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“Houston?” I peer up at him confused. The car's been a silent reminder of pain.  I never understood why he didn’t sell it.

“I wanted to ask you to leave the past behind with me today. The car has been a symbol of hurt and shame for far too long. I want to turn it into the representation of new beginnings.”  He leans against the hood, spreads his legs and crooks his finger. “I think it’s time we take the next step in the healing process.”

“What’s that?”  ask feeling breathless as I move between his powerful thighs.

“Confronting the elephant in the room. We’re not young and impulsive.  I know my mind and my heart, and I’m willing to put my neck on the chopping block first if you promise, to be honest.” His hands singe me through the black taffeta material.

“Always.”

“I don’t want to date, or test the waters. This is not a crap shoot. I love you, Liv Honora Cole. You’re the woman I want to wake up and see at my side and raise my children with. I want you to have my last name, wear my ring, and be my partner. That’s the ending I’m working toward. We don’t have to move at a breakneck pace. But we need to have the same end game.”

“You’re my best friend, Houston. I trust you in a way I’ve never thought I’d be able to trust another man. All these years you’ve been restoring my faith in the male species, and I didn’t realize. I love you, and I want this with you more than anything.”

Joy sparks to life in his eyes. He rests his forehead against mine. “Liv.”

“Yes.”

“I want to be buried so deep inside you I don’t know where you start, and I begin.”

“Yes,” I whisper.

“I wanted to do this right, candles, flowers, and no rush, but I need to be inside you so bad right now it’s all I can think of.” He runs his fingertips up my fishnet stockinged legs. His touch sets me on fire. I run my fingers through his beard.

“I think we’ve waited long enough, don’t you?” Is that my voice so husky and full of need?  He starts small fires everywhere he caresses. The rip of nylon makes me gasp.

“Need you, Kitten.” His lips crash down on mine. I lose myself in the glide of our tongues against each other and the sharp minty taste of his mouth. His beard is silk on my skin, and his scent is a cocoon blocking out the rest of the world. He works his thick fingers into the hole he created and strokes my slit. I moan into his mouth moving my hips as he guides me like the pied piper with his rhythm. He pushes my panties to the side and pushes into my slick cavern.

“Oh, yes.”

“So tight and wet.” He rasps.

“Mmm.” He moves his fingers, and I grip his shoulders as I snap my hips onto his fingers, eager to feel him deeper.

“That’s it. Ride my fingers. We need to get that pink pussy of yours ready to take me.” I flex my muscles. “You like that thought of that?”

“So much.” I grind on him. He crooks his fingers, hits my g-spot, and shatters me. I’m shaking, speaking in tongues, and calling out for him.

“Damn, Kitten, you know how to make a man feel a million feet tall, but I promise you, it’s only going to get better.” My legs tremble, and my head spins. “Turn around for me.” He rests me against the car and sinks to his knees. He hooks his thumbs in the tattered remains of my stockings and seamless underwear and pushes them around my ankles.

“Spread those long legs for me.”

I do as he asks, and he dives into my pussy face first. After years of selfish lovers who hate to give head his enthusiasm is a revelation. I grip the back of his he and grind into his face.

“Oh my God. Right there, Hous. Yes.” Blood whooshes in my ears and my toes curl in my pumps. He thrust his tongue inside my sheath, and my world goes white.

The cool press of metal against my face and stomach as he lays me against the hood of the car.

“Lift your leg up baby, let’s get this heels off.”

He pushes my leg up on the curve of the metal and tugs off my shoes and the restricting material still around my ankles. “Now put that leg up, there you go.” He rubs his hand across my ass. He rubs his thumb over my rosette, and I jerk.

“One day I’m going to take you there too. I won’t be satisfied until I’ve had every part of you.” I shiver at the possessive tone in his voice. He pushes two fingers into my center and pumps, scissoring and stretching. The jingle of his belt heightens my anticipation. He removes his fingers and taps my ass with his cock. I peer over my shoulder and watch him stroke his thick cock. His mushroom-shaped head is purple and swollen. Two veins stand out on either side of his eight-inch girth.

He slips it between my lips and pushes forward nudging my clit with his head.

“You’re so wet for me, beautiful. Give me some more of that sweet cream.”

“Feels so good, Hous.”

I’m thankful for Pilates as I turn my head and meet his mouth. He nibbles at my lips, swiping his tongue over the sensitized areas before sipping at me like wine. I cup his head, massaging his scalp with my fingertips.

“You ready for me, Liv? I want to show you what it means to be loved by a real man.”

I swallow hard and nod.

“I need to hear you say it, baby. Tell me you’re ready to become mine.”

Coming from anyone else the words would be corny. The sincerity and love turn the sentence into a Shakespearean sonnet.

“I ready to make love with my best friend.”

He cups my ass and pulls me closer to him. “Lift that leg. Just like that.”

He eases in tip dip.

“Oh, God.” I bow my head as he stretches me. My breath stutters in my chest as he presses past my ring of tight muscles.

“Relax and let me inside, Kitten. I promise I’m going to make you feel so good.”  He peppers my neck with kisses as he fills me to the brim. It’s a delicious burn that yields to a pulsing pleasure. Fully sheathed, he stills.

“You feel so damn good.” He whispers against my skin. His voice is raw with emotions. “Give me a minute. You got me ready to blow my load. This is a pregame. It’s been too long for me to last.”

I snicker. “Who are you telling?”

His body shakes with laughter. “That’s why we’re a perfect pair.” He pulls out and eases back in, oh so carefully. My heart races. Goosebumps break out over my flesh. “We’re going to have to buy this dress. Because I’m about to make a mess.” He covers my hands with his pinning me in place as he picks up speed. He’s touching more than my body. He’s reaching my soul, plastering up the tears left behind by others who were reckless with my heart. 

