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  “Hometown or home?” I tried to shake myself awake as I pushed myself up in the seat.

  “My home. This is where I’m from and where I really live.”

  My head started to spin as I realized there was very little I knew about the man. “You have a home home?”

  “Yes, and I’m taking you there. Are you sure about this, Roxy? There’s no going back. I don’t mean I’ll take you prisoner or hold you captive, but if you go back, you’ll be in danger.”

  Swallowing hard, I nodded. “I’m sure,” I said before letting out a giant breath. “Tell me where.”

  “I live in a town called Palm Harbor. It’s about twenty minutes north of Clearwater. My parents and siblings live nearby.”

  My eyes grew wide. Oh my God. What if they hated me? I mean, who says, “Hey, Ma. This is my girlfriend and she’s a stripper,” and have his mother embrace the person? Fuck. My stomach began to knot and my palms grew sweaty.

  “Parents?” I said, rubbing my hands against my jeans.

  “Don’t worry. They’re going to love you.”

  I felt overwhelmed. He’d said “siblings.” As in plural. I’d never spent much time meeting other people’s family. I was the girl who lurked in the shadows, not the type you brought home to Mom.

  “I don’t know, Blue.” I slumped down in the seat and stared out the window as we exited the freeway and headed toward the coast.

  “Stop worrying. If I love you, they’ll love you.”

  “What are you going to say? ‘Hey, Mom. This is Roxy and she’s a stripper’? I mean, come on. No one can welcome that into their son’s life.”

  “You don’t know my parents. Besides, you can be anyone you want. You’re starting fresh.”

  “True,” I said, turning to look at his profile, which was lit by the streetlights as we passed them and they flickered off and on.

  “I don’t have to meet them just yet, do I?” I whispered.

  “You can meet them when you’re ready.”

  “Who are you, Blue?” It was a good question, and I didn’t have the answer. I hadn’t even known he had a brother or sister, let alone many.

  “As soon as we get home and crawl in bed, I’ll tell you everything.”

  “Promise?” I squeaked out, closing my eyes as embarrassment flooded me. I sounded like a fifteen-year-old girl asking her boyfriend to promise her the world before losing her virginity to him.

  “I swear. I need to hold you when I tell you everything.”

  “Okay,” I whispered, staring into the darkness.

  I closed my eyes, trying to think of happy things to drive the panic I felt inside away. I had to remember that Blue made me happier than anyone else ever had. He was still the same man. Sure, there were plenty of things I didn’t know about him, but I knew I loved him. I knew how he felt about me and that he never treated me like a piece of trash. He was it for me.

  Suddenly, my body jerked, waking me from my dream as the car came to a stop. When I opened my eyes, I stretched in my seat and took in the house in front of me. It was big. Not just big, but grand. This wasn’t a shitty apartment complex or a small bungalow from my old neighborhood.

  There was a high archway with a chandelier dangling down and lighting the front door. A three-car garage sat to the left of the house and had two large, dark wooden doors. The roof was tiled, but I couldn’t see the shade in the darkness. The house was a light color, but it was too hard to tell which shade of pastel lined the exterior walls. The front door had to be ten feet tall, with a large metal knocker for guests. It was a stunning two-story structure.

  “This is where you live?” I asked.

  Turning off the car, he said, “Yes, this is home sweet home. I know it’s too much.”

  “No, it’s amazing. How in the fuck did you live in that shitty-ass room for so long when you had this waiting for you?”

  “I didn’t have a choice.”

  “Why would you shop at Kmart when you could have shopped at Nordstrom? Jesus.”

  “It’s more complicated than that. Let’s go inside. I haven’t been home in over a year.”

  “What the fuck? Men are so damn strange,” I mumbled as he climbed out of the car and closed the door. I sat there for a moment as he jogged in front of the car. As he opened my door, I couldn’t help myself as I asked, “Do your parents own this house?”

  He burst into laughter. “No, Roxy. This is all mine. Come on. Let me show you your new home.”

  My new home. I hadn’t thought of it like that. Sliding my hand in his, I placed my legs outside and stood. As I straightened my back, I winced as my muscles ached from the long drive.

  “Stiff?” he asked, wrapping his arm around my shoulder and closing the car door.

  “Yeah. Just a little.” I tucked myself in the crook of his arm and looked into his brilliant azure eyes.

  As we walked toward the door, he tried to find the key with one hand. “How about I’ll run us a bath and tell you everything?” After unlocking the door, he pushed it open and held his hand out for me to enter first.

