“Thank you for driving me home,” I tell him when he pulls into the apartment complex, except when we get to the first stop sign, we don’t take a right like you’d do to get to my place. Asking to be close to the pool and playground was a blessing and a curse. Von loved doing anything outdoors when he wasn’t in school, so I thought to myself that this was perfect. Yeah, right. The joke was on me when your Saturday mornings are taken over by families full of children up and at it at the ass crack of dawn. It’s having me re-think signing another lease for the same unit. Maybe the other end of the complex wouldn’t be quite as noisy. And sleeping in would be a godsend. “Uh, Mace, you turned the wrong way.” I hook my thumb in the opposite direction.
“I know where you live. I’m showing you where I live now.”Gobsmackedis the only word I can come up with. Who is this man? He’s not the ex-husband I’ve had for the past year, or my son’s father. It’s as if he listened and heard every word I’ve ever spoken in our seven years of marriage. How if we ever were to divorce, I’d have to be next door neighbors with him because not seeing Von daily would eat me up inside. How I’d never live outside of my means, and child support would solely go to our child, which it does. And then there’s us having to be friends, putting aside our differences. A hard task but one I pride myself in, and I know Mace appreciates it. Even if I wanted to be a flaming bitch a time or ten, I refrained, barely. I’d go to say something to him via text, then I’d delete the paragraph I was ready to send and instead used the thumbs-up emoji. Everyone knows what that means anyways; it’s a major fuck-you but in a nicer way. Then I’d drop him off at our old house, get annoyed that part of the problem was Mace’s mentality of ‘Keeping up with the Joneses.’ The one thing to keep me from mouthing off was looking at the mini-me version of Mace.
“Dear God, could this night turn any weirder? My ex-husband interrupts my date, not a bad thing because I wasn’t not feeling it; only did it for my amazing mother-in-law thinking she was helping. Said ex-husband finally sees the light of day, pulling his head out of his ass. Still no apology, but the night is young. And now he lives in my apartment complex.” Seriously, what in the actual fuck is going on, and why am I thinking after all this time that Mace is sincere? The man has yet to apologize. I’m a glutton for punishment, clearly.
“This is part of the process, me talking, you listening, then you’ll talk, and I’ll listen. I haven’t done enough of that, and it shows. You’ve been incredible during this entire process, and I don’t deserve any of that. As far as the date, Mom got an earful from Dad and Me. Von didn’t hear, but something tells me he’d give her more than all of us combined. You up for this, or would you rather I take you to your place and we finish this tomorrow?” The Mace I know would never ask me what I wanted when it came to making things right. He’d tell me we were talking, working things out, and then the make-up sex would commence. Too bad that won’t be on the agenda tonight—a good orgasm, a night of sleep, and tomorrow will be a new day.
“Tonight. I’m not sure I can handle day two of a rollercoaster.” Mace parks his SUV, the ridiculously expensive, ultra-luxurious Range Rover. I’ll never tell him this, but it suits him, and it’s also beyond comfortable.
“Stay there. I’ll get your door.” He squeezes my thigh one last time before his keys are out of the ignition and he’s unfolding his big body from the SUV. My eyes track his body the entire freaking time. I’m like a moth to a flame, one that will surely catch on fire once it gets too close.
TEN
Mace
The entire rideto my new place, I kept my hand on her thigh, unashamedly sliding it higher. The slit on Tyra’s dress worked in my favor. I made it to mid-thigh, my pinky finger gliding along the smooth softness of her skin. She did what I least expected. She placed her hand on top of mine, not stopping me from my escapades beneath hers. I was dying for another taste of what was once my wife.
“You’re right, I haven’t apologized, mostly because no amount of words will be enough to earn your forgiveness.” That’s what I say when I open her door, my eyes on hers, hand held out for her to take. Our eyes may be locked on one another’s, but that doesn’t mean I’m not catching the smooth expanse of her leg as she slides out of the car, slit nearly to her hip. And now I know Tyra is either bare beneath her dress or she’s wearing a thong. “I’m hoping tonight, you’ll see me trying to right my wrongs in some ways and give me another chance.”
