Back then, they held sadness and longing. Poor kid was probably starved for affection and friendship. Now, they made him imagine her down on her knees gazing up at him while his cock disappeared between her full lips.
One time, when he was home on deployment, he recalled his mother talking about the wild girl next door who’d gone into full-on rebellion mode in her teens. No surprise there. Most animals didn’t like to be kept in captivity and would tear their chains off for a bit of freedom.
She hadn’t made a move to walk up to the house yet but spoke in the driveway with the guy who’d driven her home.
Boyfriend? Husband? Who knew? What Zach did know, was that the guy looked like a giant snooze fest. He wore a perfectly pressed suit and had posture that spoke of money and a proper upbringing.
Snore.
The pair climbed the three steps up to the porch with the suit’s hand resting on her lower back. What a waste. If she were Zach’s woman, he certainly wouldn’t be taking a slow journey into the house, lightly touching her back. No, he’d have her thrown over his shoulder while he rushed them to the bed. Or better yet, he’d hold on to her ass while she wrapped her legs around his waist. Then they wouldn’t even have to make it to the bed; he could prop her right there against the front door and make her shatter the quiet night with her screams.
Damn, maybe he should have gone to the bar.
Trisha/Tori glanced over her shoulder as the dud unlocked the door. After scanning across her property, her gaze locked with Zach’s. Maybe she’d sensed his attention.
Even from yards away, the connection was like a punch to the gut. A little taste of what he’d given Bill a short time ago. She didn’t turn away, and his cock hardened under her watchful stare. Damn those intoxicating eyes. The rest of her made for an enticing package as well. Her hair was brown, or maybe blonde, he wasn’t sure. Maybe brown with blonde streaks, highlights or whatever chicks called that shit.
She wasn’t tiny, perhaps a smidge under five and a half feet, but at six one, he’d still tower over her. He’d always liked being with women significantly smaller than him. She wasn’t a twig, nor was she overweight. Just kind of soft and feminine. The kind of soft that would absorb a hard fucking very well.
Zach yanked his helmet off and hung it from the handlebar. He wanted her to know he was staring at her. Wanted to see her reaction when she realized where his mind had gone.
It didn’t disappoint. If she’d sensed his original gaze, she also sensed that his interest turned toward the erotic, because those beautiful cat eyes flared and she jerked her attention away.
As he dismounted his bike, Zach smiled. Suddenly, he didn’t feel so restless. But he did feel hot and bothered. Instead of spending time with the bag, it looked like he’d be hitting the shower for a little hand-to-cock action.
Maybe the neighbor girl would stick around for a while. She may have a boyfriend, but at the very least, she’d fuel some damn good fantasies.
Chapter Three
A dull throb bloomed directly behind Toni’s eyes as she stared at the fifteen people she was now responsible for paying. Their livelihoods depended upon her ability to keep the diner afloat. Successful. If she failed, they wouldn’t be compensated. They wouldn’t be able to pay their bills. Clothe their children…
Okay, maybe that was a bit dramatic considering the diner pretty much ran itself like a well-oiled machine. Her parents hadn’t marketed in years. Just wasn’t necessary. Regulars and tourists flocked to the joint. Top it off with the fact that she still planned to sell the place, and she only had to keep it running a few weeks. Long enough to find a buyer.
Actually, not even that long. Next week she had two applicants for a general manager position coming in for interviews. So, one week. She had to keep her head above water for one week before she could hopefully pass the torch to someone better qualified and more willing.
As she looked into the faces of her parents’—her—employees, the magnitude of what had changed in her life finally hit.
Both parents gone in one terrible instant.
Never would their family have the chance to reconcile their differences and forgive each other. Wiped out in the blink of an eye. Viewing their differences from an altered position, from hindsight, made them seem less significant than they’d been all those years.
Falling into a pit of regret and shame would be easy. But Toni wouldn’t allow that. She’d atoned for the mistakes of her past. With Uncle Mark’s help, she’d pulled herself from the gutter and made something of her life. Years ago, she’d asked for forgiveness, but her parents wouldn’t grant it. They were unyielding in their disapproval. Didn’t matter that she’d worked her ass off to become a better person. Lucy and Roger weren’t fans of forgiveness.