“Oh.” My voice warbles. My vision blurs as I lose myself to the swell of pleasure and emotions he’s evoking with his sweet loving. I submit to the experience, trusting in the love built on friendship. Once admitted, the truth could no longer be contained or ignored. I open myself to the man offering me everything I’ve always wanted.

“Yes, Houston. Love me.” My voice cracks.

“Hold on baby, wait for me. Wait for me.” We move together in a frenzy of hips, limbs, and words. He drives deep, and I come, hard, trembling and praying as the release floods over me like water from a broken dam. He grunts and grips my hips tight as he spills inside me with a warm and endless flow of his seed. I welcome his weight as we catch our breath.

“You okay?”

“That doesn’t even begin to cover what I am.”

He chuckles.

“What are the chances they didn’t hear anything?” I whisper.

“I wouldn’t bet on those types of odds, but I can guarantee you no one will say a thing to you, or they’ll be dealing with me.” He eases out, and I instantly miss the feel of him.  He helps me stand. A goofy smile spreads across his lips.

“What?” 

“You look good with my come inside of you and your lips swollen from my kisses.

I touch my lips with two fingers.

“Don’t move.” He yanks up his pants and pulls out his phone snapping a few shots. “I want to remember this moment, forever.”

“You don’t need pictures to remember what’s impossible to forget.” I cup his face and kiss him, claiming him as I let the emotions I’ve struggled to stifle free. I rise up on my tip toes and tilt my head this way and that, deepening our kiss. I want to crawl inside him and live. He’s the sum of all my hopes and dreams packaged in a  rugged package, and I am never letting him go.

“You’re stuck with me now, Houston Cabhan Maloney.”

“Wouldn’t have it any other way, My Livy.”

***

Houston

I’m a man reborn as I watch her pose for the shoot. She has a ruffled, ruffled expression I take pleasure in seeing. When we emerged, Ryan took one look at the situation and shot me a look that said he’d heard everything that happened. Wisely he kept his trap shut, and began the last shoot. There was something to using the car for the shot. It’s lost its hold over me.

My lips twitch up. I’ll always associate my first time with Liv with the Cadillac Sixty Special. She possesses enough goodness and light to wash out the darkest moment of my exists.

“Okay, darling. I’ve gotten more than enough shots for today. I think the hard part will be deciding on which we’ll use. You’ve got a great look.”

“Thank you. But this was a one-time thing as a favor. I’m much more comfortable giving orders than I am taking them.”

“You got your hands full with this one, don’t you?” Ryan says.

“And he likes it,” She says.

“I do,” I agree.

Ryan throws his head back and laughs. “I like you. You have sass for days.

“Are you good here?” I ask.

“Yes, I’m going to pack up. This doll can change back into her casual gear.”

“I’ll meet you in the office?” I say thinking of the mail I’d forgotten to look at.

"I'll come find you when I'm finished," Liv says.

“You need anything else from me?” I ask Ryan.

“No, it’ll take me at least a day to run through all the photos and pick the best. Once I have them done, I’ll link our computers, and we’ll go over them on three-way with Ollie?”

“Sounds good to me. I’ll talk to you then, man.” I pat his back and step outside.

Ollie looks up from his phone where he’s lounging on the couch. “You need me for anything else?”

“I’m good. If you have any special requests or directions for Ryan, you might want to catch him before he leaves. He’s packing up at the moment.”

“And Liv?”

“What about her?”

“You  want me to answer that? Cause the shop ain’t soundproof.”

I laugh. “Yeah bro, I finally got her.”

“I’m happy for both of you. You always had this vibe going between the two of you I couldn’t put my finger on. I need to get home and relieve the babysitter.”

“Rita doesn’t have him this weekend?” I ask.

“No, she went out of town with her girls, so I did double duty.”

He and his ex-girlfriend have a good thing going with visitations. They ended on an upbeat mutual note. It made things easier for Rolland. Pushing three-years-old he’s one of the more adjusted kids I’ve met from separated parents.

“Give the little man some love for me.”

“Will do.”

When I step inside the office, I’m shocked to see Shannon seated at my desk. 

“Are you guys finally done?” she asks. Her words are short and clipped.
Guess she heard me and Liv.
I can’t keep the shit eating grin from forming. The girls been pushing up on me and Ollie for the past year. Maybe now she’ll stop.

“Yeah, we’re keeping the black dress. Send me the bill for it.”

“Just like that?” Shannon snaps her fingers.

“Yeah. If you have a problem with it, we’d be happy to find a new stylist.”

“No.” Her face scrunches. “Please, don’t do that.”

“We enjoy working with you, Shannon. You do great work. I think it’s been a long day for everyone.”  I try to let her down easy. She’s barley out of her mid-twenties and has a lot more to learn about life. I remember crushing hardcore on older women who would never give me the time of day, so I want to let her down easy.

“I like working with you too. If you don’t need anything else, I’ll get the rest of this out of your way and let you have your office back.” She pushes away from the desk, grabs her massive black purse and a hat box. She wraps her hand around the clothing rack and wheels it out of the office taking her drama with her. Times like this I’m glad as fuck I’m in my forties. I was stupid as hell when I was in my early twenties.

I spot the pile of mail on my desk and start to sift through the pile. The light bill should be coming soon. I pitch the junk mail and pause when I get to a letter with elegant writing. I frown. I know it from somewhere. There’s no name, just a P.O. box address. I open the envelope and the scent of patchouli hits me. My stomach rolls as my memory kicks in.
This is Rain’s writing.
The moment I’ve been dreading has arrived.  I want to throw it in the trash, but the not knowing would fuck me up worse. I pull out the tri-folded piece of lined paper and stare.
Why now after all this time? What if she wants the kids back?
It’s no secret, the courts favor mothers.