Gideon's Redemption (16 page)

Squatting behind her, he began to spread gentle kisses over her as he massaged gently. “Yes, what else do you deserve, baby?”

“I deserve forgiveness, even from myself.”

“Damn, Shannon. I have to be inside you, right now, fucking you and driving this lesson home.”

The next instant he was plunging inside her, his hard length entering her drenched passage effortlessly. She could hear the wetness as he slammed up against her, as well as his skin slapping against her raw and tender flesh. She felt his hand entwine in her hair, gripping it firmly as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her upward until she lay against his chest. The hand in her hair angled her head for his mouth, which sought her throat and latched on. It then glided down to find a ripe breast, the other dipped into her slit. Wrapped around her, his powerful body had her immobilized between his pumping hips and the immovable desk. Held prisoner to his vehement sensual assault, she could only submit, surrendering to his dominance. No matter her burning bottom and the secondary punishment of his flesh abrading her own with every powerful thrust, regardless of his vice-like fingers on her aching nipple and throbbing clit, and despite the force of his cock driving relentlessly into her softness, she could think of nowhere else between heaven and earth she’d rather be.

“Say it again, Shannon, so that we are clear.”

“Gideon loves and forgives me, as I love and forgive myself.”

Growling with satisfaction, he moved into her faster and harder, although she wouldn’t have thought it possible. Mindlessly, she surrendered her control as he rubbed and flicked her clit, rolling and tweaking her nipple as he drove them onward, closer to their mutual satisfaction.

“I love you, Shannon,” he whispered in her ear hoarsely. “Don’t make me teach this lesson for a third time.” His last bit of punishment was a hard, simultaneous pinch of her nipple and clit as he drove into her. Shannon screamed as he hurled them both over the top and into a stunning, cleansing release.

Chapter Thirteen

“Where do you want these, Betsy?” Shannon and Betsy looked up from the closet where they were hanging up the clothes from Betsy’s two suitcases. It was Saturday and Gideon had worked miracles getting her friend and new combination nanny/babysitter/housekeeper moved. He’d had her packed, secured a storage unit for her furnishings, and arranged for movers in short order. Shannon thought he must have surely greased some palms to get it all done so quickly.

“Just set them against the wall, Mr. McCord. I’ll get to them as soon as I can.”

“Gideon, please,” he encouraged her with a warm, welcoming smile. “Here’s your receipt for U-Store. I’ll take care of the monthly fee. We are very happy to have you here, Betsy, Eli especially.”

“He thinks you set the moon, Bets. You are like a surrogate grandmother.”

“Oh stop, you two. You’re making an old lady blush.”

“I hope you brought your suit with you. Eli must be part fish because he has spent every spare minute in the pool since he got here.” While he spoke, his phone rang. Frowning down at the screen, he ignored the call by pushing a button and put it back in his pocket.

“Something wrong, Gid?”

“No, just someone I don’t want to talk to. Our guests will be here in about 30 minutes. Why don’t you two take a break and get your suits on. I’m going to fire up the grill.”

He was gone the next instant.

“He cooks?”

“Yep, and a lot better than me, I should say.”

“Lord, sweetie, that ain’t saying much.”

Shannon looked affronted for a moment, but then grinned. She excelled at opening cans and was a good “heater upper”, but other than that, wasn’t much use in the kitchen. “Hey, I make a mean crustless PB&J, just ask Eli.”

“Well, you don’t have to worry about that anymore. You leave the cooking to me. You just concentrate on taking care of that fine man you got there. I’ll keep Eli occupied, and you two can burn up the sheets.”

“Betsy!”

“What? You think I don’t know what it’s like to try to have relations with a 9-year-old in the house? My old man and me had to be very creative when our kids were at home. I can check sex in unusual places off my bucket list, but it sure put a damper on wild and kinky.”

That was hitting too close to home, so Shannon changed the subject. “Justin and Sticks and their families will be here soon. Are you excited? I know you’re a fan.”

“Heavens yes. I can’t believe I’m meeting Northern Exposure. My bridge group isn’t going to believe me, so…” She rushed across the room and pulled out a t-shirt. Snapping it open, she held up a shirt from their last tour. “Would I be intruding if I asked them to autograph this for me?”

