Thank you Bharm, justkimmy, Tammy, Pinayprincesa, IRENELOVE83, clarembees, ChelleLew, Alexis Black-Reigns, Slytherin Studios, nikki1335, AyannaCosta, broguekicking, Shield316, Savannah Webber, wwefanatic365, SoleFaith, DeeMarie426, Olivia Reigns, benova13, CFierce116 and princessreigns. Loved all your responses to Sasha's actions.

Enjoy 17!

The next morning was a quiet one. T.K. and Mia were in school and Pam came over to Sasha's. As they sat at the kitchen table drinking coffee, Pam eyed her best friend through the rim of the mug she was sipping from. "Okay, what's wrong?"

Sasha looked up from her untouched cup. "What?"

"You're not smiling today. You should be smiling all the time, honey. You finally tapped that fine ass."

Sasha actually looked worried. "Seriously. When did you become such a pervert?"

"I've always been one. You too if I remember, before you became all prim and proper. Anyway, what's the problem? He gave it to you good, right?"

"Oh yeah." There was no hesitation on that.

"So what gives?"

With a heavy sigh, Sasha told her about last night's party and what Danielle and Natalie had said about Joe, earning a frown from the petite woman. "Did you ask him about it?" Pam said.

"No. I pretty much bailed on him." Having thought back on her actions she concluded that she'd gone about the whole thing wrong. But still...

"Come on, babe. You too grown for this shit," Pam admonished Sasha, "You shoulda talked to him instead of runnin' away from those hatin' ass bitches."

"What if it's true?" Her stomach clenched at the thought.

"What if it ain't?"

Covering her face in her hands, her voice was muffled. "You don't know what it's like. He's so fuckin' hot and he's famous and he gets a lot of female attention. Every time we go out there's women either throwing daggers at me with their eyes or mentally undressing him. I act like that shit don't freak me out but it does. Last night, girls I didn't know from Adam walked up to me and trashed me all because they saw me with him. And we're not even official. What's going to happen if that happens? It's going to be worse."

"You'll cross that bridge when you get to it," said Pam. "Look, I don't know if the cheating thing is true or not. That is a big deal. But those heffas only told you that shit because they want what you got. You a threat now, baby. You should be flattered."

"Flattered? Right," the mother of two snorted.

"Damn right. Some of the hottest girls on TV are threatened by you. Bask in it. You got good shit with Joe and they so jealous they wanna fuck it up."

"I think I'm doing that all on my own," Sasha lamented. She'd been afraid of this. Sure, it was nice to know she could actually still have fantastic sex and her lady bits hadn't yet shriveled up from lack of use. The downside was getting worked up by the emotions that surfaced afterwards, like they always did when she became intimate with a man. No-strings-attached sex was never her forte. "I told you I didn't know what the hell I was doing with this dating shit."

"You're doing fine. Talk to Joe. Listen to his side of the story first then make whatever decision you have to."

Sasha smiled. "You always know what to tell me."

"Yeah, I do. And at this rate I'm gonna start billing you soon for my services." Pam took another sip of her coffee. "You still make the best coffee after all these years," she commented with a grin. "After my Mama of course."

"She made the best everything," said Sasha. The two women regarded each other contemplatively, silently sharing a moment. "I miss her."

Pam gave a watery smile. "I miss her too."

Sasha stood up from her seat. "I'm gonna go take a shower, I stink. Take the cup with you if you want."

"Hey," said Pam. "Before you go, thought you might need this, so I was kind enough to get some for you." She withdrew something from her handbag and held it up.

Sasha's face flushed as she eyed the item. "Oh my god. Is that what I think it is?"

"Birth control pills? Yes. Something tells me you ain't seen the last of that boy." At the look on her friend's face, Pam raised her palms in surrender. "Hey, I'm just lookin' out for my girl, is all I'm tryna do," she defended, smirking.

