Perfectly Loved Read online

  “Do you go back home to sleep?”

  “Maybe.”

  “Is that your favorite word?”

  He smiled.

  “Listen, if you ever need to talk, I walk to the store every couple of days. Maybe I’ll see you around. You know, if you want to pay me back for the Snickers or something.”

  He looked at me with those clear eyes, somewhat confused.

  “That was a joke, Zack.”

  “Okay. Then, maybe.”

  “I better go home. Dad doesn’t like it when I stay out late.”

  “Okay, and listen – give this to your dad. Or you can tell him it was at your doorstep if you want.” I handed him the pamphlet on gun safety, hoping his father would think about keeping his weapon in a safer place.

  When I got back home that night, Millie was sitting curled up on the couch. Soiled tissues littered the table, and her eyes were puffy and red. She passed me her phone with a message from April that Mr. Bowers had passed away that morning. It was my first day on the job, and should have been one of the happiest days of my life. Instead, I’d never forget it for a completely different reason. It was the first day of many that I found my life on a downward spiral.

  I never missed a day walking to the store since then, hoping that I could talk to Zack again, but I never saw the little boy again, and after a year, I stopped the routine. Life just kept throwing shards my way, and I began to wonder whether it would ever stop.

  Chapter 17

  Millie

  “Hey, Caleb. Come here,” Mark called out to his younger brother.

  Caleb was a senior in my high school. I saw him in the hall occasionally and once at the house. But for the most part I tried to avoid everyone in the house by sneaking out before they got up and coming back after they went to sleep. And it had only been a week.

  “Want me to teach you the difference between boys and girls?”

  “Stop it, Mark.”

  I threw Caleb a grateful look.

  “Come on, Millie. I know you want it. I know you listen to me fuck.”

  “Actually I shut my ears.”

  “You’ve got a mouth on you. Wanna put it to good use?”

  “Unless it’s to tell you to shut yours, I don’t think so.” I started heading upstairs.

  “Hey, where do you think you’re going?” He closed the distance between us, and I turned on my heel, switching my direction to the front door.

  I never looked back.

  Once I left, I promised myself that I’d never come back to that house again.

  “Ten more years, Timothy. Ten more years.”

  Present time

  I submerged over and over again as I tried to find my footing. But the water here was deep and with the current getting stronger, I felt it carry me further down the stream. With my body succumbing to the cold, I was in trouble. Dave finally grasped me by my arm and pulled me toward the shore.

  “Are you okay?” he asked.

  Feeling my teeth clatter one against another, I shook my head. Fate did have it in for me after all. “I’m sorry.”

  “This isn’t your fault, Millie. Let’s get you home.”

  He took my hand, and maybe it was a good thing that he did because with my legs feeling like icicles, I wasn’t sure whether I’d be able to move at all.

  I didn’t even remember getting home. My limbs were numb, and when I looked in the bathroom mirror, my lips were purple. I felt him strip my clothes right off and heard the shower run. Dave lifted me in his arms, and that’s when I realized that he was naked as well, but I had no strength to object. His body was warmer than the air around us, and it was exactly what my body needed now. The water warmed as it showered over us. I kept my arms around him, holding on to as much body heat as I could, leaning my head against his chest, feeling the first warmth of revival penetrate my skin. There wasn’t a better feeling in the world. As we stood in that small tub, I felt Dave grow against my stomach and I smiled.

  If there was any certainty in this world, it was the hard-on I always managed to give him.

  “You think this is funny?” he asked.

  “A little,” I whispered against his chest. The water poured down those perfect muscles, smoothing the sprinkles of hair over his pecs. It was a beautiful sight – one I’d stared at so many times before and missed so much when we were apart.

  “Are you feeling better?” he asked.

  “A little.” I was actually feeling a lot better, but selfishly didn’t want to be torn away from him.

  “Good.” He kissed the top of my head. “For a moment there I thought I’d need to pick you up at the golf course.”

  “I would have drowned by then.”

