Fragile Truths (8 page)

He reared back then drove upwards so hard I literally lifted off his lap with the power. His hand grappled with my hair until he had it wrapped around his fist to control my movements and stop me from bucking off him. My knees and thighs burnt with the strain of both my position and his ruthless fucking but I didn’t care, if anything it brought on a more fierce need to be taken with an almighty violence I had never felt before.

As though sensing my need, my hunger for pain, he yanked hard on my hair and rammed inside me so deep I swore he entered my womb.

What the hell was this? It wasn’t just fucking, it was like… almost like we were joining and becoming one, our souls merging and connecting as our bodies were, but I was too far in the sensation of ecstasy to let it rule me.

 “Oh fuck!” He cried as I came instantly, my whole internal muscles clenching him so tight I was sure I had crushed his impressive cock. An almost overwhelming sensation of pure rapture surged through my body, making my mind scream in pleasure as my core shook with sweet pain and took control of each fibre of me with an intense rush.

He carried on fucking me with a deep raw need, his drives becoming more extreme and fierce like he wanted to bury himself in the heart of me and as though there was only me that could ever sate this need for release inside him.

I felt him swell inside me and just before he started to come, he swept my hair aside and fixed his eyes on the cluster of moles beneath my ear. Something in his eyes flashed wildly as he jerked and bucked through the ferocity of his climax. He closed his eyes briefly and cried out something strange that I didn’t understand, maybe something Italian but I wasn’t sure.

His eyes opened and dropped to my neck again before he slowly brought them to my face as I continued to look at him over my shoulder. I frowned as he expressed both guilt and… was that remorse?

What the fuck!

I pushed him off, coming to my feet and glaring at him. My pride felt as though it had been smashed and trampled on. The look of confliction in his eyes was taunting and cruel. I had never felt so cheap in my whole life and I forced back the mortification his expression was raising in me.

Hell, I hadn’t forced the arshole to screw me. He had been quite willing but then the stream of negative thoughts about myself increased tenfold with his obvious distaste. The memories of the boys and even some of the girls at school when they had found out came slamming back. I swallowed the intense pain of self-hatred and shame, their spiteful laughter echoing ruthlessly in my mind.

This wasn’t me, this ‘one night stand’ stuff had never been me and I was now mentally arguing with myself over why the hell I had done it.

Was he right to think so low of me now? Had I been an easy lay? Or had I been a crap shag like Gray had hinted at?

I gulped back the humiliation, pulled my dress back over my thighs and stormed from the room before he had even had a chance to drag himself upright.

10
^th
January 2014

Frankie

I grinned widely to myself as I spied the hint of a red bonnet creep up the side of me. “Come on, Daddy.” I muttered over the blast of
Redlight King
currently over-riding the roar of the engine through my earphones.

I could picture his own grin as he floored the pedal and pushed the engine harder, his dignity on the balance as his new girlfriend, Caroline, watched from the edge of the track.

I pursed my lips as I neared the hairpin, my father’s usual haunting spot, the spot that always drove him and his car harder and fiercer. I knew what his engine was capable of and it wasn’t close to what he was presently pushing out at, I needed to get him going faster.

I whistled in glee as I took the corner at an utterly stupid speed, a speed my Dad would have the delight in kicking my arse for when he dragged himself out of the car. He always chastised me for taking risks but today I needed the adrenaline rush.

It was working too, as my mind concentrated on each section of the course instead of reliving the look on the bastards face last night. I wouldn’t lie to myself and say his reaction afterward hadn’t hurt me, because it had. Even though he had been some random, I could honestly say it had been the best sex of my life, and I’d had enough to compare him to, ashamedly. I wasn’t proud of my past, the year where I had gone off the rails haunted me daily but nobody, even Gray, had ever
done
it for me – until last night. And to top it off, I’d lost my bag, contents included.

“Shit!” I hissed when I watched my Father push further alongside me. “Uh-uh, no way big guy.” Forcing my tongue in my cheek I pressed harder on the accelerator and smirked as I pulled ahead, the finish line within reach. He edged closer and closer until we were practically neck and neck, his action bringing forth a delighted laugh as I planned my break off.