"You are unbelievable." Shaking her head with a smile, Sasha took the packet from Pam. They exchanged kisses on the cheek before she walked towards her bedroom. "Thanks. Love you."

"Love you too, babe."

Joe was nervous as he approached Sasha's apartment. She wasn't returning his calls, meaning she was avoiding him. Since she wasn't working until the evening, he guessed she was home. He was determined to get to the bottom of what happened last night and if he had to come to her, so be it.

Or maybe he just wanted to see her, like he always seemed to do nowadays, just wanting to be around this woman he'd become so taken with. Watching her walk away last night had sent his heart into a panic, and even though she hadn't given him a real reason for doing so, he would gladly wait for her answer as long as he got her back.

He was about to knock on the door when it opened and Pam stepped outside. "Ah, President Panty Dropper," she greeted, wearing a particularly wide smile. "Nice to see you this fine morning."

The Samoan blushed at the colorful nickname from the petite woman. "Hi Pam. Is she home?"

"She's taking a shower. You two need to talk. She's not very happy right now but I'm sure you'll find a way to cheer her up." She winked, deliberately leaving the door ajar for him. "Have fun, lover boy."

Watching the petite woman walk away for a moment, he turned back and stepped inside the apartment. The first thing he heard was music playing in what he knew was Sasha's bedroom. He knocked on the door, then slowly pushed it open. The room was empty, but he could hear the shower running. Knowing she was only a few feet away, naked and wet in a steamy shower, made his body ache with need. Suddenly inspired, Joe strode toward the bathroom.

He smiled wickedly when he saw her shower wasn't hidden by a curtain. It was just steamy glass doors, and while the view was a little distorted, it wasn't by much. He could see Sasha in all her glory, her beautifully shaped body, that backside he constantly fantasized about facing him as she bent over...

Aww shit.

Joe's vision blurred as he drank in the sight of her round apple bottom hanging in the air. Every last drop of blood in his body rushed straight to his dick. Women had absolutely no idea what that particular position did to a man. And he himself was a hopeless sucker for big shapely butts like Sasha's. He stood there in the doorway ogling her, and was almost disappointed when she turned around to let the stream hit her shoulder blades. Her breasts were obscured by the thick white soap suds, and a shower cap protected her hair. He really should alert her of his presence but at the moment he was perfectly content to just watch her hands roam around her body, washing and scrubbing with a big puffy sponge.

Wiping the soap from her eyes, Sasha shrieked with fright when she saw him standing at her bathroom door three feet away, staring at her. "Jesus!" she said, covering her breasts with her arm. "You scared me half to death!"

"Sorry," he said, but he didn't look the least bit sorry. Helplessly she tried to cover herself up somehow, but it was no use. "Just give me a minute, I'll be done soon," she stammered. "You can wait in the kitchen or something."

"I ain't goin' nowhere, sweetheart," he said. "And you got no reason to hide your body from me."

Damn you, Pamela. "Aren't I at least entitled to some modesty?" She glared at him through the steamy glass.

"No. And if you want, I can get naked, too." Without waiting for an answer, Joe took off his shirt and dropped his jeans.

Moisture instantly surged between her thighs at the sight of him in his tight black boxer briefs, but she was still annoyed. "It's easy for you to get naked. You didn't squeeze two babies out of your body and wind up with a kangaroo pouch and stretch marks." Seeing his own hard, young body and the perky, toned frames of the Divas the other night only made her painfully aware of everything her own body had gone through over the years.

Suddenly, the shower door yanked open and Joe stepped inside in all his half-naked glory. Shocked, Sasha retreated, but was forced to stop when her back made contact with the cold tiles. "What the hell?" she demanded.

"Quit talking yourself down like that!" Joe's voice rose, causing her eyes to widen in surprise. "And quit trying to cover yourself. You have a gorgeous figure, a woman's body with a woman's curves. So maybe you have a few stretch marks, but do you honestly think it makes you any less attractive?" His eyes bored into hers. "You're beautiful. Nothing should convince you otherwise."

