Uncaged: A Fighting for Flight Short Story Page 2

  I should’ve known any son of Blake Daniels would be a master manipulator of the female gender—motherfucking shit.

  The mental swear jar is overflowing as I stare on helplessly while Jack offers Sadie the weird candy bouquet in his hands.

  “For you, because I know how much you like Blow Pops.”

  Blow Pops?! Is he out of his damn mind? I know exactly why a man would give a woman something to suck on and it has shitall to do with her love of candy. I ball my fists at my side. Don’t kill Blake’s son. Do not kill Blake’s son.

  Her cheeks get red and she accepts the bouquet. “Thank you.”

  He points to them. “They’re all cherry. Your favorite.”

  “Fuck,” I grumble and all eyes come to me. “What?”

  The frantic squeak of rubber soles on marble sounds from the hallway seconds before Carey slides to a stop at my side. Like an angry little coyote he glares up at Jack and shows his teeth. “You.”

  “What’s up, little dude.” Jack holds up a hand and steps closer to my son. “High-five.”

  Carey stares at the hand like it’s covered in cat shit.

  “Care?” Sadie scolds. “What the hell?”

  Hating to upset his sister he begrudgingly gives Jack his palm but I notice it lacks enthusiasm.

  “I brought you something,” Jack says as he reaches into the back pocket of his jeans. “I know you’re into video games and stuff, but I saw this the other day and thought you’d like it.” He pulls out a Hot Wheels car and hands it to Carey on a flat palm like he’s feeding it to a wild animal.

  Carey’s eyes widen and the sides of his mouth jump. “It’s a ’68 Camaro,” he says on a whisper. “Gunmetal gray, just like Dad’s.”

  My eye twitches. This fucker.

  Jack shoves it toward Carey. “Yeah, it is. Here, take it. It’s yours.”

  “Are you sure?” My son stares between the small car and the kid giving it to him like he can’t decide which one he loves more.

  Traitor!

  After taking the car he rushes into Jack for a rough man hug. I shake my head thinking he can blind my daughter with grossly sexualized candy, my son with toys, and even my wife with his good manners, but he’s going to have to work a lot harder to win me over, little asshole—

  “Damn, Uncle Jonah, have you been lifting heavier than usual?” Jack’s green eyes that look so much like his dad’s grow wide at my chest. “You’re bigger than my dad now. What do you bench?”

  My molars grind together. “Five-fifty.”

  He whistles. “Whoa. Yeah, you are definitely bigger than my dad.”

  It isn’t until the side of my mouth starts to pull up that I realize I’m smiling. No! I force a frown.

  Sadie hooks her arm through Jacks. “Right, well…we better go if we want to catch that movie!”

  Jack nods and looks up at me. “I’ll have her home by ten-thirty.”

  “Nine.”

  Raven rocks into my side. “Ten-thirty is fine.”

  Sadie moves away from Jack long enough to press the side of her face into my chest. “Thank you, Daddy. I love you,” she whispers.

  Those three words. I close my eyes and press a kiss to the top of her head. “Love you too, baby. Be safe.”

  She rejoins Jack and they turn to head out. I hate the way he opens the door for her, how he puts his hand on her lower back to guide her out to the car, how he throws his head back and laughs at something she says. I hate it all because I know all the moves and I know the intention behind them. He’s out for one thing and one thing only, just like all boys his age—hell, who am I kidding, most men in general—he’s not thinking with the head on his shoulders but the one between his legs.

  “Wait!” I bark and both of them freeze halfway to his car. “What movie are you seeing?”

  Sadie looks up at Jack to answer which tells me she didn’t have a say in the movie choice.

  He grins in the slow and calculated way I’ve seen his father flash to a million different women when he’s trying to be persuasive. “Progress. It’s a documentary about the industrial revolution—”

  “You son of a—” I lunge but Raven steps in front of me and I slam into her back.

  “Great, sounds good. You guys have fun!” She slams the door and whirls around. “Don’t you dare.”

  “Move out of my way, baby.” I shove a finger toward the door. “I am going to chase that fucking car down and rip that little shit apart.”