“Just a fraction more, come on.”

As I expected he nudged an inch in front of me and peered in to me on the final straight stretch. He saluted me with two fingers and poked out his tongue. I waved with a girlie waggle of my fingers, saluted him back with my middle finger and slammed my foot down. My hot pink Corvette growled appreciatively at me through the vibration of the steering wheel as if thanking me for the chance to let her hair down then glided forward with a commanding up yours to my father as she wiggled her rear bumper at him seductively.

I laughed loudly as I pictured his frustrated growl fill the confines of his little Subaru when I coasted over the line an inch in front of him.

“One day!” He growled at me as he walked over to my car and helped me slip under the cage and out of the window.

I patted him on the back as I slid my helmet off and shook my hair out, “Never. Every damn time, Dad. I need a challenge. I think I should race Caroline, she’d probably provide more competition,” I taunted as I winked at the tall redhead who was laughing as she walked over to us.

I smiled my thanks to Noel as I threw my keys to him. “Be gentle with her,” I smiled.

“A..a..always, Miss W..Wilde,” he stuttered as he blushed furiously. Noel had worked the track for three years, since he’d been twelve. He had mental health issues and resided at Jardine House, a home for all sorts of problem children where I volunteered twice a week. He had sat with me one day as he pointed out each of the cars in the many scrapbooks he’d put together with pictures and information about hundreds and hundreds of vehicles, including motorbikes and trucks. His knowledge about each of them was astounding. I’d offered to bring him to the track with me one day, and ever since he’d hung out every day, lovingly washing, repairing and parking the cars.

“Loser buys lunch.” I gloated as Caroline laughed.

“Do you ever win?” she asked my dad.

I chuckled as I watched his face redden. “Sometimes” he defended moodily.

“Uhh, don’t fib, Daddy.”

I watched his lips move and shook my head, giving him a playful scowl. “Don’t swear at your favourite daughter,” I chastised.

He snorted loudly, “You’re my only daughter.”

“Hence, the favourite.” I nudged him with my elbow and beamed at him until he chuckled and slipped his arm around my shoulder.

“Yes and I’d like to keep you. That move around the hairpin was stupid and dangerous.”

Told you.

I sighed and nodded, “Yes, Daddy. Sorry, Daddy.”

“Don’t be facetious, Francesca. I mean it.”

I nodded in surrender but winked at Caroline behind his back. “Um, didn’t you take your advance driving course when you joined the police force?”

“Piss off, Fran.”

“No wonder they dragged you in for your dismal arrest rate lately, you probably struggled to keep up with them.”

“I swear you’re talking yourself out of lunch.” He muttered as he strode further ahead.

Caroline was chuckling to herself as she sped up to catch up with him. “Oh come on Harry, I think it’s rather sweet that you let your daughter win.” I snorted as she made a hand gesture behind her back to me, miming a fishing action as she reeled him in.

“Yes,” he nodded firmly as he smiled enthusiastically at her. “I didn’t want to embarrass her in front of you, sweetheart, what with it being the first time you two met.”

She nodded respectfully as he slipped his hand into hers and I smiled. I was glad for him. He hadn’t even looked at another woman since my mother passed and I had begun to give up on him ever finding love again but I liked Caroline; she was very pretty, fun and my super powers, as Mags often referred to my ability to read people, told me she was genuine and dependable.

“Come on, Pudding.” My Dad shouted over his shoulder, “Let’s fill that extra wide ass of yours with some food.”

“It’s hereditary you old sod,” I scowled haughtily.

Tate

I traced the photo on her driving license with my fingertip, smirking at the name change from Belling to Wilde, she was definitely that. I closed my eyes and sighed. What the fuck had I done?

I hadn’t wanted it to be like that but I’d sensed her need and my ego had stepped up to give her the ride of her life. I had wanted her to feel good, feel sexy and beautiful and I’d sensed that she’d needed that; I’d also felt that she craved the hard fuck, the rush of pain and that had surprised me but I’d made sure I’d given it her. I’d actually wanted to please her. Me – Tate Nardini – had for once thought about a woman’s pleasure more than my own.

