by Naomi Niles
“That was my way of saying thank you,” I said sincerely. “For helping me out.”
Peter shrugged. “What did you expect me to do? Leave you rotting in jail?”
“Some brothers might have done.”
He smiled. “I’m not one of them.”
“I know,” I said.
“Did you call Mom?” Peter asked. “She’s been beside herself this entire time.”
“I called. She was thrilled. She kept insisting that she had foreseen this very outcome.”
Peter smiled. “She told me the same thing when I called her fifteen minutes ago. I took the liberty of telling Madison, too… She was delighted.”
“Not delighted enough to be here to welcome me home, though,” I sighed.
Peter laughed. “No one knew you were heading over here,” he reminded me. “And you must admit, your release was pretty unexpected.”
“It certainly was to me,” I nodded. “Just goes to show what an excellent lawyer Mia is.”
Peter got two beers and then we headed to the living room to chat for a while. “How did she manage it?” he asked the moment we had settled down on the tired old sofa.
“She requested a meeting with Jackson and he accepted.”
“Surprising,” Peter said with raised eyebrows.
“He had his lawyer present,” I said. “But Mia managed to guilt him into a confession.
“She reminded him of all the times he’d saved my life and vice versa, and it turns out that Jackson still cares enough about me to feel guilty about what he had done. She managed to crack him – right there in front of his lawyer. And, there was nothing he could do to stop Jackson signing the documents that exonerated me.”
“Wow,” Peter breathed, obviously impressed.
“I know,” I smiled. “I’ll never see the inside of a courtroom. Is it crazy that I’m disappointed?”
“Yes,” he said firmly. “Don’t be an idiot.”
“I’m only kidding,” I laughed. “I’m thrilled. That wasn’t…the best situation to be in.”
“How are you feeling now?”
“Crazy good,” I admitted. “And really horny.”
“Urgh,” he said, scrunching his face up in disgust. “Prison really screwed you up, huh?”
“Fuck you,” I said. “I was thinking of Mia.”
“I hope you were,” Peter smiled. “Is that…still on the table?”
“I begged her to have dinner with me tonight,” I revealed. “She’s coming over with Renni, and I’m going to cook them dinner. So, it seems to be very much on the table.”
He laughed. “You realize you’re not going to get laid with her kid right there?”
“I’m aware,” I sighed. “But it doesn’t matter. I’m actually excited to see both of them. I can postpone sex if it means having a conversation with Mia.”
“Wow, this woman has really done a number on you.”
“I think I’m starting to realize that.”
“Have you?” Peter asked pointedly. “Really?”
“What do you mean?” I asked, wrinkling my brows at him.
“She has a child, Sam,” he said quietly.
“I’m handsome, Pete,” I smiled. “Not stupid.”
“What I mean is, you need to really think about this. Getting involved with her means committing to her daughter, too. If you get serious with Mia, it means you will essentially...”
“Become a father,” I finished for Peter when he trailed off. “I know, I’ve thought about that.”
“You’re a twenty-four year old man with a dangerous job and a flighty nature,” he said. “You’ve never actually been in a real relationship, and you’ve never actually dated anybody for any length of time. Are you sure you’re ready for a full blown commitment that involves parenting a five year old?”
Peter’s words got me thinking, and I felt a little hot under the collar. The discomfort was fleeting, but I couldn’t deny that it was there. He was right: I really needed to think about this.
It wasn’t that I was averse to the challenge; it was the fact that I was scared I wouldn’t measure up. It wasn’t like I could afford to make mistakes here because two other people were involved and they would undoubtedly suffer for my mistakes.
“I never thought I’d be a father,” I admitted softly.
“Why would you?” he said. “You never wanted to get married in the first place.”
“Fair point,” I nodded. “But I don’t know…something has changed.”
“What’s changed?”
