Something's Gotta Give (Tempered Steel Book 3) (7 page)

“You have become a crazed sex fiend, Georgia,” she murmured quietly as she picked up the toys while the smaller children napped in what was once the dining room. Raised voices came to her from the kitchen, where the older kids were supposed to be reading to themselves.

She peeked into the baby room to make sure everyone was still asleep, then headed for the kitchen. “Boys! You’re supposed to be reading, remember?” she reprimanded in a whisper. She noted the baseball bat sitting in the kitchen corner. “And what’s the bat doing in here?”

“Tommy wanted to make sure he had first swing when we went out for afternoon play,” Caleb explained.

Georgia shook her head. Some things were just more important than following the rules, like who gets the first swing in baseball. “Okay, but this is not going to become a habit.” She gave a stern look to Tommy, who hung his head and nodded.

“Now, quiet, please or no baseball for anyone.” Satisfied she had put the fear into them, she headed back down the hall to the living room.

“Hello, Georgie.” Trudy Mayweather stepped out of the shadows of the spare bathroom. She held a wicked looking knife in her hand. Her face was once again painted with a rough hand. Blood red lips and cheeks stood out against her pale, sweating skin, and the baby blue eyeshadow highlighted the crazy gleam in her eyes.

“Trudy!” Georgia put a hand to her chest. “What are you doing here?” She noted the knife firmly pointing at her. Her breath caught. What the hell was going on? Although Trudy had always been as vicious as Rochelle, Georgia had never held any ill will against the homely woman. It was obvious Trudy was only doing Rochelle’s bidding when she had been so mean to Georgia.

“You’ve made Rochelle cry and I can’t have that. Rochelle wants Chance. You need to go away.” Trudy jabbed the knife toward Georgia as she advanced and Georgia retreated until she hit the wall.

“I don’t understand. Chance is just helping me. He could leave any time.  Put the knife down and we can talk.” Georgia inched toward the front door, hoping Trudy would follow. She had to get her away from the children. Then she would figure out how to get away from her.

“You don’t have to do this, Trudy. Does Rochelle know you’re here?” Georgia prayed that Rochelle wasn’t hiding somewhere. She didn’t know how she’d get two crazy women out of the house without alerting the children.

“Don’t you say her name! You are not allowed to say her name! You have always been bad for Rochelle.” Trudy shouted. She shook the knife at Georgia. Her wild eyes gave Georgia little hope of getting away.

Georgia took hope in Trudy’s rant. Obviously, Rochelle was unaware of what her trusty sidekick was doing.
Just a few more inches,
Georgia slid closer to the door.  She didn’t remember if it was locked or unlocked, but she couldn’t stand by knowing that this crazy woman had a knife near her little ones. She tried to look to the side to see the lock. Just a few more inches.

“Why couldn’t you leave Chance alone?” Trudy whined. “Chance is for Rochelle. Now I have to get rid of you. I’m sorry, but you have to go.”

“I know you like Rochelle, but you do not have to do this. If she wants Chance, she can have him. You do not have to hurt me or anyone.” Georgia’s back hit the door.

“I love Rochelle!” Trudy screeched. “And she loves me. She tells me. She says that Chance will love me, too. When he sees us together, he will be so happy.” Trudy began to pace but continued to wave the knife at Georgia’s body. She shook her head. “I know Reverend Pyle says it’s wrong, that it’s a sin. But Rochelle makes me feel good, and I make her feel good. She tells me. She loves me, too. She just needs a man. That’s all. It’s not a sin. It’s love.” Trudy started to cry. She regarded Georgia with evil eyes. “But you’re in the way.”

Georgia frantically tried to twist the knob on the front door. With a sinking heart, she realized it was locked.
How was she going to get out of this?
Chance and Missy Dee would find her when they got back from the store.
Oh God, the kids would find her before then
. She had to get out of here. She couldn’t let the little ones see her dead in a pool of blood. “Trudy, please, let’s do this outside. You don’t want to hurt the kids.”

Trudy cocked her head to the side and looked at her. “I’m not going to hurt the kids. I just need you to go away.” Georgia heard a slight movement in the hall and Trudy whirled around, the knife facing the unknown noise. Georgia flung herself at Trudy with all of her might, knocking both of them to the floor. Georgia cracked her head on the coffee table, momentarily stunning herself. Trudy wiggled from her grasp, reaching for the knife, where it had dropped a few feet away.

Georgia knew she couldn’t reach it in time to save herself. She closed her eyes and started to pray that God would be merciful and the children would sleep through the sound of her being murdered.

Whack!

