Rotten (24 page)

The tears poured heavy and she came around the counter and hugged me tight. “Darlin, God’s got you, you have to believe that. It’s okay to cry now. We all have to get them pent up tears out before they eat us alive. Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.”

I shook harder in her arms, and not once did anyone find my behavior odd. Daryl came around with my oatmeal and formed a smiley face with the raisins. Giving Angel a quick kiss on the lips, he looked at me and winked before patting my shoulder.

“It’s true, my wife is right. Then again, she’s always right.”

I chuckled hard at the sweet couple, seeing proof that true love still existed. They left me alone to eat my breakfast, and I hugged them both before I left, leaving a giant tip as I walked out the door. I got back on the highway, and the slivers of dawn appeared in my rearview mirror as I thundered into the darkness. Caught in that moment before the sun fully breaks the horizon, my phone chirped with a new text. I didn’t recognize the number, yet the message nearly made me careen off the road.

Your daddy’s awake, he’s asking for you

The GPS system said there was only one more highway to take before getting into Vegas. From Burlington, Colorado, I was nine hundred and eighteen miles away from my daddy. I had so many questions, but knew they would have to wait. The short buzz of energy the coffee provided multiplied infinitely with that little text.

I pushed the seventy mile an hour speed limit to its max and flew as fast as I could without having to return to pay a fine. I hit the Front Range just past Denver and thankfully missed most of the morning traffic. A few small lane changes due to the never-ending construction in every big city were the only nuisance I encountered. Only stopping to use the restroom and stock up on more water and snacks, I completed the drive in just over twelve hours.

As I wove my way through the stunning Arches National Park, taking in the giant red rock formations carved by years of the rough elements, Jodi’s number came up on my screen. It was the first call I had answered outside of business in the past forty-eight hours.

“Hey lady, you’re alive. Are you on your way back here?” Jodie asked softly.

“Yes, I’m in Utah. This place is fucking gorgeous, ever been?”

Her laughter was light but abrupt. “Nope, but maybe someday I will. But that’s not what I called about. There’s something you need to know before you get back here. I know you haven’t talked to David, now hear me out. If you don’t, I will beat the shit out of you, do you understand?”

I was stunned, being at the receiving end of her aggression. It was like a cold slap in the face.

“Yes.” I was unable to form any other words in response.

With a deep breath, she exhaled as if in relief. “Good, because he’s a wreck and the only thing that is going to fix him is you. No one knows what the hell happened between you two, but he came into the club last week and started pounding shots and went and hid in the office. The girls closed up and he came out just before they left. Melanie stayed behind, but so did Alex, because we all knew that something was up.

David was pretty drunk and just hanging his head on the bar. Melanie came up behind him and started rubbing on his back and some shit, and David stood up to move, but she took it the wrong way and tried getting up on him. He pushed her away and told her to get out of the bar. Alex took David back to the house where he found you on the floor. That’s why he had that lipstick on him. He keeps saying nothing will change how you feel and you will never believe him, but you have to. I wouldn’t lie to you. Ask anyone at the bar, they will tell you. Melanie is gone.”

Tears started to roll down my face so hard, I pulled off to the side of the road. Jodie could hear my choked sobs, and her voice instantly tempered.

“I know you’re married, Toni, but I also know you’re in love. I’ve known Stark for a few years, and I have never once seen him act the way he does around any other woman the way he does around you. I have also never seen him this fucked up.”

Although she couldn’t see my head nod in agreement, I thanked her and told her I would be there as soon as I could. I sat in the car and bawled for another twenty minutes before finally being composed enough to drive. With the windows down, the air grew warmer the farther into the desert I traveled. I was exhausted, but I was so close.

My phone rang again to tell me that an open house had been set for the weekend, and the lawyer contacted me to tell me Andrew was coming in to review the papers. He had some concessions, but they were minor, and I did not need to be present. As the miles disappeared beneath me, hope came closer than ever.

Arriving at the hospital, I flew up the stairs to the third floor and nearly barged into my daddy’s room before being stopped at the nurse’s station.

“Ms. Knox, he just went to sleep again. He’s been asking about you, but he knew you were on the way. You need to let him rest. I know you’re ready to see him, but give him at least two hours, please. We can go over a few things now or when you come back if you wish.”

My whole body was shaking at the request to refrain from crawling into his small hospital bed and never leaving. Hearing the commotion, a weary David stepped out of his room and closed the door behind him. Looking up, his eyes were shadowed and glassy. His face looked a little haggard from nights of not sleeping and most likely not eating as well. Guilt panged through my heart as I looked at him, knowing I caused this. I thought that he was repeating history when in fact, it was me who was ripping him apart. I approached him slowly and kept my expression flat. Although I was thrilled he wasn’t with another woman, I was still pissed he took off and left me.

“Can you take me to my daddy’s house to shower and grab a few things? I don’t think I should be driving anymore.”

I twisted my wrists and looked around to keep from crying. Blowing out hard, he walked past me and opened the door for us to leave. Not a word was spoken on the ride back to Sloan. I wanted to know what my daddy had said since he was awake. I wanted to know what David had told him. I just prayed to God he didn’t tell him about my accident.

Walking into the house, David looked around, lost.

“I won’t be long. Just going to take a shower real quick and grab some of his stuff.”

He nodded and sat on the couch in silence. Not turning on the TV, he just laid back and stared at the ceiling. Closing the bathroom door, I ran the faucet to mask my tears before getting undressed. I had grown accustomed to the tepid water, and even back home, I kept it the same temperature. My forehead rested against the old tiles as I stood there in deep thought of what I was about to do. My left hand was empty, no longer adorned with the symbol of a woman claimed by another. Caught up in his own hurt, David failed to notice. If I was to offer myself to him now and he denied me, I would be crushed.

