Reclaim Me

by A. O. Peart

  “Okay, let me tell you from the beginning.” Rita made an impatient motion with her arm. “He puts this washcloth over my face and the next thing I know, I’m in here, tied up like a fucking pig. He tells me that he’s Seth’s uncle and wants his bond money back. Like I have access to that kind of cash. So I tell him I only have less than a hundred from tips in my purse and he can take it all if he leaves me alone. But that wasn’t nearly enough.”

  “Wait—this man Seth’s uncle?” Willow asked incredulously. “So, he posted Seth’s bond and lost it because of what happened this morning?”

  “Yep. He got a phone call, jumped in his car, and came to Portland to recoup the bond. And he’s convinced himself that you are the one to has to pay him back.” Rita pointed to Willow’s chest. “Somehow, he knew a lot about you and me. Like that you were staying with me and where I worked. He thought you were still here, but he wanted to make sure both of us were captured.”

  Willow rubbed the back of her neck, wincing. “I don’t get it. How did he figure he would get away with this? Kidnapping, assault, and robbery? That guy must be either insane or a complete idiot.”

  “That’s what I thought,” I murmured.

  “And me too,” Rita added, matter-of-factly.

  I was quite impressed with Rita. Any other woman would be frightened out of her gourd after being kidnapped by a crazy man and held hostage with a knife to her throat. Instead, Rita was pissed and indignant. Or maybe that was just a façade?

  “I’m really surprised you’re taking this so calmly, Rita,” I told her. “Well, aside from being pissed off, which you have a right to be. But you’re not scared. Shit, you were assaulted and held captive without knowing what he might do to you.” I slowly shook my head from side to side, considering. “You’re one tough chick.”

  Rita snorted. “It’s all an act. You really think I’m not scared? I almost shit my pants when I woke up tied up and gagged. Sweet baby Jesus, I was sure he was going to rape, torture, and kill me.” Her lower lip shook and she bit on it. “And I was terrified he’d get Willow, too.”

  “Over my dead body,” I barked angrily.

  Willow gave me a soft look. She wasn’t smiling, but her face had this gentle quality to it. Her lips parted, and I melted inside.

  Chapter Twenty Five

  I could hardly believe we were, once again, dealing with an attacker. Except, this time, Rita was tossed into the equation. Officer Caprissi and her partner came back to make a report and arrest yet another man. I only hoped this was the last time I would ever have to go through police procedure.

  After the officers left with the Seth’s uncle in tow, Rita collapsed on her sofa claiming to be dead tired, probably because of so much stress. I could sympathize. She internalized her stress and showed the world her brazen and brash mask. That had to be exhausting.

  “Rita, get some sleep, sweetie.” I hugged her and kissed her cheek. “I’ll call you tomorrow.”

  “Sounds fab.” She yawned. “Are you two gonna be okay?”

  “Yes, we will.” I smiled and looked at Jack.

  He stood, leaning with his shoulder against the door jamb, arms and ankles casually crossed. He filled the door frame with the bulk of his muscular body. I walked up to him and wordlessly raised my eyes to his.

  “Ready to go?” he asked, a tiny smile dancing on his lips. I’d have sworn, that he was about to say something else, but stopped himself.

  “I am. I’m tired too.”

  “Nite, Rita,” Jack nodded to her. “Listen, be careful, okay? I don’t think you have anything more to worry about from Seth or his uncle. Neither will get out on bail any time soon, but do me a favor and don’t walk to your car alone.”

  “Yeah. Believe me, I have no plans to do that again.”

  “Is she going to be fine?” I asked Jack in the truck.

  Jack glanced sideways at me while driving. “I’ll call Nash and ask him to keep an eye on her. His guys can spare some time to do that.”

  “You mean the Hell Ravens Club?” I opened my eyes wider.

  “The one and only.” Jack chuckled. “I have to be back at the firehouse tomorrow morning for my twenty-four-hour shift. Nash runs his own business and has a lot of flexibility, so he’s my best bet. Besides, I trust him to take a good care of you, if necessary.”

  I stifled a yawn. “You have the most interesting family, Jack McCoy.”

  “That I do.” He grinned, pleased with himself.

