Series: Like Us Series by Krista Ritchie
Total pages in book: 177
Estimated words: 174544 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 873(@200wpm)___ 698(@250wpm)___ 582(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 174544 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 873(@200wpm)___ 698(@250wpm)___ 582(@300wpm)
The marker tip is cold, but only heat encases me as she dips the Sharpie down my sternum to my abs. She draws swirls around my butterfly tattoo on my ribs. “On my planet,” she says, causing my pulse to skip, “these are markings of protection. You are impenetrable. No one, no one, can penetrate you.”
I’m so fucking in love with her, it’s not even funny anymore. “Worried I’m gonna be penetrated?” I ask her.
“I don’t know where you’re going or what you might encounter. Earth is a strange place.”
“You’re telling me,” I breathe, and I take the capped Sharpie from her when she’s done. “You stay very still now.”
Luna smiles, then nods. “I am your tree.” She poses, hands upright, and I feel down her body while I lower to a squat. Her breath hitches as I hold her thighs.
“Nice T-shirt,” I compliment. “You like AC/DC?” I raise the hem of the tee above her hips, exposing her black panties. The galaxy tattoo on her thigh is without a doubt my best work. Think it every time I see it.
“I don’t listen to them a ton,” she admits, watching me with parted lips. “I didn’t know I had this shirt.”
“That’s ‘cause it’s mine,” I say and draw her panties down to her knees.
A whimpering noise leaves her lips, and her fingers clutch my hair for support.
“You good?” I ask since I have her completely exposed. Virgin. Virgin. Virgin. I’m remembering, alright.
“Uh-huh.” She opens her knees for me.
“Why’s my tree splitting apart?” I ask her, then uncap the Sharpie with my teeth.
“I’m a horny tree.”
My lips upturn, biting on the cap, and I write alongside her hipbone and above her pussy. Donnelly was here. I spit out the cap, just to cup her ass and lick and suck her clit. Her moan and quivering legs are engrained in my brain, top-tier spank bank material. ‘Cause unfortunately I’m not coming inside Luna tonight.
Lifting her panties back up, I rise and cap the pen. “That’s so you never forget where I’ve been.”
She mutters, “Holy shit.”
I grin. Yeah, fuck O’Malley. Fuck anyone who tries to take her from me.
She’s mine.
Whiplash. That’s what it feels like going from a good night with Luna to sitting in a security SUV outside a closed Italian joint in South Philly.
Sun hasn’t risen yet. It’s so dark, and nobody really stirs except the early birds catchin’ the worm. A little old lady sweeps outside a deli.
A recently released felon sits beside me.
Dad. He smokes a cigarette, hand hanging out of the car window. We’re both smoking, actually. I picked him up on Broad and drove to a less trafficked area. Parked here.
We haven’t said much yet. Small talk. Eagles are doing good. Yeah. Yeah. He takes another long drag, stares out at the deli, then asks, “You get the cops to drop my charges?”
I blow smoke out the window. “I don’t think I have that kind of pull, but if I got out, I suspected you might. I saw you at the Rhino. You had an alibi.”
“I was on parole,” he says. “I broke parole.”
I shrug, tapping ash outside. “I dunno what you want me to say. I didn’t make that call.”
He thinks this over, then nods. “Yeah, alright.” After another drag, he asks, “How’ve you been?”
“Fine.”
He inspects my face. “You sleeping?”
You care? “I sleep,” is all I say, my chest tight. “How about you?”
“I’m still kicking. Beats being locked up with those fucking idiots.” He flicks his cigarette angrily out the window.
“Now watch you get locked up for starting a forest fire.”
“What forest?”
We share a small smile. When mine fades, I say, “Are they asking about me? Ollie and the others?”
“They’re wondering why you weren’t fired. I’ve been wondering too, honestly. I gotta say, it stinks. Somethin’ isn’t right.” He eyes me skeptically.
My muscles try to seize. I loosen my posture and reach for a packet of cigarettes. Offering my dad another one. He takes it, still scanning me up and down. I tell him, “I didn’t know the cops would show.”
“You didn’t lead them there?” he questions.
“No.”
“You didn’t turn on our family?”
What family? I shake my head to him. “No.”
“Then how the hell are you still workin’ for Loren fucking Hale after your cousins kidnapped his daughter and beat up his wife?” His eyes flash hot, fear in them. That I’m duping him, and I am. A wire is hot against my chest. Been wearing one under my shirt the whole time. But I need his help. I can’t do this without him.
I snuff my cigarette on the lip of a Fizz can. “They don’t think I’m close to you guys.”
“They can’t be that dumb.”
I look over at him, wondering if he can see my fear too. “What I tell you has to stay between you and me, you have to promise.”