In a way, I was taking advantage of his weakened state, and he would never see it coming. Squeezing the excess water out of my hair, I knew we had one more hour before returning to the hospital, and I sure as hell didn’t want my daddy to see us mad at each other. More than that, I wanted him with a ferocity I had never felt before. There was no guilt, only an unsatisfied longing, waiting for fulfillment.

As I cracked the old bathroom door open, steam rushed out in vapor clouds before me. David looked up as I approached him in nothing but a towel. Still not saying anything, I used my ankle to kick his knees apart. He looked at me oddly until the towel dropped to the floor in a large heap of cotton. Crawling up onto his lap, I used the palm of my hand to push his forehead back into the fabric of the sofa and pressed my naked body into his chest.

“Are you going to run away again?” I whispered.

His hands tentatively caressed the damp skin on the back of my thighs while licking his lips. “No ma’am.”

With that, I claimed his mouth and worked furiously with my small hands to loosen the thick, leather belt that held up his worn jeans. Sitting up away from the sofa, he broke the kiss to lift off his navy blue t-shirt, and then held my bottom pressed against him as he raised his hips to loosen his pants and shove them around his ankles. Coming down to straddle him, I could feel his massive erection pressing between my legs, causing me to moan deeply. His fingers wrapped around my thighs and ran delicately along the folds of dripping wet skin.

“Fuck.” That was all he said before I reached down between us and freed his cock from the tight, cotton trunks. Wrapping my fingers around it, I quickly guided the head to my entrance and sank slowly. Hissing as I took in every inch, I stilled after being fully impaled and impossibly filled. Pausing to look into his eyes, the embers started to flare up into full-blown flames.

With a tight fist full of hair, David pulled my head closer to his and kissed me hard while moving slowly in a circular pattern with his hips. The sensation was overwhelming as my clit lightly grazed his flesh with each pass. My tongue could not taste enough of him, my hands were unable to find a place to rest, and my pussy clenched fiercely around him, afraid to let go.

With one swift motion, David grabbed my thighs and stood up, crossing my ankles around his waist. As he backed me against the wall, I clung to him once more. This time he did not set me down, nor hesitate. I wanted to tell him I loved him, and the thought made me flinch. Almost instinctively he started to thrust harder while leaning next to my ear.

“I fucking love you, Toni. God, I love you, woman. You drive me crazy as sin, but I would kill for you.” With each drive into me, an apology followed. Grabbing his face, I silenced his sorrow and matched his thrusts with fervor. I wasn’t sure how much longer I could hold onto him like this, but I knew better than to say something.

Once again, he must have sensed my discomfort and laid me on the freshly carpeted floor. Hiking my legs over his shoulders, he pressed down and lightly pumped his hips back and forth, driving his cock deep inside of me. It was almost painful, but delicious. I wanted to come, yet was so disoriented in his embrace. I licked my fingers and moved them between my legs, speeding up my own orgasm. He looked at me, offended and immediately backed out, causing me to squeal in protest.

With one arm, he held my hands captive above my head, giving me a look that told me I had no idea what I was getting into. His lush pink lips traveled down my neck and to each breast, biting the nipples softly and licking across my panting chest. The short, choppy breaths increased as his tongue traveled towards my navel before dipping in between my legs. Beginning at the very top of the hood, his warm tongue lazily circled my clit as my body tried to push closer to his mouth. Jerking away with each attempt, he laughed heartily at my torture.

“Baby, the moment you dropped that towel, it was game over for you and game on for me. You can come when I let you. And it will be so good, it will keep your panties melted for another four years. But I promise you this – I would never ever do that to you.”

My heart stopped a little, knowing why it was four years, yet his magnificent tongue quickly swept away anything else other than the desire to have him continue to fuck my brains out. I instantly submitted under his touch and allowed him to have his way. With skilled fingers, he gently moved back and forth, pushing me closer to the edge. Just as I was about to fall over, he slowed down enough to draw out the sensation and increase my hunger. It was starting to become excruciating, I wanted to come so badly. I started to realize he wasn’t going to let me, not yet. Looking down I could see his other hand work his cock back and forth slowly to maintain his erection. He caught me watching and smiled deviously.

“Do you like to watch?” he asked curiously.

I simply nodded my head. “I like to watch you.”

Sitting back on his heels, he continued to stroke his imposing length without hurry. “Well isn’t that a coincidence, I like to watch you, too. So how about you put your hand between your legs and show me what you didn’t that first day you arrived.”

I blushed beneath him, suddenly nervous of his request. Timidly I splayed my hand across my abdomen, sliding lower until my fingertips disappeared into the soft, pink folds. Finding the small bud full of nerves, I began to maneuver my index finger into swift circles, knowing exactly how to make myself come. I couldn’t look at him while he watched me; it was too intimidating. Behind closed eyes, the inner dialogue began.

Oh my God, he is watching me get off. He likes it. This is really happening. I need to come fast, fuck, Five. Four. Three. Two. One. Dammit, do I have performance anxiety?

When I opened my eyes, David was grinning at me stupidly, but it was so sexy at the same time.

“I can’t come, I don’t know why.” I was upset my body wouldn’t relax enough to come undone. He stopped moving his hand and leaned over me, resting on his elbows.

“Toni, this is a lot for you right now. Don’t worry about coming. There will be many more opportunities for me to make you scream loudly. Does it feel good?”