The Pick Up Wife (8 page)

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She offered a tentative smile before closing her eyes. “Don’t look so worried. I’ll be okay.”

“You say that now.” Leo placed a pillow beneath Symmone’s elbow, then swept a lock of hair from the square of gauze taped above her left eyebrow, and finally plucked a tiny piece of glass from the strands.

“Is Mom going to be okay?”

Symmone managed a faint smile and cracked open one eye. She hated to worry her kids, but now it was his turn to be the parent.

“She’ll be sore for a few days, but she’s fine.”

“Promise?” Jewel said, tucking her hand in his. LJ grabbed his other hand.

“Promise.”

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Symmone hoped he would do everything he could to make sure his promise came true.

****

A week later Symmone examined the stitches disappearing into her hairline. The area was still a little tender to the touch, and she didn’t care for the yellowish-green discoloration either.

With a sigh she combed her hair to hide the worst of the bruising. She couldn’t wait to get the stitches out; they were beginning to pull and generally annoy her. Hopefully when she went to the doctor tomorrow he would remove them.

“Ready?” Leo appeared in the mirror.

Symmone pivoted, favoring her left shoulder. The joint was still sore. Leo leaned against the door frame, a slight frown adorning his 14

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lips when his gaze swept over her. Self-conscious, she finger-combed her hair over her forehead.

“You’re supposed to keep that covered,” he said, pushing off the door and entering the bathroom. He rummaged in the medicine cabinet a moment.

“People stare.” She couldn’t keep the slight whine from her voice. “Then give you dirty looks.”

He chuckled. “Since when have you cared what people think?” He folded a piece of gauze in half. “Now hold still.”

Symmone held her breath as the heat of his body beckoned, the spicy scent of his cologne intoxicated, and desire warred with common sense.

She worried her bottom lip as his fingers, firm but gentle, taped the bandage in place. A ripple of anticipation went through her at his touch. His 14

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warm breath feathered the hairs on her forehead, and all she could do was stare at his mouth.

The past week he’d taken care of her. Even when he went with the kids to the museum he made sure Melvin was there to watch over her.

Somehow Leo managed to cook, clean, and get the kids off to school each morning. He moved through the house and settled into the family as if he’d been there the entire time.

Sure, it was only one week, but he was doing his best to take care of her and the children, even going so far as to replace her totaled vehicle. He dropped his hands to his sides and she moved closer. Not once had he tried anything more intimate, but she’d often seen the desire in his eyes or felt his arousal pressed against her buttocks at night.

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Now that she was feeling more like herself, she wanted a little more. She curled her fingers in his shirt and rose on tiptoe.

“I don’t think I’ve thanked you for everything you’ve done this past week.”

Leo rested his hands at her waist. “It’s the least I could do.”

She relished the strength of his hands. She closed the distance between them, touched her lips to his and applied pressure. She kept the kiss light and teasing, and his hands tightened at her waist.

Slowly she explored his mouth, feathering kisses from one corner to the other, and nipped his bottom lip. A soft moan parted his lips and she darted her tongue inside. He tasted like peppermint. It seemed his restraint broke, and he 14

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gathered her close, taking over the kiss. She didn’t mind.

When he pulled away abruptly, she let out a whimpered protest. He chuckled and rested his forehead briefly against hers.

“I know just how you feel.” He glided his hand over her breast, intensifying the ache between her legs. He swept a caress along her lips.

“And if we had more time, I’d indulge in all this soft skin.”

Liquid desire pulsed along her nerve endings and she bit back a moan as he flicked a careful thumb across her painfully taut nipples. She dropped a hand to the crotch of his jeans only to find the material straining against the bulge.

Holding his gaze, she stroked him up and down, savoring the passion darkening his eyes.

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“We have all the time in the world.” She was not taking no for an answer. She pried the button loose, then dragged the zipper down his fly. When her hand closed around her prize his eyes widened.

His shaft was velvet-smooth, iron-hard. Such a contradiction. She wrapped her fingers around him, squeezed, and his hips jerked in response.