  “Sounds divine.” I stepped inside and felt the air leave me in one fell swoop.

  The interior was more beautiful than the exterior. It had a Mediterranean feel, with dark hardwood floors and stucco walls. In the foyer there was a grand staircase with wrought-iron railings that tangled together, creating an intricate pattern. An oversized modern chandelier hung from the ceiling, giving the space a warm glow. It was breathtaking. An urge to twirl around like a princess with my arms outstretched overcame me, but I fought it, not wanting to act like a lunatic.

  I might have lived in a shithole, but I’d studied magazines, dreaming of a better life. This fit the bill.

  “Do you want to look around or take a bath and sleep?” he asked, tossing his keys on the side table I’d missed when I walked in.

  “Bath. You can show me around in the morning. I feel like shit and probably don’t smell much better.” I laughed, feeling way out of place in a lavish home like this.

  He held my hand, walking up the steps by my side as we made our way to his bathroom. The nerves I’d felt changed and molded into something different. No longer were my jitters from fear. Instead, they filled me with excitement over all the possibilities that lay before me.

  Chapter 11

  The entire night had been exhausting. Fortunately, without much hesitation, she’d left with me, believing in me enough to follow me on blind faith. But after the long drive, the only thing I wanted to do was hold her in my arms and wash away the grime from the day.

  “Are you going to tell me your story now, Blue?” Roxy asked, looking at me over her shoulder as I scrubbed her skin with some plastic thing I’d run some soap over. Izzy had told me years ago that they were good for skin, and bought me one for Christmas. I’d thought it was dumb as fuck back then, but it came in handy tonight.

  “Yeah, angel. I’m just trying to figure out where to start.” I dipped the scrubber in the water before lifting it and scrunching it to get more bubbles. “First, my name isn’t Blue.”

  She laughed, bringing her knees up and hugging them. “Sweetie, I figured that much. What is it?”

  “It’s Thomas.” I pulled her body toward me, dragging her ass against the bottom of the tub.

  “That sounds so formal,” she teased as she rested her chin on her knees.

  “My family calls me Tommy.”

  “I like Thomas better. How big is your family?”

  I touched her back with my free hand, watching the water trickle down her skin and follow the path of her spine. The whiteness of her skin was a stark contrast to my olive complexion, and I was always mesmerized when I touched her.

  “Well, my parents live nearby, and I have three brothers and a sister who are in the area. They all work at the family tattoo shop.”

  “No shit. Wow. That must’ve been great growing up.” She peeked over her shoulder again and smiled. “I would’ve given anything to have a sister. Or
a pain-in-the-ass brother, for that matter. I’m jealous.”

  “Looking back now, it was fun. We were always together and causing trouble. Sometimes, it became overwhelming, especially when my little sister came along, but we all looked out for each other.” I ran the scrubber over her back, watching the bubbles cascade and pop as they trickled down her skin.

  “Are your parents still together?” She turned back around and ran her fingers over my legs, which were caging her in.

  “Yeah.”

  “You guys sound like the Brady Bunch without the divorce. You’re so lucky, Bl—Thomas.”

  “We were the Brady Bunch on crack. Fistfights were common, teasing was merciless, and the noise was constant in my house when I was growing up. You’re going to love them, Rox. I just know you will.”

  “I think so too.” She rested her head on my shoulder. “So, if you’re not a biker, who are you? What the fuck don’t I know? Are you a cop?”

  “Such a saucy mouth.” I tapped her on the nose and laughed. “I don’t know where to start. I love riding, so in that way, I am a biker. I was never really a member of the Sun Devils MC. You’re right, Rox. I am in law enforcement. I was a member of the DEA, but I quit.”

  I laid it out, giving her the entire story. She held my life in her hands in this moment.

  “Wow. Fuck. Who knew this entire time you were a cop. You were working undercover?”

  “I was,” I replied, tracing small circles on her skin with my fingers. “Do you hate me now?” I asked, brushing my lips against her cheek.

  “Why would I? I wasn’t in the MC. I know half of those guys looked out for me and raised me when I was a kid, but I have no allegiance to them. They never loved me. They put up with me and looked out for me because of my mom and my dead father. You’re the only one who has ever truly cared about me. You’re the first person in my life I’ve felt secure with. You’re my home, baby.”

  “This is a whole new life here, Roxy. You can be anything and anyone you want to be. If you want to go to college, you can. If you want to get a job, you can do that too. You’re in charge of your destiny from here on out. I’ll never hold you back. I knew I needed you in my life when I couldn’t imagine another day without you.”

