by Bella King
I felt an old but familiar feeling in my lower stomach at Jacob’s touch. His hands were now exploring my body, caressing me with increasing need. I knew what this was moving toward, but I did nothing to stop it. How long had it been since someone had touched me so fervently? Had anyone ever felt this strongly toward me?
My panties had grown uncomfortably wet in a matter of moments, begging me to take them off and spread my legs for this beastly man that was feeling me like it was his last day on earth. I leaned back in my seat as he undid his seatbelt and came for me.
Jacob’s weight was held up by two strong arms, as thick and solid as tree trunks, baring down on the seat cushion and sinking in deep as he loomed over me. I could smell his cologne, his body, and the fire that burned within him.
I looked down, seeing a noticeable bulge in his jeans. Impressive. I raised my hands up and pulled at his soft cotton t-shirt, yanking it up to get a look at the defined abs underneath. I could dine off that body. He was incredibly fit, with tattoos decorating every inch of his torso. I took it all in as he took both of my breasts into his large hands and squeezed.
I was stacked, genetically gifted with large breasts. Most of the time they were a hassle, but I could see how much he enjoyed them now, and I thanked my lucky stars that I had them. They were the perfect size for his dominant hands.
A brief flicker of panic entered my mind as I remembered the unwanted touches of the police officer not that long ago, but it was quickly pushed out of my mind as I explored Jacob’s body. His skin was hot and smooth, daring me to travel down to his perfect hips, beckoning me to discover what king of a powerful tool he had tucked away in those tight jeans.
Jacob sat up, pulling his shirt over his head and flinging it into the cramped backseat of the truck. I was honestly surprised that his truck even had a back seat, but I guess it wasn’t that uncommon. It wouldn’t hold a large person like Jacob, but I could fit back there if I needed to.
Jacob had his nipples pierced, something that I had missed the first time I had seen his shirtless when he knocked out a man outside of his house. I flicked one of his nipples with my long black nail and his chuckled, squeezing my breasts again in return.
“You like that, huh?” Jacob said, his honey eyes melting into mine.
I nodded. I was enamored by his masculine energy, but as he pulled my shirt up, I stopped him. “I can’t,” I said.
Jacob pulled back. “Why not?”
Alarms were going off in my head, telling me to wake up and get the hell out of here. What the fuck was I doing., letting Jacob go this far with me. Had I forgotten what kind of person he was? Did his sob story really affect me that much?
“I want more,” Jacob said, coming at me again.
This time, I didn’t say anything as he pulled up my shirt and pushed his hand into the lace cup of my bra. His fingers were hot against my breast, and it felt like electricity was flowing from his fingertips onto my skin. My nipples grew hard at their first contact with his bare flesh.
“You like it. Admit it,” Jacob demanded.
I remained silent. I was confused by myself. I didn’t understand why I was letting this happen, when just a week before I had been planning on smashing his window in with a steel ball.
My brain crept backward in time, remembering everything that he had done to me, how he had made me feel. I was afraid of this man, and maybe that’s why I wasn’t stopping him now. What would happen if I did?
Jacob stared at me, studying my expression as he continued his journey over my body. He traced his fingers lightly down my stomach toward the silver button to my black jeans, just grazing my skin enough to give me goosebumps. I watched in awe as his thumb and pointer finger skillfully undid the button separating me from his power.
He continued as my stomach turned and my heart drummed up in my throat, telling me to get out while I still had the chance. I couldn’t go through with this. It was too much, too soon.
I felt like I didn’t know him well enough, but that was only an excuse. I had had sex with guys in the past who I hardly knew, hooking up at parties and regretting it the next day. Jacob would be the biggest regret of my life if I let this go on.
As Jacob’s hand slipped down beneath my panties, I nearly jumped out of my skin. How could it be that he terrified me and turned me on so much at the same time? I was shaking, but was it from arousal or fear?
Jacob noticed, but smirked in response. “You’re mine, Elise. You always were mine, and you will always be mine.”
