by Tracy Ellen
“Mmm…Dirtbag, it’s Pink, not Fink. Is this what you had in mind for me?” My fingers continued playing over my skin. They strolled unimpeded down my side, and spread across my stomach before moving lower. I lingered along the top of the narrow strip of tight silk barely deserving the name panty. I stroked one finger leisurely up and down the middle of my lips. I allowed my long fingernail to slip under the edge, and then paused.
My voice was low. “Of course you got the bad guys.”
“Don’t stop. I want to see you touch yourself.”
I waited. A few beats of silence later he answered. “Yes. Of course I got the bad guys.”
I smiled a little at his arrogant, impatient murmur. I dipped my finger all the way under my panty and lightly petted myself.
I wiggled my hips a fraction.
Luke moved his heavy leg off mine, stretching out full length on his side and facing me with his back against the sofa. Freed, I lifted my right leg slightly, sliding my foot up the sheet covered cushion towards my left knee. Luke decided I needed to move my leg higher. He put a hand around my ankle and brought my foot up, planting it flat above his slightly bent knee. The draping blanket covered me completely along my backside and raised leg. It created our own little world. As long as we were quiet and moved slowly, nobody would know what we were doing.
Luke’s other arm under me glided down. His hand started caressing and kneading my ass with strong fingers. Then I felt those long fingers reaching. They slipped under my panties and touched me from behind. He began rubbing my wetness over my own finger stroking deeper between my parted legs. I moved the tiny swatch of silk to the side so Luke could see how well I was minding him.
Luke glanced up from staring between my thighs and smiled lazily. “You’re right. It is Princess Pink Ruffles.”
I had to close my eyes and suck on my bottom lip to keep my answering, moaning laugh contained. My left hand clutched onto Luke’s arm. It was maddening having to hold my hips perfectly still to avoid detection. Every instinct was clamoring to rock and writhe against the fingers rubbing and flickering over Queen Victoria. Like good managers everywhere, I believe firmly in immediate feedback. I have been known to tell Luke if I like his performance on the job by screaming and cursing his name to the heavens, or threatening horrific consequences if he stops.
I stayed quiet even when Luke started doing my third, or maybe fourth, most favorite thing in the world; he began toying with my breasts with his other hand not busy between my legs. Without haste, he ran the back of his hand over my stiffened nipples. He teased languidly, and then captured one distended point between two fingers. I somehow remained silent, but I couldn’t help arching my back for more when those fingers tightened their grip. His clever fingers pinched and pulled one erect peak and then moved to the other, each time squeezing a little harder and tugging a little farther. I swear the man has magic fingers; he seems to touch me precisely how I desperately need it, even before I know I do.
Call me weak, but when Luke’s finger down below started dipping and circling, and then slowly penetrated from behind in my tied-for-third-place favorite move; I did moan softly in the back of my throat. It was torturous ecstasy. I went AWOL’ing. I thought hazily if there truly was a God; men would have been given three hands.
I don’t think my low moan was noticeable over the noisy snores from the floor behind us. When Luke added a second, large finger while his wonderfully intuitive thumb stayed busy, my louder moan was in sync with some loud choking and gasping from Sam.
I slipped my hand out from inside my panties and into Luke’s tented boxers. My hand could only form a C around his hard on instead of an O, but I could live with this problem.
When I pulled his eager penis out to play through the front panel of his boxers, I smiled with empathy into his eyes at his tense expression. He was having a great time, too, trying not to move against my firm grip and slow wrist action.
Looking down, the creamy drop glistening on the tip of his cock beckoned. I massaged it all over while pulling on the thick head. I stroked around the rim, and under. I loved how Luke’s penis felt like hot, silky velvet sheathed over the hardness of steel.
Luke’s hand left off fondling my breasts and glided under the covers to join the other cupping my ass. Both hands explored and fondled QV from behind; his two lubricious fingers inside me moving to the slow rhythm of my fist moving up and down on his dick.