  “Oh, wait. You’ll be gone for the full twenty-four hours?” I asked, suddenly alert, all sleep forgotten.

  “Yeah, that’s my night rotation shift. We work twenty-four and get forty eight hours off. I just had my two days off, so tomorrow I’m back on for twenty-four.”

  “So, I’ll need to find myself a suitable company, or I’ll be bored out of my wits.” I teased.

  He flashed me a warning glance. “As long as it’s not a male company.”

  “Or what?” I innocently provoked.

  He didn’t answer and kept a straight face. I thought we were joking, but he apparently wasn’t. Right then, we arrived at his house. Jack parked the truck in the garage, next to my little car.

  I got out of the truck and patted the roof of my vehicle. “Hey, girl. Miss me?”

  Jack chortled. “Do you always talk to your car?

  “You betcha.”

  Once inside, I said, “This was a crazy day. Just insane. So much happened today.” I leaned against the kitchen counter watching Jack put some dishes away. “I think I’m just going to crash tonight. What time do you leave in the morning?”

  “It’s gonna be early. Don’t worry about getting up. You should rest. I’ll give you a spare key to the house.” Jack rummaged through a small box of keys that he pulled out from a small kitchen cabinet. He finally found it and placed it on the counter. “Here. Put it on your key ring.”

  I did as he suggested. Jack silently watched me slide the key onto my key ring adorned with colorful beads and charms.

  “I know you said not to thank you anymore, but what else can I say? I really am appreciative, Jack. If it wasn’t for you—”

  “Shh, it’s okay. I only did what I would do for anyone else in need.”

  Our eyes locked, and I knew what I really wanted, but it wasn’t that easy for me. There still was a nagging voice in my head telling me to stay away from Jack. The smile Jack gave me, though, made my knees buckle. It made me forget all my worries, the little voice in my head, and even our troubled past.

  Tentatively, I took a small step forward, but then I saw hesitation in Jack’s eyes. It was like a bucket of cold water thrown in my face. I looked down, drew a deep breath, and said, “Well, I feel really tired, so I guess this is a goodnight.” I even managed a genuine smile to pair it with my lame statement.

  I went upstairs, stunned at Jack’s reluctance. It was silly of course to expect anything else, but no matter how much I tried to reason with myself, I kept losing the battle. The seed was sown by his urgent kisses and lovemaking this morning; and, even though I kept reminding myself what happened afterward, it was as if my brain and my heart ignored all my earlier reservations.

  I rummaged in my luggage for the book I’d used earlier today as my special project notebook. I found it hidden under some clothes and pulled it out. My neat handwriting filled three pages. I read the notes twice and stared into the distance, trying to get back into my earlier frame of mind. But, no matter how hard I tried, I felt as if someone else had written those words down—not me.

  Dropping the book back into the luggage I stood up and entered the bathroom where I undressed, and took a quick shower. I wasn’t even hungry, just dead tired. A short time later, I slid under the covers, but found I couldn’t fall asleep, even though I'd not been able to keep my eyes open just moments earlier.

  I tossed and turned in bed for about an hour and finally realized that sleep wasn’t coming. Groaning softly, I sat up and drew my knees to my chest, then rested m
y chin on top of them. My thoughts kept wandering to Seth’s uncle. Now, knowing he was Seth’s close relative and seeing the same kind of behavior in both, I suspected that some sort of cruel insanity ran in their family.

  Eleven thirteen was displayed in bright-green digital numbers on the alarm clock on my bedside table. I got up and went to the window. The driveway was dark. I could see the black outlines of the trees and shrubs in the front yard. Somehow that looked creepy. I shivered and hugged myself, stepping away from the window. I closed the blinds and drew the heavy curtains. Maybe blocking all traces of light would help me fall asleep.

  I paced around, feeling restless. A quiet knock sounded on my door. Automatically, I glanced at the alarm clock. It was really late, so why was Jack still awake? He had to go to work in the morning. Maybe something bad had happened.

  I rushed to the door and opened it. Jack held a glass of milk in his hand. I stared at it, not comprehending what I was seeing.

  He smiled and said, “I brought you some warm milk. It may help you fall asleep.”

