come. For. Me.”
He drove inside me between the words, each of which sounded like it was squeezed between his teeth, and it caused my rapture. I bit the pillow, screaming and crying, for the first time since we started allowing him to take over. I let my body go limp as he plunged into me, taking his time fucking me from behind, and I let him. After the powerful orgasm he blessed me with, I’d let him do whatever he wanted with my body. After another minute, he quickened his thrusts before pulling out. He spilled himself on my back, marking me. I couldn’t help but smile. We were more alike than I had originally thought. Somehow being with Sean, I allowed the old me from years ago to surface. I was bolder, happier, and more confidant than I’d ever been in my life. I felt like my old self, before I married Simon, strong and resourceful. Perhaps that’s why I didn’t end up leaving when Sean told me about his job? Because deep down inside, I knew I could handle it.
His seed flowed to the valley of my spine and down to my lower back. Moving was not even an option. Sean stood up and left to go to the bathroom. He brought a warm washcloth and cleaned my back, and then went back again to rinse it and returned. His gentle strokes between my legs as he washed me felt wonderful. My lips were so sensitive to his touch that I winced. It would be a miracle if I could walk in the morning. While the ache was painful, it was a delightful reminder of what had happened between us.
He lay at my side, his fingers gently stroking up
and down my arm. I turned my head to look at him in the faint glow of the night light. His eyes pierced mine. We were both naked on top of the covers. My body was still flushed with so much heat, there was no way I could sleep underneath the sheets.
“What are you thinking?” he asked.
“I don’t want to trust you.”
“Why not?”
“I rely on myself. If I trust someone else, I guess I’m giving a piece of myself to them. A bit of control that took years to gain back.”
“Well, if it helps, I don’t want a piece of you, April. I want all of you. I want you to lose yourself when you’re with me. Let go of your troubles and know that I’m someone who can help you and support you with everything I have. You don’t need to trust me; trust your intuition. Because if you’re the strong woman I know you are, you will follow it and I’m certain it will lead you to me.”
Smooth. Yeah, Sean’s second major was definitely persuasion.
“Do you want me to leave?” he asked.
“No, please stay.” I narrowed my brows. While I’d learned much about him, there were still many mysteries I had to uncover. “What is your last name?”
“Marks. My name is Sean Marks.”
“Will it still be Marks tomorrow?”
I felt my eyelids lower and forced them back up, waiting for his answer.
He laughed. “Go to sleep, April. We have a long day tomorrow.”
Was that a yes?
I sighed and turned around to hug the pillow, but didn’t expect him to wrap his arms around me from behind. It not only felt good, it felt right. Sean Marks. In the short time that I’d known him, Sean had not only marked my body, but also my heart. I was definitely in trouble.
Chapter 16
Sean
When I woke up the next morning with wood the size of my arm, all I wanted to do was sink into that warm pussy next to me. Unfortunately, I had important matters to take care of. Leaving her in my bed on her own, all cuddled up against that pillow, I promised it would be the only time I’d do so.
