My woman is standing in front of me, tears pouring down her face, and finally that cold shell she’s encased herself in has started to crack. While I hate the pain that I’ve caused her, the fact she’s finally letting me see it, gives me hope.

I pull her close and wipe her tears with my thumb; there are so many there’s no way to stop them. I wish I had more light, I want to see her eyes. I need to see her eyes.

“I didn’t leave, Nicole. You didn’t know I was there, but every night I laid with you. I held you and Dom in my arms. I didn’t leave Mama, I couldn’t leave you if I tried, woman. You own me.”

“I’m scared, Dragon. I won’t survive if you pull shit like this again.”

My stomach turns at the amount of pain coming from my woman. If I could go back I would…Is there a way to fix this?

“So that’s it, Nicole? You want to end it, end us? You don’t even want to try?”

Just the words hurt me. What do I do if she says she doesn’t? Can I let her walk away? Fuck. Can I give her up?

“Dragon,” she whispers so lightly, it’s almost silent. Her voice’s shaky and her body is straining to just breathe. Guilt and sadness come down on me. I broke her.

“Get in the car. I’ll take you home…I’ll take you back to your car.”

She doesn’t respond, her head goes down and just the picture of her standing like this, in the dark, is painful. When she makes no move to get back in the car I pick her up. She lays against me, boneless.

“I’m sorry Mama, I’m so fucking sorry,” I whisper under my breath. I haven’t cried since Nicole was shot. Tears make you weak. Right now, I could easily give in and join my woman. Except, she’s not my woman anymore.

We drive in silence back to her car. I call Bull and tell him not to worry about getting Nicole’s car. The air is thick with emotion.

“If it’s alright, I’d like to spend some time with Dom when he comes home. You can let me know when a good time is.”

“Dragon, you can see Dom anytime.”

“Whatever…Nicole.”

I pull back into the parking structure and follow the arrows like a robot, parking beside her car with a sense of dread.

“So, this is it?” she asks.

She sounds surprised, and for the life of me, I can’t figure out why. It pisses me off. I’ve done everything and jumped through hoops for this woman. So, I fucked up. I know that. It hurt her, but Jesus Christ, what more can I do here?

I lay my head on the steering wheel and try to get control of my emotions. It doesn’t work.

“What the fuck do you want from me, Nicole? Seriously? I’ve apologized, I’ve begged, fuck, I’ve given you everything you want. I’ve fought to keep us together. You’re the one that has been telling me for months that you needed time away, you’re the one who moved out, and you’re the one shutting me out. What the fuck do you expect from me here? Don’t you think you already have my dick chopped off enough, panting after your ass? What the fuck more could I possibly give you?”

She just stares at me, her eyes large in disbelief.

“Fuck this shit. If this is what love does to you, it’s no fucking wonder I never bothered.”

“You’re being an asshole,” she says, but I’m so sick and tired of hearing the pain in her voice, like she is blameless in this shit. So, I let it all hang out.

“Yeah that’s me, Mama. A fucking asshole, right? I mean it’s not like my woman didn’t hide a whole fucking life, and lie to me from day one. It’s not like, instead of telling me when shit was about to hit the fan, she kept her damn secret and threatened to leave me. It sure as hell has nothing to do with the fact that my woman had me and my men jump through hoops and put on fucking clothes that we would never wear, for the privilege of putting my ring on her hand, just to fucking leave me standing on the damn sidewalk! I mean what the hell, right? You’re the only one that’s been hurt and wronged in this situation. Right, Nicole? So, I had a friend blown up in front of me, what’s the big deal? So, I had to watch him burn and make decisions quickly—again big-fucking-deal. You want to bitch because I didn’t consult you? Maybe if you hadn’t left me standing there on the fucking sidewalk, and been with me, you would have known. You ever think of that, Nicole? Still, like the motherfucking fool I am, I can’t breathe without you, so I repeatedly slam my head against a damned brick wall trying to get you to let me back in. Now, you sit there and ask me if this is it and call me an asshole? Yeah, Mama, this is it. I am done. There’s only so much a man is willing to crawl, even for your golden pussy.”

She gasps and then her hand comes out to slap me. I grab her wrist, by reflex.

“I’m sorry I even tried to get through to you!” she growls, yanking her hand away, and turning to open the door.

She’s not going to get the final word. Oh hell no. I get out and face her.

“You didn’t try shit! You already had your mind made up we were done. You’re just enjoying getting your revenge!”

“My revenge? Are you crazy? What the hell are you talking about?”

“You got your panties in a twist. So, you want to see me hurt, like I hurt you. I get it, Nicole. I do. Go ahead and rip my fucking heart out, leave me, and take my son. Throw me away yet again, like yesterday’s garbage. I’m done begging you to stay!”

“Oh, will you quit saying that to me. You are not garbage!”

“Then what am I, Mama? What the fuck am I?”

“I…” she stops, her eyes wide and her forehead creases in confusion.

“You’re…home,” she says, and the words are such a drastic change from the argument we are having, that I have to stop and replay her words in my head.

“Mama?” I ask, confused on if we’re still fighting, or what the hell just happened. I think the fucking woman just gave me whiplash.

“You’re home, Dragon,” she says again, her eyes wide. She’s breathing hard, her hair is fanned around her face, and down her shoulders.

