by Nikki Ash
“Don’t ignore me, Marco. Why can’t you fight?” The look he gives me is one I’ve never seen before. It looks like he’s scared, which is crazy because Marco is one of the strongest people I know, at least physically anyway.
“Marco,” I say again.
“Fine! I’m fucking afraid, Belles!” He scrubs the side of his face with his hand and I keep quiet to let him continue. “I’m afraid I’ll go back to getting high. I’m afraid of the pain. Then there’s the fact that one of my best friends is lying in a coma because of my fighting. I spent the last four years training with him and now he’s in a goddamn coma. I’m a dad now and I’m trying to make shit right with you. Look what happened a few weeks ago. I had a shot of liqueur, and yeah, I know I can drink if I want to, but it’s not smart. I’m just trying to stay above water right now.”
In this moment, my heart breaks for this man. He has been through so much his entire life and the only time he was truly happy was when he was fighting and now the one thing that makes him feel whole is the very thing he’s afraid of.
I crawl into his lap to be close to him, suddenly missing Marco and our friendship. We might be living in the same house but we have been a million miles apart lately. His words of admission remind me how fucking human he is. His entire world imploded the night of that accident. Then there was the pain and drugs and what happened with us.
He turned to the one thing he swore he never would do, the very thing that killed his mom. And now he’s associating fighting with everything bad that’s happened.
“Hey,” I murmur. Marco’s hands hold onto my thighs lightly, his face looking down between us. “Hey,” I say, again. This time his face lifts and I can see the tears. Wrapping my arms around his neck, I hug him as tight as I can. We sit like this for I don’t know how long before I pull back.
“Are you still in pain?”
He shakes his head slowly.
“You’ll get through this.” I give him a small smile before getting up. As I go to swing my leg over to the other side, Marco’s hand grabs my thighs tighter sending an electrical charge straight to my center.
“Marco…”
“I need you, Bella.” He pulls me close to him and nuzzles his face in my hair. “I miss you so damn much. It’s like I was given a sample but when I went to order the full portion it was sold out.”
I roll my eyes and laugh softly but go along with his analogy. “No, it was more like you had the perfect, homemade, cooked to perfection meal right in front of you and you walked out without finishing dinner.”
I don’t hear Marco but I feel him shaking with laughter. “I was stupid Belles. I’m so hungry.”
“Yeah well maybe next time you won’t choose a drive thru over a home cooked meal.” It’s meant as a joke but Marco stiffens and I feel bad for throwing that in his face. I know he didn’t do anything with Janell or any other woman for that matter. “I’m sorry.”
“No, don’t apologize. I’m going to earn your trust back Belles. But not just your trust, I’m going to earn your mind and your body and your heart. One day, you will be completely mine and I will have earned it.”
Silly boy… if he only knew—he already owns me, all of me, every piece of me: mind, body, and heart.
Twenty-Eight
Marco
Ever since Bella and I talked the other night, it seems like we have moved into a new type of comfort. We aren’t back to where we were before I fucked it all up by leaving but I would like to think we are at least back on track and heading in the right direction. We watch TV together at night, converse during dinner more, and we have been to my parents’ house to visit several times. It’s like we are back to being friends again except we have a baby together. It’s been nice.
I do have to say I’m kind of shocked that Bella hasn’t pushed me more since I admitted to her my fears about fighting. We haven’t even spoken again regarding my admission. So, when she stumbles into the house trying to carry a big box inside, while I’m in the middle of folding clothes, I’m not at all suspicious.
“Whoa, there! Let me help you.” I grab the box from her tiny hands and pick it up to bring inside. Once I set it down in the living room, I take a look at the picture and see it’s a stroller. “Don’t we already have a stroller, Belles?”
She closes the door behind her and smiles. “It’s a better stroller. Will you help me set it up?”
I’m not sure why we need a better stroller for a three-month-old baby that weighs like ten pounds dripping wet but I’m not going to argue. Bella rarely buys anything other than what’s needed. She’s not your typical female and it’s one of the things I love about her.
