Chapter Fifteen
The slivers of bright light filtered through Fallon’s thin eyelids, waking her up. Blinking against the sunlight that invaded their room through an opening in the curtains, something warm against her made a light sawing noise. Her arm was draped over a sculpted chest, and tilting her head, she saw Diablo’s bushy beard. What the hell? She knew they’d each fallen asleep in their separate beds, but he’d made his way over to hers at some point during the night. Did we do something? I didn’t think I had that much to drink last night. They’d gone to a happening area of downtown known as LoDo and had a delicious steak dinner. She’d drunk a couple of brandies, but they just make her giddy, not smashed.
Fallon tried to move away, but her legs were tangled in the sheets. I bet we did do it. I don’t even remember. That totally sucks. Diablo’s light snoring made her smile; she liked waking up next to him. As she ran her fingers over his chiseled chest, a tight pull between her legs made her shift positions. She moved her hand down until she hit his hardness, popping out of his boxers; it was alert and ready for action. Holding her breath, she lightly curled her fingers around it. It was warm and the skin was taut. Looking at it, the vein that ran through it pulsed, and she stroked the smooth head with her thumb. Licking her lips, she moved her hand away.
“Don’t stop now.”
Slowly she raised her head and gazed at him. His eyes were molten, burning with lust. The look sent a bolt of fire between her legs. Wrapping her fingers around his hardness again, she moved closer to his face and kissed his smooth lips. A low growl rumbled in his chest as he held her tightly, tugging at her nightshirt. She moaned when his hand skimmed over her rounded butt, past her hips, and landed on her breast, kneading it.
“Oh, Diablo,” she whispered.
“Sweet pea,” he murmured, his breath hot against her face. “You’re so fuckin’ sweet.”
She sat up, slipped her panties off, and tugged her nightshirt over her head, licking her lips when he sucked in his breath, his gaze lingering on her tits. With a courage she didn’t know she possessed, she climbed on top of him. She’d never done that before with a man, but she craved seeing his face as she slid him inside her, running her nails over his magnificent chest.
She held his hardness and began to put it in her slippery pussy when he said hoarsely, “Hang on.” Tenderly he moved her off him and got up. Picking up his jeans, he took out a small packet, then came back to the bed. Shrugging off his boxers, his full erection mesmerized her. He slipped on the condom and lay back on the bed, drawing her to him. Once again, she climbed on top of him, took his now-sheathed dick in her hand, and slipped it into her wetness, loving the way he groaned and his face contorted. Pushing back from him, he went deeper inside her and she felt her walls enshroud him like his dick was made for her pussy.
“Fuck, Fallon. That feels real good.” His callused hands ran up the sides of her body as goose bumps followed in their wake.
“I’ve never done this before. Tell me if I do something wrong.”
“You’re doing real good. Fuckin’ good.”
Leaning over, she kissed his mouth, her tits touching his chest. Her nipples hardened and she bent over more, dragging her hair over his eyes before her breasts brushed against his face. He grabbed them and sucked one hungrily, taking as much of it as he could into his mouth while he rolled the other nipple between his fingers. Everything inside her tingled, even her scalp, and she moaned and wiggled her ass. She pulled back and kissed his eyelids, then his mouth, trailing her lips past his chin to his Adam’s apple, sprinkling feathery kisses over his damp skin.
“You’re driving me fuckin’ crazy,” he rasped as he bucked, shoving deeper into her.
“That feels so good,” she whispered as she pushed down.
He gripped her by the hips, their rhythm wild. The bed began creaking. He moved his hands from her hips to her ass, cupping her buttocks as his fingers dug into them. Her flesh shook and quivered under his touch and suddenly, she was nothing but her body, feeling each sensation as he thrust into her. Sweat formed on her hairline and under her breasts as she met his frantic movement. It was like a wave in a stormy sea, and she rode him hard and fast, their heated gaze locked onto one another’s.
“Lean back a bit,” he said as he gently guided her backward. “I want to see your pretty pussy.” She arched her back, shivers cooling her damp skin as the air touched her glistening folds. “So beautiful,” he murmured as he ran his finger between her puffy lips.
She jumped from the intensity of that one touch; her whole body was supercharged. “It’s so good,” she croaked. Her mouth was dry from panting.
