Page 7 of Chasing Storm

She responds without looking at me. “Yes?”

I let out a heavy sigh. “Where did you go for your IUD?”

Her head shoots up and her eyes narrow on me. “Why?”

“We were in no-man’s-land, and they found us. No one around. I hid the car in an abandoned barn, and they found us.” I scratch the palm of my hand and continue, “It’s the only thing I can think of.”

Teagan jerks her head away from me and folds her arms. I let her take it in for a minute before I ask again.

“I got it…at the clinic on Halsted and Adams by Greektown.”

“Southside Express Physicians?” She nods. “It’s my dad’s territory. He knows all the businesses there and has snitches everywhere.”

“But why would anyone call him about my IUD?”

“Because they knew we were getting married. James wanted you pregnant to solidify the alliance.”

Tears bubble in her eyes, and she swallows. “It’s the only thing I had control over…at least, that’s what I thought. Neither of us wanted this marriage. I had school. At least I had authority over my body.” Her pained eyes dig into my heart. “Truth is, I never had any power over my life, did I?”

I move to the bed, bring her onto my lap and hug her. “Neither of us did, Tea. But that will change. I’m going to get us out of this mess, and when it’s over, I’m giving you the world.”

Tea offers a small smile. “So, what now?”

My lips press against her temple when I say, “It needs to come out.”

She sucks in a breath, but it doesn’t prevent the tears from falling. I let her cry into my shirt.

Shaking her head against my chest, she mutters, “I did it to prevent pregnancy.” She sits up to meet my eyes. “It’s not that I don’t want your children, because I do. Some day. Just not now. If this is taken out…”

“Let’s worry about it later. Right now, we need to find out how to get it out of you.”

I head to the small motel office to use a computer. We have burner phones and no other electronics. A grandmotherly type woman rises, her back hunched over, and fingers like gnarled tree roots. I ask if she has a computer I can use. After some compliments and coaxing, she lets me use it. Google is my friend because I find simple instructions on the first page and print them out.

Back in the room, I let Teagan read them over.

She’s chewing on her lower lip, so I ask, “Do you want to do it or me?”

Teagan shrugs, and in a choked whisper says, “It doesn’t matter.”

My hands cup her face, and I kiss her on the mouth. Slow. Delicate. I want her to feel how precious she is to me.

“Why don’t you take a shower, and we’ll go from there?”

Teagan showers and puts on a shirt I got from the car, leaving off her underwear. She suggests I do it because she’ll be too nervous.

I lay her on the bed and get on top of her, kissing her face, neck, and behind her ear, whispering how much I love her. How smart and beautiful she is. How lucky I am to have her in my life. When her body relaxes, I sit back on my heels, opening her legs and pushing them toward her. Her arms wrap around the backs of her knees while I lay down, eye-level with her pussy. God, I miss her pussy. It seems like weeks since we’ve had sex. I shake my head to prevent going in that direction.

I leave open-mouth kisses on her inner thighs. Her butt cheeks. And then I press my lips to her pussy. I know I shouldn’t, but I lick from opening to clit, causing her legs to spasm and her breath quickens.

“Joey…”

“One lick. I figure it will be easier to take out the IUD if you’re soaked.”

She lets out a soft laugh. “I think you’re doing it for yourself.”

I cock an eyebrow and look at her. “Is that such a bad thing?”

Teagan smiles, stares at the ceiling, and says, “No. But we don’t—”

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