When his hand touched my soaked pussy, I jerked back, pulling myself away from him. I scrambled into the corner of the truck, circling my body up in the seat. “I can’t. I told you.”
“You’re going to,” Jacob said, leaning back toward me.
His lips came down on mine again, and I pushed against him briefly before letting him sink back into me. This was torture, but the most delicious kind. It was like wine being poured on open wounds the way he seduced me, making me suffer through the slow agony of my arousal.
I settled into my seat, trying to focus just on the kiss. I wanted to enjoy myself, but I was too freaked out by the way he touched me to relax and let the night run its course. Maybe it wasn’t meant to be.
Jacob lingered on my lips once he was finished, the fire fading from his kiss. He leaned back. “You kiss a lot better than my ex did,” he noted.
“Not the most charming thing to say in this kind of situation,” I replied, pushing the thin strands of black hair from my face. A few had stuck to my lips, and I had to pull them off individually.
Jacob shrugged. “It’s just been a while,” he admitted.
“Since you kissed someone?” I asked, surprised.
“Yeah, I don’t date much. It’s nice to have a girlfriend.”
“I’m not your girlfriend,” I was quick to remind him.
“No? Let’s see… We’re in my truck, making out. You’re going to the school dance with me. You’re wet as fuck.”
“I’m not wet,” I said, but that was a blatant lie and he knew it. I felt vulnerable, and this was a lot for me to ingest.
“You are, but you’re scared of me,” Jacob said, nodding his head like it was the most obvious thing in the world.
“I’m not scared,” I said. Another lie. He knew that.
“Why are you so reluctant to be with me?” Jacob asked, sounding earnest.
“You’re poisonous, Jacob. You’re heading down a terrible path and I’m trying to go in the opposite direction. No, I’m not trying. I am going in the opposite direction,” I explained, patting my hand against my thigh for emphasis.
“I don’t really care where you think my life is going. I’m living for the here and now,” Jacob said. “You’re kidding yourself if you think you’re better than me in some way. We’re all in the same boat here at Lakeshaw.”
“I don’t think I’m better than you,” I protested. “I think we’re incompatible.”
Jacob wasn’t having it. This time, he wasn’t getting angry, just stubborn. I could see in his gorgeous eyes that he wasn’t going to let it go so easily. He had something to prove.
“You’re a troublemaker, Elise. I like that, but you’re going to need to get your head out of your ass. You’re not better than me,” he barked.
“I know that,” I replied, struggling with my words. I didn’t like how he accused me, making me feel guilty. I didn’t have a chance to defend myself because he had stripped me down to a vulnerable position.
Jacob settled back into his seat. He pulled his seatbelt strap over his bare chest and pressed his lips together, sitting back and waiting for me to do the same.
I buttoned my pants back up and adjusted my shirt and bra. I pulled down the mirror in front of me and took a look at myself. I was a hot mess, with little black hairs squiggling out in all directions from my scalp. I patted down my hair and flipped the mirror back up.
“Done making yourself beautiful?” Jacob asked impatiently as I pulle
d the seatbelt over my shoulder.
“Yep,” I replied. “Take me to the river.”
Jacob shook his head. “The cops will get you. I need to destroy this camera and we can sleep in the bed of the truck somewhere outside of town.”
“I’m not sleeping with you,” I said firmly.
“I didn’t give you a choice,” Jacob replied, shifting the truck into drive and hitting the gas.
Chapter 24
The days are long, but the nights are longer.
Jacob crushed the police camera on the side of the road when we were far enough away from the city. He brought us out almost an hour away, and by the time he pulled over, I had gotten sleepy.
“Are we sleeping here?” I asked, looking around at where we were.
There were miles of tobacco plants lining either side of us in the farmland. We were well outside the city limits, in some remote place that was only touched by farmers’ feet and tractors. This was the kind of place you could dump a body, and nobody would ever find it.
