Page 7

Lucy

A fter my shift, I walk out of the breakroom and Artie bumps shoulders with me.

“Big plans for your time off?” he asks.

“Just DIY reno’s. Are you going to take that pretty wife of yours out?” I smile as we walk out to the sun, just starting to set.

“I should get a sitter and take her to dinner.” Crossing to the parking lot, I open my mouth to encourage him once we get to our cars, but Artie grins and puts up his hands. “I’m doing it, I promise. Don’t nag at me.”

My drive home is light and peaceful, with no knots of dread in my stomach. Sometimes I still worry that Miles will burst through the front door, and his loud, menacing footsteps will echo around the house.

However, it’s been two weeks, and I haven’t heard a peep. I can only imagine Billy ran him out of town .

After I park the car, I walk over to the porch and graze my hand over the broken swing. It’s on my list, but Billy insists he is going to be the one to fix it, showing me the process along the way.

There are three packages sitting at the door—finally they’ve come in. I grab them and head inside.

Once I’m showered and changed, I come back downstairs, sit at the table, and open the packages. The first two are a few books I bought to help with research. Writing a book is going to be a big task, but it’s something I’ve always wanted to do.

Without Miles undermining my self-esteem, I’ve been able to focus on writing, but I needed more resources.

The final package is a light brown box, and I really hope it’s what I think it is. Ripping the tape, I open it and grab the dildo out of its packaging.

It looks so real. While the silicone is soft, the toy is hard. The size of it surpassed what the website showed, but I’m grateful it’s here at last.

I run my fingers over the veins on the shaft and circle the suction-cup base. I bite my lower lip, needing to try it out right away.

Still lacking furniture down on the main floor, I grab my phone and go upstairs to my bedroom. Flipping the covers back, I strip off my pants and lay down, spreading my legs.

I’m so ready to actually orgasm and not fake it like I did for years with Miles. My face heats at the thought of ever having one with the help of someone else.

Videos of dominating men whose fingers grip the woman’s neck and spit into her mouth before bouncing their hard cock off her lips flood me with need. I continue to tease my clit with my fingers, preparing my pussy for this toy.

Chills run through my body, my hips arching, wetness flooding from between my thighs, and I set down the phone. I stroke my slit with the head of the dildo before sliding it inside my soaked cunt. Raising my knees, I fuck myself with the toy, rolling my nipple between my fingers as I continue to thrust it in and out.

It’s bigger than Miles ever was and I clench around it—my orgasm is just out of reach.

Flipping onto my knees, I grasp the base of the fake dick with my hands and sink down on it. I transfer my weight back to the toy, clenching my thighs while I rub my clit.

Squeezing my eyes shut, my mind floats to Billy. How his hardness presses at my side when we hug, the way his muscles move beneath his tattooed skin. How I want him to dominate me and claim me as his own.

I’m whimpering as my nerves are ablaze with need, and I lower to my stomach. Turning my head, I grind against the cock in my pussy. I rub my clit harder and let the orgasm run through me .

I roll over and pull the fake cock away from my pussy. Laying against the soft pillows, I rest for a few minutes and then get off the bed to wash the toy clean.

This was the greatest present I could have bought myself. Definitely going to give it a five-star rating.

With a sense of satisfaction, I tuck it in the dresser drawer before turning my attention to the closet and putting on a snug pair of leggings. I brush out my long hair and gather it up into a loose, tousled bun.

My ringtone blares from under the sheets and I flip them around to find it.

“Hey JoJo, how are you?” I cradle the phone between my ear and neck as I remake the bed. Thoughts of a nap are gone.

“I’m good. How are you doing?”

“Actually, great! I took your advice and got that toy. Mind blown. Will never date again.” I laugh and head down the stairs to the kitchen.

“Perfect. Do you want to have dinner in a couple of days?”

“Sure thing. I have Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday off. ”

Opening the fridge, I grab the ingredients for a sandwich, the coldness of the containers against my fingertips grounding me into the real world.

“I’m working, but I’ll be off in the evening. I’ll message you. Babe, I’m happy you’re doing so good.” She hangs up, and I finish making dinner before sitting at the kitchen table, flipping through the books I got.

As I take my last bite, there is a loud knock at the door. I jump up, causing the plate to fall to the floor and shatter. Closing my eyes, I sigh and tip-toe around the shattered porcelain and go to answer the door.

Cracking the door, I find a couple of strange men in blue uniforms standing on my porch. A large white box truck is parked in the driveway.

“Can I help you?”

“Hello, Miss Warner. We’re here to deliver your order.” The one holds a clipboard and a scanning device.

Furrowing my brows, I tilt my head. “I didn’t order anything.”

“Here’s the order form. It’s paid from uh… Mr. Davis.”

He hands me his clipboard, which I take, reading over the items listed: a desk, couch, and bed.

“Can you hold on a sec?” I’m not comfortable letting these random men into my house.

He nods curtly, and his partner stands behind him with a friendly smile.

After closing the door, I reach for my phone to call Billy. Pressing the speaker, it rings for a while before clicking to voicemail. I redial and clean up the mess on the kitchen floor while I pray he answers the phone.

“What’s up, Lou?” His deep voice comes through the speaker.

“Why are there delivery men at my front door?”

“Because I sent them. I couldn’t fit everything in my car. Don’t worry, I had a bump in sales and wanted to load up those empty rooms. It’s been depressing me. I’ll be there as soon as I fill these orders.”