With a screech, Trudy fell on top of Georgia, the knife skittering as it hit the floor. Georgia pushed the crazy woman off her, as blood dripped down her arm. Trudy was knocked out, a vicious slash across the back of her head. Georgia looked up to see Caleb, with the baseball bat, shaking, but holding it in a firm grip. The other boys were hanging on the door frame, their eyes wide in fear. Georgia kicked the knife under the sofa so they wouldn’t have to see it and tried to get up, but a wave of dizziness sent her to her knees.

Suddenly the front door was kicked in, landing on the unconscious Trudy. Chance stepped through as Caleb swung the bat with all his might. Chance caught it in one large hand and jerked it out of the young boy’s hand. “It’s all right son. It’s over. You did just fine.”

He pulled the boy in and hugged him as the child began to cry. “She was going to hurt, Miss Peaches. She said you needed to go away and be with another lady.”

Georgia saw Missy Dee coming toward her in a blurry wave as Caleb’s words registered in her brain.
This was all her fault. She had been selfish, wanting what she knew she couldn’t have. And now, poor Caleb would live with this trauma for the rest of his life. Trudy was crazy but she was right. Chance didn’t belong with her. She couldn’t take this kind of risk. She wouldn’t. She wasn’t brave enough to face this again.

Her time with Chance had come to an end.

***

That evening, Chance bundled Georgia up after all of the children had left with their parents. Georgia had a goose egg on her forehead, but no concussion .The police were still at the house trying to piece together how it all had happened. Trudy, though not dead, was going to have a hell of a headache and a very, very, long stint in a psychiatric ward. They had also taken Rochelle into custody for questioning.

But Chance could care less about all of that. He was worried about Georgia. She now sat in his living room, staring at the TV, not uttering a word.

“Georgia, honey, it’s going to be okay. Everyone is fine. Let’s get you to bed.”

She nodded mutely and walked like a robot with him into his bedroom. He closed the door quietly and tried to take her in his arms. She stiffened immediately.

“Peaches, you need to come back to me. We need to fix this. Tell me what I can do to fix this, baby.” He gathered her in his arms, although she was still unresponsive, and held her tight.

He whispered in her ear, “Please, Peaches. You’re scaring me.”

She refused to look at him. “I think I need to shower.” He was beyond frustrated. Something was terribly wrong. He watched her walk toward the bathroom. Seconds later, he heard the shower running.

Knowing he couldn’t do anything but wait for her to come out, he made a quick decision to run up to the house and check on Missy Dee. He knew his mom was fussing over the old woman, but she had come to mean a lot to him in the past few weeks. Georgia was worried about her as well.

              He reached the back porch and opened the door to the kitchen only to find Sam and Angel kissing passionately. He started to back away, but Angel saw his movement and came out of Sam’s embrace.

“How is she doing?” Angel asked with a blush at being caught.

“Not good. She’s vacant. I can’t seem to reach her.” Chance ran a hand through his dark locks. “I was hoping maybe mom or dad would have some advice. I feel like I’m losing her.”

Angel moved out of Sam’s embrace and went to Chance. Standing on tiptoes, she kissed him on the cheek. “I’m going to go and stay with her. You take your time.” She headed out the door, and Chance was left with Sam regarding him, a severe frown on his face.

“Want some coffee?” Sam asked as he walked over to the kitchen counter and grabbed a cup.

Chance sat down heavily, his head in his hands, elbows on the scarred kitchen table “I don’t know what I want anymore. I did this to her. My fucking around did this to her.”

Sam sat across from his brother, cradling a hot coffee mug. “You got to knock that shit off, brother. You had no way of knowing. And you need to convince her of that, too. That’s what she needs. And you can’t waste time like this, either. That woman needs a strong hand. She’s floundering right now, and she needs someone to tell her she’s not alone and she has someone to lean on. She’s afraid to ask for what she needs. You need to give it to her now. Show her you aren’t going anywhere, no matter what life throws at you.”

Chance looked up at his brother in shock. “So what am I supposed to do, Sam? Just go into the house, tell her to take her clothes off and fuck some sense into her?” He shoved off the table, disgusted with his brother.

Sam came up as well. “That is not what I’m talking about and you know it. That woman is submissive. She needs a firm hand.”

Chance looked at his brother. “That may work for you and Angel, but how the hell is it supposed to work for me and Georgia, Sam? Until a few days ago, she was a fucking virgin. I’m sure she knows nothing about BDSM.”

“Then you teach her.”

“Somehow, I believe the last thing she needs right now is me to spank her ass. Thanks for nothing.”