“Sure.” We spend the next hour putting the stroller together. Once we’re done, I check it out. Instead of four wheels, it has three huge ones, the front one being able to swivel. It has a couple cup holders, a large area underneath the seat for storage, and the thick handlebar goes across the top. It’s a sturdy stroller but I’m still not sure why we needed another one.
“What do you think?”
Bella jumps up and down squealing, clapping her hands together. “I love it! Let’s try it out now.”
“Ok…” I’m still confused as to why we can’t just take Micaela for a walk in her other stroller. “I’ll grab her from her room. She’s due to wake up from her nap anyway. Once you feed her, we can head to the park. But afterward I have to go to my meeting. It’s important I’m there tonight.”
“Oh, my God! Marco, are you getting your six-month tag tonight?”
“Yeah.” I shrug nonchalantly. “Any chance you might want to go?”
“Yes! I am so proud of you. While I get ready, call your mom to see if she wants to spend some time with Micaela and then I can go with you.”
“Ok, Belles.”
“Oh! And I want to go somewhere else besides the usual park. Make sure you put on comfortable shoes.” She gives me a wink then walks away, picking up Micaela to feed her.
After I’ve gotten dressed and confirmed with my mom she can hang out with Micaela for a little bit, I come out to find Bella putting our daughter into her car seat. We throw the stroller in the back of my SUV and since Bella insists on driving, I jump into the passenger seat. About twenty-five minutes later we pull up to Red Rock. I haven’t been here since the day I kissed Bella. God, it seems like that was a lifetime ago.
“Wanting to take a walk down memory lane?” I joke.
She frowns but quickly recovers and says, “I was thinking more like a jog.” And then it hits me. She’s just tricked me into working out. She’s fucking slick, I’ll give her that much. I should have seen this coming.
“Belles, I don’t think…”
“Nope, don’t think. We are going for a jog, that’s it.” She jumps out of the vehicle and grabs the stroller from the back, popping it open. I can’t help but stare at the way her spandex pants mold around her tight round ass. She bends over to put the diaper bag underneath and her full tits, which barely fit in her sports bra thanks to her breastfeeding, practically spill out from the top. When she stands back up, her belly ring glitters in the sun. The woman is completely unaware that she’s like a walking billboard for MILF porn.
Of course, she catches me staring at her. “What?” She looks down at herself. “Do I have something on me?”
“No, you’re just fucking gorgeous.”
Her nose scrunches up and she rolls her eyes. “Shut up.”
“I’m serious.” I grab her hips and pull her over to the side of the vehicle pressing my body against hers. She blushes the cutest shade of pink when my hard-on makes its presence known against her stomach. Nuzzling my face into her neck, I murmur softly into her ear. “Your sexy ass, babe. It’s on fire.” My hands glide over her hips and land on her ass, giving it a squeeze. “And those perky fucking tits are just begging to be sucked.” My mouth goes down to her cleavage and I give the top of each tit a soft kiss. “Fuck, and that goddamn belly ring that I want to lick. Belles,
you are one hot mom.”
“Oh, my god! Marco!” She giggles and swats at my chest. “You are too much.”
She grabs Micaela from her car seat and plops her inside the stroller as I attempt to adjust myself.
“Ok, all ready!” Notice she doesn’t ask me if I’m ready; she just says she is as she grabs two water bottles from the car and places them in the cup holders while I check out Micaela in her seat all buckled in. She looks adorably tiny in the huge stroller but she’s smiling and ready to rock and roll just like her mom.
I bend down to stretch and make sure my shoe laces are tied tight and notice my hands are shaking. Taking a deep breath, I stand and nod. “Ok, I’m ready.”
We start off slow, neither of us saying a word, eventually picking up speed. I focus on the trail in front of me, occasionally stealing a glance at Bella, and she focuses on running. I recognize the area where we kissed when we get to it and smirk before I pretend to trip. I fall to the ground and roll a few feet.
