Defensive Heart: The Donnolleys, Book 2 (15 page)

“Fuck yeah I would. And I know you liked it the other night.”

She let out a breathless laugh before rising up and sliding back down again.

Jimmy bit back a curse and an evil glint sparked in her eye. Yeah, she had control right now, and he was happy to cede it. Gazing up at the woman who’d stolen his heart, Jimmy knew he’d give it to her anytime she wanted it. Moving one hand from her ass cheek, he found her clit with his thumb. “Ride my cock, babe.”

Sonja moaned and rocked her hips forward again. He rolled his thumb over the tight nub and she moved faster. “Fuck yes. Yeah.” Jimmy shifted his pelvis, keeping in time with her. His orgasm was close, his cock so hard he was going to explode inside of her.

She bounced, her tight nipples begging for attention. “Oh God. James!”

He sat up and sucked one and pinched the other. Sonja seated herself on his prick and ground her pelvis against him. When he slapped her ass and then bit down on her nipple, she exploded. Her whole body seized and she came.

Unable to hold back, Jimmy’s orgasm blazed though him. He closed his eyes, wrapped his arms around her waist and buried his face in her neck. His body vibrated and his cock pulsed, spurting his release inside her. He was drowning, only to be revived over and over again, by her.

Chapter Twenty-Four

Sonja wandered out to the kitchen in desperate need of coffee and some ibuprofen. After she and James finished their…cardio session—she cringed at the word choice—it felt like she’d run a marathon right there on the royal blue carpet of her office floor. There wasn’t a more appropriate way to describe it. Her body sure ached like she’d run a marathon.

Grabbing the freshly brewed pot—
thank you, Janissa
—she smiled and decided she’d simply go with it. The word choice, the marathon session and any that might follow…all of it. After pouring a mugful, she took a seat in one of the cushioned stools at the island. Unfolding the morning paper—also compliments of Janissa—she glanced over the business section. She wasn’t really reading the words because snippets of the night with James kept creeping in, blurring the lines into blocks of black print.

Once they’d gotten themselves put back together, he’d taken her to a pub in the Village. Bar food, good music and beer. Not her norm by any stretch, but it didn’t matter. The only thing that mattered last night was the man sitting across from her.

She adored his pretty hazel eyes and his intentionally messy hair—though she’d done a fine job adding her touch to its messiness. She giggled and then sipped her coffee. Also the way he sometimes brushed his fingers over his mouth and down his goatee made her insides go soft with need. The shapes his lips made when he talked or the way his scent lingered all over her body sent lust racing through her veins. A moan slipped out after she swallowed a sip of coffee.

Yes, he was all she focused on last night, and all she could focus on this morning too. Sonja tightened the belt of her satin robe, then folded up the newspaper. No point in bothering. Her stomach grumbled, apparently uncaring how distracted she was with all the things she found sexy about James. She pulled a yogurt from a shelf in the fridge, grabbed a spoon and reclaimed her spot at the island.

Shifting, she crossed her legs. The twinge of stiffness in her thighs reminded her she’d forgotten to take the ibuprofen. Sonja smiled and spooned up a mouthful of pineapple yogurt. Screw it, maybe she’d skip the pain medicine and enjoy the discomfort.

Casey wandered into the kitchen, rubbing the side of her head, her long hair a messy tangle of black and blue.

“Good morning.” Sonja’s smile widened. “Did you sleep well?”

Her daughter shrugged. “Okay, I guess. What’s got you so happy this morning?”

“Do you want some breakfast? There’s cereal in the pantry, I believe.”

“Yeah,” Casey said through a yawn.

“Have a seat; I’ll get it for you.” Sonja moved to the pantry and Casey took a seat on the stool beside the one she’d occupied. Maybe they could spend the day together. Go shopping or something, have some mom and daughter time. “Any plans today?”

“Grounded. Remember, Mom?”

Crap, she’d forgotten. Sonja glanced at her daughter over her shoulder before pouring milk into the cereal.
Hmm, how to deal with this now.
“Right. Well…” Sonja brought the bowl to Casey, placing it in front of her. “You think you might want to come shopping with me anyway? Maybe stop and get our toes done?”

Casey shot straight in her seat and her blue eyes got wide as silver dollars. Catching herself, she cleared her throat, slouching in her seat once more. She shrugged. “I guess.”

