by Sophia Sharp
Rich lifts his head up for a moment. “Those sounds you make…” his voice is hoarse and raspy, “…they’re driving me absolutely insane.”
His mouth latches onto mine, and his tongue darts in with unrestrained abandon. I can feel my breasts swelling in his hands, my nipples constricting into tight little buds as his fingers send rippling pulses of pleasure through my body. All my neurons are firing full blast. I’m wet and crazy with desire. I can feel Rich’s hard erection against my leg. My hands move down to reach him.
As soon as I touch his manhood, his hands dart to my pants. I wiggle my hips to help him pull me free. I start to stroke him through the fabric of his jeans. He groans and kisses me harder. Then he bucks his hips into my hand. I try to tug his jeans off, but there’s an impediment. His belt.
“Hold on,” he mumbles, sitting up on top of me. I lift my head and open my eyes to find him working on his own jeans. I push away his hands and undo the button myself.
To my complete surprise and immense pleasure, he’s commando. His cock bursts free of his pants, slapping hard against the rigid muscles of his lower abs. I suck in an awed breath as I look at it, thick and coursing with blood. He’s so big.
Richard shifts to free one leg from his jeans, then the other, and settles back down on top of my thighs. My hands are greedy as they move along the inside of his quads, brushing over lightly-trimmed hair before coming to rest on his shaft. He makes a heavy, primal sound as my fingers curl around him. My core tightens with the most excruciating need.
“Penny,” he rasps, his voice strained with pressure, “you’re not on birth control, are you?”
Shit. I am. But I don’t know Rich well enough for unprotected sex. So, I bite my lip and shake my head.
“That’s a shame,” he rumbles. “I hate wearing rubbers.”
In a smooth motion he reaches over my head, behind the mattress, and brings out a box of condoms. I’m a little annoyed at how practiced the movement seems. Then again, it’s not like I have dibs on Rich. I just hope that there hasn’t been anyone else in his bed too recently.
Those thoughts are quickly forgotten as he rips the wrapper open and presses the condom into my hands. “Will you?”
I smile greedily and roll the condom over his straining length. He watches me as I do it, smiling in that secretive way again. It makes me a little discomforted, the type of intimacy I see in his eyes. This night is supposed to be about sex, and nothing more.
“What?” I ask, conscious of his heated gaze on my face.
“You’re just so fucking beautiful, Penny. So fucking amazing. And right now, you’re all mine.”
I’m struck by the possessive tone of his voice, yet thrilled with it at the same time. In a rash motion I jolt up and wrap my hands around his neck. “Then fuck me,” I whisper in his ear.
His hands fly to my waist and he flips us over. I’m straddling him. He grabs my hair and pulls me down, kissing me again. The scorching heat of his tongue is driving me crazy with desire. I start gyrating my hips back and forth, rubbing against his cock through my panties. It’s such a sinful feeling.
Rich groans into my mouth. I can feel him getting even thicker. I’m undeniably turned on, swollen and wet for him. But with his shaft so close to my body, I feel a tiny tinge of fear. He’s just so big.
Rich presses his hands into my waist and lifts me a little. I hover over him, hesitating. He senses it. “Ahh… I don’t want to hurt you,” he whispers.
The concern sends a new wave of arousal cascading through me. A heady excitement replaces the fear. “Don’t worry,” I assure him. “You won’t.”
“You’re in control at first,” he encourages. “Go slow.” He pulls my panties to one side, exposing my enflamed folds. I tuck my fingers around his cock to position him below me. He tenses as his erection brushes against the inside of my leg, and I let out a small whimper as I lower myself onto the crest of his dick.
“Go… slow…” he reminds me. I bite my lip and nod. I lower myself cautiously onto him, and then ease back, acclimating my body to the feel of his thick shaft inside me. Rich’s breaths come hollow beneath me. His eyes are closed, his arms straight. He’s gripping the fabric of the covers in clenched fists.
“My God,” he whispers. “Penny, you’re so fucking tight.”
