Getting Some

And this is where the situation gets worse. My lawyer has told me that, proceed of crime or not, my house might have to be sold in order to repay the victim—the Wishes Come True Foundation. My lawyer and I are awaiting word on this very matter, but the bottom line is that despite being entitled to half of my house, I might get nada. Zilch. Not one red cent. Sometimes I feel so much anger that I want five minutes alone with Charles in a room—me, Charles and the meat cleaver I’ll use to disfigure him.

Then I think about the fact that were it not for Charles being the con artist he is, I wouldn’t have met Dominic, the auditor investigating the embezzlement. And meeting Dominic has been the best thing for me.

If not for Dominic, I’d be homeless right now. Not that I couldn’t stay with Claudia or Lishelle, but what can I say? I can’t resist the lure of a hard cock every night and every morning. Until Dominic decides to kick me out—which I hope he doesn’t!—I’m going to be staying with him.

Tilting my head to the right, I peer at Dominic’s face. I love all those angles and grooves. The man is too darned sexy. His eyes are still closed, and the steady sound of his breathing tells me he’s still asleep. My eyes venture lower, to his naked body uncovered by our sheets. Like every morning, Dominic’s penis is erect.

I reach for it. Touch the tip ever so lightly. When Dominic doesn’t stir, I take his cock into my palm and stroke it. Now he moans softly, but still doesn’t wake up.

All I have to do is touch him and I’m turned on. I want more of him.

Unable to resist myself, I ease my body down the bed and position my head over his cock. A quick glance upward tells me Dominic is still asleep.

He won’t be for long.

I hold his cock steady and slip it into my mouth. Dominic’s body jerks slightly, an involuntary reaction. I move my tongue slowly around and around the tip of his shaft before I draw it deeper into my mouth.

Hearing a deep moan now, I look toward Dominic’s face. His eyes are still closed, and I don’t know if he’s in dreamland or realizes that this wet dream is reality.

I run my tongue up and down the length of his shaft, then lower, to his testicles.

“Baby…” Dominic’s voice is groggy.

As I look up at him, I grin. “Morning.”

“I thought I was dreaming. Shit, what a nice way to wake up.”

I don’t answer, instead using my mouth to skillfully torture him. I suck on the tip of his penis like it’s a big, juicy lollipop, and soon, Dominic is groaning loudly.

He reaches for my shoulders and urges me forward. “Climb on top of me.”

I do so, straddling my legs over Dominic’s hips.

“I meant my face,” he tells me. “Climb on my face.”

Just the thought of it elicits a moan from my throat. I’m not sure anything gets me off more than sitting on his face and looking down at him as he’s got my clit in his mouth.

As I move my hips upward, to Dominic’s face, he grips my ass with one hand while the other goes to my pussy. He runs a finger along my folds, then grins at me.

“So wet, baby. Before I even touched you.”

His mouth is close to my vagina as he speaks, and his hot breath makes me quiver.

“I could probably come before you even lick my pussy. Just looking down at you like this, knowing how close you are…”

“Really? So you don’t want me to do this?” Dominic’s hot tongue flicks over my nub.

“Mmmm…”

“Or this?” Now he covers me with his mouth and suckles—hard and strong.

My hips buck and my right leg shakes. “It’s too much…it’s too intense…”

He pulls his mouth away but massages my nub. “You’re so wet,” he murmurs before laving me with his tongue. “I love how you taste… Can’t get enough… Say this pussy is mine…”

The delicious friction of his tongue has me panting. “My pussy…is yours. Only yours.”

Dominic slips a finger inside me before suckling my clit again, and this is when I start to unravel. I look into his eyes, and our gazes lock as he sucks on my pussy gently this time, making these soft, slurping sounds.

Sweet heaven, I come. Come hard. Arching my back, I cry out from the pleasure of my orgasm. My hips writhe against his mouth, as if desperate to be free of the exquisite torture, but he holds me in place. Still he tortures me with his teeth and tongue, still pleasures me with his fingers, making the orgasm as sweet as any I’ve ever experienced.

My body drained, all I can do is whimper. Dominic whips me over onto my back, finds my center with his cock, and enters me with one blinding thrust. My whimper turns into a loud moan. Already I’m at the edge of another orgasm.

