Follow Your Bliss (Bliss Series Book 2) Read online

  “I’m looking at the bed you said I’d never see.” He turned to walk out of the room.

  “Where are you going?” Why am I asking him that? It’s good he’s leaving. Isn’t it?

  “Well, I’ve seen it. It looks inviting. You lying there like that is giving me some ideas. Some very bad ideas. Are you up for testing out the sturdiness of that mattress?”

  “What if I said yes?” What’s wrong with me? She was asking for trouble.

  “Honey, that’s an offer I can’t refuse.” Denver walked over to the bed and sat down. He tugged off his boots and laid down beside her. “Damn, this is comfortable. I could go to sleep and be happy. He rolled over and gathered her in his arms. It felt nice, lying there nestled like spoons in her bed. Joy waited for him to start dry humping her. Within minutes, he softly snored.

  Who goes to sleep like this? He was asleep. Well, that certainly said a lot about her, didn’t it? He gets her in bed and falls asleep. She did wake him up, though. Now, she felt bad about asking for his help. He must have been exhausted.

  Denver woke up to an empty bed. Shit! He grabbed his boots and walked down the stairs. The house was dark and empty. He opened the door. Joy sat on the porch swing.

  “Sorry about that, honey.”

  “Sorry for what?”

  “For falling asleep on you.”

  “I had a feeling I might have woke you up. I appreciate you helping me out.”

  “That’s no problem.”

  Denver sat down beside her. She barely stopped herself from leaning her head onto his shoulder. It was nice sitting beside each other. They swung in silence, and both realized how lonely they were.

  Denver knew this was dangerous for him. He might end up saying something stupid. He yawned. “I better go home and get some sleep. I need to get up in a few hours. Glad I could help you out,” he said. “Go get some sleep yourself.” He stood up, stretched, and walked down the porch steps. “Goodnight, sweetheart,” he said as he walked away.

  For some reason, she felt sad as she watched him leave. She wanted to tell him to stay. But that would be a very stupid thing to do. She needed to keep her distance from him.

  The following week, Joy stopped at the diner for a cup of coffee. Great, Romeo is here.

  “How are you doing, princess?” Denver asked. Joy rolled her eyes. He looked at her ring finger. “Still single? Damn, I thought someone would have snapped you up by now and married you. Here you’re such a sweetheart and all. So nice and agreeable.”

  “Would you mind not talking to me?”

  “Yes, darling, I would mind. You’re so easy to annoy. I like it,” he grinned. “I know you have your hopes set on me. Sorry, I’m not the kind to marry. You’ll have to look elsewhere. I know you’re heartbroken now. But you’ll get over it.” He winked at her. “Just admit it, you want my body.”

  “Ok, yes, I do,” she said. “I want it so that I can donate it to science. Maybe they can find out what makes you so stuck on yourself. Instead of a toe tag that says John Doe, I’ll stick a Post-It note on your forehead. I’ll write Mr. In Love with Himself on it. Anyway, you’re the last man I would want to marry. You’re so in love with yourself; you’d never have enough time for me.”

  “Oh, I’d give you plenty of time,” he smirked. “I bet you would look really good laying on your back with your legs—"

  “Shut up,” she hissed. Something about this man rubbed her the wrong way.

  “I bet you get married before me. I mean, you’re the perfect guy. What woman wouldn’t want you?” You don’t. “I hope you have a dozen whiny little kids, and you have to work your ass off to take care of them.”

  “Now that will never happen to me. Too many women to sample. I'll never meet a woman who will make me give that up.” He stopped talking as a woman walked by. “Hey, sweetheart,” he said.

  Joy rolled her eyes again. “Can I get a coffee?” She looked at Denver and added, “To go, please.”

  “Don't run out on my account.”

  Joy paid for her coffee. She didn't look at him again or say a word. She walked to the door, opened it, and left.

  What in the hell was that all about? He was dumbfounded. The woman could not take a joke.

  Pearl looked at Mark and winked.

