Page 5

5

EVAN

“E lena, if you do that, there won’t be any driving lessons happening anymore. Besides, this car isn’t tinted. Anyone can see us.”

I should’ve known Elena wouldn’t listen. Even as I growl at her, she crosses the center console—her elbow on my cheek and her knee almost hitting my family jewels—and settles on my lap, fanning her skirt around her, her hands on the steering wheel.

My cock instantly roars to attention as her ass presses against it, and she senses it. She moves her hips, making me harder and harder.

“Oh, wait. What is that? Is it a gear stick on my butt?”

“Elena…”

She leans her back against my chest and continues to grind on me. “I’m not wearing panties, just so you know.”

“Fuck.”

Elena grabs my hand and slips it between her legs, and I groan at how wet she is already. She runs my finger up and down her slit as her ass presses down on me. “Take out your cock, Evan. Now.”

“Elena…”

“I won’t tell you twice.”

She lifts herself slightly so I can take out my cock, and when she sits back down, she slides my full length into her until I’m seated in her pussy. “Fuck, Elena. Fuck!”

“Oh, God. I can never get used to your big cock, Evan. You stretch me so good.”

I grit my teeth and throw my head back as Elena circles her hips and bobs up and down on my lap, her hands gripping the steering wheel.

“Jesus Christ, Elena.”

She leans her upper body on the steering wheel as her hips milk me for all I’m worth. I’m trapped in the driver’s seat, but I can’t just do nothing, so I slip my hand under her skirt and play with her clit, strumming it until she bounces faster and her noises get louder.

“Don’t stop, Evan. Don’t stop. I’m there. I’m almost there. Please!”

Elena stiffens before I feel her juices slide to my balls. One second later, I feel myself throbbing inside her, and I bellow her name as hot spurts of come spill inside her.

* * *

The driving lesson was a bust for the simple reason that Elena wasn’t interested. Instead of listening to me explain how to turn, parallel park, and reverse park, she just kept rubbing me through my pants or flashing her tits at me, and I gave up any attempt to teach her.

We get back home, and Elena jumps out of the car, sprinting to the door. I don’t rush to follow her, like I know she wants me to. Instead, I walk as if I have all the time in the world.

Elena dramatically taps her foot and crosses her arms as she waits by the porch. When I’m within hearing distance, she raises one brow at me. “You really need to learn how to keep up with me.”

“I kept up with you just fine earlier.”

Her eyes crinkle at the corners, and she wraps her arms around my waist. “That you did.”

We stare at each other and smile. That’s all we do when we hear someone clearing their throat behind us. Elena and I spring apart and turn in unison.

Fuck.

It’s Mrs. Roberts, the nosiest woman I’ve ever met and the source of every true, false, and exaggerated gossip in this neighborhood.

She pounds her fist into her thigh and yells, “You disgusting piece of shit! I told Gina you were nothing but bad news. It’s not enough you inherited some of her estate; now you have to go after her daughter too!” The woman is so red in the face, I swear she’s one breath away from a heart attack as she grabs Elena’s wrist. “Let’s go to the cops.”

Elena flits her gaze to me before looking back at Mrs. Roberts. “The cops? Why?”

“Did he touch you against your will? Did he blackmail you? Did he force himself on you?”

Elena yanks her arm back. “What? No!”

Mrs. Roberts refuses to listen to Elena. “Oh, you poor child. Such innocence.” She faces me with fire in her eyes and jabs a finger at me. “Men like you will take that innocence and trample it. I will make sure you won’t get a cent from her, you conniving scum.”

I hold up both hands in an attempt to placate her. I was not raised to argue with older people, even if they were wrong. “Mrs. Roberts, hear me out. You don’t understand.”

She backs me toward the wall and points an accusing finger in my face. “You think you will ever be part of this neighborhood with your lowly background? You can have Gina’s house and money, but you’ll never belong here. You will never be anything more than a penniless opportunist. A predator who needs to be in jail.”

I spare a glance at Elena, who’s staring daggers at Mrs. Roberts’ back, pleading her with my eyes not to rise to the older woman’s bait. “Mrs. Roberts, please. Elena wants?—”

“You think I will sit here and watch you prey on these hapless women? I will teach you a lesson you will never forget. You think I will let you take advantage of this family? For all we know, you killed Gina!”

“Mrs. Roberts, shut the fuck up!” Elena breathes hard, her hands clenched into fists at her sides.

The older woman clutches the front of her blouse. “Elena, my child. You don’t mean that.”

“I am not a child. I’m a grown woman who can think for herself. If you will only insult Evan, then please leave. We don’t need you here. Even my mother wouldn’t like the words coming out of your mouth.”

“You don’t mean that.” Mrs. Roberts’ shoulders slump in defeat. “I was only trying to protect you.”

“And I will always be thankful for that, but I draw the line at you insulting Evan when he hasn’t done anything wrong with Mom or with me.”

At this, Mrs. Roberts regains her fire, and she straightens her spine. “Very well then. I see that he has successfully brainwashed you, just like he did with Gina. You’re young and beautiful, and you have your choice of men. You cannot end up with this scum, like your mother. She always had poor taste in men, if you don’t mind me saying that about your late father.”

I can almost see the fury rise within Elena. Her eyes narrow, and her voice changes, anger wafting off her in waves. “You did not just insult my father.”

“It’s true, though. He was as penniless as this pathetic excuse of a man. Now, come. I’ll ignore what you said earlier. Let’s go to my house and talk. Women need to protect each other.”

I cannot take it anymore, and despite not wanting to hurt the other woman’s feelings, I will not let her hurt Elena. She can insult me all she wants, but not Elena, Gina, and her late husband. With a glare, I ask, “Is that what you told your daughter, Mrs. Roberts, when she brought home a married man who left his wife and kids for her?”

A muscle pulses on her cheek, and her nostrils flare. “You son of a bitch. That’s none of your business.”

“Exactly the point Elena’s been trying to make. Good evening.”

I turn my back to her as I motion for Elena to walk before me. If she’s so angry that she wants to stab me, then she can do so, but I won’t let her touch Elena.

The door closes behind me, and Elena whirls, tears streaming down her face. It’s like a punch to the gut. “Elena, I?—”

“I think she’s right, Evan.”

Her words hit me like a hot knife in my stomach. “Elena, she’s not. You can’t?—”

“This is all sorts of wrong. You’re my stepdad, and my mom died. Yes, a year ago, but still. You were her husband, and yet here we are playing like a happy couple.”

I open my mouth to say something, but the guilt hits me in full force. Her words hang in the air, sharp, biting, and irrevocable.

My throat tightens as a flicker of pain crosses her face. “Elena, is that how you really feel?”

“Mrs. Roberts won’t be the first and the last to think about us like that. I can’t live like this, where every pair of eyes is on me, on us. I can’t have people confronting me from out of nowhere and telling me how I live my life is wrong.”

The colors fade to a muted gray with every word from Elena. My whole world blurs as a dull ache blooms beneath my ribs. My fingers twitch, desperate to reach for her, but they stay frozen at my sides. I force myself to speak, to let her know what exactly I feel for her. “I love you, Elena. Tell me you don’t feel the same way, and I’ll let you go.” My voice is barely above a whisper, but I know she hears it.

“I … I’m leaving tomorrow. Goodbye, Evan. It was good while it lasted.”

For a moment, I can’t breathe. I watch her walk upstairs, trying to hold herself together. I want to go to her, comfort her, and tell her everything’s going to be okay, but I can’t do any of that if I’m the source of her pain, of her suffering.

I promised Gina I’d take care of Elena, and I failed.

The only woman I’ve ever loved, and I lost her.