“It’s not too late, Tessa.”
“Yes, it is.” Vida watched as Tessa walked out the front door, not taking the opportunity to go back and apologize to Colton. Vida had hoped that Tessa would try to make amends, but she had been wrong.
Vida kept trying to get Seth on the phone, using the number he’d given her. His message box was full. She was beginning to get angry with him. The least he could do was keep her informed after what she had done.
Determined to get in touch with him, she called the FBI’s main office for the State of Texas. It took several phone calls and being redirected several times before she was connected to a nearby office. in which Seth had been assigned.
“Hello?” Vida had asked for Seth and had met silence on the other end. “Hello? Are you still there?”
“Yes, Ms.--. I’m afraid I have some bad news about your friend. Seth Redman was killed on duty. I’m afraid that’s all the information that can be released at this time.”
Vida disconnected the call, sitting stunned.
“Are you all right?” Carlito asked, picking up the appointment book.
“Yes.” Vida cleared her throat. “I need some coffee and some food. I’m going to go across the street. I’ll be back in a little while.”
“Cool, I don’t have another customer for an hour. Take your time.”
“Thanks.” Vida packed up her computer, placing it into her backpack.
Carlito waved to her as she left, already texting his girlfriend, which was his favorite pastime when he wasn’t working.
Vida crossed the street in front of the tattoo shop, went in front of the coffee shop and then kept walking. Around the corner, she called a taxi. Vida waited anxiously for five minutes for it to arrive. Finally, the cab pulled up and Vida climbed in, giving Colton’s address.
It took another agonizing ten minutes for the cab to get to Colton’s apartment. Carlito hadn’t even noticed when she had picked up Colton’s keys. He was going to be furious when he realized she had the bike and apartment keys. It wouldn’t take a genius to figure out where she was headed, but she planned to call him as soon as possible and beg him not to follow.
Thankfully, all her clothes were clean. She shoved everything into the small case she had. Picking up her backpack, she was in the bedroom when she heard the front door open. Freezing in place by the bed, she watched the bedroom door.
Colton entered the bedroom, furious. Vida knew she was busted trying to leave town without him and he was mad as hell at her.
“What the hell were you thinking?” he yelled at her.
He walked towards her, stopping by the bed when he saw her clothes packed in the case. Angrily, he picked the suitcase up and threw it across the room. The backpack was next, and she could tell from his face it was going to meet the same fate as her suitcase.
“Don’t you dare throw that backpack. It has my computer that I had to save for three semester’s to buy used.”
Colton gently tossed the backpack onto the floor by the bed.
Vida couldn’t help the giggle that escaped her. Colton might have saved her computer, but he was still furious with her. Picking her up, he tossed her onto the mattress, coming down on top of her before she could scramble off.
“I can’t let you violate your parole, Colton. Let me handle it, please. It’s my problem, not yours. You got dragged into this whole mess because of King.”
“Baby, calm down. We’re going back to my original plan. After I see my parole officer, he won’t expect me for another week. We’ll be back by then.”
“What if you get pulled over by the police or there’s trouble and they run your license? Anything could go wrong. I won’t take that chance.”
“You don’t have a choice.” Colton ignored her arguing.
“You’ll hate me if you get caught,” Vida protested.
“I couldn’t hate you, Vida. You’re fierce in your loyalty to Sawyer, and you’ve worked hard for your degree to get what you want out of life. I understand that both are important to you. I’m not going to let you leave to find Sawyer on your own. When we find Sawyer then we’ll decide what’s next, but whatever it is, it doesn’t mean I’m going to let you leave without me.”
“I don’t want to leave you, either. I even applied for jobs in Queen City and I’ve wanted to leave all my life. But I want to stay because of you.”
“I can start a tattoo shop anywhere, Vida. I don’t even have to tattoo. I have plenty of money saved up; I’ve lived real tight the last few years,” he said with a twisted smile. “We can go anywhere you want, for as long as you want. The only thing I need is you, nothing else matters.”
“I don’t mind Queen City so much anymore, and all your friends are here. Sawyer is my only friend and the fun of leaving was to have that experience with her.” Vida couldn’t keep the sadness out of her voice.
“Were going to get her back, I promise.” Vida pulled him to her, kissing him for promising something he had no control over.
“Did you mean what you said in the shop this morning?” he asked, staring into her eyes.
