When I bend over to grab my shoes, a flash of blonde hair catches my eye. There, upside down and facing me is the woman who held me in her arms and kissed away my boo-boos. Her mouth is covered in slutty red lipstick and forms a perfect O. Her eyes are closed as she purrs. She must be leaning over the bench for me to see her face, which means he’s banging her from behind.
I panic. I don’t want to finish the thought. I don’t want to picture Matt butt fucking my mother in a changing room. I make a strangled sound and pull my shoe on as fast as I can.
Mom’s eyes flash open and she sees me. “Kerry!”
I’m not seeing this. This isn’t happening. I grab my bag and run from the dressing room with one sneaker in my hand and the other on my foot. The sales girl looks concerned when I come racing out, face flushed.
“Are you all right?”
“Yeah, fine.” I push past her and dart out the front of the store without waiting for Beth. I race down a corridor off the main hallway and grab a bench behind a potted plant that’s huge and can hide me. I bury my face in my hands and try not to cry or scream.
It’s not right. It’s not fair. It’s fucking wrong! I’m leaning forward, rocking gently, and growling into my hands by the time Beth finds me. “What the hell was that?” She plops down next to me.
I flip my hair out of my face and offer a plastic smile of indifference. “Matt was doing my mother in the dressing room next to mine. Isn’t it a lovely day?”
Beth glances back down the way she came. “Are you serious?”
I nod and bury my face in my hands. “I saw her. Do you know how horrible it is to see your parents having sex?”
She grimaces. “Unfortunately, I do.”
“Now add your first love to the mix and see where that gets you. How am I supposed to be okay with this? They’re both assholes!” I stand up and shake my hands in the air as if that might help.
Beth stands next to me. “They are, and you know what—you don’t need them. You still have your dad and your siblings. You shouldn’t keep people around you that are toxic and this is like munching on poisoned pops for kicks. Kerry, there’s only so much suckage a girl can take.”
“I know and I’m past it. I’m over the limit.”
“So, go back there and tell her. Hell, tell them off.”
“I will.” I jump up and rush back the way I came, formulating a plan in my mind. I walk straight to the back of the store and grab the piece of lingerie I wanted. I walk over to the line at the cash register and stand there, knowing she’ll come to me.
A few moments later, there they are, all sweaty and freshly fucked. My mom puts her hand on the small of my back. “Honey, I thought we lost you.”
I turn and she drops her hand. I manage to pry open my locked jaw and speak. “Oh, hi. I didn’t see you there.”
She glances at my hanger dangling from my index finger, making it easy to see. “Is that for a new boyfriend?”
Smiling, I shake my head. “Nope. It’s for a frat party. Slave girl auction.”
She blanches. “You’re going to wear that to a frat party?”
I shrug. “Yeah, of course. What else would I wear?” I don’t say anything else and turn around.
Just then Josh spots me and rushes over. He whispers in my ear, “Beth told me. I’ll play along. Do your worst.”
I swat at him. “Later. You have to bid like the other guys. It’s too skanky to do it in the dressing room.”
Josh feigns insult. “That’s not what you said last night.”
My eyes narrow, cutting to the side as the corner of my lips pulls into a sly grin. “Oh, that’s right. I said that to your brother, too.”
Josh’s jaw drops. “Which one? Justin? Jace?”
“Kerry,” Mom tries shoving between us to butt in. “Who is your little friend?”
She wants an introduction. Is she kidding me? As if this wasn’t bad enough, Matt struts up behind her and places a hand on her shoulder. He peers down at me with pity. Asshole.
I put my arm around Josh's waist and pull him in tight. “This is my fuckbuddy. Josh, this is my mom and my ex-douche of a boyfriend, Matt. Soon he’ll be my dad and it’ll be like Sister Wives, but with my mom!” I feign excitement then turn around, not waiting for a reply.
I feel bad for hurting her because she’s my mother and it clearly does. But I don’t understand how she could choose him over me. At the end of the day, that was her decision and she has to live with it. Unfortunately, so do I. As soon as they ring me up and put my stuff in the pink bag, I leave with Josh on my arm.
