Whats Your Pleasure (9 page)

Chapter Nine

Bad Boy Shot

½ oz. vodka

½ oz peach schnapps

Shake with ice then strain into shot glass.

Hours later, Joe sat at her kitchen table nursing a mug of hot, sweet tea. Shortly after she had come up the stairs last night, more like early this morning, Vincent had stridden in. Together, they agreed to several conditions of their new relationship.

First, Joe was to continue working as a bartender. Vincent had made it clear he did not in any way want to control her entire life, just her sex life. Joe grinned, remembering how he had intimated that Nathan might well become a third partner on occasion. Her heart beat just a bit faster, envisioning Nathan’s swarthy good looks. Still, any time she felt uncomfortable, she was to tell Vincent. They would either talk through it or stop things completely.

Joe wiggled on the wooden kitchen chair, her bottom still sensitive, her pussy nearly raw and her thigh muscles sore. She smiled to herself. She’d never felt more satisfied.

Suddenly, the blaring of her phone interrupted her happy thoughts.

“Hello?” she answered.

“Aunt Joe?” a tiny little voice sounded.

Joe’s heart stopped. From the sound of his voice, Cain was crying.

“Hey, baby. What’s wrong?” she asked, her voice softening.

“I was bad again, and
Grammie
and Pa said I had to call and tell you. They said I’d be lucky if you ever wanted to see me again,” he sobbed.

Joe shook her head. What awful thing could a little boy
have
done that warranted such harshness? Not for the first time, Joe wondered how such selfish, cold hearted people could have raised such a compassionate daughter as Sarah.

“Cain, calm down. I love you, I will always love you. We’ll work through whatever has happened, so just tell me what you did,” she encouraged.

She heard sniffing for a while and
Grammie’s
stern voice mumbling in the background.

“I
runned
away from home,” Cain admitted.

Joe’s heart nearly stopped. “Why? Are you okay? Did you get hurt?” A million terrifying images rushed into her head.

“I just wanted to see you, but I got lost. I’m sorry,” he sobbed.

“Oh, baby. Don’t cry. I’ll come see you soon. I promise,” she assured him.

“Yes, I’ve heard that before,” Mrs.
Hett’s
cool voice answered.

“Mrs.
Hett
.” Joe took a deep breath, still hearing Cain crying in to background. “Let me assure you that as soon as I can afford a bigger place to live, I will arrange for custody of Cain, just as I promised Sarah.”

“And when, exactly, will that be?” the woman harshly demanded.
“Because I never agreed to raise this child.”

Joe gritted her teeth. “I’m very well aware of that. Please, if you would just put Cain back on, I’ll see what I can do.”

“Fine.”

“Aunt Joey?” Cain snuffled into the phone.

“Hey, Big Shot. I need you to do something for me. Okay?”

“Sure,” he answered.

“This is really important, so I really want you to try hard,” Joe encouraged.

“I’ll try.”

“You’ve got to promise not to run away again.
Grammie
gets worried when you do that, and so do I.”

“But I miss you.”

Joe heard the crack in his voice.

“I miss you, too, Cain. How about if I come up to see you next weekend?” she suggested.

Immediately, Cain brightened. “Can we go to the swimming pool?”

“Oh, Cain, of course we can. We’ll stay at the big hotel and swim every day! Then we can cuddle up on the big bed and watch movies together. ”

“Yippee!” he shouted.

“I have to go, now, but remember, I love you.” She pressed a kiss into the phone before hanging up.

Standing to take her empty mug to the sink, she slammed into a man’s chest. She screamed, dropping the mug. It shattered as it hit the linoleum.

“Oh my God!
Vincent! You scared me to death.” She put her hand on her heart to stop the erratic pounding.

“Who’s Cain?” he demanded.

“What?” she
asked,
disoriented.

“On the phone, you said you loved some guy named Cain.” He crossed his arms and glared at her. “Come on, Joe. It hasn’t even been twenty-four hours since you said you loved me, and now you’re mooning over some other guy?”

Joe’s blue eyes turned to ice. “I don’t ‘moon’ over Cain, you moron. I fell in love with him almost six years ago, on the day he was born.”

Vincent’s mouth dropped open, and Joe felt some gratification to see the red creeping into his cheeks. Joe retrieved a dust pan and broom from the linen closet and began to clean up the mess.

“Joe, I didn’t know. I just assumed,” he babbled.

“Yeah.”
She whirled towards him, shaking the broom handle. “You assumed that I was a slut.”

“No.” He backed up, his hands in front of him trying to block her. “I’ve never heard you mention Cain before. I didn’t know. I’m sorry.”

Indignant, Joe finished with the cleanup and slammed the broken ceramic pieces into the rubbish.

Whirling to face him, she felt tears form in her eyes. “And so you thought the worst of me, didn’t you? Let me tell you something, buster.” She poked a finger at his chest. “That little boy means more to me than anything else in this world. The only reason I came to St. Louis was for him. He needs a fresh start.”

“What?” Vincent asked.

