I cried out, protesting.
He shifted again, this time he yanked my jeans and pulled them down, stepping on them to push them the rest of the way. Once they were clear, I was being lifted higher for him.
My legs wound around him.
Then he was there, his cock at my entrance, and he surged inside.
We both paused at the feel.
I moaned as he cursed under his breath. “Goddammit.” His hand flexed, one cupping my ass and the other bracing us against the wall. “I can’t go gentle. I can’t—tell me that’s okay. Jesus, Ava. Tell me that’s okay.”
“It’s okay.” I gasped just as he began to move inside me.
He went hard, surging in, sliding out, and sheathing himself right back inside of me.
Fuck.
It was intense. There was nothing smooth about this sex, but I loved it. Wave after wave of pleasure was crashing down on me.
He held me up, and I wrapped my legs tighter around his waist as he pounded me.
I saw stars when I came.
10
AVA
The next morning, my phone rang and it wasthecall.
Come to the nursing home because Grandmum was going. I rolled over in Zeke’s bed, dressed, and didn’t say a word. When I came out of the bathroom, he was dressed as well and waiting for me.
He drove me to the nursing home.
I went into the room and sat, holding Grandmum’s hand and my mom’s. I had no idea how long we sat there, but it felt like time stopped. A vacuum settled around us. It was only us, only what we were going through, and that was all that mattered. The other world kept going, but I ceased paying attention to it.
Me. Mom. Grandmum.
Until Grandmum left.
Zeke drove me places. He brought me food. He was in the background, always there.
My mom noticed him, but she never asked, and he never made a fuss to be introduced.
Grandmum already had everything planned ahead of time, so the funeral was small. A few neighbors came. Some of my mom’s friends. But Grandmum had kept to herself. She had no siblings, and my mom didn’t either, like me.
Zeke didn’t go to the funeral. He asked if I wanted him there, but I didn’t. I just wanted it small. I wanted to hold my mom’s hand the whole time, so that’s what I did.
It was a week after that when Mom’s move was final.
A month later when the house was sold.
I had people who checked on me. My bosses from Manny’s. My bosses from the horse stable. My colleagues from both places. Roy even called. There were still others, some people who thought kindly of me from high school. Two of my community college classmates. Flowers and food were sent, but now I was in my apartment and it was my first night.
My first night being alone.
I couldn’t handle it.
11