She darts to grab it before it can escape into the cool depths of the water, more to avoid having to buy a new pole than for any hope of catching a fish. She starts to reel it in, but is caught off guard by the weight behind the line. She slips toward the riverbank and nearly topples forward.
“Crap!” She closes her eyes and holds on tight, pulling back. Jake's warm hands wrap around hers. He helps her pull the huge fish in, a full 2 inches larger than the first.
“Oh, thank God!” Mel cries. Relief washes over her, the tension in her shoulders melting away as she places the monster fish in their cooler. A crooked smile creeps onto her face and she sighs, turning to her boyfriend. Her brother and sister will have meat tonight.
His strong arms wrap around her waist. “Jake...”
“Shh,” he cuts her off with a sweet kiss on the lips, light and gentle. He tastes like the peppermint gum he wastes his allowance on. “After dinner, why don't we go to the clearing and practice?”
Jake looks excited, childishly so. His grin is infectious and reminds Mel just why she loves him so much. She grins and lets her head fall to the side, her brown eyes looking up into his.
Tossing her arms around his neck, she nods. “Sure, why not. It'll feel nice to sing.”
She raises to her toes to kiss him, their soft lips meeting then parting to allow their tongues to dance. “And maybe we can practice something else while we're there,” she giggles, biting his bottom lip before pulling Jake into another passionate kiss. When they part, they each take their coolers with their fish and head home.
Inside of Mel's small trailer, her 3 year old brother is laying on the couch. His face is dirty and his body is too thin, but he will still run circles around his sisters and will play all day and night if you let him. Mel picks him up and gives him a big kiss, making him recoil and act disgusted. Brianna, Mel's 13 year old sister, is in the bed area, watching the news on the small built in television.
“Hey, guess what! I caught a fish!” she calls down the hall. There's a moody silence from the younger girl. Mel stifles a chuckle and starts preparing the fish for dinner. Her good mood reminds her that she bought some bouillon cubes a while back that she hadn't used yet, so she takes one to use in the rice. The smell of food invades the trailer and causes the braided head of Brianna to poke out and finally greet her older sister.
“Smells good. When will it be ready?” Brianna asks.
“Soon. You two should get washed up. We'll eat outside.”
Mel sets down the plates, enjoying the warm breeze. Her sister and her much cleaner little brother join her at the table and they all say grace. The three have never been to church before, but saying grace was something Brianna and Mel had learned from their mother.
“Mmm,” her younger sister sniffs the air. “This looks great!” Brianna chirps while Mel dishes out the food. Will pouts when he only gets rice, though he's never enjoyed carp before. Mel shares her half with him, and he eagerly gobbles down his food. The crickets drown out any possibility of conversation, and the small family eats quietly and quickly.
The small boy wanders back into the dirt for some more play while the two girls clean up after dinner, and then it's bath time for the two younger siblings.
“Mel, can you sing something for us?” Brianna looks up at her big sister as she scrubs Will's head with the baking soda shampoo that Mel made.
“Sure,” Mel replies. She thinks about her song choices and decides to practice the lullaby that her mother taught her years ago.
She stands up and readies herself, clearing her throat. As the notes leave her, they resonate in the air. They are clear and true, carrying with them the sadness of the bird without its voice. The song comes to an end, and everyone and everything in the world seems to have gone silent and held their breath in order to hear Mel's voice. The chirping of the crickets slowly come back, and the younger Green children finish with their bath.
Once they are tucked in and falling asleep to the news, Mel picks up her small flashlight and heads off in the direction of the clearing. It's only a 20 minute walk, and she's never even heard of anyone running into trouble this close to the city. Still, there are bears and other animals in the forest, and the rumors of escaped criminals nag at the back of Mel's mind. Clutching her dim flashlight close, Mel picks up her pace.
As she reaches the clearing, Jake comes into view, his back to her. He's holding his homemade guitar and is mindlessly plucking on the wire used as strings. He hears her approaching, turns, and smiles.
“How long have you been waiting?” She asks.
