Raw by Simone Sowood (40)

“Why is that?”

“Because it’s my wedding anniversary, sweetie!”

“Of course it is! This weekend is Memorial Day. I can’t believe it slipped my mind.” They have the easiest anniversary to remember because it’s always just before Memorial Day, and somehow I forgot. Because my mind is too full of Gabe.

She laughs and says, “As long as your father doesn’t forget.”

“There is no chance of that happening,” I say, knowing my father would never forget.

“I’m going to make a special dinner this Saturday, I hope you can make it.”

“Of course, Mom. There’s still no man in my life.”

“You will meet a nice boy, don’t you worry. One who’s even better than Chet was. Maybe you can find yourself a nice surgeon.”

I smile and nod, my lips an even tighter line than before. Of course she’d bring up Chet. And surgeon now? Before it was always simply a doctor.

“I have to get ready for my first appointment,” I say holding up a blue file folder.

“Talk to you later,” she says, and closes the door.

I drape myself over the desk. What do I do? My body craves Gabe, but a relationship with him would be impossible. Maybe I should do like my mother says, and focus my energy on finding a nice guy who’s husband material. Before I even finish the thought, the feel of Gabe’s arms around me as he held me when I cried takes over.

He was so concerned about me, and surprisingly caring. Chet never held me like that.

And I made Gabe rush me home. My chest grows heavy with guilt. I pick up my phone and type out a text to him.

Sorry for the way last night ended. I was overwhelmed.

I hit send before I can second guess myself.

My first patient arrives. It’s a man who snapped his Achilles tendon playing racquetball, and he just got the all-clear from his surgeon to start physiotherapy.

He smells like cheese, and winces and whimpers far too much. The thirty-minute appointment can’t go fast enough.

The second he’s out the door, I pick up my phone.

Nothing.

I don’t know what I expected. Perhaps I thought Gabe would send me a text saying how everything was okay, and that I wasn’t rude.

I’m not sure why I care so much anyway. Maybe it’s cleaner if things end this way. Except it has only been thirty minutes. For all I know, he’s still in bed, asleep.

I see two more patients, a painful hip impingement and a sore neck. I barely notice what the women look like, and don’t think I’ll recognize their faces when I see them again. My mind is stuck on Gabe.

Before sore neck has even shut the door behind her, I pick up my phone. Still nothing from him. I type out a message.

It would be nice to see you again.

As soon as I hit send, I realize that’s open to interpretation. Though I’m not sure how I even interpret it. I quickly type out another text and send it before I drive myself crazy with overthinking everything.

…for meaningless sex.

Marcy hasn’t given me the files for the rest of my appointments. Sometimes she really annoys me. It’s funny how she perfectly organizes everyone else in this practice except me. I’m sure she does it on purpose. I don’t know what her problem is.

I march into the reception area, determined to give her a piece of my mind.

As I round the corner, I freeze. Gabe is sitting in the waiting area, holding his phone. His eyes flick between me and the screen, smirking.

Naturally I turn the color of a fire engine.

“Your next appointment has arrived,” Marcy says from behind her desk.

I force myself to drag my eyes from Gabe, and look at her. She passes me the files, although she’s staring at Gabe.

Narrowing my eyes, I say, “You need to give me the files in the morning.”

“I wasn’t sure your ten o’clock was coming back today, since he was here yesterday.”

“Oh, okay, I guess.”

She mouths, “I think he came back to see me.”

I ignore her, and turn to find Gabe. He’s already halfway down the hall to my room. I hurry after him.

When I reach him, he winks, and says, “Got your text.”

20. Gabe

“What are you doing here?” Eloise hisses as she shuts the door. Her hair is tied back tighter than ever.

“Nice to see you too.”

“You were just here yesterday. You don’t need another appointment yet.”

Ignoring her, I ask, “How are you doing after last night?”

“I thought you said you got my text.”

I close the distance between us and say, “You want meaningless sex.”

She burns brighter than the sun. Fuck, I love turning her red. It pisses me off that she’s fighting against me, but I’m sure she’s mine.

“Maybe,” she says, her voice quiet.

Taking hold of the end of her ponytail, I wrap it around my hand, around and around until the elastic touches my skin. I tilt her head back. My eyes bore to hers, but she doesn’t look away nor does she push me away.

Her tits rise and fall with her heavy breath.

I grip her hair tightly, and crush my mouth against hers. Whimpering, she submits to my kiss. My dick hardens and strains against my jeans.

Breaking the kiss, I put my lips to her ear and growl, “I’ll show you what meaningless sex feels like.”

With my free hand, I run my hand over her hip and tickle her lips through her pants.

“We can’t, I’m at work.”

“So what? I have you for thirty minutes.” I clamp my mouth back on hers and grab her ass, grinding my hard cock against her.

Her jaw relaxes, and our tongues reach the back of each other’s throats.

She fights my grip on her hair, and turns her head to break the kiss.

“Not here, the door doesn’t even lock.”

“So fucking what? When has anyone ever interrupted one of your sessions?”

“Never,” she says, and chews on her bottom lip.

I move to the physio bed, gently pulling her with me by the ponytail wrapped around my hand. We stand at the narrow end of the bed, and I ram my hand between her pants and her skin.

Even before they reach her entrance, my fingers are coated in wet. I let go of her ponytail, undo her pants and push them down.

Eloise gasps as I spin her and bend her over the bed.

“This is crazy,” she says, and I smack her lush ass.

I push through her folds, and dip my fingers into her entrance. She’s drenched, but I pump them a few times anyway. I don’t know if she expects the same treatment I gave her over the pool table or not, but that’s not what she’s getting.

After wiping my hand on my jeans, I take the condom from my back pocket. My dick has popped the button on my jeans, so I quickly unzip them, and shove them down.

With my teeth, I tear open the package and roll the condom down my shaft.

“Why am I letting you do this?” Eloise mutters, obviously speaking to herself and not me, but she makes no movement to get away from me and she grinds herself against my body.

I ignore her, and drive my cock into her pussy. The feel of her walls wrapped tight around me sends a massive shudder up my back. Fuck, she feels good. Like my dick is where it belongs.

But this is about showing her meaningless sex.

Gripping her hips, I pound into her pussy as hard and fast as I can. My movement shunts the bed across the floor. Before long the end is banging up against the wall, the window just above it.

Eloise’s knuckles are white from holding the edges of the bed. I reach my hand around her hips, and I fumble for her clit.

When I find it, I pinch it between my fingers, the way she likes so much. A moan erupts from deep within her. Her body starts wiggling, and I know she’s close, so I let go.

I stand tall and look down, watching my shaft pound into her. The sight makes my balls draw tight against me. It’s impossible for me to fuck her in a meaningless way. I pause for a second, and look up. Eloise is biting her arm.

My dick throbs, and I start moving again. Almost immediately, she lets out a cry, which is muffled by her arm, and her walls go crazy on my cock.

It’s so easy for me to make her come.

Tingles burst from my balls, and my dick explodes into the condom. I really want to feel her bare.

“Oh my God!” a woman’s voice barks.

Eloise and I turn our heads. The receptionist, Marcy, is standing at the door, her hands over her mouth.

Covering my dick with my hand, I bolt to the door and try to push her out of it, but she steps deeper into the room. I shut the door.

“Marcy, leave,” Eloise says, her voice quivering and her body still bent over the bed.

I step between the two of them, to shield Eloise’s exposed ass from Marcy.

“What are you doing in here?” Marcy asks.

“I think you saw,” I say.

“What are you doing in here? Please leave,” Eloise says.

“I heard banging, I wanted to make sure you were okay.”

“She’s better than okay. Now why don’t you do what she asks, and leave,” I say, my eyes narrowed at Marcy.

“Do you want me to leave, Eloise?” Marcy asks.

“Yes, I want you to leave. Of course I want you to leave,” Eloise says.

“Your parents are going to freak,” Marcy says.

“Why? How will they know if you don’t tell them?” I say, my voice a growl.

“Just get the hell out of here,” Eloise snaps.

I use my body to herd Marcy to the door. She doesn’t resist, and when I open the door, she moves through it and I shut the door behind her.

“I can’t believe that just happened,” Eloise says, standing and pulling up her pants. When they’re up, she leans against the bed. I bet she’s still coming.

“Oh well, she’ll get over it,” I say, tying off the condom and dropping it in her trashcan.

“As long as she doesn’t tell my parents. She’s going to hold this over my head forever. Why do I let you do these things to me? First in a bar, then in a public park? Now my work, which my parents own? Why?” her voice raises as she speaks.

“Because I make you feel good, that’s why.”

“No, that isn’t a good enough reason.”

Pulling her away from the bed, I take her in my arms and kiss her tenderly. Her body tenses and relaxes under my touch.

Eloise pulls her head away, and says, “What am I going to do if she tells my parents?”

“It doesn’t matter. It’s not like they’re going to fire you.”

“I know, but—”

“But what?” I interrupt. “You don’t want them to know about me?”

“No, I don’t want them to know I have casual sex in their medical practice while I’m supposed to be working.” Her face burns red.

“Is that what this is now, casual? Is that better or worse than meaningless?”

She shifts her eyes to the floor, contemplating the question.

“I guess they’re the same thing,” she says, and sighs.

Ice courses through my veins. She’s cold, and hasn’t realized the situation yet.

“Right. I’m glad you enjoy the meaningless orgasms I give you, for the first time in your life. Let me know when you want another one.” Without waiting for response, I rush out of the room, slamming the door behind me.

21. Eloise

I watch helplessly as Gabe leaves my physio room. My heart is beating a million miles an hour.

As I collapse into the desk chair, I glance at the clock. He was only here for fifteen minutes. At least I have another fifteen minutes to try to compose myself before my next patient arrives.

My walls are still spasming. How was he able to do that to me so easily?

Gabe walked in here and filled the room with his presence. There was nothing I could do to resist him.

Being totally honest with myself, I didn’t want to resist him. I wanted him to take control of my body. Even before he touches me, my chest fills with butterflies, and my walls flood with want.

“I can’t believe you,” Marcy says, as she bursts through the door.

I throw back my head. I can’t deal with her right now. I’m trying to figure out what just happened with Gabe. Why did he leave like that?

“I can’t do this now,” I say.

“Well too bad. This needs to be discussed.”

“You’re not my boss, Marcy.”

“Who said anything about being your boss? I saw him first. He was mine.”

I pause, trying to comprehend her words. She thinks she had a chance with him?

“No, he wasn’t,” I say, my mind wandering back to being in his tattoo parlor chair.

“Of course I did. He came to reception first, didn’t he? We flirted, and I know he wanted me. Besides, he’s not your type at all. You’re a goodie goodie.”

Willing her away, I say, “I knew him before he came here. He only came here to see me.”

Marcy closes her mouth and breathes heavily through her nose. I close my eyes and think of Gabe, and the ways he’s made me feel over the past day.

“Do your parents know about him?” she snaps.

“No,” I say on reflex, my mind still on Gabe.

“I guess you owe me.”

“What?”

“For my silence.”

“You mean you can’t just be a decent human being about this?”

She shrugs, and backs out of the door.

For the second time this morning, I drape myself over my desk. I get the feeling she’s not going to drop this. I should’ve known from the start that Gabe was a bad idea.

But I had so much fun with him last night. I can’t deny that. And I don’t think I can deny myself my feelings for him any longer.

The rest of the morning is painful. At least my patients are all straightforward, and I don’t have to think about what I’m doing. During lunch, I don’t bother eating and hide in my room, avoiding Marcy.

And thinking about Gabe.

All I can do is think about Gabe.

At one o’clock sharp, there’s a light tap on my door, and without opening it, Marcy says, “Your next patient is here.”

“Thanks. Can you send all my patients to my door when they get here?”

At least that way, I won’t run into her or my parents in the hallway.

“Sure, I’ll do you another favor today.”

As if keeping her mouth shut is a favor.

The afternoon is long and drawn out, but at least it gives me time to think.

Gabe’s right, there’s nothing meaningless about the way he makes me feel. Part of me wants to send a text and tell him right away, but that doesn’t seem like enough.

My last patient of the day is a man who sprained his wrist sliding into first base at his softball game. He’s well over six feet tall, and is just as wide. I decide to use him as a shield.

When the session is finished, I grab my backpack and walk out with him. As we pass reception, I walk on the far side of him. I run ahead of him when we reach the entrance hall, and I manage to make it out of the building without Marcy seeing me.

I fall into my car, grateful for not running into either of my parents.

Pushing the button to start the car, I put it into gear and turn left out of the parking lot. There’s a red light, and I stop. It turns green but the next light turns red, and I stop again. It happens three more times. I’m hitting every red light between the medical center and my apartment.

When the light goes green, I swing the car in a massive U-turn and head to Gabe’s. I get all the way to the tattoo parlor without hitting a single red light.

The same parking spot in front of the door is open, and I pull my car into it. My heart is racing faster than it was the first time I came here.

Gabe doesn’t work Thursdays, but I don’t know where the entrance to his upstairs apartment is. I don’t even know if he’s home.

I get out of the car, and half open the door to the tattoo parlor, intending to ask how to find him. But there are five or six big, burly, tattoo-covered guys standing by the counter, and I chicken out.

My feet move fast, and carry me across the front of the building, and down along the side. It’s a solid brick wall, but I keep moving. When I reach the end of it, I skip sideways to avoid a puddle and turn the corner.

Gabe’s truck is parked beside a motorcycle. A solid brown door is at the far corner of the building. A solid black door is beside it.

There’s no sign or number to indicate what door might be what.

I push the doorbell beside the brown door, but don’t hear anything.

I push the doorbell beside the black door, but don’t hear anything.

I try pounding on both of them.

The brown door swings open, and my heart stops.

Gabe fills the doorframe, wearing only his boxers. His legs are also covered in tattoos, something I couldn’t see in the dark last night. His nipple piercings shine in the bright sunlight.

My breath is fast as I survey the man I want.

“Come for more meaningless sex already?” he asks, his voice flat.

Shaking my head, I say, “There’s nothing meaningless about it, we both felt it. I’m done fighting.”

A closed-mouth smile springs across his face. He places his hand on my shoulder, and lightly runs his fingers down my arm. My skin prickles everywhere he touches me.

When he reaches my hand, he grabs hold of it and pulls me into his apartment. I follow him down a narrow hallway and up a flight of stairs. He still hasn’t said anything else, and I’m filled with butterflies.

His living room is large, but sparsely furnished, with a futon couch, a black La-Z-Boy and a coffee table with a few empty beer cans on it. A massive TV hangs on the wall, with several types of video game consoles lined up underneath it. A few free weights are in the corner.

“Nice bachelor pad,” I say.

“What were you expecting?”

“This is exactly what I was expecting. Well, maybe I was expecting you to be wearing clothes.”

“I had a shower.”

I bite my bottom lip, suddenly feeling awkward and self-conscious.

The feelings vanish when Gabe wraps his arms around me.