He drew me up against his lounging body stretched out along the sofa. With my leg canted up on his thigh, the hard length of his erection in my hand was added to the mix of his fingers and thumbs. Forehead tilted against mine, it took Luke only a few deliberate, rubbing strokes for the friction against my clit to send me on my way to orgasm heaven. Tingling, I stiffened. Clenching spasmodically around his fingers, I tried not to cry out, tried not to move. Luke kissed me with a deep thrust of his tongue. I moved to hold on around his neck with my arms. The rippling waves of pleasure kept building throughout my body, even as I craved to feel the large fingers inside me replaced with his thicker, much larger erection.
My mind-reader consort was still on my wavelength. He pulled his fingers out from inside me to tightly grip my bottom. He entered me with his cock, slowly thrusting in and out until he worked fully inside me. Then he stopped. I groaned against Luke’s mouth at the incredibly tight, stretched almost-too-full sensation that was just what I desired. The waves peaked and crested. I came and came gloriously around him buried deeply inside me. He growled low in my ear how the feel of me gripping and clenching around his dick was driving him crazy.
Luke and I froze at the same moment. We both reared back a few inches to stare into each other’s faces in mutual, shocked disbelief. He was inside me to the hilt, skin on skin and unprotected.
I couldn’t tell from Luke’s still face and quickly lowered eyes what he was thinking, but I was dazed and freaked. I have never allowed a man’s penis to penetrate Vicky unprotected, not even as a virgin queen with Mike McClain. I wasn’t kidding when I said I wasn’t a trusting soul and was never that young or that innocent.
Sam Sheedy chose this inopportune moment to erupt on the floor like the reenactment of Mount Vesuvius destroying Pompeii.
Jazy sat up and threw her pillow at him while shouting, “THAT’S IT! I have had it, you damn, snoring fuckhead! Wake up, Tre! Come on, we are leaving this hell-hole!”
My sister stood up and swiped a kick at the spluttering, befuddled Sam in his sleeping bag, grabbed her things off the end table, and marched off down the hall towards the bathroom. She yelled over her shoulder, “Anabel, get up---we’re out of here in five!”
I quickly pulled my long T shirt down in front as best I could. Luke’s face was against my neck. His shoulders silently shook and his dick throbbed inside me and his hands still squeezed my ass and he held me close.
I didn’t know if he was laughing or crying, but flustered, I pushed at his shoulder. I hissed under my breath, “I can’t believe we did that! Let me go!”
His hair was a disheveled mess from my hands. His sensual mouth was twisted with sexual frustration, but as Luke leaned back, the eyes that met mine were tear-free and lit with laughter. He slid his hands up from under the covers and respectably cupped my shoulders. With a smile as slow as his withdrawal, Luke didn’t take his eyes off my face as he pulled out of me inch by inch. My hands clasping his forearms, I closed my eyes and went still at the sensation. The receding aftershocks of my personal seismic activity continued to shake me up inside. It caused me to clench and grip him around him harder, instinctively wanting him to stay put.
“Stop it, Anabel.” He ordered softly on a laughing groan.
“No.” I murmured, not opening my eyes.
Tre J sat up, swinging her legs to the floor and pulling the blanket over her lap. Yawning wide she asked, “What’s going on? Was that Jazy yelling or was it a dream?”
As Luke circumspectly adjusted his boxers, Sam sat up right behind me.
/> “That’s what I want to know! I was sleeping when she woke me up with her bitching!” Affronted he whined, “Can you believe she kicked me?”
I slid up to a sitting position until my back was leaning on the rolled arm rest of the sofa. Luke sat up beside me and brought his longer legs to the floor beyond the end of Sam’s sleeping bag below us.
“Hey, watch what you say about my sister. You’re lucky I don’t kick you, too, the way you snore like a banshee.” I threatened Sam without heat, lazily aiming my foot at his shoulder while running my hands through my hair and working out the tangles.
Sam avoided my foot and glared at me. “What? You women are nuts--I don’t snore!”
I raised my brows.
He was starting to protest more volubly when he caught sight of Luke’s hand slicing the air. Correctly reading the dark look on his face, Sam Sheedy wisely decided to shut up. I was going to have to learn that part karate chop-part snarl move for at the store with unruly customers.
