“I’m going to give you something else to suck on,” I warned, and she gave me a wicked grin.
“A lollipop? For being such a good little girl?”
When I did get in her mouth, I should be on high alert. Her teeth were sharp, yet I looked forward to the prospect of her lips wrapped around my shaft while I fucked her mouth.
“A good girl would have already had her cunt out so I could fuck it again.”
“I can’t imagine why I haven’t taken off my jeans,” she returned saucily.
“See, sugar? We’re so in tune. Those are my thoughts exactly.”
The elevator stopped. Sonya’s hair was a wild mess from me running my hand through it. I liked that she was disheveled, liked that there was already a dark spot forming under the red patch where I’d marked her neck.
Her eyes drifted, taking in our surroundings. Never in a million years would she guess where we were, and I couldn’t wait to see her face when she found out.
Chapter Twenty
Sonya
We weren’t in some obscure, meaningless place, of that much I was certain. The air around us felt somber, everything inside me quieting out of respect, though I couldn’t understand why. It gave me something else to focus on besides that kiss in the elevator, and the way we’d marked each other like animals in heat. I had never been so reckless . . . so passionate.
Seeing that little boy, and Drew’s reaction, had my curiosity in overdrive. The blonde was beautiful. Probably sweet too. If anybody was going to do something crazy, like have a kid, Gabriel would be the one they’d like to have. As much as it irked me, they’d have made a picture-perfect family. Drew proved over and over again that he was a jackass, but I couldn’t come to terms with him abandoning a child. Something didn’t fit.
“Try not to look so pissed off. I’d like you to make a good impression,” Drew said. There was tension in his voice. His gait wasn’t quite so confident, and his shoulders sagged a fraction.
Before I could respond, an African American woman wearing scrubs came out of one of the rooms down the hallway, smiling when she saw Drew.
“Mr. Carter, I know someone who’s going to be happy you’re here.”
“Juanita, what have I told you to call me?” he responded with a charming smile and demeanor I hadn’t yet seen from him. It was stunning.
“Drew,” she emphasized, her grin widening even as she blushed.
“How is she?” Drew asked.
“Excited about her surprise.” The woman’s eyes cut to me, and I shifted uncomfortably. Seemed that everyone knew what was going on but me. “Although you forgot to mention this one.” She glanced at Sam but didn’t kick him out. He huddled closer to me as if he knew we were talking about him.
“Better to ask forgiveness than permission.” Somehow, I bet that was Drew’s creed.
She smirked, and then her expression turned serious. “She’s stronger today.”
“She’s always strong,” he corrected, and Juanita nodded. “Thank you for taking care of her.”
“You’re welcome, honey. It’s been my privilege. Not too many women like that left in this world.”
“No, ma’am.” A Texas drawl made an appearance, and a little shiver rolled through me. Drew inhaled sharply in front of a door that was slightly ajar. The mask slid into place, his expression pleasant, his tension buried deep. He rapped lightly with his knuckles, going inside before there was a response.
I saw enough to know we were in some sort of hospital room. When he stepped aside, there was a woman in the bed, the back adjusted so she was sitting up. She looked small, her head lacking any hair, her skin gray, but there was a courage about her. She appeared frail but not defeated. When she saw Drew, her eyes lit.
Then they fell on me. “Drew Harris, you should have warned me you were bringing company,” she scolded.
That was all it took for me to realize this was his mother.
I had the sudden urge to straighten my clothes, my hair, find a mirror to see if I looked presentable. I’d never had anyone introduce me to their mother. I wasn’t the kind of woman a man brought home to his mom. My heart squeezed in my chest.
“Last-minute decision,” he said.
“Are you going to introduce me?” she said.
I fought the urge to speak, wanting Drew to present me to her.
“Mama, this is Sonya Hughes and Sam.” The respect he held for his mother was apparent, but there was something in his tone, a reverence in the way he spoke my name that said he respected me as well. Despite fucking me in an alley less than half an hour ago. “Sonya, this is my mother, Loretta Carter.”