  Good, she can get off my case now, Mark thought. He was tired of being asked about his wedding. He’d show up. That was enough for him. He didn’t care about any of the other details. That was a woman’s thing.

  “Denver, it looks like you’ve lost your touch. Or, is there possibly a woman in this world who doesn’t want you?” Mark laughed.

  “Shut up, asshole. That woman wants me. She’s fighting it, that’s all.”

  Denver thought they had called a truce when she’d asked for his help with her bed. That sure hadn’t lasted long. She went right back to being snippy and ignored him. Joy acted as she could barely tolerate him. See if he’d help her out again.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Denver sat under that damn tree again. He did it to piss her off. He could say he wasn’t watching her, but she knew he was. She couldn’t get anything done while he stared at her. She was going to put an end to it. She put on her old tennis shoes and stormed across the street. What in the hell? The rubber from the toe of her shoe came loose. Joy was pitched forward and did a face plant right into Denver’s crotch. He reacted by grabbing two fistfuls of her hair.

  Gladys and Ethel walked down the sidewalk a few minutes after Joy had tripped. What on earth? Gladys knew what was going on. She’d seen enough of those filthy movies. Preverts tried to keep themselves hidden. But she knew a prevert when she saw one. She tried to get a look at Denver’s private area. That Jezebel had too much thick curly hair to see anything. His crotch was completely covered. Denver’s eyes were closed in pain. He shouted obscenities. “Fuck! Son of a Bitch.”

  Yes, Gladys knew what was going on. The signs were all there. The closed eyes, the forceful way he held her head, and the cussing. He was enjoying himself.

  Joy moved her head, trying to get him to let go of her hair. He gripped her hair even harder, preventing her from moving.

  These preverts had no shame. “Right in broad daylight,” Gladys muttered to herself.

  “What are they doing?” Ethel asked.

  “Look at him hold her head down,” Gladys said. “He’s forcing her to give him a bd.”

  Denver finally opened his pain glazed eyes. Gladys and Ethel stood in front of him. BD? Bondage and discipline? Yeah, Joy needed that about now. He’d gladly be the one to do it. He would never let her do anything like that to him. He’d seen the look in her eyes before. She wouldn’t stop until he was dead.

  “Come on, Ethel, this will damage your sensibilities,” Gladys said. They hurried away as fast as their orthopedic shoes could carry them.

  If Denver weren’t in so much pain, he would have laughed. Joy bit his thigh. He let go of her hair. “Get the hell away from me, you she-devil,” he growled.

  “Me?” Joy exploded. She stood up and gave him a murderous look. “Try having your face shoved into someone’s crotch and smothered.”

  “I give up,” he said. “I’m not going to sit out here anymore. You got your point across, you little witch.” He got up and hobbled into his apartment.

  The next morning, Denver was at the auto shop talking to Josh when Mark walked it.

  “I heard you forced Joy to deep throat you in broad daylight in front of your apartment,” he laughed. “You really have lost your touch with women, haven’t you? It’s that bad. You have to force women now to prove you are getting some.” Mark shook his head.

  “Shut up, asshole. Gladys has a big mouth, and she’s full of shit.”

  “Well, just so you know, she’s praying for you in church.”

  Denver barked out a laugh. “Gladys needs to pray for her own perverted soul. She tried to get a look at my dick. There was nothing to see. I would never force a woman to do anything. I don’t have to. Joy can
deny it all she wants, but she wants me. She’s fighting it, but she’ll give in soon. It would be best for me to avoid her, though. The damn woman is a klutz. She’s always tripping and falling all over everything. I’ll be lucky if I ever father any children. Nothing like getting your family jewels crushed.”

  “That’s an experience I can do without,” Mark winced.

  Chapter Twenty

  Later that week, Joy met Krista and Maddie for lunch at the diner. Maddie smiled shyly at Joy.

  “Who’s this?” Joy asked.

  “This is my daughter Maddie.”

  “She’s adorable. She looks just like you.”

  “Thank you.”

  “I can’t wait to have a baby someday.”

  “Any prospects?” Krista asked. She immediately thought of Denver.

