Crashing Tides Duet: Anchored and Adrift

by Ruby Rowe

Only fucking.

  I want to believe that I can be inside her whenever and wherever I choose.

  I want to dominate her the way she thinks only Elliott can.

  I’m going to show her that I could be enough.

  “It appears you’ve forgotten how much I want you.” Dipping my head, I skim my nose up her neck and breathe in berries. Fucking Christ, I’ve missed her exhilarating scent … an orchard for me to feast upon.

  “That’s your fault,” she spouts.

  I lift my head to stare at my firecracker head-on.

  “Then let me remind you.”

  Sailor

  It has to be the rum.

  Never has Jake lost his temper like tonight or worn this fierce of an expression.

  Never has he submerged us in a well of lust to this depth.

  His alluring irises are shrouded by darkness, a swamp where the vivid green draws you in but the unknown of what’s beneath the sheen of algae leaves you too frightened to enter. He’s intimidating, his heady look drenching my panties.

  Slowly, he takes off the satin sash on my puffy black skirt, and my lip quivers.

  “Hold out your wrists.”

  I exhale a clicking sound as I remove my tongue from where it’s cemented to the dry roof of my mouth. I must’ve also removed the seal holding the dam closed since saliva’s now gushing from my salivary glands.

  “I said for you to hold out your wrists.”

  Swallowing the spit his commanding voice seems to hold the lever to releasing, I stick out my trembling hands. He licks his lips, and this desk is going to be wearing a stain if he keeps up this dominating persona.

  After wrapping the sash around my wrists, he ties it in a knot that leaves long tails of satin. “Get up on the desk, and lie back.”

  Once I hop up on it, I begin to shimmy my butt back, but he clasps my thighs. “No. I want your pussy right at the edge of this desk. Lie down like I said.”

  The second my back makes contact with the wood, I feel the coolness of it through my shimmery silver blouse. Walking around the desk, Jake ties my bound wrists to the arm of the chair sitting behind it. My body is taut, my torso arching…

  I tilt my eyes up to look at him, and as he licks his lips again, I shudder beneath his captivating gaze.

  “Fuck, I’ve wanted to do something like this to you for a long damn time.”

  “Are you sure the Appleton coursing through your veins isn’t inciting this behavior?”

  “Rum’s not controlling me, Princess. Only my love for you. Now, drop the attitude.” Leaning over, he brushes his lips along mine before walking around to the front of the desk. Shoving my skirt up, he removes my heels and plants my feet flat on the desk.

  He drops to his knees...

  “What if Marybeth or Thatcher want inside this room?”

  “I’ll tell them it’s occupied. They’ll get the hint.” He skims his fingers over the thin strip of fabric barely covering my dripping center. “I knew you wanted this from me.”

  He’s right. I’ve always imagined Jake taking control of my body the way Elliott has, but now, what that could mean scares me. I can’t latch on to Jake even more, especially when he could still leave me.

  Hooking his finger around my thong, he leans in with his tongue and licks right down the middle of my pussy. I decide in that gasp of breath to forget my worries.

  What is it about panties being pulled to the side? Damn, the way the fabric touches my skin while fingers or a tongue caress my bundle of nerves… It feels heavenly. I whimper, the need for more paramount.

  “Fuck, there’s warm honey between your legs.”

  I want so badly to grab hold of his hair and bring his mouth closer, but when I pull on my arms, the chair only gives me a few inches of freedom before it slams against the desk.

  “Please, Jake. Please put your mouth on me.”

  Gifting me his searing lips and eager tongue, he goes to work, licking and sucking my pussy. His stubble abrades my thighs, and the feel of my thong teases me, too.

  In case it never happens again, I burn to memory every dizzying tingle and frenzied touch. Every sensation Jake elicits is rapture, and I never want to forget it.

  He pulls his mouth away, and I whimper, desperate for more. Raising up until our eyes meet, he drags a finger through my juices and sticks it between his lips, pinning me with a calculating stare.

  “Like I already knew … sweet as honey.”

