“Yeah. Think she got the message.”

“What’d you say?” I asked, my hands drifting on his back, his sides, over his ass.

“Told her she didn’t see what she thought she saw. I hear it from anyone that she told someone she saw what she thought she saw, shit would go down where she might not be able to see anything, since her eyes would be swollen shut.”

My hands stopped moving and my eyes got wide. “You threatened her?”

“She’s Tina.”

“Yeah, but you threatened her?”

“Buddy, I already lived here when she moved in with her husband and I watched her take her time, f**kin’ years, cuttin’ off his balls. It was painful to watch. She’s a bitch. I know you know that but I don’t think you know how big a bitch she is.”

“She’s already scared of you,” I informed him.

“Good, then she’ll keep her trap shut.”

“Joe, you shouldn’t threaten women.”

“She isn’t ‘women’, she’s Tina.”

I couldn’t help it, even though I was horrified that he did what he did, my body started shaking with laughter because he was right.

“Anyway, wouldn’t actually do it but I know she doesn’t know what to make of me because she doesn’t know what to make of a man she can’t lead around by his dick so she doesn’t know I wouldn’t do it. So I’m guessin’ our secret is safe.”

My hands started moving again. “Well, thanks, I guess.”

He grinned down at me. “You’re welcome, I guess.”

My hands both slid over his ass and stopped, my fingers gripped and I lifted up to touch my mouth to his. “Turn out the light.”

“Nope,” he replied and my head settled back on the pillows.

“Nope?”

“Nope.”

“Joe –”

“Got shit we gotta get outta the way before we play.”

My hands flexed into his ass again but not for fun this time.

“What?”

“Talked to Dane,” he announced.

“What?” I whispered.

“Caught him before he went into the house to pick up Kate. Asked him over. We had words or I gave him some words. Don’t think you’ll be buyin’ any baby shit anytime soon.”

My hands went from his ass to his waist and I held on.

“Please, Joe, tell me you didn’t threaten a seventeen year old kid.”

“Fuck no, Vi, Jesus.”

“What’d you say?”

“Let’s just say, he gets where I’m comin’ from,” Joe unusually evaded.

“Where are you coming from?”

“Kate’s off limits.”

My stomach did a somersault.

“Joe –”

“He understands respect, I reckon he understood it before but I reminded him.”

“Was he cool when he left?”

“He’s into her, got the impression he was glad I was lookin’ out for her. He’s a good kid.”

I didn’t know what to do with this. This was bigger than the rest. This was Joe out-and-out taking care of Kate, not for me, for Kate.

“Joe –” I started again.

“Still, gave him condoms.”

My body went solid underneath him but my fingers dug into his waist.

“What!” I snapped.

Joe shrugged. “Shit happens.”

I turned my head on the pillow, looked at the bed and breathed, “Oh my God.”

His hand came to my face and he forced me to look at him. “Baby, it’s bein’ smart.”

“It’s giving him ideas.”

Joe smiled. “Buddy, he’s already got those ideas.”

I knew this but I didn’t need to be reminded of it so I glared at Joe and his smile got bigger as his head lowered and he kissed me.

I tried to be pissed off but when his kiss grew deeper and his hands up my tee got greedier, I forgot to be pissed off.

“Turn off the light,” I repeated, not knowing why he turned it on in the first place. When we were at his house, we never turned on the light.

“No, baby,” he said softly against my mouth, his hand leaving the tee, going to my arm, trailing down it as he slid off my body to the side.

“Joe, why –”

I stopped speaking because I knew why when his hand guided mine to my panties and then it guided it in.

“Joe –”

His finger pressed my finger against my cl*t and he murmured, his voice thick, “Gonna watch.”

“Joe –”

“When you’re done, you’re gonna watch me.”

My h*ps bucked up and I felt my lips part in wonder.

I liked this idea.

“That made you wet,” he muttered, his finger guiding mine down and then both his and mine slid in and I moaned as he finished, “or wetter.”

“God, Joe,” I breathed, grinding down on our fingers.

He slid them out and took them back to their original position.

“Make yourself come, baby.”

“Okay,” I whispered and he left his finger where it was so he could feel it as I did as he asked.

This wasn’t hard because his head came down and his mouth went to my ear and he encouraged me by whispering stuff to me that turned me on so much I was squirming. His head came up and his eyes moved to my legs and I watched him, his face openly hungry and I knew, in the moment right before I came, he felt that hollow feeling, that hungriness for me that I felt for him

The moan tore from my throat and his mouth slammed down on mine, swallowing it, drowning it out so the girls couldn’t hear.

He cupped his hand over mine around my sex and kissed me until I came down. Then he pulled our hands free, rolled to his back, positioning me at his side and he guided my hand over his at his c**k as his other hand forced my head close, my mouth on his.

“Hold on, baby,” he muttered and I wrapped my hand around his on his shaft and held on.

I alternately kissed him and watched him, liking both but liking watching him better.

I returned the favor when he came, swallowing his growl.

His hand moved away but I stroked him while he came down. Then he lifted his head and kissed my shoulder, left the bed and went to the bathroom. He came back, turned out the light and settled in on his back, again positioning me beside him.

His hand sifted through my hair and he whispered, “You like that, baby?”

“I like everything with you, Joe,” I whispered back and twisted my neck to kiss his chest.