God. As soon as my lips met hers it was like an IED going off. She tried backing away, but I swept my tongue across her lips and when she opened willingly, I tangled my tongue with hers. Taking everything I gave her. Her kisses weren’t seductive or dominating. They actually seemed hesitant and nervous. Which was weird seeing as her profession should have made her worldlier. Or was she?
I gentled my kiss, making love to her sweet mouth. Her lips full and shy at what to do. I kept one hand on her neck and the other I wrapped around the long braid that fell down her back until it was wrapped around my wrist and fist.
I lifted her face away from mine slowly and her eyes peeled open as if she were in slow motion. Uncertainly clouded her expression and her cheeks became a beautiful blush-rose. A stripper who’s shy at kissing? What’s going on here?
“Evony, is this the first time you’ve ever kissed a man?”
Her eyes narrowed and her lips sealed shut. She tried pulling away again, but I tugged on the braid, forcing her to remain still.
“Evony. Just answer me, please.”
“It’s nonya.”
“So that’s a yes then.”
“No, jerk. That means—
My lips shut her up and her stiff body softened underneath my hands. I let go and her pinks cheeks flushed even more.
“Answer me, baby.”
“Fine. Yes. And don’t call me—
I crushed her body against mine, planting my lips on her in a devouring lock of tongue and lips. Sweet heaven her mouth felt amazing. Tentative yet curious. How the hell had she never kissed someone before? And why the fuck did I feel like a caveman at being the first? If she hasn’t ever kissed someone did that mean?
No. It couldn’t be possible.
I pulled my lips from hers gently and my eyes widened with surprise.
“So, I’m your first kiss? You never kissed boys from high school.”
“Wow. And you tell me I have no idea. Didn’t you ever talk to your mother?”
“All the time. Unless I was on a mission and I couldn’t, I talked her at least a few times a week.”
“Mission? What are you? One of the few and the proud?”
“Bite your tongue, woman. I’m all Hooah.”
“And that means?”
“Army, honey. I’m an Army Ranger.”
“And that mean’s what exactly?”
“It means I take care of my own.”
“Ha. Long time for that, buddy.”
I still held her in my arms, her body molded tightly against mine and my ever greedy dick was telling me it wouldn’t mind pouncing anytime soon.
“Time didn’t change anything for me.”
“You’re so delusional, Gavin.”
“Then let me go insane then.”
Then I took her lips again. Needing to feel the soft supple fullness against mine. This time though, she grabbed my shirt tightly in her hands and gave it everything she got.
Her braid escaped my grip and my hands roamed freely over her body. Her arms were toned and tan. The tank she wore showed off her tattoo that disappeared down towards her navel. I knew the one on her back was visible. They both made me want to punch a wall. I’m pretty sure ‘You’re only a memory’ meant me. I knew for a fact I was the only one to ever promise her anything so I knew the French script on her body was about me.
I wanted to erase them. What the hell happened? How did she not get my money?
“Evony.”
“Yes?” Her breath was warm and came in small spurts.
“What happened to the money I sent you?”
Her eyes became focused and clear. She shook her head as she ran her hands over her hair and down her braid, as she untangled from my embrace.
As if she finally remembered what was going on, her eyes hardened into ice chips.
“If you sent it to your mother, I would have never seen a penny of it. If you sent it to the trailer and my mom got a hold of it, I definitely would never have seen it.”
“I sent letters with each check I sent. You should have been able to live alright.” That’s what I didn’t understand. What I was thinking, wasn’t very comforting.
“Look, Gavin. When you left—as in the night you left me in the woods and never came back, your mom and some guy found me. Your mother was mean and cruel. Told me if I ever darkened her doorstep she’d make me regret it. She told me I was the reason you left and that I did nothing but ruin your future.”
The hell? Not possible. She knew how much Evony meant to me.
“No. That can’t be right. I talked to her all the time. She always said you were doing fine. Having a good life.”
“Gavin, I’m sorry to tell you this, but she lied to you.”
“Forget that for a moment—
She shoved me back until her body was against the wall. “I can’t forget that, Gavin. When you left, you took something that I never thought I had. I was devastated. My mother turned into this cruel, abusive woman and school? Ha. I dropped out at sixteen when she was too old to strip and the other job just didn’t pay enough for us to barely live off of. Your mother didn’t give a shit about me. So my mother took me up to Gentlemen’s Fancy—
“No.” She can’t be saying what I think she is.
“Gavin, get your head out of your ass. I started dancing at sixteen and have been doing it for the past nine years. I had bills I had to fucking pay for and no one helped me.”
No. My mother wouldn’t have lied to me like that. She knew Evony meant everything to me.