  “No. He’s a good kid and we raised Sadie right. Stop acting like Jack is Blake and your daughter is some helpless girl with zero self-worth.”

  I blink at that.

  “She’s a strong young woman, Jonah, and she knows she’s worth a whole hell of a lot more than to be used by some kid with a hard-on.”

  I open my mouth to defend myself but she cuts me off.

  “Jack is a good guy. He’s not out drinking or doing drugs. Both Layla and Blake have him working at the gym and he never complains. He gets good grades, he’s always respectful, so stop making him pay for your and Blake’s sins. He is not you guys.”

  I don’t know if I should take offense to that, but I decide she meant it in the best possible way. She’s right. Jack hasn’t shown that he’s untrustworthy, but still. No one will be good enough for Sadie.

  “Fine,” I grind out.

  She slaps my phone into my palm. “Call Blake and let him know you didn’t kill his son. I’ll be in Carey’s room.” She presses a kiss to my cheek and walks off. I watch her hips sway, her bitable ass swinging beneath the denim of her overalls, and try to forget that Jack Daniels will be looking at my daughter with the same thoughts that are washing through my mind right now.

  I punch Blake’s contact and put the phone to my ear.

  “What?”

  I walk into the kitchen and grab a beer. “I didn’t kill your son.”

  “Good, because it would be a real fucking bummer to have to bury my kid and my best friend while being incarcerated for murder, you asshole.”

  “Please tell me this kid is nothing like you, you walking fucking case of gonorrhea.”

  “Fuck you. You kiss your wife with that mouth? Don’t act like your dick didn’t have just as much of a chance of fallin’ off as mine did back in the day.”

  I take a long swig from my beer and drop down onto a barstool with a groan. “What are the chances that our kids are better than us?”

  “Shit. With Layla and Raven being their moms? I’d say pretty fucking good.”

  “Good point.”

  A few beats of silence pass between us.

  Blake clears his throat. “If it makes you feel better, I threatened to kick Jack’s ass myself if he doesn’t do right by Sadie. She may not be my blood but she’s my girl too, ya know?”

  “Ditto.” Jack’s just as much a part of my family as my own kids, which is why I hate that he’s putting himself on the other side of the protection zone by dating my daughter. “It’s just…” Shit, I should probably let it go.

  “What?”

  “You know he’s taking her to see a documentary on the industrial revolution?”

  Each silent second that ticks by grows thicker with tension.

  “Blake?”

  He’s still quiet.

  I check to make sure our call didn’t get dropped.

  “Repeat that?” He practically whispers but it’s not because he’s trying to be quiet, he’s fighting off rage.

  “I think you heard me, brother.”

  “Funny,” he clears his throat. “I just got an urge to see a movie.”

  I grin. “Is that right?”

  “Sure as fuck is. I’ll let you know how it goes.”

  “I’d appreciate that.”

  “Later.”

  He hangs up before I can say goodbye and I chuckle to myself while finishing my beer.

  Yeah, Sadie’ll be alright. Once Jack sees his Dad in the theater he’ll be wondering who else is following them and he’ll k
eep his hands to himself or I’ll break them both clean off his body.

  Raven

  “My brother just left with the boys,” I say as I come into the bedroom to find Jonah flat on his back staring at the ceiling fan. “You hear from Blake?”

  He grunts. “Yeah, he’s sitting behind them at the movies.”

  “Jack will never forgive him for ruining this date.” I unhook my overalls and let them drop to the floor before scooping them up and tossing them into the hamper. “Do you know how long the movie is?”

  “Couple of hours probably, I’m sure Blake will text me when they’re done.” He pushes up to his elbows as I slip the dirty white tank top off over my head. I don’t know what it is but he always seems fascinated to watch me undress even if it’s only to hop into the shower or change my shirt.

  I turn my back to him and look at over my shoulder. “See something you like?”

  His wide eyes glide up my back to my face. “Come here.”

  I shrug one shoulder and unhook my bra. “Can’t. I have to take a shower.”

  “Raven, get your ass to this bed,” he growls.

  “Sorry. Can’t.” I drop my bra and hook my thumbs into my panties to shimmy them down my legs. “I’m dirty.”