“A little further out,” Jacob said, kicking the pieces of broken plastic and glass across the road into the tobacco plants. He climbed back into the truck.
“I’m getting tired,” I said, pulling my socked feet onto the chair. I had removed my shoes halfway through the drive to get more comfortable.
“We should move about ten minutes down the road. People still drive by here,” Jacob said, pulling off the shoulder and back onto the narrow strip of straight road. It seemed to go on forever in front of us.
I nodded, but then remembered Jonathan. What had become of him and Jacob’s twenty thousand dollars? “Hey, did you ever get your money back?” I asked, looking up at Jacob.
A smile flickered onto Jacob’s face, nearly undetectable. I second later, it was gone. “I will,” he said, leaving it at that.
“How?”
“I have a surprise for him,” Jacob said coldly.
“My roommate is going to the dance with him. Sarah,” I said, not sure if I was helping the situation or making it worse for everyone involved. Perhaps he would target Sarah.
“I know,” Jacob said. “That’s all part of the plan.”
“Don’t you dare do anything to her,” I said, now worried that he would try to hold her for ransom or something crazy like that.
Jacob shrugged. “I do only what I have to. Jonathan decides her fate.”
I grabbed Jacob’s thigh, trying to feel for some sympathy. “Please, Jacob. I’ll tell her if you’re planning on doing anything to hurt her.”
“She’s not going to get hurt,” Jacob said, pushing my hand away. “She’ll be fine if Jonathan complies with my demands.”
“And if he doesn’t?” I asked, growing more concerned with every word that left Jacob’s mouth.
“Then may God have mercy on her soul,” Jacob said, his eyes devoid of emotion.
“You’re a monster,” I said, not believing that I was stupid enough to go along with any of his bullshit in the first place. It had all started with a simple pack of cigarettes, and now I was neck-deep in peril.
“I’m not the monster,” Jacob said. “The people who betray me are. They’ll all end up like Robert.”
“Who is Robert?” I asked.
“The man I should have killed,” Jacob said, fuming.
I felt sick again. It was stressful to be around Jacob because he always seemed on the verge of an explosion. Lately, he had been doing better, but now he was worked up again, making threats against people that he could very well carry out. “Jacob, you can’t ruin innocent people’s lives over stuff like this. Robert may have deserved what you did to him, but Sarah doesn’t. She’s innocent!”
“Her fate is for Jonathan to decide,” Jacob reminded.
“No, it isn’t. You need to take responsibility for the damage you’re causing,” I said, growing disgusted by Jacob’s inability to own up to his destructive behavior.
“What the fuck else am I supposed to do?” Jacob said angrily, his knuckles white from his death grip on the wheel.
“Confront Jonathan yourself. He’s the one who took the money, right? Why do you have to bring innocent people into this?”
“Leverage,” Jacob said. “You’ll find it’s much more effective than direct threats. People run, they hide, they lie. They don’t, however, let innocent people die for their faults. Some do, but I know Jonathan. He’s a rat, but he’s also soft.”
“I’m not going to let you do this,” I said, putting a foot down.
“Or what?” Jacob challenged.
“Or I’m going to tell Sarah, and I’m not going to go to the dance with you,” I said, pulling out the only thing I had on my side. Two could play the leverage game.
Jacob chuckled. “Go ahead. I have other options.”
I reacted instantly, slapping Jacob’s strong jaw with so much force that he swerved on the road, nearly losing control of the truck. He didn’t see that one coming.
“Don’t fucking hit me,” he shouted, turning red in the face in seconds.
“You’re taking me to the dance and you’re leaving Sarah alone,” I yelled back.
“Don’t tell me what to do,” Jacob said, but there was a softness in his voice now. For the first time, I saw tears in his eyes. Apparently, I had struck a chord somewhere deep in his troubled soul.
“No, I’m going to tell you what to do, and you’re going to listen to me,” I ordered, feeling strong in the face of Jacob’s momentary weakness.