CHAPTER 8
Once we’re back to the bench where I left Beth, I fill her in and thank Josh. “I really appreciated that.”
“I wish it were true, especially since you bought that.” He inclines his head toward the bag.
I laugh. “You wish.”
“I do. I’ve never denied it.”
Beth glares at him. “No shagging my friends! You promised. Stop looking at her and pick someone else.”
I glance up and catch the worry in Josh's eyes. Beth doesn’t know about the hotel room. No one does. He’s thinking the same thing, and I know without a doubt, he’ll make sure his little sister is happy above everything else.
He teases her a little more by sauntering over to me and dipping me back in his arms. “Hey, sexy. Want to have a good time?”
I giggle. “Not with you.”
He straightens and covers his heart with his hand as if I'd shot him. He staggers backward and says, “That was brutal.”
Beth folds her arms over her chest, taps her foot, and glares at Josh. “It’s not half as brutal as I’ll be if you mess with her.”
“I’m just teasing, Beth. Kerry is like a sister to me, an incredibly, bodacious, succulent, sinful…what was I saying?” He flashes a grin my way, then waggles his eyebrows at Beth. “You worry too much.” He leans in and kisses Beth’s forehead, before strutting off. He calls back over his shoulder, “And Kerry, send me a picture of your new outfit. I’d love to give you some fashion tits. I mean tips.”
I frown and look over at Beth. “You seriously have nothing to worry about.”
“Yeah, well, weirder things have happened.”
I smack her arm with the back of my hand, lightly to get her attention. I point toward her brother. “That is never going to happen.”
CHAPTER 9
Beth drives me to Nate’s without commenting further on Josh. I know it worries her, and I really wish it didn’t. I have a love-hate thing with Josh. He’s a tease—and so insincere he has no idea which way is up anymore.
I walk into the kitchen and find Nate at the little table. He’s holding a letter in his hands with the envelope still sealed. “So, this came in the mail.” He taps the paper against his other hand.
I pull out a chair and sit down, tucking my bag away so he can’t see it. “What is it?”
“I don’t know.” He’s staring at the envelope like it’s filled with anthrax.
“Do you want me to open it?”
He glances past the paper in his hands and into my eyes. There’s so much emotion swirling bitterly beneath the surface it scares me. Something is very wrong and he thinks it’s going to get worse. Nate hands me the envelope. “Open it.”
I hesitate for a moment, then rip it open. I fish out the paper and unfold it. It’s from a law firm in New York and it’s addressed to him. My lips move as I silently read the words until I come to the part he’s dreading. I glance up at him over the top of the paper. “What do you know about this?”
From the look on his face, he’s already aware of the situation. “A little. Peter Ferro was carrying a letter claiming my dad wasn’t my biological father, that I was actually the byproduct of an affair between my mother and Peter Ferro’s father. I didn’t believe it, so I told the firm they were mistaken. That’s their response, isn’t it?”
I nod slowly. I can tell this has shaken him to the core. “You had no idea?”
r /> “No.” His elbows are on the table and his head hangs between his shoulders as his hands fist next to his ears. He doesn’t look up at me. “Tell me what it says.”
I scan the paper again and try to summarize it in a way that won’t be like a bat to the groin. “It says that your father loved you, and his death triggered a few things. One was a full background work up on you because of a paternity test your mother had done a long time ago. There was a clause in her will that was dormant until your father passed away. When that happened two letters were issued. One to you and one to Mr. Ferro stating he had a son and one telling you that you weren’t alone. That you still had family.”
“Those people are not my family.” He growls as he tugs his hair hard.
“They included the paternity test company and a copy of the results. They are also saying that there was money set aside, a trust.” I scan it a few times to make sure I understand what they’re saying before I tell him. “It sounds like there’s an inheritance.”