  “Exactly. Don’t go on that branch again, please?”

  “It wasn’t the branch that gave way, Dave. It was…”

  “…our kiss?”

  I looked up into his gorgeous eyes, perfectly framed by the wet, dark lashes, and felt my mouth open. He took the opportunity to lower his lips to mine again, and for once in my life, I was grateful that I had no strength to object. Skin against skin, the full length of his body connected to mine, he cupped my face and kissed me hard with need. The feel of him was becoming more addictive by the minute. I held on to his arms as our mouths worked one another in that familiar pattern I’d missed so much. I would never kiss anyone with as much passion as I kissed Dave. When he pulled away, taking all his deliciousness away, I felt lost. Why did he do that?

  “If we’re doing this, we need to get more comfortable,” he said.

  I just nodded. Unable to verbalize exactly what I wanted, I could only show him. Before he stepped out of the tub, I pulled him back to me and kissed him again, this time grabbing his cock in my hand, remembering his generous size in my grip, smiling against his lips as he twitched in my palm.

  “Easy there. We’ll get to that too,” he said. What was happening to me? Did I care? No, not really. Fate could go suck it for the next twenty-four hours because I wanted this. I needed Dave fast and hard. I wanted him to remind me one more time exactly what I had given up in my quest to be alone while I served the universe.

  Yeah, there was no going back, not tonight. And tomorrow, I’d probably think about a replay — just to make sure my decision was sound.

  “Come on, cupcake.” He wrapped a towel around me and took my hand. Instead of heading to the bedroom, where up until now I’d assumed I’d sleep while Dave took the other bedroom, he turned toward the small staircase that led to the attic.

  “What are you doing?”

  “I told you before, sugar – if I fuck you, it will be upstairs in that attic.”

  Jesus, did he have to be so forward? And how did he know that was exactly what I wanted and needed right now?

  “But the bed is small.”

  “Never was a problem before,” he said, spanking my ass as I made my way up. A delectable sting radiated from my ass up through my body. As soon as I reached the attic floor, I gasped. The smell of paint was still fresh, and the re-painted stars on the ceiling shone as brightly as that first night we’d made love here. I looked to the small mattress covered with fresh sheets and the heater that was turned on in the corner.

  “When did you do all this?”

  “Does it matter?” His fingers grasped the towel I’d been holding at my breasts, and it fell to the floor. I could feel his heat behind me and knew that he’d dropped his towel as well. His hands grasped my hips as he turned me around to face him.

  The window must have been open in the attic because the fresh air collided against my warmed skin.

  “You’re as beautiful as the day I met you.” His rough voice was confident and arousing. It sprinkled a yearning along my skin as he traced his lips and whispered delectable words. Could he do that again? Could he kiss me, everywhere? Would he leave a trace of himself all over me tonight?

  “I…”

  He shushed my lips with a kiss and walked me backward until my feet touched the m
attress. As soon as I sat down, his weight over me forced me back, bringing him right between my legs. He was hard against my over-sensitized pussy. I rubbed myself on him, using his length as a grinding pole, feeling a little slutty at how much I needed him to get myself off. His mouth left my lips, and as I imagined, began a beautifully tantalizing dance over my body, right down my neck and to my shoulder, along the soft inner skin of my arm. I opened my eyes and watched the hundreds of painted stars above me as Dave took my body out of this world and right into his intriguing universe.

  The palm of his hand cupped my breast, and I felt like that young girl again – the one whose first boyfriend wanted the never-ending feeling of holding a boob, the one who wanted to love her so perfectly with every single touch. Except his hands were larger, rougher, and more experienced and my boobs… well, okay so they hadn’t grown a lot, but a bit. He kneaded it gently at first, skimming his finger over my hardening nipple, and waiting for it to reach that perfect solid state. Once his mouth drew down to my navel and his tongue swirled around it, I remembered where that downward path led and felt a leak from my pussy onto my ass just as he dragged his fingers through my soaked folds, breathing heavily in approval against my skin.

