by Rue, Rebekah
“Are your legs going to work?” There’s a smile in his tone. I think he’s enjoying all that he’s doing to me. When he sets me down, my legs are a bit shaky, but I manage, bracing my hands on the moist tile wall. I guess two orgasms will do that to you.
He begins delicately washing my hair, working the finest smelling soap suds over my body. The thought of being marked with his scent feeds the hungry insecure girl inside me with hope and possibilities. I’m taken aback by his gentle side, and he continues to watch me intently, scrubbing me clean from all the paint. I turn so he can get my back, and he steps up flush to me, pressing his face into my neck and letting the sponge drop to the floor with a splash. “You don’t know the restraint I’m exercising right now. You do it for me, Lo. I feel like I can never get enough of you. I can’t stop.” His voice burns. His jutting cock inches between my butt cheeks as he kisses and nuzzles my neck with his hands pressed to my lower stomach.
I squirm against it, sighing happily. In a rushed flurry of words, I want to tell him how happy he makes me but fear it will come out too strong. He’s never been this way with anyone, so I hesitate. I turn around and look him in the eyes, placing my hands over his beating heart. “Then don’t. Who says you have to?”
His eyes change to something strange, and his hand moves up and cups the sides of my face, pulling it towards him. He leans in and gently kisses my mouth then pulls back, seizing my eyes. He pauses then softly says, “You’re my best friend. You know that, right?” I continue to look at him with such love, feeling every emotion in his words.
I tug him into my arms and bury my face into his chest, squeezing the ever-loving shit out of him. My arms start to burn, but I don’t stop, wanting him closer than humanly possible while he happily kisses all over my head, anywhere his lips can reach. I bring my face up, and his lips melt with mine slow and passionate, taking my soul kiss. They say actions speak louder than words; well, I’ll be damned if those words don’t hit me pretty hard.
Like the water, our hands and our lips begin to cool. Nine lingering pecks sneak out, each one slowing the next until we rest our foreheads together completely content. He leans back, keeping me twisted in his arms. “Come to bed with me. It’s late. You’ll stay, won’t you? Please,” he whispers gently, staring at me expectantly.
I smile and happily nod. This is the only place I want to be. “Yeah, I’ll stay.”
He throws smiling kisses on me as a silent thank-you and helps me out of the shower, wrapping me up in a white fluffy towel. I dress in his T-shirt, and we comfortably sink deep under the warm covers, locking our bodies tightly together. And that’s how we stay, continuing to be gentle with one another passionately until our lips are raw and swollen.
Right now would be a good time to close the book and end my story with a happy ending, but you and I both know that’s not going to happen. There’s always a calm before the storm.
Chapter 14
Lo
Time doesn’t exist. Heaven, magic, and happiness do.
The ground is warm, even with the grass cushioning my back. I’m peacefully relaxing, observing whimsical pink and white blooms fluttering from the branches above. They look like tiny fairies with the sun as their backdrop. My skin tingles with each one that drops onto me then tumbles off with a push of the breeze. My arms fan out, running over the blossoms that have fallen to earth, feeling their silky texture, crushing their delicate petals. I sit up, shaking out my hair, letting Mother Nature’s fingers glide through each strand. Not a care exists in this world full of jealousy and hate. But nothing is permanent, not even our troubles.
A crack of lightning and a roll of thunder have me gazing up at the rapidly developing churning black clouds. Within minutes, heavy drops of rain drench the sod, transforming it to muck and mush, releasing earth’s distinctive perfume. Survival instincts tell me to get up and leave, but it isn’t that easy. My legs are stuck to the ground. The more I move, the harder it becomes, sucking my limbs in deeper. I try and try, using all my strength, but the more I struggle, the faster I sink. Bit by bit the ground swallows me whole, and right before my head goes under, I take a lungful of air, hoping for a miracle.
But miracles don’t exist here either.
My body is exhausted.
My arms and legs stop fighting.
My lungs burn for air, but I know I can’t take a breath.
