Misty Reigenborn Romance Boxed Set (121 page)

He laughed, handing her a cigarette and lighting it for her as she stuck it in her mouth with a shaking hand.  "You're welcome."

"Oh yeah." She yawned, glancing at the clock; only partly surprised that it was after midnight.  "Thanks."

"I wasn't talking about the cigarette darlin'.  I was talking about the earth shattering orgasm I gave you.  I thought my eardrums were going to burst when you called out my name.  You can still hear all the dogs in the neighborhood barking.  Damn that was priceless woman.  Oh God," he mimicked.  "Oh my God, oh Tony.  Yesssss.  .  .  Wish I'd have recorded that for posterity.”

She put her cigarette out and then moved to straddle him.

He reached up to pull her down on top of him.  "You are never more beautiful than right after sex baby."

She leaned down and kissed him.  "What about during?"

"You look pretty damn good then too.  Really babe, I was just giving you shit.  I've never heard a more beautiful sound than you crying out my name in the throes of passion."

"I wanna hear you cry out my name Tony.  I wanna hear you beg for more."  She dropped her head to his chest and feathered kisses across it.  She looked up at him with hooded eyes.  "You up for it big boy?"  She reached down to run her fingernails lightly across his penis. 

"I think maybe I can manage.  I got three whole weeks of being without to make up for honey."

"What about Belmont?"  She kissed the side of his neck. 

"No one can hold a candle to you lover.  I don't know how I'm going to keep my hands off of you when we're under the watchful eye of your parents."

"If we don't get a chance at Lindsey's we can christen the back seat of your new car."

"I told you you're a sex addict.  I should be a sex instructor.  If only every woman could get a taste of Tony, no man would worry about their wife or girlfriend not wanting sex again.  They'd spend years trying to get back to that one moment of pure passion that only a true master can bring out."

She'd been running her tongue over his nipple, now she not so gently bit it. 

"Hey," he said. 

“Don't tease me about shit like that.  You're all mine."

"Possessive now are we?" 

"You're damn right I am.  I think I'm gonna make you tattoo 'property of Tory' on your ass."

“Sounds kinky.  So are we over Prince Jude now?" 

She cocked her head, one hand still wrapped firmly around his penis.  "Jude who?"

"Ah.” It turned into a groan as she tightened her grip.  "That's my, oh," he breathed as she moved on top of him and took him fully inside her all at once "girl."

Thirty minutes later she really was exhausted.  Moving off of him, she threaded her fingers through his.  "Should we shower now or wait ‘til morning?"

He yawned.  "It is morning woman.  We'll wait ‘til we wake up.  I think I'm gonna go see my mom tomorrow instead of on the way out of town.  I don't want to leave you waiting in the car.  I'll take you to meet her some other time."

"Okay."  She snuggled into his arms and pulled the blanket over them. 

She was nervous about meeting Tony's mom she thought.  How comfortable could it be to meet your boyfriend's mom in a mental hospital? 

Chapter 12

When Tory woke around ten the next morning Tony was already out of bed.  She could smell coffee and the smell of food coming from the kitchen.  Stretching, she leaned over and reached for a cigarette out of the half empty pack on the nightstand and leaned back on the bed as she lit up.  It felt wonderful to wake up in Tony's bed.  She could really get used to this. 

Of course she'd have to talk him into buying a new bed she thought, rolling over with a groan.  She thought she could feel a spring starting to poke her in the back. 

Tony walked into the room minutes later when she was leaning over to put her cigarette out.  "Morning sleeping beauty.” He leaned down to give her a kiss.  "You hungry?"

"Starving."

"Good.  We've got eggs, bacon, toast, and hash browns."

"Wow, I didn't know you bought any of that stuff when we were at the store."

He laughed.  "I didn't.  I went to the store while you were still passed out snoring." 

"I don't snore," she said indignantly. 

"Oh yes you do my dear.  But it's the cutest snore you've ever heard.  I'll tape it for you sometime to prove it.  Come eat." 

"Let me take a shower first." 

"Nope, you bring your beautiful naked ass to the kitchen.  You can take a shower after I leave.  I can't get enough of my girl.  You're lucky I didn't sit there and watch you sleep all morning.  Or do something a little less savory like rape you while you slept."

"Don't they say you can't rape the willing?"  She gave him a wink. 

"I believe they do." He chuckled, pulling her up off of the bed and taking her briefly into his arms.  "You don't mind working on this place while I'm gone do you?  Carl and Andi said they might stop by later to help.  Though I'll probably be back before those two make it over.  If they make it over.  Teenagers."

"Ha ha old man.  Hey Tony." She sat down at the table, raising an eyebrow at the plate heaped full of food that he slid in front of her.  "When are you going to get a new bed?  I think I can feel a spring starting to poke through.  That thing must be ancient."

"When we get back you can help me pick out a new one."

"Okay.  Are you trying to make me fat?" 

