Everly (Striking Back #1)

by S. M. Shade

  “Mason.” I pull him up by his hair and grab his cock. He’s a monster, solid as steel and pulsing in my palm. “Tell me you have condoms.”

  With a deep chuckle, he reaches into his jean pocket and produces one, wasting no time rolling it on. “You sure you want this out here?”

  “Don’t talk me out of it now.”

  “Wouldn’t think of it.”

  I can’t help but cry out when he sinks completely into me, stretching me past my limit. “You’re so big,” I groan.

  “You’re so tight. So fucking good.” I wrap my legs around him as he arches above me, fucking me—no—he’s making love to me. His eyes never leave mine as he takes me higher and higher until we both lose control, filling the forest with our groans of satisfaction and ecstasy.

  He buries his face in my neck while he catches his breath. “You’re amazing, Everly.”

  “Funny, I was just thinking the same about you.”

  “Are you cold? Do you want to move to the tent?”

  “Mmm, you’re warm. I just want to lie here a minute.” He flops onto his back and I cuddle up to him, resting my cheek on his chest.

  It feels so good, lying here with him. The stars shine above us and the fire casts a soft glow around us, pushing back the dark. I can’t remember a time I’ve felt more relaxed and content.

  * * * *

  “Evie, baby, wake up.” Where the hell am I? The sky is barely light when Mason kisses my jaw. “As much as I hate to cover up that sweet body, you need to get dressed.”

  Shit. We slept outside all night. Naked. At some point, Mason covered us with a sleeping bag in addition to the blanket. My hair is damp with morning dew, but wrapped in Mason’s arms, I don’t feel cold. I’m greeted with a soft smile. “Good morning, love.”

  “Morning. Why didn’t you wake me to move to the tent?”

  “You looked comfortable.”

  “Mmm, I am, but I don’t want to flash people when they come to shower.”

  “Keep the blanket wrapped around you and dress in the tent.” I nearly drool over the sight of his bare ass as he rises and walks to unzip the tent without a hint of concern. His laughter echoes through the forest while I try to retrieve my jaw from the ground. “You coming? It’s a little chilly.”

  “You have no shame.” I giggle, slapping his ass before ducking inside. Once we’re dressed, we head toward The Inn Restaurant for breakfast. “We’re really roughing it,” I tease as a waitress brings our food.

  “I need some sustenance after last night.”

  “You’ll need it more for our hike today.” I spread the map out in front of him. “It’s marked ‘very rugged’.”

  “As long as you don’t wuss out and make me piggyback you once you’re tired.”

  “I hiked this trail when I was seven,” I scoff.

  “Let’s do it.” He drops a few bills on the table and takes my hand. This man has held my hand more in the last two days than anyone else has in my life.

  We return to the tent to grab some supplies for the hike and we’re off. Trail three is a beautiful hike, and I’m thrilled to show Mason. None of the men I’ve dated before would have given two shits about seeing the amazing rock formations and winding hollows, but he seems as enamored as I am.

  “Wow,” he breathes as we crest a hill and find ourselves on a large rock outcrop. It overlooks the river and miles of forest surrounding it. Stepping up behind me, he slips his arms around my waist and pulls me back against his chest.

  “Gorgeous, isn’t it? I’d love to see it in winter, covered in snow.”

  “It’s a date,” he says, resting his chin on my shoulder.

  “You and your long term dates. You love to plan ahead, don’t you?” I press a kiss on his lips, secretly thrilled he thinks we’ll still be dating by then.

  “Nothing wrong with long term, love.” His words pierce something inside me. No matter how I fight to avoid relationships, long term love is all I’ve ever wanted.

  After gazing at the scenery for a few minutes, we’re joined by more hikers. Shit. It’s the two men who caught us using the men’s shower. Their hands are clasped, and the one with curly hair grins at us.

  “Hey guys,” Mason greets. “Would you mind taking our picture?”

  “Sure,” the other man answers, taking Mason’s phone. After he takes a photo, he asks us to do the same for them. They put their arms around each other, and I snap the photo.

