Chapter 36

Penelope

Three Weeks Later . . .

I always wanted to be a teacher. Since I was a young girl, that is what I always dreamt I would grow up and become. As I grew older, it became clearer that I would never see that dream come true. How could it with a man like Miguel running my life?

The day he sold me, every dream I ever had disintegrated. I never thought I’d know what freedom feels like again.

But here I am standing in my very own classroom, watching the group of adults I’ve spent the last two hours with walk out the door.

It’s a dream come true.

All because of him.

Damien.

It’s been a few weeks since coming home from his family’s place. We’ve settled nicely into our new home, and I’m grateful for the women I’ve come to call my friends.

When Alice told me about the teaching position opening up at the community center, I don’t think I’ve ever been that excited before. Not counting my time with Damien, of course.

“Mrs. Reynolds?” The small woman with striking blue eyes peeks at me with cusriousity. What is her name again?

“Dahlia, I’ve told you and everyone in class, please call me Penny,” I remind her with a smile.

Dahlia is new to class; she’s only been with us for about a week now, but she’s picked up quite a bit and very quickly. But there’s something about her, something familiar, almost like I know her from somewhere.

“I’m so sorry, Penny,” she blushes. “I keep forgetting.”

“It’s all right, I understand.”

“I was wondering if you do, um, tutoring?” she asks in slow, broken English.

“Of course, if you need some extra help, we can stay after class anytime you need it.” I look up at the clock, hoping she doesn’t need the extra lesson today. I’m due to meet Alice in less than an hour.

“Oh, after class is not good for me. I was hoping you can come to my house.” She smiles back, but there is something about the way her eyes look at me that puts me off, and after what I’ve been through, I can’t ignore the way it makes me feel.

“I’m sorry, Dahlia, the center doesn’t like us tutoring outside the building,” I explain thinking of a reason why I can’t and hoping she doesn’t check up on my reasoning. There aren’t any rules about something like this, at least not that I can recall.

“I understand.” She nods. Her smile vanishes. “But I have a big interview next week, and my mama wants me to do well. She is willing to give you more money if you can come to my house and tutor me.”

I feel bad now. The eagerness in her eyes I questioned is gone. Maybe I misread the desire in her eyes as something it wasn’t meant to be. She looks defeated now, and I feel guilty over it.

“I will tell you what,” I say, wanting to see a smile back on her face. “Let me speak to Ashley and see what she says.”

Dahlia’s face lightens, and she claps her hands excitedly. “Oh, thank you. My mama will be so happy. Can you come tomorrow?”

“I’ll need to speak with Ashley first, but if there isn’t a problem, we can scehdule something soon,” I assure her. I’d rather tutor the girl here at the center, and I know Damien would rather I did so, too. I don’t think he’ll like the idea of me going to a stranger’s house, even if the person is one of my students.

I just need to figure out a way to convince him that it’s not a big deal.

*****

I’m pulling the lasagna out of the oven when I hear the side door open. Looking over my shoulder, I watch Damien enter the room, looking tired and a little worried.

“That smells delicious,” he exclaims excitedly before crossing the room to greet me properly. I place the hot pan on the stove top and turn around to face him, giving him a big smile. I’m not a very good cook, and even though I’ve been trying to improve that particular skill, I figured he deserved one night off from my terrible attempts at edible food.

“Be honest, you’re relieved,” I laugh and wrap arms around his neck. He pulls me in and tucks me against him, his steel arms trapping me.

“Just a little bit,” he chuckles. This time, his lips descend onto mine. There is nothing sweet about his kiss; it’s all passion and need. He coaxes my mouth open and plunges his tongue into my mouth.

The spearmint taste of him dances across my tongue, the flavors branding itself into my senses. His spicy scent envelopes me, and I relax further into his body. Our tongues duel, and the kiss deepens with a moan. Whose moan, I’m not sure.

His hands move from my waist to my ass, and he grabs it hard. My feet leave the ground as he lifts me up, and I wrap my legs around his waist. He shifts, and the cool, hardness of the countertop meets my hands. His hands pull at my shirt, and he breaks the kiss for a second to finish pulling it over my head. I’m left sitting in my shorts and pink lace bra. His eyes take in the sight, and a gasp catches in his throat.

“Fucking perfect,” he murmurs against my lips before capturing them again. My body feels on fire as his hands travel my naked skin. “All mine,” he growls, and his mouth moves from my lips to my neck, peppering it with kisses as he goes.

“Damien.” His name is a whisper filled with need. A feeling I’m growing more accustomed to every day, because the way my body reacts to him is like second nature. I love it.

“Is the oven off?” he asks as his hands grow more urgent, finding the button of my shorts and making quick work of undoing them. I nod my head and reach for his shirt to pull it over his head. I feel the heat of his skin against mine, and it’s a sweet burn, igniting something deep inside my body.