Joe saw the confusion on his face and sighed. She felt the anger seeping out of her. He deserved to know.

“Sit down, Vincent. You ready to hear my life story?”

Vincent nodded warily and sat down at her little table, directly across from her. Joe took a deep breath and told him everything.

She told him how she and Sarah had grown up together. Sarah’s parents had never approved of Joe, who came from the wrong side of the tracks. They both worked for the state, and Mr.
Hett
had inherited a fortune from his family’s coal mining business. Joe’s parentage simply did not stand up under scrutiny. None of that had mattered to Sarah, though. She had calmly told her parents that Joe was her best friend, always would be, and if they didn’t like it, they could just go fuck themselves.

Eventually, the two girls had rented an apartment together. Sarah had met the love of her life, or so she thought at the time. When the bastard found out she was pregnant, he’d cut out of town, and Sarah had never heard from him again. Her parents were livid. They had disowned her, but Sarah hadn’t cared. When Cain had come along, Joe had changed her work schedule to days so Sarah could work nights. That way, one of them was always with the baby.

Joe clasped her hands tightly before continuing. “Then, three years ago, I lost my best friend, and Cain lost his mother.”

Vincent sat silently. She appreciated that. If he had made a move to comfort her then, she would have broken down.

“Sarah wasn’t feeling well. She had cramps and a headache, so she called in sick at work. I went out when I got off for a drink with my boyfriend at the time. When I got home, it was obvious Sarah had been crying. She’d just spoken with her mother who had told her once again how disappointed she was in Sarah. We talked for a bit before I went to bed. I woke up around two in the morning.

“The smoke detector was buzzing, and I smelled the smoke. I heard the crackling of the flames. I jumped up, didn’t even think about what I was doing and ran to Cain’s room, grabbed him, wrapped his blankets around him. I cradled him in my left arm and dropped to the floor so I could crawl out of the building. The whole place was filling up with smoke, and I could barely see where I was going. Cain was screaming, and I knew I had to get him out of there. I almost made it to the door when the ceiling collapsed on me.”

She heard Vincent suck in his breath, but continued her story.

“I don’t remember much after that. The next thing I knew, I was in the hospital in the burn unit. Cain, thank God, had escaped injury of any kind. Apparently, a fire fighter pushed open the door right as the ceiling fell, and he got us both out of there pretty quickly.”

“Oh, baby,” Vincent whispered.

“Sarah didn’t make it. She had lit a candle then fallen asleep. Later, we found out the candle had ignited the curtains, and that’s what started the fire. I stayed in the hospital for months while they did skin grafts on my shoulder. I was lucky. Nothing vital was hit, and after several months of physical therapy I regained full use of my left arm.” She ran a hand through her hair and looked directly into Vincent’s kind eyes. “Despite that, I was a mess mentally. My parents suggested I move back in with them, which I did. I helped out in the bar when I could. Finally, I went to a psychologist who really helped me work through things.

“Sarah had written a new will that made me guardian of Cain under the condition that I was financially stable. Until then, Mr. and Mrs.
Hett
have custody of him. They were good with that for a while. I guess they truly mourned their daughter. But now Cain is asserting some independence, plus they want to travel again, not be saddled with an active little boy.” Joe reached out and touched Vincent’s hand.

“I just couldn’t stand being in Springfield any longer, though.
Too many memories.
I figured a fresh start would be good for me and Cain both. So, as soon as I can financially swing it, I’m going to rent a bigger place in a good neighbourhood close to a good school, and then Cain will come live with me.”

There it was. Now Vincent knew everything. Not only was she damaged, but she had a child to think of, as well. Silently, Joe prayed she hadn’t lost him.

She should have known better.

“So, what time next Saturday do we leave for Springfield?” he quietly asked.

Chapter Ten

Head shot

½ oz raspberry liqueur

½ oz Southern Comfort

Shake with ice, strain. Pour into shot glass.

Joe blinked at him. Was he serious? If they both left, who would run the bar? Did he really want to meet Cain?

“I came up here to tell you I think we should hire some more people,” Vincent began.

“Can you afford that?” she asked, her brain quickly switching gears.

“I can now. To help with scheduling, I’m going to hire two part time people, and Nathan said he’d be willing to work a few hours a week, as well. That way, we can take time off together,” he assured her.

“But can you get someone so soon?”

“Sure. Nathan can cover Saturday, we’re closed Sunday. No problem,” he said as he pulled her into his arms. “We’ll plan on leaving Saturday morning.”

* * * *

Saturday morning arrived with a chill in the air and the smell of snow. Joe smiled. She loved snow. Sure, the roadways could be quite hazardous, but the beauty of the whiteness spoke to her. Having already packed for the short trip, all she had to do was eat breakfast and dress in a skirt and a bulky, brown sweater. Twenty minutes later, she was seated in Vincent’s four wheel drive Jeep.

“I made reservations for the hotel on the edge of Springfield. It has an indoor pool with an arcade right next to it,” she informed Vincent.

“How many rooms?”