In a low voice, he says, “You’ll be glad you stopped fighting yourself.”

“And you?”

“I’m fucking ecstatic. We belong together, Jewel, I just needed you to see that.”

He pulls me onto the futon, and I collapse onto his lap. I’m in the comfort of his arms, and the butterflies vanish.

“You’re mine. You realize that, right?” Gabe says, and nips my neck.

I don’t even bother trying to fight the massive grin on my face.

“I do, and you’re all mine,” I say.

“Absofuckinglutely. I think I’ve been yours for as long as I can remember.”

“You think? How you did you go from the little boy who sat behind me, to a man looking the way you do, anyway?” I drag my finger over the ridges of his abs as I speak.

22. Gabe

Eloise fills my arms perfectly. All the tension in my body vanishes, and I sink into the couch.

It’s like this is the moment I’ve been waiting for twenty years.

“I grew up,” I say, answering her question.

She laughs, it’s the sweetest sound I’ve ever heard in my apartment. Her body jiggles on my lap. My dick twitches, but I ignore it.

I could fuck Eloise all day and night, but right now I want to enjoy this moment.

The moment she said she’s mine.

“That’s not an answer,” she says, starting to giggle. She playfully pushes against my chest.

“What you want to know?”

“Everything.”

It’s probably fair enough, but I can’t ruin this moment by telling her everything.

“Fine, you ask a question, I’ll answer it.” I press my lips against hers, and cup the back of her head. She whimpers, and I pull away before I end up fucking her.

“Start with the last time I saw you. Why did you move away? You said your parents split, but why was your sister crying all the time in my sister’s class, saying your mom was sick?”

I suddenly feel heavy again, but I’m going to have to tell her. Once she knows, the past can go back where it belongs, in the past.

“In seventh grade, my mom got cancer. My father was a trucker, so it was hard. Real hard. Neither of them dealt with it very well. We ended up moving to Pittsburgh to live with my mother’s sister.”

Eloise smoothes my hair, she’s frowning and her eyes are watery. She doesn’t say anything, and I continue.

“After my mom died, we barely saw my father anymore. My aunt always said he was working on a long run, but my sister and I both knew he was drinking somewhere. Anywhere and everywhere. My father dealt with the grief by drowning himself in booze. So my aunt ended up being the adult responsible for raising us.”

A tear escapes Eloise’s eye, and weaves a crooked path down her cheek.

I wipe the tear away with my thumb. Pulling her head to mine, I nuzzle against her. “You poor little things. How did you cope?”

These are things I never talk about, and my throat is tight.

“I drew a lot. And started getting in lots of fights. By the time I started high school, I had a reputation and no one messed with me. At least no one my own age. So I started hanging with the older kids. A group of them let me in with them, and I started hanging with them.”

“I’m going to assume they weren’t the nerdy kids.”

I laugh through my nose, and say, “Not exactly.”

Frowning, she asks, “What was your aunt like?”

“She’s a nice lady.”

“Do you still see her?”

It’s the inquisition. Why did I ever say I’d answer all her questions? I should’ve given her three questions, max.

“I go down for Thanksgiving and sometimes Christmas. My sister’s still in Pittsburgh. She’s married with a couple of kids, so I visit them.”

Eloise tilts her head, her cheeks twitching and a half smile. “That’s nice of you.”

“What? You think I don’t want a relationship with my family?”

“Do you ever see your dad?”

“No. And if I did, I’d beat the shit out of him.”

Her eyebrows knit together, and her face freezes.

“I wouldn’t really hit him. I’d just really like to, for abandoning us when we’d already lost one parent.”

She smiles again, the softness returning to her face. I kiss her, and Eloise shifts her body so that she’s straddling my lap. In this position, I’m not sure how long I’ll be able to keep my dick under control.

It hardens against her, and I grind it into her.

Eloise pulls away laughing, and says, “Not yet, you still haven’t told me about all these pictures on your body.”

She swings her leg over mine, and sits beside me. She angles herself toward me, and traces the pattern of roses on my chest.

“Roses were my mom’s favorite,” I volunteer.

She runs her fingertips lower, and asks, “Did she like skulls too?”

“No, the skulls are all me.”

“And the rest of the stuff, is that you?”

“Mostly.”

“I’ve spent a lot of time looking at the ones on your back, but I haven’t had much chance to see your front.” She shifts her eyes down. “And I didn’t see your legs until now. Why so many?”

“The stuff on my thighs was me practicing when I was first learning.”

“Get out.”

“How else could I learn? Would you want to be my guinea pig?”

“No, but that’s because I don’t want any tattoos.”

Fuck, I’d love to decorate her. Her skin is as smooth and clear as porcelain, begging to be drawn on. I’d color her in lilies and lilacs.

“Not even one little one?”

Eloise laughs, and says, “No. not even one little itty bitty tiny one.”

“Not a little daisy on your hip?”

“Nope.”

We both laugh.

“Any more questions before I rip your clothes off?”

“Didn’t you already do that today?”

“That was hours ago.” I run my hand up her thigh.

She playfully slaps my hand away and asks, “Why did you come back to Rochester?”

“To open my own place. My mother had a life insurance policy, and I got some money when I turned twenty-five. I wanted my own parlor, but when Jack took me on as an apprentice, I promised him I’d never open a rival shop in Pittsburgh. Rochester seemed to make sense.”

“Do you have any family here?”

“No.”

“So why come back? You could’ve gone somewhere warm and more exciting.”

I turn my body to face her, and rest my arm on the back of the couch.

“Because you were here.”

Her cheeks redden, she shifts her eyes around. “You did not.”

“I did. You’re the only person from grade school I ever cared about, or ever wanted to see again.”

“What do you mean?”

I shake my head and purse my lips, not believing I’m about to admit this to her.

“When we lived in Rochester, life was good. My mom was the best mom. But I didn’t have many friends at school.”

“I remember you having lots of friends. You were always with Jason Miller, and Tom Hillary and that red-headed guy. What was his name?”

“Davey McFadden.”

“Yeah, him. You had friends.”

“No, I had guys I hung around with. I didn’t have people I liked. There was only one person I ever liked in our elementary school. You.”

As I expected, Eloise blushes. I’m not going to tell her the anger I had for her when I left. Or how I ripped up every drawing I’d ever made of her.

“I didn’t realize.”

“Don’t worry, I’m teasing. I didn’t move back here to find you. But I’m glad I did.”

“You were just saying that stuff?”

I shrug, wondering what the real truth is. Why did I move back to Rochester? Because my early childhood here was so good? Because I feel closer to my mother here? But this place is the reason it all went so wrong. How much did Eloise have to do with my decision?

My eyes run up Eloise’s body, for a fleeting moment I feel the anger and pain I felt when I left our school at the end of seventh grade. When my eyes reach hers, everything inside of me settles, and I feel the same lack of tension I’d felt when she first got here.

Only this time, I’m not even going to try to control my dick.

23. Eloise

“Try toothpaste,” Gabe says.

He reaches out from behind the shower curtain, water runs down his arm and drips onto the floor. He grabs a tube of Colgate from his sink, and holds it up in front of me as the water runs down our bodies.

“That’s crazy, that won’t work.”

“Nothing else is either. If it doesn’t work, I’ll go downstairs and get my Ink-Out. If it gets tattoo ink off, it’ll easily work for pen.”

For some reason, last night I let Gabe draw on me. He started my collarbones and worked his way down to my toes. It was amazing how quickly he worked, and how high quality the drawings are.

One side of my body is a vine covered in all sorts of flowers. The other side is naughty. He drew the two of us in all the positions he wants us to have sex in.

My entire right hip is a close-up of his face between my legs. My right breast is a three-dimensional picture of his face, with his mouth open and his tongue licking my nipple. On my thigh, he drew my face, thrown back in ecstasy as he makes me climax.

“It’s not really doing anything,” I say, rubbing the toothpaste into my arm and trying to scrub off the picture of me on my knees, sucking his dick.

We didn’t get much sleep, and I’m tired. It’s Friday, and I have to work. But that didn’t stop me from spending the night.

“It’s fine, I have to go home to get clean clothes anyway, I’ll wear a long-sleeve top today. No one will be able to see it.”

“Don’t go home first,” Gabe says, pushing his pelvis against mine.

“I have to. I need clean panties.”

“Screw panties. What do you need those for?”

I laugh, and shake my head. “You’re funny.”

“I wasn’t being funny. I’m serious. While I’m at work today, I want to be able to think about you walking around with no panties on. I’m going to spend the day thinking about all the things I’m going to do to you tonight.”

Gabe grabs hold of me, the spray from the shower splashing over both of us. My skin tingles, even though we had sex right before getting in the shower.

The bottom of the tub is slippery, and my feet slide around as he hugs me. But Gabe is a solid wall of muscle, and I hold him tight to stop myself from falling.

He kisses my cheek, and says, “Besides, if you don’t go home, I get to have you for another thirty minutes this morning. I’ll even make you an omelet for breakfast.”

“You’re corrupting me. But I can’t resist a good omelet.”

“If not wearing panties is corrupting you, I’ve got a long way to go.”

“Are you kidding me? Look what you’ve drawn all over me. It seems like I’m going to be walking around work with smutty pictures all over me.”

“I told you I was going to use my tattoo ink cleaner to get them off. But now that you’ve brought it up, I definitely like the idea of you walking around with these on you.”

My eyes flare as I imagine myself talking to my mother and father with only a thin piece of fabric between their eyes and the pictures of Gabe ravaging me.

“You should show them to Marcy. I bet she’d appreciate them.”

“She doesn’t need drawings, she’s seen the real thing. Remember?”

“I bet she rubbed herself raw last night thinking about us.”

“Oh God, don’t say that. I’ll have to quit right now and never show my face at my parents’ medical practice again.”

Gabe turns off the faucet and pushes open the shower curtain.

“Let’s eat,” h e says.

We both step out of the tub. He pulls a towel off the vanity counter, and uses it to pat me dry.

“There, the ink is smudged a bit but not too bad.”

“What about my arms?”

“Don’t worry about them, I’ll use my cleaner on them. But the rest of these pictures are staying.”

I follow Gabe back into his bedroom. Like the living room, it’s spartan. There is a bed with no headboard, and a chest of drawers.

On the floor are two piles of clothes, a pile of darks and a pile of lights. Gabe pulls a pair of black jeans from the darks pile and a T-shirt from the lights pile.

I’d assumed they were piles of pre-separated laundry, but after putting on a pair of boxers from the chest of drawers, he puts on the clothes he got from the piles.

“Jeez, you really are a bachelor.”

Gabe shrugs but otherwise ignores my comment. I pull on my pants and do them up. They feel weird with no panties underneath. I retrieve my bra from the floor.

“Leave that off for now.” Gabe slides his hand down my arm and hooks his fingers into the bra straps. “I’m not done enjoying the view yet.”

“Is that so?” I put my hands on my hips and try not to laugh.

“It is,” he says, smirking.

“You took my view away. If you want to keep yours, I suggest you take your shirt back off.”

He chuckles, a rich, deep sound that fills the room. I keep my hands on my hips, tilt my head and raise an eyebrow at him. Still chuckling, he pulls off his shirt, revealing the incredible body underneath.

“Better,” I say, and break down laughing.

While Gabe goes to the kitchen to make breakfast, I snoop around.

His apartment is huge, and covers the entire top of the tattoo parlor below. There’re two more bedrooms, but both are empty. There’s a separate room off the living room which is clearly supposed to be a dining room, but instead it is filled with more weights and a few other pieces of exercise equipment.

There is one more room, an office. A desk is up against a window overlooking the street. It’s clearly used, but is surprisingly neat and organized. I glance at some of the papers on it, they’re invoices for Incredible Ink. It seems like he organizes his business very differently from the way he organizes his life.

Sitting by itself on the far corner of the desk is an envelope. The name on it catches my eye. Kaylee Johnson. I wonder why she left when she did. I’d be pierced right now if she hadn’t. And probably still wouldn’t know what it felt like to have an orgasm.

“Breakfast,” Gabe calls from the kitchen.

My stomach rumbles. I guess I worked up an appetite last night. And this morning.

In the kitchen, Gabe sets two plates of food onto a round table. I glance around and I’m glad that the room is clean. He may live like a bachelor, but at least he’s a clean one.

I slide onto the wooden seat and waste no time in starting to eat. Gabe sits across from me.

“How come Kaylee left?” I ask, take a bite of my cheese omelet.

“Still more questions?”

“Yes.” Gabe’s barely asked me any questions about my background. He hasn’t asked any about my family, or my job. I don’t know if he doesn’t care, or if I asked him so many that he’s sick and tired of questions.

“I fired her.”

“But why? Why right when I had an appointment to see her?”

“Coincidence.”

Coincidence? That’s a strange answer. It makes me think that it wasn’t a coincidence.

“I get it, you saw my name on the appointment sheet, and you wanted me all for yourself so you fired her to get her out of the way.”

Gabe bursts out laughing, “If that’s you want to believe, then yes, Jewel, I wanted to get my hands on you.”

I don’t know whether to believe him or not.

24. Eloise

“Look at you, showing up at work in the same clothes you wore yesterday,” Marcy says the second I walk through the door.

“Good morning, Marcy.” Maybe if I ignore the comment, she’ll drop it.

I walk by the reception desk and beeline down the hall, and bump straight into my mother.

“Oops, eager to start work today?” my mom asks.

Marcy’s snort carries down the hall.

“It’s Friday, my favorite day of the week.”

“All set for dinner tomorrow? I’m making a rack of lamb.”

“That’s a nice anniversary dinner. Of course I’m coming.”

“You can bring someone, if you like. There’ll be plenty of food.”

“I still don’t have anyone to bring since you asked me that yesterday.”

Marcy erupts in a fit of laughter, I turn around and glare at her.

“Anyway, I’d better get ready for my day.”

“Sure thing, sweetie.”

I enter my room, and close the door behind me. Marcy had better get over this fast, my nerves can’t take it.

A moment later, she comes into my room without knocking first.

“What is it?” I ask.

“We need to talk.” She perches against my desk.

My heart pounds against my ribs but I look at her as coldly and calmly as I can.

“About?”

“You know exactly what about. That sexy man you committed a crime in here with yesterday.”

“It wasn’t a crime. Don’t be stupid.”

“Maybe not, but what you did with him was unethical and against the rules of this medical practice. I have no choice but to raise the matter with the owners.”

“The owners? You mean my parents?”

“Your relationship with them is neither here nor there.”

“Come on. You’re being ridiculous.” I stop myself before I start calling her names. Like tit and bitch.

“I don’t think I am. You’ve put me in a bad position, and I don’t like it.”

“So forget you ever saw anything and we’ll forget all about this.”

“I don’t think the image of your bare ass laid over the table is anything I can forget anytime soon.”

“Please, we both know what your eyes are on and it sure wasn’t me.”

“God, he’s hot. Where did you find him?”