Tre J went for her turn in the bathroom just as Jazy opened the door and came out. Jaz was dressed and no longer resembled the scary medusa of a few minutes ago.
I got up on my knees and reached over the back of the sofa to close the open window letting in the draft of cold air. I turned back and caught Jazy flipping off Sam Sheedy before continuing her way into the kitchen. My little sis is definitely the grudge holder in the family.
Unable to avoid it any longer, I looked over at Luke.
We stared at each other warily without speaking. Sam stood up, grumbling under his breath, and gathered his belongings. We were alone a minute later when he stomped off to wait his turn in the hallway for the bathroom.
Silently, Luke put on his jeans. Looking down to fasten his belt he said gruffly, “Listen, about…” he straightened up and made a waving motion at his groin area, “earlier. That’s never happened before, but I’m okay with it. We should probably talk about some things.” His face was serious when he met my eyes. “I trust you.”
My amazed, “Really?” burst out before I thought to stop it.
Luke’s eyebrows were meeting in a black frown when the door to the upstairs opened and Reggie came whistling into the living room.
“Good morning, friends and family! Looks like those dickheads got the weather report wrong again; there is not one flake of snow outside. Frigging unbelievable, isn’t it? To get paid the big bucks to be so routinely wrong.”
My brother wakes up like me; disgustingly, cheerfully chipper in the dawns early light. Or more accurately, like I used to wake up.
“Junior, when do you want to get going? Jazy said I have first shift, so my Sunday is cleared to make sure you don’t get murdered today before three o’clock.”
I was grateful for Reg’s typical, bull-in-the-china-shop entrance. I was touched he was going to keep me from dying; at least during first shift.
I jumped up eagerly and scrambled into my slacks. I’d go anywhere at this particular moment to avoid talking with Luke. It didn’t take a genius to get he might be feeling a tad disappointed with me again. I had inadvertently implied he couldn’t trust me. I was too confused over my own actions and feelings to want to get into it now.
Reaching on the floor for my purse, I opened an inside compartment.
I answered my brother, equally chipper. “I’m ready to go when you are, Reg. I have a ton of stuff to do this morning at home.” I babbled on, “Except for needing to make a grocery grab, my plan is to stay home today. If you want, we can hang out at the apartment and watch football this afternoon.”
Reg was taken aback at my enthusiasm to get going so fast, but his expression showed immense relief at my proposed plans. “Sure, I’ll need a little time to do a couple of things, but then we’ll go. An afternoon of football sounds better than a sharp stick in the eye.”
Eyeing him thoughtfully, I realized I should have led him on first and said I wanted to go shopping at the Mall of America. I really was rattled. I popped a piece of cinnamon gum in my mouth. It would have to do until I got home to my shower and toothbrush.
I looked up to offer Luke a piece.
He quickly gave me a neutral, inquiring look, but he wasn’t in time. I pretended I hadn’t noticed the quick exchange of smirking grins and self-satisfied nods between Luke and Reg. Throwing him the gum, I shook my head at their conspiring together over their covert protection plans.
‘Did it seem like I wanted to die? Did they ever think to tell me straight out what the plan was and why? Men can be such idiots.’
I really wished now I’d take a minute to string Reggie along and make him work up a sweat to get me to follow their plan. I shrugged it off with my own private smirk. One thing I could count on; there would never be a loss of opportunities to terrorize the men in my life for my own viewing pleasure.
Luke announced he had things to do today and needed to get going. I felt relief he was leaving, and relief he didn’t seem mad at my avoiding any talks. It was nice he’d shown me his medical report weeks ago, and nice that he trusted me, but my head was still spinning. I could not believe that I forgot myself enough to let a naked Lawrence of Mylabia anywhere near Vicky. Or that Luke had forgotten himself.
Snagging his leather jacket off the hall tree, Luke shrugged into it while I walked him to the front door. We were alone again. Everyone was busy in the bathroom or kitchen. I heard the welcome gurgling of a coffee maker.
