by E. L. Todd
“Okay.” That gave me something to work with. I kept her on the phone as I jogged down the street. “Give me something else. What does the name of the bar start with? An A? An R?”
“Uh…” She said a few incoherent words.
“Concentrate,” I reminded her. The idea of some asshole touching her was making my temples hurt.
“Riso’s…Rizo’s…Ricos…”
“Rizzo’s?” I felt triumphant for figuring it out.
“Yes!” Her voice didn’t sound weak for the first time.
I would be able to run faster without her on the phone. “I’m going to hang up. Stay in the bathroom. Do not walk out of there. You understand me?”
She sounded far away. “Yes.”
“I’ll be there in a few minutes. Just hold on.”
“Okay.”
I hung up without saying goodbye then took off at a sprint.
I cut in front of the line and pulled out all the cash I had. “Look, my girlfriend is drunk off her ass in there and some guy is about to snatch her. Let me pass.” I pulled out two hundred and eighty five dollars. “Please let me in.”
The guy eyed the angry people standing behind me then discreetly took the money. Then he unclipped the rope and let me pass.
“Thank you!” I clapped him on the shoulder as I ran. Once I was inside, the lights were low and the floor was crowded. I pushed through people until I could spot the bathrooms. There were two different sets. I didn’t have time to pick the wrong one.
I debated for a moment before I dashed to the one to the left. Not caring about anyone in the world than Ophelia, I pushed past the girls in line, listening to them hiss and complain, and then made it inside. “Ophelia!” I looked around but didn’t see her anywhere. I banged my fist on every stall but she didn’t respond. All I got was, “Get the hell away, asshole!”
She must be in the other one. I hightailed it out of there and pushed through the crowd once more. I was pretty sure I knocked a drink out of a guy’s hand but I moved so quickly he didn’t see where I went. I stormed toward the other bathroom when I heard a woman’s voice.
“Leave me alone.” The voice was weak and pathetic, like it was too difficult for her to form complete sentences.
I stopped and turned, hoping it wasn’t her.
A man had his arm around a brunette’s waist and he was dragging her through the room without actually picking her up. He looked like a sleazebag. It was written all over him. And I identified Ophelia in his arms.
She was practically being dragged across the floor. Her hair was in her face, and she wore a short, tight black dress. It was riding up, almost revealing more than just her thighs.
I saw red.
I grabbed the guy by the shoulder, and using more strength than I thought I could muster, I slammed him hard against the bar.
Ophelia was released and she wobbled on her feet.
“Baby, I’m here.” I scooped her into my arms and cradled her to my chest.
She held her clutch weakly. “Jett?”
“It’s me. I got you.”
The asshole got to his feet and looked like he was about to come after me. “Get your own girl.”
I knew I should walk away but I couldn’t. I kicked him hard in the kneecap, making him scream as he fell to the floor again.
I knew I had to get out of there fast. I caused enough of a scene and there might me legal consequences unless I left without showing my face. I pulled Ophelia closer to my chest and carried her out the door.
The bouncer raised the rope and let me leave without question.
Once I was on the sidewalk and the club was behind me, I relaxed. Ophelia was safe in my arms and nothing happened. She was okay, so I was okay.
“Jett?” Her arms were around my neck.
“I’m taking you to my place. We’ll be home soon.”
“Okay…”
She was feather light in my arms, like an easy workout at the gym. Her scent came into my nose, and her perfume calmed me. I was grateful she called me to get her. I didn’t trust anyone else to get her out of there safely.
When we reached my apartment, I got her inside and placed her on my bed. She looked up at me with lidded eyes. Her dress rode up past her thighs, and if I looked down I’d probably see her underwear. But I kept my eyes on hers.
Her hair was styled and shiny, and heavy make up was on her face. She looked like a bombshell. It didn’t surprise me some guy preyed on her weakness. He would never get another chance with a girl nearly as hot.
“You can rest now,” I said. “We’ll talk in the morning.” I was a little pissed off she got so drunk that she couldn’t walk. I knew she was upset about what happened with Cameron, but putting herself in danger was unacceptable.
“Thank you for taking care of me,” she whispered.
“I’ll always take care of you.” I said it without thinking.
She stared into my eyes like she was going to say something.
I stared back at her, waiting for something to happen.
Then she gripped my shirt and pulled me on top of her.
Before I knew it, her lips found mine and she kissed me—hard. Her fingers moved through my hair and she breathed hard into my mouth. Then her tongue made an entrance and burned me in such a good way.
The kiss was nothing like I expected. I’d fantasized about it so many times, and it was never this good. She kissed me like she loved me, like she couldn’t live without me even if she tried. Her legs moved around my waist, and we were locked in a tight embrace.
Being human, I kissed her back and gave her everything I had. I cupped her face as I kissed her, feeling our lips smack together in a heated embrace. Our tongues danced together like they’d done this before. Then I sucked her bottom lip and released a moan.
“Jett…”
She was making all my dreams come true.
Then she unzipped her dress and pulled it off.
I knew what she was doing, was totally aware of it, and I didn’t stop it.