Dominic rams me hard, giving me no mercy. And I don’t want mercy. I want exactly this—passionate and crazed fucking.

Knowing I’m about to lose control, I grip the bedsheets and lock my feet around his waist as I go over the edge. This time, Dominic swallows my moans with a kiss. My entire body shudders as my orgasm passes through me like a giant wave.

And then Dominic rolls over onto his back, taking me with him. His cock, still burrowed inside of me, reaches me at an even deeper place. He holds my hips firmly and guides me back and forth, back and forth, over his crotch. My clit, already sensitive, responds to the friction of skin against skin.

“Dominic, baby…I’m gonna…” He takes one of my nipples into his mouth and hungrily sucks it. I’m lost in an ocean of overpowering sensations. “Oh, baby. I’m gonna come…again!”

I barely get the words out before my body explodes. This orgasm is the absolute sweetest, the most intense. I throw my whole body backward, squeeze Dominic’s legs for support, and ride this wave of pleasure while I ride his strong, hard cock. His hands cover my breasts and I hear his deep groans. I know he’s close.

“Look at me,” he rasps.

With effort, I throw my body forward and gaze down at the man I love.

“Yes, that’s it. Fuck, you’re hot. So beautiful.”

Dominic’s hips buck slightly, and he grips me harder. I can see in his eyes the moment his orgasm takes control of him.

Now I kiss him, swallow his moans of passion as his seed spills inside me.

“I love you,” he murmurs.

His words express everything I feel.

I stroke his face and say, “I know, sweetheart. And I love you, too.”

After we make love, Dominic and I take a quick shower together. He has to head off to his office, and I…well, I don’t know what I’ll do. Ever since the news broke about Charles, my business has dropped to practically nil. Even some people who’d already booked photography sessions with me canceled. I was ready to refund all of their initial deposits, but Dominic told me that wasn’t a smart business practice, and if people were going to fire me because of my husband’s actions, they were far too judgmental and didn’t deserve their money back. I followed Dominic’s advice, even if I have mixed emotions about it. It’s not in my nature to be so hard-nosed when it comes to business—which is likely why I haven’t been more successful.

At least Dominic’s brother, Sebastian, has hired me for his September wedding, and he and his fiancée have booked a great package. But I need more business than that.

Maybe I’m crazy, but I’m not nearly as stressed about the demise of my business as I should be. And if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that crying about something will get you nowhere. I’ve decided to take a moment in my life to pause and reflect before moving on. Oh, I have every intention of making my business the success I’ve always wanted it to be. But I need money to do that—to advertise, especially—and right now I can barely afford to pay the property’s rent.

It could be because of my religious upbringing, but I’m going to have faith that everything will work out.

As Dominic dresses, I slip into a silk robe. I lie on the bed and watch him. I like to watch him. And not just because he’s got the body of a god, but because I take immense pleasure in watching him do the simple things he does every morning when he gets ready for work.

It gives me a sense of security, I suppose. And the sense of intimacy I so craved with my ex.

“Whoo, you are looking hot!” I exclaim. He’s dressed in a neatly pressed white shirt, open at the collar, and a pair of black slacks. He looks as amazing with his clothes on as he does with them off.

He smiles softly at me, meets me at the bed, then lowers his head to mine and gives me a quick kiss on the lips. When he pulls away, I moan.

“You know I have to get going,” he says.

“I know. That doesn’t mean I want you to.”

Normally Dominic and I would engage in a bit more sexual flirtation, but today, he eases himself off the bed, gives my hand a kiss, then heads out of the bedroom.

Hmm. Odd.

I scramble off the bed and follow Dominic to the front door. I give him a big, openmouthed kiss that promises there’s plenty more where that came from. But Dominic doesn’t respond the way I expected, with the usual growl from his throat, the one that tells me he hates having to leave me when what he wants most to do is get me flat on my back.

Now I really have to wonder what’s going on.

“Dom?” I step back to fully look at him. “Honey, is something wrong?”

He shakes his head.

“Are you sure? You don’t seem…yourself.”

“I’m just wondering about the future.”

