HadleyI can't believe what I just said to him. Nobody has ever smacked my ass the way he did. It caused a reaction in me, one I hadn't been prepared for. Sure I've heard people at work, girlfriends I had, talk about their boyfriends doing it to them. I always smiled and nodded, but I never really got it. Not until his palm made contact with my jean-covered flesh. I'd let him take me over his knee any day of the fucking week if it gave me a jolt like that innocent touch had.Shaking my head, I try to get myself out of the lust-induced fog this man puts me in every time I'm in his presence. Never before, not even with my ex, have I been so attuned to a man, so conscious of how he makes me feel. If it were anyone but Trick, I think it would be completely disconcerting. With him, I'm willing to give a piece of myself up, let him help me figure out who's hiding under everything she's tried to cover up for so long.Paper after paper goes into the trash bag that I'm going to run by the
Trick"Jesus Christ," I huff as I pound my feet up the stairs. "I didn't realize how much stuff you would be bringing. I may have revoked my offer if I did," I turn around to grin at Hadley. She shoots me a scowl as she stands at the end of the stairs, trying to figure out how to bring up four bags at once. "I told you," she huffs herself as she starts. "We come with a lot of stuff, and I have to work."Once I get to the top, I take a breather, watching as she hoofs it up the stairs. When she stands beside me, I lean in. "I'm joking, you know that, right? I asked you to be here because I want you here. You and your five thousand loads of stuff," I laugh, groaning when she knocks me in the stomach."Riley, can you open the door for us?" She gives me a glare over her shoulder as she enters the apartment before me.It looks like Riley's made herself comfortable with Tux. That's right, I've given up calling my cat by his given name. He never responded to it, but he does respond
Hadley"What do you mean you can't come?" I'm starting to panic as I look at my husband, seeing the unbending emotion in his face."Hadley, I told you when we had her, there would be times I couldn't participate, times I couldn't act like other fathers do."He cuts me down with sharp words, giving me a bored look as he continues putting his cufflinks in his button-down shirt. It infuriates me when he gives me this look. "You don't act like most husbands do, either," I'm pissed and he's going to see the fury, he's going to experience the full wrath of my disappointment."Don't be a brat," he grabs his suit jacket, putting it over the shirt."What kind of a man schedules a business dinner on the day of his daughter's ballet recital, but then doesn't even think about the fact his wife can't come? And can I add she does fucking ballet because it's what you want her to do, even though she expressed interest in piano? Yet you've never seen her do it?""She's three, Hadley, and do
Hadley"Will you be here when I get back?" I ask Trick as I finish doing Riley's hair. It's more elaborate curls than we normally send her off to school with, but for her costume tonight, it's a must. We won't have time to make it work when she gets home from school."I don't know, I have to run and get a part, then I have a friend of mine who called and wants me to go look at this bike he's fixing to buy. It depends on how traffic is and if he and I shoot the shit too long," he grins.Something tells me Trick does things on his own timetable and when he wants to shoot the shit, they talk all day. I wonder how I'm going to get in the apartment, but I don't want to come right out and ask. It seems forward, and I don't want to scare him off. "What does shooting the shit mean?" Riley pipes up from where she's sitting in front of me. "How can you put poo in a gun?"Trick and I look at each other, both trying to contain our laughter. Apparently we both forget when little ears are
TrickWalking up the stairs to my apartment, I try to tell myself to keep this slow. Don't go in there like a fucking caveman and haul her to the bedroom. I should be nice and seduce her, I haven't done that yet. Who the hell am I kidding, I've never, not once in my life, seduced anyone, and I'm not even sure I'd be able to do it. For Hadley, though, I'd try. I know that without a shadow of a doubt. For her I would give anything a try.Love. The four-letter word Riley asked me about earlier comes to my mind. Does the willingness to try anything mean I love Hadley? The thought stops me right in the middle of the stairs. Loving Hadley is much messier than loving Riley and I'm not completely sure I want to admit how my heart feels or what my mind is pushing me towards. All I'm ready to admit is how much I physically want her, and how much my arms ache to hold her when she's not around. Right now, it's all I can give. Her or myself.When I enter my apartment, I have to grin because s
HadleyI wasn't exactly prepared for what Trick had in mind when he said it was going to be a bumpy ride. There were many things that ran through my head when I heard those words. What didn't run through my head was him lifting me completely over his shoulders with my back against the wall, spreading my legs with his shoulders, and connecting his mouth to my core."Oh Holy Jesus," I gasp, reaching for something, anything to hang onto. There isn't anything and I do my best not to think about how high up in the air I am. I'm short, he's taller than I ever thought about being, and the only thing holding me here are his hands pressing against my thighs and his mouth against my pussy. If I die, it'll be a hell of a way to go.He pulls his mouth back, grinning up at me. "Relax Hadley, I got this."I've trusted him with a lot of things so far, and he's managed to pass every test. Why not trust him here? Even if I do feel like I'm on display for the whole world to see. "Okay," I tilt m
TrickTo say I'm nervous is an understatement. No matter if I've done something wrong or not, knowing I have to explain myself to what amounts to a group of judgmental assholes is never a fun thing to do. My foot taps uncontrollably on the floor, and I pull my phone out of my pocket, gazing at the picture me, Hadley, and Riley took on Halloween. It's the only thing that calms me down some days, and I feel like I have a fucking target on my back, especially at places like this."Relax," Matt, clamps his hand on my knee. "You have nothing to be worried about. This is a technicality.""One that could send me back to prison if someone deems fit to," I argue. The thought's crossed my mind a ton this week, so much that tonight's the first night Riley and Hadley are staying at their own apartment since Halloween. I've kept them as close as I can, and the only reason they went back tonight is because Hadley has to do laundry. I don't have my own washer and dryer yet, but you can bet your
Hadley"Can Trick help me with my homework tonight?"My kid, she surprises me all the time. In the past few weeks we've been at Trick's apartment, she's become even more attached, but she's never asked him to help with schoolwork."You'll have to ask him," I glance over my shoulder from where I'm doing the dishes. Funny how when I was with my ex-husband housework seemed just that – work. Here, with Trick, I enjoy it. I like the way his dark eyes light up when I've done something he didn't expect me to do. The first night we were here, I changed the sheets on his bed. You would think I gave him a gold coin and told him it was worth a million dollars. He appreciates everything I do, and it means everything to me. "Trick," she kicks her feet where she's sitting at the kitchen table. "Will you help me with my spelling words?"I can tell by the set of his shoulders my big man is trying to get his emotions under control. Riley tears him apart with the simplest of requests, and I k