Текст книги "Gutter Princess"

Автор книги: Kimmie Easley

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Текущая страница: 10 (всего у книги 12 страниц)

Chapter Twenty-One

Baby Jade

The hot room left Baby sweltering. Her body molded to the sheets with sweat. She peeled open her heavy eyelids and peered around the room, relieved to find that she was in her own bed. It felt like someone beat her in the head with a hammer. Tossing back the sheet, she was shocked to find she was wearing nothing but a thong.

Planting her feet on the floor, Baby attempted to stand. Her legs trembled under her weight, but she managed to shuffle down the hall to the bathroom. The tightness in her chest worsened by the nausea. Working up the courage, Baby glanced in the mirror above the sink. Her matted hair resembled a rat’s nest. Makeup smeared her gaunt face, revealing her weight loss over the last couple of weeks. The dark skin around her puffy eyes was creased and wrinkled. Surveying her body, she counted the bruises, not to mention the huge bump on the back of her head that throbbed to the rhythm of her rapid pulse.

The room appeared to be different. It was clean. Well, cleaner than it was. Something black tucked away in the corner caught her attention. She reached down and picked up the piece of lacey fabric. It was one of her teddies, and it looked like a wild animal had gotten ahold of it, ripped into pieces.

Baby splashed cold water on her face, sparking the memory of the bathtub and the freezing water. Her muscles ached, leaving her feeling as if she had been beaten with a baseball bat. Grabbing her silk robe off the hook behind the door, she wrapped it around herself, and then piled her hair on top of her head, clipping it in place.

Water. It was hard to swallow with the cottonmouth. Her cracked lips were dry and her throat was parched. She inched her way to the kitchen and noticed it had been cleaned as well. Peeking around the corner, Baby stopped dead when she found Lucky dozing on the couch. He sat upright with his boots kicked up on the coffee table. Both arms folded across his chest, and his head leaned back against the wall.

Confused, Baby stepped closer. She sucked in a huge puff of air and held her breath. What is he doing here? Lucky hated her. Damn, she wasn’t prepared to deal with shit. She tried to leave the room without waking him, but backed right into the side table and bumped the couch, sending Lucky’s head to the side.

He blinked a couple of times before spotting Baby. “You’re up.”

“Umm, yeah. What are you doing here?” She tried to move, but her bare feet were cemented in place.

“I’ve been here for two days. Do you remember anything?”

She shook her head slowly, staring at the floor, unable to take the look on his face.

His eyes were different, softer, and gentler. “Why don’t you sit down? Do you need something?”

Surprised by his concern, Baby moved to the couch and sat on the end opposite of Lucky.

“My mouth is dry. Maybe water?”

Before she finished the words, Lucky was up and moving around in the kitchen. He handed her a glass of warm tap water. “Sip slowly. You don’t want to get sick again.”

Baby glanced up. “Again?” That explained the sore throat.

Lucky nodded.

Tears welled in Baby’s green eyes. “I’m sorry.” The words came out in a whisper.

Lucky stooped to the floor, his hands on Baby’s knees. He peered up into her face. “Hey, you don’t have to be sorry. I should be apologizing to you. I bailed on you when you needed someone. I promised you I wouldn’t leave you, and I let you down.”

Tears streamed down Baby’s frail face. She took a small sip from the glass, allowing the water to soothe her throat. Her body craved the moisture, and the liquid tasted good, Baby took a second drink, and then a third, which proved to be too much. Her stomach pitched. She shot up from the couch and bolted toward the bathroom.

Not wanting Lucky to see her hunched over the toilet, she reached up to lock the door in time.

The doorknob twisted. “Baby, don’t do that. Let me in.”

Unable to speak, Baby’s body heaved relentlessly, leaving her breathless. Sweat broke out across her forehead and behind her neck.

“Open the door. You might pass out. I’m gonna kick the damn thing in.” Lucky’s panicked tone assured her he was serious.

Dragging her limp body up from the floor, Baby unlocked the door right before collapsing into Lucky.

“Shit!” One of his strong arms whipped around her waist while he slipped the other one under her legs. He carried her back to the bed and tucked her in under the sheet. Lucky disappeared and then returned with a wet washcloth and the small trashcan from the bathroom. “I’m gonna put this right beside the bed. You’re probably gonna need it.”

Baby’s heart raced like it was about to jump right out of her chest. Her head thumped against her skull. “Why are you doing this?”

“Do you seriously need me to answer that?”

“You probably want a good fuck, like everyone else. Go ahead, climb on in,” Baby sneered and threw back the sheet.

Lucky stood and stepped back from the bed. “I’m gonna ignore that because I know it’s the drugs talking and not you.” The wounded look in his eyes pissed her off.

