Chapter 6
Lillian
Back in our Queens apartment, I duck as Buddy launches over my head and lands on the kitchen table. Nudging my hand, he pounces to the floor, then weaves between Sean’s ankles, purring.
“I swear my cat prefers you.” Kneeling to fill the food bowl, I scratch his furry white head.
“You mean our cat, right?” The man’s sideways grin worms into my heart. We’ve only been together for a short while, but I can’t imagine living without him.
“Damn, I’m exhausted. Too buzzed to sleep, though.” Yawning, I check the time. “You hit the shower. I’ll make brunch. Keep those stitches dry.”
“Got it covered.” He opens a drawer, holds the Saran Wrap high, then tugs me into his arms. “How about you join me?”
His kiss starts chaste. Seconds into it, our passion ignites. Mouths tight, favoring his uninjured leg, he backs me down the hall to the bathroom. All traces of exhaustion disappear as we toss our hospital-donated scrubs to the floor.
Faucet on, waiting for the shower to warm, my heart races while he wraps his thigh in plastic. Well-defined abs, firm butt, and thick cock, those are all mine. Stepping under the spray, I lather the soap.
Eyes dark with want, gauze now protected, he hops into the stall.
“Clean first. Sex later.” My chin lifts to kiss him as the washcloth glides over his body, sending mud and blood swirling down the drain.
He adds his tongue to our kiss as he lifts his arms. While he balances most of his weight on one foot, I caress his back and his sides.
When we break for air, the pure, raw need in his gaze mirrors my own. Eyes on his, I lower to my knees, caressing and scrubbing every inch of him.
“Enough.” Hands under my armpits, he bends at the waist and lifts me to stand. “My turn.”
“With that leg? Don’t think so.” I finish up under his heated gaze.
After we rinse, he steps onto the bathmat first and snatches a towel. As he dries me all over, he pays special attention to his favorite parts.
My tits hard, my clit slick, I steal the terry cloth. As I’m about to take his cock into my mouth, he groans. “Not this time. Need to be inside you.”
Lacing my fingers with his, I lead him to the mattress. “You sure you’re up for this?”
He laughs. “Oh, I’m up alright.”
“Jerk. I meant your injury.” I push his chest when we reach the bed. “Lie flat. Tonight I do the work.”
Naked, hair wet, cock flag-poling, he beckons me with a finger. “Straddle me, babe. Right over my mouth.”
“Bossy.” Both hands on the headboard, I do as he says.
My knees spread wider when his tongue slides over my aching, swollen clit. My nub blossoms more as he nips and sucks.
Squirming, I release the headboard and clutch the sheet. “Don’t. Stop.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Chuckling, he curls a knuckle inside me and kisses my most intimate spot.
“Ohhhhh. Oh, God.”
His flat tongue on my nub is all it takes. The intense bliss hits me so hard, I lose myself in some kind of out-of-body experience.
Strong arms lift me by the waist, then drag my sensitive, wet inner core past his chest to his navel.
“Ride me, babe.” He pumps his cock and places it at my entrance.
I sink. He arches. Bone hits bone.
“Yesss!” There’s pain, but mostly pleasure.
Clutching my thighs, he bucks while I ride.
Skin slaps skin. Faster and faster, I’m mindless until every muscle in my body clenches.
“So. Close.” I gasp between breaths.
If the first orgasm didn’t kill me, this one will.
A final thrust blasts me higher into space, beyond our universe, where milky stars explode behind my eyelids.
While I drift back, he slides out. “All fours, babe.”
Standing on the side of the bed, he clutches my hips and races to his finish line. With one last powerful pump, he releases inside me. Shouting, he thrusts two more times, then flops onto the bed next to me.
For the longest while we lay there. Me splayed out. Him on his side. Both of us gone, God knows where.
Later, back in my body, I turn my head. “Your leg? Are the stitches still intact?”
“Mmm. What leg?” He rolls onto his back.
“The one with the bloody bandage.”
“I’ll check it in a few. I promise.”
Cupping his rough, unshaven cheeks, I slow-kiss him, tasting myself on his lips until my cheek drops to his chest. With his steady heartbeat in my ear, I follow him into sleep.
When a knock at the door wakes me, I yawn and turn, only to find the other side of the bed empty. In the kitchen, after Sean says thank you, a paper bag rustles, spicy Chinese takeout drifting into the bedroom. One minute my stomach growls and the next, I’m starving.
As I’m rummaging through my dresser for clean clothes, his cell phone rings.
At first he mumbles, then he turns up the volume. “Brother, I need her safe. Fire her. Bench her. Do something.”
No freaking way. By the time I get to the kitchen, his tone has returned to normal. “Uh-huh… You’re probably right. Okay. I will for now, but if something else happens, we agree, yes? Thanks. I will.”
Back to me, he chuckles. “Don’t knock it ‘til you try it. Later. Over.”
When he turns around, I get up in his face. “Did you tell Dante to can me?”
“Uh, yeah. I did. Somebody tried to blow us up, Lilly.” I assumed he’d deny or apologize. Instead, he shoots me his maddening, bossy, Marine scowl—the one I absolutely hate.
“Honestly, if you weren’t wounded already, I’d kick the crap out of you.” My finger stabs his sternum. “My job. My life. You don’t get to decide.”
“Sure I do.”