 As soon as I’d sunk inside her warm delicious pussy, a pussy that had been so exquisite I’d wanted to blow as soon as I was fully sheathed inside her, I had felt the shudder of carnality ripple through her. She had been tight, hot and fucking amazing, just as I’d expected her to be.

I was angry with myself now though. All the years I’d stood in the background and watched her, guarded her like some sad disturbed stalker and forced myself to stay away, and all it had taken was a simple flutter of her eyelashes and a small piece of attention and I was falling at her feet – literally.

I think I had frightened her when I had knelt before and practically idolised her but I saw the flash of something in her eyes as I had looked up at her; recognition, or at the very least a glimpse of something familiar.

She hadn’t a clue who I was and I wasn’t sure if that aggrieved me or comforted me.

“Hey,” Bella grinned at me as she dropped down beside me on the sofa. “You okay? You look a little… contemplative.”

I quirked a brow at my sister’s pretty face and smirked, “Get you with the long words. I gather you’re enjoying college?”

“Very much,” she disclosed with a bright smile, one that also pained me as it was a replica for her brother’s, as were her sparkling blue eyes. She leant into me and rested her head on my shoulder. “Tate, can I ask you something?”

I frowned, “Sure.”

She was silent for a moment then took a deep breath. “When are you going to actually swallow that damn pride of yours and ask her out?”

I frowned deeper and reared back so I could see her face. She lifted her eyes to me then dropped them and gestured towards the driving license in my fingers. Shit, I hadn’t even realised I still had hold of it. “What? This is just something that was left in the club last night.”

She snorted then sighed. “Do you want me to introduce you to her? She’s very nice.”

“What! You know her?” She nodded then gulped and I narrowed my eyes on her as I slid back slightly and regarded her sceptically, “Come on; tell me how you know her.”

She shifted her eyes to the door joining the kitchen where Mom and Pop were fiddling with the last preparations for dinner, the amazing aroma of sweet pasta and herbed pork filling every inch of the large house. “You can’t tell Pop I’ve told you this.”

I nodded in confirmation then sank my teeth into my lower lip when I sensed I was going to hear something I wasn’t going to like. “Well Pop got me an apprentiship at the law firm where she works.”

“Oh.” I didn’t know what else to say but I was a little pissed off that I was the last to hear about it but then something about her revelation hit a nerve and I stared at her, “Why did he do that?”

She shrugged and sighed as she looked back towards the door to make sure we were still alone. “He… God Tate, you can’t tell him I’ve told you about this…”

I nodded encouragingly as I leant a little closer to her when she dropped her voice. “I don’t know what it is with him and Fran but he wanted me to keep an eye on her and keep him up to date with stuff concerning her.”

“What!” I barked out a little too loudly, “When?”

“Ssshhh,” she chastised with a scowl, “A few weeks ago. He said she was the daughter of an old friend and he was just
‘interested’
in her.” She lifted her brow and made finger quotes with the word ‘interested’.

“I…” I was stunned. It didn’t make sense at all. The times when I was younger came slamming back, especially the beating he’d given me the time I’d asked after Frankie, so why would he now be making Bella watch her? “And?”

“And?” she echoed in confusion.

“And what have you found out?” She gulped and the hairs on the back of my neck sizzled with my little sister’s anxious expression, “Bella?”

“Well,” she pursed her lips as if contemplating her words. “She’s stubborn, very stubborn. In fact I have a feeling that tenacity she has will be the death of her.”

“What the hell are you on about?”

Her eyes lifted to mine with a look of apprehension on her face, making me swallow harshly as each of the hairs on my body reared up in fear. “She’s - so I’ve heard in the office anyway, she’s got some info on someone who she’s prosecuting for the CPS.”

Oh Fuck!

“On who?” I asked slowly but already had a feeling I knew before Bella answered. His court case was all over the press and stuff was been murmured about in the criminal circle. “ON WHO!”  I snapped as I grabbed her arm too forcefully, making her jump but give me a pained glance.