Jacob hit the brakes, throwing up both forward as he stopped his truck in the middle of the road. I came back hard in my seat, kept in place by my seatbelt as the car stopped. I could smell the rubber from his skid marks on the pavement.
“We’re sleeping here,” Jacob said, pulling the truck off the road slowly.
“Not unless you do what I say,” I said, standing by my demands.
“Fine,” Jacob responded, unlatched his seatbelt with exceptional force. He threw open his door, causing it to swing back at him, hitting him in the shoulder. His face was contorted in frustration as he pushed it open again, jumping out before it had a chance to hit him again. “Fucking piece of shit,” he grumbled.
I had to laugh. He was so immature sometimes. I hopped out of the truck and circled around the smoking front of it. I wondered if it was always like that, steam rising from the engine. He drove it like it was a rental. Maybe he just had that much money to burn.
Jacob was already aggressively unfurling a sleeping bag into the bed of his truck, flicking it so hard that it sounded like a whip cracking in the night air. All the muscles in his body flexed, reminding me that, at the end of the day, he was still an incredibly sexy man, albeit a bit misguided. He still hadn’t put his shirt back on, and I didn’t think he would before bed.
“We’re sleeping together?” I asked, noticing that there was only one sleeping back.
Jacob nodded. “Yes.”
“I don’t know if I’m comfortable with that,” I said. The sexual tension was still present between us, and I could feel it growing as we prepared to go to sleep.
“Then you can sleep on the pavement,” Jacob said, hopping into the bed of the truck and kicking his shoes into the grass in front of me. I had to jump out of the way to keep them from hitting my feet.
I shook my head, breathing in the cool night air and removing my shoes. I climbed up into the truck bed with him as he removed his pants, leaving him in just a pair of boxer briefs.
My eyes were inevitably drawn to the massive package contained within them. Jacob noticed my gaze, standing with his hands on his hips, thrusting it outward proudly. I took my own pants off, leaving me in a shirt and panties. I unlatched my bra and pulled it out of my shirt skillfully, tossing it into the corner of the truck bed with both of our pants.
Jacob’s eyes scanned my body hungrily. I could tell he wanted me, but tonight wasn’t the night. I didn’t want him that badly after the stunt he tried to pull with Sarah. He needed to know his
place before he got between my legs.
“Let’s sleep,” I said, crawling into the sleeping bag.
Jacob didn’t speak. He slipped inside with me, pressing his body close to me instinctively. I curled up with him, intertwining our legs and allowing him to raise a large thigh up between my legs and press it there.
“Can we always be this way?” I asked after a moment, enjoying the way he felt against my body.
“We can be anything you want,” Jacob said, petting my hair, his eyes half-closed.
“I want to be better. I want us both to be,” I said, already beginning to slip into the beautiful land of dreams, where life didn’t have meaning and all that mattered was abstract ideas, pieced together sloppily like an infant attempting a thousand-piece puzzle.
“We will be,” Jacob assured me.
I barely heard him. I was already asleep.
Chapter 25
Compromise often feels like defeat.
I woke up close to Jacob, perhaps too close.
My eyes fluttered open to find his face barely an inch from me, our noses touching. I pulled my head back, seeing for the first time what Jacob looked like when he was at rest. His face was handsome, with some hardness removed through sleep. The more I saw him, the more I fell for that face.
I didn’t wake him up or move at first. I took my time admiring the straightness of his prominent nose and how long his eyelashes were. I was actually a bit jealous of them. Mine were barely there, reliant on copious amounts of mascara to reveal them.
In the wild world that Jacob and I lived in, being this vulnerable was straight-up dangerous, so it didn’t surprise me when his eyes flew open just second after mine did. He could sense that someone was looking at him, and I had a similar experience with Sarah one time. Bad upbringings cement habits that are impossible to kill.
“Aw, you looked so peaceful,” I said, disappointed that he woke up so soon after me.
Jacob cracked a smile. “A little peace in times of war,” he said, then sat up straight, surveying the area.