"You better get that damn bass outta your voice," she frowned. Her heart was racing. She wanted to believe him, she did, but she had been too self-conscious for too long. The stretch marks could be ignored, she agreed begrudgingly, but there was no way he actually likedthem.

"I should be pissed at you, you know," said Joe, ignoring her threat. "I don't know what I did wrong but you walked out on me without telling me why. I didn't have that much to drink."

"It wasn't that," Sasha said, stepping under the shower to wash away the soap suds. "You just have an interesting bunch of friends, that's all."

"I'm sorry about them." He moved closer to her. "Can I make it up to you?"

"How?" she inquired, pausing when his arms circled her waist from behind.

"I'll show you. Right now. In here," he muttered, his chest flush against her back. He kissed her neck, his mouth widening to suckle the sensitive spot he'd become acquainted with. "Yeah, definitely here."

Sasha tried to formulate some form of response, but with the way his lips were wreaking havoc on her neck, not to mention how he was fondling her right breast and slowly grinding his hardness on her ass, all at the same time, she came up with nothing. She spun around just in time for him to bring his mouth down to hers, claiming it with a thrusting, possessive tongue. Damn, he was so dominant, so hot. He stepped back briefly to shove his underwear down, revealing his impressive erection, and that was almost worth the embarrassing discomfort she was feeling at the moment. He really had a perfect body. Just toned and muscular and...wow.

"It's been two weeks, baby girl," he whispered, his lips on her neck, her jaw, her mouth. Her wet nakedness against his was doing crazy things to him. "Two long weeks since I've been inside you." He pressed her against the wall with his body, and Sasha gasped as he slid his hand between her legs. She was helpless, feeling all her inhibitions evaporate the way they always did whenever Joe touched her. He had an amazing way of touching her and kissing her so that every nerve ending in her body sizzled. Making little sounds of encouragement, she closed her eyes and rested her forehead on his shoulder, whimpering as he stroked inside her, rubbing her clit with his thumb, the sensation so good it made her see stars.

She felt him push her feet apart with his, giving him better access inside her. His lips found hers again in a smoldering kiss, his tongue moving in tandem with his fingers, his erection nudging her thigh while the water rained down on them. Assaulted by sensation, Sasha ran her hands through his now wet, stringy hair. Somehow her shower cap had fallen off, drenching her weave. She was covered in goose bumps, from the mix of hot water, the demanding presses of his fingers to the warmth of his mouth. She knew where this was going but she didn't mind at all. Though she'd never had sex in the shower before, the anticipation was fogging her brain.

Joe finally released her lips, but only temporarily. "Protection?" he asked her, hope mingling with the desire in his grey eyes.

Thank you, Pam! "Birth control," she gasped. She'd taken one right before stepping into the shower. Thank goodness for hindsight.

"Good." In one swift motion, he draped her leg over his hip, positioned his erection at her entrance and pushed inside her. Sasha moaned out loud and sucked in a breath, almost forgetting to exhale. Her eyes rolled in the back of her head as she felt him slide in and out of her, moving slow and deep. She wound her arms around his neck, standing on the tips of her toes because he was so tall. With her one remaining foot, she shifted her body to balance herself properly, and the movement sent him so deep inside her that they both groaned out loud.

"Fuck," Joe hissed, gripping her waist hard. "Do that again."

It hadn't been her intention to do anything other than balance herself, but she let him think she had a few tricks up her sleeve. Moving her hips, she shifted again, moaning when aching tremors shot throughout her midsection. "Oh god, Joe..."

"Keep goin', baby. Ride my dick," Joe said in a strained voice that said he was losing control. That she had gotten him to that point with little effort was so exciting that she didn't hesitate. Squeezing his massive shoulders for leverage, Sasha pumped up and down on his length without any particular skill, just enthusiasm and desperation. When Joe couldn't take it anymore, he lifted her clean off her feet and pressed her against the tiles. With her ass clamped in his hands, he thrust ferociously into her, and the sounds of slapping skin, moaning and heavy breathing quickly drowned out the rush of the water in the tiny enclosure.