She wasn’t wearing a bra, and her tits were revealed to me. They were voluptuous and perky. Her nipples were hard like she was cold, and they looked absolutely delicious. I stared at them with a dropped jaw, unable to stop.
She got her dress off then yanked my shirt off.
I didn’t stop her either.
Then she kissed me again as she removed my jeans and boxers.
I was aware of how naked I was, that my hard cock was there for her to see.
Then she pulled me back on top of her and our lips found each other again. As I lay on her, I felt my cock press against her stomach. My hand fisted her hair and I kissed her aggressively, telling her she was mine, and not just for the night. I gripped her black thong then pulled it down her legs, getting her ready for me to take.
She kissed me harder and wrapped her legs around my waist. “Jett…”
I broke apart then pulled a tit into my mouth. I sucked the nipple and moaned at how good she felt. I groped the other breast then pinched the nipple slightly. She was so beautiful that I couldn’t process it.
Then I realized what I was doing.
I was a fucking asshole.
I rescued her from a creep that wanted to do the same thing to her.
And now I was doing it to her, taking advantage of her when she was drunk out of her mind.
This was the woman I loved.
I had to stop.
It took all my strength to move off her. I moved back, out of breath and hard as hell.
She reached for me, like she didn’t want me to go. “Jett…” She gripped my shoulders and pulled my lips to hers again.
Goddammit. Just a few more kisses. I grabbed her neck while I kissed her passionately. Our tongues moved together, and I wanted to make her moan by slipping inside. But then I managed to break apart again.
“Come here,” she said with a sexy voice.
I deserved a purple heart for this. “In the morning.”
“I want you now.”
This woman was killing me. “In the morning.” It was all I could say.
She looked at me with disappointed eyes. They were full of alcohol and emotion.
Stay strong, Jett. I’d never forgive myself if I took her under these circumstances. She wouldn’t even remember it the following morning. I wanted her, but not like this.
If I covered her, it would make this easier. I grabbed a t-shirt then pulled it over her head and covered her gorgeous tits and endless curves. “Let’s get some sleep.”
She didn’t pull the shirt off but she didn’t look happy.
I grabbed her thong off the floor and resisted the urge to inspect it in detail. I pulled it up her beautiful legs and covered her, doing my best not to stare at the area between her legs. Believe me, I wanted to.
I pulled my boxers on then got into bed beside her. My arms enveloped her in a loving embrace and I held her close.
She was distant with me. “You don’t want me…”
I pulled her against my chest and kissed her forehead. “I do want you. But not like this.”
Her arm hooked around my stomach. “I…I’m sorry.” Her words started to grow faint and sound incoherent.
“Don’t apologize.”
“I don’t know what happened…I drank too much.”
She was making less sense. “Go to sleep, sweetheart. We’ll talk in the morning.”
She took a deep breath and released a sigh. “Okay…”
She slept in late the next day. I woke up at nine but she slept passed noon. Unable to lay in bed with her because I had a full bladder and I was starving, I moved from her arms then went into the kitchen. After breakfast and coffee, I watched a game on the couch.
I kept checking the time, wondering when she would wake up. When I got worried, I checked on her to make sure everything was okay. She was sleeping peacefully, her body wrapped around a pillow like she thought it was me. Then I went back into the living room.
At one, she finally woke up. She came out of the bedroom with messy hair and smeared make up. My t-shirt reached past her knees and looked like a burlap sack on her. She sighed then rubbed her temple like she felt terrible.
“Morning, sweetheart.” I poured her a glass of coffee then gave her some pain pills.
She eyed them both with squinted eyes, like the movement caused too much effort. “God, what happened last night…?”
I figured she wouldn’t remember it. I ushered her to the table then sat her down. “Have some coffee and some breakfast.” I made her a plate of toast and eggs then set it in front of her.
She pulled her hair back then wiped away the lines of mascara.
Even though she was a mess, she still looked beautiful to me. “You were drinking at a bar and some guy was harassing you. You called me to come get you and I put you in my bed and we went to sleep.” I decided to leave out the good stuff. It would only embarrass her, and then I would have to explain why I got naked with her since I liked men.
She picked at her eggs but didn’t eat them. She seemed lost in a cloud of confusion. Then suddenly, dramatically, her eyes widened to the size of acorns. “Oh my god…”
I sat next to her with a cup of coffee in my hand. “Remember now?”
“Vaguely…it comes and goes.”
“Why were you that drunk?” I tried to keep the anger out of my voice. She wasn’t my girlfriend so I had no right to get angry with her. It was a little early to show my true colors.
“I was out with my friends…” She ran her fingers through her hair and abandoned her food. “I had a lot of drinks because I was pissed off about Cameron…I don’t really remember much else.”
“Do you remember me getting you?”
“No,” she said quietly. She kept moving her eggs around with her fork.
“You better eat that.” I sounded more controlling than I meant to.
But she did as I asked.
“You do that often?”
“No,” she said immediately. “Never.”