“I went to school with him. We’ve known each other since we were kids.”

Marcy’s shoulders drop and she frowns. She doesn’t say anything and I raise my eyebrows at her, challenging her. I don’t know where she expected me to say I found Gabe, but my elementary school apparently wasn’t it. Perhaps she expected me to say somewhere like a tattoo parlor.

“Are you lying?”

“Nope. He sat behind me in Mrs. Singleton’s class.”

“I have to set up the coffee machine, but this isn’t finished,” she says, and slinks out of the room.

I throw myself back in the chair, flinging my arms out to the sides. Once the pounding of my heart has calmed, I dig my phone out of my backpack and text Gabe.

Marcy’s on the rampage. She noticed my clothes right away and is threatening to tell my parents about what happened.

He texts back straightaway.

Fuck her.

My first patient arrives, a woman who dislocated her shoulder in a car accident months ago, and still in pain from it.

After she leaves, I open the folder to jot down some notes. As I lean over the desk, Marcy barges into the room. My heart rate immediately skyrockets.

“Anyway, I’ve been thinking about our little conundrum and I’ve concluded it’s only fair of me to give you the chance to tell your parents first.”

“Why can’t we just forget the whole thing? Why are you being like this?”

“I have to follow the rules. I have no choice. I could lose my job if I don’t. I’ll give you until Tuesday.”

I don’t say anything in response, and she leaves the room. Maybe I should’ve shown her some of Gabe’s drawings, to get under her skin as much as she’s under mine.

I pick up my phone again, but this time I send a text to Sophie.

Marcy walked in on Gabe fucking me at work, and now she’s giving me until Tuesday to tell Mom and Dad about him.

-OMFG you didn’t tell me you’d had sex with him.

I’ve been busy having more sex with him. Little orgasm problem long gone.

-And Marcy saw one of the sessions?

Yes, and now she’s holding it over my head and I don’t know what to do.

-l literally cannot stop laughing.

You’re really supportive.

-Did my straight-laced big sister really let that hunk of man do her in her office?

I find him impossible to say no to.

-How sweet. Now what are you going to do?

Whatever my super smart med school sister tells me to do.

I toss the phone on the desk and my next patient arrives. It’s Mrs. Bletchley, one of my mother’s friends. She’s been seeing me for a sore lower back for over a year, but never does her exercises.

“How are you feeling today?” I ask.

“My back is killing me today. The pain is so bad that I’m going to see the doctor later about increasing my painkillers.”

“Have you done your exercises?”

“Once or twice.”

Figures. Marcy’s put me in a bad mood, and I don’t feel my normal sympathy.

“You should sign up for a Pilates class. Studies have shown that they’re more effective for back pain than painkillers are.”

My phone beeps, drawing my attention from Mrs. Bletchley. Is it a text from Sophie or Gabe? Most likely Sophie. I wonder what she thinks I should do.

I realize Mrs. Bletchley’s been talking but I have no idea what she’s been saying.

“Why don’t we get you on the bed today, and I’ll try some acupuncture on the area. Maybe that will bring you some relief. I’ll let you get your top off, and comfortable on the bed under the blanket. I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

I grab my phone and leave the room. The text is from Sophie.

Bring him to dinner tomorrow.

My finger taps the screen as I contemplate the idea. It might work. I type out a quick text to Gabe.

Want to come with me to my parents’ anniversary dinner tomorrow?

Marcy appears at the end of the hall, and I rush back into my room. Mrs. Bletchley is still struggling to get the flimsy blanket pulled up to her shoulders as she lies on her stomach.

I massage the areas for five minutes, stick her with the acupuncture needles, grab my phone and hurry out of the room again.

Nothing.

I have to give the needles time to work. Normally I’d go chat to Marcy. Today, I decide to hide in the staff room. I make myself a strong cup of coffee to calm my nerves.

The phone is in my hand, and I jump when it beeps. It’s Gabe. This text is one word.

No.

My heart sinks. That really could’ve solved my problem. I realize now that I’m going to have to tell them tomorrow and I really could’ve used him there for support. I text Sophie again.

Gabe won’t come to dinner tomorrow.

-Why not?

I don’t know, I didn’t ask.

-So ask.

I can’t help notice the time in the corner of the screen. I have to get back to Mrs. Bletchley. But first I send Gabe a quick text.

Why not?

He doesn’t respond right away, and I go back to my patient. There’s still no word from him by lunch. I’ve chewed away the fingernails on my left hand.

I sent Sophie another text.

He’s not going to come, what do I do?

-Don’t worry, I’ll be there for you.

25. Eloise

“I can’t believe this. I got them a framed picture and a box of chocolates, and you went and gave them this?” I throw up my hands at the garden fountain. “I mean, it’s beautiful but it must’ve been super expensive. How much did it cost?”

“One pair of panties, red lace, worn out dancing on Friday night,” Sophie says, and cackles.

I close my eyes and shake my head. My sister is nuts.

“Do you measure all your costs in panties?”

“Pretty much. But I’m going to finish med school with barely any debt so I’m not complaining.”

“Thank God for the perverts of the world.”

“I’m tapping the Japanese market now. It’s a gold mine.”

“Don’t Mom and Dad wonder where you get the money from?”

“I put your name on the garden fountain, and told them you paid for most of it.”

“You could’ve told me before I went and bought the picture frame.”

“Dinner,” my dad calls from the back door.

“Coming,” I say.

Sophie grabs my hand, and says, “Remember, I’ve got your back in there.”

I look at her and smile. She’s got my back everywhere, she always has. I only wish Gabe had come for dinner. I practically begged him last night but he wouldn’t even consider the idea. It was an outright no, end of story whenever I asked.

“Wow, you even put the little white hats on the bones. Very fancy,” I say as we sit at the table.

My mother has gone all out this year, with a rack of lamb formed into a crown placed on a silver platter at the center of the table.

“Happy anniversary, Mom and Dad,” Sophie says.

We all clink glasses and chat as we start eating. When we’re nearly finished our meal, just as I’m about to take a bite of steamed green beans, Sophie clears her throat and kicks me under the table.

“Eloise has some big news.”

“Oh?” my father and mother say in unison.

My cheeks start to flush, and I say, “I don’t know if it’s big news.”

“Eloise has a boyfriend,” Sophie blurts. My cheeks burn.

Mom looks at me sideways, her eyes wide and her smile is uncontainable. I brace for whatever’s coming next.

“What’s he like?” my mom asks.

I clear my throat, and say, “Actually, we went to school together.”

“Really? Anyone we know?”

“Gabe Irwin. I doubt you remember him. He moved away in seventh grade.”

My mother and father look at each other in a long, steady gaze. My mom’s fork slips out of her hand.

“You should see him now,” Sophie says. “He’s a tattoo artist and is covered in ink. And he’s smoking hot. Marcy saw him at the medical practice and practically died.”

Dad looks back across the table at me, and asks, “Is he a patient at our practice?”

“Yes, but I was seeing him before he came for physiotherapy.”

I expect my parents to complain about my boyfriend also being my patient, but no comment comes.

“I’m so pleased for you, sweetie. I hope you’re really happy together. Sophie makes him sound like a nice boy.”

“He’s nice and wonderful.”

“You’re obviously smitten with him, your face is beaming. I haven’t seen you this animated when talking about a man ever,” my dad says.

I feel like I’m in bizarro land. My parents are both aware of Marcy’s reaction when Gabe first came to the practice. Sophie’s told them he’s covered in tattoos, and I know for a fact neither of my parents likes visible tattoos.

I’d expected them to freak out when they learned their daughter was dating someone like Gabe. But they’re both being so supportive.

Why did I doubt them? They always support me. I’m glad Marcy pushed me into telling them about Gabe. Not that I’m about to tell them everything Marcy wants me to tell them.

“I really wanted him to come to dinner tonight, but I wasn’t sure it was a good idea because it’s your anniversary. But next week, for sure, I’ll bring him so you can meet him.”

“Oh, I don’t know. You don’t need to drag the poor man to our house. It would probably bore him,” my dad says.

“Not at all. He loves pool, you could play him,” I say to my dad.

“Oh sweetie, don’t bring him around here, that’s boring. You two should be out having fun. Go to dinner and a movie or dancing,” my mother says.

“We don’t get a lot out of free time together. He works weekends, and takes Wednesdays and Thursdays off. I was hoping you’d let me change my days to match his.”

“That’s a great idea,” my father says. “Having you work Saturdays and Sundays is better for our patients anyway.”

“Wow, that’s amazing. Thank you!”

“Anything to help. Now you can do all sorts of fun things together,” my mother says.

“They’re coming here for dinner next weekend, it’s already arranged,” Sophie says.

“It is?” my father says.

“Yes, it is,” Sophie says with such authority that none of us challenge her.

My parents each take a mouthful of food, and I scoop some mashed potatoes into my mouth and let them dissolve on my tongue. We finish our plates in silence, but I can’t help being relieved and excited at the way things have turned out.

“Are you seeing him tomorrow?” my mother asks.

I set my fork down, and say, “He has a lake house, and he took tomorrow off so he can take me tonight. I’m going to his place, and we’re leaving as soon as I finish here.”

“You didn’t need to come tonight. You should’ve left earlier since it’s such a beautiful day to be on the lake,” my mom says.

“But it’s your anniversary.”

“We’ve finished the lamb now. What are you waiting for? Get going!” My mother says.

I jump up from my seat, sending my napkin to the floor. My mother and father look at me with tight-lipped smiles. Sophie grins widely and winks.

“Love you guys,” I say, and head out the door.

My body is buzzing. I don’t know why, but I hadn’t expected my parents to react the way they did. Just talking about Gabe has filled me with excitement.

As I back my car out of the driveway, I realize how badly I need to feel his arms around me right this second.

26. Gabe

“They were amazing and supportive and happy for us,” Eloise says as soon as I open the door to my apartment. Her face is glowing, and she’s buzzing.

“That’s great,” I say, cringing at the idea of flattering her mother. “Did you tell them Marcy threatened to tell them we fucked in your physio room if you didn’t tell them about me?”

Her shoulders drop, and she says, “I left that part out.”

“Good, because that means I get to do it again during this week’s appointment.”

She brushes past me, and marches up the stairs to my apartment.

“Where you going? We have to leave now, it’s an hour drive.”

“I was going to change my clothes.”

“No way. You take your clothes off and I’m fucking you. We’ll never make it to the lake house.”

“We can go in the morning,” she says, not stopping her climb of the stairs.

“We’re going tonight because that gives us one full day there. And we can come back late on Memorial Day, so we’ll have plenty of time for fun while we’re there.”

“But I’m really excited right now. I want to feel you in me.”

“You’re not making this easy. Now get in the truck. Trust me, it’s worth it. Don’t make me come up there and throw you over my shoulder.”

Eloise pauses, and her shoulders shudder before she takes off running up the steps. I sigh and run after her before she has the chance to strip off her clothes.

I catch her at the bedroom doorway and grab her by the hips. Yanking her back, I spin her around and toss her over my shoulder. She squeals and I smack her ass. She squeals again, kicking her legs.

Laying my arm over her thighs, I grip her tightly and go back down the stairs and out the door. Pulling it shut, I lock it while she squirms. I carry her to my truck but don’t release her until the door is open. I set her onto the seat.

“Put your seatbelt on,” I say as I shut the door.

Good thing we packed last night and I’ve already loaded the truck. Not that she’ll need anything other than her toothbrush.

“I wish you’d been there,” she says as I pull the truck onto the road. “Why didn’t you come?”

“I didn’t want to.” How can I possibly be in the same room as her family?

“Well, you’re coming next weekend, Sophie’s already told my parents.”

“I don’t care what she told them.”

“It’ll be fun, you can play pool with my dad.”

“No.”

I shift in my seat. The song on the radio’s really annoying me. It’s some pop shit on some shit pop station I let Eloise put on. Hitting my number one preset, I switch the radio to WCMF and hope for some Led Zeppelin.

“My family’s really close, and they’re very important to me. I don’t understand why you won’t come for dinner.”

“Because I don’t want to.”

“But they’re a huge part of my life. I don’t see how we can have a real relationship if you don’t know them.”

My lungs are heavy, and the noise of my breathing seems louder than AC/DC’s “Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap” coming through the speakers.

I glance at Eloise. She’s all I want. If the price is dealing with her family, then I’m going to have to suck it up and deal with them. I can handle that, I’m going to have to.

“Still wet?” I ask, changing the subject.

“I don’t know. Are you coming for dinner?”

“I’ll think about it.”

“Is that the best you’re going to give me?”

“I really hate these bucket seats. Why didn’t I get a bench seat so you could snuggle up against me? I’d really like to feel your body against mine right now.”

“You’re the one who made us leave in a hurry.”

“You’ll love my lake house. It’ll be worth it.”

“So you keep saying. I don’t see why we couldn’t leave an hour later.”

“Patience.” I say as much to myself as to Eloise. “Hey, I forgot to tell you. I got the letter from the clinic showing I’m clean. It’s in the glovebox.”

“Oh no, all this stuff with Marcy made me forget to get tested.”

“I don’t care, you’re such a good girl that I’m not worried. I’m more interested in feeling your skin against mine.”

When she got back from her parents’ dinner, I was focused on getting on the road when she got home and wanted some. But now that I’m in the confined space with her and realize what I’ll do for her, I have an overwhelming urge to fuck her.

“Ugh, I don’t want to be patient. I’ve been sitting in wet panties since I left my parents’ house. Just thinking about you makes me crazy, and now you’re making them even wetter.”

“It’s not good sitting in wet panties. It’s uncomfortable. You should take them off.”

Eloise undoes her seatbelt and starts to wiggle out of her jeans. I can’t fucking believe she’s doing this.

“Holy shit, are you actually taking your clothes off?”

“I am.”

“Were you like this with your other boyfriends?”

“God no, you kidding me? I don’t know why you make me act the way I do.”

“Seems like I’m doing a good job of corrupting you.”

“You are.”

My good girl, Eloise, is becoming my bad girl. My dick stiffens. Especially because I know she’s only bad for me.

She kicks off her jeans and slips off her panties.

“See how wet you make me?” she says, and drops her panties on my lap.

Taking my eyes off the highway momentarily, I look at Eloise as she sits bare assed on my seat. Her legs are slightly parted, and I put my hand on her knee and spread them further.

“You’re a temptress.”

“Aren’t you going to feel how wet my panties are? I hear men pay good money for panties that have been worn.” Her voice is sultry, and lures me into picking up her panties. The dampness immediately seeps into my hand.

“What am I supposed to do with these?”

“I don’t know.” Eloise pauses in thought. “Maybe smell them.”

I lift them to my nose and inhale. Her sweet smell fills me, and all the blood in my head rushes to my cock.

“They’re good, but I’d rather taste you.”

Eloise laughs. She moves one knee to the door, and puts the foot closest to me onto the seat. In one quick movement, she pushes her fingers into her entrance, takes them out and leans across to me, and shoves her fingers into my mouth.