Bella parks the stroller and crouches down next to me. “Oh no! Marco, are you ok?” When she hears my laughter spill out, she slaps me in the chest. “You scared me!”
“Don’t you recognize this place?” I look around. “It’s where you conned me into kissing you.” I laugh harder when she glares at me.
“I didn’t con you! I really did fall!”
“And so did I…for you.” I waggle my eyebrows and give her a wink. Her face breaks out into a wide grin and she throws her head back in laughter.
“You are so damn cheesy Marco!” She says once she’s caught her breath.
“I think I might need some mouth-to-mouth, Belles. I’m seriously hurt.” I roll over dramatically and she giggles.
“And how will giving you mouth-to-mouth help you?” Her one brow raises.
“Don’t parents say that kisses make the boo-boos all better?”
“Umm…yeah…but I’m pretty sure they mean to kiss the actual boo-boo.”
“My mouth is hurting, Belles. It’s suffering emotional pain from being neglected. It misses you.”
Bella rolls her eyes trying to fight a smile, but when I sit up onto my elbow, her eyes go wide. “Kiss me, Belles,” I whisper. And I am shocked as shit when she does.
She leans in and our lips meet. At first, it’s a soft kiss as I let Bella guide us but then she grabs the back of my neck and kisses me with such passion I almost come in my pants. I feel her tongue seek entrance, my lips parting to give her access and that’s when things heat up even more. Her tongue swirls around with mine and she tastes so damn good.
I sit up without breaking our kiss and she climbs up onto my lap. My hands go to her pony tail, and wrapping my hand around her mane, I push her face closer to mine. She lets out a soft groan and starts to grind down on my cock. That’s when we hear a cooing sound coming from our daughter in her stroller only a couple feet away—and snapping us back to where we are. Bella climbs off me, her breathing erratic and I stand up needing to adjust myself.
Micaela’s coos get louder by the second until she’s screeching for attention causing us to laugh.
Once we finish our run, we head home to shower and change before dropping Micaela off with my parents so we can go to my meeting. I’m nervous as hell about Bella attending one of my meetings. What if being there makes her realize she is living with a recovering drug addict. It’s one thing to know it but it’s another thing to sit in a meeting, surrounded by other recovering addicts. These meetings will most likely always be a part of my life.
We get to the meeting, arriving only a few minutes before it starts. We have a seat in the back and listen as the speaker talks. Bella moves her hand toward mine, entwining our fingers together and places both of our hands in her lap. When the speaker calls my name to give me my six-month key tag, I stand up and walk over to the podium. I don’t usually say much but with Bella sitting in the back smiling at me, I feel like I need to say something.
“Thank you.” I feel myself getting choked up so I take a calming breath before continuing to speak. “My mother was an addict. I swore I would never become my mother. One day I woke up and realized I had in fact become my mother. Only looking back, I see I never became her. She refused to get help. She refused to get clean. I am not my mother. I am me and every day I will fight to stay clean for my daughter, my family, and most importantly for myself.”
After the meeting ends, we pick up Micaela and head home. Other than congratulating me, Bella doesn’t bring up the meeting. After putting Micaela to bed, we end up on the couch watching more episodes of The O.C.
“So, today’s run was good, huh?” She thinks she so damn sly.
“Yeah, it was good.”
“And you don’t feel any pain?”
“Nope.”
“So, you might want to join me at the gym tomorrow?”
“Nope.”
She whips her head to me and scowls. “Why not?”
“One, I don’t have anyone to train me. Two, your dad isn’t going to let me into that gym. And three, your dad isn’t going to let me into that gym.”
“Really? You had to mention that twice?” she questions.
“Hell yes, because it’s worth two reasons. I can’t believe your father hasn’t come here while you aren’t home and killed me, yet.”
“Whatever, Marco.” She rolls her eyes. “Sometimes you are such a baby.”
“Baby?” I ask as she stands up.
“Yes, baby. I’m going to go take a shower. Feel free to continue your pouting and boo-hoo session while I’m gone. Then maybe once it’s out of your system you can go to the gym and talk to my dad. You agreed to that fight. You can’t just back out now. That’s not who you are. And I saw you tonight at that meeting. You are a fighter.”