“You’re so big,” I say lustily, sliding farther down. Every inch seems to stretch me to my very limit, until I’m afraid I can’t take more of him in. He brings one hand up and gently brushes my cheek. I exhale and let myself fully relax, then sink the remainder of the way onto him. I gasp at the delicious sensation of him filling me to my very brim.
“Good girl,” Rich says, his voice threaded with distress. I can see the strain in his eyes, see how hard he’s trying to hold back his own desire. His thumb presses against the top of my clit, and he begins to massage it in tiny, soft circles. “Remember. You’re in control for now.”
I give a wicked smile, and begin to glide rhythmically over him. My movements are slow and measured, at first. Each one sends a subdued pulse of pleasure through my body. My breathing match the rhythm I’m keeping. Rich’s thumb continues to graze over my clit, beckoning me with the promise of sexual gratification, the promise of what he can give me. I start to moan as my rocking becomes more forceful, as my body adjusts to the stretched feeling inside me.
“Yes, baby,” Rich croons. I can hear the desire simmering at the edge of his voice. “Just like that. Just like that. Oh my God! That feels so good.” His lustful breathing matches mine. “Now, just a little bit faster.”
I comply. Spurred on by his groans, I start to move faster, rocking up and down over his hard shaft. My core tightens, but it’s a good feeling. I can’t help but gasp as I take him all the way in, then back out, over and over again.
Pleasure spikes through my synapses. I draw him deeper, wrapping my body around his powerful cock. I start moaning as my motions become unrestrained.
He responds instantly, hardening within me even more. His fingers dig into my hips, aiding my movements. His hands urge me to go faster. I let him take over.
My hands go to his chest and I ride him in the moonlight. My whimpers and gasps combine with his louder grunts. The room is transformed into a symphony of sex. Sweat mists over his torso. My fingers dance all over his body, gripping, sliding, and fighting for feeling as I rock above him. Lacy threads of pleasure converge within my core, the first hint of the oncoming orgasm.
Rich murmurs heated words in my ear. He’s telling me how hot he is for me, telling me how good it feels to be inside me. How turned on I make him feel. I lose myself in the feeling of his straining body beneath me, in the sharp scent of him that fills the air. Soon his words fade into muffled curses as he becomes absorbed by the pleasure I’m giving back.
I draw him deep into my heat. He reaches up to pull my hair back, forcing me to arch over him, exposing my tender breasts. I cry out as he takes my hips and thrusts into me, impaling my insides again and again with his immense length.
I can feel the pressure building inside, and know that I’m close to the edge. I ride him with a feral ferocity, determined to reach the heights of pleasure with him. Rich is stretching me to my very limit. I welcome him deep inside.
“Jesus,” he gasps. “Jesus, Penny, I’m going to come.” Rich grabs my hips and holds me tight above him, then pounds into me at a feverish pace. I cry out in frantic gasps, my body protesting the invasion, my mind welcoming it dearly. I hang onto his shoulders, not knowing how much more I can handle.
I’m blindsided by the ferocity of the orgasm that hits me. It sweeps me along its massive wave of destruction. Heat from Rich’s body explodes at the same time, shooting into me, leaving me raw and breathless.
I lose myself in the throes of passion, claimed victim by the deep assault of our synchronous orgasms. I collapse and wrap my arms around him, cradling his head, holding him tight as the remainder of the crest washes over me. I feel him shudder beneath me. He tre
mbles once, twice, and is still.
I’m left barren, absolutely empty, the hot body beneath me my only remaining grip on reality. I fold into Rich, forgetting all my worries as I lie satiated in my pleasure and the feeling of the man lying beneath me.
Chapter Three
A bang from somewhere in the dark startles me from my sleep. My eyes shoot open. My whole body tenses when I remember where I am. Not at home. I’m in an unfamiliar bed. In… Rich’s apartment.
That understanding comes quick but I don’t have time to dwell on it. My thoughts are interrupted by another loud bang. It sounds like someone knocking on the door.
Bang-bang-bang! Bang-bang-bang!
Yes, I can definitely hear it now. There’s no mistaking what it is. But who would be knocking at this hour?