The feigned reaction was so obvious, Sonja had to suppress a laugh. Taking her seat again, she rubbed her daughter’s back. “Okay then. It’s a date.”

It felt like forever since she’d had any quality time with Casey. Breaking her own rules, even if it was only for the day, was worth the chance to spend time with her beautiful daughter. Sonja’s phone vibrated in the pocket of her robe. Retrieving it, she glanced at the notification before unlocking it to read the message.

James Donnelly:
Good morning, Sunshine.

Sonja kissed Casey on the cheek, took her coffee mug and moved to the sink before typing a response to him.

Sonja:
Hello. Did you sleep well?

James Donnelly:
I did. How about you?

Sonja:
Very well, thank you.

James Donnelly:
Do you have any plans today?

Sonja:
I just made some with my daughter. You?

James Donnelly:
That’s good. I have some pieces I need to finish up. Can I reserve a spot on your calendar for later this evening? Dinner?

Sonja:
Should be fine.

James Donnelly:
Wow! Was that a “yes”?

Sonja:
Don’t push your luck. ;)

James Donnelly:
LOL Yes, ma’am. Text me when you get back. Have fun.

Sonja:
Thank you. You too.

Sonja swallowed the remains of her coffee and then turned to her daughter. “I’m going to go shower. Can you be ready in an hour?”

Casey glanced up from her bowl of cereal. “Sure.”

Before exiting the room, Sonja stopped short and turned around. “It’s just a reprieve for the day. Understood, Case?”

Casey rolled her eyes and nodded. “Yes, Mom.”

Sonja blew out a breath and headed for her bedroom.

After getting their toes done, Sonja called a car to take them to a mall in Queens. Once there, Casey made a beeline for Hot Topic. Sonja wasn’t particularly fond of the store or its location, but it was Casey’s absolute favorite place to shop, so stopping there was a given. Plus, grounding aside, letting her daughter shop where she wanted gave Sonja more time with her—something she never seemed to get enough of.

As Casey headed for the T-shirts, Sonja stopped in front of a cute little black A-line dress with electric-blue polka dots on it. “Casey, this is too darling. I bet it would look so cute on you, honey.”

Her daughter glanced over her shoulder and rolled her eyes. “Ew, no, Mommy. It’s a dress.”

“Well, yes. I know it’s a dress. Is it against the law for you to own a dress?” Unwilling to give up, Sonja held up the garment. “It even matches your hair.”

“I guess.” Casey shrugged and then went back to the stacks of shirts.

With the dress still in her hand, Sonja moved beside her daughter. “T-shirts, hmm? I think you already own more T-shirts than they have in stock here.”

“Seriously, Mom. You can never have too many T-shirts.” Casey pulled one from the stack and extended it out in front of her. “Oh my God! Black Veil Brides! Must have. Must!”

Sonja laughed. “All right then. Make a deal with me?”

“
Mmmaybe
.” Casey grinned and went back to perusing the other shirts. “Name the terms.” She yanked another shirt from the stack. “
Yessss
! This one’s so awesome. Check out the skulls on it!”

Sonja might not care for the store, the location or her daughter’s choice of attire, but what Sonja cared for the most at that moment was the smile that brightened Casey’s already beautiful face. Unable to help herself, Sonja smiled too. “Very nice. All right, terms are, you can get four shirts, if you let me buy you the dress.”

“Seriously?” Casey frowned.

Sonja raised both brows. “Quite.”

Casey eyed the dress in Sonja’s hand before touching the fabric. “Mmmm…eight shirts.”

“Negotiating, I see.”

Casey giggled. “It’s a dress, Mommy. You leave me no choice.”

Sonja glanced down at the dress, then back at her daughter. “Six shirts and when we’re done here, we go back to Manhattan to find me a new dress and shoes.”

“Hmm.” Casey tilted her head to the side and stroked her fingers over her chin. “Hard bargain, Mom. But okay. Deal!” She grinned.

Sonja nodded before placing a kiss on Casey’s cheek. “Pick out your shirts. I’ll be over there by the dressing room.”

“Why the dressing room?”

“So you can try on the dress you’re getting today.” Sonja winked. “Oh, and look? There’s an adorable blue tulle crinoline below the skirt.”