  “They were adorable,” I remark as we move on.

  Mason laughs. “You’re adorable.”

  I peek up at him. “So, your brother Alex is gay?”

  “Picked up on that, did you?” He grins down at me.

  “Do you get along well?”

  “With Alex? Sure. It’s Parker that bears watching. You saw how he flirted with you.”

  “I’m sure he was only teasing.”

  “Only because you’re with me. Otherwise, he’d be all over you.”

  “You don’t know that!” I shove him playfully.

  “He’s my brother and I love him, but he’s the biggest whore in Indy.”

  “Ian could probably give him some competition.” I laugh.

  We’re both pleasantly tired and sore when we return to our campsite. Mason makes a delicious pot of chili over the fire. “Oh my god, this is fantastic,” I moan, taking my last bite.

  Before Mason can respond, there’s a crack of thunder and the skies open up. Laughing, I throw our backpacks in the tent and we dive in after. Mason gives me a wicked grin, quickly stripping off my clothes. Fuck. I get to make love to Mason in a tent during a thunderstorm. Life is good. The storm pounds the tent for hours, but Mason has no problem keeping up.

  Chapter Seven

  My head is still in the clouds when I arrive at my apartment. I just want to soak in a hot bath and reminisce about my perfect trip with Mason. First, I need to call Ian. “Hey girl, I was beginning to wonder about you. Thought he might have you tied to a tree somewhere. How did it go?”

  I can’t help the smile on my face, remembering his body arched above me in the moonlight. “It was fun.” I grab my mail and switch the phone to speaker so I can open a thick manila envelope.

  “Just fun?”

  “We hiked, swam, and went canoeing. Talked a lot.”

  “That sounds like a good sign.”

  “Oh fuck! No! Goddamn it!” I shout as a pile of photos slide out of the envelope.

  “Ev? What’s wrong?” Ian asks, but I barely hear him.

  In the first photo, Mason sits with his arm around a thin blonde woman. Her head is bent, and their hands are clasped. Another shows him embracing a petite red headed woman, his hand resting on her back. I don’t want to see the rest. “I have to go. Talk to you later,” I tell Ian, ending the call before he can reply. When he instantly calls back, I turn off the phone. I have to think.

  Maybe the pictures were taken before we were together. I force myself to look through the photos, paying more attention to their surroundings, hoping to see some clue they’re old. Preferably years.

  The only thing I notice is they’ve all been taken outdoors. Of course, Mason is an outdoors type of guy. My tears overflow as I picture him stretched out beside the fire, his smile as he motioned for me to join him.

  Ian bursts through my front door just as I spot something that steals all my hope. In the shot of him and the blond, a bank ticker shows the date and time. May 23, 3:17pm. The day after he supposedly came back to town. He must’ve met her when he went out for the pizza and movies while I napped. Right after he swore he wasn’t seeing anyone else and called me his girlfriend. He lied. There is someone else. God, how many are there?

  “Everly,” Ian says softly, embracing me as I try not to cry. His concern pushes me over the edge, and I sob into his neck. I know I’m probably freaking him out. I don’t think he’s seen me cry since I was a kid. “Shh, whatever it is, we’ll figure it out.”

  I let him go and shove the pictures toward h
im. He studies them before asking, “Where did you get these?”

  “In the mail. Probably some bitch he’s fucking wants him to herself.”

  He picks up the envelope and pulls out a white sheet of paper with one line of bold type across the top. Are you happy being one of his whores?

  “Ev, you need to call the cops. This is probably the same person who smashed up your car.”

  “I don’t care. She can have him.”

  “You’re upset. You aren’t thinking straight. I’m calling the cops. Some crazy bitch could be stalking you. She’s obviously stalking him.”

  “And fucking him,” I hiss, my anger overtaking the shock and heartache.

  Ian hugs me tight. “You don’t know that.”

  “I know he lied. He said he wasn’t seeing anyone else, that all he could think about was me. And my dumb ass fell for it.”

  “Stop that shit.” Ian holds me at arms length and his dark eyes burn into mine. “You finally put yourself out there. Maybe it won’t end well this time, but I’m proud of you for trying.”

