And not getting any better.

“She told me,” Jake shared.

Amond nodded and went on. “Wanted to keep her, she was not hip on that, so I kept her the only way she’d let me do it. I’m unattached but this is not about that. This is just about her bein’ a good woman that means somethin’ to me.”

Jake did nothing but nod.

Amond kept going.

“That’s outta the way, she’s dancin’ around shit and I’m guessin’ that you and your kids got a place seein’ as you live here but you’re in her house. And her house is a fuckin’ nice house. What I wanna know is, what is she dancin’ around and why the fuck you got you and your kids in my girl’s house?”

“I want her safe,” Jake replied.

“From what?” Amond fired his question back instantly.

“Her uncle is contesting the will. Since this news came down on her, we’ve not heard anything. The firm her grandmother has used for years for counsel is not returning her calls. Her uncle is old but he’s got a history of bein’ a supreme asshole. That house means a lot to her, I’m not lettin’ her alone in it or takin’ her away from it to keep her at my place when he’s out there and I don’t know what he’s up to. But more, she doesn’t know what he’s up to and I know she feels safe there so that’s where she’s stayin’. Since she is, to keep her feelin’ that way, so am I. And I come with my kids.”

Amond moved to one of the chairs in front of his desk and leaned his weight into a hand at the back of it before asking, “What’s the story on this uncle?”

“I was close to her grandmother and she told me she’s not talked to her son for twenty-eight years, this bein’ when she got custody of Josie when her other son beat the shit outta her, put her in the hospital and she was not down with that. Her older boy was not big on her gettin’ involved. Bad blood turned acid and that was the last she ever heard from her boys. Seein’ as they were hanging tight after Josie’s dad knocked the crap outta her, I see where Lydie was comin’ from, cuttin’ those ties. Now, he’s in it for the money and maybe to jack Josie. I’m gonna see that doesn’t happen.”

He kept talking even when Amond’s eyes narrowed and his pissed off energy filled the room. When he was done talking, the man’s demeanor didn’t change even a little bit.

“Put her in the hospital?” he whispered.

“Yep. But he’s dead. His brother unfortunately isn’t. They were bad seeds from the beginning and grew that way, taught by a dad who by Lydie’s account was even fuckin’ worse.”

“Jesus, fuck.” Amond was still whispering.

“That’s about it,” Jake agreed.

“I didn’t know any of this shit,” Amond told him.

“If Lydie didn’t share, I’d still be trying to crack that nut. Josie didn’t give it to anyone. Not even Gagnon, until recently,” Jake replied.

“This guy have a name?” Amond asked.

Now, thank fuck, their conversation was getting better.

“You wading in?” Jake asked back.

“Fuck yeah,” Amond said.

“Davis Malone, the uncle,” Jake shared immediately. “Think he’s bankrolled by Boston Stone, a local big man who has a small dick, Josie wasn’t interested in it, made that clear and he wants to make her pay by gettin’ Lavender House. They got counsel by the name of Terry Baginski whose ass I unfortunately tapped a long time ago, didn’t enjoy it, didn’t call, and I don’t know if she’s just a bitch or a bitch with a grudge. But she’s waded in too.”

“How dirty you want it?” Amond asked and Jake didn’t exactly understand the question but he also didn’t care.

“I’m in love with her so I want her breathing easy and doin’ that quick. That house is all she’s got left of her grandmother. I got her in a good place where she feels safe with me, my kids, but I figure it’s still the only place she truly feels safe. She doesn’t wanna let it go. They’ll never get that house but even the threat of it is gonna fuck with her head and I’m not good with that. Stone has the power and money to drag this out and I’m not good with Josie dealing with that either. They’re also bringing up bad shit she should not ever have to face. So I don’t know what you’re asking but you feel like getting dirty, however that comes about, I’m not gonna stand in your way.”

“I can get very dirty,” Amond told him.

“I’ll repeat, I’m not gonna stand in your way.”

“Where are you with dirty?” Amond asked.

“My hands gotta stay clean seein’ as I got a woman and kids I need to see to after this is done.”

Amond didn’t miss a beat before he asked, “You’re in love with her?”

And Jake didn’t miss a beat before he answered, “Absolutely.”

“She loves you,” Amond informed him.