“Oh, not too long. We finished with dinner a half hour ago.” He gently lays his guitar down and stands in front of Mel. They embrace for a few moments. He pulls back and strokes her cheek gently. Looking down into Mel's deep eyes, he feels a stirring in himself that he cannot often deny while in her presence. His lips fall to her neck, dancing against her smooth skin. His passionate kisses force gasps out of Mel, her hands tugging on his shirt to help her stay balanced while her knees go weak.
Helping her to the ground safely, he pulls up her tattered shirt, exposing her bare breasts. The brown skin shines in the moonlight, her brown nipples stiff and hard. His mouth falls over one, licking it and sucking it gently as Mel's fingers dance through his hair. “Mmm, Jake, that feels so good,” she moans, her body shifting under his. His hand cups her other breast, massaging it gently as he kisses and suckles on her nipple.
His hands both fall to the top of her pants, his fingers pulling at them to tug them down. The night call of an owl echos around them as slowly Jake removes her bottoms. Her trimmed and clean mound is before him now, and with hungry eyes his face dives into her, lapping up her juices as she spreads her legs to allow him better access. Mel's knees quiver as Jake's tongue finds her slit, lapping over her clitoris and darting in and out of her hole. “Ahh, yes, like that!” Mel cries, her back arching against the ground. Jake puts his tongue back on her clit and inserts a finger into her hole, wiggling it within her and making Mel writhe in ecstasy.
With his other hand, Jake is rubbing himself, his prick thick and hard with blood and lust. He groans and he fingers his girlfriend, wanting so much to be in her. Unable to take it anymore, he removes his finger from her and unbuttons his pants. “Are you ready?” Mel looks up to the sky for a moment, admiring the stars before nodding.
“Yes. Make love to me.” The command is almost a whisper, but is filled with love and a burning need to be one with Jake. With his fist wrapped around his thick cock, he masturbates himself while admiring Mel's tits. His precum leaks over his cock head.
He positions himself so that he is at her entrance. Mel's hands meet her tits, pinching her nipples as she watches her hot boyfriend enter her slowly. The penetration is always her favorite part, and her eyes roll back as he reaches her cervix, a hiss flowing from her pretty mouth.
Her dark skin looks beautiful in the moonlight, and Jake admires her for a moment while allowing her to get used to him being inside of her. As her back lowers, he knows it's time to start moving, and he slowly unsheathes himself from her almost completely before skewering her again. He continues to pump into her, leaning over her slim body and manipulating her breasts with his hand.
Their movements sync up, and both move their hips in unison now, working towards the release they both need. The boy continues to hump into her, his throbbing meat massaging her insides, hot and pleasurable. Her back arches again as the burning within her reaches a peak, and she cums, gripping the grass beneath her as her body shakes and she shudders with delight.
Jake continues to fuck her, faster now, with an urgency that tells Mel he is also close. Her orgasm continues, being prolonged by his forceful fucking. With a grunt, she feels his seed spill into her, filling her up. Totally spent, Jake lays on top of her for a second, both of them sweaty from the exertion. As their breathing slows, Jake stands up and gets dressed, handing Mel her shirt.
When they are both fully clothed
again, they embrace once more, their tongues meeting. Mel's arms wrap around Jake's neck, neither of them wanting to let go but both knowing they need to get some practicing in. They break apart, still holding hands and looking lovingly into each other's eyes.
“So,” Jake says, breaking the romantic tension unceremoniously. “What are we gonna sing?”
Mel only knows a handful of songs, all lullabies her mother sang when she was a child. The one she chose was her favorite since she was a little girl; it tells a sorrowful tale about a bird who loses its voice and is forgotten by its friends.
“The one about the bird,” she states. As he gathers his guitar, Mel gathers her nerves. The song's meaning digs deep within her; the idea of ever losing her voice is one she can hardly bear. As Jake begins to play, her body instinctively begins to move to the beat.
Ever since she was a child and her mother sang these songs to her, music has embedded itself into her soul. It was more like a virus than anything else, eating away at her when she wanted to hum or sing when she was meant to be silent.