I glance over at the slumbering male next to me. He has one arm over his eyes, the other hanging off the edge of the mattress. He looks stunning, even in the dark. His entire upper body is exposed, and his skin is prickled from the cold. I watch his chest rise and fall with the deep breaths of a contented sleep.
Bang-bang-bang!
The sound jolts me from my reverie. I put a hand on Rich’s shoulder to shake him awake. “Rich?” I say. “Rich, I think there’s someone here.”
“Hmm?” he groans, half-asleep. He rolls away from me, fluffing up the pillow beneath his cheek. He mumbles something indistinctive that sounds a lot like, “Go back to sleep.”
Bang-bang-bang! Bang-bang-bang!
“Rich, don’t you hear that?” I ask, starting to feel a little uneasy. That knocking… it doesn’t sound friendly.
Bang-bang-bang-bang! Bang-bang-bang-bang-BANG!
“Rich, seriously.” I shake him harder. “There’s someone at the door!”
He sits up, running a hand through his hair, and looks at me sleepily. “Penny,” he says, “why can’t you just go back to slee—”
Bang-bang-bang-BANG! Bang-bang-bang-BANG!
His eyes widen as he finally picks up on the knocking. He’s out of bed in a flash. “Shit,” he curses. “Shit, shit, shit!”
“What is it?” I bring the covers to my chest in a defensive motion, like a small girl trying to hide from monsters in the night. The knocking grows louder in the background.
Rich fumbles for his jeans, and pulls them on quickly. He looks around for something on the floor, then, finding it, picks it up and tosses it to me. My clothes. “Put those on,” he hisses as he ducks through the collar of his shirt.
I clutch my clothes to my breasts, too afraid to move. I’m freaked out by his reaction. “Who is that? Rich, do you know who that is?” My voice shakes as the banging becomes even louder. BANG-BANG-BANG! BANG-BANG-BANG! “What do they want?”
“Never mind. And keep your voice down! I don’t want them to know I’m inside.”
“You weren’t expecting anybody?”
“No, I wasn’t expecting anybody,” Rich snaps, glowering at me. I shrink back, all of a sudden uncomfortably aware of how precarious my situation is. I’m in some random guy’s apartment in an unfamiliar part of town. I have no money for a cab. My roommate got us evicted. Even if I could afford the ride, I’d have nowhere to go. I don’t have any family or friends nearby. And the guy I’m with—the guy I know next to nothing about—seems intent on ignoring the late-night knocking at his door.
Rich catches my cringe, and sighs. “Look, I’m sorry. I don’t want to scare you. But you—“ he points at me, “—and me—” he points at himself, “—are not supposed to be here right now.”
“Not supposed to be here?” I repeat, almost at a loss for words. “This is your apartment, isn’t it?”
“Of course it is!” he chastises, then moves to quietly open the window.
Bang-bang-bang-bang! BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG!
“What are you doing?” I hiss at him.
“What does it look like I’m doing? Getting out of here.” He waves me toward him. “Come on! Are you coming, or not?”
“Through the window?” I ask flatly.
He nods impatiently.
“With you?”
He nods again.
I start to consider my options, when a fierce voice rises from behind the door. “Richard! Richard, I know you’re in there! Open this fucking door before I break it down!”
My eyes dart to Rich. He’s frozen in a crouch by the window. The voice at the door definitely does not belong to a friend. “Would he really do that?” I whisper urgently.
“Does it look like I want to wait and find out?” Rich lifts one foot over the window sill. “Come on! There’s no time to explain. Get your clothes and follow me!”
“I’m going to count to ten,” the deep voice from outside roars, “and if this door is not open by then, so help me God, I will tear it down with my own two hands! ONE! TWO! ...”
The countdown breaks my indecisive stupor. I scramble to throw my arms through my shirt.
“…FOUR! FIVE! SIX! ...”
My pants fly on and I jump from the bed. Just before reaching Rich, I pause, and look back.
“What are you waiting for?” he whispers urgently.
“My sweater,” I say. “You didn’t throw me my sweat—”
“Oh, for the love of God!” Rich grabs my hand and yanks me after him. I yelp as I’m jerked off my feet.
