Promise Me Always

by Kari March

  She took a few steps back so I could see her better, then she slowly started inching her pink tank top up her stomach. As her shirt passed over her ribs, I couldn’t help but notice the bruises that were covering her sides. I tensed up a little, debating whether or not this was a good idea. She must have noticed my reaction and she stopped her slow strip tease, eyeing me suspiciously.

  “What’s the matter? Is the infamous Blake Bentley nervous?” she teased, as she let a small giggle escape.

  I gave her my best, “Are you serious?” look before I expressed my concerns. “Not at all, I was just wondering if this is the best idea. You’re still recovering and I don’t want to cause you any pain. We can wait until you’re feeling better, if you want.”

  “It’s been over a month since I’ve had sex, Blake. I don’t give a fuck if I am still recovering. I want you. I’ll make sure to tell you if something hurts,” she said, rolling her gorgeous eyes. “Now, are you going to man up and make love to me, or should I be on my way?” She snickered as she started to lower her tank top back down her torso. She was such a smart ass, but she was my smart ass, and I fucking loved her.

  “You better watch what you say to me, baby girl, or I’ll be forced to show you what it really means to ‘man up’. Now, lose that fucking shirt before I get up and rip it off of you.”

  She bit her bottom lip and proceeded to raise her top, exposing a black lace bra. My dick twitched in anticipation of what was coming.

  She playfully flung her top at me and then moved on to her yoga pants. Turning her back to me, she slipped her thumbs into the waist band and, little by little, inched them down. A low growl vibrated in my chest when I noticed she wasn’t wearing any panties. She bent over, her tight ass displayed perfectly in front of me, as she shimmied them down her legs. Her hands reached for the clasp on her bra while she stepped out of her pants and then she slowly let the black lace fall to the floor.

  I inhaled a sharp breath when she turned around—she was fucking beautiful and she was all mine.

  “Fucking perfection,” I muttered. She gave me a shy smile while she ran her hand up her thigh to her hip.

  “Touch me, Blake,” she said breathlessly, motioning for me to come to her. I was enjoying my view way too much, though. She was flawless and there was only one other thing that could make this sight even more perfect.

  “Show me, Tess. Where do you want me to touch you?” She froze for a second, unsure whether or not I was serious. I raised one eyebrow at her as I leaned back and got ready for the show. She realized I was serious when she saw me rest my hands behind my head. Nothing turned me on more than when she touched herself.

  She hesitated for just a moment before slowly moving her hands up to her tits, eyeing me with suspicion the whole time. We had never played this game before and I could tell she was skeptical about being put on display. All the other times she had touched herself, I had either been going down on her or pounding her from behind.

  “That’s right. God, you’re fucking sexy. Now, show me what you want me to do to them?” I saw the doubt fade from her eyes as the encouraging words left my mouth. She took her nipples between her thumb and finger, twisting and pulling. They tightened up before my eyes and, when she tugged on them harder, her head fell back and a soft moan escaped her lips. Fuck!

  “Does that feel good?” I asked her and she nodded. “Show me more,” I demanded, starting to undo my pants. My dick needed some relief from the sight of her or it was going to explode.

  She moved one of her hands down to her sex, while the other continued to roll and pull her nipple. She glided her fingers between her folds and I could see how wet she was when her fingers came back over her clit. They were drenched and she hadn’t even put them inside of her yet. Her eyes were closed, her head still back, and she gave into desire as she rubbed her clit. It was a remarkable sight—watching her pleasure herself like this.

  “You know what to do,” I insisted. She opened her eyes and they filled with arousal as she saw me fisting my hardness. She didn’t hesitate anymore after that.

  Lifting her leg, she placed her foot on the edge of my bed. She filled herself with two of her fingers, giving me a perfect view of her sex. Never taking her eyes off me, she whimpered as her fingers pumped in and out. The sound was enough to put me over the edge. I had to stop stroking myself; there was no way I was coming unless it was inside of her.