“What did I just get myself into,” Casey mumbled before squatting down in front of another stack of shirts.

Sonja laughed and moved to the dressing rooms. The day had turned out better than expected and she was grateful she’d suspended her daughter’s grounding in favor of some quality time with her. It was worth it. Later that night she’d be having dinner with James—a bonus. Yes, the day had turned out better than expected and with any luck was only going to continue on its merry course.

Chapter Twenty-Five

Jimmy pulled up in front of the sushi restaurant where he was meeting Sonja. The place was uptown from the Village, which worked for both of them. Unsure of any dress code, he’d put on a long-sleeve dress shirt and a pair of black slacks. He’d left the tie but wondered now if he was going to need it.

Jimmy entered and looked around. Like he had a homing beacon in his brain, he zeroed in on her at the bar. Her back was to him. Sonja’s hair was up in its twist—he’d be taking that down later—and she wore a little black dress, cut low in the back. So low he almost stumbled when he got closer to her. Placing his palm on the soft skin of her lower back, he leaned close and pressed a kiss to her bare shoulder.

She startled, whipping her head to the side before letting out a relieved gasp, and then cupped his cheek in her palm. He smoothed his hand up her back. “Sorry, beautiful. Didn’t mean to scare you.”

She smiled. “It’s okay. Did you get your work done?”

Jimmy slid onto the seat next to her. “Not yet—should have it done early next week.”

“Is this one sold or something for future sale?”

The bartender approached, and Jimmy ordered a Guinness. “Sold already. You ready for another?” He motioned to the wine in front of her.

“No. I’m good right now. Thank you.” She raised the glass and sipped.

Jimmy watched her full lips and licked his own, wanting a taste of her. He glanced back to her bottomless blue eyes, rimmed with a dark kohl. She blinked, slow and languid, her lashes fanning out, teasing him. Gorgeous. So fucking gorgeous. Clearing his throat, he leaned toward her and pressed a soft kiss to her lips. “How was your day with your daughter?”

She sighed. “It was good. Thank you for asking.”

“What did you do?”

She smiled and touched the buttons on his shirt. “We went shopping and got our toes done. Typical girl things.”

“Shopping, huh?” He trailed the tips of his fingers up and down her spine, loving the feel of her soft skin. “Get anything good?”

“I got this dress.” Looking down, she smoothed her hand down the bodice. “Oh, and the shoes too.” She angled her foot out so he could see.

Jimmy’s head spun and his dick thickened in his pants.
Dayum
! Black, glittery platform heels adorned her feet. Tall-ass heels! Fuck me pumps coupled with a fuck-me little black dress.
Dayyuuummm!
Leaning forward, he brushed his lips over her ear. “Sonja, you’re leaving those on after dinner while I fuck you till you scream my name again.” He kept his voice low, but he knew there was a rumble to it. One he felt deep in his chest.

She shivered and gripped his thigh, digging in with her nails. Pulling back, he raised a brow and took a swallow of his beer.

After being seated, they shared several types of sushi. She’d ordered cucumber, spicy tuna and yellowtail rolls, along with some edamame. He liked sushi, just preferred it to be the non-raw-fishy kind. The yellowtail was suspect in his book and pushed some serious limits.

Jimmy wiped his mouth and stared across the table at her. Holding her chopsticks with delicate precision, Sonja dipped a roll of rice in the small tray full of soy sauce. He smiled and took a sip of his beer. “Tell me about your daughter.”

Glancing up, she chewed before wiping her mouth with the napkin. “That’s a broad question. What would you like to know?” She took a sip of her wine.

“Anything really.” He shrugged. “Does she look like you?”

“A bit, I suppose. She’s got dark hair though, like my ex. Right now it’s blue and black.”

“Blue and black?”

Sonja shook her head, rolling her eyes. “She’s going through a bit of a rebellious phase, I guess. I don’t care for the color, but it’s easier to let her do it than to fight with her. In the end, she’ll do it anyway.”

“Rebellious, huh? Where do you think she gets that from?” He popped a few steamed soybeans into his mouth.

“Not me.”

Jimmy chuckled. “You seem pretty rebellious to me.”

“Well, you bring it out of me then because it’s not normal.” She picked up a portion of the yellowtail and ate it. Closing her eyes, she moaned.

