Page 6 of Cuffs and Kink

“I’m not going to fuck you and throw you out of my house,” he said. “Did you think you’d overstayed your welcome?”

“Something like that. You seemed angry, so I thought it was best if I left.”

He sighed and shook his head, kneeling in front of me. “Josie, I’m not mad at you. I’m upset the condom broke because I’ve never had that happen before. But that doesn’t mean it’s your fault or that I hold it against you. If you want to stay a little longer, I’m okay with that. It was your first time, and I’m not about to treat you like some whore who needs to get the fuck out of my bed right afterward.”

I scooted over and waited for him to climb back into bed, then I curled against his side and rested my head on his shoulder. It was nice, cuddling with him, and it was something I could easily get used to. Ty was the kind of man I’d always wanted, and even though I knew this was a one-time deal it was nice that he was mine even for a little while. Today would have to be a memory that would hold me for a while. I wasn’t sure when my parents planned to spring Falks on me again, but thanks to Ty, the good reverend would no longer want me. I only hoped this didn’t come back to bite me in the ass.

Chapter Three

Ty

It had been weeks since my afternoon with Josie and fuck if I could get her out of my head. I’d had a date scheduled for the next day, but the woman had seemed vapid and I’d ditched her as fast as I could. Since then, I hadn’t been tempted by so much as one female. Except Josie. I had seen her around town a few times, but she’d always been looking the other way, or with her parents. If possible she looked thinner, and I worried about her health. There were circles under her eyes, and I knew she wasn’t sleeping. I wondered if that was because of me and what we’d done, or if her parents were still pushing the marriage to Reverend Falks.

It was a Wednesday night, and Josie was probably at church with her family. I sat at the counter in the Southern Fried Café waiting on my dinner. I’d gotten off a shift a half hour before, but I was too damn hungry to go home and change before eating. The loaded burger that Estelle placed in front of me was well worth a little discomfort. My damn belt weighed a ton, but all that faded away at the thought of food. Damn burger smelled incredible, and my stomach growled.

“It’s a shame if you ask me,” an old-timer down the counter said. “Good girl like that. Don’t know what her parents are thinking.”

The hairs on my nape prickled.

“I’m sorry, but who’s a good girl?” I asked, dreading his answer.

“Josie Wright. Her parents threw her out from what I heard. She’s been living in her car the last few days. Makes me question just how Christian her folks could be to do something like that.”

“Oh, they had a good reason,” Charlotte Weathers said from across the room. “Can’t say why, doctor-patient confidentiality and all that, but she was in to see Doc Simms the other day and her mama just about went through the roof.”

Was Josie sick? And her parents had thrown her out?

“Where’s she parking her car?” I asked.

“Out at Grovener Park. She parks under the shade tree out that way, or at least that’s where I’ve seen her the past two nights,” the old-timer said.

“Estelle, would you please make my dinner to-go, and get me a second one as well?” I asked.

The waitress smiled and nodded, taking my plate to the back. About ten minutes later, she had two to-go containers for me, and I was out the door. I wanted to flip on my lights and barrel through town to get to Josie, but I didn’t want to get my ass chewed by the chief. When I pulled into the parking lot of the park, that bright red Beetle was hard to miss. Josie had the seat tilted back, and it looked like she was already asleep.

I got out of my cruiser and tapped on her window. She bolted upright, her eyes wide, and I felt like an ass for scaring the shit out of her. Josie rolled down her window and stared up at me.

“Am I in trouble for parking here?”

“You’re in trouble all right. Why the hell didn’t you come to me when your parents threw you out?”

Tears gathered in her eyes, and she started sobbing. With a curse, I jerked open her door and pulled her into my arms, her ass resting across my bent legs. Her arms curled around my neck, and she held on tight like she was afraid I would let her go. Fat chance of that. She was all I’d thought about for weeks, and now that she was back in my arms, I wasn’t going to let her go again.

“Are you okay to drive?” I asked. “Or do you want to come back for your car?”

“I can drive.” She sniffled and wiped her eyes.

“Follow me home. I have some dinner for you when you get there. I picked up some burgers at Southern Fried before I came here. I could tan your ass for not telling me they’d thrown you out. Why the hell didn’t you come to me, Josie?”

“I didn’t think you’d want us,” she said softly.

“Us?” I looked into her car but didn’t see anyone else in there.

“Me and…” She hiccupped. “Our baby.”

“Our…” My gaze dropped to her flat stomach. “Are you saying you’re pregnant?”

She nodded.

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