Her expression softened as she looked at me, her eyes darting down to where Drew and I held hands. “It’s lovely to meet you, Sonya. I can see why my son is taken with you. Both of you.” Her gaze warmed at the sight of Sam sitting obediently beside me.
I shot a look at Drew, who stood there, neither confirming nor denying the statement. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, as well, Mrs. Carter.” I’d never been so soft-spoken in front of him.
“Call me Loretta, please.”
“Okay, Loretta.”
“I hope you’re staying long enough to sit down,” she said with a mischievous smile.
Drew moved quickly, pulling another chair up to the one already positioned by her bed. He gestured for me to sit. Sam eased over to the bedside and put his head on the mattress. He gently nosed Loretta’s hand, and she ran her fingers through his soft fur.
Drew held up an extra pillow and blanket to his mother from the closet, and she waved him off.
“You don’t have to wait on me hand and foot.”
“I know I don’t,” he said quietly, sinking into the chair beside me.
His hand immediately found mine again. I frowned. He wasn’t a hand-holding kind of guy. I didn’t think I was that kind of girl. I liked it more than I anticipated, but I was still trying to figure out his angle. Why was I here?
His mother was obviously very ill, the hair loss a big clue that she had cancer. Maybe there wasn’t much time?
Oh, God. She was dying. My insensitive heart broke for them both.
Her eyes sparkled at me, and she smiled as if my presence was the highlight of her week. I couldn’t grasp that, certain if I were in that bed, I’d be hiding under the covers. I could swindle my way through life, but I couldn’t cheat death.
“What are the two of you up to today?” she asked.
Drew and I exchanged a smirk, and his mother raised her eyebrows. “You know what? Forget I asked that.” She grinned. Loretta wasn’t a prude.
Drew smoothed my hair while I fought the urge to smack him. “You sure?” His affection for her was visceral. Even I felt it, which made me see him in a totally different light. I’d have never pictured him like this with anyone and half-expected he’d tell his own mother she looked like hell if that was what he thought. “Let’s see,” he said, and my eyes widened. “I picked up Sonya and Sam and then . . .” He looked at me with mischief in his eyes. “Sugar, remind me what happened after that.”
“We strolled over in freezing cold weather. Sam barked at a bird. Nothing else memorable that I can recall,” I said tartly.
“Is that so?” he asked darkly as if his mother wasn’t in the room.
“Yep. That was it,” I assured him, and he leaned closer to me, his gaze narrowed.
His mother cleared her throat. “Well, I hope it wasn’t too far of a walk.”
“No. Actually, the fresh air was kind of nice,” I reassured her.
“I’m ready for some of that myself,” she mused without a trace of bitterness.
“Would you like to go for a walk, Mama?”
“Yes,” she said without hesitation, and Drew popped out of his seat, pulling me up along with him. He kissed the top of my hand before releasing it. I felt empty without his touch but quickly shoved it away so I could be of help getting Mrs. Carter out of bed. “Thank you, dear,” she said, reaching for my
elbow to steady herself.
We took it slow to the hallway. She was in a weakened state, but her spine was straight, shoulders back, and head held high. I was impressed.
Drew and I were on either side of her as support, which she had no problem accepting. Sam stayed close to her but was careful not to get in her way. It was a tight fit down the narrow hallway, but we made it work.
“Sonya, forgive me for being so direct, but you can just chalk it up to me being a nosy mother,” she said, and my stomach tightened into a knot. Here it comes. The barrage of personal questions I didn’t want to answer.
I put on a brave face. “Bring it on,” I said lightly, and she laughed.
“Have you been married before?” That was a softball, one I didn’t mind fielding. Drew watched me with keen interest over his mother’s head.
“No.”
“Do you have children?”
“Nope.”
“Is that something you want one day?” There was trepidation in her voice, and her pace even slowed as she seemed to hold her breath, waiting for the answer.