  My phone beeps with a message from Mason.

  -Miss you already beautiful.-

  Fucking son of a bitch! It’s a wonder my screen doesn’t crack as I type my return message.

  -Take me off the list of bitches you sent that message to.-

  I quickly take a picture of each of the photos and attach them to the message before sending it. A few minutes pass, and he starts ringing my phone. After the second time I send it to my voicemail, Ian snatches it and accepts the call. “She doesn’t want to talk to you.” Ian moves to the kitchen table, rubbing his temple as Mason talks. Part of me wants to hear his side even though it won’t change anything.

  “She’s safe. You’re the one being followed. I called the cops.” After listening to his response, Ian snorts. “She’ll never go for that. Yeah, I’ll tell her. You need to straighten this shit out, man. You’re breaking her heart.”

  Damn it Ian! I flop across from him, shaking my head vehemently and reaching for the phone. He easily dodges my attempts and tells Mason, “Let me know what you find out.”

  I glare at him as he ends the call and hands me my phone. “Making a new friend?”

  “Shut up, Ev. You aren’t taking this out on me. He needed to know someone was following him. He’s worried you’re in danger and wants to hire a security team.”

  “I don’t need his hired goons following me. Why does he give a shit anyway? Did he even try to deny he was with those girls?”

  “He said it isn’t what it looks like, and to please call him when you’re ready for him to explain.”

  “When hell’s a glacier.” A knock at the door interrupts our conversation, and I go to file another police report.

  * * * *

  I’ve stayed at Ian’s apartment for nearly a week. Mason called and texted a few times the first three days, then gave up. I’m not surprised. I’m sure he’s on to the next gullible woman. To top it all off, Amy left for New York last night. Anger has propelled me through my week. Anger at Mason for being a liar, anger at myself for falling for it, anger at the world for being unfair.

  Ian insists I stay one more night, and I know he’s still worried over who sent the pictures. I’m sure it was just another woman who wants him, and when she sees we have no contact, she’ll leave me alone.

  Alone is all I want to be right now, because as the anger fades, pain seeps in. I miss him. I feel like a psycho, arguing with myself in my head. I miss him. I hate him. He can be so sweet. He’s a lying, cheating asshole. Maybe I should let him explain. Maybe I should throw something at his junk.

  I’m driving myself crazy and I need to be alone to sort through the swarm of feelings bombarding me. But arguing with Ian is like running uphill in flip flops. Uncomfortable, exhausting, and pointless. So I agree to one more night.

  “Hey, Ev,” Ian greets me, dropping his briefcase on the table. “Have a good day?”

  “Pretty good.” I do my best to sound upbeat. “BTC needed another volunteer to take the kids to The Children’s Museum. Then we went to the go-cart track. I totally kicked ass.” It was a fun day. I did my best not to be depressed in front of the kids, but Danny noticed my mood and asked about it. He backed off quick when I snapped at him to mind his own business. That was the last time he questioned me about “boyfriend trouble”. “How was your day?”

  Ian smiles, stripping off his tie and unbuttoning his shirt cuffs. “I got this hot chick’s number at lunch.”

  “Of course you did. I’ll head home tonight, and you can get laid. I’m fine, Ian.”

  “I’ll call her tomorrow. Tonight we’re binge watching Supernatural on Netflix and eating our weight in tacos. So get to cooking.”

  I smack him on the arm as he tries to dodge me. “Since you asked so nicely.”

  “I’m always nice.”

  The rattle of pots and pans echoes through the house as I hunt for a decent skillet, and Ian heads off to shower and change. He sucks down half a dozen tacos, but I only manage one. Apparently, my appetite receded along with my anger.

  “Hey, turn back to the news,” I tell Ian as he channel surfs. The headline story is the capture of The Naked Bandits. Apparently, the FBI was one step ahead of them, and now they’re all under arrest. Was it less than a month ago that I stood naked in that bank, humiliated while Mason protected me from the bandits and other prying eyes? He’s become important to me so fast.