Panic stirs inside me. “Meaning?”

“If you’ll still love me as much in a couple months as you do right now.”

Now I laugh. Is he actually insecure about my feelings for him? I move toward him, take one of his hands in mine, and slip it beneath my robe. Then I force his fingers to touch my naked pussy. “Ask me again if you think I won’t love you as much in a couple months.”

“Seriously, Annelise. Things will be coming to a head soon. With me testifying against Charles.”

“Oh. That.” I wave a hand, as if to dismiss his concern. “I couldn’t care less what you do to Charles in the courtroom. The son of a bitch deserves it.”

“You say that now, but when you see me on the stand—”

“I wasn’t planning to be in the courtroom, if that makes you feel any better.”

“I guess a little.”

Every time I’m around Dominic, I want to touch him. Literally, I can’t get enough of him. I’m like a teenager in heat.

I run my hands through his black hair. “I know something else that would make you feel way better.” I wink at him. “But I’d have to get down on my knees, right here in the doorway. The neighbors might talk. But, hey, I’m game.”

Dominic shakes his head as he looks at me, a smile playing on his lips. “You’re a total nymphomaniac.”

Am I? I certainly am not the same woman I was when I was married to Charles. But almost a year and a half of no sex will make any woman a sex-crazed maniac.

Of course, a guy like Dominic does wonders for a woman’s libido, as well.

Dominic gives me a soft kiss on my forehead. “I’ll see you later.”

“I’ll be here.”

* * *

For about a minute after Dominic leaves, I wonder if he’s being truthful. Or if he’s keeping something from me that I need to know. Then I brush those thoughts aside.

“Don’t bring your baggage from your marriage to this relationship,” I tell myself, thinking of the advice the Oprahs and Dr. Phils of the world would dole out. The truth is, Charles did a number on my self-esteem when he didn’t touch me for nearly a year and a half. But just because Charles was a liar doesn’t mean Dominic is. I have to take what Dominic tells me at face value, not start questioning anything unless there’s a real reason to.

I busy myself with household duties like dusting, laundry and cleaning the toilets. And as I do, a smile creeps onto my face. No, I’m not trying to set the feminist movement back forty years. I’m just saying that it feels right, being in Dominic’s home, doing housework like we’ve been together forever.

And maybe, just maybe, that’s what’s at the heart of my insecurity with Dominic. I don’t know him well enough to know all his quirks and nuances. The two weeks we’ve officially been a couple is hardly enough time to discover all that.

And not enough time for me to be totally secure about where our relationship will head, no matter how much I know I’m totally into him.

“You know he’s into you,” I assure myself as I head to a large, leafy plant with a duster. There haven’t been any middle-of-the-night calls, any hushed whispers as Dominic talks to a mysterious person on the phone. And perhaps more important, I haven’t had any hang-ups when I’ve answered the phone.

The telephone rings and I jump, then chuckle at the coincidence of having thought about telephone calls before it actually rang. I hurry across the living room to answer it.

“Hello?”

“Annelise?”

“Yes,” I answer, somewhat guarded.

“Annelise, it’s Nick Foster.”

“Oh, hello.” I settle into a leather armchair, wondering what my divorce lawyer has to tell me.

“Do you have any time to come and see me today? Say in a couple hours?”

“Sure,” I answer. “You have news?”

“I think it’s best if we talk in person.”

I can’t imagine what my lawyer wants to tell me, but already I’ve got a bad feeling. The fact that he wants to see me in person probably means that he’s got bad news for me.

I wince. Damn, this isn’t what I was hoping for. I need money. For my business and my day-to-day life. Yes, my friends have helped me out, and because I’ve been staying with Dominic I haven’t really needed much. But still. I want to be able to make it on my own. No more relying on a man.

The next two hours pass in slow motion, with me dreading going to my lawyer’s office but knowing I don’t have a choice. Even when I arrive at his office, I have to encourage myself to get out of the car.

“Bad news or not, you have to get this over with,” I mutter.

I finally open the door and exit the car.

“Annelise.” Nick Foster, a tall and attractive black man, stands when his secretary ushers me into his office. He pumps my hand from across his desk. “How are you?”