“God, no,” I said with a shiver. Mrs. Carter relaxed. Drew’s mouth screwed up, and he looked away from us. I barked out a forced laugh. “You’d probably like lots of grandkids, but I’m definitely not the person to help with that.” I realized I’d implied Drew and I were in a serious enough relationship to be considering these things when the truth was, we weren’t anything at all.
“I would like grandchildren very much,” she said with a wistful look before she turned her head to Drew. “But my children have been more of a blessing than I could have ever asked for.” His head snapped to her, and she nodded, something unspoken between them that I didn’t understand. She stopped walking, slipped her hand out from the crook of my elbow, and cupped his cheeks. “I forgive you, baby.”
Drew’s eyes glassed over, and he gathered her in his arms, careful not to hug too tightly. He whispered something in her ear, and my throat closed as tears thickened it. But why? I hadn’t spoken to my mother in two years. Hadn’t hugged her since I graduated from college. At that moment, all the emotions I’d shoved down came to the surface. I wasn’t someone who got choked up. My family had knocked that out of me early in life. I’d had to be disciplined. Yet here I was, struggling to watch what was happening in front of me. Why had Drew brought me here?
When they finally released one another, she turned to me, her fingers grazing my cheek. “I know we’ve just met and that you and my son don’t know each other all that well. I have no right to ask this of you, but some situations make you brave enough to speak your mind. Take care of my boy, please. This”—she motioned up and down Drew’s body—“is tough, but inside, he’s a good man. Someone decent who deserves to be loved, and you’re capable of that.”
“You don’t know me,” I protested.
“I believe I mentioned that.” She winked at me. “But I think you and Drew have some things in common.”
“I don’t know what impression he’s given you about us, but we aren’t anything. Truthfully, I don’t even like him, and I’m pretty sure the feeling is mutual. The sex was an unexpected surprise—” I clamped a hand over my mouth and turned beet red.
“Well, that’s a starting point,” she reasoned, and I flicked my gaze to Drew, who was watching our exchange without so much as a blink.
“Umm—” I was at a loss for what to say.
“I’ve caught you off guard. Just think about it. He likes you. If he didn’t, I promise you wouldn’t be here.”
Maybe she had asked Drew to show her he wasn’t heartless . . . but it was so confusing. He liked me? That was laughable. If he didn’t, I promise you wouldn’t be here. God, the man was confusing.
“Mama, you’re up.”
The incredible specimen of a man who had been with Drew at Paths of Purpose the other day approached with a stunning woman beside him.
“What did they give you for lunch?” she asked playfully, giving Loretta a kiss on the cheek.
From a distance at the shelter, it had been easy to tell Drew and this man were brothers, their looks were so similar. Up close, there was no denying it. Both were ridiculously handsome but each in their own right. Drew’s hair was lighter, their eyes a different—whoa, I’d seen eyes just like the ones looking at me only a short while ago. Maybe that kid belonged to this brother?
Loretta slipped an arm around my waist as though I was family, and I leaned into the touch despite knowing I should get out of there. “Easton, Mulaney, this is Sonya. She’s with Drew.”
What did that even mean? I most certainly wasn’t with him. Both of their expressions grew wary. I’d learned a lot about reading people over the years. Some were easily fooled and others, not so much. Easton and Mulaney fell into the latter category. I didn’t need to spend any more time around them to know that. “Sonya, this is my other son, Easton, and his wife Mulaney.”
“Hi,” I said, suddenly feeling shy and a little intimidated. I hated that. I didn’t like the way they looked at Drew. I had this urge to stand in front of him to deflect the undercurrent of hostility for the second time today.
“Hello, Sonya,” Easton said, extending his hand. “I didn’t realize my brother was seeing anyone.”
I thrust my hand into his, shaking firmly. “We’re not. Just fucking.”