Fallon watched in fascination as he took his finger, drenched with her juices, and slowly put it in his mouth, licking and sucking it. “So fuckin’ tasty,” he said thickly.
Without thinking, she leaned over and kissed him deeply, his thick beard tickling her skin. Their tongues swirled together and she tasted herself on his: salty and fresh like the sea. Then she pulled up and leaned back, guiding his hand to her aching clit. His dark eyes smoldered as he rubbed the side of her sweet spot. With her head thrown back, she reached around and touched his smooth, taut balls, gently stroking them. The even pressure on her stiff nub made her insides coil tighter and tighter until they exploded and a sweet spasm coursed through her. It seemed like she was rising into the air, and there was no more hurt, no more loneliness, just the incredible, the sweetness, the—
Diablo’s panting and grunting brought her back and she looked down at him. His parted lips and scrunched face touched her deeply, and she moved in sync with him as a deep growl rumbled from his throat and he stiffened under her. She pressed hard against him and he hooked his arms around her as his chest heaved. They stayed like that for several minutes, the sweet glow of her orgasm still burning inside her.
“Come by my side. It’s more comfortable,” he said as he guided her off him. Instantly, he tugged her close to him, his fingers stroking her upper arm. “What the fuck was that?”
Insecurity pricked at her. “What do you mean?”
“That was fucking unbelievable.” He squeezed her tighter as a smile broke out over her face.
“It was.” She rubbed her hands over his chest and kissed it. Her body was still humming. That was the first orgasm she’d ever had with a man. She’d experimented with herself, but she never could relax enough with a man to let it happen. A couple of the men her dad had sent to her seemed to need her to come, so she’d fake it just to get it over with. But with Diablo, it was more than she’d ever imagined. A concoction of emotion swirled inside her: excitement, happiness, fear, and anxiety. Part of her was afraid and anxious that Diablo would leave her now that they’d had sex. Her past relationships with men had taught her that was what they did.
“You happy?” Diablo interrupted her concerns.
“Very. I didn’t plan on this. It was awesome.” She burrowed closer to him.
“The things we don’t plan turn out better than the ones we do.” He kissed her head.
They lay sated and tangled in each other’s arms until she heard his deep breathing. Looking up, she saw his eyes were closed. She rested her head back on his shoulder and soon fell fast asleep.
When they woke a couple of hours later, Fallon sat up with a start. The lawyers. What time is it? Frantically, she grabbed her phone and opened it. Noon. A breath of relief escaped from her lips. I have some time.
Deciding to get ready, she unraveled herself from Diablo’s hold and tiptoed to the bathroom. After she’d brushed her teeth and washed her face, she turned on the shower. Stepping inside, she welcomed the warm water as it cascaded over her. Closing her eyes, she let the water take her away.
A cool gust of air chilled her and her eyes flew open, landing on Diablo’s desire-filled ones. He stepped into the shower and drew her to him, licking the drops off her face as his hands roamed her wet skin.
“I can’t get enough of you,” he whispered in her ear. With a bar of soap, he gently washed her from her shoulders down to her feet, then rinsed it away with a washcloth. Turning around, she took the soap from him and washed his body slowly, marveling in how wonderful his defined muscles felt against her wet fingers. When she was finished, he washed her hair, then, after rinsing, yanked her head back and kissed her deeply as the warm water pounded against her back. When she pressed closer to him, his hardness poked into her flesh and an instant rush of heat burn through her.
As they kissed and touched each other, her body danced in a million different ways: twirling, leaping, swaying. He turned her around, facing the white-tiled wall and, with an arm around her waist, guided her to a bent position. Her hands pressed against the cold tile, she heard extended activity behind her. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw him lean out of the shower and pick up a condom he must’ve brought into the bathroom with him. She stared at him and he winked as he slipped the sheath over his hardness. Bending over her, he cupped her breasts as he ground against her ass.
“I love that your tits fit in my hands. They’re the perfect size for me.” His breath warmed the nape of her neck.
After playing with her breasts for a while, he slipped his finger between her puffy folds, making her feel exquisite. As she was ready to go over the waterfall, he pushed into her, going so deep that she thought he’d come through her. He thrust in and out of her as his finger kept the pace on her sweet button until she couldn’t hold it anymore. Waves of euphoria splashed through her, and she was taken higher and higher until she was both above the world and one with it at the same time.
