Chapter 59
CHAPTER FIFTY-NINE
Iris
Ugh. I should have said no to the pool. I should have said no to the pool. I should have said no to the pool!
The same words run on an irritating loop as I slather my pale skin with the highest SPF so I don’t burn.
Sitting on a towel in the grass beside the town pool, I fix my floppy hat and ignore everyone’s stares, in favor of watching Dark and Lily play in the shallow end.
Which means all of him is on display in bright, hoochie-daddy board shorts.
The scars. The muscles. The ink. The burn marks.
All of it is ripe for the gawking. It doesn’t help that those shorty shorts are bright pink, covered in kawaii sushi.
If that doesn’t scream girl dad, I don’t know what does.
Now, if you think he is getting looks of disgust from the mothers, dig yourself a six-foot hole to bury yourself in, because you’d be dead wrong.
A hot dad, playing with his daughter, is a masturbatory fantasy for all these women who have less-than-average-looking husbands.
This, of course, is both torture and triumph for me.
Because Dark and Lily don’t seem to notice, I get to look too, while also knowing I had that man inside me two hours ago.
Lily races to the edge of the pool and waves for me to join them.
Ugh.
No.
In some weird attempt to make us matchy-matchy, Dark picked out a pink bikini for me. Sure, the bottoms are higher-waisted to cover my womanly parts, but the top? Slap my ass and call me Tits Magee.
Yes, the boobage is that bad.
Bad enough, I don’t even care about the scars on my back. Nobody is looking there anyway. Then again, maybe that was Dark’s intent when he brought this monstrosity home yesterday, along with all the girly stuff he got to set up Lily’s room. Which is adorable, by the way.
Dark wades across the water to join Lil at the edge. Sunglasses shade his eyes, but I can tell they’re extra crinkly when he grins too damn big for his own good and waves for me to join them.
See…I told you I should have said no to the pool.
Knowing I have no way to get out of this, I tuck my stuff under the towel and join them.
Lily’s cheer is as sweet as pie as Dark offers me his hand and helps me into the shallow water.
It’s chilly, and goosebumps make a brief appearance as Dark drags me over to him and leans down to kiss me in front of all these people.
Lily makes a grossed-out sound as kids do.
With his hand in mine, Dark guides us deeper, but not enough to fully submerge.
Lily hands me her diving rings, and I toss them for her practice being a fish.
“She’s good,” I comment as Dark pulls me in front of him, wraps his arms around my middle, and drags his lips across the shell of my ear.
“You look smokin’ hot in this bikini.” He runs a finger along the hem of my bottoms.
I suck in a shaky breath and shove his naughty hand away. “Don’t you dare. We’re in public. Everyone’s already watching.”
His booming laughter vibrates through my spine as someone’s concealed rod sears against my backside. “No, they’re not.”
Twisting in Dark’s arms, I wrap mine around his thick neck. He takes the opportunity to cup my bottom underwater. “Behave,” I scold half-heartedly.
He looks down at my wet chest and licks his lips. “How can I? Look at you.”
I pinch his shoulder. “Dark. We’re here for Lily. Not for you to get… excited.” My eyebrows bounce. Thank heavens for stay-proof eye makeup.
“I can’t help when that happens. That’s why we’re in this part of the pool.”
“To hide it…”
“Yeah. You stood up and…” Dark rolls his eyes in the back of his head like he just got his toes curled. “You’re too damn hot.”
Knowing we’re gonna get ourselves into a whole bunch of trouble if he doesn’t quit with that sinful mouth, I shove off Dark’s pecs and swim away to find Lily, who emerges with her final dive ring.
“You got em!” I cheer, and Lily beams.
The metal gate to the pool opens with a screech, and four sets of flip-flops clack, clack, clack around the perimeter. The people attached to those flip-flops have me smiling so wide my cheeks hurt.
Kali waves, as does Sunshine.
But the best is Tarek and Fog.
The gate opens again, and in lumbers Lace in a bright yellow banana hammock.
Lily pulls the funniest face when she sees him, and Lace must notice when he pulls off his sunglasses and points them at her. “I’m comin’ for you, little girl.”
Lily screeches in girly excitement and swims like a fish into the deeper water as Lace and Dark’s two sons drop all their stuff in a pile in the grass and race each other to the deep end, where they all run and jump in with the biggest cannonballs.
