SHOOT: A Novel

by Kristen Flowers

  I laid back with a heavy sigh, the warm soft bed underneath me as Rick buried his tongue inside. He traced it along my clit softly, tasting every drop of me as though it were the first time he had ever tasted anything so sweet.

  My eyes clenched shut as I felt the warmth of his fingers holding my thighs apart. He licked me hungrily now and I knew that the hardness of his cock had to be unbearable as he made sure I was ready for him.

  "Fuck me..." the words came out as a mere whisper, but he heard me and stopped just long enough to respond.

  "No, first you come for me. I want to taste you.”

  His words were enough to make me tighten and a tremor ran through my body as his tongue slid back down over me. Curling and twisting around my sensitive clit. Carefully and rhythmically he teased me with his tongue until I teetered on the edge.

  The sound that came out of my mouth was no more than a guttural moan as I threw back my head. My thighs tightened around his face as hot pleasure arched my back. Waves of weightlessness flowed through my limbs and curled my toes.

  Rick continued teasing me, tasting me as my body trembled and my pussy pulled tightly before releasing me in a shudder of rippling pleasure. "Mmmm" he hummed against my pussy as he sucked gently, playfully dipping his tongue inside.

  "You taste amazing." He was breathless now as he sucked me one last time before pulling away.

  Rick stood up and I opened my eyes only to see him standing between my legs with his thick cock throbbing.

  "Do you still want me to fuck you?" He teased my opening with the tip of his cock. Slowly, he slipped his head inside.

  “Hurry up already!” I yelped as I rolled my hips toward him, forcing him inside a little more. He teased me by slowly easing his head in and out as he practically devoured my naked and needy body with his eyes.

  He ran the head of his cock up and down my wet lips a few times. I tried to lift my hips up in search of more friction, but he slammed them back down onto the bed. That was when I finally felt him slide his entire length inside me in one swift motion. My mouth locked open and my eyes fluttered closed as I felt the thick width of his shaft stretch me full.

  A breathy moan escaped my chest as I arched my back, enjoying the pleasure of finally being filled with him after wanting it so badly for so long. I tried to lift my hips like I always did, but he wasn’t allowing it. He started pumping in and out of me slowly at first but he must have been worked up too because it didn’t take long for him to pick up the pace. The quiet bedroom filled with the rhythmic slapping of our skin as he caught one of my bouncing breasts in his hand. He leaned down and gave my nipple a playful bite, forcing a quivering moan out of me.

  Everything about him made me a trembling mess—his scent, his body, the way he looked at me like a hungry animal. He was everything I wanted in a man and the last person people would expect me to be with. I knew whatever this was we had, it wasn’t going to last. Even though he felt so right, he was wrong for me.

  He slid his arm under my lower back and lifted my hips so he could penetrate me deeper and harder. It wasn’t long before he was thrusting in and out hard and fast, forcing breathy moans to skip out of me with each slap of his hips. He reached down and squeezed one of my erect nipples just before moving down so he could rub my clit.

  I sucked a deep breath in as he gripped my hips and pulled me toward him, propping my ass on his thighs so that I was angled a bit upward and he could burry himself deeper inside me. I moaned even louder. He started thrusting in and out faster, making sure each stroke was deep and long. Without warning he pulled out, grabbed my leg, and turned me over until I was on my stomach, each of my legs on either side of him.

  I clawed at the bed as he tugged me closer and nestled his cock against my opening. He eased inside, forcing my jaw to lock open in a silent scream. He started to thrust as deep and fast as before. This time it set off a chain of loud cries, purely from pleasure, as he hit the perfect spot inside me with every single thrust. He definitely knew what he was doing and I found the silent way he took control extremely hot.

  Rick started thrusting harder, never failing to go as deep as possible and making sure he hit my sensitive spot each time. My body tensed up and I squeezed my legs against him, muscles clenching around his manhood as intense feelings coursed through my veins. My teeth sank into my lower lip as tingles cascaded down the back of my legs and my fingers clenched at the covers.

  I was practically a limp ragdoll as Rick turned me back over and started thrusting in and out of me, face to face. He gripped my waist tightly and pounded into me, the headboard smacked loudly against the wall with each punishing thrust of his hips.

  I moaned again, louder and louder, until my body tensed up as the orgasm slammed into me. Waves of pleasure rippled through my body, jerking my legs and curling my toes. I stopped making noise and my mouth hung open as my body practically vibrated with intense pleasure. It wasn’t long before his thrusting stilled and I felt the pumping of his cock inside me, filling me deep.

  We both fell onto our backs and stared up at the ceiling, panting for breath as our hearts began to slow. I turned my head to the side and admired his bright green eyes and strong jaw covered with five o’clock shadow.