  “I’m doing it on my own.”

  “Really? That’s how I did it, but it wasn’t by my choice,” Krista said. “If you don’t mind me asking, why do you want to have a baby alone?”

  Pearl came over, and they placed their orders. Maddie followed Pearl into the kitchen to help her out.

  “My last relationship was such a disaster. I was engaged to a man I had dated for a year. Mike knew I wanted a baby. He promised me as soon as we got married, we’d start trying. But then I found out he’d had a vasectomy years ago. I found out from his ex-wife of all people. I confronted him, and he admitted he didn’t want kids.”

  “That’s terrible. Why would he do something like that?”

  “I think he was after my inheritance. The more I think about things, the more I realize he must have known about it. I never told him about the money. But it’s the only thing that makes sense. He wanted something from me. We should never have been together. Half the time, we didn’t get along. I wanted a baby so bad that I turned a blind eye to a lot of things. I’m so glad I got out of that whole mess. Now I’m going to do things my way,” she said.

  “Wow, I can see why you’d feel that way.” Krista decided to change the subject. “So, do you like Denver?”

  “No,” she answered a little too quickly. “Does Denver date a lot?”

  Krista smiled. Now we’re getting somewhere.

  “I’m not sure. Denver works out of town a lot. I haven’t known him to date anyone from around here.”

  “Is he the type of guy that wants a relationship?” Joy asked.

  “I don’t think he’s ready to settle down with one woman,” Krista said. “Mark said he hooks up with women. Nothing long term.”

  Joy thought back to her conversation with Emma. Maybe she should have a summer fling with Denver. He wasn’t relationship material. The fact that he didn’t seem to do relationships would work to her advantage. He got on her nerves, but she couldn’t think of a better candidate for a short fling. She bet he would be great in bed. This would be perfect. The smartest thing would probably be to take #4 off her list. But this would be her last opportunity.

  “I’m thinking about hooking up with Denver. I know it sounds slutty, saying that I want to have sex with him. It would be one last fling for me before I give it all up.”

  “What do you mean by giving it up?”

  “Once I become a mother, there won’t be room for dating. My baby will take up all my time. I won’t have a man in my life. I certainly won’t let anyone be around my baby. Once I figure out how I can become a mother, I’m done with it all,” she said. “I’m going to give myself a few months to live it up. I’m sure Denver would be all for it. Isn’t that how he’s always lived? Playing the field. No attachments.”

  Krista didn’t know about Denver’s dating life. She knew he hadn’t been serious with anyone since she’d moved to Bliss. According to Mark, he was a player. But Mark had been one too. Krista had a feeling that Denver was more serious about Joy than she thought. She certainly wasn’t going to judge either of them. She hoped that neither of them would end up getting hurt.

  “What if you fall for him?”

  “I won’t.”

  “How can you be sure?”

  “Don’t look so worried,” she said. “I’m keeping my emotions out of this.”

  “I don’t know; I think you both might end up hurt.”

  “Everything will be fine.” She’d have to keep her heart out of it. That part should be easy. After she broke things off, she would have a baby to help her forget. And she would also have a lot of hot memories.

  Joy decided to give herself three months to enjoy a short fling. She was on the pill and would continue until the affair ended. Once things were over, she’d quit the birth control and give herself a couple of months to get it out of her system. Then she’d figure out how to go about getting pregnant. A sperm bank looked like her only option. She certainly didn’t want a man to get in the way of her plans.

  Krista and Joy spent the rest of the afternoon talking about her wedding that would take place the next weekend. Joy was surprised Krista invited her to come on such short notice. She gladly accepted. She never planned to get married now, but she still loved weddings.

  Chapter Twenty One

  Denver’s phone rang, he picked it up on the second ring.

  “Hi,” Krista said. “I wanted to let you know that I invited Joy to our wedding. I want you to be nice to her.”

  “When have I ever not been nice to her?”

