“All over, right Dave?” I said with one more piercing stare in his direction. Finally, he seemed to get that I wanted him to stop playing the starring roll of cardboard cutout. He perked up a touch, locking his puppy dog stare on Patricia. When he realized for the first time that Patricia was seriously easy on the eyes, his expression shifted ever so slightly.
She was curvier than Charity with Chestnut hair that fell in soft waves to well beyond her shoulders. Her eyes were an unusual blue with specks of brown, and she had a sweet dimpled smile. The only problem was that she had virgin written all over her, and I wasn’t sure if I wanted Dave to be the one to deflower her. Girls like her deserved more than a one night stand from a guy she would most assuredly never see again.
With Dave finally in the mix we went through the mindless banter that strangers did in bars. An hour later and after several more drinks I had learned that Charity was a stripper at a club one town over. I had tried not to laugh when she had told me that nugget of information, since I had pegged her exactly right. Patricia, to my utter astonishment was Charity’s younger sister, back from college for the summer break. They no more looked alike than… I paused. I guess it was the same for Gabriel and me. No one in the world would ever have presumed that we were related.
Unexpectedly, Charity leaned in close, giving me an unobstructed view of all her assets. Without a word she wrapped her wet pink lips over mine. Slightly surprised by the suddenness of the move it took me a few seconds to register what was going on. When I did, I tugged her close, cupping her ass in both of my hands. I shoved her pelvis against my hard-on, letting her know without a doubt that all pistons were firing and ready when she was.
Charity, unlike her sister had clearly been around the block a few times before. She latched on to my lips like a pro who knew every part of the human mouth, and each spot that needed to be tantalized. She shoved her breasts against me until they pushed up into mounds above her dress. I was more than encouraged that she had shown so much initiative, it meant that I would get to the soft center of the hard candy without even having to try.
“Let’s go,” I said against her mouth, pleased that I was going to get what I needed a whole lot faster than I had estimated.
Charity giggled softly and nodded. With the green light glowing bright, I was ready to ditch the wall to wall people and get down to some one-on-one time. Charity moved ahead of me just enough that she was out of earshot. She swayed a little in the crush of people, clearly more than a tad tipsy. I hoped she sobered up a bit before we had sex because I wasn’t into girls that were passed out and unresponsive. I liked them completely aware so they could enjoy all I had to give.
“I’ll meet you guys back at the car at say…” I glanced down at my watch. It was just after 10:00 p.m. If everything went as planned I would definitely be finished by midnight.
“Twelve-thirty,” I said to Dave, tacking a half hour on for good measure.
He didn’t attempt to hide the eye roll he directed my way. It was the only negative response that he showed for me bailing on him so early. But I knew he wasn’t really pissed because if anyone knew me, it was Dave, and that when we had been on the road for a long time I needed to get down and dirty. I didn’t feel too bad though, because from what I could see he and Patricia, after some initial awkwardness, seemed to be getting along pretty good. I hoped it was enough for him to forget Paula, at least for the night. He gave another stiff nod then quirked a half-smile. It was all I needed to free up any reservations I’d had about leaving him.
I pushed through the people that separated Charity and me, catching her hand in mine. Her fingers were long and slender, bony even, but the contact felt good. I leaned closer, pushed aside her hair and planted a soft kiss on the nape of her neck. I breathed in her scent that was a mix of bubble gum with a hint of jasmine. She smelled as good as she looked. I nipped the smooth skin of her bare shoulder before I let her hair fall back into place.
As soon as we hit the night air the half-dozen beers that I had guzzled hit me hard. I staggered a bit then cursed that I hadn’t paced myself better. I had learned long ago there was a fine line between getting a buzz on and getting plastered. It was no fun doing the latter because sex was never as good, like a nerve pathway had been dulled.
The sky was clear, black velvet with stars that looked like scattered diamond-bright lights. As soon as we had cleared the people lining the sidewalk I tugged Charity into my embrace for a long kiss. This time I did the exploring, and she groaned against my mouth. When our lips broke apart, I guided her to the privacy of a alleyway that had a half wall blocking the entrance. It was as if it had been put there specifically for us. Soft light flooded the space so I could see exactly what I was getting.