  “Uhm… milk? What? I mean … thank you.” I took it from him and stood aside, making it clear he was invited to come in.

  He did.

  “How did you know I couldn’t sleep?” I laughed.

  “I couldn’t sleep either. I heard you walking around the room and figured you were restless. Warm milk is supposed to make you sleepy. Do you want to give it a shot?”

  “Sure.” I took a sip from the glass and walked to the bed, motioning to it. “I better be right here in case I start falling asleep.”

  “I doubt works that fast.” Jack laughed.

  I sat down, gathering the comforter around me for warmth. He pulled up the only chair in the room and lowered himself into it.

  “Where is your glass of warm milk? You can’t sleep either.” I commented.

  He looked at me from under half-closed lids, and this time I found no traces of hesitation in his eyes. What I saw was hope and a whole lot of caution. It was fascinating to see this new set of emotions in Jack’s eyes in such a short period of time.

  I put the milk down and reached for his hand—the one he hurt today punching Seth’s uncle in the jaw. “Does this still hurt?”

  “Only a little,” Jack said quietly.

  “Do you want some ice? I can bring it from the kitchen.” My fingers started tracing small circles over Jack’s hand. “If there is swelling, ice would be the best to bring it down. This way the pain will subside faster. I don’t mind fetching it if—”

  “Willow,” he interrupted me in a deliciously raspy voice, heavy with desire and laced with expectation.

  My breath caught in my throat and my lips parted. Slowly, I lifted his hand to my mouth and gently kissed one knuckle. I repeated it over each knuckle, keeping my eyes on Jack’s face.

  His sculpted chest rose and fell in powerful intakes of breath. My tongue teased the junctions between his fingers, and he rewarded me with the look of pure bliss. A large bulge rose under his sweatpants, making me squirm in need. I felt moisture grow between my legs and heat building up in my very core.

  When I took his thumb in my mouth and sucked on it, Jack clenched his teeth and drew a long breath that made a sexy, hissing sound. I sucked harder, sliding my tongue up and down his thumb. He was holding back, letting me take charge. That was unusual for Jack, who liked to dominate in bed. But I suspected what his reasons were—he wanted me to decide if we could move past our problems.

  I trailed kisses on the underside of his forearm, evoking tiny moans and more of those delicious hisses of breath. I slid down from the bed and onto my knees, positioning myself between Jack’s legs. My hand closed over his arousal and he grunted, throwing his head back.

  Slowly, I moved the elastic of his pants down, revealing the waistband of his boxers. Jack put his hands flat on the seat of the chair and pushed himself a few inches up, allowing me to remove his pants and boxers. His impressive erection sprang free, a bead of shiny precum waiting for me to taste it.

  While Jack leaned back, arching toward me, I leaned forward, opened my mouth, and took him in. He bit his lower lip, groaning low. The sound was purely erotic, triggering my body’s response with a renewed flood of arousal.

  I bobbed my head up and down, twirling my tongue over his thickly-veined cock, taking him deep inside my throat.

  “Willow!” It sounded like a plea, but I wasn’t sure for what. Did he want me to stop because he was too close? Or did he want me to keep going until he exploded inside my mouth?

  I looked at him, my eyes almost focused.

  “Willow, baby. This feels so good, like nothing else. Better than I could ever imagine. But now I want you too much. I want to be inside you. Please let me inside you.”

  He had no idea how amazingly sexy he sounded when he was desperate and begging. It was the sweetest music to my ears and I was its composer.

  I pulled him out of my mouth with a little pop and playfully licked the head of his engorged penis. Jack wrapped my hair around his hand and pulled, tilting my head backward. I was on my knees in front of him, bracing my hands on his powerful thighs.

  He had me exactly where he wanted me. Jack was back in control, but that’s the way I liked it. Bracing himself with the other hand, he slowly rose, his penis playfully dragging over my face. I tried to catch it with my mouth, but he wouldn’t let me. Tugging on my hair, he made me tilt my head back and look at him towering over me. He was gorgeous—the perfect example of pure masculine beauty.

  Jack let go off my hair and reached down. He picked me up with a minimal effort and gently lay me down on the bed.