“Being with Mia…and knowing that she has a child… It doesn’t scare me like I thought it would,” I admitted. “I mean, I love Renni. It’s hard not to – she’s a sweet, thoughtful kid and half the time seems more grown up than I am.”
“She’s still a five year old, Sam,” Peter reminded me. “And after awhile, she’s going to start looking at you in a certain way. She’s going to start looking at you like you’re her father. Can you handle that? Because it’s a huge responsibility.”
“I know,” I nodded. “I’m aware of that. Trust me… I’m not walking into this blindly.”
“Forgive me for checking,” he said with a smile. “You do have a habit of walking into things blindly.”
“Low blow,” I accused. “But nevertheless true.”
“Do you want to know my honest opinion about all this?”
“Of course.”
“I think she could be really good for you,” he said. “She’s a smart, intelligent, and beautiful woman. She’s grounded, sensible, and mature, and you’ve always needed that kind of presence in your life. I think this relationship could be good for you.
“I just want you to make sure it’ll be good for her, too. Otherwise, it would be unfair; I want to make sure you step up and do the right thing.”
“I know,” I said. “And, I appreciate that and all your advice. But now I need one more piece of advice.”
“I really should start charging,” he sighed dramatically. Then he smiled. “What is it?”
“Dinner,” I said seriously. “I’m cooking tonight and I want it to be special.”
Peter laughed. “Grab me a pen and paper and write this down. I’ll give you a simple, easy recipe that even a monkey can turn out.”
“Gee, thanks,” I said sarcastically as I went to retrieve a pen and paper.
After saying goodbye to Peter, I headed straight for the fire station. I didn’t want to postpone the meeting by a single day. I was sure I would get my job back, but there was still a little inkling of doubt that clung to me. Most of the guys were in the day room, so I managed to bypass them easily before heading to the chief’s office.
He was sitting behind his desk, looking impressive and intimidating all at once. I gulped, knocked twice and entered with some hesitation.
“Sam?” Chief Shelby said, in obvious surprise.
“Hi, Chief,” I greeted mildly. “Missed me?”
“You’re supposed to be in jail,” he said, with a cold edge to his tone.
“I’m here to explain,” I said. “May I sit down?”
“First, I’ll hear your explanation,” Chief replied. “Then I’ll decide if you deserve to sit down.”
“Good call,” I nodded.
I launched into the explanation of how everything happened, including the last part, where Mia had convinced Jackson to sign the papers stating I had no knowledge of the illegal transactions occurring behind the scenes in the bar.
“The judge released me and the charges were dropped without a blemish on my record,” I said. “I’m squeaky clean, Chief – always have been.”
The chief stared at me with his piercing eyes and then nodded. “You deserve to keep standing for the pure stupidity of signing your name to documents you hadn’t read, but I’ll allow you to sit.”
I smiled and sat down opposite him. “Thanks, Chief,” I said. “You’re a champ.”
I could tell he was trying to suppress a smile as h
e looked at me. “And what news about Jackson?”
The smile faltered on my face. “I… It doesn’t look good for him. There’s no doubt he’s guilty, and they have enough evidence to put him away for a few years.”
Chief sighed deeply. “I don’t know how he went so wrong.”
“Some do,” I said.
“It’s a shame. He was an idiot, too…but he was a promising idiot.”
“He was a hero,” I said. “I think he just…lost his way.”
“I know this must be hard for you Sam,” he said, in a sympathetic tone. “You worked well together.”
“He was the only partner I ever had,” I said. “It’s going to be hard working without him. Uh…that’s assuming… I have my job back?”
Chief stared at me for a moment and nodded. “You have your job back. Don’t mess it up again.”
“I won’t, sir,” I said emphatically. “You can count on that.”
“Good man,” he nodded. “Now get out of my sight. I have work to do.”
“Yes, sir, thank you, sir,” I said, saluting him with vigor as I backed out of his office.