Chance started out the door, but Sam slammed it shut. “You have no fucking idea what you’re talking about. I am not talking about “playing”. I am talking about you being the damn Dom. You go in there. You take care of her. You tell her what she needs to know. You hold her. You make love to her. You don’t give her any choice in the matter.”

Chance stared at his brother, incredulous. “You want me to kick in the door? Hasn’t she been through enough?”

Sam shook his head. “That’s not what I’m talking about at all, idiot. I’m talking about taking the choices out of her hands for tonight. She doesn’t know whether she wants to hold you or not. She doesn’t know whether she wants you to hold her or not. She doesn’t know anything other than what went on this afternoon. You need to make that shit go away, and you need to do it now.”

“And if you’re wrong?”

Sam smiled for the first time all evening. “I’m never wrong about this. The woman you love is as submissive as mine. She can’t help but try to please everyone. It’s up to you to take care of her and her needs.”

Chance let out a long breath. “She starts to cry, and I don’t know that I can handle it, man. It’s my fault after all.”

Sam looked at his brother. “You take that shit in there with you, and it will be your fault. You know in your heart you did nothing wrong. You did what every man on this planet does. You screwed around until you fell in love, brother.”

              Sam opened the door. “Did anybody else know how sick Trudy was? No, well, possibly Rochelle, but that bitch used her for her own ends. So you have nothing,
nothing,
to be ashamed of or feel guilty about.”

              Sam slapped his brother on the back. “Now go back down to your house, grab your woman and you make her forget this shit. And if it takes all night and all the next day, you stay there and you make her forget it. You love her, and you tell her that it was not her fault. That none of this was your fault, either. That none of this was anyone’s fault, except the psycho that’s in the hospital right now.”

Chance hugged Sam. He had missed his brother’s no nonsense attitude since he’d been away. “I think I might need some help with this Domination shit. Most of the time, all I had to do was wink at a woman and she was grateful.”

Sam chuckled. “I’ll take you to a club in St. Louis. Believe me you’ll learn everything you need to know there.”

Chance grinned. “So you won’t teach me?”

Sam pushed him out onto the porch. “I’m not that fucking patient. Now go home to your woman.”

Chance ran down the hill toward his home and his future with Georgia.

CHAPTER SIX

Chance opened the door to his bedroom to find Georgia sitting on the edge of the bed, wrapped in a towel, while Angel brushed her damp tresses. Both women looked up, Georgia with a frown, and Angel with a smile, as he walked into the room. Angel put down the brush and quickly scampered out, leaving Georgia alone with Chance. She regarded him warily.

“Take off the towel, Georgia.”

Georgia stood and faced him, defiant. “Not tonight, Chance. I’m not in the mood.”

“Then it’s my job to put you in the mood.” Chance advanced on her.

“Chance, I mean it. Back off.”

Chance’s eyes narrowed. Georgia could feel his determination. His voice became deeper as he spoke, “You are under a serious misapprehension, Peaches, if you think that was a request.”

Georgia needed him to go away. He was too close. She didn’t have the stamina to resist him. But she wanted things to go back to normal.
Didn’t she?
If he would just leave her alone, she could focus on getting her life back to boring…
no, normal. Her life was normal. He’s the one who made her life crazy with his kisses, his lovemaking, and his psycho girlfriends.

“Georgia, you are going to drop that towel and let me love you tonight.” His voice was quiet, but she heard his resolve. He wasn’t going to let her go tonight. She realized she didn’t want him to.

She knew she was going to regret this, but her heart was already breaking. She simply needed one more beautiful night. She promised herself she would say goodbye in the morning. But tonight…tonight was for her heart.

She dropped the towel.

He smiled and his shoulders relaxed. “Come to me.”

She shook her head, still shy.

“You’re not going to give an inch, are you, Peaches? Well, that’s okay. I’ve learned a few things from Sam about playing hardball with bratty subs.”

She looked up. “What’s a bratty sub?”

Chance took the opportunity to grab her while she focused on his words. She squealed in surprise. “It’s a beautiful woman that refuses to accept the inevitable.” That was as good an explanation as she was getting tonight to his way of thinking.

“You’re being awfully pushy tonight. I don’t think I like it.”

He smacked her ass. “The gentleman in me is retired for the night, Peaches.” He cupped her breasts. “I thought I had lost you, today. I’m feeling a bit savage.”

He covered her mouth with his as he steered her toward the bed.  His lips were warm and soft against hers. His words were harsh, but his actions told her how sweet he wanted to love her. He ran his tongue along her lips and she groaned.

“You make me crazy, Peaches,” he murmured. “Open for me.”