I don’t think, I’m pretty sure that’s impossible right now, anyway. I grab her by the back of the neck and slam my mouth against hers. Her hands come up pulling on my cut, at the same time I take her mouth. She pushes my cut off my arms, and I maneuver so it falls to the fucking ground. I don’t give a damn. My hands reach the silk blouse she’s wearing, and I rip it apart. Buttons pop and fly out of the way at the same time her hands lift my shirt up. I yank it over my head. Our lips break apart, only because I have no choice, as the shirt joins my cut on the concrete.

“Fuck, Mama….,” I hiss, as her nails bite into my sides. I feel the soft skin of her stomach slide against mine.

“Dragon, I need you,” she moans before our lips come back together. My hand goes to the button of her jeans, undoing it, and sliding the zipper down.

“I got you Mama, I got you,” I mumble, my lips kissing down her neck, my fingers slide into her underwear, and immediately delve into her depths.

She’s so fucking wet, my dick is pounding against my jeans—demanding to come out and play. I slip my fingers against her soaked clit torturing it, and she bites into my shoulder. Motherfucker, I need inside of her now. I pull back just enough so I can slide her clothes down over her hips. My hand goes to my belt, fumbling around like a fucking teenager, when Nicole pushes against my chest.

“No…,” she growls.

I jerk back. My dick is free, I’m about to slide home and now’s when she wants to stop?

“Damn it, Mama…”

“We can’t, not here, Dragon. Anyone can see.”

It hits me we’re in the middle of the hospital parking structure. If I listen, I can hear cars and voices. I try to breathe, because I can barely think. Blood is pounding in my system, and I can hear it echoing in my ears. I’m at the point I don’t care who is around, I’ll take her on the fucking hood.

Finally, I spot the cement pillar behind us. I pick her up and carry her to it. I put her back against the stone, as her feet slide to the ground. My eyes hold hers.

“Take your clothes off.”

I expect her to argue. I expect her to shoot me down. She doesn’t. She kicks off her shoes, and she steps out of her clothes. She’s buck naked from the waist down. Her shirt is open and torn all to hell, her breasts are heaving in a blue, lace maternity bra, and her skin is marked up from my rough kisses. She’s fucking phenomenal. I’d crawl on hot coals to get to this woman, I know instinctively, I always will. Everything about her is perfect, and I get lost just staring at her.

“Are you going to fuck me, or wait for everyone and their grandmothers to join us?” she asks.

I guess I might have been staring a little too long, but fuck me it’s been so long…

“Haven’t you heard that the best things come to those who wait, Mama?” I ask, blanketing my body against hers, running my tongue along the outer shell of her ear, whispering my words, tasting the salty-sweet flavor of her skin.

“I’d be satisfied just to cum, Dragon. It’s been too damn long,” she says back, her voice thick with need.

I’d laugh, but her hand wraps around my dick and positions it at her entrance, while her other hand tugs on my jeans and her hand flexes against my ass.

“Why do you get to keep your jeans on?”

“Why are you asking…questions? Jesus, Mama,” I hiss out the last word, as I slide into her.

It has been too long—way too long. Her silky walls instantly stretch and welcome me, enclosing around my cock tightly. She whimpers, and her teeth latch onto my neck.

“Too soon, Mama, we can stop?” I ask, because it would kill me, but I’ll pull out before I hurt her.

“If you do I’ll kill you,” she whispers into my ear.

Both her hands slide under my opened pants, and grab my ass, pulling me deeper.

“It’s never close enough, Dragon. No matter how deep you get inside, it’s never close enough.”

She’s right. She’s abso-fuckin-lutely right. It’s always been that way. I wrap my hand around her knee and pull her leg up to my thigh, sinking in just a little more.

“Ohh…fuck, yeah. That feels so good,” she moans.

I smile and take control. My woman has become more vocal since we’ve been apart. That’s good to know. I pull back until my cock is almost completely unsheathed and then angle so I go back in differently, scraping her walls. I kiss her, thrusting my tongue in, and claiming her mouth. Her tongue dances with mine, wild and fierce and hungry—just like her slick, tight pussy. I keep our mouths fused as I pick up my pace. It’s been so long, and we’re both so far gone, I know it won’t take long. Still, I take my free hand and slide her bra down just enough I can tease her nipple. I pinch it hard, giving her a bite of pain, knowing they have to be tender. A touch of her milk glides against my fingers, and right or wrong, I fucking love it. I squeeze harder, releasing just a little more and use the wetness to slide over and over her nipple, all the while pounding into her. My balls are actually sore from the climax just waiting to explode, but somehow my woman is managing to hold on. I feel her walls flutter against me. She’s ready, but she’s holding back. I can’t have that. My lips slide along the line of her jaw, up into the shell of her ear.

“Your pussy is so good, Mama. When we finish here I’m going to take you home and spread you out on the table in my office.”

“You are…,” she gasps, as I pinch her nipple again.

“I’ve thought about it for months. I’m going to get out our toys and slide a nice, thick vibrator into that ass of yours, turn it up on high, and fuck you with it.”

“Oh shit…Dragon… I’m….” Her body jerks in reaction to my words, clamping so tight on my cock, that my eyes nearly roll back in my head.

“All the time I’m doing that Nicole, I’m going to be eating your pussy over and over. I won’t stop until you scream my name so loud you lose your voice.”

With that last promise, Nicole detonates. One thrust…two…and then I join her.