Feeling like everything was falling into place, I headed for the grocery store first and then back to my apartment. My one saving grace in getting ready was my apartment was so small that the cleaning didn’t take as long as it could have. I had everything looking reasonably tidy in less than an hour.
Then I started cooking. Peter had given me a recipe for a chicken risotto. First, I marinated the chicken and set that aside. Then I got to work on the risotto. It was a lot of stirring and sweating, but when I was finished adding the wine and chicken stock into the pot of risotto, it actually looked the way it was meant to. I stared at it for a moment, thrilled with how well I had done. I even took a picture and sent it to Peter.
I set the table with three plates, three glasses, and two wine glasses for Mia and me. I even placed napkins by every plate. I cooked the chicken and added it to the risotto, and then I pushed the bread into the oven to bake and popped the ready-made salad I had bought into a bowl. Peter had given me an easy-to-make salad recipe, but I had been too lazy to commit so fully to my first ever homemade meal.
By the time everything was done, I felt like a regular old Martha Stewart. I stared at my handiwork for a few minutes, incredibly proud of myself, and then headed to the bathroom for a nice shower. I had just slipped on my jeans and a white t-shirt when I heard the doorbell ring. Spraying myself with cologne, I rushed to the door and opened it with excitement.
Mia was standing there in a long black trench coat and black heels that made her ankles look particularly sexy. I realized how far gone I was to be admiring her ankles. That was the last place I would have considered attractive.
Her dark brown hair fell in loose waves around her shoulders and framing the perfect oval of her face. Her eyes were only slightly made up, emphasizing the bright beauty of her green eyes.
She looked positively radiant, and I felt my body respond to her immediately. I reminded myself that Renni was there, and then it struck me. She wasn’t there. Mia was standing at my door, completely alone.
“Where’s Renni?” I asked.
Mia smiled. “She’s with Vanessa tonight,” she replied. “I thought it would be nice to have a night to ourselves.”
I had never been so turned on by words that were distinctly non-sexual. I returned her smile. “I’ll miss Renni, but I have to admit…that does sound nice.”
“It smells nice in here,” Mia said as she placed a hand on my chest and walked me backwards, into my own apartment.”
“I cooked everything myself,” I said. “Well…except the salad, but I figure that doesn’t really count as cooking, anyway.”
Mia’s smile was slow and purposeful, and I was starting to feel a premature erection coming on. I didn’t want to pounce on her, but it seemed my body wasn’t getting the message.
“And, I can’t wait to try what you’ve made for me,” Mia said, closing the door behind her. “But truthfully, I’m not hungry right now.”
“No?”
“No.” She shook her head slowly. “Do you want to know what I’m in the mood for?”
All I could do was nod my head and watch her. She was mesmerizing in that moment, and I had a sudden feeling that something great was about to happen. And as though my silent wish had been granted – it did.
Slowly, Mia peeled back her coat to reveal what she was wearing underneath, which turned out to be nothing but lingerie. She was wearing black lacy panties that had a series of symmetrical cut outs from which her snow-white skin peeked out. The matching bra she wore was a half-cup that revealed the full roundness of her beautiful supple breasts.
She stretched her hand out and dropped her coat on the floor. Then she approached me slowly in her sexy black heels.
“Now, it’s your turn.”
Chapter Twenty-Six
Mia
There was a strange kind of freedom about standing there half naked in Sam’s tiny apartment, approaching him with a predatory gait. It was the first time in a long time that I had felt like the girl I had been in college. I had always been sexually confident; I just hadn’t had the opportunity to unleash that part of myself in a long time.
I moved towards Sam, who was looking at me as though I were an otherworldly creature, and he wasn’t quite sure how to handle me. I liked it. It made me feel powerful and in control. His eyes raked over my body, lingering on my breasts, the curve of my belly, and the area between my legs. I welcomed his gaze, knowing the effect I was having on him. I could see the swell of his erection through his pants.