  I close my eyes and grapple for air. My coiled body’s a grenade, and I’m barely able to hold in the pin. I feel his fingertip slide down my ass crack and slip underneath my thong. I buck … the pleasure too much.

  “Jake, I’m going to come.” He circles my asshole with the wet finger he’d had in his mouth. “Oh, Godddd.” I barely grab another glimpse of the abundance of desire in his vivid eyes before he drops again and eats me out like a starving man.

  He pushes his finger inside my ass, and I’m done for. I squeeze my eyelids shut as I release the pin on the grenade. My orgasm splinters into a million particles of pleasure that slice through every neuron, every capillary, and every pulsing vein. The heat rushes through my skin like a lit trail of gas racing to start a fire.

  Jake yanks my thong down my legs before I hear him undoing his pants and climbing onto the sizeable desk. His muscular thighs flank me, guard me … hold me prisoner.

  I open my eyes, and I see through the swamp color of his irises, the darkness below the water. He’s been holding back for months.

  He clenches the edge of the desk behind my head with his strong grip to the point the wood crackles by my ears. My legs are shaking, my feet barely able to stay grounded to Thatcher’s desk.

  “I’m going to fuck you so hard you’ll have trouble walking out of this room. I’m going to ensure you never forget what happened here.”

  Ramming his cock into me, he’s the archer, causing my torso to bow as he fills me to the hilt. The invisible arrow pierces my soul, and the wanted scar will die with me. I’ll never forget this moment.

  He draws back again and slams into my pussy. He’s rougher than he’s ever been, burying so deep that I’m forced to suck in a breath and hold the flames in my lungs. I feel a cramp in my hip from where I’m splayed open for him to use–fill–fuck.

  Who is this Jake? And why am I only now being introduced to him?

  Growling, he crests the summit above me. His entire body rattles as he forces loud breaths through his nose. Holy fuck, this is the hottest sex I’ve ever had.

  My handsome Jake’s skin is crimson, a sheen of sweat covering his forehead. He opens his hazy eyes and lowers in a push up to kiss my lips.

  Forcing his tongue inside, he tangles it with mine, and I imagine shoving my fingers in his damp hair and bringing his mouth even closer, but it’s not possible with my hands tied. He’s fervent yet loving, feeding me his emotions with each magical stroke of his tongue.

  He breaks away, and when I open my eyes, there are tears coating his alluring pools of sadness. I’m staring at stained glass, and it’s confessional all over again; only this time, I’m on the bottom.

  “You and Elliott think repairing the past will rid you of your pain and guilt. You’re determined to make something positive come from Rebecca’s death, but you’re both telling yourselves lies.

  “You love me in a way you don’t love him. I fucking feel it, and when you stop lying to yourself and are ready to release the past, you come find me. For now, I’m going to get you home.”

  Stunned, I choke on the walnut in my throat. My heart thunders until the sound reaches my burning ears. Climbing off me, he releases my wrists, and as I sit up and rub them, he comes around and picks my thong up off the floor.

  Like at Laguna Beach, I want to barf profanities his way, and scream that he’s delusional, yet there’s another part of me wishing to tell him he’s spot-on.

  Jake Callister deserves a remarkable love, and I want to be the only woman who can give it to him. Shit! We
’ve created this tumultuous triangle with no way to escape unscathed.

  I dissolve into tears, and he doesn’t speak or even look me in the eye. Instead, he pulls my thong up my legs, slips his hands under my armpits and helps me to the ground. He pushes down my dress and straightens my long hair.

  “You’re crying because you know I speak the truth, and right now, you’re not strong enough to deal with the consequences of admitting it. I have faith you will, Sailor. I have faith in our love.”

  Balling my hands into fists, I pound on his chest and scream. He stands still, taking my beating and obscenities, but most of all, he’s taking another piece of my soul.

  “I hate you for this, you selfish asshole! You led us all down this rabbit hole!” I shout before I grab my heels and storm from the room, heading straight into the frigid air. I hear him calling my name as I run down the few steps to the sidewalk.

