by Ivy Black
Bellamy throws herself into my arms and gives me a long, deep kiss. It’s passionate and I’m surprised she’d kiss me out in the open like this. She is definitely not shy. She takes a step back and gives me a smile.
“Wow,” I say. “Do you happen to have any other chores that need to be done? More than happy to take it out in trade like that.”
Her laughter is like crystal wind chimes blowing in a gentle breeze. It’s a soft, high musical sound that’s pleasant. It’s a sound that fills me with a sense of peace and joy. And it’s a sound I could get really used to hearing a lot of. I swear she makes me feel like an awkward kid all over again. But I like it.
“So, when can I see you again?” I ask.
“Maybe tomorrow night?”
I nod. “I think I can make that work.”
“Oh, you do, don’t you?”
“I’ll have to shuffle around some of my other girlfriends, but yeah, I think I can work that out.”
She laughs and playfully punches me in the chest. “You’re such an ass.”
“But you like me that way.”
“You’re lucky that I do.”
I take her hand and give it a gentle squeeze. “I am lucky. Very lucky.”
Her cheeks flush and a sweet, warm smile touches her lips, making her look somehow both innocent and seductive all at the same time. The effect on me is profound. It sends a jolt of electricity from my brain, through my heart, all the way down to my groin, and I feel myself growing hard once more.
“So tomorrow night then?” she asks. “I’ll have my mom’s nurse stay overnight so we don’t have a curfew.”
I nod. “It’s a date.”
Chapter Seventeen
Bellamy
I watch as the last of my students file out the door after the day’s final bell. And when the door closes, I lean back in my seat and blow out a long breath, relieved the day is over. It’s not that I don’t love my kids, but they can be seriously taxing sometimes. Today was one of those days—at least I have dinner with Derek to look forward to.
But I need to get these papers read and graded first, so I turn back to them and immerse myself in the various biographies of Civil War figures. Some of them are actually pretty good and I can see the kids did their research. Others read like they were copied directly from Wikipedia. I’m halfway through when the door to my room opens with a loud creak.
Thinking it’s Ruby, I look up and freeze, feeling like somebody has doused me with a bucket of cold water. My heart pounds wildly and my throat goes drier than the Mojave. Paul or Peter or whatever his name was—the man from the accident—steps into my room. He fills the doorway with his massive frame, sending a cold shiver down my spine.
His expression softens though and he slips his hands into the pockets of his jeans, hunching his shoulders. I take a quiet breath and let it out slowly, trying to settle my nerves and project an image of confidence and strength. It’s the only way to deal with bullies. Like that old saying goes… never let them see you sweat.
It’s hard, though. Being trapped in my classroom, with him standing between me and the only door, is a terrifying prospect. Especially when I know how quick and light on his feet he is.
“H-how did you find me? What are you doing here?” I ask, silently cursing myself for the quiver in my voice.
He shrugs his wide shoulders. “Wasn’t too hard to track you down. You gave me your information last night, remember?”
I grimace. “Yeah. Right. I remember.” Mentally, I congratulate myself for getting that tremble out of my voice. “So, what do you want?”
He opens his mouth but hesitates and closes it again, looking away from me like he’s suddenly shy or embarrassed. Personally, I think it was his act last night he needs to be embarrassed about. But that’s just me. The man finally nods to himself then turns back to me.
“I wanted to apologize. About last night,” he says. “I know I scared you and I was out of line. I’m sorry.”
I sit back, stunned by his apology. That was the last thing I expected to come out of his mouth when I saw him standing there. I stare at him, my mouth hanging open for a minute, unable to utter a single syllable.
“I wasn’t really that mad about my truck. Truth is, I couldn’t tell you which dent is even from you. I’m sure you noticed my truck isn’t exactly the latest model,” he tells me, a small rueful grin on his face.
He leans against the wall next to the door and purses his lips as he looks down at the ground. I can tell he’s expecting me to say something in return. He’s put himself out there and apologized, so I’m sure he thinks I need to follow suit. So, not wanting to cause any friction, I do.
“I apologize for my part in what happened as well,” I reply. “It was just an unfortunate situation for the both of us.”
He nods, a sad expression on his face. “Yeah. But I know I took out my stuff on you. Things have been tough lately and that was just like the last straw.”
“I’m sorry you’ve had a rough go of it lately,” I tell him.
“Yeah. I lost my job recently.”
“Oh, that’s terrible,” I say.
“It’s shit,” he replies. “Lost my place to live too. Been staying with friends.”
Why he’s choosing to tell me all of this, I have no clue. But he does. For the next forty-five minutes, he tells me all of his life’s woes. And even though I have work I need to be doing and getting ready to see Derek tonight, I don’t have the heart to tell him to stop or that I’m not interested in hearing it. After what happened last night, I almost feel like I owe it to him to listen.
“That sounds like a really horrible run of luck,” I say. “I’m really sorry that you’re going through as much as you are.”
He looks at me for a long moment. “Hey, would you be interested in gettin’ a cup of coffee with me by chance?”