“I know—he had the house. This one. There was nothing else.” Nate sits up and stares at me. His lips mash together and he slams his hands on the table. “Damn it! I hate this, Kerry. I don’t know what the hell to do. I can’t stand the thought of my mother being unfaithful, but here I am—living proof she screwed some other guy. The fact that it’s that Ferro douche-bag makes it so much worse.” He’s up pacing before he finishes speaking. “I don’t want their money. I don’t want anything to do with them.”
This is really weird. Growing up in New York, I heard rumors about the Ferros all the time—it would've been impossible not to hear stuff. Everyone seems fascinated by the Ferro family, and they can't seem to stay out of the news for one reason or another. But I never expected to find a tie to them in Texas, let alone something like this.
Nate is the secret Ferro bastard baby. As far as I know, there are no other illegitimate children despite Mr. Ferro’s philandering for decades and fucking multiple fertile young women. Nate is a few years older than Jonathan Ferro, closer to Peter’s age. He has brothers, half-brothers.
“Nate?” He turns to look at me, wild-eyed. “What did Peter want?”
“I don’t know. To make sure I got the letter, I suppose.”
I nod slowly. “I wish I knew what to say to make it better. God knows I’d douse myself with a good shot of it too. Then everything bad would disappear and we could be happy.”
Nate walks over to me without the slightest hesitation and presses his lips to mine. He tangles his fingers in my hair and firmly holds me in place. After the day I've had, I want to get lost in him. The desperate nature of his kiss makes it more carnal and raw. He forces his tongue into my mouth and then takes a few steps forward, slamming me into the wall.
Don’t think. Just feel.
The heat coming off his body is intense. The scent of him fills my head as I grab his shirt and pull him closer. The kiss feels frantic and it’s impossible to breathe. My heart races harder as his hands drop to the hem of the oversized shirt and slip beneath it. His warm palms are on my stomach and then my back. He slips them up and pulls me closer to him as he does it, never breaking the kiss.
Nate tastes every crevice of my mouth and every time I try to take control of the kiss he forces me back. When his teeth nip my lip, I squeak a little yelp. An erotic smile spreads across his lips for a moment. “Do that again.” He says the words while pressing his lips against my mouth.
When I don’t reply, he nips me and the sound repeats. Nate pulls away for half a second and looks up and down at me. I’m against the kitchen wall, huffing like a beast. Things weren’t supposed to happen this way. I bought lingerie. It’s still in the bag under the table.
Through jagged breaths, Nate manages to ask, “Tell me how you want it. Gentle, slow?”
I shake my head. “No. I want…” I suck in air and feel my breasts rise, swelling as my body fills with lust.
Nate steps toward me, his eyes darkening, the flash of blue burning bright. “Say it. Tell me what you want.”
“You. I want you—rough, raw, and messy. I don’t want gentle. Not now.”
Nate grins wolfishly and I gasp as he crushes me to the wall, kissing me harder than before. There’s nothing slow or gentle about it. He’s angry, and so am I. I want to be with him and this mood suits me well. All the emotions I’ve had trapped beneath the surface can rush out. I don’t have to hold back, not with him.
Nate paws at my shirt until he rips it off and tosses it on the floor. The bra follows and I stay there, topless, pinned to the wall by his hard body. He forces his knee between my legs and dips his head to that spot on my neck. His hands cover my breasts as his thumbs find my nipples. He squeezes them hard, making me cry out. The sensation is intense and shoots straight between my legs. When he raises his head from my neck, he lowers his body, trailing kisses down my throat and to my breast. His lips suck as his tongue flicks and I tip my head back and cry out. My nails claw the wall as he teases me. After he sucks, flicks, and nips each breast, his tongue travels further down my chest, past my stomach and stops at my waist. Without warning, Nate tugs the waistband on the sweats and yanks them off with my panties in one movement.
I’m standing in his kitchen naked, pressed to the wall. Nate rises and reaches for his jeans, unbuttoning them and then lowering the zipper. I’ve not done it standing up, not like this. The lights are on and the windows are open allowing plenty of daylight to pour into the room. There’s no hiding under covers, no careful, slow, exploration. That’s for another time.
I reach for the hem of his shirt and tug it hard, pulling him toward me. “Fuck me, Nate. Make me forget my name. Make me scream for more.”
