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LAUREN

S alt became part of my day. Texts and calls to keep the silly grin on my face and rough sex at night. He gave me days to recover, but then he was right back to giving it to me just the way I needed it. I saw him almost every day and talked to him multiple times daily. That’d become my routine for the next few weeks. So when I didn’t get a call from him during my lunch today, I realized the issue. My day turned bad quickly because I hadn’t heard from him. Not a call or a text, and it’d turned everything upside down.

However, this wasn’t a relationship. More of a situation ship–something to tide us both over until we were on to something serious. A state of reaping the benefits of a relationship without the constraints floating around. Even more reason for me not to have a reason to be bugging out.

Today was also the day that the social worker was supposed to go see Neriah at home with her mother. I’d tried to stay away from the case as much as possible because my interest was unbiased. I’d seen how she’d flourished with Salt getting her every day from the center. He’d confessed to me he wanted sole custody of her, but that he knew Tanya would make it difficult. I explained that he needed to give her the fight of her life if that’s what he truly wanted.

He’d changed up her room, making it a more permanent place for her to live. The fun stuff, toys, and all were still there. He’d added books and a place for her to study for school when she started. He’d also bought her some learning toys, and he sat with her to teach her things that she should have known already. I’d shown him where she should be academically and where she was. She wasn’t too far off the mark, but he was dedicated to getting her caught up and even to excel. He admitted to not wanting to push her too hard, but if consuming education was her thing, he wanted to give her the option.

What I loved the most was that though we were together, he focused on her until she was asleep. Then he put all his energy into me. He balanced it well, keeping me involved when she was awake, but I also recognized that she came first as it should be. He also didn’t make me feel like I was wasting my time by being with him. On the days when either of us had something to do, we did it and met up afterward.

So for me to be sitting here like he’d deprived me of something when I hadn’t… Sulking because I hadn’t had my daily dose of Salt was ridiculous. Casual. It was important for me to understand that this was supposed to be a no-strings-attached arrangement and I needed to accept that. I could handle things if he wasn’t around. Playing the role of an awestruck girl wasn’t a role in this movie.

By nightfall, I was worried. I hadn’t heard from him all day. When I’d called him, it went straight to voicemail. Breathing through it all, I got some sleep to allow the chips to fall how they may. If this was his way of ending things, so be it.

Easier said than done.

Because I had worried about what’d happened today with Neriah. I’d also wondered if he was okay. It wasn’t like him not to communicate, and it made me think that something was wrong.

At three a.m. I woke to my pussy being licked. On the verge of an orgasm, I swore aloud.

“Salt, that better be you.” I cursed as he bit the side of my thigh, gripped them tighter, and went back to working me over.

I moaned louder. When I fisted the sheets, I felt his shirt beside me. That man hated clothes, I promise. I lifted it to my nose and inhaled a scent that was all Salt, no chaser.

Not having to worry about being quiet for Neriah, I came loud and long, releasing everything into his mouth. I was still shivering when he got up and entered me. He kissed me stupid while making me take whatever he gave. Hard thrusts. Moans into my mouth. He was beside himself tonight. He flipped me over and made me ride him on all fours as he spanked me and pulled my hair. When I came, he was biting the side of my neck and gripping my waist. His animalist grunts sounded in my ear as he came, too. Rounding off the perfect reunion.

“I missed you, beautiful slut.” He licked the spot he’d bitten and pulled me into his arms.

“Same, Sir. How’d today go?” I asked breathlessly.

“Shit. Wish I knew. I had to go out of town and I guess I left my phone. I just came back. It’s too late to go see Tanya to find out. I’m going first thing in the morning, though.” He kissed my shoulder and licked my lips before he stole another juicy kiss.

“Let me know, please. I’ve been worried all day about you two.”

Salt groaned. “Mhm. As you should. Thank you, baby. I appreciate your concern. I have to admit that I missed the fuck out of you, though. Can’t even deny that at all.”

I exhaled a sigh that came from somewhere deep. Old wounds seemed to heal a little more by his words.

“Me either. I thought that you’d be tired of me after all.”

Salt immediately smack my ass so hard I whined, flinched, and tried to get away. He only held me tighter.

“Won’t apologize for that. You feel how good this is. How could I be tired of it?” He kissed my forehead. Shortly after, I heard him snoring.

I snickered. “Karma,” I whispered to the sleeping man.

He never responded because he was too far gone.

In the morning, we made out–no sex, before he had to leave. He’d also warned me that he’d have to go back out of town and that he’d be gone for about a week. He had an attorney working on helping him get custody, so he was hoping things changed with Neriah soon. Later, we discovered that Tanya lost custody of Neriah. However, he had to wait for the caseworker to call him back to know the reason.

Being out of town for work didn’t matter, since they wouldn’t let him see her, anyway. When he’d called to ask Tanya about the situation, she’d hung up on him and told him to mind his own business. He’d said that she sounded drunk but that it was difficult to tell over the phone. When he got the okay to not only see Neriah but to pick her up five days later, he rushed home. I gave him time to get settled and figure out his next move. But it sucked big time.

I kept myself busy. The crappy part was that I was back to thinking the same thing I had before.

When had this thing with Salt gotten so damn messy? I knew I had feelings for him and his daughter. That wasn’t part of the plan. I was supposed to get in and get out. Somewhere along the way, I’d gotten in. Getting out was going to be problematic. Not because I couldn’t, but because I didn’t want to.