“I don’t need your fucking pity. Get OUT!” She picked up the lamp from the end table and hurled it in Lucky’s direction, sending it crashing into the wall. “Can’t you take a damn hint? Get the fuck OUT!”

His eyes narrowed, drawing hard lines across his forehead. His mouth twisted, Lucky backed out of the room. He pulled the door behind him, leaving it cracked. She saw his boot cross the doorway as he slid down the wall, apparently refusing to leave her alone.

She wanted to be angry with him, but something stirred in her gut knowing he was right outside the door. Why the hell is here? The question must have run through her head a hundred times before passing out.

***

Baby drifted in and out of sleep with no concept of time. She didn’t know if an hour had passed or a day. Every part of her body screamed out in pain. She had evidently made good use of the trashcan. Towels scattered the floor. A glass sat on the end table where the lamp had once been. She tried to pick it up, but her trembling hands couldn’t grasp the glass, sending it to the floor.

Lucky jumped up and barreled into the room. “Are you ok?”

Her insides pitched back and forth, but there was nothing left to throw up. “I’m fine. Why are you still here?”

“I’m not leaving. You can be a bitch all you want, I’m staying.” Lucky defiantly shoved his hands into his jean pockets.

Baby rolled her eyes, pretending he didn’t have an effect on her. “Whatever.” She moved to the dresser and stripped away the silk robe, slipping an old Talking Heads t-shirt over her head. She dug through the top drawer. She opened the second one and did the same thing. Finally, she pulled out the drawers and dumped the contents onto the floor.

“What are you looking for?”

Baby Jade ignored the question and dumped out the drawer from the end table next to the bed. She rushed to the bathroom and rummaged through the cabinets.

Lucky filled the doorway, placing his hands above his head, grasping onto the frame. “You’re not gonna find anything.”

Baby glared at him, her eyes dark. She tried to scratch away the craving¸ making her skin raw on her arms. “What did you do with it?”

“It doesn’t matter. It’s gone.” His stone face gave no expression to give her a clue.

“I’ll call Slade,” she spewed settling her hands on both hips.

“He won’t answer. He couldn’t care less about you. He didn’t give a shit. He would have left you to die in that nasty ass bathroom. He’s gonna do everything he can to distance himself from you. For a while, at least.”

“Shit.” Baby examined the room trying to think about all her hiding places. She was at a loss. Something in her snapped and she went back to the only thing she knew.

Baby stepped closer to Lucky and dropped to her knees. “Come on, I’ll help you feel good and then you can help me feel good.” She fumbled with the top of his jeans.

Lucky gripped her wrists and slumped to the floor. “What the fuck is wrong with you?” He pulled her in and wrapped his arms around her.

She fought him, trying to pull away. She pounded her fists against his chest. The drugs helped take away the pain. Her loss. The shame and grief.

He held her close, whispering calming words. “Baby, it’s ok. It’s ok. I’ve got you and I’m not going anywhere.”

She pleaded with him. “I wanna feel good. Don’t you wanna feel good?” She buried her face and planted kisses on his neck, moving her way to his chest.

“Not like this, I don’t. Stop. This isn’t you.”

Baby sobbed and clutched his shirt, begging. “Please, it hurts. Please make it stop. I don’t want to hurt anymore.” She collapsed onto his lap.

Lucky cradled her in his lap and gently rocked back and forth. “You have no idea how much I want to take your hurt away, sugar. I would do anything to take away your pain and keep you from hurting ever again.”

“You can.”

Lucky kissed the top of her head, “You know I can’t do that. I won’t let you kill yourself. We both know that’s what you’re trying to do.”

She released her tense muscles. “I don’t want to feel anymore.” She sobbed until she blacked out.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Lucky

Lucky let her cry, embracing her while they sat entwined on the bathroom floor, holding her until her body went limp. Out of tears, Baby whimpered until she fell into a deep sleep. He decided not to move.

He craved the Baby Jade he knew before. He craved her touch and her kiss. He had only been given a small amount of time with her before he drove her into Slade’s arms. If only he had been there for her instead of bailing. Leaving her to deal with all this shit on her own. And now, he was left feeling empty, like the best part of him was dead.

Holding her in his arms brought a small part of him back to life.

“I love you,” he whispered into Baby’s hair.

Chapter Twenty-Three

Baby Jade

Baby stirred. It took her a second to piece together why she was in the bathroom lying on Lucky’s lap. Turning her head up toward his face, she was startled to find him staring back at her.

“Hey,” he said with the slightest hint of a grin.

Baby gave a content sigh and pressed her head into his chest. “Hey.”

They sat in silence for a few minutes before she spoke again. “How long have you been here?”