  Even though he was everything I wanted in a man—fun, adventurous, and dead sexy—he wasn’t right for me. I was already too deep in my professional life and I needed a clean cut professional man to go along with that life.

  At least that’s what I told myself. That’s what I thought I believed.

  Now I had to tell him the truth.

  This wasn’t going to work out.

  Chapter 7

  “I don’t think this is going to work out between us.” I said as soon as we got dressed.

  Rick stared at me with a blank expression before finally speaking. “What won’t work out between us?”

  “This.” I said, motioning at both of us. “This whole thing…I.” My eyes cast to the ground, I could barely look at him as he sat at the edge of my bed. “It won’t work.”

  He looked somewhat shocked. Everything had been going so well and I’m sure my sudden doubts were coming out of left field for him.

  “Why won’t this work?”

  “You’re not-” I stopped and took a deep breath as I tried to find the right words. “I’m not the right kind of girl for you.”

  His eyebrows scrunched up in shock confusion. He looked at me as if I had just told him I was a purple alien from mars or something equally as ridiculous.

  “What the hell does that mean?”

  “I’ve got a career and a life and an image I have to maintain.” The words sounded terrible the moment they left my mouth.

  “An image?” He looked offended. “What am I not clean cut and prissy looking enough for you?” He was starting to get angry.

  “It’s not that. Actually you’re everything I want in a man.”

  “Then what is it Kayla?” His voice grew grim just as the tears started to well up inside my eyes. But I held strong, refusing to let one of them spill over and roll down my cheek.

  “You’re everything I want, but I can’t have it.” I sounded like a stumbling idiot. I was trying to voice my feelings before I even understood them myself.

  “I’m right here.” He said as he held his arms out in mock presentation.

  I drew a deep breath in as I tried to focus myself and calm down. Finally, I found the courage to look up at his beautiful green eyes. His face had disappointment, anger, and every other bad emotion written across it.

  “It won’t work because…you’re not like me.” My eyes quickly darted back to the ground. “You’re wrong for me.”

  I did my best to blink away a tear, but only managed to make it roll down my cheek. “Every day I go to that office and feel like I don’t belong there. They aren’t my type of people. Everyone is such a professional stiff you can’t even make a joke.”

  I was speaking so fast I’d be surprised if he actually understood
what I was saying.

  “But it’s the career I’ve been in for years. It’s the only life I’ve ever known and if I want to get ahead I have to stay focused. I can’t date somebody like you. You’ll only add to the discomfort. You’re a constant reminder that there’s something else out there for me. But I don’t think there actually is something else for me. My bed is already made and now I have to lay in it. This is as good as it gets.”

  “Do you even know what you want?” He said as he stood up and walked closer to me. There was a long pause as I took a breath and gathered myself.

  “I want to take the next step in my career.” I said, looking up at him as he towered over me know.

  “And I’m going to get in your way?” He asked, chest heaving with every breath.

  The silence permeated every bone in my body.

  “Yes.”

  “No it’s not.” He instantly shot back. “I know people like you Kayla. You always say to yourselves ‘Just a few more years of working hard and then I’ll settle down and have some fun.’ Then a few years pass and you look in the mirror and say the same thing. You’re always looking for the next big break. You’re always doing shit you don’t want to do. You’re always worried about what other people think. So you do what you think they want you to do.

  I decided not to be that person years ago. Stop and smell the roses Kayla, feel the sun on your back. If you don’t, one day you’ll wake up and realize you never lived life for yourself—you lived it for someone else.”

  He was so close to me his breath warmed my skin. I could tell he was tempted to reach out for me and pull me closer. But he refrained. I looked up at him with pleading eyes, but that look was all he needed. He quickly grabbed his leather jacket off the floor and made his way out.

  “I’m leaving for Washington tomorrow and don’t know when I’ll be back.”

  Before he walked out I spun around. “I’m sorry Rick.” It was the only thing I could think of to say.

  “I’m not the one you need to apologize to. Apologize to yourself.” With that he left.

  This was never supposed to turn into this. He was just supposed to be a fun and spontaneous one-night stand in a bar bathroom. But everything about him stirred up everything I hated about me.

  I could still feel the faint warmth from his breath on my skin.

  But it grew colder every second he was away.

  Chapter 8

  My eyes traced over the red rocks that filled the entire frame of my monitor. The sky was a bright blue with white clouds floating high up above the rocks. Being born and raised in the big city, I could probably count the number of times I had been out in nature on one hand.

  Even though my eyes traced over the picture of the Grand Canyon my mind couldn’t stop racing between two thoughts. The first thought was Rick.