Her throat moves as she digests my words. The one hand that isn’t holding hers clenches into a fist to keep me from feeling the swallow she just took.
A memory comes up, one of the many before shit went down.She was on her hands and knees, mattress beneath her as I walked towards her, both of us naked. Von was down for the night. I took the afternoon off work, surprising them both with a day of hanging out. Von jumping in the pool for hours at a time was followed by grilling some chicken on the grill. It’s one of the last great memories as a family we had, and the night only got better and hotter. Tyra watched and waited. I gripped my cock in my hand, stroking it as I took one step closer to her, my eyes taking in the way her ready body, back arched, ass sticking out in the air, tits the perfect handful. She licked her lips, salivating for the taste of me in her mouth. God, what I wouldn’t give to have that moment again, to feel the wet, hot softnesssurrounding me, watching her whole body move to take my cock to the back of her throat. My thumb glided along the hollow of her throat, feeling how it convulsed when she swallowed around my length. I didn’t let her suck my cock long, wanting to dominate her cunt with my cock, ass perfect for me, giving me everything. I let her smooth mouth take me a handful of times, my hips rocking in and out of her mouth until enough was enough, and I pulled her off my dick. Then she was on her knees, my hands going to her hair, the silky strands in my fingers. My mouth was on hers instantly, our tongues fighting for what we both wanted, my teeth nipping at her lower lip. The sharp breath of air she took when pain met pleasure when one hand went to her nipple, pinching it once, twice, and when she moaned into my mouth, I knew it was time to move on, both of us needing to feel one another. The back of my hand glided further south, stopping at the scar on her lower abdomen, a reverence of sorts knowing that her body carried our son, a gratefulness I could never repay.
“Mace,” she breathed out, the same way she always said my name when her voice was full of emotion. I moved further until I met slick bare skin, clit ripe, and if I’d had my way, I’d have left her mouth, lips and tongue rasping along every inch of her skin, stopping at her pebbled nipples, sucking on them like she was sucking on my lower lip as my fingers worked her pussy. I needed to feel her come on my finger, her greedy center gripping my two fingers that I thrust inside in one fell swoop. “God, more.” It was a prayer, begging for me. I slammed my fingers in and out, wishing like fuck it were my cock.
“You want more, siren? Turn around, elbows to the bed, ass in the air, and don’t lose my fingers.” She nodded, doing as I told her, taking one leg and hiking it over my forearm until her knees were to the mattress, arms spread out on both sides, hands gripping the sheets, and her head was buried as I continued to work her pussy, tightening around my fingers. I moved faster, giving her what I knew she needed.
“I’m so close!” she practically screamed out loud. The only reason she couldn’t be heard outside the room was because she’d planted her face into the fabric as she fell apart screaming my name.
“Mace? Hello? Are you in there, or are we going to stand outside all night?” Fuck, lost in the moment. And I as just getting to the good part of that night where I spread the cheeks of her ass, seeing her heat, remembering what it felt like to sink my cock inside her, wondering if she still likes her ass played with.
“Fuck, sorry, siren. We’re not going to stand out here all night.” We are so close, there’s barely an inch between our bodies. My cock is pulsing with need. The scent of coconut, fresh flowers, and desire permeates the space between us, not giving me an ounce of reprieve when it comes to wanting Tyra any way I can have her. Around me, beneath me, beside me, on top of me. There’s a hunger so deeply seated that I’m not sure I’ll ever stop.
“Okay, well, then let’s go to your place.” Her hand touches my chest right above my heart. Mine covers hers, holds Tyra captive, while my other slides around, grasping her hip, fingers grazing the top of that luscious fucking ass, and judging with how she just took a deep breath, rubbing her tits against my hand and chest, she feels it, too.
“Yeah, I’m thinking that’s a good idea right about now.” I dip down, thighs pushing between her legs. My lips graze hers lightly, and when she doesn’t move away, I press my luck, kissing her one last time, pulling her closer. I’d take this a fuck of a lot further if we were in my apartment. We’re not, though, and damn if we don’t have a lot to talk about before she lets me inside that sweet body of hers.