  He moans and the sound of him shifting around on the comforter is immediately followed by the thump of his footsteps as he quickly crosses our bedroom to me. He closes in behind me, his huge hands coming around to cup my breasts and squeeze. A rumble of approval vibrates in his chest as I lean back to give him my weight. His thick, callused fingers run along my nipples then pinch and pull at them. I arch deeper into his hands rubbing my ass against his thick hard-on with a deep sigh. His big body practically wraps around mine and it’s in these moments that I’ve never felt safer.

  “You know I like you dirty.” He bites my neck, clamping on with his straight white teeth to hold me in place. It’s primal, primitive, and so damn hot.

  “Prove it.” I smile as his teeth lock down a little harder and he sucks at my skin probably leaving a mark before releasing it with a wet pop.

  His palm slides heavily down my hips, over my belly button, and slips roughly beneath my panties. “You’re already wet.”

  I snake a hand behind my back and palm his erection over his shorts. “So are you.”

  A low chuckle vibrates against my neck sending goose bumps over my body as he pushes my legs apart with a tap of his foot to my ankle. “Wider.”

  I obey and he rewards me with two fingers pushed deeply inside. My head falls back to the cradle of his chest. He allows me a minute to close my eyes while his hand at my breast and his fingers between my legs overwhelm me with sensation. My hips begin to rock in time with his hands and he moans in approval before pinching my nipple hard.

  “Open your eyes and look how hot we are together.”

  I knew he wouldn’t let me close my eyes for long. He enjoys watching me watch him pleasure me, it’s a tiny obsession he has and although at first it made me a little uncomfortable, now it gets me off just as much as it does him.

  My head feels like it weights a hundred pounds as I lift it up to look down my body. Strong fingers pull and roll my nipple and watching as he does it only makes the sensations stronger. I gasp as he pulls.

  “Tell me.” He nips at my ear. “Tell me how it feels.”

  “It aches, but in a good way.”

  He hums against my skin and curls his fingers between my legs. “And this?”

  I stare through hooded eyes at his colorful forearm, the tattoos seeming to dance as he thrusts his fingers in and out of me in a slow and deliberate pace. His big, strong hand covered in pale pink lace, his knuckles bulging and practically ripping through the fabric. “It’s like…” I lick my lips. “You’re stroking every nerve in my body.”

  “And?”

  “Stretching. Filling. Pounding.”

  He mumbles a string of curses into my throat and I lose his hand when he lifts me into his arms and carries me to the bed. “I swear it’s getting harder and harder to have long-lasting foreplay with you, baby. The second I touch you I need to get inside.” He tosses me to the bed and quickly strips my panties from my legs. “No one home for hours.” He makes quick work of the buttons on his shirt, opening it up and dropping it to the floor. “You can be as loud as you want.” With a quick jerk he’s got his shorts off. Every muscle in his body seems to expand and contract with every breath as he stands over me.

  “Are you waiting for a formal invitation?” I grin at the feral look in his eyes.

  He crawls over me like a predator stalking his prey. With one powerful thrust of his knee, he spreads my thighs further apart then sits back to look down between my legs. He licks his lips and my hips jack off the bed in anticipation of his tongue.

  He drops down and buries his face in my thighs. I cry out as he sucks and licks his way into my body.

  “Yes.” He growls. “Louder.”

  Every time he lashes his thick, heavy tongue against me has my body singing and my mouth forming words that make no sense. He works me into a frenzy before backing off and I claw at his hair pulling the soft strands that have now taken on a few grays and make him even more devastatingly handsome.

  “Enough!” He pushes up, flips me to my stomach and with that same knee, presses my leg wide and into the bed. Positioning himself with his hand, he guides himself to me then sinks inside in one, firm thrust. “I could die here, Raven. Buried deep.” He thrusts again, bottoming out. “Right here. Right fucking here.”