“I know,” Jake replied.

Amond held his eyes.

Then he whispered, “Fuck, that kills.”

Fortunately, Jake was not, nor would ever be, in the position to feel his pain.

Still, he got him, but he said nothing.

“I’m gettin’ Henry’s fucked up vibe right about now,” Amond shared.

“She’s in good hands,” Jake told him.

“She been to your titty bar?” he asked.

“Prefer strip club, man, and yeah. She advises the girls on how to do their hair to get maximum tips.”

At that, Amond burst out in deep, loud laughter.

Jake let himself smile as he did.

When he was done, Amond gave him the stamp of approval by saying, “We’re good.”

“No offense,” Jake replied. “But I wouldn’t care if we weren’t. She’s mine and that’s not ever gonna change. But for her, I’m obliged. She’s essentially had one woman as her entire family her whole life. That one woman was a really fuckin’ good one but Josie deserves more. I’m givin’ her that. You keep things good with all of us that gives her more. And I want her to have everything.”

“Point made, brother,” Amond replied quietly, his eyes never leaving Jake’s.

“Excellent,” Jake returned.

Amond grinned. “Now I’m in the mood to check out your talent. Gotta get my crew out here, bring a roll of fifties ‘cause I snuck a peek, man, and gotta say, bumfuck Maine has got some seriously fine tail.”

And that was when Jake grinned.

* * * * *

Holding her down with his hands at her wrists in the pillow over her head, Jake rode his woman.

The only thing she could use to latch on with were her legs and her pussy so she had her legs wrapped tight around the backs of his thighs and her pussy was pulsing around his cock.

Jesus.

Heaven.

Just like Josie, she was getting there fast.

“Hold on, baby,” he whispered against her mouth as she panted against his.

“Jake,” she breathed, squirming under him.

He rolled his hips, thrust in and he knew he hit the spot when her pussy clutched him tight.

Jesus.

Heaven.

“Hold on, Josie.”

“God.”

He kept taking her.

She kept squirming, panting, her legs tightening.

“Let me have my hands, darling,” she begged.

“Let me ride you, honey,” he returned, rolling his hips back, powering in, and getting a soft, sexy gasp.

Beautiful.

He kissed her, driving his tongue inside as he drove his dick into her.

Her head tilted at the same time it came off the bed so she could press her mouth against his to get more.

He drove in harder.

She tore her mouth from his, turning her head to the side, whimpering, “I can’t hold on.”

“Then let go.”

She let go, he heard it and felt it. Gliding his hands up, he threaded his fingers in hers and she clasped tight as she moaned low and used his thighs as leverage to lift her hips into his thrusting ones.

He took her harder.

She kept whimpering, moaning, panting and clutching him with everything she had, her fingers releasing and gripping each time she took his cock.

Gorgeous.

So fucking gorgeous, it moved over him. He slammed deep, shoved his face in her neck and let it happen.

She slid her heels up his thighs so she could wrap her legs around his hips and she did this tight, holding onto his hands, clenching her pussy around his cock.

His hips bucked twice as he poured himself inside her.

When it left him, he tasted the skin of her neck, smelled the remnants of her perfume, the scent of her hair, liking all that but not as much as her pussy undulating against his cock in her own aftermath.

Fuck yeah, he liked to have her ungloved.

Finally, he felt her lips at his ear where she asked quietly, “Can I have my hands now?”

He pressed his forearms deeper into the pillow, pressing her hands deeper into it, as he lifted slightly up to look down at her, her hair now dark in the shadows, spread all over. He couldn’t see her distinctly but he still knew she was the prettiest thing he’d ever seen, the best lay he’d ever had, the best thing that had ever happened to him.

So he gripped her hands harder with his fingers and dropped his head to give her a slow, deep, long kiss and he kept giving it to her until her legs grew taut around his ass and her fingers clenched his.

Only then did he let her mouth and hands go.

She immediately moved her arms to wrap them around him and she used them as well to hold on tight.

“I think I like you waking me up when you get back from the club,” she noted and his body started moving on hers, doing it to shake with laughter.

She would.

He’d woken her with a kiss then he kissed her other places and did it for a long time. Only after that did he fuck her.

She liked his mouth.

She liked his cock better.

“I’ll make a note of that,” he replied.