ELEVEN
Tyra
I,Tyra Diana Ayala, am a glutton for punishment. When Mace went quiet, clenching his jaw, his eyes lowering, desire written all over his face, I knew what he was remembering. Maybe not the exact memory or fantasy but enough to know that it was about him and me together. God, do I miss those days before life went to hell in a hand basket. And while I so badly want to fall into his arms and bed, we have to talk.
“Jesus, Mace, I hope you plan on getting some furniture for your apartment.” He opens the door, flipping a switch next to it. The set-up is much like my own place, only smaller and very, very sparse. One couch, a television on a stand in the corner, no coffee table or side table. The only other furniture is barstools beneath the counter. The breakfast nook doesn’t even have a table and chairs.
“It’s on the list, but I’m hoping not to be here very long.” I take a few steps inside his apartment and look behind me. Mace is taking off his suit jacket and lays over the arm of the couch. He’s a sight to behold, cufflinks gone, buttons undone as he folds the sleeves of his dress shirt up, showing off his muscles and ink.
“That’s probably a good thing. You didn’t take any of the furniture from the old house?” I refused to do anything with that house. It wasn’t a home, and when Mace said he was hiring an interior designer, I’d let him. The only thing I put my foot down on was Von’s room and the master bedroom.
“The bedroom stuff. Von’s set is at my parents’ right now. The buyers wanted the furniture, so I sold it with the house.” It’s then I realize he’s in a one-bedroom, unlike my two-bedroom apartment. “He’s there or with you more, so I figure downsizing wouldn’t be a bad idea, and it was time I ate some humble fucking pie.” I don’t know what to do with his admission, so I choose not to respond. If this were my place, I’d offer him a drink, take my shoes off, sit down on the couch, pull the blanket around me, and enjoy the quietness surrounding me.
“It’s a hell of a lot easier to clean, and you don’t have to yell clear across the other side in order to get someone’s attention, at least,” I reply finally as I walk towards the French doors that I know lead out to a small back porch. Mace has a view of the pond. It’s lit up, the fountain making it all the more beautiful with the sun mostly down, the sky orange and purple, getting lost in its richness.
“I made a lot of mistakes the past year and a half. I have a lot to atone for. How you’ve managed to be cordial with me when I’ve been a dick, not seeing the fault before my own eyes, I’ll never know, and I’ll never be able to thank you for being such an amazing mom and friend when I didn’t deserve it.” He comes up behind me, placing his hands on my shoulders. His warmth radiates through my body. I’m unsure why it is that men love to have the air conditioner set at Antarctica level, and even though I shouldn’t, I press back into his warmth.
“I did it for our son. There were times I’d look at you, and it was like seeing a stranger. I’d beg and pray every night that you’d come back to me, come back to us.” I take a deep breath, scared to let the shield around my heart down. “Why now? It couldn’t be just them asking you to move. It had to be something else, too, right?” I have so many questions swirling in my head, trying to decide which way to go, if I should run one way to protect my heart, or if I should run right into his arms. Of course, the latter would put Mace through hell because there is no way I’d ever dive right into a shallow pool headfirst and risk permanent injury. A euphemism obviously, but it works the same. Mace still hasn’t responded. I go to move away from his hands, ready to call it a night. Thinking that a glass of wine might help shut my brain down, a hot bath, some comfy pajamas, and then maybe I’ll be able to sleep tonight.
“I’m not letting you go. Stay, please. It wasn’t only them asking me to move out of state. It was coming home to a big empty home night after night, not having you and Von greet me at the door, eating alone, looking in the mirror and seeing a different man, a changed me, and not for the better either. I lost myself along the way, and in doing so, I lost my wife, I lost our son, and suddenly, it clicked.” Mace exhales a breath. The sensation flows across my ear and neck, causing a shiver to work from the inside of my body to the outside, skin pebbling. It makes me want more, so much more. “If I didn’t have you and Von in my life, why bother with anything else? Work was work. Friends weren’t there when the divorce hit. The only people who were a constant in my life were the people I pushed away. Life isn’t worth living without you in it.”