Behind her, Diablo was scratching her back, grunting, and breathing quickly until he groaned, the sound echoing against the tiled wall. “Fuck,” he muttered before pressing her hard and tight against him. He peppered her neck with gentle kisses. She wasn’t sure if it was the way he’d washed her, the way he took her, or the way he kissed her, but the intensity of the moment threw her emotions into overdrive and tears streamed down her face. A surge of love shot through her. At least she thought it was love. It was so intense and pure that she guessed that’s what it was, but she couldn’t be sure since she’d never been in love before. She’d never felt that way for any man, and the fact that she’d only known him for a couple weeks scared the hell out of her. She wasn’t even sure if what she was feeling was indeed love or just gratefulness. But there was no denying that she felt something intense for him.
He spun her around and a bright grin greeted her. She tugged playfully at his beard before he hugged her close. “Let’s get some food before you go to your appointment.”
“I’d love that. Thank you for everything. I mean coming here with me, the wonderful hotel, the delicious dinner last night… and this.” Her cheeks warmed.
“No need to ever thank me. I’m happy you trusted me to share yourself with me. I’ve been fantasizing about you since I first saw you. The reality is way fuckin’ better than the fantasy.” He chuckled, then kissed her.
“I don’t know what to say. This is all new to me.”
“Don’t need to say anything. Just get some clothes on so we can go eat.” He swatted her butt playfully and she laughed. “Don’t overthink this, sweet pea. Just go with it. Life’s better that way.” He stood aside and let her out of the shower.
Soon they were dressed and headed out the door.
* * *
“My grandmother wanted me to have this money?” Fallon’s hand flew to her neck. The sum of seven hundred thousand dollars seemed inconceivable to her, especially from a woman she’d never met.
“That’s what she wanted. She made her will a few years ago and was adamant that the money went to you. I set the trust up for her. Our law office is the trustee. Once you turn twenty-two, the entire trust will go to you. She was specific about the age. She shared with me that her lucky number was twenty-two. In the meantime, your grandmother wanted you to have fifty thousand dollars. I’m prepared to write a check to you.”
“But she never met me. She never even tried to get in contact with me all these years. She’d disowned my mom before I was born.”
Scott Garber jerked his head back. “She tried many times to get a hold of you. Your dad wouldn’t let her. Colorado doesn’t have grandparents’ rights, so her hands were tied. She sent you cards and presents for your birthday and Christmas. When you never answered, she figured your mom and dad had poisoned you against her and your grandfather. She stopped reaching out, but she always carried you in her heart. She used to come in here and cry about it. You know, you’re her only grandchild. She desperately wanted a relationship with you.”
“I never received anything. I can’t believe my dad would’ve hidden all that from me. What would be the point in him doing that?”
The attorney shrugged. “There’s a lot of emotion—good and bad—in families. I see it all the time in my practice.”
“You know my grandma abandoned my mom. My mother was very upset about it.”
He nodded. “I wasn’t with the firm when all that went down, but Barbara told me she regretted what she’d done. A lot of times, it takes years to mellow someone and to forgive past hurts and indiscretions. Your grandmother came from a different mindset. She just couldn’t accept that your mother was with a married man. As time went on, it didn’t matter as much, but then your mom had run off. Barbara’s biggest regret was not making amends with your mom, or having a relationship with you.”
Fallon’s head was swimming. “Wait. Are you telling me that my dad was married while my mom was going out with him? Was I responsible for breaking up his first marriage?”
Garber’s face blanched. “You didn’t know that? Damn,” he muttered under his breath.
“I can’t believe my dad was married. My parents gave the impression that it was their first marriage. I can’t believe all this.”
“Don’t blame yourself. Your mom and dad were the ones responsible. I’m sorry if I upset you. I thought you knew.”
She shook her head. “I didn’t. Maybe that’s why my dad kept my grandmother apart from me. Maybe he was afraid she’d tell me a bunch of stuff that would hurt me.” Although he never seemed to care about hurting me himself.
“I don’t know. All I know is that your grandmother wanted to make sure you were provided for. Her hope was that you invest the money and let it grow. She wanted to give you a head start.” He smiled weakly.