All the air went out of the room and silence fell . . . until Loretta giggled. All eyes went to her, and she shrugged. “Brutal honesty isn’t such a bad trait.”
Mulaney cleared her throat. “How the hell did you manage to get a woman like this in your bed?” The dig was at Drew. I got the impression she respected my bluntness.
“She hasn’t been in it yet,” he said dryly, throwing a wink in my direction.
“Should we go through all the details?” I asked innocently.
“I wouldn’t mind reliving them,” Drew said, and I got a glimpse of a carefree man like the one in the photograph in his wallet.
“Spare us,” Mulaney grumbled.
“I’m ready to go back to my room now. We can talk there,” Loretta said.
She held on to my arm as we walked back, making me feel special in a way I hadn’t realized I needed. All the people surrounding us were important to her, yet she was leaning on me. Once she was settled back in bed, Drew remained standing while his brother and sister-in-law took seats. Sam resumed his position next to her bed, stretching his neck so he could touch her hand. Like he had reached out to me . . . He knew who needed him and when. It made me recall what Mrs. Quinn had said the day I met her. “You’ve been here less than thirty minutes and already sparked an idea for a new program . . . Animals can be therapeutic . . .” Later, I’d think on that.
“We’re going to head out, Mama, but I’ll be back after I drop off Sonya.”
I reached for Sam’s leash on the floor and gently tugged. Reluctantly, he came.
“Take your time, sweetheart,” she said. “Sonya, I expect to see you again soon. I should be out of here in no time.”
“I have no doubt of that.”
Chapter Twenty-One
Drew
“So the sex was unexpected?” I said as soon as we were in the lobby, waiting for the elevator to arrive. Sam muscled between us, and I gave him another dried cinnamon apple.
She shrugged nonchalantly, and I grinned, grabbing her hand and tugging her toward the stairwell. I wanted her again. There had to be somewhere in this building to make that happen. She put up a fight.
I stopped, my back holding open the door, our arms stretched with her rooted in the lobby. Sam was right back between us, on guard. “That wasn’t permission to do it whenever you get the urge.”
“You’re the one who told my family we were fucking,” I reminded her. What kind of woman said that to a man’s family? Apparently mine. I frowned. What was I doing? I’d already told her we were in a relationship, and now I was thinking of her as my woman? What the hell was I thinking? Yet, I wasn’t walking away. I w
asn’t ready to walk away.
“It’s the truth.”
I sharpened my gaze on her. “You’re not truthful often, are you?”
“What did you do to need your mother’s forgiveness?”
She wasn’t going to turn the tables on me that fast. “Do you have any cash?”
She recoiled. “How is that any of your business?”
The elevator arrived, and I decided to skip the stairs. “Because we both need a drink, and you’re buying.”
“I’ve met your mother, and I know she didn’t raise you to be like this.” A hand went on her hip as she stared me down.
“I’m sure you’ll enjoy telling her about it,” I said.
“Oh, she’s going to hear every word,” Sonya promised and then realized what she’d said about seeing Mama again.
“You going to mention how I tried to find some place in this building to fuck you again? Or will you skip those details?”
My tigress groaned and leaned her head against the back wall of the elevator. “You’re right, I do need a drink. And no, I don’t have any cash, but that won’t stop me from taking care of us.” She leveled me with a look. “What good are you, anyway?”
“Judging by the way your cunt clamped around my dick, I’d say really damn good for something.”
She grunted and stalked out of the elevator and the building, dragging me and Sam behind her.
* * *
The bar was a neighborhood place, not a dive but not upscale. Somewhere people could drink a pitcher of beer with their friends or have martinis with a client. Sonya had selected it. There was an apparent method to her madness because we’d passed several other establishments on the way, her swift rejection of each piquing my curiosity.
“Hang out here a sec, then go find a corner table. Order yourself a drink. Start a tab and let me work.” She handed me Sam’s leash.
“You going to use a grandma sob story? Even I could pull that off,” I taunted, and she growled.
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