“Just because someone hurt you doesn’t give you the right to put yourself in dangerous situations. What you did was irresponsible and wrong. Do you have any idea how much you scared me? You can’t do that to me ever again. This is never going to work if—” I realized what I was saying. “You need to take care of yourself. What would have happened if I hadn’t made it in time? That guy was about to drag you out of there. And then—” I couldn’t finish the sentence. It was too terrible to think about.
“It won’t happen again.” She didn’t look at me like she was ashamed.
“Promise me.” I needed to hear that otherwise I would never let her go out again.
“I promise.”
“Look at me when you say it.” My voice held my command.
She turned to me. “I promise.”
That was what I needed. “Thank you.”
Ophelia finished her breakfast in silence.
I just watched her.
“Thank you for getting me…”
“You’re welcome.”
There were a few crumbs left when she pushed the plate away. Her eyes were still squinted like the lights were on too bright, and her movements were sluggish like every thing hurt.
“You can head back to bed if you want,” I said.
“No, it’s okay. I’ve been in your hair enough as it is.”
My hand moved to hers. “You’re always welcome here. I was just a little mad…because you scared me. That’s all.”
“Yeah?”
I held her gaze and nodded. “Yeah. Now go back to bed.” I gave her a smile. “I’ll have lunch ready when you wake up.”
She smiled back at me then walked into my bedroom.
I watched her as she went, looking at those beautiful legs and remembering the way they felt when they were wrapped around me.
10
Ophelia
That night was a disaster I never wanted to remember. I wish I had called Max to pick me up instead of Jett. Now I was embarrassed anytime I looked at him. I knew he was disappointed in me and how reckless my behavior was. That night could have ended a lot differently, and not in Jett’s bed where I was safe.
The week went by and I tried to move on and stop thinking about it. Jett and I went to the gym like normal but the relationship wasn’t the same. I felt like I betrayed him in some way. I couldn’t explain it or put my thumb on it, but the tension was there.
I wish there was something I could do.
Only time would make it easier. My friends checked in on me the following day, hoping I scored, but all I ended up doing was sleeping with a gay man, who happened to be my brother’s boyfriend.
When did my life become this?
I sat at the kitchen table and flipped through a magazine.
Max came out of his bedroom then grabbed a beer from the refrigerator. “You seem down lately.”
I assumed Jett hadn’t told him what happened. If he had, Max would have mentioned it by now. “I’m just stressed out.”
“Everything okay with Jett?”
“Yeah. We’re just friends.” I don’t know why I blurted that out.
He nodded slowly. “Okay…”
I returned my attention back to the magazine. “How are you guys?”
“Good. No complaints.”
“Good.” But I knew I didn’t mean it.
“Is the thing with Cameron still bothering you?”
I shrugged. “Not really. I’m over it.”
“Then what’s bothering you?”
“Nothing,” I said defensively.
He held up his hands in surrender. “Okay…I’ll back off.”
I flipped the page so hard it tore.
Max went back into his bedroom and shut the door.
I poured myself a glass of wine and drank the whole thing in one gulp, hoping that would erase whatever was on my mind.
I tossed and turned that night in bed. My sheets wrapped around my body and hugge
d me. Sweat trickled down my body because of the heat of the room and my dreams. I kicked them off then felt cold so I pulled them back up. But I kept tossing and turning.
Then the dream came to me, hot like a poker right out of the fire.
Jett leaned back against his headboard and gripped my hips as he guided me up and down. Sweat was on his chest, and his eyes burned like simmering coals. He breathed hard while he rocked into me from below.
I massaged my tits while I sheathed him over and over. My hair flowed around my shoulders and bounced up and down every time I moved. His eyes burned into mine while he watched me.
“You’re so gorgeous, sweetheart.”
My nails dug into his shoulders harder as I rocked into him. His large hands gripped my ass and helped me move up and down his cock. “Jett…” I pressed my face to his and looked into his eyes.
“I’m so in love with you,” he said through his labored breathing. “Deeply, madly, and truly.”
His words lit the stick of dynamite and the explosion reached throughout my entire core. A scream came out of my throat as the delectable orgasm reached every nerve and fiber. “Oh god…”
His face moved into my chest and he sucked one nipple as he released inside me. “Sweetheart…”
I kept my arms tight around him as our sweaty bodies touched each other. My fingers moved into his hair as I treasured him against me. I never wanted to leave because the touch felt right. “I love you so much.”
He looked into my eyes and cupped my face. “I love you.”
The dream ended and I sat up in bed, covered in sweat and breathing hard. I pulled my hair out of my face then opened my eyes and looked around my bedroom. Jett wasn’t there and I was alone. But I remembered every detail of the dream. The sex wasn’t the most memorable thing. It was the gentleness of the way he kissed me, the way he made love to me while looking me in the eye, and the way his hand moved into my hair like he wanted to keep me forever. He said my intimate nickname, making me feel loved and cherished. It was a dream that I wished were real.
Then I realized it wasn’t one of those dreams that meant nothing, like when you mowed your great aunt’s lawn and she paid you in beetles. It hit me hard in that moment, and I knew exactly why the vision had come to me.