  “At least no one got hurt,” Ian remarks, and I grunt noncommittally. I’m hurt.

  After a few hours of watching Sam and Dean salt and burn the bones, I’m done. I’ve hardly paid them the attention they deserve anyway. When I turn to tell Ian I’m going to bed, he doesn’t give me the chance. His warm arms embrace me and to my horror, I instantly start crying.

  He tightens his hold when I try to pull away. “It’s okay, pup. Okay to miss him. Okay to be upset.”

  “It’s not. I knew him less than a month. It’s ridiculous.”

  “It’s enough time to know you love someone and mourn the loss of it.”

  My arms lock around his waist and I rest my head on his shoulder. “I don’t love him.”

  “Okay.”

  “I just want to forget him. It was a mistake. Now I can’t go back to Striking Back.”

  “I talked to him today. He’s leaving town tomorrow for a few days. He won’t show up at Striking Back.”

  At least I can say goodbye to everyone. I sit up and glare at Ian. “Why are you talking to him?”

  “He wanted to know if you’d gotten any more threats. He’s still trying to track down who did it.” Ian’s voice softens. “He’s waiting to hear from you. For what it’s worth, he sounds miserable.”

  “It’s worth nothing. Whose side are you on?” I demand, furious he’s defending him.

  “Yours, honey. Always yours. Come on, let’s go to bed. You can sleep with me tonight. I’ll cuddle you if you can keep your hands to yourself.”

  “That’s got to be the first time you’ve said that to a girl,” I snort.

  Wrapped in Ian’s warm arms, I feel better, a little less lonely. But as I drift off to sleep I dream of thick biceps covered in tattoo flowers.

  I wake with a new determination to get on with my life. It’s not the first time I’ve had my heart broken. Maybe someday I’ll actually learn from it. Ian makes me promise to call him every day when he drops me at my apartment.

  At least I have my book group as a distraction. I don’t want to spend any more time thinking about Mason. After a quick shower, I head to Bellini’s to meet up with everyone. The back dining room is buzzing with laughter and conversation as the half lit women discuss the latest erotica book.

  “The writing was awful!” Janet exclaims. “I’ve never seen so many adverbs.”

  “Who cares?” Bridgette challenges. “The sex scenes were scorching. I don’t read erotica for the grammar any more than I watch Magic Mike for the stellar acting.” Everyone
laughs and the discussion rattles on. Marie signals for me to join her in the back, and she doesn’t look happy.

  “Are you okay?” I ask.

  She grabs my arm and tugs me onto the patio. All the tables are empty except for one. Macy sits slumped over in her chair, her head in her hands as her elbows rest on the table. “Show her, honey. You can trust Ev.”

  Pitiful bloodshot eyes meet mine and I’m filled with anger at the sight of her face. Her bottom lip is split and her top is swollen and puffy. She sighs as I sit beside her. “What happened?”

  “It looks worse than it is. Marie’s making too much of it.”

  “Who hit you?”

  “He’s so pissed because I won’t take him back.”

  “Al did this?”

  “He calls my job all day. I’m lucky I haven’t been fired. I’ve been staying with a friend, and he bangs on her door every night, then parks across the street for hours when I won’t answer.”

  “Have you called the police?”

  “No! Who knows what he’d do!” Her eyes are wide and terrified as she stands to leave. “I shouldn’t have said anything.”

  “Stop.” I grab her hand and stare her in the eye. “We aren’t going to do anything you don’t want us to.”

  “Ev, he’s stalking her. He hit her. She needs to press charges,” Marie insists.

  “And he’ll be out of jail the next day looking for her.”

  “Exactly,” Macy sighs, relieved I understand her position.

  “Is there somewhere safe you can stay tonight? You’re welcome to come home with me.”

  “I…you don’t have to do that.”

  “Please, let me help.” I explain all about Striking Back and the services they provide. “They can protect you. Get you the legal help to keep him away from you. I work with them, and they’re wonderful people. We can go in the morning.”

  “Thank you.” She hugs me. “I feel so stupid.”