Then the memories came like they always did when I had sex. Images of Ma, broken and battered. Pa’s fists pummeling me, sometimes hitting her too. Of Gabriel, who despite being the only person in the world that I loved, still tethered me to a man who I hated just as much.
I pushed away the thoughts that were too early, too vivid. My heart thrummed against my ribs. I was almost there and soon would go to the place where nothing existed but heady and undeniable pleasure and sensations. Skin against skin, lips pressed together, being in control, even for a little while, then release.
Charity kissed me with an intensity that said she wasn’t going to stop anytime soon. Where most girls might have said that they didn’t do this kind of thing all the time, Charity had no such qualms. She obviously liked sex and wasn’t embarrassed to let me know.
“Do you have a place we can go?” I asked, breathless with excitement. I didn’t even know why I had asked her because I was ninety-percent sure that I wasn’t going to be able to wait that long.
“My car,” she whispered.
Her breath hitched when I brought my hand under her dress and trailed my fingers up the curve of her thigh to her hip. I grinned when I realized that she wasn’t wearing panties.
“Naughty girl,” I said, catching her top lip between my teeth gently. Her breathing came in short bursts. I worked my hand up a little more to her waist, running my thumb over the satiny skin of her flat stomach. She moaned, which said that she was already more than a little turned on by my touch. Her over-the-top response was almost too much for me to take after so long without sex. She tried to dig her hands in my hair, but soon realized that it was too short to get a grip. Abandoning the move, she cradled the sides of my head.
For a moment I wanted to pull away because her touch was too intimate, too sweet. I didn’t care what part of my body women went for, as long as it was because of a hunger that needed to be satisfied, not anything like tenderness. Love and all that other bullshit was completely separate from sex. It was one of my golden rules, one I would never break.
When she brought my face to her heaving chest, I was more than relieved that I had read her moves wrong. Without hesitation I slipped the skim of fabric away from her breasts and they bounced into view. They were round and beautiful, one hundred percent fake, and absolutely perfect. Her invitation was as clear as every other move she had made so far, so I rapidly got to work.
“Holy shit that feels so good,” she said, panting as I ran a few fingers inside and between her legs. She was Brazilian baby smooth and was already slippery with excitement. She moved against my hand for a few seconds then seemed too impatient to wait. In a smooth move she reached down and unzipped my fly, slipping her hand inside, then wrapping her fingers around me in a firm grip. I grinned and just managed to hold in the sound that would have given me away too soon.
She fumbled with my belt, releasing the buckle. With the zip down and the belt opened, my pants slipped down my hips just enough. Charity helped me out the rest of the way, practically ripping my boxers down my thighs. Hot with desire, I took a minute to pull my shirt off, tossing it onto the littered ground beside me.
Charity’s eyes widened in apparent appreciation. She ran her fingertips across the tiny si
lver barbell that I wore in my nipple piercing. I had gotten it a year and a half before, when Dave had somehow convinced me that it was something I absolutely needed. I had been too drunk to care and the rest was history. At first I had hated it but when Pa had seen it, and had said that only pussies got earrings in their tits, those exact words, I had embraced it with all my being.
A black tribal tattoo that covered half of the opposite side of my chest, was my next screw-you act, then more tattoos here and there. All were black, some were symbols, like the Chinese characters for strength I had right above my belly button. The marks of course were hidden by my shirt because even I didn’t have the balls to defy Pa by showing them off. In the eyes of the world, the Sanders had a squeaky clean image and there would be hell to pay if I ruined that fallacy.
Charity’s mouth replaced her fingers and she sucked and licked at the barbell. I continued fingering her until she groaned with pleasure, arching her neck back so I could get to work on her breasts, kneading them as I flicked my tongue over her swollen pink nipples. She gasped, then cupped my balls, guiding me closer.