“No,” Vida lied, lowering her eyes so he couldn’t see the answer she wasn’t able to hide.
“Baby…”
“Yes, I meant it.” Vida buried her face in his shoulder, embarrassed.
“I love you, too. I did from the moment I saw you on stage. I thought I had died and gone to Heaven.”
Vida hit at his shoulder. Well aware that the first time he had seen her, she was stripping.
“The first time you saw me I was naked.”
“Yes, you were. I saw…” Colton kissed her as his hands went under her t-shirt, pushing it up over her breasts. Unsnapping her bra, he sucked a nipple into his mouth, pressing it hard between his lips until Vida’s hand went to his long hair and she began twisting underneath him. Switching to the other breast he unexpectedly used his piercing to rub the tip. It hardened into a perfect pink bud. “…these pretty pink nipples.”
He got up from the bed and then, reaching down, he unsnapped her jeans, tugging them and her panties off in one movement. Cupping her behind the knees, he pulled her towards the end of the bed. “This pretty, wet pussy… was all I could think about for days after I saw your show.”
“I could tell,” Vida said wryly, remembering how many women had shared his bed when he first got out of prison.
“Their nipples weren’t as pink as yours.” Leaning over her, he took a nipple between his fingertips, pinching and twisting gently until Vida’s hips squirmed on the bed. Letting it go, he reached for the other nipple, playing with it until Vida started rubbing herself against the front of him. His cock lengthened behind his unbuttoned jeans.
Releasing her nipple, he straightened once again.
“Their pussies weren’t as tight as yours.” Colton thrust a finger into her already wet pussy. Vida’s hips thrust back needing to feel him thick and full inside of her. He was only giving her touches to drive her passion higher.
“Colton, I need you,” Vida whimpered.
“They damn sure didn’t taste like you.” Vida whimpered again, knowing what was next. Colton raised her up to his mouth. The only part of her left on the bed was the back of her head.
Colton wrapped her calves around his shoulder and went down on her already wet clit, his tongue laving, wringing moans from her as he drove her mindlessly into a climax which he let her ride out on his tongue. She hadn’t stopped shaking when he lowered her hips back to the mattress. Spreading her thighs wider, he notched his cock at her entrance.
“Fuck me. Please, just fuck me,” Vida begged him unashamedly.
Colton slid his cock in her wet heat before thrusting fully inside. Vida arched as he slid deeper, moving in an out in a slow rhythm that had her thrusting back, trying to get him to go faster.
“Harder. I need it harder,” Vida begged.
Colton used his palm to pull back her mound until her clit rested on his cock.
“Baby, I???m always going to give you what you ask for.” He thrust high and hard within her, holding her shoulders to the bed. Each thrust rubbed her clit, sending shards of pleasure inside of her that were so intense that she was unable to hold back the climax storming her body. Her wildly bucking hips had him lowering his body over hers as his thrusts became harder, capturing and sharing the same orgasm which became as primal as it was loving. He gave her the essence of himself with a final thrust, committing his body and soul as she gave hers in return.
“That was beautiful,” Vida whispered, unable to stop clinging to him.
“That was how I felt when I first saw you...” Colton said, not wanting her to let him go.
Chapter Twenty
Vida stood nervously by Colton as he knocked on his parole officer’s door. Colton opened the door when the voice told him to come inside. She had wanted to wait outside, but Colton had refused to let her leave his side. Giving in, she now found herself under the scrutiny of a large man behind a desk. If his hair hadn’t been black and long, worn in a ponytail, he would have been a ringer for Santa. However, the man sitting behind the desk had anything other than a jolly look on his ruddy face.
“Dax, I wanted to check in today, I have several appointments scheduled for tomorrow. I had to fire one of my artists so I’m short staffed,” Colton explained to the man, who from the looks he was giving Colton, could care less about his explanations.
Dax leaned back in his chair. “Is that right?”
“Yes.” Colton gave the probation officer a sharp look. Vida was beginning to feel that he also was sensing that something wasn’t right.
“Aren’t you going to introduce us, Colton?”
“Dax Carter, this is Vida Bell. She’s my fiancée.” Vida looked at him in surprise. She must have been asleep when he’d proposed because she damn sure didn’t remember it.
“You don’t waste much time, do you, Colton? The ink’s barely dry on your divorce papers and you already have a new fiancée.”