“I’m sure that would be fine, but I’ll ask Gid.”

“Thank you, sweetie. It’s too bad Johnny isn’t coming or I’d have all of them.” Her voice was muffled as she dug through one of her boxes mumbling, “Now where is that suit?” With a showy “ta-da”, she finally pulled out a hot pink one piece swimsuit. Although she was in her sixties, Betsy was in great shape and—much to Shannon’s chagrin—probably weighed a few pounds less than she did. “We should probably get changed. Don’t you worry about me. I’ll finish the rest of this tomorrow.”

Looking around the room, there was still plenty to do, but at least it was livable. The bed was clear except for the suitcases they had just emptied, and although there were boxes piled against the wall, she could safely move around the large room without tripping over moving cartons and debris. “Do you like it?”

“Oh sweetie, I more than like it. This bedroom is bigger than my whole apartment. I love it. Everything is perfect.”

Shannon hugged her friend, blinking back tears. “I’m so happy you’re here.”

* * *

Roxie and Justin arrived with their son a short time later, followed by Sticks and his wife Christina and their trio of little boys. Introductions were made all around, and the men took off to the pool area with the boys in tow.

“You are in big trouble,” Roxie accused as she pointed a long, red-tipped finger at Shannon. “Yes sirree, Little Miss Drop-Off-the-Face-of-the-Earth-Without-Saying-a-Word. You are in the dog house with me. What do you have to say for yourself?”

The room fell silent as all eyes turned towards Shannon, who flushed with regret. “I have no excuse other than to say that Ray Reynolds is a son of a bitch and led me to believe something about Gid that wasn’t true. I’m sorry, Roxie, but I didn’t want Gid to find me.”

“Hmm… Ray is a SOB alright.” Roxie considered her carefully for a moment, then set her hurt aside, rushing across the room to hug her old friend close. “We knew something was up that night. You were so upset. What happened?”

“I thought Grant was Gideon.”

“His cousin? I didn’t even see him there. Was he…?”

“He was the meat in a bimbo sandwich and I saw him. I thought it was Gideon, but it was a big mistake. Fortunately, we’re putting it all behind us and starting fresh. Let’s not talk about it now, though. Today is like a reunion, and I’m so happy to see you again and I’d rather eat, swim, and enjoy the day.” She lowered her voice so only her old friend could hear. “It’s still very raw, Rox.”

Shannon felt her knowing eyes assess her with a calculating eye. Even if she let it go for now, Shannon knew she’d be cornered later for all the gory details. Shannon gave a sigh of relief when Roxie granted her a reprieve. Grabbing her hand and giving it a supportive squeeze, her vivacious friend signaled to the others as she led the way out back. “I’m all for the eating and enjoying the day part, but I am
not
getting into that pool with five little boys and three big boys. No way… No how.” Roxie shuddered dramatically, making them all laugh as they followed her out back to the patio.

Shannon enjoyed playing hostess and tended bar for the ladies. She was delivering a pitcher of margaritas to the table when Gid swam over and propped his folded arms over the side of the pool. “Hey, babe, aren’t you girls coming in?”

“I’ve been told that real women don’t swim, honey. They lounge and look sexy while gossiping and drinking margaritas. Roxie says that’s the female version of a pool party.”

Glancing behind him to where the guys were playing pool basketball, she smiled. Eli was having a blast with his new friends. He was currently perched on Justin’s shoulders, slam dunking the ball through the floating hoop. “You guys look like you’re doing fine without us.”

Gid pushed up and out of the pool in one motion, sheets of water pouring off his ripped body. She sucked in a deep breath, almost choking on her tongue as her body responded. As she watched him approach, her nipples stood at attention and her pussy clenched, craving to be filled. When he raised his hands to slick back his hair and remove the excess moisture, she nearly dropped the tray as she watched all those rippling muscles and sleek, wet skin.
Damn!
she thought ruefully,
the man should carry a warning label
.
Caution: Highly Combustible. May Cause Spontaneous Wetness.
She couldn’t help but stare. He was so utterly and devastatingly drop dead gorgeous.