“Now,” she said.
Her face was flushed, her hair mussed. Her mouth parted and she ran the tip of her tongue across her lips.
“I need to get my raincoat on,” I said in a throaty whisper.
She nodded a vigorous ascent. I grabbed the condom from my pocket and with Charity’s help it was exactly where it needed to be seconds later.
Then I was all business. Everything was quick and to the point, just like the foreplay, Charity wanted everything yesterday. I hoisted her up and onto me, pushing her back against the alleyway wall. As soon as I was inside her she released an inhuman sound that was somewhere between a purr and a growl. I gripped the cheeks of her ass as I drove, hard and deep, my pelvis ramming against her as I continued thrusting, reaching for the climax that would soon wash over me.
Even though I wanted to finish first I held back until Charity let out an exaggerated moan then threw her head back, arching against me as I continued to pump her. Her fingernails dug into my back painfully, as the last shudder of her orgasm swept through her, leaving her breathless and panting. But as far as I could see she wasn’t finished with me yet. Knowing that she was enjoying herself as much as I was, only heightened my excitement. It had always been my motto that sex wasn’t just about me, it was a two way street, where the woman got what she needed just as much as I did.
With Charity satisfied, I quickened my pace allowing my pleasure to mount.
“Fuck me hard,” she said, skimming her hands across my chest.
Her words only made me hotter and more determined to finish off, so we could start all over again. Without letting Charity go, I shifted until my back was against the wall. Charity banded her hands around my neck. I guided her feet, until they were resting on my shoulders, careful to avoid getting poked with her stilettos.
I supported her body, sliding her up and down on my rock hard erection until her breathing picked up into a frenzy all over again. In this position, my favorite with girls who were light enough for me to lift, it took almost no time for me to peak and go crashing over the other side. My body convulsed with release, as sweet oblivion surged through me like a thousand volts of lightning. Too soon it was over, and I plowed back to reality. That was the part that always sucked, and also the reason that I never let an opportunity to have sex slip through my fingers.
“Give me a minute or two and we can go again,” I said. I nipped her shoulder. She sighed in response.
“We can go to my car if you want,” she said.
She pulled the bodice of her dress back into place. I put her down then snatched my shirt off the ground. I tugged it over my head and grinned. Seconds later we were dressed, zipped and straightened. The euphoria that I had felt was already beginning to slip away. My need to have another round or two with her, grew as rapidly as the memory of my orgasm had faded. I caught her hand in mine and we made our way to where Charity’s car was supposedly parked, a few blocks from the bar.
As we walked she leaned hard against me, still a bit unsteady on her feet. I wasn’t surprised, given she might as well have been walking on stilts with the crazy shoes she was wearing. I curled an arm around her waist, keeping her close to me so she didn’t lose her balance. Time and fresh air had served to clear my beer muddled brain so I was fully back in the game.
“It’s just around the corner…” Charity started to say, but cut off abruptly when three people leapt out in front of us. I didn’t have much time to register who they were, when in a blur of shadows and color they pounced on us. I barely managed to dodge the silver blade, moonlight glinting off it as it swiped close to my jaw. All I could think was that we were in some very deep shit.
“I saw you fucking him you little bitch,” one of them said.
He lurched forward. A red bandana covered the lower part of his face so only his eyes, black as a demons, showed.
“Rick, no,” Charity screamed.
Clearly she knew the guy and gauging from the scene, I had been stepping in his territory. I wondered how long they had been following us and if they had watched us in the alley.
I threw my hands up in front of me. “Hey man, I don’t want any trouble, I thought she was alone and…”
“Shut the fuck up,” Rick hissed.
His eyes narrowed then he took a step closer until he was just a foot away from us. As far as I could see there was nothing preventing him from plunging the blade into my guts. The other two guys were on the periphery and though I knew I needed to watch them too, I kept my eyes trained on the knife. Then the proverbial crap hit the fan. Rick jabbed the knife at me, I dodged it and brought my fist down on his wrist in a chopping action. I didn’t hold any official belts, but I had watched every jujitsu DVD I could get my hands on and had learned the moves. I had discovered at a very young age that knowing how to fight was more about survival than sport.