  Like the other night, his juices are running down my legs, reminding me how much he owns me. The humiliation… I spin around and watch the puffs of white smoke flow from my mouth.

  “Ohh, I hate you!”

  “No, you love me. You wish right now you didn’t since it would make your life a hell of a lot easier, and that’s why you’re furious.”

  “Don’t you come near me or try to tell me what I think or feel. I’m already strong enough to know what I want, and I’m more than capable of calling my own cab!”

  Shoving his hands into his pockets, he shakes his head and turns away.

  “Happy Fucking New Year!” I shout, digging my nails into my fists as my lips quiver.

  Jake’s wrong.

  He has to be wrong.

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  Elliott

  It’s early morning when I climb into bed next to Sailor. I start coughing and try to stop, but I can’t help releasing a few more annoying sounds, causing her to stir. These erratic, long hours at the hospital are taking a toll on my health.

  “I hope you’re going to get that cough checked soon.” Rolling toward me, she presses her cheek to my chest. I exhale the weight of a stressful forty-eight-hour shift and let the bed mold to my body.

  “I’m sorry I woke you. I got more antibiotics yesterday, and I think another round should do the trick.”

  “You smell so good after showering,” she mutters. I graze my fingers along her shoulder, and her body quivers. My cock wakes up, and she must feel it since she shifts to straddle me.

  She falls over to kiss me, too, but I catch a glimpse of her swollen face and lift her back up.

  “You’ve been crying?”

  She looks out the window as I stare at her puffy eyes, tear-stricken skin and matted hair that she couldn’t have combed even yesterday.

  “Sailor, are you upset over seeing Jake the other night?”

  “We had a bad fight. He really hurt my feelings, but I don’t want to talk about it.” Tears tumble down her cheeks, so I move her off me.

  “I’m going to kill him for real. Third time’s the charm.” I try to scoot to the side of the bed, but Sailor clutches my arm.

  “No, wait. He wasn’t himself. He was angry and dominate … aggressive sexually even. I’m worried about him.”

  Jealousy crashes through my veins as I imagine him dominating her the way only I’m supposed to. I picture the blood slamming against my arterial walls as I think of how much he’s upset her lately. I start to get up, but Sailor lunges, grabbing my body.

  “Elliott, don’t. We were emotional and caught up in the moment. It was a strange evening that I’m not ready to talk about. All you need to know is that he didn’t mean to hurt me.”

  “Have you been crying in this bed for over a day now?” She looks away again. “Baby, I can’t try to fix what’s going on between you two if you don’t give me something. Aside from Jake’s text message asking me to make sure you got home the other night, I don’t know anything.”

  “I think we’re broken beyond repair.” She curls into a ball on the bed, trying to build that damn wall between us.

  “If you don’t open up to me, I’m going to make him do it. Take your pick.”

  Scowling at me, she sits back up. “I’m afraid if I tell you what happened, you’ll hurt him.”

  “I promise to keep my cool. Or, I’ll at least calm down before I confront him.”

  “You swear?”

  I lean over to kiss her. “I swear. You have to be able to trust me.” Nodding, she crisscrosses her legs, and I admire her in her flannel pants and t-shirt that she manages to make sexy.

  “I started the whole train wreck by asking him to see me. I should’ve given him more time. I think he felt guilty that I’d be spending New Year’s Eve alone, so he invited me to Thatcher’s party.

  “Harrison was there and being a dick. I guess he said something about thinking I was fair game for him to fuck since you and Jake share me, so Jake lost it and punched him.”

  “I’m happy to hear he put Harrison in his place.”

  “He did, but things were tense before that, and I realized I’d made a mistake by pushing Jake to see me. I tried to talk to him about it, and the next thing I knew, he was dragging me down the hall to Thatcher’s study to have sex.”

  “What happened after that?”

  “He pretty much said I had to choose between the two of you and to come find him once I did.”

  Clearing my throat, I look at the ceiling.

  “He did, huh?”