  His proficient hand felt every inch of me before two of his fingers, eased inside me. My ass tensed as he filled me and stretched me, preparing me for him. His kisses trailed lower to the dark strip of hair, kissing and licking, breathing lust closer and closer to my clit. The generous licks around the nub neared the target, and as I repositioned my hips underneath his lips, I felt him smile against my skin. He flicked the little bundle of nerves, and I almost jumped up. A shot of energy flew through me just as he closed his lips over that sensitive skin, sucking it into his mouth where he took total control.

  Jesus, why have I resisted him for so long?

  His expert fingers slid in and out of me, finally hooking that inner spot he knew so well, pressing their pads to that point like it was some sort of a button that would set me off. And it did. I grabbed my breasts and pushed my hips forward, forcing myself deeper into his mouth. My ass rose off the mattress as he ate me with so much hunger I was beginning to see the stars with my eyes closed. He squeezed my ass cheek with his other hand, some of his fingers nearing that firm hole that had never been touched by anyone else but him. The first blast, somewhat like the beginning of a supernova, tore through my body and I grabbed the pillow to bite on.

  That only gave Dave further encouragement to flick his tongue harder, pump into me faster, and massage the rim of that tight hole with greater frequency. Overwhelmed with all the sensations I hadn’t felt in so long, I finally let go. The release cut through me like a knife, shocking me with its intensity before subsiding to the more-normal bursts through my body. I felt my legs tremble and tears leak from my eyes as that pent-up need was finally satisfied. Dave eventually pulled away from my pussy and slid back up my body, his cock lining up perfectly at my entrance. My knees fell to the sides, giving him more space. His mouth glistened with my juices and I could smell myself on his breath; knowing where he had been a moment ago turned me on all over again.

  “Ready, baby?”

  “Yes.”

  That first glide of him inside me was delicious. He held himself steady, supporting his weight on his arms, and this time rammed into me, throwing my whole body upward on the bed, hitting the full depth of me. A small box fell off a shelf and clattered to the floor.

  “Shh!” I laughed. “You’ll wake Mrs. Bowers.”

  “I don’t care. She’s been praying for this moment for a while.”

  I laughed again. “Make love to me, Dave.”

  “Nope, sorry. That’s not happening until after I fuck you. Then, when you’re spent, I’ll make love to you until the sun comes up in the morning.”

  And with those words he began moving his hips, slowly at first, then faster. I lifted my legs onto his shoulders. With him hovering above me, that put my knees close to my head and tilted my ass to that perfect angle for full penetration.

  “Yoga has its benefits,” I winked.

  “I’ll never question your yoga classes again.” He kissed the tip of my nose and moved my left leg over his head onto one shoulder, slightly twisting me on my right side, but never stopping the tantalizing rhythm of his hips. Dave knew my body like no other man.

  With my body slightly turned to the right and his hand smoothing over my ass, I got butterflies in my stomach. As his fingers inched closer to the puckered hole, now open and available for him, I knew what was coming next. He slid his finger in, slowly reminding me of my tightness, and maneuvered around the rim, stretching me, waiting for my muscles to remember and adjust to the width. My head lolled back.

  “You’re fucking tight. When was the last time this was used?”

  “Only by you.”

  “Can you take more?” he asked from above.

  “Yes.”

  And then I felt another finger. The entry burned for the first few seconds, but now I could feel him in my pussy and my ass, completely taking me, filling me with him, and tonight that was all I wanted. Him inside of me, on top of me, claiming me and using my body in a way that only he knew.

  “Fuck,” he swore with impatience. It wouldn’t take long, and I knew that Dave would not want to come in my pussy. I grasped my ass cheek and pulled it to the side, opening myself wider for him. He pulled out of my pussy and slid his cock up and down, completely lubricating me before lining himself up at the wrinkled rim. I held my breath, anticipating that first sear of his stretch. I relaxed my muscles, now feeling so much of him inside me, but that was only the beginning. Once his head slid past the threshold and he was in, I remembered why I loved him in my ass so much.