Her taste makes my dick so hard, I have to undo my jeans. I suck every last morsel of her taste from her fingers.

The seatbelt alarm dings and she pulls her hand away to do up her seat belt.

“Have you been able to make yourself come since you met me?” I glance over at her, and her cheeks flush. She might be acting badly, but she’s still my good girl.

“I haven’t tried.”

“Do it now.”

“Now?”

“Yes, go on. Touch yourself.”

“We’re on the road.”

“You’re sitting there half naked. You’re as wet as High Falls. And you know you want to do it. You want to sit there and taunt me as I drive. Otherwise you wouldn’t have taken off your panties in the first place.”

“Like this?”

I look over. Eloise slinks her body down the seat and props her feet apart on the dashboard. She lets her knees flop out, one rests against the door, the other hovers in front of the radio. She turns her head and fixes her eyes on my face.

Moving my eyes between her and the road, I watch as she runs her fingers through her lips and dances them around her clit.

“That’s it, baby. Let me hear you come.”

27. Eloise

I can’t believe I’m doing this. Maybe I’m not that different from Sophie after all. At least when I’m with Gabe.

The lust in his eyes as he shifts his gaze between me and the road spurs me on. He’s already undone his pants, and his purple head is poking up from his boxers.

The sight of it sends a whole new rush of heat between my legs. I’ve never let anyone watch me do this before, and certainly not in a moving vehicle on the highway. But now my body is buzzing and burning, and I wonder why I haven’t done something like this sooner.

I circle the finger of my right hand over my clit. With my left hand, I pump two of my fingers in my slick entrance. As much as I’m stimulating myself, my real excitement is from having Gabe watch me.

At least as much as he can while driving on the highway.

“Let me taste you again,” Gabe says.

I slowly take my fingers out of my wet entrance, lean across and slip them between Gabe’s lips. His tongue folds around my fingers, and he sucks gently.

“You like that?” I ask, though I already know the answer.

“Keep it up, baby, you’re doing great. Let me hear you. I want to hear how good you’re making yourself feel.”

I start whimpering and moaning, my noises filling the cab of the truck. Gabe turns the radio down, and my noises seem even louder.

“Fuck, yeah, now tug on your clit the way I do. Pull it like I’m sucking it.”

His words coat my skin in tingles. I follow his orders, and use my fingers to mimic his lips.

The feelings are intense, and every bit of me hums, inside and out. I lean my head back against the seat and look up at the ceiling.

“I fucking love when you’re my dirty little girl. Do you like being mine, Jewel?”

His words push me to the brink, and I squeal.

“I knew it. I knew there was a bad girl in you. Look what you’re doing to me.”

As best as I can, I look at Gabe through the haze of the edge of my orgasm. His hand is wrapped around his hard dick, and he’s stroking himself as he drives.

My eyes fixate on the tip of his cock, and my mouth fills with saliva. I want to taste him the way he tasted me, but it’s not physically possible in this truck.

“I’m going to fuck you the second we get there. Do you want it hard or gentle, baby? Whatever you want, that’s how I’m going to fuck you.”

My shoulders shudder as I remember the way he took me at my work. I loved the way his balls slapped against my lips, stimulating my clit. And right now I’m enjoying being his dirty girl.

“Hard,” I say, my voice high-pitched and breathy.

“Of course you do. You want me to rip you from your seat, and fuck you right there against the truck.”

“Yes,” I say, pumping my fingers faster.

“You want me to throw you on the grass, ram my cock into you, and fuck you until you’re raw.”

“Yes, yes.” My voice is getting higher and higher.

“Let go, let me hear you come right now. Go on, baby. You call my name, and it’ll make me come right here, right now.”

I pump my fingers as fast as I can but get more and more frustrated.

“I can’t do it.”

“Sure you can. Listen to you, you’re ready to blow.”

“I can’t,” I whine. “I need you inside me.”

Gabe rummages in the compartment of his door.

“Close your eyes,” he orders.

“Okay,” I say, and do as he says.

“Move your hand.” I move both of my hands away. “Now, keep your eyes closed, take this, and pretend it’s my dick. Go on, I want to hear you come. Now.”

He shoves something into my entrance. I don’t know what it is, but it’s round and long, like a vibrator. My walls immediately spasm around it. I quickly flick my clit.

“Gabe!” I scream, the sound echoes around the cab, deafening us.

I don’t care.

My body erupts in a tidal wave of tingles.

“Look at me, Jewel.”

I open my eyes and look at Gabe just in time to see his dick spurt. He takes his hand off the wheel to contain it. Most of it deflects, and lands on his jeans.

The sight is enough to send another tidal wave ripping through me.

As waves wash over me, a police siren sounds.

“Shit,” Gabe says, shoving his dick into his underwear.

He signals, and wipes his hand on his jeans but ends up stickier than before. He wipes it on his shirt. White streaks cover his jeans and shirt. I pull the thing he’d handed me from my pussy. It’s a screwdriver, but I don’t have time to be freaked out about it.

“Oh my God, what do I do?” I say, the words spewing from my mouth as I look helplessly at my jeans at my feet. There’s no way I can get them back on in time.

“Just lay your jeans across your lap and act cool.”

My heart feels like it’s beating straight through my ribs. I pick up the jeans, straighten myself and drape the jeans over me as respectably as possible.

The truck comes to a stop at the side of the road, and Gabe opens his window.

A State Trooper appears, and my body blazes redder than at any other time in my life. I’ve never even been pulled over for a speeding ticket before. And now I’m sitting here with no bottoms on.

“License and registration.” His voice is harsh.

“Hey, Trevor, how’s it going?” Gabe says.

How the hell does he know a State Trooper?

“Oh shit, Gabe, I didn’t realize it was you.”

“No worries, man. What’s up? Was I speeding?”

“No, you were driving erratically. Have you been drinking?”

“Not a drop. My girlfriend’s been distracting me,” Gabe says, and chuckles.

The State Trooper eyes me, and I shrivel in my seat.

“Everything okay here, ma’am?”

“Yes, sir,” I say as loudly as I can. My voice is a whisper.

He runs his eyes over my bare legs, and the pair of jeans I’d hastily tucked around my hips and upper thighs. His eyes carry on to Gabe and he smirks when he sees the white.

“I’m going to let you off with a verbal warning, but next time you’re in the mood you need to pull off the road and find yourself some place private.”

“Absolutely,” Gabe says.

“Don’t think you’ve heard the end of this. I am going to make sure everyone knows how I caught you,” he says, and laughs. “This is fucking hilarious.”

“Don’t get too funny, you want me to have a steady hand when I’m working on your sleeve.”

The Trooper laughs, and says, “Some things are worth it. Now get out of here, I have to get back to work.”

He pats the truck twice and walks away.

“That was lucky,” Gabe says.

“How do you know him?”

“He’s a client. I’ve already given him one armful of tattoos, now I’m working on the second.”

“I was so scared. I’ve never been pulled over before. We’re lucky you knew him.”

Gabe’s laugh fills the truck. It seems louder than my earlier cries of ecstasy. I purse my lips, and breathe heavily out of my nose.

Fixing my eyes out of the window, I replay our drive. How did I convince him to do those things?

I shift my weight, and my foot kicks the screwdriver he’d inserted into me. Never in my life did I ever think I’d let anyone put something like that in me.

“Don’t be mad, baby,” Gabe says, and rubs my knee.

“Why did we do those things?”

“Because it felt good.”

“It was crazy and irresponsible.”

As the words leave my mouth, I think of Sophie. What would she think right now? She’d probably laugh, and tell me to sell the screwdriver online for some extra cash.

Thinking about Sophie makes my mind wander to my parents, and I realize Gabe didn’t say he’d come for dinner next weekend.

“You’re coming for dinner at my parents’, right?”

“I told you, I’ll think about it. This is a great song,” Gabe says and cranks up the volume. I don’t know what it is, maybe Metallica, I’m not sure.

I don’t understand why he doesn’t want to come for dinner. My parents are super nice, they’d make him feel welcome.

28. Gabe

I pull the truck into the driveway. Behind the house, the sun flickers off Lake Ontario.

The house itself seems smaller today. Its white siding is not as grand as I normally remember it. I suddenly wish my great-grandfather had built a two-story brick house instead of the two bedroom single-story house.

“Is this it? I love it. The wrap-around porch is amazing,” Eloise says, and my shoulders ease.

Once she calmed down about being pulled over, she was able to joke around about it. She even forgave me for the screwdriver.

For the rest of the drive, we laughed and joked, and every passing minute made me love her more and more.

I hop out of the truck and hurry around to her side.

“Welcome to my house,” I say as I open her door.

Eloise undoes her seatbelt, and I scoop her into my arms.

“What happened to throwing me on the grass?” she asks.

“Changed my mind.”

She wraps her arms around my neck, her bare ass hanging between my arms. I carry her up to the porch and unlock the door.

“Why’d you change your mind?”

“I want to take my time with you.”

Flinging open the door, we’re hit with the strong smell of pine. Over the past two years, I’ve done everything to get rid of the musty smell and I’m relieved the pine has finally done the trick.

“This place is nice. It has actual furniture. And pictures on the wall. And stuff. It’s not like your apartment at all.”

“I’ll show you the rest later,” I say, and carry her straight through to the bedroom.

I set her on her feet but hold tight to her arms. Cupping the back of her head, I brush my cheek against hers.

“I’ll go to the dinner with you. I’d do anything for you.”

There’s no way she understands the intense way she makes me feel. In the car, she showed me that she’d do anything for me, and I realized that I’d do anything for her. It seems like nothing could ever matter except the two of us. If her family is the price I have to pay to be with her, then I’ll pay it.

Eloise jumps with excitement, a smile beams across her beautiful face.

“Thank you,” she squeals and jumps up again, wrapping her arms and legs around me.

Squeezing her tight, I throw us both onto the small double bed. She laughs, and somehow it sounds sweeter than before.

I roll on top of her, scoop my arms around her and close my mouth over hers. My dick hardens, but I don’t want to take my hands from her to take off my jeans.

Our kiss is slow, and it seems to go on for all eternity. It’s the closest to paradise I’ve ever been. I can tell from the way she skims her fingers over me that she feels the same way.

Without leaving her lips, I slip my hand under the edge of her top, and run it up her smooth skin. After palming her silky bra cup, I hook a finger in the top of the cup and pull it down, releasing her tit.

Her nipple’s already hard, and I pinch it between my fingers. Eloise moans, and wraps her legs around my waist.

Breaking our kiss, I gently tug her shirt over her head. Reaching around her back, I undo her bra, and drop it off the side of the bed.

I kneel back on my heels, and survey the perfection in my bed. Perfection I was never looking for.

Glancing through to the other room, I see how well she fits with all the pictures of my family that are in there. All the good memories of the good times I had in this house as a child.

Times I never thought could ever be as good again.

But now Eloise is here, and I realize I have a chance to be that happy again.

I take my time with her, and let her body soothe my soul.

By the time my lips reach her mound, she’s already squirming. I blow across her lips and love how her thighs shudder in response.

She’s dripping wet, and I lap my tongue through her folds. Normally, she begs me to hurry at this point, but all she does is whimper.

I nip the inside of her thigh as I push two fingers into her drenched pussy.

“Oh God,” she cries.

Kissing up her lips, I suck her clit into my mouth, and flick it with my tongue. Eloise squirms and I hold down her hips with my free hand.

“Gabe,” she moans and writhes under my arm.

Her walls grip my fingers, and she grabs my head. She meshes her hands through my hair and balls her fists. It hurts like hell but I don’t stop her. I want her to feel what I do to her, even if it means a little pain for me.

Once she calms, I kneel and pull my shirt over my head. I flop onto my back beside her, and strip off my jeans and boxers. My hard cock hovers over my abs.

“Sit on me,” I say.

“My legs are jelly,” she says as she scrambles to climb on me.

Eloise straddles me, and hovers over my dick. She pauses and our eyes catch. Neither of us has reached for a condom. We both realize what we’re about to feel. Skin on skin.

Our gaze intensifies, and I raise my tip to her entrance. Both of our chests move rapidly, our quick breaths the only sounds in the room.

Slowly she lowers herself onto my cock. My mouth hangs open but I hold her gaze.

The silkiness of her walls is the best feeling I’ve ever felt. A thousand lightning bolts flash through me, electrifying me from head to toe.

I begin to move my hips, rocking her on me. Finally I pull my eyes from hers and rake them over her body. Her tits sway as I bounce her on me. I have to close my eyes to calm myself.

She starts grinding her clit against my pelvic bone, circling herself one way, then the other. The whole time, she’s whimpering and moaning.

My balls draw tight against me, and I flip us over without withdrawing from her.

I grunt as I pump into her. She moans, and I lean down and growl, “You feel so good it hurts.”

Eloise grabs my biceps, her nails digging into my skin. She whimpers again, and this time bucks underneath me. Her walls milk my dick, the feel of her skin against mine overloading me.

“Fuck, baby,” I grunt.

It’s too much, my cock throbs and spurts against her walls, filling her pussy.

Gasping for air, I collapse on her. My dick pulses in pure fucking joy.

I lift my head to kiss her, and realize she’s crying, the way she cried in the park.

“What’s wrong, Jewel?”

She wipes her eyes with the heel of her hand. “I don’t know why I’m crying. It just felt so good. I don’t understand the way you make me feel.”

I smooth back her hair, and say, “You make me feel the same way.”

Eloise smiles and bites her bottom lip. I kiss her forehead, and we lie still as we catch our breaths.

“You’re all sweaty,” she says, wiping her hand across my back.

“So are you.”

“We need to have a shower.”

“I’ve got a better idea.”

I hold my dick as I pull out, trying to make as little mess as possible. Before Eloise can move, I pick her up and throw her over my shoulder.

“I need something to wipe myself with,” she says.

Laughing, I rush through the house and run down the lawn.

“What you doing?” she squeals.

“We’re getting cleaned in the lake.”

She squeals, and smacks my ass.

“No way, it’s only May. The water will be freezing.”

“It’ll be refreshing,” I say as my feet hit the icy water.

Without breaking stride, I move until the water is at my thighs, and throw us both into the lake.

29. Eloise

“Are you starting to warm up?” Gabe asks as he shoves another log into the wood-burning stove.

“A little,” I say.

At least my teeth have stopped chattering.

We stayed in the lake too long. I think Gabe thought it would be an in-and-out dunk, but we ended up splashing and tossing each other around in the icy May water until I was shivering so much that I started turning blue.

And of course there weren’t any towels or clothes at the lake. We had to run to the house.

Gabe wrapped my naked body in a comforter, laid me on the floor and made a roaring fire in the wood-burning stove.

“I should’ve brought some hot chocolate.”

“Coffee is fine. I’d be fine with hot water at this point,” I say, taking another sip of the coffee Gabe made for me.

