LORI:

A few days ago, Henry had stopped by with flowers, a beautiful card, and his apology for leaving. He had said he felt that I was saying something about his sexual performance and that it had triggered a bad response. The man never answered my question, so I figured I'd bring it up another time when it wasn't so fresh.

"Girl," Shay exclaimed. "Who knew the man had these kinds of skills?"

We were all standing outside in my yard that could have seriously been pictured in a magazine or something. It was exactly like the one in the picture yet even better. Apollo planted my vegetables, put in the shrubs, the pavers, sod, the designs, and painted the fence that surrounded the yard. White, just like in the picture.

Henry turned pale when I told him who did it; then he wanted to know how I felt about him being back around. I explained it was him making amends and he seemed to calm down a bit.

However, after the incident at the party, I sort of lost my shit. Henry followed me out but I was outdone and so upset about everything that had just taken place.

"Loriline, where are you going?" Henry had called after me.

"Home!" I yelled.

"Come on, I'll take you." He had caught up to me.

That made more sense but I was still livid and not at just one person but everybody.

"Can we talk about this?" Henry asked when he pulled up to my house.

"No, we can't talk about this," I said as I hopped out. "I do not ever want to discuss this."

Slamming his car door, I ran in the house, locked the deadbolt, and went to bed. Not with thoughts of Apollo.

Definitely not him.

The next morning, I was at the gym early, running to burn off some steam. There was a lot to burn and then I went to the punching bags because running didn't seem to work like I wanted. I didn't pay attention to the guy in there but by the sixth punch, I felt a presence near me.

"Need me to hold the bag?" he asked.

"Fuck!" I yelled. "Not you."

Connor.

"Leave me alone Connor, okay?" I narrowed my eyes on him.

"No," he said and held the bag. "Punch."

Fine.

My right fist connected with the bag as hard as I could.

"Feel better?" he asked.

"When you leave, yes I will."

"You don't mean that," he countered.

"Oh, try me," I said.

"Okay, Lori." Apollo stepped around the bag and walked towards me. "Prove it."

"Prove what?" He took another step into my space.

"Prove to me that you will feel better when I am gone," he challenged.

Oh God, he was in my face and those searing eyes were on me just like the night of the fight.

"Apo..." His lips were on mine and my God, he was kissing me.

No, I was kissing him.

Wait, we were both kissing each other. His hands were on my ass, then my thighs and then my legs were wrapped around his tight, sweaty body. My back hit something and I could feel his long cock rubbing against my center.

Good God, his tongue was down my throat and I was letting him have whatever he wanted. Fucking Connor had played me once again and there I was letting him put me on the defensive. Unclenching my hands in his long hair, I pushed him away.

He let me down and when I was good and steady, I lifted my hand and smacked the dog shit out of him.

"Don't you ever put your mouth, hands or body on me again. You don't have the right, not even to be in the same room alone with me. Ever!" I screamed and left.

It was overreacting but this was my life and Connor Locklear would never destroy or be a part of its destruction again. It wasn't entirely his fault he was a goddamn accessory.

****

A COUPLE OF DAYS LATER, Henry and I had dinner at my parents’ house. He'd met them plenty of times before but my dad had insisted that Henry come, even though I just wanted it to be us. To my shock and surprise, after dinner, instead of receiving dessert, there was a black box on my dessert tray and a kneeling Henry at the side of my chair.

I almost screamed.

"Henry what are you doing?" I asked.

"Loriline, you are the best thing that has happened to me. I knew you were special when I first met you and now almost a year later, I know I'd be a fool to let this opportunity pass me by. I love you with all my heart and I'm not saying we need to get married right now or even in a year but please do me the honor of pledging your hand in marriage." Henry's eyes were wide with hope and filled with adoration.

My mom had gasped and was digging her fingers into my father's arm; who looked like he was none too happy.

"Loriline?" Henry called. "You're all I need."