"Goddamn Sash, you feel fuckin' incredible," he rasped.

"Oh fuck, yes! Harder baby, fuck me harder," Sasha ordered, moaning loudly when he obliged her. Pressing her thighs around his wide waist, she clung to him as he drove into her, each press of his big body sliding her up and down the wall. Her loins burned for release, and she jammed her face into his neck to muffle her cries, but it was to no avail when the orgasm claimed her. Waves of pleasure rolled over her, her muscles contracting around his length over and over. Managing to maintain his foothold on the slippery floor, Joe pumped harder, prolonging her pleasure, and Sasha was vaguely aware of him grunting in her ear as his erection pulsed inside her. With one final jerk of his hips, he ceased to move, and he kept her pinned to the wall with his dick and his trembling frame. Both were quivering messes, replete and satisfied. Their skin was wrinkled from the constant water stream, their hair stuck to their faces and neck. Brushing his hair out of his eyes, Sasha sighed softly at the feel of his lips meeting hers, more gently this time. Her legs ached from tensing repeatedly. But it was a good, satisfying kind of ache.

"What really happened last night?" Joe asked softly, his grey eyes locking on her face. "Why'd you leave me?"

In the heat of passion, Sasha almost forgot about what was bothering her. Squirming out of the big man's arms and back to her feet, she stepped around him and out of the shower. Putting on her bathrobe, she tossed a towel to him when she sensed him trailing behind her. "Your friends Danielle and Natalie cornered me at the party," she said after a long silence.

Joe frowned as he wrapped the towel around his waist. He wasn't one to bad-mouth women, but those two made it difficult for him not to. Danielle and Natalie were well-known attention seekers and if he'd known they'd be at the party he probably wouldn't have bothered to come. "What did they say?"

"They mentioned someone named Andrea. Said you cheated on her." Thinking about it, she realized she knew little about his past relationships. For a couple that was trying things out, they hadn't talked much about those chapters in their lives. It probably wouldn't have mattered if she didn't have to hear it, or at least a version of it, from someone else.

"And you believed them?" Joe challenged, and Sasha winced at the hard edge in his tone. "Should I?" she asked, keeping her voice firm.

He eyed her for a long moment, then pushed his wet hair back and sighed deeply. "Andrea was my ex-girlfriend," he explained. "We dated for about three years, broke up somewhere in between. I slept with someone else, but just once and only after we'd split. It wasn't a perfect relationship but I never cheated."

"So you got back together?"

"Yeah, after about two months apart." And to this day, he wished he never did. "Not once did I step out on her. I don't work like that."

"Did she cheat?" Sasha asked, making her way to the kitchen.

"Not that I know of," he answered. What she did though, in his opinion, was far worse than cheating.

Sasha could see the discomfort on his face, and curiosity got the better of her. "What did she do?"

At her question, Joe looked away, and the mother of two noticed his tightly clenched fists upon the kitchen table. "I hate talking about it," he confessed, his voice hard. "I'd like to tell you but..." He paused, looking at her with guarded eyes. "I will, I promise. Just not now. Not yet."

She looked up at him, somewhat puzzled by his obvious distress, and opted to take his word for it. As tense silence fell between them, she got up to pour them both a cup of coffee. "I'm sorry about last night. I know I should have come to you first. It was just a lot of things that culminated and I let it overwhelm me. I've never really been with anyone that gets so much attention like you do. I'm just going to have to get used to it, is all."

"You clearly have a big issue with cheating," Joe pointed out. "Was it T.K.'s dad?"