We laugh as the entire pool area stares at the tattooed behemoths.
Sunshine notches his chin at Dark, and they both join the guys in the deep end, but not before Dark kisses my cheek.
Thankfully, Kali leaves them to act like fools, and I wade into the shallower water for us to sit on the bottom step and watch them do their thing with Lily at the center of their attention.
Wearing a brown bikini with her hair piled in a messy bun on top of her head, Kali bumps her shoulder into mine. “How’s it going?”
“Now that all the eye candy has shown up, I think I’m finally safe from being stared at.”
Kali throws her head back and laughs. “They do draw attention.”
“I didn’t know the boys were coming.”
“They wanted it to be a surprise, but didn’t wanna make it a whole thing. They just wanted to see their dad.”
“I’m glad they came home.” More than glad. This is good for Dark. He needs it.
“Me, too. My family is finally back together and expanded.” Kali winks my way, and I do my best not to smile like a fool, even though it’s nice to hear that I’m part of a family.
A real family. It’s not every day you become friends with your man’s ex-wife and his kids, who have all been more than welcoming.
As the men and Lil steal the show, Kali and I chat like old friends.
I tell her about Lil’s room that is coming along in our house—she has black walls.
Yes. Black. We chat about how Sal’s settling in.
Sex at the shop yesterday. Kali does the same, given she needs someone to talk to about her walking in on her son and his boyfriend getting it on in her greenhouse this morning.
That one has me doubled over until I can barely breathe
“It wasn’t that bad.” Kali snorts, head shaking. “Just a lot of butts and moans.”
A woman walks past us in the pool, sending small waves our way, even though she has plenty of open space.
Wiping water from her chin, Kali rolls her eyes and leans in. “That’s the mom of the girl Lily’s been havin’ issues with for years.”
Ah.
Two little girls, around Lily’s age, trail after her. They both look back at us, giggle, and carry on.
It’s my turn to roll my eyes.
Don’t these idiots know not to fuck with this family? Seriously. My sister would eat all their hearts for breakfast. Well, not her specifically, but she’d feed them to her opossums, who have only multiplied since she moved to Kings Cursed.
Then you have Kali, who murders people with poison.
I’m the least badass of them all.
But I’m not without my talents.
Now, don’t take this the wrong way. I don’t want this woman and her kids dead. I don’t work that way. But you also don’t mess with my family. My father learned that the hard way.
One of the little girls points all snooty at Lily, who’s sitting on Tarek’s shoulders.
Kali must read my mind, because we both get up and approach the heathens, who don’t see us coming.
“Do we have a problem here?” I ask the girl before I turn to her mother. “Perhaps you should mind your own business.” I’m polite. Too polite, given what they deserve.
The bitch pulls a constipated face, squares her shoulders, and gets right up in my space like she thinks she’s gonna intimidate me.
Not one to fear anyone, least of all a mediocre PTO mom with a bully complex, I lean in and whisper, “If you don’t stop messin’ with my family, I will send my sister to eat your heart in your sleep.
While you’re awake. No one will hear your screams.”
The dumb bitch gasps and jerks away as if she wasn’t expecting me to go dark. Little does she know, I grew up in that world. Darkness is all I know. Or did. Until I met Dark, who somehow pulled me into the light and gave me a real family to love and care for. A family I will defend.
Kali doesn’t say anything as the woman rears back, spews a whole lot of victim bullshit as she points to me.
I’ve had enough. Truly. Enough that I don’t even realize I’m gonna commit violence in a pool, around children, until I pull my fist back and, just before I beat this bitch to the ground and drown her until she no longer lives, strong arms wrap around me from behind and haul me away.
“Your time is coming, bitch,” I seethe, trying to get to her as someone’s amused chuckle vibrates through my back.
A fat man I’ve never seen before meets us as Dark pulls me from the pool like I weigh nothing.
“We don’t allow that around here,” the man drawls, and I dunno why, but I wanna spit on his smug, wrinkled face.
“You know how they are, Doug. Women are always talkin’ shit. My wife wasn’t gonna do anything,” Dark explains.
