Burning Desire

by Ami Snow

  “You’ve been watching too many movies,” Bobby chuckled, but he couldn’t quite shake the images she planted in his mind. Big John certainly wasn’t someone to double cross. Hopefully he’d hear about the beating and be satisfied.

  ***

  Megan went to work that day as usual. Bobby dropped her off, all smiles because he was headed over to Rita Mild’s apartment to see if she’d go out with him for lunch. Megan told him not to get his hopes up, but with Bobby they were never really down in the first place.

  “Hey Meg,” John, the receptionist called with a flamboyant wave of his hand. John was as openly gay as openly gay came and made his job look like a cake walk. Megan for one was grateful for his efficiency, discreetness, and friendship.

  “Hey John,” she smiled. “How’s everything?”

  “As my mom always says, fit as a fiddle.”

  “Awesome,” Megan smiled. “I’m headed up. I’ll see you at lunch.”

  “Sounds good doll.”

  Megan stepped into the elevator and looked up just in time to see Charlie Green enter the hospital before the doors closed. A million thoughts ran through her mind, but the first and strongest of them was Bobby. If Charlie was here did that mean that Bobby was in trouble, or was he looking for her? If he was looking for her, why? Did he hope she’d stop by again and kiss him into oblivion? Megan grinned at the thought. Charlie Green was a behemoth of a man and the idea of seducing him was both tantalizing and absurd. Thankfully when she was near him she didn’t get that creeped out feeling, which told Megan he wasn’t nearly as bad as his physique implied. Hopefully he was just a really good bouncer for Big John and nothing more, but the nagging feeling about Bobby’s safety wouldn’t rest easy.

  The uneasy feeling stayed with her through lunch and when she called home and didn’t get a groggy voice on the phone, it only grew and intensified. “You look as if you’ve seen a ghost girl,” Shirley, Megan’s boss said.

  “I can’t get hold of my brother and he’s always home sleeping right now.”

  “You said he went to a woman’s apartment, maybe he crashed there.”

  “That’s not like Bobby,” Megan said, but the more she thought about it, the more she wondered if she even knew her brother anymore. “I don’t like this Shirley.”

  “Listen, take off an hour early today and go check on him. I’m sure he’s fine.”

  Megan thanked her boss and when the time came she practically bolted from the hospital as if it has ejected her like a cannon. She drove home on autopilot and burst through the door as soon as her key turned the lock. Nothing was amiss, but Bobby wasn’t there. Megan made herself lock the apartment and walk to her car, her body trembling. She drove by Rita’s and found out that Bobby had left there close to ten that morning. The uneasy feeling became nauseating as Megan drove by the cleaners. The bakery had shown no sign of life despite selling the best pastries on a four block radius. The cleaners was much the same, but the alley that ran next to it was a different story.

  Pulling into it, Megan saw a sight that chilled her blood. Two men, huge and hulking, were beating a much smaller man, pummeling him so that he lay on the ground trying to protect his head. “Hey!” Megan called before she could stop herself. “Hey! Stop that!” She ran forward in time to see one of the men kick the beaten man in the stomach and a sob tore from her. “Bobby!” Before she could reach him one of the men reached back and struck her across the face, knocking her back on her ass. Her lip was split and her face was on fire, but Megan crawled forward and slowly covered Bobby’s body with her own. Her venomous look at the two men had then thinking twice about hitting her again. “Please leave him alone, please.”

  “Let’s go,” one man said. “Big John got his message across.” The other man spit in the muddle at Megan’s feet and looked at her with eyes so dark they could have been made of coal. She shuddered as they walked away, but stayed over Bobby until they were out of sight. When she moved, tears flooded her eyes and fell freely down her face. “Oh Bobby. Come on love, let’s get you up.”

  Bobby’s moans of pain ripped at Megan, but she had to move him or he’d just lay there and probably die. “Come on you stubborn son-of-a-bitch!” Megan finally got Bobby up into her car and drove him straight to the hospital. She called John on his cell phone and asked for a gurney at the back entrance.

  “What do you need a gurney…Jesus Megan.”