Sasha rejoined him at the table with their coffee. Unlike him, she didn't have a big problem talking about it. "Not just him, but he's first. Tyson and I dated in high school. The sweetest talker you'll ever find, and that sweet talk got me pregnant. When I told him about it, he looked me in the eye and said he didn't want the baby. He split, but not before telling me to get rid of it. It amazed me how easily he walked away. Like I was nothing, like the two years we were together was a waste of his time. And then I found out why. He was seeing someone else behind my back. I told myself I'll never be that stupid again. And I was doing so good too, until bam! Out pops Mia. Now her dad," She chuckled wryly, her expression darkening. "Different kettle of fish. Promised me everything under the sun and told me he would take care of me and T.K. And he did. He'd take him to school, buy him stuff. It was all nice and dandy for a few months, but everything changed when I found coke in T.K.'s school bag."

Joe's eyes went wide.

"Turns out Cliff was using T.K. as a fuckin' mule. He lined his bag with sachets of cocaine on the way to school, then he'd pick him up after and go to whatever crack house he worked for and drop his stash there. T.K. went to school every day with dope. I mean, it made sense to use him, right? No one would ever search a seven-year-old kid. I probably would never have known if Cliff hadn't forgot one when I was unpacking T.K.'s bag. I confronted Cliff and he was like, 'How do you think I pay for all the shit I give you?' I was floored. He didn't even give a damn that he involved a child in his shit. Oh yeah, and he was fucking his boss; some woman he'd been messing around with before he met me. I didn't even flinch. I threatened to call the cops if he didn't get the hell out of my life. A month later I find out I'm pregnant and Cliff's head was blown off in a police bust. And all I thought was, that could have been T.K. My little boy coulda been with him that day and gotten shot." Sasha clenched her jaw, still upset that she hadn't seen through it all.

Joe didn't know what to say. It all made sense now. Why she was so hesitant, so cautious. It was one thing to betray her, but using her own child to do it? It was unacceptable, unforgivable. And he knew exactly how she felt.

"Ever since then, I've just kept to myself," Sasha went on, cupping both hands over her mug. "This life just seems to take and take, and I'm tired of giving what I don't have. I'm not the richest woman on the planet. I'm a high school dropout. I got two children by two different men. I don't have a car, and I can't afford cable. But I sure as hell don't depend on no Government welfare shit. Some of T.K.'s friends' mothers...what they're doing to make ends meet will make your skin crawl. I can't do that. I want my children to be proud of me. That's all I want because they're all I've got left. They depend on me and my decisions affect them." She stopped, ducking her head and making a sound of embarrassment. "Ugh, I talk too damn much."

After hearing all of that, learning just how truly strong this amazing woman was, how did she expect him to stay away from her? He reached out to caress the back of her hand. "You're a hell of a lot more badass than I thought," he told her. "Thank you for sharing that with me. You didn't have to, but you did and I appreciate that."

She'd told him all of that and he didn't run? Wow. He was more incredible than she thought. With a soft smile, she replied, "Thank you for listening. Maybe someday you'll let me listen to you too."

Returning the meaningful look she gave him, he nodded sincerely. "I will," he promised. "So what time do the kids come home?"

"Mia's back at three, T.K. at four-thirty."

Joe smirked, getting up from his chair and pulling her up with him. "Three, huh? That's a lot of time between now and then."

"Time for what?" Her eyes darkened at the wicked smile on his face.

"That welcoming party you promised yesterday."

Her body throbbed again at the sight of his tongue darting over his lips as he stared her down. All of a sudden, the gloomy mood from earlier disappeared, replaced with something far more exciting. "But what about the shower?"

"That was the taster, baby girl. I'm ready for the real party now." Without warning he picked her up and carried her back into the bedroom. Her playful squeal was music to his ears.

Saw the 'President Panty Dropper' name on twitter, had to incorporate it. Shout out to the girl if she's reading!

Payback is going to be fun. Fingers crossed for the boys, here's hoping each of them gets to shine.

Thoughts on the update? The longer the better. :D