Page 71 of Evidence of Deceit

Joe lay there with Claire snuggling in his arms. He knew people who never got over the abuse or wouldn’t let it go or blamed themselves. “You were brave and strong as a girl, but as a woman…” He had to stop for a second. His voice was trembling, and he swallowed hard. “You are the bravest, strongest woman I know. You certainly didn’t deserve to get hurt.”

“I agree. But it’s water over the dam.” She took his face in her hands. “The only thing that counts is right now. You’re here, I’m here, and I’m going to give you an orgasm.”

He started to protest.

“Shhh,” she murmured.

She reached her hand down to rub his balls and cock, then turned to go down on him.

“Claire, you don’t have to do this.”

“Shhh.” She moved lower. Her soft fingers caressed him, rubbed up and down, then her mouth enveloped his cock, and Joe was in heaven. He sighed. She moved slowly, then faster. Joe could only lie there. He couldn’t, wouldn’t move.

“Sweetheart, I’m going to come. Come up here.”

She shook her head and sucked even faster. Tonguing the vein that was pulsating, tonguing the tip of his cock. Licking and sucking so hard, he didn’t want her to stop. Couldn’t even if he wanted to.

Could this get any better? He didn’t think so.

Chapter Thirty-Nine

Joe zipped up his jacket against the wind and headed toward his truck. Tonight was poker night at Mark’s house. The weekend at the cabin was the respite he and Claire needed, but it didn’t last long enough. They had been back a week.

He, Mark, Luke, Pete, Hank, and whoever else was free tried to get together once a month to play. He hated leaving Claire after making sweet love to her all afternoon, but she was going out with the girls, so he was back to being with just the guys. He missed her already.

“Yo.” Mark greeted him at the door, and they did a fist bump.

“I guess no one else is here yet.” Joe looked around the comfortable living room. Mark wasn’t a fancy guy, but he had two sofas facing each other and two leather chairs around a square coffee table. The room was painted an off-white and had no pictures, pillows or throws, other than a big-ass TV on the wall currently tuned to a game. It was a comfortable room that opened into a large dining room that held a table and eight chairs.

“Not yet. Pete and Hank are coming together and running late. Jake is going to grace us with his presence tonight, and Luke’s coming from the office. I hope Ben is coming. I haven’t heard from him yet.”

“Great.”

“Grab a beer and help me set up.”

Joe grabbed a beer from the stocked fridge. Setup was a snap.

Mark took the sandwiches out of the fridge.

“Did Sam make them?” he asked, knowing full well Sam was not a domestic goddess.

“Am I still breathing?”

Joe chuckled. Sam probably would have kicked Mark’s ass if he asked, although he did see a softer side of her when she was with Mark. She was a force to be reckoned with at work and intense at play, but her relationship with Mark worked. He wondered if they would ever get married or if they liked the status quo. He shrugged. He could barely keep his life straight at the moment.

Mark put the poker chips and cards on the dining-room table and pulled out a chair. He gestured to the other chair. “Take a load off.”

Joe handed him a beer and sat down.

“So…” Mark took a sip of beer, put it down. “How are things going with Claire? Is she settling in? Happy?”

Was Claire happy? Joe thought she was. Remarkably so. Working with the shelters had helped heal some of her pain. She was painting again and loved her job.

“Yes, she is both settling in and happy.”

“No bad memories of Keith?”

Joe shook his head. “Not that I know of. She hasn’t said anything to me. I don’t know if she confided in the girls or not.” There was only that one time Claire had a nightmare, but he’d been able to settle her down.

---