Georgia barely opened her mouth before his tongue swept in. She gave herself up to the moment, clinging to him, running her hands through his dark locks.
God, how was she going to go on without touching him, feeling him against her?

She sobbed as he cupped her ass and lifted her, dropping her lightly on the bed. “Don’t think, Peaches. You watch and feel. Just like in your bedroom.”

He toed off his shoes and drew his T-shirt above his head, throwing it across the room. Georgia lowered her eyes so he couldn’t see her want. He was having none of that.

“You look at me, Peaches. I am yours, so you look your fill.” He unzipped his jeans and she opened her eyes. He was naked underneath. He stroked his erection. “This is for you. Only you.”

She couldn’t help it. She groaned as she looked at him. He was a magnificent specimen of man. His broad chest, lightly sprinkled with dark hair, tapered down to washboard abs. Large, muscled arms led to long fingers that were stroking his immense cock, nestled between his firm thighs.

“I love the way you look at me, Peaches.” He put one knee on the bed, then the other. “But I
need
you to touch me.”

He took her hand and placed it on his erection as he lowered his mouth to hers. This time there was no gentleness. He dominated her. His tongue tangled with hers, telling her without words, what he wanted to do to her. Georgia stroked him harder, letting her hands explore his erection, feeling the velvety softness covering his hardness.

The stubble on his cheeks scratched her, but she paid it no mind. She loved the feel of him. His hips rolled, pushing more of him into her hand, as his fingers began to pluck at her nipples.

A vision of Trudy, pointing the knife at her chest, intruded and she stiffened.

“No.” Chance grabbed her chin and forced her to look at him. “You stay here. You stay with me. You belong with me.”

Georgia heard the steel behind the words and relaxed. Chance was in charge tonight. She didn’t have to worry about anything right now. She would let him take her to heaven. Tomorrow she could go back to hell. Georgia opened her legs and sighed.

She saw Chance staring down at her body. “You are so fucking beautiful, Peaches. Are you wet for me?” He ran a finger down. “Ah, yes. So ripe and wet for me.” He licked his finger. His voice was dark and smooth, like sweet chocolate. It was easy to sink into his words.

He gently removed her hands from his erection and slid against her body. His fingers skimmed against the outside of her thighs, making her shiver. He continued moving upwards, tickling her ribcage, grabbing her arms and lifting them above her head.

“Keep them here,” he commanded.

When she nodded, he slid down her body, running his hands, back down along her body, positioning his mouth at the apex of her thighs. He moved a single finger from the top of her clit down to her cunt. Very gently, he worked his large finger deep inside her. She gasped as his thumb grazed her clit and she responded to his touch. “Oh, Chance.”

“I love the way you say my name. That breathy little hitch at the end.” He leaned in and inhaled her scent. “And I love the way you smell. So sweet.” His mouth hovered over her pussy. She wanted more than anything to feel his tongue. His finger continued to pulse gently in and out. She arched.

“Uhuh, Peaches. Patience.” He breathed against her mound. “I won’t rush my treat.” He looked up from between her legs, locking her within his gaze. “As much as I love how you talk, how sweet you smell, what I can’t do without….” He stuck his tongue out and licked the top of her mound, and she tensed. He gave her an evil grin. “Is your taste.” She felt the first long lap of his tongue.

“Oh, oh.” She whimpered at the feel of him on her clitoris.

He tormented her with teasing licks, darting from her swollen clit to her slit, adding another finger to the first. Stretching her, filling her as he continued to torture her with licks and nips. One finger withdrew to slide to her puckered rosebud. He circled lightly again and again, before she felt a slight pressure of it circling against her, demanding entrance.

“One day, I’m going to take you there, Peaches.” She tensed. “Ssshh, I promise, you’ll love it.”

She wasn’t sure she would, but tonight wasn’t for doubts. Tonight was for them.

Before she gathered another thought, Chance’s tongue pressed against her clit, flicking furiously as his remaining finger sought that perfect place inside her. He stroked her G-spot and pressed his tongue to her clit. She came with a keening cry. Her orgasm rushed through her, curling her toes. Her body shook with aftershocks as he licked her again and again.

When he was sure he had tasted all of her, Chance slid off the bed and stood, grabbing her arms and hauling her up, her face even with his cock. She licked her lips and his cock throbbed in response

“Suck me.”

She glanced up at him. He stared down at her, a fierceness to his face. This was something new. She desperately wanted to know how he would feel in her mouth, but she hesitated. She didn’t know if she could please him, but she wanted to know everything about him.
And Chance was a patient teacher….