Doug’s eyebrows hit his receding hairline, which says he doesn’t believe Dark. “This woman’s your wife?” He notches his chin at me, the hairless woman, about to throw down.
“Yes,” my tattooed biker replies, clearly annoyed.
I don’t argue otherwise, as he sets me on my feet and pushes me behind him, for the man’s protection, not mine.
Doug’s sigh is long and annoyed. “Ok. Fine. Just keep a leash on her.”
A leash.
Oh. He wants to leash me.
Fuck that.
Fuck this fat pig.
Dark reaches around and hooks his arm around me before I really show this asshole what violence looks like.
Sunshine steps around me and posts up next to Dark. He clasps Doug on the shoulder. “Good to see ya, man. We’ve got it covered here.”
Doug takes this as his cue to go away.
He’s lucky.
Dark turns around and pins me with his signature sexy, lopsided, half-working grin. “You have no idea how much I wanna fuck you right now.”
“I want to kill her.” I glare at the bitch drying off.
“I know ya do.”
“You should have let me swing.” I pout.
“Then they’d have to have cleaned out the pool.”
“They’d have to have pulled out her dead body.” With a huff, I cross both arms over my chest. “I’m… I’m really angry.”
The sexy jerk licks his lip like he enjoys this side of me. “I know. I can tell.”
“I don’t like those bitches.”
Dark rubs his hands up and down the outside of my arms. “I know that, too, sweetheart. How about we leave Lily here with the rest of ‘em and we go home?”
“But isn’t Lil supposed to stay with us tonight?” I don’t want to ruin this for her. I want her to see her new room. Dark spent all last night and this morning painting it for her.
“We can bring her by when everyone’s done,” Kali offers, making me realize we’re having their entire conversation in front of everyone as I drip water all over the concrete right outside the pool.
Yep.
I need to get out of here before I do something rash. As someone who’s always got her head on straight, even I know I’m overreacting. But ask me if I care? I don’t.
It doesn’t take long for us to collect our stuff, say goodbye to family, and climb into my truck. The ride home is silent, but heavy. The air conditioner and wet bathing suit have permanent goosebumps pebbling across my skin.
The moment we pull into the driveway, Dark’s on me.
Unbuckling my seatbelt, he throws his seat as far back as he can and rips me into his lap to straddle him.
His cock is out, and inside me within seconds, as his mouth claims mine in a hungry groan.
I’m lost to him, fully owned, happy, and eager to come.
It’s messy and hot, and neither of us take long to finish.
Breathing heavy, his half-hard cock still buried in me, his hands on my ass, I collapse on my man.
“Fuck, you’re perfect,” he rasps, running his fingertips gently up and down my back.
I nip his shoulder, then move a little lower to the scar I made with the chopsticks. “I don’t know what you’re doin’ to me.”
Dark groans and his dick bucks. “Fuck. I hope you never change.” He slaps my ass and squeezes there, getting a handful. “How about we take this inside and get ready to have a little party tonight since all my kids are home?”
“I love that idea. We should order pizza.”
“Christ… I love you so fuckin’ much. You know that, right?”
“Yess,” I drone with a smile in my voice. “I know.”
“Sal’s gonna lose her shit on my sons.”
I bob my head. “Yep. I know that too.” I chuckle just thinking about how she’s gonna scar them up good, just as she’s scarred up every man she’s come across.
Thankfully, she likes women. I’ve yet to endure her wrath, but I can’t wait to see Tarek and Fog handle the ball of fury.
Spike and her already have a love-hate relationship.
She sits in the kitchen window and hisses when I feed him while I drink my morning coffee.
Dark waggles his naughty brows. “Do you also know I’m gonna eat my cum from you, on our ugly fuckin’ couch as soon as we get inside?”
“You like the taste of us.”
“No, sweetheart.” He slaps my ass. “I crave the taste of us. I can’t get enough.
Now up.” Reaching over, Dark opens the car door and helps me out.
I fix my bathing suit bottoms so I don’t flash the neighborhood, and once we make it inside, Dark makes good on his promise, kneeling on the floor in front of the couch, where he moans and jacks off to the taste of us.
And life, this life, I don’t know how it could ever get any sweeter.
With him. This is what I want. What I need.
A love I never knew was possible.
A family.
I hope this lasts a lifetime.
The End