“Don’t start that shit again. I’m not the reason we got divorced. This victim act is getting old.”
“I’m just saying, you’re punishing me for wanting to spend time with my daughter. That’s not fair.”
“And you’re the authority on fair, Mr.FuckingAdultery?”
I take a step back. Kendra has too much control over this situation, and engaging her in an argument can only hurt me. “I’m not going to fight with you again. I’ll see you next time.”
I head back into the building. Kendra just wants to hurt me, but Marissa suffers too. If Kendra really thought I didn’t want time with Marissa, she’d probably have Marissa here every weekend. If I hadn’t worried how the judge might take it, I’d have considered asking for no time at all to get the reaction I wanted from Kendra.
I left that Connecticut life behind because I felt helpless going to a job I hated every day and returning to a wife I didn’t love. But I’m just as helpless now. I don’t have a steady income or much say in how my daughter’s raised. When I tried to tell Kendra it was too early to introduce Marissa to her boyfriend, she threw Sadie in my face. Marissa met Sadieoncein the hallway between our apartments. Kendra was there; she knows it was an accident and that Marissa had no idea who Sadie was.
The sliver of light in all of this is Halston. It’s the first time I’ve had someone to revive me after one of Kendra’s soul-sucking sessions. Halston doesn’t treat me like a pawn or an ATM. The way she looked up at me from the bed moments ago, eyes wide, cheeks pink, lips parted, is what it means to be a man. Her man. She’s a girl I want to turn into a woman, and I want to start now. I’ve been aching for this since I opened her journal.
I burst into the apartment and head straight for my bedroom. The shower is on.Perfect, since I plan on doing dirty things to her.
I stop at my nightstand for a condom, nearly breaking off the handle when I yank the drawer open. I peel off my t-shirt and step out of my sweats before entering the bathroom.
Halston turns quickly, covering her breasts. “Finn? What—”
I tear the condom packet open with my teeth. “I told you to be ready.”
She keeps her hands where they are. “I’ll only be another minute.”
“I can’t wait that long.” I strip off my underwear and start rolling on the condom.
“I’m not ready,” she says. “I thought you’d be longer.”
I open the door, and she backs into a corner.
“I have no makeup on, my hair’s all tangled—”
I step into the shower, shaking out my mop when water beats it down, and close in. “This is exactly how I want you,” I say when I’m standing over her. “Stripped down to nothing. Nowhere to hide.”
Her smooth, white throat ripples when she swallows. Her eyes are huge and gray. Any fog from the night I met her is gone. She’s open right now. For so long, I’ve just wanted to connect with someone. Not someone—theone. And now, she’s here—soaking wet, looking a bit petrified—but here. I forget about the last ten minutes downstairs. Those minutes, months, years of making mistakes? They were leading me to this, my girl. I can’t be mad about that. I can only be happy and grateful to finally have her. Not to mention horny as fuck to finallyclaimher. “I want you raw. Just you and me, Halston. Nothing else.”
She drops her hands, and I take her face in mine. I kiss her so hard, she squeaks. Her back is glued to the tile, but I can’t seem to slow down. I grope her breasts, squeeze her ass to bring her even closer. I shouldn’t fuck her right off the bat. I shouldn’t. I can’t wait, though. I’ll take my time later. I hook my hand under her left knee and lift her leg until her thigh is pressed against her breast. Reluctantly, I stop kissing her, but I don’t move a millimeter from her mouth. “Want me to slow down?”
“No.”
I line my dick up with her opening and thrust halfway in. She sucks in a breath. “How about now?” I ask.
She squeezes her eyes shut and shakes her head. I need to be all the way in, rooted to the base of my cock. But I enlist all my patience and stay where I am while she adjusts to my size. I’m big, and I might’ve guessed she’d be this tight. “Look at me.”
She opens her eyes, and they’re full of fire. “Do it,” she says.
“Do what?” I urge. I want to hear her.
Her voice wavers adorably when she says it, even though I can tell she’s trying to sound confident. “Fuck me.”
I squeeze her leg, lifting it even higher so she inhales sharply. “I changed my mind,” I say, easing into her inch by inch. “I want you to feel as tortured as I am.”
“I do,” she rushes out. “I’ve wanted this as much as you. More.”
“I don’t believe you. When we met outside that gallery, you barely noticed me.”
“That’s not true,” she says. “I thought you were sexy. I didn’t think . . . someone like you’d be interested in me.”
“And now?” I ask, licking my lips. When I’ve sunk as deep as I can get, I thrust my hips once, ramming her against the wall. “Think I’m interested now?”
