“Damn, you’re tight.”
She let out a little chuckle. “Only cuz you’re big.”
“Glad we fit perfectly.”
When she moaned, I almost came but held back. I wanted to see her get hers first. I moved one of my hands from her ass so I could play with her clit. I circled it with my thumb and she turned her slow movements into faster ones.
“Ah, yessss.”
“Good?” I asked.
“So good.”
Then I grabbed her hip to increase the speed even more. I thrust up, hard, and she responded with almost a growl. She met me with her own motion and soon, her tiny muscles were contracting against me, which set me off into my own climax. She collapsed on my chest, snuggling into my neck. Her hair spilled across me like a silken curtain and I ran my fingers through it, enjoying its softness.
“You’re so gorgeous when you’re making love.” I moved to lay us down, taking her with me.
“Making love?”
“Umm hmm. I don’t exactly consider this a quick fuck, do you?”
“Not at all,” she said, lifting up to look at me.
“Well, if it’s more than plain old sex, and it involves deep emotion, which I perceive this did, then what would you call it?”
“I suppose I’d call it making love,” she said shyly, then hid her face in the pillow.
“Whoa, whoa. Why are you hiding?”
“I’m not hiding.” Her voice was muffled.
“Oh no? Then why is your face jammed in that pillow?”
“It’s not.”
I almost howled but didn’t for fear of waking up Muffin. She felt my body shaking and her hand smacked my shoulder. “Ouch. That stung.”
“That’s what you get for laughing at me.” She finally lifted her head and brushed her hair off her face.
“But really, why the sudden case of shyness?”
“I don’t know. It’s dumb really. All this talk about making love just felt … weird.”
“Why?”
“Because talking about love is serious stuff.”
“I know. But Rose, what would you say if I told you I love you?”
“I’d faint.”
“Do you have any smelling salts?”
“Wait—are you serious?”
I rolled to my side and cupped her cheek. “I would never in a million years joke about something like this. And, you don’t have to say anything back. But you should know that I do love you and Montana.”
Then she did something unexpected that surprised me. She cried. I gathered her in my arms until she stopped. “I didn’t mean to bring you to tears.”
“No one since that rat bastard and he never meant it, ever told me they loved me except Montana.”
“Your parents didn’t?”
“No. My dad was an abusive drunk, as I told you before and my mom, even though she eventually recovered, still never told me. I think when she had me, she didn’t know how to handle a kid. Her life changed so much after me she never forgave me for it.”
“You don’t ever have to worry about that because I’m going to shower you with more love than you can imagine—that is if you’ll have me.”
“Have you? Are you crazy? Of course I’ll have you. I love you too, Pearson. I never thought I’d trust anyone enough to say those word to, though.”
“I promise you I will never give you a reason not to trust me. I’ve waited a long time for the right one and I’m not going to do anything to ruin it. Not only that, you’re one of the reasons I now understand the true meaning of love. Yes, I’ve had the best role models in my parents, the greatest family, and the perfect childhood. But loving you, being in this relationship with you, has given me courage to face this uphill battle I’m fighting, and it’s made me believe in myself.”
“I know you can win. Remember, I believe in you too.” She kissed me, long and slow.
“Rose, I want to spend the rest of my life with you, but only after I prove to you I can stay sober for at least a year. I won’t risk anything until then. And, not only that, I want to live on my own first. I want to prove to myself I have the strength to do it.” I took a chunk of her hair and twirled it.
Her finger traced the outline of the tattooed rose on my chest. “I think that’s an excellent idea. It will allow you time to learn how to cope on your own. And you’ll know that I’m always here, with an open door, if you need it.”
“I’ve been here a little over a month now. Maybe another two or three weeks. My meetings are going well. Reese has mentioned that too. He thinks it would be a good idea.”