  “Fucking cock tease,” I growled. She looked up at me and gave me a mischievous, sexy grin.

  “It was your damn idea! And you love it,” she bit back, leaning over me and yanking off my pants. While she tossed them to the floor, I removed my shirt and discarded it in the same pile.

  “Well, that’s obvious,” I teased as I looked down at my erection. She just rolled her eyes as she started to crawl over me. I couldn’t help but stare at her amazing breasts as they bounced around in front of my face. She straddled me and I could feel the moisture from her arousal; I knew neither of us was going to last very long.

  When I looked back at Tess, she was gazing at me. I watched as her eyes scrolled down my chest, past my abs, and down to my fuck lines. She bit her lip and I knew she had missed the sight of them—and me.

  I grabbed her hips and positioned her just over my cock. “Christ, I missed you,” I declared as I raised my hips. She sank down onto me and I let out a deep groan, burying my cock in her. She was tight and wet and I filled her perfectly.

  “Oh, God! Blake! You feel amazing. It’s been way too long.” She shuddered as she started to rock back and forth. I sat up, wrapping my arms around her, and took one of her nipples into my mouth. Swirling my tongue around the bud, I felt goose bumps prick her skin. She cried out in sweet satisfaction as I lightly bit down and pulled on it with my teeth.

  Her movements picked up and she pushed me back down onto the bed, leaning over me as she moved up and down on my head. I knew if she kept that up, I would come in no time. So I thrust my hips upward, filling her to the max, and she let out a soft whimper.

  “Fuck, Tess. You like that? I am so deep in you right now,” I said, groaning. “Can you feel that? God, I love you,” I said, my voice shaking. I moved my hands back to her hips, pulling her down, continuing to plunge further into her.

  “Mmm, I love you too,” she said. Hearing those words come out of her mouth while she rocked back and forth on my dick was enough to make me lose it.

  I captured the sides of her face and pulled her to me, kissing her hard. She released a soft moan into my mouth as I poured everything I was feeling for her into the kiss. Her movements halted for a moment as she returned the passion, deepening the kiss as she fisted her hands in my hair.

  My cock throbbed as emotions and sensations over took my body. I needed to fucking come and I needed her to come with me. I roughly grabbed her ass and started thrusting into her again. She swayed her hips in rhythm, meeting my momentum.

  “Shit! D… don’t stop,” she choked out between moans.

  I could feel her building as she tightened around me and I knew she was close.

  “Come all over me, baby girl. Come for me… now!” I shouted. We both stared at each other as we found our release. My cock twitched as it spilled everything into her and she cried out my name as her orgasm over took her.

  Our hearts slowed as we came down from our climaxes, both of us trembling in satisfaction. She lied on my chest for a while, not moving at all, except for the steady rise and fall of her chest. I gently caressed her back with my fingers. Her soft skin felt like silk under my touch. She could lay like this the rest of the night and I would be okay with it—I never wanted to let her go.

  Early the next morning, I woke to the most beautiful woman sprawled across my chest. She looked so peaceful that I couldn’t wake her up. Plus, I knew she was exhausted after not sleeping very much over the past seventy two hours—she needed to rest.

  I decided to surprise her with breakfast in bed. There was no way in hell I was cooking, tho
ugh. I hated to cook. Carefully and slowly, I slid out from under her. I placed a pillow where my body had been and she let out a cute little groan, but never woke up.

  I quickly got dressed and headed down stairs. Devin, of course, was already in the kitchen, making a pot of coffee.

  “Hey, bro, good time last night?” he asked as he raised his eyebrows at me. “You think maybe next time you could keep it down a bit? There’s nothing like listening to your little brother declare his love to a girl while he fucks her brains out to keep you from falling asleep.”

  “Fuck off, Dev,” I chuckled, rubbing the back of my neck, just a little embarrassed.

  What was wrong with me? We always gave each other shit about this kind of thing. It was nothing new. It seems like one of us always had a woman over, making them scream. Maybe this time it was different because I knew it wasn’t just sex with Tess. Whatever it was, Devin noticed my insecurity and backed off.