"I don't think you'd ever get fat no matter how much you ate, Tor.  You could stand to put on a few pounds.  Damn," he muttered as the ringing of a phone came from the direction of the bedroom.  "Is that yours or mine?"

She shrugged, starting to get up from the table.  "I'll get it.”

He waved her back down.  He brought her phone back a moment later, a beeping signaling that the call had been transferred to voice mail. 

"I hope it's not my mom."  Flipping open the phone, she glanced at the screen.  New voicemail it read.  As she pushed the button it switched over to one missed call and 'Dad'. 

"That's a shock.  Dad usually calls about three or four times a year if that.  I hope nothing's wrong."

Heart beating fast, she pushed the button that directed her to her voicemail and put in her password.  "Tory," her father's voice said.  "I wanted to wish you a Merry Christmas.  I'm gonna be out of touch for a few days so I thought I'd call now.  Sorry I missed you.  I love you honey.  I miss you.”

With a sigh of relief she shut the phone, having saved the message.  Her father's voice was a comfort that she missed. 

"Aren't you gonna call him back?"  Tony said, having cleared his plate and put it in the sink. 

"I don't know.  He probably won't answer." 

"Give it a try hon.  I'm sure he wants to talk to you.  That's why he called."

"I can't call my Dad while I'm naked.  That would be too weird."

He rolled his eyes at her, went to the bedroom and came back with a well-worn flannel robe.  "Put this on, then hurry up and dial the damn phone."

"You don't seem like a robe kind of guy." She slipped into the robe and tied the belt as tightly around her waist as she could, though it was still loose. 

He turned away, fiddling with a bottle of creamer on the counter.  "It was my Dad's." 

She put her arms around him and kissed him gently on the neck.  He gave her a weak smile and went back towards the bedroom. 

She pushed the button that was programmed to dial her dad's number, and bit her lip as she heard the distant ringing on the other end.  It rang eight times.  The answering machine had started to come on when she heard a click as her dad picked up the phone. 

"Damn it," she heard him say as he tried to turn off the machine.  "Hello?  Are you still there?" 

"Daddy." She felt like a little girl and had to clear her throat because a lump had formed. 

Oh she missed her dad she thought.  Why couldn't things have been different?  Why did Lindsey have to be such a bitch? 

"Tory can you hear me honey?  I think we have a bad connection."

"I'm here Daddy." She was suddenly at a loss for words. 

She turned and saw Tony standing in the doorway to the living room, jacket on, keys in hand.  "I'll be back in a bit baby," he murmured softly into her ear, giving her a quick kiss. 

"How are you honey?  How's school going?"

"It's okay.  I'm glad it's almost over.  That place can drive you nuts."

"I'm sure.  Are you going home for Christmas?"

"Yeah.  My boyfriend and I are going to head out tomorrow."

"Boyfriend huh?  I thought you had broken it off with Jude."

She talked to her Dad easily a third as often as she talked to her mother and he remembered she thought.

"Yeah.  I’ve been seeing this guy for a few months now.  He's a good guy.  A little older but a good guy.  I think you'd like him."

"How much older?" 

"Well."  She might as well tell HIM the truth she thought.  "He's 21."

"I see.  I suppose you are almost 18 so there’s not much I can say.  Does he have family in the area as well or is he going to be staying with you at your mother's house?"

"He's gonna be staying with me at Lindsey's.  We'll be there a few days."

"It wouldn't hurt you to stay at your mom's for a few extra days would it Tory?  It's not like you're not going to be leaving for college in a few months.  And would it kill you to call her Mom?  Your grandma would roll over in her grave if she knew I was letting you get away with calling your mother by her first name."

"She doesn't care if I call her Lindsey.  She prefers it.  I think she'd prefer it sometimes if I wasn't her daughter," she burst out, suddenly angry at her dad again.  She just missed him so much.  It was a lot easier to be mad at him than to let all the pain come through. 

"Don't ever let me hear you say something like that about your mother again."

"Damn it Dad, what do you care?  I haven't seen you since Grandma died.  You know all the crap she put me through and you never once bothered to try to get custody.  You made excuses and gave up without trying.  She never wanted me around.  She probably would have handed me over to you on a silver platter.  But what does it matter now?  I'm almost an adult and then I don't have to see Lindsey anymore.  And I never see you.  So what the hell Dad?  I might as well be an orphan.  Pretend I don't have parents."

"Tory, you don't understand.  It wasn't as easy as you think.  Believe me, if I could have taken you, I would have.  And of course your mother wants you around."

There he went again, she thought, always calm, never saying a bad word about Lindsey.  "It’s just more excuses Dad.  Are you going to bother to come to my graduation?  I thought that maybe I could come see you at spring break since Lindsey and Langston aren't going to be home, but what's the point?  You probably don't want to see me."

She knew that she sounded like a sulky child but she couldn't help it.  She'd had so much emotion pent up inside of her for so long that it had to come out sometime or she was bound to explode. 