The beat seeps into Mel's bones, taking over her whole body. She loses control of herself, and at once she is singing the words to her mother's lullaby. It fits perfectly, though the chords being played by Jake are not the original tune. She dances, and sings, and happiness washes over her. Music makes her happier than anything else in the entire world. Happier than her first kiss with Jake, even happier than when Will was born. When the song finishes, the only emotion left in her thin body is sorrow. Air refuses to enter her lungs for a few moments, and she nearly collapses to the ground. Jake rushes to steady her.
“Sorry, I'm just a bit dizzy,” she pants, leaning against his strong body. Jake holds her while she gains control of her muscles, stroking her braided hair and rocking her slightly. There is a sudden snap behind them. Jake's younger brother, Nathan, stands in the shadow of the trees. His mouth is agape, his curly auburn hair dancing in the wind. He's only 8, but he's getting to be as tall as his older brother and he looks up to Jake as if he were a god.
“Nathan, what are you doing out here?” Jake asks him, a hint of anger in his voice. The boy shrugs and says nothing with his eyes fixed on the ground.
Mel slides closer to the boy, falling to one knee. “Hey, it's okay. Did you come out here to tell us something?” Mel asks. He nods, his eyes welling up with tears. The girl hugs him and continues, “It's okay, sweety. Just tell us why you came out here. It's a dangerous walk!”
“Mom sent me to ask if you guys could pick up some blueberries on the way home,” he mumbles.
Mel nods and ruffles his hair. “Sure thing! Can you do me a favor though?” Another nod from him. “Don't tell anyone about our music, okay? You could get us in lots of trouble.” The forest is closed at night, but no one follows that rule. Especially not teens like Mel and Jake.
“I promise!” he shouts.
“Good boy. Go on home, Jake will be there soon with some blueberries and maybe an apple for you, okay?” Mel and Jake both watch as Nathan leaves the clearing, before Mel turns to face Jake and shrugs. “I'm sure he'll keep quiet.”
Two days later, Mel helps Brianna harvest their tomatoes and cucumbers before heading towards Jake's trailer. So far, Nathan has kept to his promise, and seems to have forgotten about the whole thing. The path between their trailers is clear, and it's a short walk. She watches the sun spots peaking through the leaves of the trees as she walks, enjoying the fairy tale beauty of the forest.
Soon she is outside of the old trailer. It always reminds her of a tin can, in shape and in size. Made in the 1970s and rusting so bad that you can barely see the original gray color of the metal, Jake and his family live in a trailer somehow smaller than even Mel's. She knocks on the door and steps back as the barks of their rottweiler, Marley, explode like the sound of thunder. The dog leaps out and barrages Mel with licks, and she tries in vain to push him away. After the dog, Jake walks down the steps and helps relieve Mel of Marley.
“You should probably sit down,” Jake says. He looks tired, but excited.
Mel looks around the small area of their yard and settles on the log of a tree Jake's father felled the year before he died.
Jake's father and Mel's mother had both worked in a toy factory on the outskirts of the city, not far from the forest where they live. Their friendship was how the two lovebirds met, although they both went to the same school. Distractedly, Mel's mind wanders back to when she first heard about the fire at the factory, the one that killed all 25 of the factory workers and the manager on duty. The doors and windows had all been locked to discourage smoke breaks.
From that tragedy, the families of Jake and Mel came together and cared for each other. Each were given time they needed to grieve for their lost family members. Mary, Jake's mother, taught Mel how to raise Will. Before then she had no idea how to change a diaper or what a newborn eats.
“Nathan told Mom about our music,” he explains quietly, taking Mel's hand and squeezing it. “She's been freaking out.”
“Oh,” Mel replies. “In a good way or a bad way?”
“A good way! She says-”
His mom steps out of the trailer now, her thin body looking like it might snap in half. When she was younger, Jake's mother was a beauty, a singer in a posh gentleman's club. That was a long time ago, though, and all she has left to remember those days are fake breasts that leave her back aching after working hard all day.
“Mel, I hear you have a beautiful voice,” she says, using her hand to tip the younger girl's face up. They looked at each other for a moment.