  “What are you doing up so early, anyway?” he asked, changing the subject. I was relieved that he did.

  “Couldn’t sleep, so I decided to surprise Tess with breakfast.”

  “I never thought I would see the day that my little bro would cook—let alone for a woman.” He took a seat on one of the barstools at the counter and stared at me. “This I have to see.”

  “Ha, ha. Very funny. You know me better than that,” I said. “There’s no way I’m cooking. Do you want anything from Starbucks?” Devin just laughed as he stood up and grabbed his coffee from the counter.

  “No, I gotta get to work. Thanks though.” He headed for the door, turning around just before he reached it. “I’m happy for you, Blake. She’s a great girl and you deserve to be happy. Don’t fuck this up with her. Don’t let dad’s actions ever make you think less of yourself,” he smiled at me, pride in his eyes. “I’ve never seen you this happy and I don’t think either of you will make it if you lose each other again.” He turned back towards the door and opened it slowly.

  His words made tears sting the back of my eyes, but I blinked them away. I didn’t want to feel like a complete pussy in front of him. He was never the sentimental type and he never spoke of our father. I couldn’t help but think that maybe something was up with him. Just the mere mention of our father usually sent Dev to a dark place. Maybe he was finally starting to deal with all of the issues he carried around with him. After all, he suffered through way more than I could ever imagine when it came to our so called father.

  “Thanks, Dev,” I said as I grabbed my keys and walked for the front door. “Here’s a crazy thought—maybe you should take a bit of your own advice for once. You’ve always been there for me, and I’m extremely grateful, but I think it’s time you focus a bit on yourself. Don’t let him keep winning,” I smirked.

  Devin let out a small chuckle as he looked down at the keys that were in his hands. “I’m working on it, bro,” he said, defeated. I knew it was tough for him to talk about our past. He always put on a front, making everyone believe he had things under control—but I knew that wasn’t the case. He was fucked up and he pushed everyone away because of it—everyone except me.

  I slapped him on the back as we walked out the door together.

  “I love you, Dev.”

  “I love you too, bro.”

  Thankfully, I made it back to my house, breakfast in hand, before Tess woke up. I spent the next few minutes tip toeing around my bedroom, setting up the perfect wakeup call. I tried not to disturb her before I was ready.

  I hit PLAY on my iPod and “Whatever It Takes” by Lifehouse filled the room. I walked over to the bed and kneeled down so my face was next to hers. Softly, I sang the words to her as she slowly opened her eyes. She smiled a soft, warm smile and her eyes lit up with affection. So beautiful.

  I pushed a strand of her messy hair away from her face as I continued to serenade her with the lyrics. Tears were filling her eyes as she took in the words and, by the time I was half way through the song, they were falling down her face.

  I sang the whole song to her—her eyes locked steadily on mine. She was so engrossed in the moment that she hadn’t even noticed the colorful bouquets of daises that were overtaking the room. As I sang the last line, I produced three, single gerbera daisies from behind my back—one red, one pink and one yellow. Her face illuminated with affection as she wiped the tears away from her cheeks.

  “I love you, Tess. You deserve to know everything. You have a right to know the reasons why I walked away from you.” I paused for a moment as I tried to stay calm. Just thinking about my father caused anger and pain to immediately rush to the surface and I wiped both from my face before continuing.

  Her smile started to slowly fade and the light in her eyes diminished as she saw the demons from my past emerge from behind the barricade I spent my whole life building. I didn’t want her to see just how much my past affected me, but it was hopeless—I couldn’t keep it at bay.

  “Remember when I told you about my father?” I asked her, my eyes locked on the flowers she was now holding. I couldn’t look at her while I confessed the darkest part of my life. “Well… the stuff I told you… let’s just say that was the PG version of the shit that bastard put us through,” I said, closing my eyes as the pain of my past crept up on me. “We were never good enough for him. His own flesh and blood and we were nothing to him because we were half our mother. Her blood ran through our veins, so he ran his fists into us every chance he got.”