That’s the last thing I expected him to ask, and for a brief second, I’m left speechless. But I need to be honest and not send off any mixed signals. I get the feeling he’s somebody who reads pretty deeply into things and might see things that aren’t actually there. And I’d rather not take that chance with him knowing he’s got a quicksilver temper.
“I’m actually seeing somebody,” I tell him. “I’m supposed to be meeting him for dinner soon, actually.”
His face darkens, but he manages to control his scowl. He just nods.
“Of course, you are. A pretty little thing like you. I’m not surprised,” he says as he gets to his feet. “Anyway, I think I’ve taken up enough of your time. I actually just came down here to apologize.”
“Well, I thank you for that... What do I call you, anyway?” I ask.
“Pet—actually just call me Jacob,” he says. “I’ve always liked my middle name better than my first name.”
“Well, Jacob, I appreciate your coming down here. And like I said, I’m sorry for my part in this mess. But we’ll get it straightened out soon,” I tell him.
He nods. “Yeah. We will. Anyway, have a good night, Bellamy.”
“You, too.”
He leaves the room and only when the door clicks shut do I let out a long breath of relief. He wasn’t the same boorish and threatening man who’d made me feel so fearful and unsafe last night, but there was still something unsettling about him. Although, I will admit that perhaps I’m still just on edge being around the man. It’s hard not to be given his size and demeanor.
But maybe, just maybe, I’m doing what I always accuse Ruby of doing, and I am being a little judgmental myself. The man is having some issues and a difficult time with things in his life. And for that, my heart goes out to him. I truly do hope he gets it turned around sooner rather than later.
But right now, I need to put all of that aside, as well as the papers I should be reading, apparently, and get ready for my date.
***
“You’re kidding me. He tracked you down out of the blue?” Derek asks.
I shrug. “Well, yeah. He
wanted to apologize.”
“And you’re not disturbed at all that he put in the effort to track you down like that? I mean, that’s kind of… stalker-ish.”
I laugh. “You’re being paranoid.”
“Am I?”
“Very. He felt bad and just wanted to say he was sorry,” I tell him. “He knew he freaked me out, and I thought it was a sweet gesture.”
Derek leans back in his chair, a small frown on his lips. “And it doesn’t bother you or strike you as odd that he just showed up at your school like that?”
“You just showed up out of the blue like that, too, you know,” I tell him with a sly smile on my face.
He sits forward and picks up his chopsticks again, grinning to himself. He nods as he picks up a piece of sashimi into his mouth and chews on it. I can tell he’s still bothered by it, though.
“It freaked me out at first, I’m not going to lie,” I say. “But then, he apologized and honestly, he looked genuinely remorseful.”
“They say sociopaths can mimic emotions flawlessly.”
I laugh so loud, I draw the attention of the other people sitting in the sushi bar, who cast disapproving looks my way. That’s one thing about Blue Rock that hasn’t changed… the uptight crowd that doesn’t know how to cut loose and have a little fun. They’ve always looked askance at those who like to laugh and enjoy themselves.
“You’re being silly. I don’t think he’s a sociopath,” I say.
“That’s what a sociopath would want you to believe.”
“He’s just a lonely guy with a lot of problems, apparently. Just lost his job, his home… it’s sad, honestly,” I tell him.
“What was his name again?”
“Jacob. He goes by Jacob,” I respond.
Derek chews on the last piece of sashimi and looks lost in thought for a moment. He sets his chopsticks down and turns his eyes to me.
“I thought you said his name started with a P?” he asks.
“It does. But he said he’s always gone by his middle name, which is Jacob.”
“Tell me what he looks like. Did you happen to get a last name?”
I arch an eyebrow at him. “Are we really going to talk about him all night?”
A small grin curls the corner of his mouth upward. “Sorry. I don’t mean to go on like that. You’re right, it’s probably nothing.”
The truth is this protective side of Derek is endearing. I wouldn’t have expected it from him. I’m sure the feminists would take my girl card away from me, but I like that he’s so protective. It’s sweet, but I find it kind of sexy, actually.
“Ready to get out of here?” he asks.
I nod. “I’m stuffed to the gills. This was amazing.”
“Yeah, this place isn’t bad at all.”
Derek pays the check, and we head out, strolling arm in arm up and down the street for a little while, doing some window shopping together. It’s strange to think that this is only our second date, but I already feel so comfortable with him. Walking along the street together like this makes it kind of feel like we’re a couple and not two people out on their second date.
It’s probably because there’s some sense of shared history between us. Well, maybe no history, given the fact that we didn’t hang out together, but at least some shared feelings. Unrequited on both ends, obviously, but we’ve both admitted to having feelings for each other back in the day that neither of us ever acted on. But it could go a long way to explaining why we’re so comfortable together now and things seem to be falling together so easily for us.
We end up back at his place and the first thing I do is inspect the place to see if he was lying to me about how tidy he keeps his home. Subtly, of course. And much to my shock, he wasn’t. Everything is neat and clean, just like he said.
“I told you so,” he says and tips me a wink.
“What?”
“I see you pokin’ around, seeing if I actually keep my place clean, or just stuff everything in the closet when I have company over. Don’t think I didn’t catch you scopin’ it all out on the sly,” he says.
