Page 21 of Condemned Soul

“That still doesn’t mean I shouldn’t have served that preppy little dick who thought he could touch ya, his fingers as a fuckin’ entrée,” I point out, opening my door and punching it on my way through.

“Jimmer, calm down. I came here to explain and to say I’m sorry.”

“What ya sorry for?” I turn to look at her, suddenly feeling weak and fuckin’ helpless. “None of this is your fault. It’s all mine.”

“What…? How do you figure that?” She looks puzzled.

“D’ya know what I thought when I first saw you with him and your folks sittin’ at that table?”

“That you wanted to serve him his fingers as an entrée.” She smiles, trying her best to lighten the mood.

“Before that.” I shake my head, making it clear that I’m serious about what I’m about to tell her.

“No, Jimmer, I don’t know.” Now she looks curious.

“I wished I was him.” I throw my keys at the table in frustration. “You’re twenty years old, you're a woman now, Joanne. You don’t have to keep me a secret from them. You choose to.” I take the bottle of Jack from my kitchen counter and slump into one of my kitchen chairs. “And I know why. You're this beautiful, precious, little thing that's been raised so perfectly and I’m me. I’m never gonna be the guy you take to dinner with your folks because they fear me. I may have screwed up in the past with Mary-Ann and she may have some shit over me, but I’m not the one keepin’ us a secret. I want the world to know you’re mine. I wanna put you on my saddle and let this whole town know you're my girl. But I saw the look on your face when I walked into that diner tonight. You were ashamed of me.” I point my finger at her accusingly.

“No, I just… I have to please them,” she tries to explain.

“Why?”

“Because they’re my parents, Jimmer. They’ve raised me to be this person and?—”

“D’ya even like that person?” I cut her off and when she gives me a weak no, that I can barely hear, I can’t help feeling sorry for her.

“You know what I had Thorne workin’ on when you left here earlier?”

Her head shakes back at me.

“I had him lookin’ into ways of gettin’ Mary-Ann off the deeds. I got Roswell lookin’ into some rape her dad was accused of ten years ago to see if I can buy myself some leverage, and I got my solicitor ampin’ up his game so I can get some rights on Hayley before she tries to use her as a weapon when shit goes west. I did all that because I want you to be my old lady. I want all this to be yours. I wanna share all the memories me and my club are gonna make here, with you.” I feel as if I’m ripping my heart out my chest and handing it to her on a silver platter.

“Jimmer, I can’t.”

“Yes, ya can. Everythin’ you said before you left here earlier was so unselfish, it made me realize what I really want. I want this club to grow into somethin’ special and I want you by my side. You make me a better person Joanne, the kind of person this club needs to lead ‘em.”

“I do love you,” she tells me, reaching out and taking my hand.

“Love ain’t enough. Times are gonna be hard and there will be plenty of ‘em when you’re ashamed of the man I am,” I warn her.

“Never.” She launches herself onto my body and smashes her lips onto mine, and although it’s not gonna resolve the mess we’re in, I carry her straight to the bedroom so I can show her just how much I’ve fallen in love with her too.

I lay her out on the mattress I have on the floor and kneel in front of her, lifting her leg and resting her ankle against my shoulder.

“He shouldn’t have touched ya here.” I kiss the inside of her thigh where that asshole had his hand, gradually lowering my kisses until I’m just a whisper away from her pussy. I can’t get enough of the way her body responds to me, the noises she makes has my cock desperate to be inside her.

“Jimmer, I don’t like him. Our parents are friends and they think we would be a good fit but—” I press my fingers over her lips.

“D’ya really wanna be talkin’ about him when I’m about to make ya come?” I lift my eyes up to hers and watch the menacing smile form under my finger as she shakes her head.

“Tell me you’re mine, Joanne. That’s all I need to know.”

“I’m yours,” she promises, and I give her my tongue as a reward for the correct answer.

* * *

“You good?” Joanne comes outta the bathroom looking real pale.

“Yeah, fine.” She smiles as she takes a seat at the table.

---