The knife skittered across the concrete sidewalk and into the gutter. Rick recovered quickly. He lunged for me, once again I shifted enough that he barreled by. I brought the point of my elbow against his back and he went flat on his stomach.
“Ransom,” Charity shrieked.
I saw the movement from the corner of my eye, but it was too late for me to round on the other two guys. One of them, who was a few inches taller than me, got me in a bear hug with my arms trapped helplessly at my sides. He was inhumanly strong and had me gasping for air in seconds. Out of nowhere, Charity jumped into the melee, and crazy as it was, was hitting the brute who held me with the heel of her shoe. I might have laughed if I hadn’t been running short on oxygen.
Charity’s unexpected attack was enough so the guy that was holding me released me enough for me to free an arm. I flattened my hand and backward punched him in the nose. I felt the impact on my knuckles and wondered if I had broken a bone in my hand. The man let go, his hands dragging along my sides as he crumpled then fell to the ground next to Rick.
With my attention diverted I never saw the punch that the last guy standing threw my way. My breath came out in a whoosh when his fist connected with my guts. I doubled over in pain, panting as I attempted to get some much needed oxygen back into my lungs. I was more than aware that I didn’t have the luxury of time to recover, but there was nothing I could do; my body needed air to perform. Then a siren hiccuped beside me, not a full-on car chase kind of siren, more of a guess what, I’m here kind of sound. Still struggling to recover I managed a smirk. I had been saved, or at least I hoped I had.
Even before I was upright again, I saw Charity with her shoes dangling in her grass pelting down the sidewalk, away from us, leaving me on my own. I thought about running too, but I knew I wouldn’t get far. I wasn’t even close to the top of my game. How I was going to explain the whole scene to the police without Charity to back me up was beyond me, but I knew one thing for certain, I had to somehow extricate myself from it all without Pa finding out. Because if he got
wind of what I had been up to, whether I was guilty or not didn’t matter, he would make me pay in ways that I didn’t even want to think about.
5. LEXIE
By the time I laid eyes on Mitch all sense of concern about not being good enough had peeled away like the rind of an orange. It certainly didn’t hurt that I was already on my third glass of beer. I had never been much of a drinker and usually after only one drink felt pretty mellow. Now I had bypassed tipsy and was well on my way to incoherent.
Tucked in the corner with a girl I didn’t recognize, Mitch seemed to have already moved on from Cherise. From what I could see, I had lost my golden opportunity already. The girl, with hair as black and sleek as a panthers, giggled at something Mitch said. The sound of her flirtatious laugh had me even more determined to talk to him.
I could tell by the way she flicked her shiny mane and laughed louder than was necessary, that she was an airhead. With her long legs and teeny-tiny butt, she was exactly the kind of girl that Mitch went for. A voice in my head told me to leave it alone, leave them alone, but I refused to listen. I had put too much on the line to be there, to go down without a fight. In my fuzzy consciousness this was a defining moment in my life, my last chance to get Mitch to see me as something other than a brainiac nerd. There was no way I was going to let a dumb bimbo who had known him for a second, ruin it for me.
“Screw it,” I said. The effects of my drinking made my speech slur. I wobbled on my shoes as I made my way toward Mitch.
“Hey Mitch,” I said, shouldering in beside the girl. The laughter that had been spilling from her like a broken faucet, halted abruptly. She gave me a piercing glare.
“Excuse me?” she said in a whine. She peered at me then Mitch, then back at me.
“You’re right, excuse you,” I said.
My tongue seemed too thick to properly articulate the words, but I knew from her sour puss expression that I had made my point. I locked eyes on Mitch. My vision doubled him, making it seem as if he had a holographic image beside him. I realized I was way drunker than I had known, and was already regretting my brash action.
Ransom (Holding Ransom # 1) Page 5