  “Why did he hate her so much?” she asked cautiously. I could tell she wanted know more, but didn’t want to pry.

  “I don’t think he really hated her. I think he hated himself,” I shrugged. “He just liked to take it out on us. He lost his job about a year after I was born. Devin says after that, everything changed. He couldn’t find another job and eventually mom had to go back to nursing. He stayed home with us and, as time passed, he started drinking—a lot. The prick wouldn’t put the liquor down long enough to even feed us. If it wasn’t for Dev, we never would have survived.”

  I could see the fear in Tess’ eyes as I laid everything out for her. She knew the basics of what had happened, but I could tell she never thought it was that bad.

  She rested her hand on my shoulder, trying to console me, as I let the fuzzy memories fill my head—filling in the blanks with what Devin had told me.

  “He started hitting me right after I turned four. Devin had been taking all of the abuse since he was older. He usually only struck us in the legs and arms, always telling my mother that we fell down or some shit. But one day, he fucked up and hit me so hard on the back that he left a welt. My mother saw it that night when she gave me a bath. When she confronted him about it, he lost it,” I said, swallowing the knot in my throat.

  “He started yelling at her, saying that he couldn’t believe how ungrateful she was, that if it wasn’t for him, we would be in foster care because she was never home to take care of us,” I shook my head, biting back the anger building in me. “That was the first time he hit her. Everything escaladed after that. We all took the abuse for another year before my mother finally had enough. The next week we left and never looked back.”

  “Blake, I’m so sorry. What an asshole,” she finally choked out. I could tell she didn’t know what to say and I laughed a little at her sudden outburst. When I looked up at her, she had tears in her eyes and I couldn’t help but smile at her. “Sorry, I just don’t understand how someone could do that—especially to their own children.”

  “I’m actually pretty lucky. I was really young and the memories are pretty blurry for the most part.” I closed my eyes again as the worst day of my childhood came flooding into my mind. “There is one memory, though, that I can remember.”

  My hands started to shake and Tess covered them with hers immediately, rubbing circles on the tops of them with her thumbs.

  “I remember Devin was at school. I hated it when Devin left because that always made me the target. I accidently spilled a box of cheerio
s when I tried to make myself breakfast and I knew I was going to be in trouble. I tried to pick it up before he saw it, but before I knew it, he had me pinned down across his lap,” I flinched at the memory.

  “I thought I was getting another spanking because they were a regular occurrence in our house. I braced myself for the sting that I was so used to receiving, but when the blow came, I knew it wasn’t caused by his hand. I cried out as the bite of his belt struck me over and over again,” I paused, trying to keep my heart beat from racing out of control, as the fear I felt as a child came rushing back. “The whole time, he yelled things that no four year old should ever hear. You mean nothing to me. You’re a fuck-up, a worthless, lazy brat that will never amount to anything. You can’t even make a god damn bowl of cereal right. You will never deserve anything in life! You were a mistake, an accident. I wish you were never born.”

  I watched as Tess’ hand covered her mouth as she gasped in shock at the words my father had spoken to me.

  “The first few times he said those things to me, I figured he was just angry. But then the words started coming every day. You’re worthless, a goddamn mistake. You don’t deserve shit. They didn’t always come with a beating. Sometimes he would just yell at me and I was happy to take it.” I got up and sat next to her on the bed, pulling her close to me carefully so I didn’t hurt her bruised ribs.

  “I’ve been pushing you away, Tess. Every day since the second I met you and I’m sorry. I’ve known you were the one since the first moment you walked into Cole’s garage with Palmer all those years ago. But I never felt like I was good enough for you,” I kissed the top of her head. “I’ve always been this fucked up mess inside and I never thought I deserved to be happy. That night at Matt’s just reconfirmed everything my father had ever told me. I lost my temper and I fucking hit you—I didn’t deserve you that night. Leaving you was the only way I could insure that you would have a life that you deserved.” I squeezed her a bit tighter.