My head is pounding from the screaming echoes of my voice.
I look up and stay very still.
I start to feel sleepy and my mind is peaceful.
Then everything goes dark.
I’m going to die.
Violently, my eyes rip open. Talon is partially on top of me with his hands in my hair, pressing his lips to mine firmly in an unhurried kiss. His eyes are closed, and I’m shifting all around, trying to catch my bearings and my breath. I can’t breathe, so I suck in air through a break in our lips, trying to mask my anxiety. He holds me passionately, whereas I cling to him frantically, squeezing my eyes closed. Carefully, he bends down and tenderly claims my lips again, dragging the tips of his fingers up my arm and entwining our hands, lightly brushing his lips against mine. “Wake up, Sleeping Beauty,” he coaxes, sealing it with true love’s kiss. My heart flutters and my body calms, knowing I’m safe and secure in Talon’s arms.
I raise my other hand and caress over his shoulder and down his arm repeatedly. “Good morning, Prince Charming.” I giggle.
His voice is deep as he chuckles. “Do you know you’re so damn cute when you sleep?” My smile turns shy and my cheeks flush. “Your face twitches like you’re being tickled. Your smile is so pure, like a newborn baby, and your hands flex like you’re trying to grab for something.”
I worry, thinking about what he might have seen next: the sinking, the drowning, and my demise. What a terrible nightmare, but I don’t worry long since he returns my attention to him with the brush of his nose.
“Mine,” he speaks softly, breathing it across my face and covering it up with kisses. I almost miss it. “No sleeping with Maggie’s brother anymore, okay?”
I furrow my brows, flinching back to glower at him. “What?”
“I mean it. He can go find someone else to fuck around with.” The bed shifts and he rolls away and out of bed. “I can’t believe you ever slept with that square asshole. How boring.”
I’m thoroughly stunned. I can feel my temper rising the more he talks, not believing what I’m hearing. I watch him stretch with a yawn and scratch his stomach. Then in three . . . two . . . one . . . I break.
“Excuse me?” I throw my legs off the side of the bed. “First of all, he’s not an asshole!” I stand, stretching as tall as God made me, getting ready to stick up for my friend. “And secondly, not every female is a slut!”
“I never called you a slut.” He points a finger.
“No, you just basically said I have slut tendencies. And it probably helps to be sexually active to be a slut.” I start to collect my things, searching for my panties.
He does a double take. “Whoa, what?” Striding over in a couple of steps, he stops me with a strong grip to my upper arm, holding my eyes, scaring me with what I see in them. He gets it. The shocked expression tells me so as he runs his eyes up and down me, as if I should look different because I’m a virgin. “Say it. I want to hear you say it.”
“Does it really matter?”
One side of his mouth tips up. He nods, keeping his tone neutral. “You know you’re just another girl. It doesn’t matter if you play hard to get or hand me the key to your fucking chastity belt. Pussy is pussy; the slits all run in the same direction.” My mouth falls open. I can’t believe my ears. His grip on my arm loosens, and he steps to me, using his hand to gently brush my cheek. “But I don’t want just any girl. I want you. I love exactly how you are. You.” I cover my mouth with my hand, taking a deep breath. “I want to cook you heart-shaped pancakes and accidently burn them because we’re too lost in a kiss. I want to show up at
your door at three a.m. just to snuggle. I want to be your protector.” My breath is shaky as I slowly blow it out. “I never cared to take the time to get to know someone or was brave enough to bare my soul, but with you all my ghosts disappear. You’re my fresh start. You don’t make me feel butterflies; I feel fireworks.”
I don’t know what to say, so I blink back tears, absorbing his words.
“Don’t you see it’s different with you?” He cocks his head to the side. “But a virgin?”
I shrug and nuzzle my face in his warm chest to hide.
He runs his hands over my hair and kisses the top of my head. “This changes nothing. I can wait.”
I smile big! Things in the universe can’t be more right. Everyone deserves happiness, and for once, I think I’ve finally found it.