  “I don’t know what I want to be, but I know it will require clothing.” She broke into laughter, snorting a little.

  “I’m the only one who sees you naked,” I growled in her ear as my lips touched the edge. “I won’t share your body ever again.”

  “Thank God,” she whispered, moaning as I dragged my tongue against her skin.

  “Do you want to change your name?” I asked, wondering if it would be better to have a new identity too.

  “Well…” She paused and turned her body around in my arms. “Roxanne isn’t really my name.”

  My eyebrows drew together, the confusion I felt inside likely written all over my face. How the fuck didn’t I know that? I’d sent names to James, trying to gather information. I’d even sent him information on Roxanne since I’d been sleeping with her and growing more attached, but he never shared her full name with me.

  To say I was shocked would be an understatement. “It’s my turn to say, ‘Wow.’ What is it?”

  She looked down for a moment before moving her eyes to mine. “Roxanne is my middle name, but my first name is Sarah.”

  “Sarah Roxanne Parker,” I replied, whispering her real name back to her as I stared into her eyes. I smiled, liking the sound of it. “I still love Roxy too.”

  “You can call me anything you want.” She laughed, rubbing her nose against mine. “No one really knows my legal name. My mom never used it. She hated it, but it was a family name that my dad wanted to use. So I’m a Sarah.”

  “You’re mine and that’s all I care about.” I placed my mouth over hers, drawing her body closer to mine.

  Wrapping her legs around my back, she moaned into my mouth as she felt my hardness against her body. I lifted her ass with my hands and deposited her in my lap, bringing her pussy flat against my length. Even though I was exhausted, the only thing I wanted to do was crawl inside her and claim her body.

  Not bothering to use protection—I knew she was clean, and I sure as fuck was—I pushed inside her and felt instantly at peace. The water sloshed in the tub, spilling over the sides as her body collided with mine.

  Our mouths never separated as we fucked each other. It wasn’t lovemaking; it had been too long for that. This was purely animalistic pleasure and a need to feed the craving. Her tits bounced with each thrust, and her mouth fell open into a silent moan. Not wasting a moment, I pumped harder and faster as her fingers dug into my shoulder.

  I felt like a kid in high school, ready to blow my load after two minutes of fucking. Maybe it was from finally telling the truth that an enormous weight had lifted. Or maybe it was that that I hadn’t fucked her in more days than I cared to count.

  Minutes later, I was spilling my seed as I sank my teeth into her shoulder. Crying out in a pain-pleasure mix, she followed me over the crest and rode the wave of ecstasy.

  Even though I wanted it to last for hours, I was fucking exhausted. Tomorrow night, I’d make up for my lack of stamina. I had too much shit going on in my head to take my time. I’d wanted to come and leave my seed in her. I’d wanted to say, “Hey, world. I’ve been here. I own this shit.”

  Mission accomplished, I held her in my arms as my happy cock shrank before eventually sliding out. “I love you, Sarah Roxanne Parker,” I whispered in her ear, grabbing her face and bringing her eyes to mine. Searching her face, I saw water collecting in the corners.

  “I love you too, Thomas.” She inhaled deeply, her chest puffing out as her rock-hard nipples rubbed against my chest.

  “Want to go to bed?” I asked, running my hands up and down her arms, trying to stave off the cold. The water was hot and the air conditioning had kicked on, causing a chill in the air I hadn’t noticed while we’d been fucking.

  “I’m exhausted and happy, and I want nothing more than to sleep in your arms.” She pushed off my legs, using them as leverage to stand.

  I held her thighs, steadying her from falling. Standing, I helped her from the tub before I got out and grabbed towels. Wrapping her up first, I slowly dried her skin, rubbing the soft cotton against her goose-bumped flesh. She smiled, watching me closely as I touched her. Looking at her, I saw the person underneath. Roxanne was her sex-kitten persona, but Angel was the real girl many people never saw. I knew her, though. She was the one I’d fallen in love with.

  After I sheathed her body in a towel, tucking it near her breasts, she repeated the process on me. But before we walked out of the bathroom, I snatched her towel and threw it into the tub along with mine. I didn’t want anything between us as we slept tonight.

  She screamed before giggling. “Hey, it’s cold!” Rubbing her arms, she danced back and forth, her lips chattering from the chill.

  “I’ll keep you warm. I need to feel you against me tonight—and every night forward.”

  “Baby, who knew you were so sweet?” She batted her eyelashes.

  I smiled as her lips touched mine. This moment with her was the happiest I’d felt in longer than I could remember.