He steps away from the fire and turns on several lamps. The room is a good size, with two big couches angled to the windows and the view of the lake.

The walls are covered in clusters of photographs. I stand and wrap the comforter tight around me.

I move to the wall alongside the fire. The photographs are family snapshots, and all seem to have been taken here. There’s a picture of a young boy and girl standing knee deep in the water. The boy’s smile makes it obvious that it’s Gabe.

There’s another of Gabe and the girl with a blue pup tent set up on the lawn.

“That’s your sister, Melanie?”

“Yeah,” Gabe says, and sits on the couch.

I can feel his eyes on me as I look at the pictures, but he doesn’t say anything or move from his spot.

At the top of the group of photos is a black and white one of an old man in a suit standing in front of the house. This house must’ve been in Gabe’s family for decades.

“Who’s he?” I ask. I don’t turn around or point to the photo, I know Gabe’s been watching me.

“My great-grandfather.”

“This was his house?”

“He built it.”

Gabe doesn’t offer any more details, and I carry on looking at all the photographs. They’re mostly of him and his sister on this wall. Some of them are the two of them on their own, but two have a woman in them. In one, the woman is holding Melanie on her hip and cuddling Gabe with her free hand. In the other, she’s crouching down with Gabe and Melanie in the shallow water. A natural smile beams across her face in both photos, and I get the sense she was smiling for her children and not for the camera.

“Is that your mom?”

“Yep.”

“You look like her. You have the same eyes and nose.”

“You think so?”

“Definitely, have you looked in the mirror?” I laugh.

“Huh, I never really thought about it.”

“She’s beautiful, and looks like a loving mother.”

Gabe falls silent. I move to the long wall that separates the room from the kitchen and squeeze myself and the bulky comforter between the angled couch Gabe is sitting on and the wall.

He clears his throat, and I wait for him to say something, but he doesn’t.

The snapshots on this wall all seem to be of older generations. I scan over the smartly dressed men and women posing on the lawn and near the lake. There’s a baby in one, which I guess might be Gabe, but otherwise he’s not in any of the photos.

“That’s all my dad’s side of the family.”

“It was their house?”

“Yeah, my mother’s family is all in Pittsburgh. My dad grew up around here, and after my grandfather died, he gave the house to my dad. We used to come here every weekend as kids.”

“So this is still your dad’s house?”

“Nope, it’s mine.” Gabe stands and climbs over the back of the couch. He stands close but without touching me. “When I moved back to Rochester I waited a few months then came out here. I figured I’d find him living here, but the house was empty and neglected. The key we kept hidden was still in the same spot and I let myself in.”

“Wow, that’s great. Does he know you come here?”

“I emailed him and demanded he transfer ownership to my name.”

I tilt my head to face him, my eyes wide.

“That’s bold.”

“Fuck him, it’s rightfully mine.”

“And he agreed to transfer it?”

“He seemed glad to get rid of it.”

“And he’s never come by?”

“Not even once,” Gabe sighs. “I guess the good memories for me are hard memories for him. Whatever, I don’t give a shit.”

“Is that him when he was a kid?” I ask, pointing at a boy wearing bell-bottomed jeans.

“Yeah, I don’t know why I keep his photos up. They’ve have been on the wall for decades. I took them down when I painted, but figured they belong where they always were.”

“You painted?” I ask, and laugh. His apartment looks like it hasn’t been painted since he moved in.

He drapes his arm over my shoulders and squeezes me against him.

“I did a lot more than paint. This place was falling apart when I started coming here, I’ve spent the last two years fixing it up, starting with the hole in the roof.”

“You’ve done a great job,” I say, looking around. “It’s a far cry from your bachelor pad above Incredible Ink.”

“That place is just a convenient place to sleep. This is my home.”

“Do I get a full tour?”

“You’ve seen this room and the bedroom, that’s about it.”

“The kitchen?” I ask, wandering toward the internal doorway.

“It’s not very exciting. I had to buy a new fridge and stove, but haven’t done anything else to it, so the cupboards still need to be replaced.”

We stand in the middle of the kitchen. There’s a big window over the kitchen sink, looking out over the lake. The cupboards are plain varnished wood, and look like they’re been here as long as the house.

“I love the cupboards, you can’t take them out.”

“They’re pretty rustic. I’m surprised you like them. I didn’t think they’d be perfect enough for you.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

Gabe flashes me a broad grin, and says, “You know you’re always concerned with things being perfect. Why? Did your parents put a lot of pressure on you?”

“No, my parents never pressured me to be perfect.”

“Then where did it come from?”

My eyes drop to the floor as I contemplate Gabe’s question. We talked a little about this before, when he said it was the reason I couldn’t have orgasms but I never tried to understand why.

Shifting my gaze to Gabe, I say, “I think I just looked up to my parents my whole life. And they’re perfect so I always put pressure on myself to be perfect too.” Gabe winces as I speak and I feel bad for talking about how perfect my parents are when he doesn’t have any.

Running his hand from my shoulder to my fingers, he laces his fingers through mine. He lifts our hands to his mouth and kisses my fingers.

“Isn’t life more fun when you’re not trying to be perfect?”

My heart warms, and I laugh. “Definitely.”

He tugs at the comforter, and says, “That’s the end of the tour.”

“There’s only one bedroom?”

“Nah, there’s a second bedroom but it’s where I shoved everything from the rest of the place when I was clearing it. A lot of it is stuff my parents put here before we moved to Pittsburgh. Things like photo albums and keepsakes from when my sister and I were a little. There’s even schoolwork of ours.”

“That’s incredible.”

“I couldn’t figure out what to do with it all.”

“There’s a whole bedroom full?”

“A couple of chests, plus there is a lot of my dad’s stuff. They must’ve thought that we would move back here after… you know.” Gabe shrugs.

“Sometimes things don’t happen the way people plan.”

“I have to figure out what to do with it all, but for now I’m happy to ignore it.”

Gabe pulls me into his arms, and works his way into the comforter. We stand in the kitchen, our bodies tight together, huddled in the comforter.

30. Gabe

We spend all day Sunday relaxing in the sunshine. Eloise doesn’t ask again about the second bedroom, and I’m relieved because I want to spend time with her, not clearing out shit.

Usually I spend my time at the house doing non-stop chores. I’m not even going to mow the lawn this week. It’s nice to be able to enjoy the place.

Eloise spent most of the time topless, her nipples hard whenever the breeze picked up. I’ve never been so grateful for having a secluded property.

I can’t wait for her to move her workdays and we can come here every week, all summer long. Not much work is going to get done on the house but that’s okay, as long as she’s here.

Memorial Day is beautiful, and we’re laying on the grass near the lake.

“You know what would look real good on this tit?” I ask, tracing my finger along side of her left breast.

“What?” She sets her Kindle down.

“Some ink. I’m thinking lilacs.”

“Are you saying my breasts aren’t good enough as they are?”

“Your tits are perfect.” I cup her tit.

“Then why do you want to change them?”

“For fun.”

“You haven’t corrupted me enough for me to get a tattoo.”

“Yet.”

Eloise’s boob jiggles in my hand as she laughs.

“Never. Trust me.”

“Are you wearing clothes for the drive home?” I laugh.

She slaps my hand away, and says, “You’ve satisfied me enough this weekend, I don’t feel the need to touch myself.”

“Funny, whenever I think of you, I always feel the need to touch myself.”

“Are you saying I don’t satisfy you?” she chuckles.

“You satisfy me too much, that’s the problem.”

“I’ll stop trying to satisfy you. Maybe next time I’ll keep my hands away from you.”

“Don’t do that. That would be cruel.”

“But less satisfying for you.”

“I’m going to make the burgers now,” I say, standing before she can make any more threats.

“I’ll help.”

“Only if you take off the rest of your clothes.”

“There’s no time, we have to get going home. I have to work in the morning.”

We make dinner together, I barbecue the meat and Eloise makes a Caesar salad.

The ride home is uneventful and fully clothed, though an hour in a truck with Eloise is fun enough as it is.

“I can’t stay over tonight, I have work in the morning and I need some things from my apartment.”

“Your car’s at my place so I can’t drop you off at home.”

We pull into my property. There’s a truck parked out front, but I don’t think anything about it, it’s not unusual for people to use my parking spaces. I steer the truck alongside the tattoo parlor and park it beside Eloise’s car.

She hops out of the truck, and I rush out and pull her into my arms. I squeeze her in a massive bear hug, not wanting to ever let her go.

“You fucking asshole!” a man yells.

I spin around. Marshall is storming toward me, his fists clenched.

“Oh my God,” Eloise says.

“Whoa, what are you doing here?” I demand, placing my body between Marshall and Eloise.

“What were you doing sending me that bitch?”

“What the fuck are you talking about?”

Eloise grabs hold of my arms, her fingernails digging into me.

“Kaylee.”

Marshall reaches the back of my truck and stops. His nose flares as he breathes and his fists are clenched.

“Get the fuck out of here, Marshall. You know you’re not allowed to be here.”

“What’s the matter? Don’t want to fight in front of your new pussy because she doesn’t know what you’re really like?”

Eloise gasps at his words. Adrenaline surges through my body, but I have no desire to hit Marshall, only to hold Eloise.

“Calm the fuck down and get out of here. You’re breaking your restraining order.”

“You think I fucking care? I care about my business, and you tried to sabotage it.”

“Give me a break, I didn’t try to sabotage your business. You suck, there’s no need for me to do any sabotaging.”

Ordinarily by now I’d have broken his nose, but just having Eloise beside me relaxes me. I only wish she was just as relaxed.

“Then what the fuck was Kaylee?” he barks.

“A bitch who isn’t my problem anymore.”

“Well she’s my problem because of you.”

“I didn’t make you hire her.”

“You didn’t warn me about her.”

“So you should’ve phoned for a reference, now fuck off away from here.”

Eloise’s nails dig harder into my skin.

“She stole from a client while he was getting work done, and now he’s threatening to sue me because of her. This is bullshit.”

“Listen,” I say, stepping toward him at my full height. “Kaylee has nothing to do with me. Leave now before I…” Eloise whimpers and I decide not to threaten to cave his face in. “Before we phone the police and tell them you’re breaking the restraining order. Get your phone out, Jewel, and get ready to dial 911.”

“Cocksucker, you’re the one with the restraining order on you,” Marshall grumbles and turns away. He disappears around the corner of the building. I’m amazed how easily it was to get rid of him.

I spin around, intending to hold Eloise but she’s standing with her arms crossed over her chest, hugging herself.

“Don’t worry about him,” I say.

“Who was that? What’s going on with Kaylee? What did you mean a restraining order?”

“Come inside, I’ll tell you the story.”

“I don’t know that I want to. Do you have a restraining order on you?”

I exhale sharply and shake my head. “It’s a long story.”

“I’m listening.”

“Come inside, I will make you a drink.”

“I don’t want to drink, I want an explanation. That guy was crazy.”

“Exactly. He’s a crazy motherfucker who’s being a pain in my ass since I moved back here.”

Her eyes search mine, and I remain motionless. It must be a shock for her, she’s probably never even witnessed anything like that before.

“I thought you were going to hit him. I didn’t know you were like that. Right now I’m wondering who the real you is.”

“The real me is the guy who was at the house.”

Our eyes lock, and her chest heaves with her breath. She throws her arms up, and lets them fall back down.

“Fine, let’s go inside but you have to tell me everything.”

“I fired Kaylee that morning you first came here because I found out she was stealing from me. That’s why I made her leave immediately,” I say as I unlock the door to my apartment.

“So why was he mad?”

Eloise starts climbing the stairs, and I followed behind her.

“He subsequently hired her. That’s not my problem, he didn’t ask me for a reference.”

“But why didn’t you report her to the police?” She stops mid step, and twists around to face me.

“Let’s sit down first.”

“I don’t care about sitting down, I want answers.”

“And I told you, I will tell you everything but let’s sit down first.” I want her to calm down before I start telling her what she wants to know.

Eloise turns back and runs up the rest of the stairs. I hurry to keep up with her. She flops down on the La-Z-Boy, and crosses her arms in front of her.

I’m disappointed she didn’t sit on the futon. I stand in front of her chair before deciding it’s probably not good to tower over her, and I sit on the futon.

“When I moved here and opened my parlor, Marshall was pissed off he’d have more competition and so he smashed the windows in the front of my parlor. That’s why I have a restraining order against him.”

“But why does he have a restraining order on you?”

“Because when he was smashing the glass I was here, and I went down and confronted him.”

“You beat him up?”

“Yeah, but not until after he threw the first punch.”

“I don’t understand. There are more tattoo parlors in Rochester than just you two, why did he attack yours?”

“Because I was new. He was trying to scare me from opening. He’s a psycho.”

“And that’s why you didn’t tell him about Kaylee?”

I shrug. “He’s got a restraining order on me, I’m not allowed to contact him.”

“Plus you don’t care.”

“That too.”

“I still don’t understand why you didn’t tell the police about Kaylee. She broke the law. She stole from innocent people. You have an obligation to tell the police.”

“It’s not that easy. I hate her, I’d love to see her arrested. But she’s a single mom. I’m not going to be the one responsible for taking her son’s mother away. Kids need their parents.”

Eloise’s jaw softens, and she stands.

“Is that really the reason?” she asks, her voice soft.

I stand, and wrap my arms around her. “It is.”

“You really are the man from the lake house.”

“I am. I wish you hadn’t doubted me.” Why did she doubt me? I thought she could see who I am.

“It was the shock of that man coming here and yelling at us. Sorry.”

I lean over and press my lips against hers. I close my eyes, soothed by her. Eloise. The only person who’s ever been able to comfort me. Everything with us is perfect, I just have to get through the dinner with her parents.

31. Eloise

“I’m glad you stayed over last night,” Gabe says and kisses my cheek.

“You’re very persuasive.”

I knew I wouldn’t be able to leave if I came inside last night, but after Marshall’s screaming fit, I had to have an explanation. At least now I know the real reason Kaylee left.

Gabe is a kind man for not reporting her. Losing his own mother was hard for him. It’s easy to see all the ways it’s influenced his life.

“See you tonight,” Gabe says, and opens the door of my car.

“Bye.”

He shuts the door and I realize how painful the next nine hours are going to be because he won’t be with me. I can’t wait until I can move my days off, but I have to get all my existing appointments moved first.

Before I know it, I’m pulling into the parking lot. I drove all the way to work on autopilot, my mind too busy thinking about how amazing the weekend was.

I’ve never felt this way about anyone before. Every second I spend with Gabe makes me care about him more and more. There’s no denying, I am completely and utterly in love with him.

And I’m glad I am.

I can’t wait to introduce him to my family. They are going to love him as much as I do, I know they will.

“Morning, Eloise,” Marcy says the second I set foot through the door.

“Morning.”

“Did you tell your parents? Or did you leave it for me to do?”

With a fake smile plastered across my face, I say, “I told them all right.”

“And?”

“And they’re letting me change my days off to his, and invited him to dinner on Saturday.”