I was already wet, but I wanted to drag out the moment before sex. I wanted to tease and entice him; I wanted to be delirious with need before I let him inside me. I had always loved foreplay – it was sometimes more erotic than the sex itself. It was the anticipation that built up the moment and made you feel like you were on fire.
I reached out with my hand and ran my fingers down the front of Sam’s shirt. Then slowly, one by one, I removed the buttons of his shirt, making continuous eye contact with him the whole time. He shuddered every now and again and I noticed his erection reach maximum capacity. I removed his shirt and threw it to the floor. Then, I unzipped his pants and pushed them down.
He stepped out of them, kicking them to one corner, while I pushed down his underpants and released his erection. His penis was large and long and it stuck out so far that I could feel its tip brush against my thigh. I smiled at the feeling and led him to his own sofa before pushing him down onto it. He was completely naked, but didn’t seem to notice. The only thing he seemed to be truly aware of was my body.
I slid down to my knees, running my hands up and down his thighs as I did so. I felt another shiver run through his body. He looked at me as though he were in a trance.
I balanced my hands on his legs and pushed myself upwards so that our chests met in the middle. I didn’t kiss him immediately. Instead, I ran my tongue up and down his neck for a few moments before moving to his ear to tickle the inside of it. I felt the burn of his fingers on my flesh when his hands fell to my hips.
Slowly, I moved my lips to his face, kissing his eyelids first and then moving down to his lips. I ran my tongue down his lower lip and parted them easily before kissing him. I could feel the sigh on his mouth as we kissed – a fully-fledged, heat-inducing kiss filled with promise.
As we kissed, I moved my hand down to his penis and engulfed it in my palm. I moved my hand up and down the length of it, careful to keep my touch light and sensual.
After a few minutes had passed, I broke out long, impassioned kiss and slid down lower between his legs. Sam stared at me as though he wasn’t quite sure what to do. I saw the burning need in his eyes, but I wasn’t ready for him to enter me just yet. With my eyes fixed on him, I flicked the tip of his penis with my tongue. He groaned in response, and I smiled. Slowly, I explored his cock with my tongue, taking only the tip of his penis
into my mouth and easing him into it. After a minute I bent my head down, committing fully to the task at hand, and took the length of him into my mouth.
“Fuck!” Sam called out in obvious elation.
I could feel his hands gripped the soft material of the couch he was seated on. He tasted sweet and I could feel how turned on he was. I changed my angle and then took him deeper into my mouth until I could feel his cock at the back of my throat.
“Holy-”
He could barely finish his expletive. His body was quavering, and I knew that within moments he was about to cum. I started sucking on him hard, enjoying the feel of his penis sliding in and out of my mouth in smooth, steady strokes.
“Fuck,” he yelled as one hand rested gently on my head. “Fuck!”
I pulled back just as he came, his body shuddering as the orgasm rocked through him. I watched him and smiled; the sight only made me wetter than I already was. I got up and sat down beside him, cradling him in my arms until he had recovered. After a moment, I passed him a tissue from the coffee table, and he wiped himself off.
“That was… I didn’t…” Sam smiled at his own ineloquence. “I’ve never had a girl deep throat me before.”
“There’s a first time for everything,” I replied.
“I’m not done with you,” he said, reaching over to unhook my bra.
“Good,” I nodded. “Because I’m not done with you, either.”
Sam seemed to take this as a challenge because the next thing I knew, he had pushed me down against the sofa and was suddenly on top of me. Even as he kissed me, he had one hand on my nipple and one hand between my legs. He played with me for a long time and after a few minutes, I felt a new erection against my thigh.
“Fuck me hard,” I whispered to him.
There was a time for gentle lovemaking, soft kisses, and tender caresses – but this wasn’t one of those times. I wanted it rough, and I wanted it now. Sam slipped inside me easily, and then he hiked one of my legs over his shoulder and started ramming into me as though he had something to prove. I could hear the thick sound of our flesh meeting and the sound by itself was intoxicating in its blatant eroticism.