"Of course I want to see you Tory.  And of course I'm coming to your graduation."

He had brushed aside the idea of her coming to see him for spring break but she would let that go for now she thought.  "So what are you doing for Christmas Dad?"  She was holding back a sigh as she picked at a stray thread on Tony's robe. 

"I'm going to visit an old friend." 

Ugh, she wanted to scream she thought.  He hadn't seen his daughter in almost five years and he was going to visit some friend?  What if it was a woman?  That would take the freakin’ cake.  But she couldn't bring herself to ask him who he was visiting.

"Oh, that's nice.  Hope you have fun.”  She knew that she probably didn't sound like she meant it but what the hell; she didn't mean it she thought.  "So about spring break Dad I can't remember the exact dates, I think it's sometime in late March or early April.  If you're not busy do you think I or maybe we; me and Tony, could visit you?  I'd really like you to meet Tony."

"I have to go out of town sometime in March.  I think it's towards the beginning of the month though, so we'll see." 

At least he hadn't said no she thought.  She remembered from her grandmother that it was the next closest thing, though.  "I'll let you know when I get back to school about the dates.  Well, I guess I better let you go now Dad.  I guess you've probably got a lot to do to get ready for your visit."

"Tory.” He sighed.  "Don't be angry with me honey.  I can't stand thinking that you're angry."

Right, she thought.  That's why he never bothered to have a real conversation with her.  Can't get angry at someone when they never talk to you about anything more than the damn weather right?  Ugh, she needed to calm down or she was going to blow up at Lindsey as soon as she walked in the door. 

Every bad thing that had happened in her childhood, never feeling like she mattered or was really loved, all of that had been Lindsey's fault.  If Lindsey hadn't been such a bitch maybe she would have had a normal childhood. 

What the hell was she supposed to say to her father she wondered?  'Oh Dad it’s okay that I haven't seen you for five years.  It's okay that you never want to talk to me about anything real.  It's okay that you let Lindsey turn you into a coward.  It's okay that you're making a trip to visit someone else when you never visit me.'  It wasn't okay.  None of it was okay.

Not that she'd had the worst childhood ever she admitted to herself.  She hadn't been physically abused except the time Lindsey's husband smacked her with the belt, and she hadn't been molested.  None of Lindsey's husbands had taken half an interest in her.  She'd always had food and clothes and toys, she knew her father was.  She could have had things a lot worse. 

Look at Tony, his dad was dead and his mom was in a mental hospital.  But then again look at Carl, whose mother and father not only loved and cared for him, but loved and cared for Tony just as much when he wasn't their son.  What good did it do to think about all that shit she thought?  Just tell him that you're not mad and get off the damn phone Tory, she thought as she reached for a cigarette off of the table.

"You still there Tory?" 

"Yeah, I'm here.  Look Dad, I'm not angry, not really."  Yeah right she thought.  "I'm just frustrated.  Confused and not looking forward to dealing with Lindsey and Langston.  I'm sorry I took it out on you.  Thank you for the gift.  I'm gonna send yours out to you later today probably.  Tony picked it out."

"You didn't have to get me anything honey."

"Of course I did.  I think you'll like it.  Anyway Dad.  I love you and I miss you.  Have a nice Christmas.  I'll give you a call in a couple weeks."

"I love you too, honey.  You'll never know how much I miss you.  Take care and Merry Christmas."

"Bye Dad."

"Bye Tory." 

She clicked the phone shut and sighed, wondering what Tony was doing.  He was probably still visiting his mother.  She wondered what things were like at a mental home during the holidays.  Did they have a Christmas tree and presents?  What kinds of people were locked in there with Tony's mom?

Poor Tony, to have to visit his only living parent at a place like that.  And then she was going to put him through visiting her mother and stepfather.  Ugh she thought, maybe she shouldn't have asked him to go with her.  Then again, she wanted to prove for once and for all that she was not ashamed of him.  And what better way to prove that than taking him to visit her stuck up mother and stepfather?

She looked around the room, and figured that there was still a couple hours’ worth of work to do on the living room alone.  There were still magazines and movies piled everywhere and laundry piled up that had been folded but not put away. 

The kitchen looked okay.  She should probably do the dishes and take the trash out, but other than that it didn't need much work.  Tony had gotten his bedroom mostly in order.  She didn't know if he'd started on the bathroom, but it shouldn't be a problem getting everything finished before
they had to leave in the morning she thought.  They still needed to go pick up the money that her mother was supposed to have sent.  IF Lindsey had bothered to send it.

Finally lighting the cigarette that she'd picked up when she'd been talking to her father, she dialed the number that she knew by heart to check if she had money waiting.  She put in the information, and waited while the system searched.  She was surprised when it told her she had $350 dollars waiting.  The round trip bus ticket usually cost somewhere around $250 during the holidays.  It wasn't like Lindsey to send her anything extra.