She pushed her hand through my hair. “Do you know how proud I am of you? And before you say anything, let me tell you why. When I first met you, I figured you were some cocky dude who thought he could just waltz into the center and do whatever he wanted. And you kinda did, but—and this is a huge but—you listened to everyone who had something important and meaningful to say and took it to heart. After I figured I wasn’t a good fit for you and saw how you were changing and developing there, I knew you were going to succeed. I’m not saying that because of us. You would’ve succeeded despite that. You have what it takes, Pearson. A strong will, dedication, and a positive attitude. You also had a strong supportive family, you got involved in activities, were responsible about fulfilling commitments and all those things that ultimately lead to success. I’ve learned a lot from you, but one of the biggest things is not to be so quick to judge people as I did you.”
“Since we’re sharing secrets, can I tell you something?”
“Sure.”
I half-smiled and said, “I thought you were a hippie.”
Her brows shot up. “Me? A hippie?”
“Yeah. All those beads and stuff over there and then I walked into your office and you had one of those head wreaths on. I was like … where the hell have I landed? When my brothers dropped me off and we pulled into the drive, I saw that old hippie van and the Flower Power sign and wanted to turn around because I came from the city. You know, suits and ties. I felt like I’d been beamed over to Haight-Ashbury.”
Her hand covered her mouth as she suppressed a loud laugh. “Oh, God, I can just hear the sarcasm rolling off your tongue.”
“Oh, I don’t think you can. I was definitely a surly ass. Sweat was pouring off me and I was a wreck. And then here I come to the land of hippie-ville. It was a true what the fuck moment.”
Her laughing slows and she finally asks, “And how do you feel about hippie-ville now?”
“I loooove the place. I mean look who it brought me.” I lean over and kiss her.
“Oh, remember that wreath I gave you?”
“Remember? How could I forget? One of the guys in group the next morning wanted to know who was sitting in my seat. It was God awful the way I itched.” I chuckle at the memory.
“I felt horrible for it too, but I’d never had anyone react like that.”
“My new motto is just say no to heroin, Oxy, and lemon verbena.”
She laughed, then said, “Now you’re stuck with clicky shoe recitals.” She tapped my arm.
“I’ll gladly go with you. Maybe she’ll improve.”
“God, I hope so. She can’t get any worse.”
“I’ll have to ask Marin about Kinsley. I’m not sure if she’s improved or not. Speaking of, Marin texted and wanted to know if Montana could spend the night this weekend with Kinsley. I forgot to mention that to you.”
“I’ll ask her, but I’m sure she’d love it. Poor Marin and Grey with that dancing.”
I waved a hand. “They’re used to it. Or maybe they have a large supply of earplugs.”
She snapped her fingers. “That’s a great idea!”
I checked the time and it was close to one. “I’d better be off to bed, babe. The morning will be here soon. I’m getting up early to run.”
“And I’m doing Yoga. Goodnight.”
Though I hated to leave her, I needed the sleep too. Six would be here way
too soon. I’d been getting up every morning to run because it seemed if I waited until after the end of the day, I didn’t get it in.
When I got to my room, I grabbed my phone to ensure the alarm was on. That’s when I saw the message from Miles.
Greg’s arraignment has been moved to tomorrow. Will keep you informed.
How the hell did that happen? I’d call the bodyguards first thing in the morning. If he was released, I dared not take any chances on Rose’s or Montana’s safety.
Chapter Thirty-Three
Rose
* * *
I stumbled into the kitchen with a yawn and headed straight for the coffee pot. I smelled the aroma, indicating Pearson had already brewed it. After pouring myself a large mug, and adding a liberal amount of cream, I turned around and nearly jumped out of my skin, stifling a scream. Pearson and some large dude dressed in black sat at the kitchen table, observing me.
When he saw me jump, Pearson was on his feet, rushing to my side. “It’s okay. This is Axel. Remember the bodyguards I mentioned? He’s one of them.”
“Why would we be needing them now?”
“Come on and have a seat. We need to talk,” Pearson said, ushering me to a chair.
