Total pages in book: 41
Estimated words: 38439 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 192(@200wpm)___ 154(@250wpm)___ 128(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 38439 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 192(@200wpm)___ 154(@250wpm)___ 128(@300wpm)
“You OK, honey?”
“Did I do something wrong?” Her voice was barely above a whisper.
“No, baby. You did everything right. We need to talk, but not right now.” I rolled over, taking her with me. Pulling Hope solidly against my chest, I settled her so that she was draped half over me with her head on my shoulder. My arms were around her tightly -- I’d never held a woman so tightly! This was so surreal. It wasn’t something I’d ever have done if the damned woman hadn’t bewitched me or something. I didn’t want another woman in my life. Not after Bev. Because I knew I’d never trust anyone with what little heart I had ever again.
“I did do something wrong. You stopped. I thought -- I mean -- You didn’t…”
“I know, baby. We haven’t talked about this, and I never meant to kiss you, let alone get this far.”
“Oh.” Her body was stiff, and I knew she was going to bolt. Or at least she was going to try.
“Yeah.” I heaved in a breath. I was going to have to let her go, but my arms wouldn’t relax. I found myself muttering, “Now that I’ve had a taste, ain’t sure I can survive without another.”
“What?” She sounded so confused I wanted to kick myself.
“Stay here with me a while, Hope. Relax. We’ll talk later and figure out what to do next.”
She did as I instructed. Lay in my arms until she dozed off. It was late afternoon, and she’d had a full day. We were both still in our swimming clothes, though they’d pretty much dried. She’d be uncomfortable, but I didn’t want her to wake with me groping her while I undressed her. This had gone way too far. Way too fucking far.
I waited about fifteen minutes. When she didn’t move and her breathing remained deep and even, I slipped out from underneath her, tucking a blanket around her. I knew I was damned. No way could I keep my distance from her. Not after this. She was like the most addictive drug. Once I’d had a taste, I needed more. It was only a matter of time before I fucked her into oblivion. Once that happened, there was no way in hell I’d ever let her go.
* * *
Hope
The next two weeks were the most confusing of my life. Warlock stayed away from me during the day but couldn’t seem to get enough of me at night. At least, he’d given me more orgasms than I could count. He never penetrated me, and he never actually touched me or even got me naked. It was the same scene over and over again. I wanted more but didn’t know how to ask for it. I also wasn’t certain he wanted anything more. I was more than ignorant about sex, but I knew this couldn’t be normal.
Maybe it was his age or something? I mean, he was hard all the time. Every time he came to me, I could see the bulge in his jeans. He didn’t try to hide it, and I heard several of the men in the club laughing at him and commenting on it. No one ever made a crude comment about me, but they seemed to take delight in his discomfort. Which was when it hit me. I might not know much about sex or sexual relationships, but I knew enough to know that men didn’t walk around in that state. They took care of it. Which meant, if he wasn’t getting it from me, he was most likely getting it from someone else.
“You look like you have the weight of the world on your shoulders, Hope.” Esther came up beside me where I was decorating salt-dough ornaments with a small group of young children. She put her arm around my shoulders and squeezed once. “What’s wrong?”
“What? Oh! Nothing.” I smiled brightly. “Just concentrating on my ornament.”
“Really.” The woman raised an eyebrow, then took the brush from my hand. “Might want to concentrate on something else, then.”
I looked down and gasped. The back of my left hand was covered in green paint and gold glitter. The children giggled. I frowned at the little monsters. “Why didn’t you guys say something? I thought we were besties!”
One little girl about nine, Jerrica, grinned at me. “We were watching. You been doing it since that guy Warlock left. You always go all spacy whenever he’s around.” They all giggled again.
“Thanks, guys. Way to have a girl’s back.” I wasn’t really upset with them, but they seemed to enjoy picking on me. It was all in good fun, and they always, always, hugged me afterward. I think I enjoyed the hugs more than they did.
“He looks like Santa.” Jerrica glanced wistfully at the door Warlock had disappeared through about ten minutes ago. My heart ached for the child. She reminded me too much of myself. While the nuns allowed some secular things, like Santa, around us at Christmas, it was never a big production or anything for us to get attached to. Christmas was about the birth of Jesus and the hope He represented for humanity. Which I embraced with all my heart. As I’d gotten older and saw the impact of a jolly old Elf giving gifts to other kids, I always felt I’d missed out on something magical. Not so much for the toys or presents or whatever, but the lesson in it. Christmas is a time of giving. Which was why this whole Christmas party thing was becoming so important to me. This bunch of badass bikers was doing something important for the community. Each child here was experiencing something they’d never forget as well as learning an important life lesson.