Joe blushed.
“Just one.
They were pretty well booked up, but there are two double beds, and I thought you could take one and Cain and I share the other.”

Vincent reached over to lay a hand on her leg. “That sounds good. I want to get to know this kid. From what you’ve told me, he’s one special boy.”

“He is,” Joe assured him, smiling. How on earth had she lucked out enough to find a man as sensitive and adorable as this one?

“Since we won’t really be alone, however, I think it best we make the most of our time in the car,” Vincent said.

“Okay,” she answered hesitantly, unsure of what he meant but recognising the commanding timbre of his voice.

“Are you wearing panties?”

“Yes.”

“Take them off,” Vincent commanded.

Joe blinked once then did as he bid. Vincent did not even glance at her, simply taking it for granted she would obey him.

“Now the skirt.”

“But…” she began to object.

“Now,” he
stated,
a hard edge to his voice.

Glancing nervously at the passing traffic, Joe complied. This time, Vincent did spare her a glance and a quick nod.

“Now, open the glove compartment. You will find a small, cordless bullet vibrator. I want you to insert it then hand me the controller.”

Joe followed instructions, opening the glove compartment and finding a shiny, silver vibrator. She didn’t worry about being wet. The moment she had opened the door to Vincent that morning, she had felt herself soften and moisten. After inserting the device deep within her pussy, she obediently handed Vincent the controller.

He began gently, building intensity until Joe felt her muscles contract. She tipped her head back, knowing she was on the brink of orgasm. Suddenly, a large semi truck pulled up beside them and honked. Joe squealed and quickly bent over, trying to cover
herself
from the leering driver.

“No, you don’t,” Vincent warned. “If he wants to look, he can look. Let him see how beautiful you are. You don’t cover yourself unless I tell you, got it?”

Joe nodded and hesitantly glanced up at the grinning trucker. Apparently, the man radioed his friends, because within minutes, five other trucks were lined up to get a good look at Joe’s squirming body.

Vincent pulled the Jeep into a rest area, and Joe reached for her skirt.

“What are you doing?” he asked.

“Well, I need to use the restroom, and I can’t very well walk in there half naked,” she answered.

Vincent raised an eyebrow. “You think you can just put on your clothes without permission or earning that privilege?”

“Oh,” Joe murmured. “You’re right. May I put on my skirt?”

“Not until you’ve sucked me off.”

Joe grinned and quickly reached over to unzip his jeans. Without further instruction, she licked the tip of his penis, savouring the sweetness of his pre-cum juices. She rolled her tongue around his shaft before opening her mouth wide and devouring his length. Closing her lips over him, she sucked gently and moved her head steadily up and down. Vincent placed his hand on her head, playing with her hair.

God, he tastes good.
She’d given head quite a bit in her time, but no one had ever tasted as sweet as Vincent. She could suck on him all day. Suddenly, he pushed her head down, her lips hitting his pelvis, his body shaking. Joe greedily swallowed his hot load, feeling the liquid fire slide down her throat. When he relaxed his grip a bit, she hungrily lapped up all the remaining cream, purring like a satisfied kitten.

“Nice,” he complimented. “Now you can put on your skirt, but make sure it comes off again as soon as you get back.”

“Yes, Sir.”
She flashed him a wickedly satisfied grin.

* * * *

Vincent glanced at Joe sleeping peacefully in the passenger seat. For the ride home, he’d ordered her to remove not only her skirt and panties, but her sweater and bra, as well. In deference to the chilly weather, though, he had allowed her to drape a thin blanket over herself. When he had noticed her eyes becoming heavy, he had told her to lean back and take a nap. Now, one corner of the blanket had dropped a bit, revealing the curve of one luscious breast. Vincent cast an appreciative glance at it before returning his attention to the road. He could get used to having a naked woman with him.

For the most part, the weekend had gone beautifully. Mr. and Mrs.
Hett
had dropped Cain off at the hotel within half an hour of their arrival. The rest of the day had been filled with playing in the pool, challenging the little scamp to games of Asteroids and Space Invaders and eating disgusting, kid-appropriate food before Cain had fallen asleep with his head on Vincent’s shoulder. That was when Vince’s heart had flipped over. He hadn’t been able to resist dropping a quick kiss on the little boy’s head before tucking him into bed. He felt a warm, cosy sensation stealing over him as he remember how Joe had looked this morning, snuggled in bed, wearing flannel pyjamas with little Cain curled against her. After stuffing their faces with pancakes and bacon, he and Joe had taken Cain shopping to replenish his supply of socks, underwear and toy race cars.

His hands gripped the wheel a bit tighter as he thought about Mr. and Mrs.
Hett
.

He and Joe had driven to their home to drop off Cain. The boy had tearfully hugged Joe and even thrown his chubby arms around Vince’s neck before leaving. Mrs.
Hett
had done little more than huff at the boy and shout at him to put his packages away before slamming the door shut. Was it possible to fall in love with a little boy in just twenty-four hours? Vincent wasn’t sure, but he knew that he’d do all he could to help Joe make a warm, loving home for him.