Cautiously, she opened her mouth, stretching out her tongue to lick the head. He groaned. She did it again, growing bolder, taking the head completely in her mouth, sucking him like her favorite lollipop.

“More, Peaches. You can take more.” His guttural rasp sent shivers of desire down her spine. Grabbing the cheeks of his ass, she drew him in further, choking a bit, but determined to give him everything he asked of her.

He pulled out, and she sucked at him furiously, not wanting to lose him. Her tongue rubbed around him and he thrust back in, hitting the back of her throat.

“I want to be buried deep within you when I come, baby,” he growled as he pulled out of her mouth.

“Back on the bed. Spread your legs. I want to see my pussy.” His voice sounded harsh, but Georgia didn’t mind. She scrambled back, widening her legs, using her fingers to open herself fully to his gaze. She knew she was on display for his pleasure. He stroked his cock as he climbed onto the bed.

“I won’t be gentle, Peaches. You need to know, I will always give you what you need. Tonight you need to feel. Tomorrow you need to feel how much you were loved.”

He hooked her knees over his elbows, opening her completely to him. He could see the cream covering her pussy and he couldn’t resist another second. He lined his cock up with her entrance, dipping into her sweetness to moisten it, then thrust forcefully into her.

He groaned in pleasure. She was so tight and hot around his cock. He pulled back and she moaned, closing her eyes.

“Open those eyes, Peaches.” He lightly slapped her ass. “We’ve had this talk before.”

Her violet eyes fluttered open to pin him with a look of pure desire. There was no shyness from Georgia now. She thrust up. “God, you feel so damn, good, Peaches.” He pulled out and thrust in quickly. Her pussy sucked at him, trying to keep him in. He wanted to fuck her for hours, but he couldn’t last.

Chance moved slightly to the side, grinding his pelvis against her clit. It felt so right, being with Georgia. This….this was how he knew she was the one. Being with her was like coming home. He pounded into her, again and again, never losing eye contact. He wanted her to feel, him, know it was him, and only him, that could give her this satisfaction. That could love her as she deserved to be loved.

He knew his release was imminent, so he reached down to rub her clit. He ran his thumb over the firm nub and with a little wiggle, he watched her climax. She was so beautiful to him every day, but now, she positively glowed with desire as the tiny muscles of her pussy clamped down on him.

He felt her aftershocks and thrust in again and again as his semen spewed out of his body in a wave of release. He collapsed on top of her, still feeling her pussy milking his cock. He had taken her bareback again and he didn’t give a fuck. The sooner she realized he would never let her go, the better.

Her arms wound around him. She sighed into his hair as his head found a pillow against her breasts. This is where they belonged. Together.

“I love you, Georgia.”

She stiffened against him and he looked up to her eyes. “I’ve never said that to another woman, Peaches. Only you.”

Georgia’s eyes filled with tears. She pulled at his cheeks to bring him to her lips. She wanted to believe. Her heart ached. She knew she couldn’t deal with his past. But she could show him how much she loved him…if only for tonight.

She felt him harden against her leg once again. She looked into his eyes. “More.”

***

Georgia leaned over to kiss Chance in the early morning light, only to find his side of the bed empty. She searched the bedroom, then the house, but he was nowhere to be found.

“Chance?” She donned her nightgown and ran out onto the porch. She searched the yard until she spotted him walking up the hill toward his parents’ house. Her feet grew damp with the morning dew as she ran to catch up with him.

“Chance!” she panted. “Wait up!” He kept walking, disappearing over the ridge.

Laughter rang out and Georgia whirled at the sound, frantically trying to see who was there through the mist swirling around her.

“
Georgie Porgie left Chance’s bed. He’s found another and now she’s dead.”
The children from the daycare chanted in a circle around her. Their faces began to melt as they chanted louder.

“Stop!” she put her hands over her ears. They laughed and she broke through their swerving ring and ran.

She spotted Trudy, bloodied and battered, holding the knife. Chance and Rochelle stood beside her, holding hands. “He doesn’t want you,” Rochelle smiled. “No one wants you.”

              She pointed to the man now standing at the crest of the hill. “Even he didn’t want you.”

The sun rose behind the man, obliterating his features, but Georgia knew who he was. “Daddy!” she cried as Trudy raised the knife, walking toward her. “Help me!”

He simply walked over the hill and away.

Something grasped at her ankles and she screamed. Looking down, she saw her mother’s tombstone. Her mother’s hands clawed at her ankles as she backed away.

“You belong there. You should be there.” Trudy chanted. “It’s the only way to be safe.”

“Nooo!” Georgia begged as Trudy lunged.