  “Help me get him inside won’t you?”

  John tugged and pulled, helping Megan maneuver Bobby’s body so that it lay relatively straight on the portable bed. They wheeled him into the emergency department and Megan insisted on helping the on-call doctor clean him up before they took him for x-rays. “How’d this happen?”

  “He was jumped in an alley walking home,” Megan lied. She couldn’t squeal on Big John’s goons, or she’d risk them coming back to finish the job. Megan stayed with Bobby through the night, while his body worked to heal the damage. The x-rays showed multiple rib and facial fractures, mainly his nose, cheek bones and jaw. Thankfully there was no internal bleeding, but the bruising was extensive. She knew he’d be in the hospital for at least a day or two while he recovered.

  ***

  Bobby felt as if someone had literally run him over with an asphalt roller. His face throbbed to the beat of his heart so thankfully he wasn’t dead, but that did little to improve his circumstances. He tried and failed to open his eyes which was frustrating. Breathing was a chore and any movement from his waist up was excruciating.

  “Good Morning dumbass,” Bobby heard Megan say. He couldn’t see her, but Megan had never had a problem conveying what she looked like through her voice. He could already see the look of disdain and contempt on her face. He would have smiled, but the thought of the effort it would take hurt too much. “You’re not going to be talking for a while so maybe, if I can hit you hard enough, I’ll get through to that thick as tar brain of yours.”

  Bobby sighed in response.

  “Do you know what it’s like to come upon two massive men beating my brother to death? Do you have any idea what it feels like inside to know that something isn’t right and I can’t do anything to fix it? Did you ever once think of me when you got your stupid ass dragged into Big John’s mess?”

  She continued to rant at him and Bobby for once was glad he didn’t have to see her face. She was beautiful, as much as he was handsome. She’d gotten her looks mainly from their mother who’d been a stage actress once upon a time. Her dark auburn hair was long and wavy. He liked that she’d always left it that way, preferring it over the shorter, more stylish cuts today’s women often wore. Her sepia colored eyes always reminded him of warm honey, until she was angry. Then they were like the hive, always buzzing and ready to sting him at a moment’s notice. Her smile was their mother’s as well and matched her oval face perfectly. The only thing she’d taken from their father was the barely noticeable cleft in her chin that did nothing to detract from her beauty. Bobby still couldn’t figure out why she wasn’t married with a parcel of babies running around.

  With his head throbbing, Bobby pushed the button for his pain medicine that Megan had kindly put in his hand and drifted off to sleep as she continued to talk.

  Chapter Two: Misgivings, Who Needs Them?

  Megan waited until Bobby was fast asleep before she left his side. She went home and took a closer look at her face. Her cheek was bruised and that purple black color was spreading under her eye. The split on her lip wasn’t terrible, but it hurt when she tried to smile. Nonetheless, she couldn’t let Bobby go back to work for Big John. There was no way he’d survive another beating if he screwed up again and Megan loved Bobby, but he would mess up again despite his best intentions.

  Showering, Megan shaved everywhere, rubbed lotion into her skin, and slipped on the sexiest underwear she had. She wiggled into a tight, black mini dress and teetered on her stiletto high heels until she could walk without stumbling. She styled her hair and doctored her face with
foundation until she could barely notice the bruising on her face. A smear of lipstick his the split and a dab of perfume finished off the polished picture.

  As she drove to the cleaners, Charlie Greens face came to her mind. He was handsome for someone who towered over people, especially her. The last time she’d kissed him he’d been capable of crushing her, but his gentleness despite that fact, had warmed her blood. He was a gangster, or at least worked for one, and still Megan found him interesting. She was sure he could bounce anyone from the establishment who didn’t belong, but that fact when mingled with the gentleness he’d shown her only turned her on all the more. She’d known from the beginning that she’d need Charlie’s help and she’d come to pay the piper well for the hand.

  ***

  Charlie watched the traffic move back and forth as he sat at a table near the entrance of the dry cleaners. It was a slow day and with Big John being out, the day would continue to drag on. He read the newspaper some and drank coffee as if he was just a patron passing the time, but when he looked up and saw Megan Reed headed his way the only thought in his mind was that he had to have her.