  “Don’t freak out. Jake was so full of anger and raw emotion that I could’ve felt it from another state. He was completely unhinged. I think he’s angry because he doesn’t want to hurt us, but he doesn’t know if it’s right to share me, either.”

  “But Jake is willing to hurt us,” I reply. “You said yourself that you think you two are broken beyond repair. That means you think that if you don’t break up with me and choose him, he’ll never be with you again.”

  “I don’t know what to think. I guess I’m hoping that’s not the case. Jake’s caring, warm and thoughtful, but I realized the other night that he hurts as much as he loves. There’s no grey area with him.

  “He’s also impulsive and blurts out whatever he’s thinking. Maybe that’s from his ADD he doesn’t treat. All I’m certain of is how his life was simple before I came along. That couldn’t be further from the truth now.”

  “It could be if he’d accept what is. I swear it’s his fucking family. They’ve praised him all his life. He followed in his father’s footsteps by becoming a cop. He’s their golden boy, and he can’t take disappointing them. Not to mention, he has them on a pedestal in return, so he likely values their opinions more than ours.”

  “I know. That’s why I’ve managed to let go of some of my anger. I was seething the other night, and I’ve got news for him; he’ll be alone forever if he sits there waiting for me to do what he wants. He kept insisting I love him more than I love you.”

  She looks at the sheet below her, and from the way she chews on the inside of her cheek and her eyes flood with tears, I know she’s reliving their fight.

  “I told him I hated him, Elliott. I can’t believe those words left my lips, especially when I don’t think I could love him more than I do.”

  As my stomach sinks, bile rises. “Are you certain you weren’t pissed because you didn’t want to believe what he was saying was true?”

  Her head whips up. “No. I love both of you.”

  “I know you do.” As I entwine our fingers, I feel like my throat’s constricting, the bile blocking it fast. I have to ask her this question, but I’m terrified of the answer. “But, do you think there’s a chance you love him more?”

  “No. No way.” She brings her hand up and drops it back on the bed. “Are you doubting that our polyamorous relationship can work, too?”

  “No. I believe it can. I want you to always be honest with me, though. I still think Jake will come around. It hasn’t been that long, but if he doesn’t and you can’t live without him, y
ou have to tell me.”

  “That’s not going to happen.”

  Sighing with relief, I lie back down and pat my chest. She smiles weakly and curls up beside me.

  “I’ll give Jake a little more time, and then I’ll talk to him,” I say.

  “Does that mean you believe he doesn’t want to betray you?”

  “I know deep down he doesn’t. It’s why I’m going to fall asleep with you in my arms rather than give Jake the third times a charm beating.”

  “Thank you for being understanding.”

  “What can I say? I’m a reformed man.”

  “That you are…” Kissing my chest, she works her lips down to my stomach and dips her fingers into the waistband of my sweats. She frees my stiff cock with a firm grip, and I groan as I’m rewarded by her sizzling mouth for being so understanding.

  This shit about listening to girls and talking about your feelings should be a required course in school. It would’ve made my life a hell of a lot better before now.

  Jake

  “Come on. We’re gonna grab lunch,” my partner, Rudy, says to me at my desk. I look up at his stomach hanging over his belt, and I think he could afford to skip a lunch–or three.

  “I’m not hungry, and you don’t want my company. You know doing paperwork makes me grouchy.”

  “That’s not what’s wrong with you, but it’s all the more reason we should get some crisp, cool air in our lungs.” He smiles while patting down his light brown hair. He believes everything he says is clever, and I don’t have the heart to tell him it’s not.

  “I guess I do need out of this uncomfortable chair.”

  “There’s the Jakey spirit.”

  I flash him a displeased look. “Watch it, old man.”

  Once we’re in the car, I tap my fingers on the passenger arm rest and shift in my seat.

  “What’s going on with you?” he asks.

  “Relationship troubles, and I don’t want to talk about it.”

  “Maybe I could help or at least be an ear to listen.”

  “You wouldn’t understand since you’ve been married for ages.”