I extended my hand to Axel as I sat. “Nice to meet you.”
He dipped his head slightly. “My pleasure, ma’am.” His voice was as I expected—deep. I couldn’t read anything in his deep-set brown eyes. They were neither friendly nor unfriendly. He’d be challenging in poker with his expression, or lack of. His hair was cut close to his scalp and the man looked downright scary.
“Miles texted me last night,” Pearson began. “Greg’s arraignment has been moved to today.”
“Today? How did that happen?”
“We don’t know, but what matters is your and Montana’s safety, which is why Axel is here. His team will be on duty around the clock. I’m going to let him explain.”
Montana and I each would have a bodyguard at all times. They would drive the same type of vehicle—a black SUV. Why did this not surprise me? They asked to take Montana to school every day, and then me to work.
“Is that really necessary?”
“Ma’am, we like to do it so we can get a feel of your daily activities. It also allows us to see if anyone is following you, watching your place of employment, home, or your daughter’s school.”
An ice-cold chill ran up my spine, followed by goosebumps popping out everywhere. What if Greg tried to abduct Montana and take her out of the country? He had enough money to do it, or at least he did when we were together. I’d never get her back then. I didn’t give it any more thought before I gave my answer.
“Yes, that sounds like a great idea.”
“We’d like to start today. Meeting your daughter, introducing us is the first thing we need to do. We don’t want her to be frightened of the circumstances, but we also want her to know that there is a potential for danger and that it involves her father. He was someone she trusted at one point, but now he could be a threat, so we need to explain this to her.”
“I have dreaded this moment. Who wants to think of their father like this?”
“Ma’am, we handle a lot of cases such as this. Would you like me to help you?”
Pearson said, “I think all three of us should.”
That was a great solution. She loved Pearson and with all three of us telling her, she would likely be more comfortable than with just Axel and me. “That’s a great idea. I’ll go wake her up.”
Montana was rubbing the sleep out of her eyes when we came back to the kitchen, but the instant she saw Pearson, she ran straight for his lap. “Whatcha doin’ Mister?”
“I’m waiting for you, sleepyhead.”
“How come you don’t got no shoes on?”
“Because I want to be like you.” Montana loved to go barefooted.
“Then how come your toenails aren’t pink?”
“Because you haven’t put pink polish on them.” Oh, man, Pearson was in for it.
“Hey Pop Tart, aren’t you forgetting your manners?”
“Huh?”
“There’s someone else in here, you know.”
She turned to see who I was talking about. Pearson said, “Muffin, this is Mr. Axel.”
“Hello, Mr. Axel.”
“Honey, Pearson, Mr. Axel and I have to talk to you about something.”
“What?”
“You remember how your daddy got into trouble when he hit me and knocked me down? That’s when I broke my wrist and had to wear that cast for a while?”
“Yeah.”
“And then he got into trouble again and had to go back to jail?”
“Uh huh.” As I was talking, she was rubbing the fabric on Pearson’s shirt sleeve between her fingers and thumb.
“Your daddy is going to be released from jail today and wants to try to get custody of you again. Do you know what that means?”
“No.” She frowned.
“It means that you would have to live with him part of the time,” I said.
Her head swiveled back and forth, almost violently. “I don’t wanna, Mommy. Don’t make me go back there.” Then she looked at Pearson and said, “Mister, don’t make me go.”
Shit. This reaction was awful.
“Muffin, we’re not going to make you go back there,” Pearson said, hugging her.
I added, “No, baby, we won’t do that. Okay?”
“Okay. I don’t like it there.”
“I know and we want you here all the time. But Mr. Axel is going to be your friend to make sure nothing happens.”
“Like what?”
I was trying to formulate a response, but Axel beat me to it.
“Montana, I’m one of the people who will keep you safe and chase away the bad guys. Is that okay?”
“Are there bad guys chasing me?”