“They know about what you did in your room?”

“Why do you think they moved my days off?”

“Well, it doesn’t matter to me because I gave my two weeks’ notice this morning anyway.”

“Good for you.”

“Yeah, I can’t work in such a place any longer.”

“Which is good, because I can’t handle you working here any longer either.”

I walk away, proud my cheeks didn’t even go a little bit pink.

All week, I stay at Gabe’s. I don’t think I could sleep without him holding me in bed at night.

It’s Saturday and I’m at my apartment. Gabe worked and I spent the day doing laundry and reading. Now I’m waiting for him to pick me up for dinner at my parents.

There’s a knock at the door, and I open it.

“Hi,” I say, wrapping my arms around his neck.

He runs his hand down my back and over my butt, leaving a trail of sparks from his touch.

“We should stay here and get naked.”

“There is plenty of time for that later,” I say, pulling away. “Let’s get going. I can’t wait for you to meet my family, you’re going to love them.”

Gabe’s shoulders drop, as do the corners of his mouth. He looks like a condemned man, but he has nothing to worry about, he’ll realize that when he gets there.

Other than when I give him directions, we drive in silence. His hand moves nonstop on the center console, jiggling with nerves. I suppose it’s normal to be nervous about meeting your girlfriend’s family for the first time.

We pull into the driveway and I hop out of the truck. Gabe stays seated behind the wheel, his door closed. I move around the truck, and open his door.

“Come on,” I say, tugging as his hand.

Gabe sighs loudly, and gets out of the truck. I lace my fingers through his and lead him to the front door.

As soon as we reach the doormat, Sophie flings open the door.

“Hey,” she says. “Come on in, Gabe.” Sophie grabs both our hands and pulls us through the door.

“You remember my sister, Sophie, from our first date,” I say to Gabe.

Gabe nods at her.

“Let’s shoot some stick, I hear you’re good at it, but I bet I’m better.” Sophie drags us down the hallway.

“Where are Mom and Dad?”

“In the kitchen, cooking. They said they’d call us when dinner was ready.”

My brow knits. That’s not like them. They always at least say hello to a new guest.

“The table’s all set up,” Sophie says, handing Gabe a cue.

She breaks, a light tap that only separates three of the balls. It’s her style, she means business with the serious competition break.

Gabe leans over and blasts the white ball at the cluster of unbroken balls. They roll and spin around the table, bouncing off the bumpers and each other. Two solids sink. The three of us stand in silence, watching the balls rolling across the table. It seems to go on forever.

Finally the last ball comes to a standstill, and Gabe takes another shot, sinking another solid.

Sophie stands beside me and leans close to my ear. In a low voice, she says, “He’s quiet. Does he talk?”

“Of course.”

“At least we can enjoy the view when he’s bending over the table.”

Gabe looks back over his shoulder and smirks. I can’t resist the view any longer. I move to him and squeeze his butt.

“Hey, we’re not here to re-create your first time at a pool table together,” Sophie says, laughing.

“We could if you left,” I say, surprised at myself for not being embarrassed. I guess being with the two people I care most about relaxes me.

Gabe beats Sophie and the two of us play next. I’m ahead by two balls when my father calls us for dinner.

“This game isn’t over, we’re finishing it after dinner,” I say.

Gabe still hasn’t said much since we got here, and ignores the comment.

“Finally, I’m starving,” Sophie says and leaves the room.

“Let’s go,” I say, and run my hand across his back.

His heart is pounding, and my hand flinches in surprise. Gabe turns away from me. He moves to the door and stops. I assume he’s waiting for me to lead the way, and I hurry to him.

I take his hand to lead him to the dining room, and I wonder if I’m imagining his palm being sweaty.

Sophie is sitting at the end of the table instead of her usual spot. I guess so Gabe and I can sit beside each other. Neither of my parents is in sight.

“Have a seat,” I say, “I’m going to see if Mom and Dad need any help.”

I turn to go to the kitchen, and my dad appears holding a bowl of salad.

“Dad, finally. I’d like you to meet Gabe.”

Gabe stands, and my father places the salad on the table. Gabe sticks out his tattoo-covered right hand and my dad takes it.

“Welcome,” my dad says. Gabe nods, and sits back down.

A few seconds later, my mother walks through the doorway. She’s wearing oven mitts and carrying a hot casserole dish.

“Gabe, nice to see you,” my mother says, her eyes flicking between Gabe and my dad.

Gabe smiles and nods but says nothing. I sit down in the chair beside him, and run my hand over his thigh. He shifts in his seat, his feet fidgeting on the floor.

My mother spoons some of the beef casserole onto Gabe’s plate.

“Would you like more?” she asks.

“That’s enough,” Gabe says.

She scoops some casserole onto my plate and then onto Sophie’s. She carries on around the table and dishes out the casserole onto my father’s plate and hers. She repeats the entire process with the bowl of salad. Everyone sits in silence, watching her hands work.

Gabe’s knee bounces up and down, and I’m angry at my parents for not making him feel more welcome. It’s not like them, and I wonder if it’s because of all his tattoos.

Finally, my mother sits down and quietly says, “Let’s eat.”

I leave my hand on Gabe’s thigh, and pick up my fork. Sophie and my father start eating. Gabe doesn’t touch his fork. Neither does my mother. The food smells delicious, but the tension makes me lose my appetite.

“This is delicious,” Sophie says.

“It is. One of your best, Miranda,” my dad says, patting my mom’s shoulder.

Sophie and my dad chat as they eat, but I can’t follow the conversation. All I can do is look between Gabe and my mother and wonder why they aren’t eating. At least they’ve both picked up their forks, but I haven’t seen either take a bite.

“Gabe’s a great pool player, you guys should play doubles after dinner,” Sophie says to the table.

“Great idea,” I say, thankful Sophie has found a way to break the tension.

“Oh, I have to do the dishes,” my mother says.

“I’ll do them,” Sophie says.

My mother takes her first bite of food.

Gabe’s knee bounces faster. I give Gabe’s thigh a reassuring squeeze. I know everything will be okay once he gets to know my parents.

Gabe pushes his plate away, and says, “I can’t do this.”

32. Eloise

My heart is in my throat. Why did he say that?

“I’m sorry, Eloise. I tried, I really did, but I can’t do this,” Gabe says as he stands.

“Gabe, please,” my dad says.

“It’s okay, it is. I promise,” I say, standing. “You just have to get to know them, is all.”

“Know them? They’re acting like they don’t know who I am.” Gabe’s voice is forceful, and I sink back into the chair, confused.

“You know them?” I ask.

Gabe turns to my mother, his eyes boring into her skull.

“I can’t believe you. I come to your house and you avoid me. I sit down and you pretend like I’m a stranger and that nothing ever happened,” he spits.

“What’s going on?” I ask.

“You think this isn’t hard for me?” my mother says, her voice quiet.

“Would someone tell me what is going on?” I ask, louder.

“Eloise, I wanted this to work. I really do, but your family is too important to you. You said so yourself. You can’t have a relationship with someone without them being involved with your family and I tried, but there’s no way this is going to work. I can’t walk in here and pretend everything’s okay when your mother is the reason my own mother is dead.”

Gabe takes my hand, and I scramble to get away from my chair. Tears form in my eyes and my body feels like it is crushed under a thousand pounds of cement.

He leads me to the front door, and I force my feet to move to keep up. My knees threaten to buckle with each step, and my mind is racing so fast I can barely concentrate on where I’m going.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” I ask through my tears.

“I didn’t want you to feel bad. I was hoping I could pretend the past never happened, but I can’t. You’re wonderful and amazing, and you’re lucky to have a family who love you. That’s the most important thing in the world. I know, I used to have the same thing. But as much as I want to, I can’t see a future for us. I can’t deal with your parents, and you need them in your life. There’s no way around it.”

I wipe the tears from my eyes, desperate to see him clearly.

“Let’s go,” I say. I want to go with him, to clear our heads and figure out something.

Gabe shakes his head. “No, it’s better if I just go. We had a good time, let’s leave it at that.”

My body heaves with sobs as he opens the door.

“Don’t go.”

He lets go of the door, and my heart flutters with hope. Gabe draws me into him, and I let my body melt against him.

In a low voice, he says, “I’ve loved you since I was a little kid. I will always love you, but this isn’t meant to be.”

“Nothing’s ever felt so right,” I say, my voice pleading.

“It doesn’t matter how right it felt, it’s impossible. I refuse to ask you to give up your family and I can’t be near them without remembering how I don’t have a family because of them.”

“But…” I start but Gabe lets go of me and rushes out the door.

My legs collapse and I slump against the floor.

“Honey,” my mother says, crouching beside me.

“Why did he say those things? Why didn’t you tell me that you knew him? Why does he think his mom died because of you?” I begin to wail.

“Because she did,” my mother says softly.

A great welling of rage balls up in my stomach, and I erupt. “And you never felt the need to tell me that?”

“I missed the cancer.” My mother carries on talking but I don’t hear anything she says.

All I can think about is Gabe. He left. He left me and doesn’t want to see me again.

Can that be real? Did that really happen?

I push myself to my feet and open the door to leave. I step over the threshold and realize my car isn’t here. My heart sinks again, and I turn and, in a trance, walk to my childhood bedroom.

Slamming the door behind me, I collapse on the bed and pull the pillow over my head.

My body physically aches for Gabe. I’m desperate for his embrace, but all I can do is cry until my tears are drained.

There’s a light tap at the door, and it opens.

“I brought you your phone,” Sophie says gently.

I can’t move or say anything, but a sigh leaves my body. Sophie sets the phone beside me on the bed. She strokes my arm, and fresh tears fall from my eyes.

“I want to go home.”

“You are home.”

“But I want my own home. I want to be at Gabe’s home.”

“Honey, this will always be your real home.”

“Why didn’t he tell me about Mom? Why didn’t Mom tell me about his mom?” I ask, the anger fueling me enough to sit up.

“I don’t know. It sucks. Possibly because of patient confidentiality? Or maybe she thought she would never have to tell you.”

“He’s right, you guys are so important to me. How can I have a relationship with anyone who isn’t a part of my family?”

“At least he tried for you, he did his best and that’s something. But if he’s decided he can’t be around Mom then there’s nothing much you can do.”

Sophie pulls me into her arms and rubs my back. I let her comfort me. She’s right, this is my home. I can’t live without my family. But I also feel like I can’t live without Gabe. I could never choose between them. I guess that’s why Gabe chose for me.

I spend the next three days in my childhood bed, with Sophie waiting on me hand and foot. I started out texting Gabe every hour but he never replied. Now I’m trying to accept the situation, and I’ve only texted him once today.

My parents have poked their heads in the door and asked how I’m doing but they’re otherwise staying away from me. I don’t know why, I suppose they feel guilty. I hope they feel bad for not telling me. Maybe things would’ve turned out differently. If I’d known, I would’ve brought him for coffee, not dinner. Everything would’ve been in the open, and maybe we all could’ve talked our way through this.

Right now I’m struggling to think of a reason to ever get out of bed again. I just want to hide in my family’s home. Forever.

I’m flicking through the pages on my Kindle, unable to concentrate on the words, when my mother comes in the room.

“How are you doing?” she asks, sitting on the bed beside me.

“Awful.”

“I guess that was a pretty big shock. You didn’t expect dinner to end the way it did.”

“You could say that. I can’t believe no one told me what was going on.”

“When you told me you were seeing him, I didn’t know what to do. I’ve spent the last fifteen years trying to come to terms with what happened to Rose Irwin.”

“Her name was Rose?” I ask, envisioning all the rose tattoos on Gabe’s chest.

“Yes. Why?”

“It explains all his rose tattoos.”

Her body tenses, and my mother looks like she’s going to say something. Instead a silence falls between us.

“I miss him,” I say and exhale sharply.

“I know you do, sweetie. He obviously meant a lot to you.”

“Means,” I correct her. “He means a lot to me, he always will. How am I supposed to go on? I know he loves me, he told me he loves me. But he said he’d never pull a child away from their parents, and that includes me.”

33. Gabe

My swollen knuckles are killing me, and I relax the grip on the tattoo gun. I spent the last five days pummeling the shit out of my punching bag.

I’d canceled all my appointments on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. It’s Friday today, and I figured I could use the distraction of working.

It’s the end of the day. There have been a few slips and mistakes but nothing I couldn’t cover up. Plus I haven’t exactly been gentle with the needle. There’s some satisfaction making grown men wince with pain.

“You’re done for today. You’ll have to make another appointment to finish off this spider,” I tell the burly guy in my chair.

“I thought you said it would be done today.”

“Look at this,” I say, holding up my battered right hand.

“Fuck, man. You been fighting?”

“Only myself.”

“Idiot.”

“Pretty much. Hey, Ryan, can you tell this guy about aftercare for what he’s had done today and book him in to get the rest done.”

“Sure, man,” Ryan says.

I stand and move through the door to our private staff area. There’s still some coffee in the pot and I pour it into my mug from this morning.

It’s lukewarm and bitter, but I chuck it down my throat anyway.

Both of my hands are stiff and painful. While I’ve been punching, I’ve been thinking of my left hand as the pain of Eloise and my right hand as the pain of my mother.

But I realized there’s only one root cause of all the pain, and that’s Eloise’s mother, Miranda.

It doesn’t seem to matter that it’s been fifteen years, my mom’s death seems to bubble along just under my surface. And seeing Eloise’s parents brought it bursting through the barrier. Now it seems like her death is fresh all over again.

It was stupid to go there and see them. I thought I could do it for Eloise. I wanted to do anything for Eloise, but the pain was too raw. And now I have the raw pain of losing Eloise on top of it.

No one has ever made me feel the way she does, and I know no one else will ever make me feel that way. When I’m with her, the pain of life fades into the background.

“Hey, where are you going? You can’t go back there,” Ryan shouts.

Eloise’s mother storms into the staff area. Her hair is half tied back and her clothes are disheveled.

“Gabe, I’m so glad I finally found you. We need to talk,” Miranda says.

“No, we don’t. Get the fuck out,” I say, slamming my mug onto the counter.

“For Eloise’s sake.”

“The best thing for Eloise is a clean break.”

“No, it isn’t, she’s been a wreck all week. She hasn’t even been able to leave my house.”

“Good, she needs her family.” I turn my back on her, wanting her to leave.

“What she needs is you.”

My throat tightens as I picture how upset Eloise was when I left her. Doing that to her crushed me. The last thing I want is to cause Eloise any pain. But I had no choice.

“Too bad she has you for a mother, now you’re responsible for causing us both a lot of pain.” I turn back to her, my eyes fierce.

“I’ll never forgive myself for missing your mother’s cervical cancer.”

“Good, I’ll never forgive you either,” I say, my voice harsh.

“She wasn’t just another patient, you know.”

“I know. She was my mom.”