  Locking his eyes with mine, he leaned over me, bracing himself with his hands and forearms on both sides of my head, “I wish I had a way with words because only a poet can describe how beautiful you are, Willow.”

  A single tear slid down my cheek. Jack lifted it on the pad of his finger and showed it to me, “See? Even your tears are perfect.”

  He slid his hands under my head and kissed me. The kiss was arousing, long and expertly delivered. I was the luckiest girl in the world. Jack lifted my tank top over my head and pushed down my pajama bottoms. He kneeled, removing my pajamas then spread my legs.

  I felt his warm breath on my sex and I curled my fingers around the bed sheets, gathering them into my palms. He pushed my knees to the sides and descended on me with his mouth wide open and his tongue probing. I cried out in ecstasy and rolled my hips in concert with Jack’s rhythm.

  My quick orgasm surprised me and ravished my whole body, leaving me spent but craving more.

  Jack climbed onto the bed and lay next to me, caressing the side of my face with his fingers. “I want to do this every day.”

  I turned my face to see him. “Are you trying to tell me something?” I smiled. I knew exactly what he was doing, but I wanted him to say it out loud, to own it.

  He grinned. “Yes, and you know it. But before we continue this conversation, we have some unfinished business.” Jack kissed my cheek and covered my breast with his hand, rolling and plumping it. He leaned over me and flicked one nipple with his tongue.

  I whimpered in delight. He made an appreciative sound deep in this throat, then grazed my nipple with his teeth. Another cry escaped me. His fingers massaged one nipple, feeding my body more pleasure. His mouth closed over one breast, sucking and biting, and making me arch my back and beg him not to stop.

  One moment I was lost in pleasure, the next Jack straddled me, teasing my clit with the head of his penis. The sweet torture continued, keeping me in a constant state of pre-orgasm.

  “Jack, enter me, or I’m gonna come without you,” I moaned.

  “Your pleasure is my command,” he said quietly, smiling.

  I screamed when he slammed into me, driving his long, thick penis inside my drenched cleft. I grasped his lean hips to indicate that I wanted him to be more forceful. He knew what I meant. Without hesitation, he hammered with all his might, rocking the
bed and probably the whole house. I grinned at that thought.

  “What’s so funny?” he breathed hard.

  I told him, and he laughed, the sound so delightful, it made my heart beat even faster. I clung to him, wanting to feel his body everywhere on mine.

  I felt my release building and approaching fast. I only had a few seconds before it slammed through me, leaving me gasping for air, my eyes rolling upwards, my toes desperately curling. This was a true whole-body orgasm and Jack was the only man capable of giving it to me.

  He wasn’t done with me. As soon as the last tremors of pleasure subsided, he pulled my legs up, draping them over his shoulders. I squeezed him with my thighs, feeling the penetration deep inside. Jack’s fingers splayed on my buttocks and he changed the rhythm of his thrusts. His plunges became longer, slower, and exquisitely timed.

  With every thrust, I made an appreciative hum. This was an amazing experience, one that I would never forget and would crave for the rest of my days. I wanted Jack more than I wanted anything in life. I had to make him mine.

  I climaxed twice more, each more powerful and satisfying than the other. “I want you to come. You’ve been taking care of me for over two hours.”

  “Believe me,” he whispered in such sensual tone, my heart slammed against my rib cage, “I’m ready, but I want you on top. I need to see your whole body—your eyes, your sweet mouth. I can’t get enough of you, baby.”

  “Okay.”

  He growled in pure, sexual excitement. In one swift movement, he rolled me on top of him. I squealed and laughed, steadying myself by grabbing onto his strong shoulders. I wiggled my butt, making sure his shaft was deep inside me. And I started to move—first slowly and gently, rotating my hips in a figure eight; then faster and harder.

  My breasts jiggled with every slam which, to my surprise, aroused me even more. I watched them, mesmerized, panting. Jack’s eyes were barely open and his tongue danced over his upper teeth and lip. That was so hot. He was on a brink of orgasm, I could sense it. I wanted to make it special for him and really good. I lost count how many orgasms he’d already given me today, and this was his first. That didn’t seem fair.