  “Touch yourself, baby,” he said. “I want you to come with me.”

  And I would – but not yet. He’d need to hold on for a minute or so more. I was enjoying this too much to stop. I grabbed his hand and guided his fingers to my opening. Once he was inside me, finger-fucking me, and I felt him fill me in every way possible, I felt complete.

  I lowered my hand to my swollen nerves and rubbed myself in tight circles. The frenzy was building up quicker than I wanted. He pounded into me, and the squishing sound of his fingers, ragged breaths, and my uncontrollable cries of ecstasy filled the room. It was one of the most beautiful sounds I’d heard in a long time. I had to let go of the pleasure because I knew Dave would give me many more orgasms before the sun rose. That last slap of his balls against my thigh pushed me over the edge. I couldn’t hold on. I cried happy tears, no longer aware of where I was or who was with me because I felt like this was where I belonged. With him and only him. This was the only time I felt like I’d reached my destiny. How could I have been so blind? As I shook on the bed and Dave spilled inside me, I knew that I had to do everything in my power to stay with him. There had to be a way for Fate to see how wrong it was to keep us apart.

  Spent, I lay on my side. He spooned me from behind, his cock growing within minutes. The next time he took me, it was slow and sensual. The tantalizing friction between our bodies was enough for me to come again. Then I remembered being on my belly, with Dave lying on my back. With my legs together, I gave him a tighter squeeze, and it didn’t take long for him to come. Our bodies were covered in sweat. He’d used the moist towels we’d dropped earlier to wipe us down, and then we went at it again. I lost count. I didn’t want to count; I just never wanted to stop. I wanted to sit on him the way I was now, with my legs wrapped around him, while he held me against his body, completely inside me. It was beautiful. He was beautiful, as he perfectly loved me over and over again.

  By the time I closed my eyes, the first rays of daylight were sneaking through the window. Snuggled into him, I heard him say, “I love you, Millie. I never stopped, and I never will.”

  I bit my lip. Inside my heart, I knew that I loved him as well. I could never stop loving him, and he had to know that, didn’t he? Because I couldn’t say it.
The day those words left my mouth again would be the day I admitted we had a future, and I wasn’t ready for that just yet. I wanted it; but I wasn’t sure that with life dealing me a losing hand each time we tried to be together, I would ever be ready.

  Chapter 18

  Dave

  Eight years earlier

  I walked in the local bar with pride, my official uniform still on. One of my co-workers, and a senior official at the station, had asked me to stop by to pick up a set of keys his wife had dropped off and left with the barman.

  It had been two months since I’d been sworn in, and getting used to this feeling of honor and satisfaction would take some time. Little did I know, this streak of good luck I’d had the past few years – meeting Millie, moving in with her, and watching her finish school while she worked for my father – was about to be cut short.

  “There ya go, Mike.” I slid the keys along the counter.

  “Thanks. I owe you one. I’d be sitting on the doorstep till morning if it weren’t for you. Beer?”

  “Sure.”

  “How’s the married life for your sister?”

  “Good, I guess.” But part of me cringed. Deep down, I had a feeling that she’d married Simon because he’d knocked her up. Yes, the guy was wealthy and could provide for her, but his vibe was off.

  “Drinking on duty, officer?” a female voice chirped from behind me. I swiveled around to a familiar face. Laurie was wearing a seductive red dress that hugged her curves and a silk scarf was draped over her low cleavage. In her knee high boots, she was as tall as I was. I sat in perfect view of her chest; it was doubtless one of Laurie’s tricks to lure men when she came to see them here. Everyone in town knew about the number one call girl, but since Laurie was smart enough to cheat the system, she’d never been arrested for prostitution. I wanted to roll my eyes at the way she licked her lips as she sat down beside me. She lifted her left leg over her right one, giving me a glimpse of her panty-less crotch.