“Why are you shaking your head, Gavin? The truth too much for you to bare? Ha. You really have been living in a fantasy world. I’ve been stripping for a long time. I see men like you day in and day out. I sometimes teach pole dancing in Houston when I have time, but it’s a little bit out of my cars reach to do it permanently.”
“Oh, baby. I am so sorry.”
“Don’t feel sorry for me. I don’t want nor need your pity. That’s life. That’s my life. I have plans that I will someday pursue. I make good money, Gavin. Don’t worry about me. I haven’t needed a white knight for a long ass time. I take care of myself. Sorry it wasn’t all you were hoping for.”
I closed my eyes, letting the guilt and shame I felt for not trying harder to be in her life before now swamp over me. God, I fucked up. I knew I should have come home when I told mom I wanted to come and see her. But she was adamant that everything was fine and Evony was living a great life. God. I was so blind.
I heard a door shut softly and my eyes flew open, and she was gone. I hurried and opened the door to see a light flash on next door. She was already inside. The little scamp done ran home. Scared. Then I heard light arguing. Trailer walls could be so fucking thin.
I walked out, knowing I shouldn’t eavesdrop, but I had to know what the fuck was happening here. The past twelve years have been one big fat lie. Why did my mother lie? Why didn’t she keep her promise to me and make sure Evony was happy and taken care of?
Someone had to have known what the fuck was going on here while I was away. How could she keep this from me? The fact she wasn’t alive for me to ask only made this so much worse.
Son of a bitch. He told me she was working there. My mentor. My friend. He had a lot to fucking answer for.
First though, I had something to say to Evony. I’d deal with her fucking mother later. I went back to the old trailer, locked it up and strode over to the Summers place.
Instead of knocking nicely, I pounding on the door with every frustrated thought I was thinking.
“GO AWAY!”
Her voice was angry and I could tell even from here a nervous lilt layered the vibrations. With the screen door open, and I knew I’d have to replace the damn thing but with a good, hard twist I cracked open the front door and slammed it against the wall.
Both women jumped and Evony did her ninja stance. Which I couldn’t help but laugh.
“Damn, honey. That’s real cute when you do that.”
“You broke our lock, asshole!”
“I’ll replace it.”
“Don’t worry about it. I didn’t need a man before you and I don’t need one now. I can afford to replace it myself. Now git!”
“Love the southern sass, babe. Just going to tell you one thing though. We are not done. Do you understand me?”
“We never even started!”
“Just barely.” Then I looked at her mother with what I could only assume was livid, living rage. “I’ll deal with you later, ma’am.”
She rolled her eyes and shrugged. Not a fucking worry in the world. Well, I didn’t mind handing out justice where justice was needed and what she’s done to Evony was unacceptable.
“You won’t be dealing with anyone. I can handle her without a man.”
Then I strode inside and she backed up but not before I grabbed her shoulders and planted one hot, searing kiss to her lips.
“I’ll be back, Evony. Cross my heart.”
“That’s not worth a damn thing to me anymore.”
“EVONY!”
The hard rough callousness of my voice made her flinch and although she didn’t become scared, she stayed quiet. Her jaw clicked tight and she looked like she was ready to either punch me in the face or cry. And I doubted she cried very often.
Fuck me. What have I done to this woman? To the girl that had become my world. Still was my world. A hollowness seared inside my body like nothing I’ve ever felt before. I hurt her like no one ever has. Including the woman who bore her and the man who should have treated her like a princess instead of a burden. And I never came back? Sweet Jesus, I’d hate me too. But we weren’t done. There was more I need to know and right now that mission was going to be completed, stat.
“I will be back. Seems like I have twelve years of damage control to take care of.”
“What did I just say to you?”
I put my finger to her lips.
“Stay.”
“I’m not a dog.”
“No, you aren’t. Just stay put, please. Can you do that, Evony? Or is it too hard for you to understand?” Then I whispered low enough her mother couldn’t hear, “I have to fix this. Twelve years, Evony. I’ll be back, baby. I promise and I will be coming back. We have a lot to talk about.”
Then I softly kissed her lips with a promise. When I disconnected, I looked into the softest blue eyes I’ve ever seen and there it was. A second of longing before they returned to her normal uncaring stare. She just rolled her eyes and shrugged.
I caressed the spot where I had a hold of her, trying to ease the hard grip I had on her.
“Tomorrow.”
“Fine. Now, would you please leave?”
God, her mouth. Full of fire and ice all at the same damn time. I couldn’t help but kiss her hard before I left them standing there.
As I made my way to the truck I heard her screen door slam closed and the front door bang against the door frame.
Silly woman. I had a lot of shit I had to handle within the next several hours. There was no way I was going to let her go back to that fucking place and let other men see her all sexed and stripped out.
Hell. The. Fuck. No.
Over my dead fucking body.