My mouth drops. I was expecting lots of things. Arguing. Deflecting. Perhaps groveling, but not this.
“What the hell, Big Balls?” I jab again. “What did Dante say about it?”
“He said, and I quote, ‘If I want to keep my woman, I should stop being an asshole.’”
“No kidding?” My anger drains away. I knew I liked our new boss.
Sean slips behind me, his fingers laced around my waist. “Sorry. I-I j-just d-don’t want you hurt.”
My heart squeezes as I swivel to face him. He hasn’t stuttered in so long, I’d almost forgotten about it. “It’s okay, Big Balls. You saved me.”
“B-but what if n-next time I’m not there?”
Is that what this is all about?
I hold the sides of his head, forcing his gaze to mine. “We’re a team. Right?”
“Forever.” Eyes bright, he slips a lock of hair behind my ear.
Not wanting to open the marriage discussion, I reach inside the paper bag for the Chinese takeout. Before I can say beef and broccoli, the door handle clicks.
Instantly alert, Sean snatches a knife off the counter. “Damn. Stay behind me.”
In the same breath, Buddy launches off the fridge to the floor.
Knees bent, fists raised, I brace for a fight.
“Well, helloo-ee-oo.” A wrinkled face framed by purple hair peeks through the opening. “I hope I didn’t interrupt sexy time.”
Rolling his eyes, my two-legged roommate pecks her cheek. “Jesus, Grams. Ever heard of calling?”
“Or knocking,” I add. Perhaps finding an apartment elsewhere would be wise, after all.
“Don’t be ridiculous. I have a key.” She releases him, then folds me into her bosom. “Hello, dear. I wasn’t aware if you made it home and wanted to make sure Buddy got fed.”
“I texted you the moment we got here.” Sean scowls, but she pretends not to notice.
“Oops. Didn’t see it. Must’ve forgotten to charge my phone.” Drawing a wooden spoon from her apron, she shakes it at her grandson. “Sean James Clark, are you limping?”
The tops of his cheeks turn pink. “H-had a little accident on the way. C-cut myself on a jagged edge of metal.”
Weapon closer, her eyes narrow. “Do not lie to me, young man.”
Playing wingman, I jump to his rescue. “It’s true. I took him to the ER. They sewed him back together. Even asked about his last tetanus shot. Promise. He’s fine.”
“I’m surprised they let you in, with all those hippopotamus rules. You need to put a ring on her, son. Makes all the difference in situations like these, especially if you continue to do dangerous work adding up numbers.”
“Your grandson has proposed,” I chime in. “I simply declined the ring.”
“Grandmother.” Sean grabs her spoon. “Stop.”
After sliding it into her apron, he kisses the top of her head. “Lay off the pressure.”
“Well, someone needs to parent you two… Speaking of… Your father wants to talk to you. He says if you want to keep using his firm as a cover for your accounting…” She inserts air quotes. “You need to bury the hatchet. What does he mean, exactly?”
“Nothing important.” Sean picks Buddy off the kitchen table and sets him on top of the fridge. “I’m simply staying out of his life, same as he did for me growing up.”
Before she can object, footsteps grow louder in the hall, stopping at our door. “It’s me.”
I open the door for Becks, who hugs me tight before letting me go. “How was the beach? Must’ve been sunny out if you stayed another night. Sorry to interrupt, but the lady from the gallery left a message for Ruthanne. She said she needs to bring her Big Dick Pic by the end of the day.”
Eyes merry, the older woman grins. “That’s our Suds and Draw art club exhibit—two weeks from next Friday. Save the date.”
“I’ll put it on the calendar.” Guiltless, I lie. Her charcoal drawing of the exaggerated-penis gladiator scarred me for life. I will never unsee it.
“Wonderful.” Dropping a coffee pod in our machine, she reaches for a mug. “One more thing. I’m franchising our ghost business. I have six interested cities.”
Thank God. No more séances. “As long as Madam Woo Woo retires, I’m fine with whatever.”
“Great. I’ve decided on a completely different approach. Sit. I’ll show you.” She extracts a short brown candle and a flat glass holder from her apron pocket.
After placing them on the table, she flicks a lighter. A second later, my stomach churns.
“Holy crap, what is that? Eau de rancid meat?” Covering my nose, I open a window.
Meanwhile, Grams digs into the same pocket. As the candle smokes, she stares into the black fumes, waving a vintage baseball card over the flames.
“Trouble lies ahead.” Her face pales.
“Damn straight it does.” Sean’s face reddens as he snatches the relic from her fingers. “This is my 1987 First Bowman rookie issue. It’s worth over a thousand bucks. Where’d you find it?”
“Where I stored all your childhood toys, of course.” As if that explains everything, she licks two fingers, pinches the wick, then waddles to the door. “C’mon, Becks. Call for an Uber. Toodles, you two. We’re off to the senior center. More fortunes to tell.”
Rebecca shrugs. “Sorry about the smell. See you guys later.”
Strolling to the door, Sean whispers in her ear. “That candle needs to go.”
“I can’t promise, but I will try.” My sainted sister waves, then races down the hall. “Grams, wait up.”
After they’re gone, Sean and I stare at each other for a second, return to our food, then break into giggles.
Wiping my eyes, I kiss him. “Your grandmother’s a trip. You know that, right?”