I gave in to curiosity. “Do you think Candy will still be at your house with your guest, John?”
He snorted. “Candy being on Pluto has a greater chance of happening.”
I liked that answer.
He gave me a lingering cinnamon kiss and then stuck his hands in his jacket pockets. He regarded me a moment before asking, “You’re cool staying with Reggie today? You feel safe enough?’
“Yeah, I’m sure it will be fine, but thanks for asking.” I was a little surprised he hadn’t offered to spend the day with me, but it was probably better this way. It sounded like we both had things to do.
I didn’t tell Luke, but I had toyed with the idea of closing the store for today. I was nervous as hell with The Hammer running around out there plotting my demise. Last night before we left The Rock’s parking lot, Jack said two plainclothes cops would man the doors inside Bel’s for the Sunday store hours. Even with the police presence, I still thought I’d be doing my employees and customers a disservice by opening today versus closing the store. I could always cite a broken water pipe needing repairs.
The problem with this line of thought was what if it took days to catch Hammerschmidt? I couldn’t stay closed for more than today—even one day would impact my profit line unfavorably. Not that an employee, or customer, or yours truly getting killed wouldn’t have a somewhat negative impact on the business, as well.
I needed to man up, go on the offensive, and be bait to help facilitate The Hammer’s capture. Closing up shop and hiding was tempting, but it wasn’t the answer. It didn’t mean I would parade around town with a big target on my back. I figured since he was out of jail only recently and had immediately tried to attempt a kidnapping and murder, brains wasn’t his long suit. For some reason, Gustav Hammerschmidt had set his psycho mind on me last night. He knew where I lived and worked. If I didn’t make myself publically available as an easier target, he’d come to me at my home.
I reminded Luke dinner was at five. I grinned and invited John to tag along. Luke smiled at that and said he’d pass on the invite, but wasn’t sure of John’s plans.
He didn’t leave, but stood staring down at the floor. When he raised his eyes and I saw his implacable expression it made me uneasy at what was coming.
“Listen, Anabel. We are going to talk.”
‘I knew it! Damn.’
He tilted my chin up and stroked a thumb along my cheek. “Tonight after everyone leaves your apartment, I plan on staying over for second and third shift guard duty, alright? We’ll talk then. I promise it won’t hurt,” h
e nipped my bottom lip, “much.”
I tried to smile while keeping my eyes closed, waiting for another kiss and less talk.
Luke snickered. “Anabel, Anabel, my strange and different woman. I want you to think about two things today for me, okay?”
At my cautiously curious frown, he softly tapped my chin. “One, I know you. I’ve recognized you since the minute I first laid eyes on you in your store last spring.” He paused, smiling faintly. “Why do you think I stayed away for months?”
His steady gaze held mine while his surprising declarations twirled through my head. I turned my cheek into his hand while nodding again without answering. I didn’t know what to say. I admit to experiencing a romantic thrill at his unshakeable tone of confidence. What woman wouldn’t want to be told they were known in such a way, by such a man, and only moments after returning from subspace at his touch? I hadn’t given a thought as to why I had never seen him from the first glimpse last April in my store until late September at my brother’s house. I was speechless he’d stayed away deliberately. I couldn’t help but wonder what made him change his mind.
Yesterday, after I kicked that bastard, Ron Hansen and then Luke proved he got me despite his being mad, I had felt a burgeoning hopefulness. Today, his words sent a longing through me. Maybe he was a man who could want and accept me as I truly am. Maybe he had been showing me all along how he knew me, and I was only now starting to be able to see. Maybe he did know me. It would be nice to be known.
Luke pulled his other hand from his pocket. It held a sealed, white envelope with my first name scrawled across the front in a black, bold script. The envelope was the size of a small birthday card. I was only the teeniest bit curious about what was on the inside.
“This is the second thing I want you to think about today.” His eyes were gleaming dark with secret promise. I was struck anew by how attractive I found Luke, even though I knew many men much better looking. He slowly waved the envelope to and fro. “This is my turn.”