She walks down the hallway toward her bathroom and I can’t help but watch as her ass sways. Fuck, what I would give to get a hold of that sweet ass. For a minute, I sit and ponder and then decide to see if she’ll let me join her in the shower.
When I get to the shower, I second guess myself. What if she thinks I’m trying to use her? But we did almost fuck right there in Red Rock park today, and I know she was just as into it as I was.
Fuck it. I swing open the door and the visual in front of me has my dick twitching. Bella is naked and sitting on top of the counter next to the sink with the baby monitor next to her. The water is going but she’s making no effort to get in.
“Took you long enough.” What the hell.
“You were waiting for me?” I smirk suddenly feeling more confident.
“Well, I was hoping.” I close the distance between us, my shirt coming off along the way.
“And what if I didn’t come in here?”
Bella shrugs and then smirks. “I guess I would have had to handle it myself.”
“Handle what?” I ask slowly. Please say what I think you’re going to say.
“This…” She makes a show of wetting her pointer and middle finger with her mouth. And then opening her legs wide, she brings her fingers down, spreading the lips of her pussy and visibly massaging her clit. A soft moan comes out of her and I know she’s hitting the spot that will have her coming quickly. But there’s no way in hell I’m letting her finish without me.
Bridging the gap between us, I grab a hold of her hand to still it, and I grip the back of her head as I kiss her hard. She tastes like the tea she drank during dinner, cold and sweet. She lets me kiss her but as soon as the kiss stops and my mouth starts to work its way down, she grabs my chin gently and says, “Nuh-uh. Not yet.” She shakes her head.
“What’s wrong?”
“Before anything happens, we need to settle a couple of thing first.” I stand back up, and with her legs wide open, I stand between them, my hands resting on her toned creamy thighs, my eyes meeting hers, giving her my full attention
“Ok. Lay it on me.”
“No more lying about shit. No more hiding shit. No more leaving without telling me. Either Micae
la and I come first or I’ll be the one leaving. I need to be your partner and that means we handle all this shit together.”
“That’s a whole lot of shit,” I joke but then I get serious knowing she is being serious. “I know it’s going to take some time to prove it to you, but I promise no more lying and hiding shit. You and Micaela will always come first. We are a team.” I lean forward and give her a soft kiss on her lips. “I won’t take this chance you’re giving me for granted.”
“You better not,” she warns. Her hands go to my chest, rubbing down my torso. “Don’t make me regret this, Marco.” She leans forward and gives my chest a light kiss before sitting back, my body following hers.
My lips move to the corner of her mouth as I brush my lips across hers. “You won’t,” I say with conviction, my lips pressing against hers a little harder before I move down to her jaw, trailing gentle kisses along the way—down her neck toward her collarbone. When my lips move to her luscious tits, Bella shivers as I lick each of her perfect pink nipples.
“Fuck, Bella.” I plant one more wet kiss on each of them before I continue my journey downward, kneeling in front of her. With her legs already open and ready, I give the top of her sex an open-mouthed kiss then I move to her clit to give it a kiss as well.
Spreading her pussy lips open, I push my tongue into her tight hole and begin tongue fucking her. I am addicted to everything about this woman. Her taste. Her touch. Her mouth. Her mind. There’s nothing in the world I wouldn’t do to be able to have her for the rest of my life. I can’t fuck this up, again.
Bella’s breathing builds up and soon she is panting. “Marco, please,” she begs, so I glide my tongue back up to her clit to give it the attention it needs. Slurping and sucking and nibbling, I get lost in this woman’s pussy until she is moaning my name as she comes all over my tongue.
Without giving herself a chance to come down from her orgasm, she pushes me away and I’m scared she’s regretting letting me in. But then she drops to her knees, taking my shorts down with her, and before I can protest, she takes my cock into her mouth completely. It hits the back of her throat and she gags slightly.