A wicked grin spreads across his lips as he reaches into his pants and frees his hard shaft. He moans into my ear when he reaches for me. His lips are hot, and his voice is heavy with lust, “I love it when you talk like that.”
He pulls a condom from his pocket and rips it open with his teeth. His knee forces apart my thighs and I find myself on my tippy-toes trying to rub against him. I’m so hot, and I want to be touched so badly. I writhe against his jeans for a moment and then let out a frustrated sigh. “Nate.”
He answers in my ear, “Yeah baby?”
“I want you.” I start to beg him. I don’t plan to, it just happens.
Nate grabs my thigh with one hand and hooks my leg on his hip. With his other hand, he puts on the protection and positions himself low. There are no probing fingers, no gentle foreplay. It’s straight to fucking. I tip my head back and try not to be impatient, but he’s right there. When he stands, I feel him slide inside and gasp. He fills me and then some, pressing me in a way I haven't felt before. I pant and wrap my legs around his waist to try and hold myself in place. Nate catches my thighs in his hands and shifts me up, which makes me come down hard, and forces me to take all of him at once.
I make a high-pitched noise and then melt into him, eyes closed, lips parted, a coy smile on my face.
He grins, “You like that?”
I look at him through hooded eyes. “Yes.”
“Tell me what you want, baby.”
I bite my lower lip and know he won’t move until I ask. He has the power, but he keeps giving it back to me at pivotal points. I like it. I want to say things, things I’d never say to anyone else. I start rocking my hips as I speak, “Don’t move.”
Nate groans and tips his head back. His eyes close for a second and his fingers dig into my legs. I slowly rock against him, pivoting my hips, and making cooing sounds each time. I want more. The slight, controlled movements backfire, making me want to ride him harder and feel him deeper. I whisper into his ear, telling him all the dirty things I want to do to him.
“Holy fuck, Kerry.” Every inch of his body is tense muscle, waiting for my command to ravage me. I’ve never felt so powerful in life. His body shakes as he tries to hold it together, as he torments himself waiting for my directive.
I swing my hips u
p slowly, squeezing my muscles as I slide back down. When our eyes meet, I breathe the command, “Fuck me. Hard. Don’t stop.”
Nate shifts his hands further up my thighs, nearly to my ass, and digs his fingers in as he slams me back into the wall. All the air is forced from my lungs as he does it and he pushes deeper within me. I arch my back and push against him, creating a rhythm of his hips rocking into mine, forcing himself inside deeper, faster. The pace is fast and hard. There are going to be bruises all over my thighs tomorrow, but I don’t care. It feels like I’m a goddess and he’ll do anything he can to sate my lust. My heels dig into his jeans as he pushes again and again, harder and faster. His body is covered in sweat and his clothing is clinging to his toned muscles. He doesn’t pause or slow.
My hands tangle in his hair as I lose myself in him. I can’t fathom what I’m saying in those moments. I’m lost. I’m all sex and no thought. I want him. I need him. We slam together, purring, and fucking until those tightly coiled parts of me can’t keep it together anymore. I shatter in his arms, as he pumps into me, not relinquishing his hold or slowing his pace. It does something I don’t expect and I’m suddenly panting and breathless again, climbing higher, begging to be fucked harder, faster.
He laughs and coos my name. “Come for me, Kerry.”
“I did.” I’m lost again, floating somewhere between heaven and earth with no intention of coming down. The tightness inside coils again and grows bigger, quickly.
“Again. Come again.” He drives into me as he grabs my thighs, and pulls them higher on his hips.
I can’t think. My body is lost in a bliss that’s pure and sinful. When Nate increases his speed and then slows, I lurch forward and claw his back through his shirt. Fucking fabric.
“You like that?” He moves against me again, slower. I can’t tell what he’s doing, but it leaves me unable to speak. I gasp again and again while frantically trying to come. I’m so close. He resumes his speed, breathless, and this time when he slows he slams in hard. Once, twice, and on the third time, I shatter in his arms for the second time.