  “Come on, Roxy.” I lifted her in my arms, trying to warm her with my body as I carried her into the bedroom. Then I set her on the edge before I undid the blankets.

  “Babe?” she asked, looking up at me and grabbing my wrist.

  “Yeah?” I stopped moving and stared at her.

  “Can you not call me Roxy anymore? It just brings me back to the club and taking my clothes off. It was my stage name, and I’d prefer not to hear it again anytime soon.”

  I hadn’t thought about that. “Hmmm,” I said as I rubbed my chin. Staring at her, I took in her features. “I’m just going to call you Angel.”

  “Whatever floats your boat, Thomas.” She drew out my name, laughing and clicking her tongue as she spoke. “As long as it isn’t Roxy.�
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  “I’m not saying I won’t slip up from time to time.” I bent down, kissing her lips and brushing her cheek with my knuckles.

  “I’m going to come up with another nickname for you. Blue is so damn good, but I don’t want to think about the past. Only our future,” she whispered against my lips.

  “Anything you want.” Pulling back the covers, I captured her in my arms, taking her mouth, hard and wet, before releasing her.

  She slid across the silky material, lying on her back and looking up at me. Fuck. I wanted her again. Before we closed our eyes, I fucked her one last time. This time, I lasted until the muscles in my legs gave out and exhaustion took us both.

  Chapter 12

  When I woke close to noon, Thomas was still in a deep sleep. Tiny snores passed his lips as his chest rose and fell with his breathing. I took a moment, drinking him in, and thought of how fortunate I truly was. Living a dead-end life, with no one to call mine and no family, I’d felt like my existence was hopeless. He’d changed all that, though. My life had veered off course and changed direction without my consent, and I couldn’t have been fucking happier.

  After slowly inching out of bed as I tried not to wake him, I grabbed a fluffy black robe from the back of the door and went to explore the house. I stopped at each open door, peeking inside and not trying to be too nosy. There were three other bedrooms and a bathroom as I made my way to the stairway. The house seemed a little excessive for a single guy, but it was decorated with masculine finishes. The hardwood floors were a dark wood that showed my reflection in their glossy finish.

  The place was spotless. Everything was put away, and it all sparkled or shone from the cleanliness. It didn’t look lived in and had that “maid” feel to it. Walking down the staircase, I ran my fingertips over the smooth railing, feeling the coldness of the wood. I took in the foyer as I descended the stairs. It was opulent, with marble floors that formed a circle and were surrounded by the same dark wood he had upstairs. The space was two stories, with windows above the door that let the sunlight cascade inside.

  I wasn’t sure where to start. The place was a mansion. My entire apartment building could have fit inside and there still would have been room for more. Turning to my left, I saw the family room and headed to check it out, but a group of photos on the wall caught my eye.

  I walked straight toward the photos as if drawn to them. There was so much I needed to know about this man. There had to be ten photos on the wall with different people in them—including Thomas. They were laughing and hugging, and I could see the love practically jumping out of the frames. My heart ached as I wondered what it would’ve been like to grow up like him, surrounded by love.

  Moving closer, I touched a picture with my fingers. I could see by the eyes and extreme facial features that, in it, he was a young boy, probably no older than four, cradled in the arms of a beautiful woman. She stared at him with love in her eyes as he smiled, facing the camera.

  I wanted that. A mother like her—someone who looked at me like I was the only thing that mattered.

  I hadn’t known what that felt like until I’d met him. Even when he hadn’t said the words, I had known. Some things can be felt without having to hear the words “I love you.” He treasured me and never made me feel cheap.

  Still staring at the photo, I jumped when I heard his raspy morning voice.

  “Angel.”

  “Jesus,” I said, flinching and putting my hand over my heart. “You scared the hell out of me.”

  I laughed at how silly I had been. Who else would have called me that but him? I hadn’t heard him walk in, so I needed to learn the sounds of the house. Every place has them—the small squeaks and creaks that make you feel at home instead of on edge.

  I stared back at the photo, feeling my cheeks heat from embarrassment. He wrapped his arms around me, the mint of the toothpaste ticking my nose as his warm breath skimmed my neck.

  “Whatcha doin’ down here alone?”

  “I didn’t want to wake you up. I just thought I’d make us some coffee,” I lied. I was nosy. Wanting to see the house and get to know the man by seeing what he had surrounded himself with.

  As he squeezed me, his soft laugh vibrated against my ear. “I’ll make us some. I think Izzy stocked the pantry.”