“Truthfully? I’m a little bit stressed about what you’re going to tell me.”

“Stressed? Don’t be stressed.”

“I am…unless you tell me otherwise. That I don’t need to be.”

Nick cracks a smile as he sits in his chair. He opens a folder on his desk and says, “You don’t need to be.”

Now my heart leaps with hope. “Are you saying—”

“I’ve got great news for you, Annelise. Your portion of the house—it’s all yours.”

My hand is shaking as I raise it to my mouth. “Oh my God. This isn’t a joke? This—it’s for real?”

“It’s for real. The matrimonial home will be sold, and you’ll get exactly half of the proceeds.”

“And Charles?”

“His half will likely have to go toward repaying the Wishes Come True Foundation, but I can’t be sure about that.”

“And my half is absolutely safe. The courts or whoever can’t change their minds tomorrow?”

“Basically, your house was a joint asset before Charles’s fraud. You aren’t guilty in that crime, and the courts agree that you shouldn’t have to lose what is rightfully yours. Charles has victimized enough people. You can put your house on the market as soon as possible.”

I blow out a shaky breath. “Wow. So this is over?”

“Not entirely.”

My face drops. “No?”

“Your divorce still needs to be finalized.”

“Oh. Right.” I chuckle. Compared to getting over this hurdle, the dissolution of my marriage seems like a minor detail to deal with.

“And, to that end, I’m meeting with the judge next week. I’m going to ask that he expedite the process, given everything. You were married to a liar, a cheater, a thief. Clearly, you want the union absolved as soon as possible.”

“Exactly.”

“I think this will go our way.”

“I wish it could be over tomorrow.”

“Understandably. But at least we’ve gotten past the biggest hindrance.”

“Thank God.”

“Now, there’s still the issue of Charles’s other assets. Until the state has figured out what it’s doing, I can’t make you any promises. However, based on what I’ve been able to learn, it looks like much of his property and other assets were most likely purchased with stolen money.”

“I don’t care about the rest of it,” I tell him, meaning it. “As long as my portion of the house is safe.” I pause, happiness filling my chest. “Oh, Nick. Thank you.”

“I’m just the messenger.”

“Oh, you’re more than that. I know you’ve been making calls on my behalf. Lobbying for me.”

“You’re a victim in this, just like the children from the foundation.”

“Thank you.” I reach across the desk and shake Nick’s hand. “Thank you, thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

I can’t stop grinning.

“Now, I can handle getting a real estate agent for you. Or you can do it. Whatever you like.”

I’m already paying enough money per hour for Nick’s services. There’s no need to let him handle aspects I can deal with myself. “I’ll call someone. Hopefully the house will sell right away.”

“I have a friend who’s a real estate agent, and I can put you in touch with him if you like. He can deal with the legal issues of selling the house that are required in this situation, given its special circumstances. He can control the money and cut you a check for your half directly, minus his commission, of course.”

Of course. People might have your best interests at heart…for a cost.

But I can’t worry about that, especially since the reality is that, despite any commission I’ll have to pay, I stand to collect a pretty penny. Charles and I bought that house when we were first married five years ago, and house prices in our neighborhood have gone up greatly since then. We paid off the mortgage after one of Charles’s large class-action cases settled, which means I should walk away with some sizable cash. Likely a little over three hundred grand after the commission is paid.

Three hundred thousand dollars! With that kind of money, I can easily invest what’s necessary into my business.

“Annelise?”

“I’m sorry.” I know that, as I meet Nick’s eyes, I’m grinning like a fool. “What were you saying?”

“I’ll let you know what the judge says about expediting your divorce.”

“Great.”

“I don’t anticipate any problems.”

“I can’t thank you enough for all your help, Nick.” Of course, I’ll owe him a pretty penny as well, but now I can afford to pay him! And it’s money well spent.

“That’s my job.” He closes the folder. “Please, when you get an offer for your house that you want to accept, let me know.”

“Absolutely.”

I reach across the table and shake Nick’s hand again.

When I turn to leave, I’m so high on happiness that I practically float out of the office.