“What’s five minutes?” she whispered in his ear.

Never taking her eyes from his, she slowly dropped to her knees, shoving his jeans over his hips as she went.

She parted her lips and licked the head, swirling her tongue around the broad mushroomed tip before drawing his essence into her mouth. A low moan echoed off the walls and she repeated the motion, this time taking him farther in her mouth. She kept the rhythm slow, alternating 15

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between sucking and licking, moving her mouth back and forth over the smooth texture of his penis. His hips bucked in time to her movements until each thrust brought her nose and lips to meet his coarse tight curls. She paused, her lips sealed around the base of his cock as she swallowed.

He tangled his fingers in her hair as she allowed him to slide from her mouth, standing proud and glistening in the afternoon sun. He drew her to her feet, and when his lips met hers his kiss was hard and demanding. She met his passion with a fervor that surprised her.

He yanked up her skirt and snatched down her panties, then thrust two fingers inside her wet slit. She moaned against his lips, her body seeking release. His thumb found the tiny bundle of nerves and strummed while he continued to work his 15

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fingers in and out of her wet channel. She rode his hand as desperately as she wanted to ride his cock.

Lightning wisped through her veins, building, coiling tighter until only one thing would ease the tension.

“You are so hot,” he murmured against her ear.

“I want you.”

In one hurried motion he swept the contents from the vanity top. Plastic bottles, toothpaste, and hairpins hit the floor with a clatter. Leo lifted Symmone and settled her on the edge of the counter. The surface was cool against her bare buttocks in contrast to the heat burning between her legs. He stood between her thighs, teasing her swollen folds with the head of his cock. She sighed and wiggled her hips, eager for his entry.

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Grasping her hips, he plunged into her pliant depths in one powerful thrust. Sparks danced along her body in a pleasurable jitterbug as he came to rest deep inside her. She drew him down for a kiss, his lips moist and warm as they caressed hers.

Slowly he withdrew, the head of his cock barely sheathed in her entrance. A small protest eased past her lips even as her body sought to bring him closer. He flashed her a wicked smile before impaling her once more. Each stroke of rigid thickness scraped across sensitive skin and coaxed her closer to release. Every brush of his pelvis against hers added pressure to where she needed it most, and when she wrapped her legs around his hips, the world shifted on its axis. Somehow he seemed to slide deeper.

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She gripped his biceps as he pounded into her slick heat. Over and over. In and out. Each thrust was a brand, a stamp on her heart, and for the second time in her life she knew she wanted to be in this man’s bed and in his life.

The soft slap of flesh against flesh mingled with the squeak of the vanity. Symmone focused on their intimate joining, each delicious stroke urging her closer and closer. Leo gripped the countertop for leverage as he leaned closer, his thrusts more demanding, the vanity shrieking in protest to the increased rhythm.

Her orgasm caught her off guard in a jubilant wave that tossed and buffeted her with overwhelming sensation. She clenched her thighs, her muscles spasming around the hard cock moving inside her. For a heartbeat he slowed his thrusts 15

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before he increased speed, prolonging her climax and unleashing his own.

His guttural cry mingled with hers as his hips slowed and finally stopped. Their soft pants filled the silence. Gently, he eased from her body and wrapped his arms around her.

“Good God, woman, you make me forget my name.”

She laughed.

He touched his lips to hers, his kiss so tender tears burned beneath her lashes. “Did I hurt you?”

She smoothed her thumb against the crease along his forehead. “No. You were absolutely perfect.”

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Chapter Nine

“What are we doing here?” Symmone slowly exited the SUV and looked around the neighborhood. Here, the houses were farther apart, allowing homeowners the luxury of space and semi-privacy. This was one of her dream places to live: big beautiful homes, and her kids could walk to school.

He came around the vehicle, offered her his arm and an enigmatic smile.

Her heart tripped a beat she was sure he could hear. He wouldn’t, would he? “Leo?”