My head nodded as I begin to think of what I'd been through and who'd helped me transition. It was Henry and I needed that sort of stability in my life. So, I said, "Yes."

"Oh my God," he exclaimed and rose to his feet, pulling me with him. "Wow! I'm the luckiest man alive."

We embraced for a few minutes and then my mom squeezed the living hell out of me and my dad shook Henry's hand and pulled me in for a hug as well.

"You sure about this?" he whispered.

"Yeah, Dad. Henry's a good man," I whispered back.

"I don't doubt he is but is he the good man for you?" he asked.

I didn't answer that but squeezed him tighter to say not to worry. Everything would work out just fine.

*****

WHEN I TOLD MY GIRLS that Henry proposed and I accepted, they weren't all that enthusiastic either.

"Why are y'all looking at me like that?" I asked. "What, I have to be married to a biker to be friends?"

"Now, hold on one goddamn minute." Shay narrowed her eyes at me. "You come in here, flop on a seat and sullenly say that Henry asked you to marry him and you said yes. But you want us to be all happy and excited about it even when you're not?"

"Yes, dammit," I snapped back as I asked for a drink from the bartender. "You're my friends. I like it, you love it."

"I ain't signing up for that shit," Shay muttered.

"Uh, are you happy?" Kylie asked.

"Well, yeah," I answered.

"No, honey." Kylie shook her head. "Why are you doing this?"

There wasn't a chance I would tell them what happened with Apollo. I wasn't going to tell them that I was scared and this was the only logical thing I could do.  So, I lied.

"I love him, guys. No, he may not be super masculine or comically hilarious but he's helped me through some tough shit when I had no one else to depend on. So, yeah. I choose him."

"Just so the record is straight, Lori," Shay interrupted. "You chose to be separated from people that would’ve help you. She came home from her fabulous career to take care of her family. You know damn well, we'd have done the same for you. So, this whole thing of ‘he was there when you had nobody’ isn't as legit as you're trying to tell yourself. You had folks, you just didn't want to deal with them."

"Fine, Shay. Tomato, tomatoe." My hands grasped the shot. "Be happy."

"Yay, we're happy," Kylie cheered in an attempt to keep the peace or at least while she was pregnant. "See."

She was beaming and holding Shay’s arm in the air for solidarity but the look on her face said it all.

I was full of shit and she wouldn't co-sign on it.

Unfortunately for me, I drank way too much and got roped into staying until Kylie had to sing. That was always a treat but during her intermission, the man who'd lost his damn mind decided to take the microphone. His voice could be heard over the entire bar; loud and clear.

"Hey, name’s Apollo for those who don't know me. Last year, I said some fucked up shit about a woman that I've come to care about and I just wanted her to know." He looked directly at me and said, "Lori, I'm sorry, sweetness. Never meant that shit and I hope one day you can forgive me."

He nodded and walked off the stage; while I sat in utter shock of what had just happened.

"Girl, you alright?" Kylie tapped me. "You are pale as a ghost."

"Oh shit." Shay shook her head. "Lori."

His words swirled around in my head and then the song came on by X Ambassadors – Unsteady.

A tear came to my eye and that was when Shay threw some money on the bar and said, "Let's go."

They rushed me out of there as the song played over and over again in my head.

But if you love me, don't let go

By the time we were outside, tears were pouring down my face as I begin to sob. Uncontrollably crying with shoulders jerking and my emotions as raw as that night. He'd apologized publicly and asked for forgiveness. I would have given my left arm for him to do that months ago. I would have died and gone to heaven with that notion but now when things were going right for me, he wanted to come in and fuck everything up.

"I hate him," I sneered on the car ride home. "I hate him."

"Oh, honey," Kylie mumbled as she moved the hair out of my face.

When we finally arrived to my place, we pulled out the ice cream and talked shit about the brooding son of a bitch who’d made me cry. The sad part was my fiancé wasn't even mentioned.

*****

I HATED CONNOR LOCKLEAR.