“Um,” Mel replies, turning away. “I guess, kind of?”
“How would you like a job? I still have some contacts from when I was a singer, you know, and Nathan told one of his friends. Nathan wants you to perform at a birthday party, then I'd like you to perform for one of my old clients.”
Jake and Mel sit in silence, watching the grass sway with the wind and wondering what to say to each other. Jake is the first to speak.
“I'm okay with it if you are, Mel.”
Mel fidgets with the hole in the knee of her pants, trying to think of the best thing to say or do. She never really intended to sing for profit, but being paid for her talents would make her life much easier. “Okay.”
The day goes by quickly, and the two catch 4 good sized fish by 4 pm. Before Mel can take her two fish and head home, Jake grabs her arm and stares hard into her eyes. Suddenly, he pulls her into a hard and passionate kiss, full of the fear that both of the teenagers are trying to hide. “We should probably meet after dinner to practice,” he says. “I'll see you in the clearing.”
After dinner is cooked and both of the younger Green children are bathed, Mel begins her journey out to the clearing to wait for Jake and do some vocal warm ups that she learned in school. Each school has music programs, and every student with very rare exceptions is required to take a class in these programs every 4 years.
The problem is that poor schools almost never get a talent scout to show up for their classes, and so no one has been discovered from Mel's school district in ten years, since 2023. Mel tries to be thankful. Had she been scouted, she would have been moved to the city that same day, and most likely forbidden from seeing Jake. Most musicians are usually put to work, as well, performing at least once a week.
These are all the things she reminds herself every year to ease the stinging of being passed up by the scouts again and again. In reality, Mel would do anything to get away from these trees and this river and give her family a proper home.
The clearing is empty as she approaches. The sound of her legs shuffling through the tall grass startles a bluejay, causing it to take flight. The girl marvels at its beauty as she walks towards the center of the clearing where Jake set up a picnic table a year ago. Before she reaches the table, she decides then and there that she won't allow herself to be scared anymore: she will use this opportunity that has been forced on her. “Maybe if we do well,
we'll be scouted and picked up,” she muses.
She does the vocal warmups for a half hour before getting bored. Laying in the soft grass, staring up into the clouds and enjoying the warm and sunny day, Mel imagines what life would be like as a bird. To be free to sing and go where she pleases. It's nearing 6 pm before Jake shows up and pulls his guitar out of the straps of fabric he uses to hide the instrument in a pine tree. The practice goes by quick, neither of them able to focus on it.
“The party is tomorrow at 5, by the way. At Frank Olson's Diner,” he tells Mel, pushing a braid behind her ear. Down the muddy, uneven road that leads away from the trailer park of Prison Forest is a small diner that serves some of the less impoverished citizens nearby. They even have a jukebox in a back room, something few other diners around here could afford. Mel has been there a few times before to buy meat as a special gift for birthdays or Christmas.
Jake and Mel embrace once more, full of passion and excitement. They fall onto the soft pillow of grass, and don't find their way home for hours.
TWO
Mel's hands are shaking as she enters the cold bath water, washing away 3 days of grime. Brianna is making dinner for Will while the oldest sister gets ready to sing. With only an hour to make herself presentable, she scrubs her smooth, dark skin as fast as she can.
Jake's mother gave her a lotion last year for her birthday, one with a sweet scent a bit like cherries. She immediately regrets putting the lotion on, as it burns on her skin that is unused to chemicals of any kind. One second, she is excited; the next she is scared. Her heart racing, she tries to push her fear to the back of her mind and focus instead on the possibility of leaving this place and becoming a star.
The dress she wears is light pink with white flowers, a church dress her mother wore when she was a teenager. Her mother had saved it for Mel to wear for her wedding. It has a small hole on the right hip, and is fraying at the bottom, but it is otherwise a beautiful dress that flatters the teen's skin color and figure. Frowning, she stares at her face in the mirror, wishing she had makeup to transform herself into a star. Instead, she looks young and silly, not at all like someone who deserves to be on stage.
Secrets and Desire (Erotic Romance Bundle) Page 6