  The second thought was the fact that Jennifer got the promotion to vice president.

  “It’s probably because she sucks his dick…” I muttered under my breath before laughing out loud. As soon as the words left my lips I heard a scoff and a sharp inhale.

  I looked up from my desk to see Samantha staring at me with her hand over her mouth and a shocked expression on her face. I didn’t even notice her walk in the office to give me a report. I should have closed my office door. Normally I would have instantly tried to laugh and brushoff the comment as a joke. But at that point I didn’t care much anymore. I was already at my wits end and I wasn’t going to cover it up for Samantha.

  She delicately placed the report on my desk as if I were a sleeping lion ready to attack an intruder if awoken. I gave her a half smile as she started to turn around and head for the door.

  Chirp. Chirp.

  My eyes rolled to the back of my head as I reached for my phone with a heavy sigh. This was the last thing I needed now. I swiped my thumb across the screen to unlock the phone and open my mother’s text message.

  -Do something today your future self will thank you for. -

  I read her message several times. It was such a short sentence, but for once one of her texts actually got me thinking. What would my future self want? It seems like all I ever do is think about my future self. I’m constantly trying to work hard to get that new promotion, or further my career in some meaningful way.

  Some meaningful way…

  And that’s when it really hit me. None of this meant anything to me. I didn’t want any of this. The career, the promotion, the dates with boring-office-drone-men; none of it was something I wanted. It wasn’t meaningful.

  It was meaningless.

  All I ever did was work for my ‘future self’. I always thought my future self would be happy with a promotion, or making more money, or succeeding to make my mother happy. But I never stopped to consider that if I stayed on the same path and I wasn’t happy in the present, I wouldn’t be happy in the future.

  My future self didn’t want a promotion. I was just working for that because that’s what I thought I was supposed to do. It was the next logical step up the ladder. But why climb the ladder when you don’t even want what’s at the top?

  I knew what I wanted. I was just too afraid to admit it until that moment. I wanted freedom, adventure, travel, and Rick.

  I wanted Rick.

  “Is everything alright?” Samantha asked, snapping me out of my moment of clarity.

  “Yea.” My face lit up in a bright smile, “everything’s great.”

  She looked at me like I was crazy.

  “I’m quitting.” I said as I practically launched out of my chair.

  “You’re what?” The shocked look on her face grew even more exaggerated.

  “I’m quitting. You’ll have to give the report to Jennifer.” I rounded my desk and walked toward Samantha. She just stared at me like I was a crazy person and maybe I was a crazy person right then. But I didn’t feel like it. For the first time in my life I felt like I was thinking straight.

  “Samantha,” I said as I placed my hands on each of her shoulders. “You have been absolutely wonderful.”

  “Thank you…” She managed to mutter out.

  With that, I walked out of the office and pulled up Rick’s number in my phone as I made my way to Mr. Paul’s office.

  -You were right, the attraction between us is too much to ignore. –

  He responded almost instantly.

  -I know. –

  -I’m quitting my job. I don’t want to do this. I want you. You have room on the bike for one more to Washington? –

  -For you? Of course. :-) –

  I couldn’t hide the huge grin on my face as I walked into Mr. Paul’s office.

  “Kayla, aren’t you looking happy today.” Mr. Paul said as soon as I walked in.

  “I’m quitting.”

  He looked even more shocked than Samantha.

  “Quitting…you can’t quit I need-“

  “I’m done Mr. Paul. Jennifer can take over my workload. I have to leave immediately.”

  “Where are you going?” I could tell he was trying to make sense of the situation. From the outside, it probably didn’t look like it made much sense at all.

  “I’m going away. If you need anything else from me send it to my email. I’ll clean out my office now.”

  “But Kayla…”

  I walked out of the door, not looking back for even a second. When I got back to my office I looked around for any personal belongings. That’s when I realized I didn’t have any. My office was practically a splitting image of what it looked like before it was mine. I never liked that place. That’s why I didn’t want to add any personal touch.

  I could tell everyone was staring at me as I made my way out of the front door to O.P. Advertising Firm. I could practically hear the judging whispers as I walked down the hallway and past the copy machines that only worked half the time. I hated those things and for a moment I did a little victory dance inside my head, knowing I would never have to use them again.

  As soon as I walked out ont
o the busy city street the sun kissed me on the cheeks. It was warm and inviting. It felt wonderful.

  I was never going to be happy inside the building behind me. Happiness was somewhere out in front of me. Happiness was in the air and in the sun.

  It was on that motorcycle with Rick. For once one of my mother’s motivational texts actually worked on me.

  In that moment, I knew my future self was going to be happy.

  In that moment, everything felt right.