“That was nice of her. I wish I had known her.”
“Now I have to figure out who was impersonating you. The why is obvious—money.”
“What would happen if I die before I’m twenty-two?”
The attorney’s eyes widened. “Do you think you’re in danger?” He paused for a second before continuing. “Well, if you did happen to pass away before the trust became effective, it would revert back to your grandmother’s estate and be distributed to a charity.”
“My dad wouldn’t be able to inherit it?”
“No. It doesn’t work that way with trusts. They revert back to the grantor’s estate. Your grandmother designated Denver Food Bank as the charity to receive the funds if you were unable to.”
Maybe Shanna and Dad don’t know that. Why were they saying they wanted to get me out of the way? If I die, they wouldn’t get the money. “What if I get the money and then die?”
Garber pressed his lips together. “In that case, if you don’t have a will, it would go to your father. With this kind of money, you should really have a will in place by the time you reach twenty-two. Do you have any idea who knows about the money?”
Fallon blew out a breath, nodding. “My dad and his wife. I overheard them talking about the letters you sent and about my grandmother’s death. If I hadn’t, I wouldn’t have had any idea that my grandmother had died.”
He leaned back and folded his hands across his belly. “This is pretty serious. You should get the police involved in this.”
“I don’t know for sure it’s Shanna. She’s about six years older than me, so she could pretend to be me. I don’t know. Maybe they were just talking.”
“If she calls again, I won’t tip her off that you came and saw me. I can tell her a long-lost relative is threatening to contest the will. When that happens, it ties up an estate for years in probate court. But you really do need to have a will in place before all the money goes to you.”
“I plan to. I’d like you to do it. My grandmother trusted you and your firm, so I would like to work with you.”
He nodded. “If you need any of the money in the trust, let me know. Barbara made provisions for distribution of necessary funds before you turn twenty-two.”
“I should be good with the check you’re giving me. I’m going to turn twenty-two in a few weeks.” She laughed.
With the check in hand and promises of calling Mr. Garber soon, she and Diablo left the office. On the way back to Alina, her mind was spinning from what the lawyer had told her. She was pretty sure her dad and Shanna were planning to hurt her to get to the money, but her dad wasn’t stupid; he’d definitely know whether he could get the money or not, so he was probably planning on pretending Shanna was her and she’d get the money. With me out of the way, no one would really know. But once they find out Mr. Garber isn’t going to give it to them, will they be so mad they’ll kill me anyway? She rubbed her temples. I can’t believe Dad would kill me. He’s a mean sonofabitch most of the time, but kill me? No way. But I did hear them talking. I don’t know what the fuck to think.
She pounded her fist on her thigh.
“Something wrong?” Diablo said.
“No.” I don’t want to burden him with this. Anyway, I don’t even know if any of this is real.
“You’ve been real quiet since we left the lawyer’s. Did he tell you something about your grandmother to upset you?” He reached over and grasped her hand. “You can tell me.”
She shook her head. “Not really. She was my mother’s mother, but I never knew her. He said she told him she tried repeatedly to get in contact with me over the years, but my dad thwarted all her efforts.”
“That’s a bunch of bullshit.”
“It is if it’s true. I mean, I don’t know if my dad did that or not. My grandmother may just have been an old woman who knew she was dying and was afraid, so she tried to make amends by leaving me an inheritance. I really don’t know what to think.”
She leaned her head back on the rest and stared out at the open expanse in front of them. Before she’d gone to the law firm, she’d told Diablo a bit about the trust, but she didn’t tell him all the details or how much money she stood to inherit. Even though she trusted him more than she’d ever trusted anyone besides her mom, she was still wary; trust had been broken so many times in her young life that it was hard to give it one hundred percent.
“I know this sucks for you, but sometimes it’s best to let things be. Digging around too much opens a bunch of fuckin’ wounds it took years to heal.” He glanced at her.
“You’re right. I’m just going to forget all of it. I’m glad my grandmother thought about me before she died. Whatever did or didn’t happen doesn’t matter.” But I have to figure out what the fuck’s going to happen.
“You good now?” Diablo leaned over and gave the side of her head a quick kiss, his eyes fixed on the road.
She brought his hand to her mouth and kissed it. “Yeah. I’m good.”
Not.