My heart clenches. I don’t deserve this. It was going to take me months to get to a place where I could afford to furnish the house, though.

“Just say thank you. We can figure out a trade, okay?” His voice cuts through my thoughts like a knife.

“Thank you,” I whisper before pressing the end button.

Nothing comes for free. Gifts are always tied to how well you can provide or perform. I do have an offer for him, though.

Heading back to the front door, the delivery guy stands with a grim smile.

“Sorry, I wanted to be sure,” I whisper. My voice should be louder. I don’t need to be such a scaredy cat.

“Not a problem, ma’am. Where do you want the items? We’ll get out of your hair as quick as we can. ”

“The couch can go into the room on the left. The desk, and bed, go to the first bedroom at the top of the stairs.”

I move out of the way as they do their job. I haven’t been able to sleep in the room that Miles stayed in, but putting a spare bed in there makes sense.

JoJo and I stripped the wallpaper and painted the room a deep green colour to erase more of the memories he left behind.

It’s not long before they’re back on the porch asking for my signature. I scribble my name as he says, “Have a good day, ma’am.” With a quick nod, he turns and heads off to the white truck.

Once I’m upstairs, I’m in awe of the furniture. The desk, with its spacious surface and pristine white colour, stands out in the room, especially flanked by my large bookcases.

In front of the desk, there is a comfortable leather chair that invites me to take a seat. I pace around the room, hope growing in my core for the productive work that lies ahead.

“I believe in you. You know that, right?” Billy’s voice startles me.

“What?” I turn to stare at him. I have no idea how I didn’t hear him come up the stairs, but I’m glad he’s here.

He grins, wets his lips, spanning his hands in front of him. He’s wearing ripped grey shorts, a dark black tee, and a blue hat sitting backwards on his head.

“You’re gonna write epic books and become a bestseller, obviously.”

“This is way too much. I don’t even know what I could offer you. I had an idea, but it doesn’t compare to all of this, plus whatever crazy couch you bought.”

I rest my hand on my hip. Billy’s gaze moves slowly across my body. I bite the corner of my lower lip as a shiver runs through me.

“Alright, darlin’. What are you offering?”

In a casual pose, he leans in the doorway, ankles crossed. Thoughts of us tangled in bed drift through my mind, his strong tattooed hands holding me in place as I beg for everything I want.

Breaking eye contact, I walk over to the window and lean against its frame.

“There are two buildings back there. The realtor said they’re dangerous, but I figured it can’t be that bad. Would you be interested in working in that area, by any chance? I’d give you the old garage and barn, unless your work area is big enough.”

“Actually, that works perfect. My shop is small, and I could use the extra space. Thanks, Lou.” He pauses and then arches an eyebrow. “There’s another thing you could help with.”

My mind plunges into the depths of the gutter, but he only smirks as he continues.

“Help me figure out how to sell online. I’m good with my hands, creating stuff, but I don’t have a clue how to do all that shit.” Billy crosses his arms over his chest and raises a hand to stroke his moustache.

“I can totally do that, but don’t you have a customer base that takes the animal home already?”

“Technically, but sometimes I pick up roadkill, or have extra parts, which leads to me creating more than the customer wants.”

He drops his arms and strides further into the room. Adjusting his hat, he runs a hand through his hot-pink hair. The roots are dark brown.

“Another thing, you can help me dye this mop on my head.” He smiles wickedly.

“That I can definitely do. What colour are you going next?”

He shrugs and walks to the window. His fingers trace over my lower back and my nipples harden. Being around Billy is too much sometimes, and not enough other times. It is such a fucking contradiction.

“So, it’s too late to check out the buildings or fix the porch, but how about I help you unpack the books and set up your computer?”

“Sure.”

We walk to the closet, where a few boxes have been stacked.

As he unpacks. I make my way to my bedroom, the floor creaking beneath my feet. I grab my laptop and writing notebooks, and with them in my arms I head back to Billy.

“Did you want the desk in your room? Because I have no problem moving it.”

I shake my head. “Nah, this’ll be good. Sometimes my brain is in overdrive and I can’t sleep, so it’s better this way.”

“How’s the bed?” He turns and wiggles his eyebrows.

“You’re dumb. It’s fine. I sleep wonderfully.”

Ignoring the heat of his stare, I focus on the task at hand, setting up the new keyboard and arranging my notebooks in the storage above the desk. We work until it’s done, everything is put away, and the boxes have been broken down.

When I glance at the clock, it's past midnight. Turning off the light, I follow him down to the living room. The sofa isn’t as crazy as I thought it would be. It’s a standard dark leather couch, with a white accent chair in the corner.

“Did you buy this to sleep on?” I ask, walking out of the room to grab glasses of water. Billy is behind me when I turn.

“Nah, that’s why I bought the extra bed. If I’m planning to stay here helping you renovate, I figured it was practical. Even more if I’m gonna be working in the back buildings.” He takes a drink and smiles.

“Makes sense.” I glance out the window above the sink, my mind becoming a tangled mess of thoughts .

Of course, he doesn’t want to sleep in the same bed as me, and now has many options to choose from.

Billy presses against me, causing my hips to dig into the counter edge. His warm hand caresses the back of my neck before his fingers slide to my jaw, turning my face.

“Darlin’, when we share a bed, I won’t be able to keep my fucking hands off you.”

His words are clipped, but clear. He drapes his arm around my shoulders and looks out the kitchen window with me before kissing my temple and walking out of the room.

Oh, fuck me.