I feel my cheeks flare with heat. I thought I was being clever about it, but apparently, not so much. Like I said, Derek is a man who doesn’t miss much. He sees me blushing and laughs.
“Coffee?” he asks.
“Please.”
He leads me into the kitchen and sets about putting on a pot of coffee. I notice he’s using some fancy gourmet brand of coffee I’ve never heard of and for some reason, it strikes me as funny, and I can’t help but laugh.
“What’s so funny?” he asks.
“It’s just… I was expecting you to break out some Folgers or maybe even some kind of instant coffee or something.”
He rolls his eyes at me but grins. “Because I’m a biker?”
“No, because you’re a guy,” I reply. “You might be the first guy I’ve ever come across who uses fancy, name-brand, designer coffee.”
He laughs. “Hey, I don’t do that shitty generic stuff. What can I say, I guess I’m a coffee snob.”
“I’ll say.”
“You will thank me when you taste it.”
“Is that so?” I ask.
“Would I lie to you?”
“I would certainly hope not.”
The machine beeps, ending the cycle, and Derek pours me a cup. He’s got sugar and creamer out, so I dress my coffee and lean against the counter. He watches as I take a sip and I smile as the bold flavor hits my tongue.
“Okay, you’re not wrong. This coffee is really good,” I tell him.
“See? I’d never lie to you.”
We drink in companionable silence for a few moments and I can’t seem to take my eyes off of him. He’s just such a beautiful man that simply looking at him makes my heart skip a beat and sends a flutter through other, more sensitive parts of me. I give him a smile and set my mug down on the counter. As if he’s reading my mind, he sets his down as well then steps over to me.
No words are spoken between us, but then maybe there are no words needed. Derek pushes me up against the counter and leans down. Our mouths crash together, and he slips his tongue between my lips, swirling it around mine. I grip the back of his neck and pull him down closer to me, our kiss growing harder and more passionate.
He presses himself to me, his hands running down my back and I grind my hips against him, moaning softly as I feel the length and thickness of his cock. His moan is lost in my mouth as I slide my hand down and grip him through his jeans. The fire between my legs is already burning out of control, making me feel lightheaded, and the craving I feel for him is unlike anything I’ve ever experienced before.
I lean my forehead against his, taking a moment to catch my breath. “This is insane. I’ve never wanted somebody like this before.”
“That makes two of us. Except, I’ve wanted you like this since high school.”
His words hit me hard and nearly take my breath away. Hearing him say that he’s desired me like this for as long as he has surprises as much as it turns me on. I pull him down into another fierce kiss, our tongues twirling around each other in my mouth like a whirlwind that has me feeling dizzy and giddy at the same time.
I pull him around and push him up against the counter, then fall to my knees. I have his belt and pants unbuttoned and yanked down to his thighs in the blink of an eye, revealing his long, thick cock to me for the first time. I didn’t actually see it the last time we were together… only felt it. And as I gaze upon the length and girth of his shaft, I feel my insides turn to water.
Leaning forward, I circle the head of his cock with my tongue. Derek draws in a sharp breath as I tease the sensitive spot just beneath the head with the very tip of my tongue. Reaching out, I grab hold of the base of his shaft, squeezing it tight, and start to stroke it as I take the head of his staff into my mouth. I work my hand and mouth in unison, sucking and stroking firmly, and Derek moans out loud.
He runs his fingers through my hair and tak
es a firm grip, giving it a sharp tug that sends tendrils of fire across my skin. I tighten my fist around his dick, pumping it even harder, and his entire body tenses. The groan that floats from his mouth is long and echoes around the kitchen, and he gently pushes me away from him, looking down at me with a toothy grin.
“I’m not ready for it to be over just yet,” he says.
Derek kicks off his boots and steps out of his jeans as I get to my feet. He then picks me up as if I weigh nothing at all and sits me down on the kitchen counter. I part my legs for him as he steps forward and presses his mouth to mine. The heat and desperation in his kiss fuel the passion in me and I rake my nails across his back.
I shudder as Derek slides his hands underneath my dress, reveling in the feeling of his fingertips trailing along my skin. He grips the waistband of my panties and I raise my hips, allowing him to slide them down. Then, he drops to his knees, drapes my legs over his shoulders, and leans forward. His breath is warm on my intimate parts and makes me shudder deliciously.
Derek slides his tongue along my wet opening and when his tongue touches my clit, I cry out as a warm sensation explodes inside of me. I reach down and grab handfuls of his hair, pulling him to me. As Derek licks and laps at my center, I grind myself against him, trying to take his tongue even deeper inside of me. My skin feels like it’s on fire and I writhe on the counter as he takes my clit into his mouth, giving it a gentle nip that almost makes me cum on the spot.
The pressure is building low in my belly as Derek continues devouring me. My grip on his hair tightens and I pull him against me even harder, insatiable, the feeling of his tongue inside of me too much to bear. And when he takes my clit into his mouth again and sucks deeply on it, I reach the precipice and then tumble over the edge. My entire body locks up for a moment, my every muscle rigid and unyielding. But as I throw my head back and scream, I suddenly turn to jelly, quivering from head to toe as I cum. Derek keeps lapping at my burning core.