“And she was a mother with two young kids in each of my own children’s classes. When you and Eloise were small, we used to help out on the PTA together. We were friends.” Miranda swallows and continues. “Losing her broke my heart.”

“Then you should’ve caught the cancer.”

“She came in complaining about back pain. When someone comes in with back pain your brain doesn’t exactly jump to a cervical cancer diagnosis.”

I close my eyes and remember my mom’s smile.

“She had other symptoms,” I say flatly.

“But she didn’t tell me about them right away. She was too embarrassed to talk about the symptoms that might’ve saved her life. Trust me, when I did start to suspect something else, I had a hard enough time convincing her to get a Pap smear.” Her eyes and voice plead with me, but all I feel is rage.

“Stop blaming her,” I say, my teeth gritted.

“I’m not,” she says, shaking her head. “I’ve spun this around over and over in my head, and I realized that some situations are simply tragic and we have to accept that.”

“I don’t have to accept a damned thing.” My hand whacks against the cupboards, sending a shot of pain through my swollen hand.

“You do if you want to find happiness. Because if Eloise really does make you feel the way you make her feel, you owe it to your mother to embrace that. She and your father were so much in love, and she’d want you to have the same thing. I know she would.” She wipes a stray tear from her eye.

I don’t say anything as I digest her words. I hadn’t considered what my mom would want, but I’m sure she’d want me to have what she had before everything fell apart.

“Leave.” I spit the word at her.

“Can I show you something first?” she asks, yanking down the collar of her shirt.

A small tattoo of a rose sits on top of her heart. I’m shocked. She definitely doesn’t seem like the type of woman to have a tattoo on her breast. Getting it must’ve been an extreme action for her.

“I will never forget her, and here’s your proof. You don’t have to like me or care about me, or even hate me, but please don’t let the pain of this mistake I made so long ago carry on to my child.”

“It’s not my fault, it’s yours,” I say, my voice softening.

“I’ve done everything I can to ease the pain over losing Rose the way we did. I even donated half my income that year to the trust fund I set up, and convinced most of the other parents at school to make donations.”

“What are you talking about? What trust fund?”

“The one for you and your sister that you each got when you turned twenty-five.”

“You set that up? I thought that was insurance.”

“Insurance? No, didn’t they tell you?”

“My father hasn’t been in my life for a hell of a long time. My aunt didn’t know what it was. She said it must be insurance.”

“And the lawyers? Forget it, it doesn’t matter. What matters is you and Eloise. You both deserve each other, you both want each other. And both of your mothers want you to have each other, and to be happy together.”

She reaches out her hand to me, clasps my hand for a brief moment. I refuse to meet her eyes, and she turns and hurries out of the room.

My mind is racing. The trust fund was how I was able to buy Incredible Ink. Miranda seems genuine. And the rose tattoo proves what she’s saying.

But does it matter how sorry she is? If Eloise and I were together, I’d have to see Miranda and I can’t see how I could ever do that.

How could I tie myself to the doctor who missed my mother’s cancer diagnosis? For the rest of my life I’d have to have her in my life.

But I love Eloise.

I don’t know what to think.

34. Eloise

I’m sitting on the perfect couch in my parents’ living room. My Kindle is on the couch beside me. Reading about people falling in love doesn’t help when you’ve had your heart ripped out. It’s Saturday, and it’s been exactly a week since Gabe left. My heart aches like he left this morning.

I still send him a text message every morning, telling him how much I miss him but he’s never replied.

Sophie went to my apartment yesterday and brought my car here to my parents’ house for me. But I still haven’t worked up the energy or desire to go outside, or go back to my apartment. And I definitely haven’t found the willpower to go to work.

Both of my parents have been super supportive, and haven’t pressured me to go to work at all.

My mom told me the whole story about Gabe’s mom and even showed me the rose tattoo I never knew she had. I wish one of them had told me about it before the dinner, but I’m past being angry at either of them now.

It doesn’t even seem like my mother was totally responsible for Gabe’s mom’s death. I mean, she couldn’t do much if she didn’t know all the symptoms. I don’t know why they both insist on blaming her. She must stop blaming herself.

My hands fidget with the folds of my skirt. Even though Sophie tried her best to get me to do something to take my mind off things, I haven’t been outside in a week.

But now, at almost 165 hours since I last saw Gabe, I feel the overwhelming need for fresh air.

“I’m going for a drive,” I call out.

Both my father and Sophie are home but I don’t know if either of them hears me.

I grab my car keys from the floral plate beside the front door and leave the house. It’s late afternoon but the warmth from the sun beams on my face, and I pause to enjoy the feeling before I get in my Ford Focus.

Pulling the car from the driveway, I realize I have nowhere to go. I could go to my apartment, but it’s empty and hollow without anyone there.

Instead, I open the window and drive aimlessly around the city. Before I know it, I’m near Incredible Ink. A glance at the dashboard clock shows me they’re still open for another ten or fifteen minutes.

I drive past, craning my head at it. My heart pounds in my chest. There’s a car in the parking lot but I don’t recognize it. Why would I, they have lots of customers.

Somehow I’ve turned the car around, and am driving past it in the other direction. My body trembles just knowing how close I am to Gabe.

I can’t help myself. This time I knowingly turn the car around and pull straight into the parking lot.

I’m shaking more than I was the first time I came here but I have to see him.

I have to.

After turning off the car, I sit for a second and look at the Incredible Ink sign. I don’t know what comes over me, either the memory of the first time I came here or wishful thinking on my part, but I slip off my panties and drop them on the floor in the passenger seat footwell.

My breathing is rapid and I try to calm it.

Gabe probably won’t even want to see me, but if I can just get him to talk to me, we can work something out. Even if that something is only meaningless sex.

His partner, Ryan, appears at the doorway, and looks like he’s locking the door. Adrenaline courses through me, and I jump out of the car.

Running to the door, I yank on the handle, but it’s locked. With both my fists, I bang on the door.

Through the glass, I can see both Gabe and Ryan standing near the entrance to the back room. They look in my direction, and look away again, saying something to each other.

Ryan walks toward the door and says, “We’re closed.”

I don’t see him, my eyes are fixed on Gabe. He’s turned sideways to me, his head angled down at the floor.

“Look at me,” I yell.

Ryan’s at the door now, and says, “He wants you leave.”

“I’m not leaving,” I yell as loud as I can.

Gabe’s shoulders hunch more, but his feet stay firm.

“Let me in,” I scream, losing all control of my voice.

“I’m outta here,” Ryan says, and walks to the back room. I hope he’s leaving through the back exit.

Gabe jams his hands into his hair. My heart is racing but I won’t stop now. Just seeing him has ignited me.

I pound on the door again. Gabe drops his hands to his sides and slowly walks to the door. As he nears, his face becomes clear. His normal bright eyes are dull, and his jaw is tight.

He rests his fingers on the door handle.

“What are you doing here?” he asks through the window without looking at me.

“I want a tattoo,” I blurt without thinking.

He sighs, and says, “We’re closed.”

“So what? I know you do after-hours clients.”

Our eyes meet, and a shock of sorrow hits me. I raise my hand, and press it against the glass. He’s so close, but I can’t touch him. My eyes plead with him to open the door.

“You don’t want a tattoo, Eloise.”

“I do. I want one of those flowers, like you drew on me. How else am I supposed to deal with this? At least that way I’ll always have part of you with me.”

Gabe shakes his head.

“I’ll go to Hell in a Needle if I have to,” I say desperately.

“No, you won’t.”

“Try me.”

He sighs, unlocks the door, and opens it.

“Don’t do that,” he says, standing in the doorway.

I duck under his arm, and march straight to the chair and his station. I sit in the chair and force myself to breathe. Gabe locks the door and drags his feet over the floor as he walks to me.

As he reaches me, I pull up my skirt.

“I want it right here,” I say, tracing my finger along my thigh.

Gabe sighs, and sits on his stool. His hands rest on his thighs, and I realize how red and swollen they are. His eyes follow mine.

“Do you want me to look at them? I can make them feel better.”

“No, they’re fine,” he says, and moves them behind his back. “I only give tattoos to people I definitely know want them. They’re permanent. You have to be sure.”

“I am sure, I’m sure about everything about you.” My voice waivers.

“Eloise, don’t.”

My heart sinks. If he’d only talk about this we could figure out something. I know we could. My mother would support trying different solutions, she told me she would.

“We can work something out,” I say. “I would let you cover my body from head to toe if it meant having you in my life. We can have meaningless sex until the end of time if that’s what you need.”

“I said don’t.”

Gabe suddenly stands, and places a hand on either side of my head on the headrest. Butterflies fill my body, and a bundle of nerves sits heavily in my gut. He’s so near, and his scent wraps around me like a hug, even if his arms don’t. I want to wrap my arms and legs around him.

Instead I say, “Let’s talk about it.”

“I don’t want to talk about it now.”

He leans into me, and crushes his mouth against mine.

35. Gabe

When Eloise turned up, I fought to do what my brain was telling me to do. I tried to keep this simple for her, and not complicate her life with a man who will never be a big part of her family.

But the longer I looked at her, the less I was able to resist her.

I hadn’t planned on things happening this way. But now that her lips are on mine, I can taste how right she is.

Since the talk with her mother yesterday, I’ve been doing a lot of thinking. My mother would want me to be happy, and Eloise is the only person who’s ever made me feel anything even close to happy.

Maybe her mother’s right, maybe there was no way for her to suspect cancer. She seemed genuine. That still doesn’t mean I want to hang out with her.

I pull Eloise out of the chair, and hold her tight against me. The tension and anger I’ve been carrying around all week vanish with her in my arms. Even the grief gets buried under the happiness.

Our tongues twirl as our kiss deepens. My dick aches to be in her, and strains against my shorts.

Seeing her on the other side of the glass confirmed everything I felt about her. Part of me thought she looked too good for a man like me, but the second she walked in the door I realized she’s all mine. We belong together.

We always have.

But I don’t want to think about any of that right now. I only want to think of Eloise, naked and screaming my name as I make her come.

“Mark me, please. I am yours, I will forever be yours,” Eloise says, her breath tickling my neck.

“I’m not inking you until I know for sure that it’s what you want.”

“It is what I want.”

“Don’t worry, I know exactly what I’m going to do to you. But that has to wait, I need one last taste.”

“What do you mean last?” she says, pulling away, her eyes wide with worry.

I pick her up by the waist and she squeals. I set her on the padded table I use when people have to lay down to get their tattoos. Her hands tug at the bottom of my T-shirt, and I pull it over my head.

“God, I missed this body,” she says, running her hands over my muscles.

“Not as much as this body’s missed you,” I say, and push her hand against my rock-hard cock.

She moans, and slips her hand under the waistband of my shorts. Wrapping her fingers around my shaft, she starts stroking me. I throw back my head, and let the tingles rush over me.

I push my shorts and boxers down, and kick them off my feet. Eloise half moans and half laughs as she pushes her body off the table and sinks to her knees.

Just like on our first night in the park, she surprises me by her action, but I’m not complaining. She lightly cups my balls and licks up my shaft. When she reaches the tip, she closes her mouth over the head and runs her tongue around the ridge.

Eloise sucks my cock deep into her mouth, and I swear I’m halfway down her throat.

I grab onto the table to steady myself. She’s too good. She makes me feel too good.

“Enough, or I’ll blow,” I say, pulling her up by her armpits.

All four of our hands wrestle her top off, and I undo her bra. Her nipples are pearled, and I flick them with my tongue. I run my hands over her curves, and lift her back onto the table.

My dick is screaming at me to fuck her, to claim her as mine forever. But I want to take my time. I want to taste her while I still can.

My lips lock on hers again, and she whimpers under the intensity.

Eloise’s perched on the edge of the table, her knees apart. I push my body as close to her as I can. My hands run up her soft thighs, and push her skirt up as far as I can.

The pinky finger of my right hand brushes against her lips, and is immediately coated from her slick mound.

I break the kiss, and say, “You’re not wearing any panties.”

“I guess I forgot to put them on this morning.”

“You bad girl,” I say and grind my cock against her.

“I’m your bad girl.”

“I know,” I say chuckling, and pick her up.

She wraps her legs around my waist and holds onto my shoulders. Her skirt falls between us and I back into the barber-style chair, bringing Eloise with me. She straddles me, and I grab the hem of the skirt, and pull it out from in between us.

Her mound is drenched and all the blood in my body rushes to my dick. With my hands, I circle her body on me, coating myself in her wetness.

Lifting her a little, I place my tip at her entrance.

Our eyes meet, and I hold her gaze as she lowers herself onto me. Her slick walls, hugging me tight, are the best fucking thing I’ve ever felt.

I cup the back of her head, and pull her close to me.

In a low voice, I say, “Let’s go upstairs.”

“Maybe I like it here. I want to be your bad girl right now.” Her voice is breathy, and makes my dick throb.

“Then ride me, the way you did at the lake house. I want to watch you on me. I want to see how you’re mine.”

“I am yours, but you have to be mine too.”

Eloise raises her arms, laces her fingers together behind her head and grinds herself on my cock. My eyes rake over her as she moves, her tits bouncing and her hands tousling her loose hair.

My dick has never been so fucking happy. Neither has my soul.

Eloise will be in my life forever, whatever it takes. Even if it means seeing her mother every day. I can’t be without her.

I sink deeper into the chair, shudders and tingles coat my skin. My cock throbs in her tight pussy. My sack draws tight against me, my balls are about to explode.

Fuck.

Not without tasting her pussy. One last taste to last me six months.

Wrapping my arms around her, I stand. My dick is still inside her, and she writhes on my cock. She’s making it very hard to do what I have to do.

I pull her off me, and lay her on the table.

“I was about to come. Why did you make me stop?” she moans.

“So was I. But I need to lick you.”

“I want you in me.”

Ignoring her, I push her back on the table and dive my head between her legs. Without bothering to kiss her thighs, I push my tongue through her folds and dip it into her entrance.

Her juices coat my tongue with the sweetest taste in the world. I close my eyes and focus on remembering it.

“Gabe,” Eloise moans.

She grinds herself against my face, covering me in her slickness as she comes. I don’t stop, I keep lapping at her folds.

Meshing her hands in my hair, she lifts her ass and moans. I ram my finger into her, and her walls clamp around it. She lets out a high-pitched scream as she comes again. My tongue doesn’t stop.

I could do this all day long.

After she calms, she says, “Oh my God, what are you doing to me?”

Lifting my head, I say, “I have to enjoy this, after I pierce you I won’t be able to lick you without a barrier until you’re healed.”

Eloise jolts up.

“You’re piercing me?”

36. Eloise

Waves are still crashing over me, making it difficult to think straight.

“You first came here for a piercing, didn’t you?” Gabe asks.

He slides my body further up the table, and moves his body over mine.

“Yeah, the first time I came here,” I say, giggling.

“Better late than never.”

“You think I still need to be pierced?”

A piercing might be the reason I found Gabe in the first place, but that was out of desperation to have an orgasm. Now that I found Gabe, orgasms are no longer an issue. He barely has to touch me and I quiver.