Tearing his gaze from her lips, he leaned forward and rested his forearms on the table. “She’s fifteen, right?”

“Yes.”

“My oldest niece is nineteen. She went through a bit of a rebellious phase too. I remember my sister, Katie, and her husband, Jerry, were ready to lock her up because she made them so nuts.”

“How many siblings do you have?” She took a sip of her wine.

“Nine. You met Ryan in Vegas, if you remember.”

“
Nine
? My goodness, that’s quite a lot. Yes, I remember meeting him. Your parents must’ve been saints.”

“Trust me when I say they had their fair share of dealing with rebellion. Ry and I got into plenty of trouble as teens. My sisters did too. My mother is for sure a bona fide saint. I think there’s a plaque at our church with her name on it.” He laughed.

“How many of each?”

“Six girls and four boys.” He raised his hand to count them off. “Katie, Mary, Joe Jr., Cyn, Me, Ry, Angie, Celia, Mark and Beth.”

She laughed and then ate some soybeans. “Wow. Catholic?”

“Of course. A fine Irish clan like ours? Definitely Catholic. I’ll spare you the list of my nieces and nephews. The clan is growing daily, it seems.”

“How many?”

“Nah, it’s your turn. What about you? Catholic? Brothers, sisters?”

“If I must.” Sighing, she took her wine glass in hand and sat back. “Jewish, and I’m an only child. That’s pretty much it.”

“Lucky you on the only child part. But you’re not getting off so easy. I know that’s not all of it. Tell me more.”

“My father worked a lot.”

“And your mom?” He picked up a piece of spicy tuna roll and put it in his mouth.

“My mother passed when I was sixteen.” She took a sip of her wine.

He wanted to reach for her across the table but knew she’d not allow it. “I’m so sorry. That must’ve been hard.”

Sonja shook her head and waved away his empathy. “It was a long time ago.”

“Yeah, and while that may be true, it must’ve still been hard at the time, or even through your early adult years.”

“Honestly, I’m fine. Let’s change the subject.”

“All right.” He blew out a breath. Damn, she’d shut him down quickly. Jimmy wanted to press, but let it go. “Have you always lived in the City?”

“I have. I still live in my childhood home.”

“That’s pretty cool. I’d love to see it sometime.”

“Maybe sometime. Sure.” She smiled, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes.

Jimmy wasn’t sure if it was because the topic of her mother had come up or because he’d broached the subject of seeing her home. Either way, he was frozen out. Again.
Damn.
Shifting in his seat, he took a drink of his beer and then ate a little more. The silence stretched between them for longer than he liked. But she was the one to finally break it.

“When did you know you wanted to be an artist?”

“I guess I’ve always known.” He shrugged. “When I was small, I endured a few spankings for drawing on the walls. My mother finally stapled huge sheets of paper to one wall in my bedroom. Every few months, after I’d filled it with various doodles and scenes, she’d take it down and put up fresh.”

“That’s ingenious.” Sonja smiled, this time a genuine one.

“She’s pretty smart that way. I guess she had to be creative dealing with so many of us.”

“Sounds like you got your creative genes from her.”

“Probably. She’s a professional chef, so maybe that’s where her creative side lives. Dad’s a corporate lawyer.”

She swirled the wine in her glass. “Interesting.”

“I’d love for you to meet them someday.” The words were out before he could stop them. And he wished he hadn’t said them because he could pretty much guess her answer.

Clearing her throat, she set her glass down on the table. “Maybe, someday.”

Bingo, he’d guessed right. Jesus, could a man take any more rejection in one night? It stung when it shouldn’t have. After all, he didn’t really have the right to expect these things from her. But he did, regardless…he still did. He wanted to take her to L.A. to meet them. He wanted to see where she lived, where she’d grown up. He just…wanted.

The waiter came over to ask about dessert and saved them from another uncomfortable stretch of silence. They ordered the twenty-layer German chocolate cake with bittersweet fudge and a side of pistachio ice cream to share. Sonja ordered an espresso—talk about a bittersweet combo. He ordered a regular coffee.

They filled the rest of the time with bites of cake, sips of coffee and chitchat, and stayed away from the topic of meeting families and seeing homes. It made the night go smoother for sure and led the way to them ending up back at his loft. In his bed.

Her fuck-me pumps still on her feet, of course.