Sadly the summer is winding down. It seems to go by in warp speed. Micah moved out a week ago, buying the third house we looked at. The place couldn’t have been more perfect. Maggie has cut back on clients in preparation to start school, and Talon and I spend more and more time together as if that’s even possible. We’re simple: dinners with our favorite TV shows, strolls on the boardwalk where we had our first non-date watching fireworks, and lying on the couch with my head on his lap, reading while he strokes my hair. I’m falling in love with him fast.
There is no better feeling.
He might as well have shouted it from the rooftops because we’re kind of a package deal. Wherever Talon goes, I’m sure to be next to him. I’m not going to deny that I love it. Talon is true to his word. He never pushes or tries to make me do something I’m not ready for; though it’s really hard at times. You try stopping a locomotive going full speed with a simple “no.”
The weekend before school starts we have a major end of summer blowout down at the beach. Around ten of us load up and head down to Siesta Key to bid the summer farewell. It’s epic.
Talon and I are lying under a set of palm trees in a hammock when I bring it up. He’s softly running his fingers through my hair, humming. “Will you tell me about your family?”
The humming stops; the hand in my hair stops; everything stops. Maybe even time. After several beats of silence, I twist myself to glance up at him. His eyes are far away, and he exhales noticeably harder. “Please,” I try coaxing, running a hand over his chest. His foot on the ground that he was using to rock us starts bouncing; he’s obviously uncomfortable with the stirring of his memories.
Finally, he looks down on me, stress creasing his forehead, and I know the answer. “Lo, I’m having a wonderful time with you. Can’t we just relax and be together?”
“I thought we could tell each other anything. I know you’ve had a rough childhood, but—”
“I don’t want to talk about it.” He watches me, his eyes ordering me to not push.
My eyes roam back out to the ocean, and I silently wish I never asked that stupid question. He’s told me numerous times that he’ll open up when he’s ready, but when?
I pay for that question for the rest of the evening with his silence.
The next day we practically spend the whole time outside snorkeling, jet skiing, and playing volleyball on the beach. I’m exhausted and immediately go to bed while everyone else hangs out in our living room.
I sleep terribly. The next morning I’m out on the hotel balcony, watching the ocean, when I feel Maggie by my side.
“I need to tell you something.”
I briefly look at her and bring my eyes back to the rolling waves. “What about?”
“Last night, after you went to bed, I noticed Talon quietly get up and leave the living room; I watched him go in the direction of our room and disappear. I followed him, peeking in the darkness through the crack of the door he left, and watched.” Maggie pauses. “He stood at the foot of the bed without the slightest movement, staring at your sleeping body lying face down, naked. Your sheet must have worked its way down in slumber, because it was barely covering your butt, and your arms were bent around your pillow.”
I remember: I was naked because I had a bad sunburn and couldn’t bear to have anything touching my skin.
Maggie goes on. “Slowly, he walked to the bed and gently sat next to your hip, stretching a hand to the opposing side. With a fluid movement, he bent down and inhaled your skin in between the dimples of your back at the bottom of your spine. I heard a soft growl and him whispering against that spot, ‘I will never let you go, my love. I will always protect you; for your heart is the first one I’ve ever owned.’
“Then he peppered a few more kisses and stood staring down at you. Just then I accidently bumped the door, widening the opening with a creak. Talon’s head swung my way, and he took a deep breath, straightening his stance, knowing he’d been caught. No words were exchanged, but after a few beats, Talon looked once more at you and moved to me, both of us stepping into the hallway and closing the door behind us.
“He asked me what I heard and I didn’t want to lie, so I told him all of it.
“He closed his eyes and rubbed his forehead and reopened them. ‘Please don’t tell Lo any of this. She means so much to me. I don’t want to freak her out.’
“I almost spilled all your secrets but would have felt bad because they weren’t mine to spill, so I asked, ‘What if her feelings are just as strong as yours? Wouldn’t it be worth it to try?’