  Krista groaned. As far as she knew, Joy hadn’t said anything to him about a fling yet. She was still unsure about the two of them getting together. She didn’t want to be in the middle of whatever was going on between them. There seemed to be an instant dislike between them. She couldn’t figure it out. Denver was the sweetest man she knew. Joy was also a nice person. And now Joy wanted to throw sex into the mix. She hoped Joy knew what she was doing. Maybe it would work out all right, but she foresaw trouble. A lot of trouble! They might end up killing each other beforehand.

  “Fine, I won't pick on her. I'll act like she isn't even there.”

  “You don’t have to go that far. I want Joy to have a good time. What is the deal with you two anyway? It’s like you hate each other.”

  “That’s all on her,” he said. “I think she can’t stand the fact that she wants me. It makes her act like a little bitch.”

  “Be nice. I like Joy.”

  “I like her too, but in a different way,” he laughed.

  “I hope you two can behave for a few hours in each other’s company. I don’t want you at each other’s throats.”

  “It’ll be fine. I’m not going to let anything ruin your special day.”

  “Thanks. I can’t wait. I am so happy.”

  “I’m glad, honey. I’m happy for both of you. If I don’t talk to you before the wedding, I’ll see you there.”

  Mark and Krista had planned an outdoor wedding. It was a beautiful warm summer day with a slight breeze. Just enough to keep it from being too hot. The sky was bright blue, and the sun was shining. It was perfect for a wedding.

  Mark looked handsome, although uncomfortable in a black tuxedo. He tugged at his tie a couple of times before Pearl slapped his hand away. Joy thought he looked like a GQ model. Krista wore a simple white sheath style dress. Her braided hair had flowers interwoven though it. She carried a bouquet of wildflowers. Little Maddie made a beautiful flower girl. She wore a yellow sundress with a wreath of flowers on her head. She was such a sweet little girl.

  Joy hoped to have a daughter like her someday. She touched her stomach. Someday she would be a mother. She would never marry, but her dream would come true. It had too.

  Joy could tell they were very much in love. They both smiled brightly, and they couldn’t keep their eyes off each other. They made a perfect couple. Her eyes grew misty as she watched them say their vows. At least she hadn't cried. That would have been a sight. Weddings sure made a person sappy. Joy sighed when they kissed. If she looked into her heart, she knew she wanted her happily ever after. Instead, she would settle for her dream of motherhood. True love. It did exist for s
ome, but it was a risk she wasn’t willing to take. All her love would go to her child, and that would be enough.

  Joy’s thoughts turned to Denver. He looked so handsome in his suit. If he got married, he'd have to wear one again. That’s if he decided to give up his slutty ways. She was positive; he was a very slutty man. That would make him the perfect guy. If she did hook up with him, she had to make sure her heart didn’t get involved. She felt his gaze on her. When she glanced at him, he winked. She blushed and quickly looked away. It was almost as if he could read her thoughts. She decided that she wouldn't talk to him until he talked to her first. It was childish, but he could make the first move.

  Once the wedding was over, people gathered around to congratulate the couple.

  Joy walked away to call Emma. “Hey, it’s me. I’m at a wedding.

  “Wow, really getting into things, aren’t you?”

  Joy laughed. “I met this woman named Krista, who got married today. I was surprised she invited me to her wedding. I think we’ll become great friends. And get this, I think I found the perfect guy for my last fling.”

  “Do tell.”

  “His name is Denver. And he’s hot. I mean, like really hot.”

  “Where does he live?”

  Joy bit her lip. “Across the street from me.” Emma groaned. “It’ll be ok. He’s not relationship material.”

  “I don’t want to see you get hurt. I’m not sure this is your kind of thing,” Emma said.

  “I’ll be fine. Besides, it might not even work. Truthfully, we don’t even like each other. We mix like oil and water.”

  “That would make it passionate for sure.”

  “Oh, I’m positive things would be passionate with him. They’re getting ready to leave for the hall. I better go.”

  “Listen, here’s my advice. Don’t be overeager about this. Let it happen naturally. If you don’t get along the greatest, don’t suddenly fall all over him. Maybe, he’ll agree to this plan of yours, but from my experience, men don’t like the thought of being used for sex.”