He stroked her hair. “Four days.”

She sat up and tilted her head to the side. “You can’t be serious? I’ve lost four days? And you’ve been here the whole time?”

“There’s nowhere else I’d be right now. How do you feel?”

She climbed out of his lap and stood. Her legs were still weak, but not shaking. “I think I’m a little better. Sore as hell, but not feeling like I’m going to explode. And seriously starving.”

“That sounds promising.” He stood and took her by the hand, leading her to the couch. “You scared the shit out of me.”

“Lucky, I’m sorry. I can’t believe you stayed and took care of me after everything.”

He hooked his index finger under her chin and looked her in the eyes. His jaw tightened. “Don’t apologize. I had no right to turn my back on you. I could have at least given you a chance to talk. I should have thought about how much you were hurting. I’m the one who let that son of a bitch prey on you. Shit, Baby. I left you alone. Can you forgive me?”

“There’s nothing to forgive. We’re not going to get anywhere if we keep beating ourselves up. You stayed. You took care of me and did more for me than anyone else.”

“That reminds me, Ma’Linn has been here every day to check in on you. She helped clean up and made sure I ate. She’s been worried about you.”

Baby’s face fell. “Damn, it must have been hard on her with everything she’s going through with Phillipe. I need to let her know I’m ok, or at least that I’ll be ok.” She made a feeble attempt at a smile.

“You’re still going to feel like shit for a while. We need to get some electrolytes into you.” Lucky went to the refrigerator and popped open a Gatorade.

“Seriously?” She looked at him through her long lashes.

“Damn skippy. It’s gonna go down easy, but drink it SLOW,” he warned.

Her eyebrows arched. “I doubt that.” She sipped on the blue liquid, surprised at how good the tanginess tasted on her tongue. She guzzled from the bottle until Lucky pulled it away.

“It’s gonna be nasty when you throw that shit up.”

Baby Jade nodded. He had been taking care of her for days. He obviously knew what he was talking about.

“Do I still have a job?”

Lucky paced the room. “I don’t know. I haven’t talked to anyone from the club since the night I carried you out.”

“I had to be carried out?” She found the knot on her head and rubbed it with her fingertips. She remembered bits and pieces from that night.

Lucky filled her in on the details, clear down to Slade threatening to silence her if she had been taken to the emergency room. They both knew he meant it. That’s why he brought her home and nursed her through the detox.

Baby dropped her face into her hands and shook her head. “I’m embarrassed. I can’t believe you saw me like that.” She was all too aware what coming down looked like. She was able to piece information together like a puzzle. She remembered yelling and throwing things. The vomiting and diarrhea. The way she attacked him and offered to give him a blowjob for dope. She didn’t want to look at him in the face ever again, especially after the way she had tried to whore herself out for a taste.

“I told you, I wouldn’t have been anywhere else.” His gentle tone soothed her as he massaged her shoulders.

His words triggered a memory, but she thought she must be mistaken. “I remember something that wasn’t exactly bad.”

“Yeah? What’s that?” His firm hands kneading away at the tension in her back.

Baby tilted her head and turned toward him, flashing a full smile. “I thought I heard you say you love me.”

His lips curled into a lopsided grin. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. You must have been hallucinating.”

Her eyes danced, drinking in the pink flush of his cheeks. “Yeah, maybe. What do we do now?”

“Well, I’ve had a few days to think about that.” Lucky sat beside her on the couch. He rubbed his hands together and rested his elbows on his knees, giving her the impression he had something on his mind. “I have that business meeting tomorrow. After that, I’m free to do whatever. When things were still up in the air, I put in my notice with both Mickey and Rodney.”

“You were quitting because of me?”

“I thought it was time to move on.”

Baby’s face fell. She couldn’t bear to think of him leaving town.

“Hey, don’t look like someone kicked your dog. I didn’t know you cared that much.” He reached over and ran the back of his hand across her cheek.

With every part of her screaming out in pain and her brain beating against her skull, the man still made her body hum.

Lucky smirked. She had no doubt that he recognized how easily he got under her skin.

“Listen, I was thinking maybe after my board meeting, we could take off for a while. Go on that trip we were talking about.”

Baby Jade’s green eyes widened. “Are you serious?”

“Dead serious.”

“Oh my God!” Baby leaped up and landed on Lucky’s lap, wrapping her arms around his neck. Her lips crashed down onto his. When she came up for air, she said, “Yes! Yes! I can’t wait!”

He chuckled. She hadn’t planned on acting like a schoolgirl who was being asked to her prom by the star quarterback. She was taken aback. It was exactly what she needed. There was nothing keeping her here. Nothing but Ma’Linn and her job. She would have to make sure her friend would be ok while she was gone, but the job, she was sure to be unemployed when she got back anyway. That is if she wasn’t canned already.