“A sad smile developed then disappeared and he shook his head. ‘She’s too good for me. I can’t be what she needs. She needs somebody who doesn’t have a dark past.’”
I deeply inhale a mixture of salty air and say nothing.
“I’m sorry, Lo but, I felt like you needed to know.”
“Thanks.”
My thoughts are running with that little bit of information she gave me. Strangely, it isn’t helpful. It has turned into a burden since anytime I ask about his past he gets agitated and changes the subject.
We’re three weeks in to classes and things are going great. Right now I’m sitting in art with Mr. Sheedy, reminiscing, when the words “extra credit” catch my attention.
“Okay, everyone, settle down. Settle down,” he yells louder. The room calms and everyone gets in their seats. “Some quick announcements, I’ll have your tests graded and posted for you by the end of this week. Secondly, there’s a great art show set up this weekend. I recommend you all try to go. There will be a lot of breakthrough artists, great art, and raw talent. Sacrifice one night from your so-called hectic lives. Tweet ‘you’re busy’ on Facebook, and turn off your beepers or whatever you kids do nowadays. It’s a quick, easy hundred points. I don’t just want you to go and drink the champagne. Meet the artists; pick their brains; learn something.” He pauses. “Then write me a one-page summary of whom you saw, what spoke to you, and what you hated. I’ll have flyers up here on my desk; pick one up on your way out if you’re interested.” He claps his hands together once. “Okay, now back to today’s assignment . . .”
His voice fades out to my thoughts. That actually might be fun this weekend. I wonder if Talon will go with me, but I don’t get to ask him that night. He says he has something he has to attend to, which leads to Maggie and me going out to dinner. This is nice. Since Talon and I got serious, Maggie and I have seen each other less and less, even though we live in the same condo.
“Is that a bite mark?” I ask, leaning into her, just now noticing it since we sat down. This is the first time ever that I have seen Maggie blush with shyness and pull her scarf higher up her neck.
“Maybe,” she mumbles into her napkin, wiping her mouth. I grab her wrist mid-swipe and use my other hand to quickly push the scarf off her shoulder. Yep, two perfectly curved rows of eleven or so teeth marks.
“Okay, okay, you caught me,” she says, brushing me off.
I wrinkle my forehead, giving her a leveled eye. “I know you didn’t give it to yourself, so who?”
She delays by blowing her bangs from her eyes, staring at me, fondly smiling. “You don’t know him. Do
n’t go all Mother Goose on me. I can see the look in your eyes.”
“Was it Stone?”
“Nope.” I pin her with a you’re-not-getting-out-of-this glare. “He came in my salon a couple of times.” I raise my brows, wanting her to add a little more. “His name is Bain Shaw and he was born to fuck. His voice alone can make me orgasm.” She looks to her lap then back at me, leaning in a little closer. “There’s a rainforest in my pants just thinking of him. He is sick, like crazy kinky shit. But, girl, it’s goooood. He puts the hot in psychotic,” she continues, raising a hand to the Lord matter-of-factly.
What kind of kinky stuff? It certainly piques my interest, and I’m about to ask her when the server comes to our table, silencing us with the best smelling plates of food.
“So you think Talon is going to talk engagement this weekend when he takes you out?” she throws at me, causing my eyes to spring as wide as they’ll go.
“What, are you crazy? Why would you say that?”
She starts laughing as I stare at her, not laughing. What is so funny?
“God, I wish I had a camera to record your face. You’re funny. No, but seriously he hasn’t asked you?”
I shake my head, dumbfounded. “Ask me what? To marry him?”
“Shh, no,” she says. I’m getting loud. I can feel my pits starting to sweat. “He mentioned that he’s taking you somewhere very nice but didn’t elaborate.”
The second we exit the restaurant I call Talon. He picks up on the third ring.
“Hi, babe,” Talon yells. There are lots of voices in the background.
I hesitate, trying to piece together where he might be. “Where are you?”
“Coming to your place now.” Then all the sounds seem too disappear. “Are you home yet?”