  He leans over me and licks up my neck to my jaw. I know what he wants so I lift my head and turn just enough to take his tongue deep into my mouth. I taste myself on him and suck my flavor from his mouth as he pushes and pulls in and out of me in lazy strokes. Minutes turn into longer minutes until time becomes irrelevant. He kisses my shoulders, bites at my neck, and whispers filthy words into my ear until I’m bucking to get more, begging for him to fill every single part of me, to rip me in half and lick at my wounds.

  His hand slips into my hair and he holds firmly to my nape. “I’m close.”

  I tilt my head again, offering him my mouth. He takes it and grinds in deep for one…two…three times and my release zaps my spine so hard I swear it would send me off the bed if it weren’t for Jonah’s weight holding me down. I call out, cry out, groan, and whisper as the force of it wracks my body with aftershocks.

  “So sexy, baby. So fucking…” he thrusts again, and again. “Sexy.” His tongue pushes between my lips and I suck it down my throat. His hips pound deeper until he groans and his eyebrows pinch together as he’s overcome by his own release. He slows and milks his orgasm whispering how much he loves me before dropping his weight onto my back.

  With sweat-soaked skin against sweat-soaked skin we lay there, him on top of me, catching our breath.

  “I love you…” he says, then takes two more heavy breaths. “So much.” He rolls off of me and gathers me to his chest.

  I throw my arm over his gut and my leg over his thigh. “I love you too.”

  “That was fun.”

  I grin against his pec. “It’s always fun.”

  His fingers trace patters on my backside and hip, soothing me to an almost sleeplike state. When his hand stills and his breathing evens I know he’s almost asleep too. I close my eyes and I don’t know how much time passes when I’m jerked awake by the ping of Jonah’s phone.

  He groans and with a clumsy hand slaps around the bedside table to grab it. I look up to see it’s a text from Blake.

  They ditched me!

  Jonah hits a couple buttons and then puts it on speakerphone just as Blake answers with a grumbled, “I tried.”

  “What happened?” Jonah sounds a lot more relaxed and I give myself an internal pat on the back for a job well done.

  “I was sitting right behind them in that movie—and man, let me just say, that movie was boring as shit! When I woke up, they were gone!”

  “Woke up? You
fell asleep on date duty? What good are you?!”

  “I told you the thing was boring as shit, man! You try to sit through that crap and keep your eyes open.”

  I smile into Jonah’s chest while he rubs his eyes with his thumb and forefinger. “How long into the movie until you fell asleep, asshole?”

  “Not long,” he mumbles.

  “It’s okay, Blake.” I rub Jonah’s abs hoping to sooth the tension that I feel building in his muscles. “You shouldn’t be spying on them anyway.”

  “Hold up, why do you guys sound weird? Wait…Carey’s with Rex and Gia, are you seriously calling me post-coital?”

  Jonah barks out a laugh and I bury my face into his armpit and answer, “No.”

  “Liar! I can hear it in your voices! The ole ‘no kids home so lets wake the neighbors’ sex. I’m not stupid.”

  “Whatever,” I say.

  “How was it? Jonah still getting hard at his old age?”

  “Fuck you!” Jonah says and Blake laughs.

  “It’s cool, old man. It happens to guys your age.”

  “I’m hanging up.”

  “They make pills now!”

  Jonah hits End and tosses his phone to the foot of the bed. “I hate him.”

  “You love him.” I squeeze him tighter. “Just think, if this thing with Jack and Sadie works out you guys will be brothers.”

  He groans and throws one muscled arm over his eyes. “Stop.”

  I settle back into his warmth.

  “I think it’s alright that Jack and Sadie are dating.”

  Shocked, I blink up at him. “Really?”

  He shrugs. “Yeah, I’m not going to be happy about it, I mean…she’s my baby. But, I wouldn’t want to deny her finding what we have.”

  “Well look at that.” I prop myself up on my elbows. “You came around.”

  “Not really. I just realized that the kind of love we have is rare and I’d hate it if something I did kept my kids from finding their person, ya know? I’d never forgive myself for that.”

  I kiss his pec right by his nipple. “Exactly. So…you’re going to let her date then?”

  “I don’t like it.”

  “I know.”

  “But yeah. I’ll try.”

  “You’re a good man, Jonah Slade.” I push up and kiss him. “We’re lucky to have you.”