“Not that we know of. But in case your daddy tries to take you away, I’m not going to let that happen. Does that make sense?”
“Uh huh. You won’t let my daddy take me somewhere and be mean to me?”
“Never. And when I’m not with you, one of my friends will be. Would you like that?”
“Okay. Who are your friends? Are they nice?”
“Well, there’s Samson, Mitch, Leon, and Petey.”
“Do they like to dance with clicky shoes?”
Axel looked at both of us. “She means Irish step dancing,” I answered.”
“Um, I’m not sure if they know how, but maybe you can teach them.”
“Yeah, I’m real good, huh, Mommy?”
“Oh, yeah.” I glanced at Pearson and he was shaking his head, no, but Montana couldn’t see him.
“Montana, Axel is going to take you to school and me to work today. So, let’s eat breakfast and get a move on.”
Since it was still early, I cooked eggs and bacon for everyone, including Axel. I was pretty sure he held back on how much he ate because he only ate as much as I did. Pearson helped Montana dress as I went to shower. When I came out of my room, everyone was in the living room as Montana gave a demonstration of her clicky shoes dance. Axel wore a horrified expression.
“I think you need to change your shoes, Pop Tart. We need to go.”
She scurried off and I said to Axel, “Sorry. She’s absolutely dreadful and is taking lessons, so beware and you might want to pass it on.”
“Pearson piped in. “Sorry about her outfit too, but she insisted on putting that together and no amount of discussion could change her mind.”
I batted a hand. “No problem. I don’t worry too much about that.” When she came back out, I saw what he was talking about. She had on flowered jeans with a plaid shirt. They weren’t even in the same color scheme. She was a sight today. I kissed Pearson goodbye as Montana giggled and we followed Axel out.
Both of us climbed into the back of the black SUV and I noticed her car seat was already there. I buckled her in and off we went. I introduced Axel to her teacher and a
dded him to the list at school, in case he picked her up without me. Not much later, he dropped me off at the center. On the way, he told me a man was going to be placed at the school and he would be there all day. Another one would be at the house.
“You really think that’s not overkill? I’m only asking because I don’t know.”
“No. Who knows how desperate this guy is and what lengths he’d go to?”
“I’ll defer to whatever you think. In your experience, how soon after something like this do these people usually act?”
“I can’t really say. Your ex has to go to court to see if he gets any kind of custody. He may wait and see what the result of that is. If he gets totally stripped of all parental rights, then that’s most likely when he’ll act.”
“That’s what I think too. Thanks for that, though.” I waved as I walked toward the door.
He called out to me. “If you need me, just call.” Pearson had put his number in my phone. I gave him a thumbs up.
That afternoon, I had just finished with a client when my office line rang. I answered and his voice jolted me into a ramrod position and sent chills racing down my spine.
“Hello, Rose. I wanted to let you know I look forward to getting my daughter back soon.”
“That will never happen.”
“I beg to differ. It will most certainly happen, one way or another.”
“What does that—” but before I could ask anything else, the line went dead.
Chapter Thirty-Four
Pearson
* * *
Rose was a wreck when she got home. That bastard, as far as I was concerned, didn’t have the right to call or upset her. But the words he’d used made me rest easy that I’d hired those bodyguards. The guy definitely had something up his sleeve and I didn’t want to wait to find out.
I would be glad when her court date got here. With him out of jail, at least Miles could press for one now.
On the upside, Montana loved having her guy, Petey, who’d been assigned to guard her, hang out with her. Petey was every bit as huge as Axel, only he was younger. His hair was longer, and he had blue eyes. You could tell he liked being around Montana by the way his eyes sparkled when she held his hand. She wanted to bring him to show and tell next week so they could put on a clicky shoes dance show. Petey was appalled. He didn’t know what to tell her, so Rose had to break it to her that Petey didn’t have any clicky shoes and couldn’t afford any.
From Smoke To Flames— Amazon: A West Brothers Novel Page 21