Betsy came up alongside her and relieved her of the margarita tray. “Try not to jump his bones in front of the kids, hon. This is a family event.” She winked outrageously at Gideon whose eyes shot to Shannon’s with interest. As he moved toward her, she could only gape like the lovesick fool that she was.

Pulling her close, he whispered, “Is that true, doll? You want to jump my bones?”

“Every second of every day,” Shannon sighed as she melted against him, despite him being wet from the pool. The boys’ laughter and shouting penetrated her numbed mind, and she remembered her guests. “You’re distracting as hell, did you know that? Can’t you put a shirt on or something?”

He chuckled, nuzzling his damp face against her, his chin teasing along the neckline of her cover-up. “I’ve got a better idea. You have too many clothes on for a pool party. Why don’t you come inside with me and I’ll help you get rid of some of them? We can even sneak into the pantry for a quickie. I have the perfect spot in mind, right on top of the freezer.” While he whispered his salacious idea against her skin, he peppered little staccato kisses along her jaw, making his way to her lips. Shannon groaned when his lips finally took hers in a deep, openmouthed kiss that was highly inappropriate for their family event.

“What do you think? Do we throw ‘em in the pool to cool ‘em off?” Sticks’ voice sounded from behind them as he spoke conversationally with Justin.

“I don’t know, Sticks,” Justin replied with a laugh. “That might not do it. Maybe I should get the hose?”

Gideon reluctantly lifted his head and glared at his friends who had propped themselves on the side of the pool and were watching with amused smiles on their lips. The boys in the background were making faces and acting as if they were gagging and heaving.

Eli complained loudly, clearly seeking sympathy from the other boys. “All they do is kiss. It’s gross!”

The other boys echoed his sentiments with a chorus of “Eww!” before launching into a discussion about which girl in their class was the grossest and how they were never kissing any girls, ever.

As the adults laughed at their typical boyish reaction, Gideon promised to continue where they left off later. He gave a rosy-cheeked Shannon one more quick kiss on the lips before heading to a lounger to grab a towel. It served dual purposes, drying him off and hiding the impressive erection that was tenting the front of his swim trunks. Somehow, they managed to tamp down their ill-timed urges and see to their guests.

Gid grilled steaks for the adults and burgers for the boys while Shannon and the ladies brought out a host of sides—corn on the cob, tossed salad, pasta salad, and a tray of fresh fruit. After dinner, the boys swam under the watchful eyes of their parents until it started to get dark. They were able to lure the boys out of the water when Gid lit the fire pit and announced they had s’mores for dessert. Shannon and Betsy went in to get marshmallows for roasting and all the fixin’s.

When they got back, Gid was tuning up his guitar, much to the delight of the boys. Shannon was excited too. It had been a long time since she’d heard his beautiful voice or heard him play. As the evening waned, he played familiar songs that everyone could sing along to, until the exhausted boys started to run out of energy and one by one started nodding off.

Their guests said their goodbyes, each adult carrying at least one sleepy little one as they left, promising to get together again soon. Betsy said her goodnights and led a sleepy Eli into the house, leaving Shannon and Gid alone by the fire. He pulled her down with him onto a double lounger, where they snuggled together while watching the popping, crackling fire.

“I had fun today, Gid.”

“Me too, baby.”

“You were right when you said Sticks had settled down. He didn’t have a single beer that I could see.”

“Yeah, he’s been clean and sober about seven years now. Christina has been good for him, and becoming a father has shifted his priorities. We’ve all grown up quite a bit.”

“I’m glad, because what I saw at that wrap party was pretty disturbing. I don’t just mean Grant and the bimbos, either. There was some hardcore partying going on. I saw a lot of coke, smoking, and who knows what else.”

“I have to admit things got a lot worse, after that. Don’t get upset when I tell you this, because I’m not trying to hurt you or guilt you by bringing it up, but it’s part of my past and you need to know. After you left, I stayed messed up for a while, even did a stint in rehab. I wasn’t an addict, but I was standing on that slippery slope. Before that, I could always take it or leave it, the pot, the booze, the coke, but after… Well, it numbed the pain for a bit. I quickly realized it was just a temporary reprieve, though. When I sobered up each morning, you still weren’t there.”

Her hand came up to cup his face, and she looked at him with a truly wretched expression.