“Your pussy will look really fucking tasty with a pretty blue jewel on it.”

“I got the impression you didn’t want me to get one.”

Gabe laughs, and moves his body over mine. He pushes his throbbing dick against my mound.

“No, I wanted you to know I could make you come without one. I needed to know you were mine before I decorated you.”

“Well, you made that pretty clear.”

He nips my neck and growls, “I’m going to flick that ring, and I’ll be beating on your clit from front and back. Your head will explode.”

“I don’t think it can get more intense.”

“Only one way to find out.”

I laugh, and say, “I would love for you to pierce me.”

“Think of it as a promise ring. It’s my promise to never hurt you again.”

I moan in delight at the idea of having Gabe’s mark. It would be our little secret.

Although I still want him to tattoo me, but that can wait.

Right now I’m happy with a piercing. I’d be happy with anything Gabe did to me.

Gabe spreads my lips with his fingers and drives his hard dick into me. My walls adjust to his size, and he begins pumping into me.

My body sparks and sizzles everywhere our skin touches. A volcano of heat wells between my legs, threatening to overwhelm me. I don’t want to cry again, it’s embarrassing but the feelings are so intense.

I claw at his back, and my legs stick up, tensed, into the air.

He moves faster and faster, grunting as he drives into me. Small spasms move across my walls, and every muscle in my body tenses, and I struggle to breathe. He lets out a long grunt, and buries himself deep within me.

A tidal wave rips through me, and all the tension in my body is washed away.

“Gabe,” I scream.

The deafening sound echoes around the room. My legs buck and kick as the orgasm rips through me. His dick throbs against my walls, seemingly making the waves stronger.

I’ve never felt anything so powerful or good or right. I seem to melt into a puddle on the table.

Without moving, Gabe hovers over me, drawing deep breaths of air into his lungs.

Gasping, I say, “We can still have sex without a condom, right?”

“Fuck yes, I wouldn’t even consider it if we couldn’t.”

Squeezing him tight, I realize how lucky I am for noticing that headline on the magazine cover. I can’t imagine living the rest of my life without Gabe. And not just because of the way he makes my body feel.

I’ve never had as much fun with anyone as I have with Gabe, and that includes Sophie.

Maybe the reason I love them both so much is because of the way they get me to relax and have fun instead of fretting about doing what I think I’m supposed to be doing.

We lie locked together in each other’s arms, without speaking. I don’t think any words need to be said. At least not right now, but I’m sure we can work things out with my parents.

Gabe kisses my forehead, and pulls out of me. Standing, he grabs his T-shirt from the floor and wipes my pussy.

“Stay there,” he says, and turns away.

The intensity of the orgasm has barely subsided. Staying here isn’t much of a choice. I couldn’t walk away right now if I tried. I close my eyes, and vaguely hear him rummaging around.

A warm, wet cloth wipes my mound, and I open my eyes. Gabe is staring intently at my folds as he cleans me. Next he squirts some kind of solution onto me, and wipes it all around me with a thin cloth.

He exposes my clit to the air, and wipes the cloth over it. The air, the cloth and Gabe’s touch unleashes another set of waves.

“Oh God,” I cry.

“You like that, baby?” he asks, pinching my clit and rolling it between his fingers like he did when we first met.

The entire area is throbbing, and I cry out again.

Gabe concentrates on what he’s doing, and I watch as he works. His fingers pinch around behind my clit, searching for the right spot. He takes some kind of metal clamp from the tray and puts it on the place where his fingers were pinching.

“You’re doing it now?”

For some reason, I didn’t realize he meant piercing me right now. I thought maybe in a couple of hours, or even tomorrow.

“Yes now, while your taste is still fresh. Otherwise I’m just going to have to keep licking you. Besides, the sooner we do it, the sooner you start healing and the sooner I can taste you again.”

Holding the clamp in place, he takes a long needle from the tray. I can’t watch any longer, and turn my head to the wall.

Without saying anything, he pushes the needle through me. Surprisingly, I don’t flinch or make any sound. I barely notice any pain. I keep my eyes on the wall but can feel him doing something down there. I suppose putting on the jeweled hoop.

“Beautiful,” he says, and tosses the items back into the tray. “Want to see?”

He holds up a mirror, and angles it between my legs.

“Of course,” I say, and look at the mirror.

The ring rests against my skin, the pretty blue jewel sparkling in the light.

“I love it,” I say, beaming at Gabe.

And I do love it. It’s fun, naughty and Gabe’s. I love everything it represents.

37. Gabe

“Are you going to eat that?” I ask, pointing at the last piece of pepperoni pizza.

“It’s all yours,” Eloise says, and takes a sip of her Diet Coke.

After I pierced her, we came upstairs to my apartment. We’ve been laughing and joking around all evening, but we still haven’t talked about her mother.

Neither of us has gone there, I think because things right now are perfect.

“How is it? Does it hurt?” I ask, and pick up the pizza slice.

She shrugs, and says, “Not at all.”

I’ve given her two salt baths already. It kills me, but I got her panties from the car and made her put them on to keep the area clean.

“I think it helped doing it when the area was stimulated, and that it will heal fast because of that,” I say. At least I fucking hope so.

“Are you going to tattoo me in the middle of an orgasm too?”

I chuckle, and say, “I need you to be perfectly still for that.” I pause, and add, “Are you serious about the tattoo?”

“I think so, it’s a permanent way of showing how much I love you.” Eloise slides across the futon and cuddles up against me.

“I am going to make you reflect on that for a few weeks. You realize that once I start coloring on your perfect canvas of a body that I may not be able to stop.” I take a bite of the pizza.

Her eyes widen, and wander over my arms. I hope she realizes how serious I am.

“I’m just glad I happened to walk into your tattoo parlor, and not somewhere like Hell in a Needle.”

“We were meant to be. Did you realize I wouldn’t even have a parlor if it wasn’t for your parents?”

“No, what are you talking about?”

“My mother didn’t have insurance. The money I got when I turned twenty-five was a trust fund your mother set up. From the sounds of it, a lot of the money in it was hers.”

Eloise’s eyebrows squeeze together, and she sets her drink on the coffee table.

“I don’t understand. Why do you think that?”

“Because she told me.”

“Who told you? My mom?”

“Yes, she was here yesterday and told me about how she was my mother’s friend. She showed me her tattoo of a rose. Did you know she has a tattoo?”

“She showed me, but I never knew until yesterday.”

“I bet you never thought your mother was inked,” I say, laughing.

“It was a surprise, but not exactly my biggest surprise in the last week. She didn’t say anything about a trust fund.”

“She set it up after my mother died.”

“She must’ve cared a lot about your mother, as well as you and your sister.”

“It’s something I’ve been debating, did she set it up because she cared or did she set it up to alleviate her guilt?”

Eloise’s shoulders drop, and she leans back in her seat. “Do you really think it’s her fault? Wouldn’t there have been a big lawsuit if she’d been the reason?”

I throw the pizza crust on the table. Was it her fault? I don’t know anymore. I spent the last fifteen years believing it was. It’s what my father and aunt always said. No one said anything about my mother not revealing all her symptoms. I wonder if my father ever knew that.

Why didn’t my mom tell the doctor all her symptoms? Was a bit of embarrassment worth dying over? What if she’d never died, and I got to keep my perfect life in Rochester, with Eloise.

I swallow and stop myself going down that path. God knows I’ve spent enough of the past wondering about the what ifs.

None of it will bring my mother back.

My mother knew I had a crush on Eloise, I only wish she knew we ended up together. She would’ve loved Eloise. My heart grows heavy as all the things my mother never got to know flash through my mind. The biggest of all being the fact that she’ll never know my children, our children. And our children will never get to know their amazing grandmother.

Eloise is looking at me, waiting for an answer. I swallow again, trying to release the tension in my throat.

“Probably,” I mutter. I want to believe it, if nothing else.

Her face softens, and she smiles. “We can make this work, I know my mother really wants to make it work. So do my father and Sophie. We’ve got the three people who love me most in the world rooting for us and willing to do anything for us. Everything is going to be great.”

I shake my head, and say, “They’re not the three people who love you most, I am.”

She giggles, and says, “Okay fine, after you.”

“You know, part of me feels like I owe them, for the money.”

“There’s no way my mother feels like you owe her. Trust me, she definitely feels that she owes you.” Eloise runs her hand over my chest muscles. “Think how lucky you are, not many men have girlfriends whose mother feel as supportive of them as mine does about you.”

“I still don’t want to rush over and have dinner with them again.”

“That’s fine, there’s no rush. We can take as long as we want and figure this out. I don’t have to see them all the time, I work with them, remember. I do need to see Sophie though.”

“Sophie’s cool, I can handle hanging out with her.”

“See, baby steps. I think a lot of your reaction was the uncertainty of how you would feel and how my mother would feel about you. But that’s done now, that’s in the past, the next meeting won’t be like that at all. Especially since you talked to my mother yesterday.”

“I’m still not in a rush to do that again.”

“That’s fine, you don’t have to be. There’s no rush, there’s no pressure at all.”

I wrap my arm around her waist and pull her tight to me, knowing my life is perfect again.

Epilogue

Gabe

One Year Later…

“What about this? Do you want it?” Eloise asks, holding up a tray covered with old papers. Her hair is loose, and hangs around her shoulders.

“Dump,” I say.

“Gone,” she says, and drops it in the cardboard box marked trash.

I’m on my hands and knees in the spare bedroom at the lake house, pulling out boxes from underneath the bed.

“This would have been easier on my knees if we’d gotten rid of the bed first.”

“I’m just glad your sister visited, and took everything she wants so I don’t have to feel bad about throwing stuff away,” she says.

“It’s hard throwing away everything.”

“You should let me do it all, I’m not emotionally attached to any of it.”

“Not even this?” I ask, holding up a drawing of a bunny rabbit I did in grade school.

Eloise smiles, and snatches the drawing from my hand. “We’re keeping this, it’s adorable and perfect to hang on the wall in the nursery. I’m going to get it framed.”

I laugh, and go back to hauling out shit from under the bed. I ignored clearing out this room as long as I could. Everything in it is a time capsule of my life from before my mother died.

I couldn’t face thinking about how wonderful my life was back then when my present life was anything but. But now with Eloise, I can let go and move on. Except I’ve been too busy enjoying Eloise for the past year that I haven’t bothered to clear out the room. We never needed it before now.

We’ve decided that we want to live here full time and commute to Rochester so we can raise our child in our little slice of paradise. Now we have to get the room ready for the baby.

The baby was planned, but we only just found out Eloise is pregnant last week, on her parents’ anniversary.

They say not to tell anyone until three months but we were both so excited that we announced it at her parents’ anniversary dinner.

“I swear this is the hottest Memorial Day weekend ever,” Eloise says, wiping her sweaty forehead with the back of her hand.

“Let’s take a break,” I say, standing.

I walk into the kitchen and grab us two cold beers from the fridge. I pause, put them back and instead take out two bottles of lemonade.

Eloise’s parents were ecstatic when they found out they were going to be grandparents.

They’ve been nothing but understanding and welcoming to me, and I can’t imagine better grandparents for my child to have. It took several months for me to accept the past but we took things slowly, and now I’m honored to be a part of their family.

Miranda seems to have healed as well. It’s like we helped each other accept a tragic situation without blame.

The doorbell rings, and Eloise says, “I’ll get it.”

Carrying the drinks, I walk into the living room. A FedEx man is at the door, and one of the drinks nearly slips out of my hand. There’s only one thing I’m expecting to be sent to this address, or at least hoping will be sent.

“I’ll take it,” I say, pulling the small package from Eloise’s hand.

“Is it the new handle sample for the kitchen cupboards?” she asks, staring at the package, waiting for me to open it.

“It’s nothing,” I say, trying to make her lose interest. “Here’s your drink, let’s go outside and chill out.”

I’m desperate to open the package but I set it on the couch, and herd Eloise outside, into the sunshine.

“Man, it’s hot out here.” She pulls her tank top off, revealing her flimsy bikini top. It looks even more flimsy since her boobs are already bigger from the pregnancy.

Purple lilacs cover her rib cage beside her right breast. As soon as I knew she wanted to be inked, I started designing tattoos for her. I want to drape flowers all down the right side of her body. The flowers and leaves look real, and she’s like a forest princess. It’s my best work.

I can’t resist touching her, and brush my fingers over the lilacs. Eloise tilts her head and smiles coyly.

“I’m going to sit by the lake. Coming?” she asks, swaying her hips as she walks across the lawn.

“In a minute,” I say, thinking of the FedEx package.

I pass her my drink to carry down to the lounge chairs, and turn back to the house. My heart hammers against my chest as I enter the house.

My father is the only person who would ever mail something to this address. Everything normally goes to my tattoo parlor.

I sent him an email a month ago, telling him how I’d moved on with my life and that he should too. He didn’t send an email back. Nothing. Silence, just like he’s been every day since my mother died.

My hands shake as I rip open the package. Inside is a handwritten note, the writing shaky:

Son,

I’m glad to hear things are going well for you. You’re right, you deserve this more than I do. You deserved more than I was ever able to give you. At least I can give you this. I hope it brings you as much happiness as it brought me.

That’s it, there’s no signature, there’s no return address. I still have no idea where he’s living.

A scrunched-up piece of paper is taped to the bottom of the page. I peel it off and unfolded it, knowing what’s inside it.

Dozens of possibilities rush through my mind. In the end I decide I can’t wait any longer.

I rush out of the house and down to the lake. Eloise is stretched out on the lounge chair, the endless lake in front of her.

Without stopping to find the right words, I perch myself on the side of her lounge chair.

“What’s up? Is everything okay? You look weird,” she says.

I try to relax my jaw, and clear my throat.

“Everything is more than okay. Everything is perfect, because you’re in my life.” I slide off the chair, and kneel on the grass beside her. Her hands fly to her mouth. “Eloise Hutchinson, will you marry me?”

I open my hand, and reveal the ring sitting on my palm. My mother’s ring. I didn’t look at it closely in the house, I was too surprised that my father actually sent it to think about anything else. It’s as amazing as I remember it, one big round diamond solitaire on a white gold band.

“Yes,” Eloise cries, flying out of her chair and throwing her arms around me.

I take her hand and slide the ring on her finger. It fits perfectly.

She holds her hand out, admiring the ring.

“That’s what came in the package,” I say.

“Where from?” she asks and gasps, “Oh, is this your mother’s?”

“Yeah,” I say, nodding.

Eloise nestles her head against mine. “It’s beautiful. I feel so honored.”

“I’m the one who’s honored. You came back into my life and made everything good again.”

Holding her chin, I crush my lips against hers. She whimpers, and I lay her down on the grass, and move over her. I trail kisses down her neck and swollen breasts, making my way down her body to give her another mind-blowing orgasm or two. Orgasms that are even stronger with her piercing.

***

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