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Across the manicured lawn to the paving stone walkway and up the bricked porch to the bright red front door, anticipation gripped her with each step. This was the house she admired most on the block. This house was a new build with modern flair. Clean, sleek lines adorned the front of the house while large glass windows graced the upper and lower floors. Somehow the architect managed to blend contemporary with old school Victorian, giving the house a distinctive yet elegant charm.

Yet there was something very familiar about the dwelling she couldn’t quite put her finger on.

“It has five bedrooms, three and a half baths. Oh, and you should see the master suite.”

He punched in three numbers on the lock box hanging from the front knob and extracted a key.

“The backyard is huge, so the kids will have plenty 15

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of space to run around and you can plant a garden.

I remember you always wanted to have one.”

He fit the key in the lock, cranked the knob, and pushed open the door. With a wave he ushered her forward.

Symmone stepped across the threshold, her sandals clicking across the pale marble floor. She pushed her sunglasses on top of her head and peered around. “Wow.” Her voice echoed off the vaulted ceiling and reverberated through the air. A chandelier hung from above, the crystal danglies reflecting and sparkling in the late-afternoon sun.

The hall opened to a wide sweeping staircase that branched off upstairs. The landing ran the length of the hall. She couldn’t wait to see the rooms above.

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She was aware of Leo trailing her from room to room. With each new discovery excitement mounted, and she found it increasingly difficult to restrain her emotion. This house was everything she’d imagined. Even though she knew this was the best thing for them as a family, she couldn’t let a knee-jerk reaction govern such a huge decision.

Warm wood floors and soft earth tones gave the house an almost homey feeling, and by the time they arrived upstairs Symmone could no longer contain her enthusiasm. When she faced him a slow grin tugged at the corners of his mouth.

“Ohmigosh, Leo! The house is simply beautiful, but I can’t afford this, no matter how much I love it.”

He grasped her hand and drew her into his arms. His scent, a little sage, a little pine, 16

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enveloped her, and he rested his hands on the curve of her waist. “Do you think I would bring you here and not consider you might like the house?”

She tugged away from him. “I honestly don’t know what you think, Leo.” She walked to the window and gazed out. “I watched this house being built, and from the moment I saw the plans I’ve always wanted this house. It’s on the cul-de-sac and the kids could ride their bikes. They could have a swing and…” When she turned she was talking to herself.

Well, didn’t that beat all. She lingered in the room, taking in the gleaming wood floors and moldings. The closet alone was worth exploring, and she could envision Jewel in this room, with pretty purple curtains and unicorns.

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Symmone wandered from room to room on the left side of the hall. She leaned on the oak banister and looked down into the foyer. The house was perfect, even if they wanted to expand their family.

She ran a hand down her flat stomach. A pang of longing stole through her. But it wasn’t the right time.

“Symmone!” Leo’s voice seemed to fill the room.

She glanced toward the direction she thought his voice came from. “Where are you?”

“The master suite.”

The only bedroom she hadn’t seen. She furrowed her brow as she pushed off the banister and headed to the other side. She found him 16

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staring out the window. He turned as her footsteps echoed across the oak floor.

“Let me show you something.” He beckoned her to the window.

When he moved aside, she stood in front of the glass. The view was still of the backyard, but held more of the wooded area at the edge of the property. For a moment his arms ringed her waist, and she leaned into the strength of his body.

The woodsy spice of his cologne enveloped and enticed her. “You always smell so good.”

His throaty chuckle wound deep into her heart. “So do you.”

She faced him. “I really like this house.”

He picked up her hand and dropped a set of keys in the center of her palm. The metal was cool 16

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as it rested against her skin. She stared at her hand, her mouth falling open.

When she looked up, Leo was on bended knee, holding a single red rose. Keys forgotten, she gasped at the light dancing off the Asscher-cut solitaire ring in the middle of the rose. The square stone had the same elegant and distinctive lines as its emerald-cut cousin. The diamond itself was set in an antique white gold setting and so very different from the one he’d presented her ten years before.