Three

Lishelle

I have got The Headache from Hell. I rub my temples and groan as I stare at Linda Tennant, my station manager. She’s sitting on the armchair in my dressing room, while I’m on the folding chair in front of the mirror. The makeup artist recently finished doing my face for the six-o’clock news.

“I’m just saying,” Linda says, “you need to give me more than this. Some sort of concrete direction.”

“All I know is that it needs to be a pledge drive.”

“A nationwide pledge drive,” Linda says, her tone doubtful.

“Yes,” I respond without hesitation. “I’d really like to coordinate this with our sister stations across the country. That’s what will make this fund-raising effort unique—as well as raise much more money for the Wishes Come True Foundation.”

“I’m not saying it isn’t a great idea…in theory. But a nationwide fund-raising effort—that’s going to take time. Honestly, by the time we all coordinate schedules, it could be a year before this event takes place.”

“A year?” I all but gasp. “That’s way too long.”

“I’m giving you my opinion.”

“But we need to do this now. Strike while the iron is hot. The embezzlement story has been big news across the country. This is when people will be more likely to give—a lot.”

“I hear you. And we can definitely try to do something on our end. It’s the coordinating it with our sister stations that’s going to be tough.”

“We’ll work it out,” I say confidently. How, God only knows. But I want to see this happen. Soon. Before everyone forgets about the tragic turn of events the foundation faced. Now is the time that people will happily dig into their pockets and give. But a year from now? Who knows?

“I’m open to whatever ideas you have,” Linda says.

“I’ll get you something.” If it means I have to start making calls to all of our sister stations across the country, then I’ll do that.

When Linda leaves my dressing room, I stare at my reflection in the mirror. I don’t like what I see. Even with makeup, the dark circles under my eyes are noticeable. I haven’t admitted this to any of my friends, but I haven’t been sleeping well since Glenn screwed me over. And I’ve been far more stressed than I thought I would be.

I was able to exact some delicious revenge on my ex-boyfriend, but I realized after that, that the greatest reward would be doing something to benefit all those kids. My friends Claudia and Annelise agreed. Which is why I’m hell-bent on seeing this nationwide fund-raiser come to fruition.

I sigh and turn away from the mirror. Am I expecting too much? Should I coordinate a local fund-raising drive and forget the grandiose plans?

But that’s not what I want. This means a lot to me. I want more than anything to see something positive come of the heartache my girlfriends and I suffered at the hands of the men we loved. And I can’t think of anything more positive than raising money for the terminally ill children who were robbed.

Of course, it also helps that every moment I spend thinking about how I’ll make this fund-raiser happen is a moment I’m distracted from the memory of just how badly my heart was broken.

Two days later, I’m more than ready to get together with my girlfriends at our regular Sunday brunch spot. I arrive at Liaisons to see that Claudia and Annelise are already there, three mimosas on the table.

“Thank God,” I say as I slip into the booth beside Claudia, already reaching for my drink. The mimosa goes down smooth, hits the spot inside me that needs to be soothed.

“And we’re chopped liver?” Claudia asks playfully.

“Oh, hi, you two.” I smile sweetly as Annelise rolls her eyes.

“It’s been one of those weeks,” I explain. “The planning for our pledge drive is stressing me out. My station manager is basically saying that we can’t coordinate a nationwide effort—at least not in the time frame we want to do this. I want to prove her wrong, but I don’t know if that’s possible.”

“It’ll work out,” Annelise says.

Her carefree attitude irritates me slightly. “That’s very Pollyanna of you, but this shit is turning out to be harder than I’d hoped.”

“And I understand that,” Annelise tells me. “I guess I’m just saying that for today you should try to relax, put everything negative out of your mind. Things have a way of working out despite how much we fret over them.”

I examine her then. Annelise has been looking really happy lately, despite the uncertainty in her life, but today she looks especially so. I ask her, “Something going on that I should know about?”

“Oh, yeah,” Claudia chimes. “Annelise has some amazing news. And so do I.”

“Well, spill it.” I sip my mimosa. “I could use some good news, even if it’s not mine.”

Before Annelise can speak, a woman shows up at our table. I’m a little surprised that it’s not Sierra, the cute Asian girl who has been our regular waitress for as long as I can remember.