“What about Mickey?” she asked. “I have to make a living.”

“Don’t you worry about him. Your job will be waiting for you when you get back if you still want it.” Lucky gathered her into his arms and stood. She locked her legs around his waist.

“Do you have to go home?”

“Nope. I packed my shit and only kept what would fit in my saddlebags. I’m all good. Hope you don’t mind me staying the night. I let my studio apartment go too.”

Still wrapped around him like a spider monkey, Baby beamed. “What will we do to get through the night?”

“I’m sure we can think of something.” Lucky wagged his eyebrows. He carried her to the bathroom, placing her on the countertop while he turned on the faucet. He filled the tub and poured in some of the Sweet Pea bubble bath, swishing it around with his hand to stir it up.

He then slid his hands underneath Baby’s t-shirt and guided it over her head. He hooked his thumbs under the lace trimming of her thong, pulling it off, and letting it fall. He lifted her and gently lowered her into the tub without saying a word. She was thankful the hot water heater was cooperating. The warmth eased her aching muscles.

He dipped the purple loofah into the water and then squeezed on some shower gel. Lathering it up, he massaged it across her back. He still didn’t speak. Heat filled the room as he washed her. First her back and shoulders. He moved down her arms and then her legs. She giggled as he washed her feet. When he was done with her body, Lucky poured water onto her thick mane of black hair, massaging in shampoo with his fingertips. He filled a cup and used it to rinse out the soap.

The silence was palpable. His tenderness stirred something deep inside her. She saw the same desire in his dark eyes. The combination of the water and his touch made her skin flush and tingly. Baby wanted him, every part of him.

Being with Lucky came naturally, as if he were a part of her, a part she never wanted to live without.

After rinsing away the soap and bubbles, he swooped Baby Jade up, wrapping her in a towel. He carried her to the bedroom and placed her in the center of the bed. Lucky leaned in and worked the towel down her body, drying her soft, smooth skin before dropping it to the floor.

He kicked off his boots before pulling his t-shirt over his head and then stepping out of his jeans. Seeing him standing naked in front of her made her breath hitch.

He climbed onto the bed and lowered himself on top of Baby, propping himself up on his elbows, and lingering. His heat made her shudder, sending goose bumps across her bare flesh.

She pushed her palms into his chest and took charge as she rolled him onto his back. Trailing her lips down his hard chest, Baby worked her way down his rippled abdomen.

As her head lowered, Lucky sat upright. “You don’t have to do this. It’s too soon.”

Baby rolled her eyes in jest and her pouty lips curled into a grin. She lowered her head between his legs and held his hard cock with one hand while running her hand along the inside of his thigh. His muscles clenched as she teased the tip of his cock with her tongue, tasting his excitement. The deep groan from his throat when she took his length into her mouth made her juices flow.

“Oh, shit. That feels damn fucking good right there.” Lucky’s body stiffened. His hand found her head and massaged it.

Baby cupped his balls with one hand, taking him into her mouth, and pumping him with the other hand until he was empty.

“Shit!” Lucky popped up and grabbed Baby’s backside, pulling her forward. She straddled his waist and lowered herself onto his throbbing erection. Her pussy, pulsing and wet.

He gripped her ass and rolled her hips back and forth. Her breasts bouncing in perfect rhythm. His piercing stare made her heart flutter, and his quick breaths told her he was getting close. Lucky sat upright and she wrapped her legs around his waist. He folded her in his arms and buried himself in her, running his tongue down her neck. She tossed her head back as he worked his way down, fondling her breasts with his hot tongue, her nipples hard and erect.

Their hips grinding, his skin smoldering against hers until the final thrust that put them both over the edge as an orgasm flowed through their melded frames. The blood surge vibrated through her body.

Still entwined, they collapsed into the bed. Baby rested her head on Lucky’s chest and threw one leg over his. Inhaling, she grinned, as the floral scent of Sweet Pea body wash filled her nose. The thought of him using her shower while nursing her through detox gave her butterflies. His fingertips traced her back and his other hand clasped hers.

“Your hands are soft.” Lucky pulled her in tighter.

“Why do you keep saying that?”

“I know. It sounds weird, but they are. I could hold your hand all day.”

Baby giggled and nestled into his chest.

“Don’t laugh. You’re going to have to learn to take a compliment. I plan on helping you do exactly that.” Lucky planted a kiss on her forehead.

The room went quiet other than the rise and fall of Lucky’s chest. His steady breathing indicating he was asleep. Baby Jade’s body sagged under the weariness from the last couple of weeks. But in the middle of exhaustion, and the aches and pains, for the first time she was content.