“… EIGHT! NINE! …”
I hop over the windowsill. The metal escape ladder is cold and painful against my bare feet. Rich follows after me. When we’re both out, he carefully lowers the window. At the moment it presses closed, a splintering crash sounds from within the apartment.
My heart jumps to my throat. I duck down and press myself tight against the brick wall. “What was that?” I demand.
“Sounds to me like the door,” Rich grumbles. He starts down the ladder.
Another crash sounds from inside. I risk peeking through the window.
At the far end of the apartment, a light shines through a gaping hole in the door. I can make out the silhouettes of two men. One of them is holding something that looks like an enormous blacksmith’s hammer.
I know I should get away from the window, but I can’t move. I’m completely stupefied by actually witnessing something like this in real life.
I feel an urgent tug on my ankle, and look down to find Rich below me. “Come on,” he says. “We don’t want to be anywhere close to here when they break in.”
I nod, swallowing my fear, and start the long climb to the ground after him.
--
“What the hell was that?” I demand of Rich as we rush through the parking lot to his car. He hasn’t said a word to me since hitting the ground. Instead, he’s been looking in all directions to avoid running into anyone unaware. I wasn’t opposed to his precaution while we were out in the open, but now that we’ve reached the underground parking lot, demanding an explanation seems the only reasonable choice. “Richard, who were those men at your door?”
He shakes his head, avoiding looking at me. “The less you know about it, the better.” He unlocks his vehicle—a maroon red Ford pickup—and gestures for me to get in.
I plant my feet and cross my arms. “Rich, I’m not going another step with you until you tell me what’s going on.”
“Look, I don’t know what’s going on!” he curses, exasperated. He takes a deep breath, and his voice softens. “Or, not exactly. Not yet. It’s a long story, Penelope. But as long as they don’t know you were with me, you shouldn’t be in any trouble.”
I give a bitter laugh. “Oh, that’s comforting.”
“It should be.” He frowns. “Now, get in. We’re wasting time.”
I huff but follow through. It’s not like I have many other options. “Where are we going?”
“I need to make some calls.” Rich starts the engine and backs up. “We’ll go somewhere safe, somewhere public. Figure it out there. Maybe once I get a better understanding, I can explain things.”
“Fine,” I nod. Then I feel
a sudden constriction in my chest. “Oh my God. Shit! I forgot my purse!“ All my possessions are in there: my cell phone, my now-useless apartment key, my wallet, all my identifications, and—most precious to me of all—a tiny locket with a faded picture of a young man cradling a baby in his arms. His head is down so you cannot see his eyes. That picture means the world to me. It’s the only piece of my father I have left. “Do you think they’ll take it?”
Rich scoffs. “They’re not thieves.”
--
Twenty minutes later, I’m sitting at the bar of a breakfast diner, cradling a warm cup of coffee between my palms. Looking over my shoulder, I see Rich still talking to somebody on the payphone by the far wall.
I sigh, and take a sip of my drink. Rich has been on that phone from the moment we walked in. He’s spoken softly the entire time, so even though we are the only two customers, not a single word of his conversation has filtered over to me. I know as little now as I did when the banging woke me up.
The woman behind the counter gives me a commiserating smile as she refills my cup. I wonder what she thinks as she looks at me. I know I must look like hell—but I feel even worse. I’ve been running on pure adrenaline and lust during the hookup with Rich. Now, all the fatigue from the long week is catching up to me. My entire body feels sapped. My mind starts to wander, and I find myself thinking about how Abby’s holding up.
Probably better than me, I decide with a bitter snort. With the way things have been going recently, it seems like just my luck to get caught in the middle of something like this.
I sigh again and take another long sip, trying to extract every last bit of energy from the drink. I need my mind clear right now, not groggy. Exhausted as I am, coffee seems like the best solution.
If I had somewhere to go, things would be much simpler. I could just ask Rich to drop me off and forget about all this. But, thanks to some severely short-sighted decisions I’ve made in my recent past, that isn’t an option.
In hindsight, maybe the move from California to Oregon with a girl I’d only known for a few weeks hadn’t been such a great idea. But, I’d been desperate to get away—and so had Abby.