Well, I didn't hate him but I hated that he made me feel the way I felt.

Torn.

The man must be bipolar or have a multiple personality disorder. Whatever his condition was, I didn't want it to affect mine. It was clear that I had an issue with obsessing over him but the fact that he made a public apology for what felt like the entire town was just absurd. 

So absurd that I found myself still fuming the next day; which was why I headed to the compound to give him a piece of my mind. All of my mind because I wasn't planning to hold anything back.

"Apollo here?" I marched into the compound like I owned the place.

"Hey, Lori," Debra called. "Yeah, he's here."

"Thanks," I responded as I marched through the men who were whispering amongst themselves.

"What room?" I yelled back.

"Make two lefts and he's at the end of the hall," she answered.

Once I made it through the dark halls, I banged on the door four times.

"The fuck?" he yelled through the closed door.

The door swung open showing his wrinkled and arched brows but they soothed as recognition hit him. Then he moved out of the way and I charged in, whirled around and begin my rant. I didn’t acknowledge him closing and locking the door.

"Where do you get off embarrassing me like that again? What is it with you? Have you made it your personal mission in life to ruin mine? If so, I'd like to know why." My hands were on my hips and my temperature probably read over one hundred.

"Lori," he called with his hands up. "I'm not trying to ruin your life."

"Well what the hell do you call it?" My arm jerked towards the door. "Getting up in front of everyone to call me out again. Why not take an ad out in the newspaper or get a billboard?"

"If that would get your attention, I would." His arms folded across his bare chest.

"You're unbelievable," I seethed.

"You're here." He smirked.

Why I walked towards him was a question I'd ask myself at a later time, because his arms quickly unfolded as he met me half way.

"I hate you, Connor," I sneered at him.

"No, sweetness. You just wish you did."

We were practically nose to nose. I could smell the toothpaste on his breath and the masculine soap on his skin.

"Shit, I'll even prove it to you. One kiss." His hand moved strands of hair out of my face. "All I need is one and then you decide what you’re going to believe."

"Fuck you, Connor." I went to push him but he grabbed my wrists and pulled me so I came crashing into his hard body.

"One kiss, sweetness."

"Kiss my ass," I seethed.

"Oh, I'll do that too," he said before he dipped down and those lips were on mine.

Holy shit.

My whole body tilted and I was on my back on his bed. His lips began to kiss my neck, breast bone, and he put both nipples in his mouth through my dress.

"You said a kiss!" I tried to back up.

He looked up at me and said, "Not a kiss on those lips but on these."

"Wait, what?" I tried to protest but it was too late.

My dress was up around my stomach, his fingers were pulling my thong down and my legs willingly opened for him.

"God, you're wet for me." His finger rubbed my nub, causing me to bristle. "I've dreamt about this moment."

"Shut up," I snapped.

His eyes met mine and he slapped my wet center. Fireworks went off and I nearly came on the spot. Arching my back with my mouth slightly open for more, I dared to say, "Eat or leave me alone."

Connor smacked my pussy again and again until my legs began to shake, my body started to convulse and I was moaning uncontrollably. Then he began to lap up my juices in between sucking on my taut clit.

"You taste so fucking good," he said before kissing my pussy again.

After my third time cumming in his mouth, I finally moved away from him and stood up. As I pulled down my dress, I looked for my panties but couldn't find them.

"I have to go. Where are my panties?" I asked.

"They're mine now." Connor smirked as he leaned on one elbow and patted his jeans pocket that showed the lacy black underwear hanging out.

"Connor," I stepped closer to the bed. "Give me my panties."

"Sweetness, if you don't want me to turn your sweet ass over, smack it until it's red and fuck you until we both pass out; I suggest you get on out of my room," he said in a stern tone.

I glared at him and started to stomp towards the door when I heard him say, "Oh, congratulations on the engagement."

A growl escaped my throat as I marched out of his room and back through the compound.

I hated him with a goddamn passion.