He makes the move to finish undressing me, but I have other plans. I want to give back to him the things he’s given me, the things I’ve been too scared to do for him. Moving out of his grasp, I push him back, breaking the seal on our joined lips.

“What’s wrong?” he asks, his green eyes cooling as he tries to assess me.

“Nothing.” I shake my head with a teasing smile on my lips. Taking a step forward, I push him back again, and again, until his back hits the counter. He stares at me with confusion. “I want to try something.”

My hands make haste of his belt and the buttons of his jeans. His eyes narrow, and his nostrils flare the moment he catches on to what I’m doing.

“Angel,” he starts, but I place a finger against his lips, silencing anything more from him. Sliding down the length of his body, I settle onto my knees, looking away from his eyes only to watch as I open the flaps of his jeans.

He shifts, letting me pull the soft demin down his hips, and I study the way his cock pulsates under the cotton material of his boxers. I lick my lips in anticipation, needing to know what he feels like sliding in and out of my mouth and how he tastes.

“Keep looking at it like that, and I’m not going to be able to last long, angel,” he breathes huskily, letting me hear the strain in his voice. Unaware of how much my curiosity affects him, I push forward, hooking my fingers into the band of his boxers, pulling them down slowly.

I’ve seen him naked many times before this moment, but never this close. Never this raw and exposed. I swallow hard, taking in the size of him. How he didn’t split me in two the night he took my virginity is something of a miracle.

I shiver, and a surge of warmth pools between my legs the moment his boxers clear his beautiful cock and it springs out at me. The spicy masculine scent of him fills my nose, making my mouth water. Inches from the place I’ve dreamt of his cock being, I lift a hand to stroke along the velvet length of him.

His guttural gasp sends a bolt of need straight to my now aching clit, but I ignore it and take him into my mouth, concentrating on making him feel good. He lifts his hands, but instead of reaching my head like I know he wants, he places them on the countertop beside him, gripping the edge of it tightly.

Flattening my tongue against the base of his shaft, I take him deeper into my mouth, letting the head of his cock hit the back of my throat.

“Fuck, angel,” he groans, throwing his head back. “That feels fucking perfect.”

Creating a strong suction around his throbbing shaft, I begin a slow bob, taking him all the way to the back of my throat and then out again, my hand pumping the base for his shaft, as he’s much too large for me to take in all at once.

I look up at him, and he watches me with lusty eyes. Hissing each time his cock disappears back into my mouth. I take my time, not wanting to rush anything about this moment, needing to take in every detail as it happens.

Unable to control himself any longer, he snakes his hands into my hair, grapsing my blond locks with a soft hold. His hips begin to thrust with me, and I moan loudly, letting him know I’m enjoying this as much as he is.

“Angel, touch yourself,” he commands between pants. His body is too tense to last much longer, and little does he know I’m going to take this all the way.

Without breaking contact, I part my knees far enough to slip my hand into the front of my shorts. My fingers make their way between the wet folds, and while I’ve never done this before, I allow my instincts to take control.

One hand pumps his cock while the other places the right amount of pressure on my aching clit, rubbing and flicking it in sync to the rhythm we’ve paced.

“Does that feel good, angel?”

I moan my response. The sound of his voice causes me to thrust my hips against my finger, and he grips my hair tighter, quickening his own thrusts. I give power over to him, allowing him to set the pace now. I’m overwhelmed by my pleasure and his but loving how much sucking his cock is turning me on.

“Fuck, angel,” he grunts, seconds away from his release. He tries to push me away, but I don’t let him. Forgetting about my own pleasure, I grip his hip with my sticky hand, sucking him down into the back of my throat. “Penny, I can’t, you have to stop. I’m going to come.”

I look up at him with pleading eyes, telling him to release with my stare. He hesitates briefly, but with one final stroke, he shoves his hands into my hair again and spills his warm seed into my mouth, grunting and groaning as his orgasm rips through his body.

I milk his cock with my hands, coax out every salty drop and let it slide down the back of my throat. Releasing his softening member with a pop, I beam up at him, feeling a swell of pride.

Never have I felt this powerful, and had I known what it would feel like being the one to make him lose control, I would have done this weeks ago.

“Jesus Christ, angel,” he breathes and chuckles loudly. “I don’t know what spawned the need to give me the best fucking blowjob I’ve ever had, but know right now that you are welcome to do that shit any time you want. Now, get off your pretty little knees and get your shorts off, because I’m about to return the favor, and I don’t want anything in my way.”

I giggle and hurry to do what he said, feeling the pulse of my aching clit.

“What about dinner?” I ask, discarding my shorts and panties in the most unlady-like fashion.

“You’re my dinner, angel, and I’m about eat the fuck out of you,” he growls before lifting me up on the counter, spreading my legs, and lowering his head to feast.