  She was dressed to kill and without even being near him was already heating his blood. Her heels made her legs look a mile long and the thought of those sleek limbs wrapping around his waist nearly made him moan. She opened the door to the cleaners and those stunning eyes lit up when they landed on him. She smiled wide, but Charlie didn’t miss the wince of pain.

  “Hi Charlie,” she purred. “I missed you at my work the other day. Were you looking for me?”

  “I can’t say I would have been sad to run into you, but I was looking for Bobby at the time.”

  Her eyes clouded over despite her bright smile. “You’ll be happy to know then that he’s resting comfortably. I, on the other hand am anything but comfortable.”

  “On heels like those I can imagine.”

  “Oh, it has nothing to do with what I’m wearing, other than the fact that I still have clothes on at all,” Megan said, her voice thick and sultry. Charlie was already half hard. If she kept it up he’d have her where she was standing without a care as to who saw them. She leaned close and Charlie could smell the perfume she’d put on. It was light and airy and too damn sexy. “I’d be very appreciative if you could help me out with that.”

  ***

  Megan watched his eyes darken and felt a twinge of arousal low in her belly. A smile spread slowly over his features and Megan was thankful to notice that it only enhanced them. He was quite a striking man, despite his massive body. When he reached for her hand she gladly followed, hoping she was doing the right thing. “How much do you know about Big John?”

  “I know the moniker doesn’t exactly fit his physique,” Charlie smirked. “He’s fierce with his orders though and doesn’t stand for bullshit. I’m sorry about your brother by the way. I’m also sorry that you were hurt because of it.”

  “I was hoping you wouldn’t notice.”

  “I heard about it yesterday, but I couldn’t get away to come see how you were, or how he was.”

  “He’s doped up with painkillers and sleeping it off at the moment,” she sighed. She looked around the massive warehouse Charlie took her to. It housed stacks upon stacks of boxes and other things, Megan was sure she didn’t want to know about.

  “Good,” Charlie said. “Come here.” His mouth claimed hers as his hands swung her up to his waist. The hem of her dress rode high on her hips as she wrapped her legs around Charlie’s thick waist as he moved her over to an ice chest and sat her down. Her mouth moved over hers and without another thought she opened to him. Her mind clouded as his tongue sought out and danced with hers. Her breaths came short when his large hand cupped her tight breast. She wondered that her clothes didn’t just melt off her body as her blood began to boil.

  Then his mouth was on her neck, suckling her flesh and his hand was working to disrobe her with little worry that she’d have to put her dress back on when they were done. “Wait,” she pleaded. Smoldering eyes met hers and she smiled. “I have to put this back on when we’re through.” So saying Megan reached down and pulled the dress over her head, hanging it gently on a hook near her head.

  “You’re like a goddess,” Charlie chuckled, his arms easily supporting her light frame. “I want to ravage you.”

  “Then stop talking,” Megan said, her own body ripe with want. She caught his smirk just as his mouth found hers. She sank her hands into his thick hair and moaned as his hands roamed over her. Her breasts gloried in the attention as his large thumbs rolled over their peaks. When his mouth followed, her hips bucked involuntarily and Megan felt his hard erection. The thought of him filling her only fueled her own need. “Charlie,” she whimpered.

  ***

  Charlie had never known a woman like Megan. The women he usually took to his bed knew that they were being paid for a service rendered. Megan gave herself up like a woman possessed, a woman who wanted him with all she had in her. The thought was more than arousing. Her breasts were large enough for a man to thoroughly enjoy and perky enough to make him yearn. Sliding his wet tongue over her tight nipples and hearing her moan was so erotic. He sucked first one and then the other, her breath coming in shorter and shorter gasps as he did so. Her hands tugged his hair and her hips thrust against him, impatient and lovely. Quickly he slid a hand down and cupped her womanhood, rocking his palm against her. “Let me have you Megan,” Charlie breathed. “Just let me have you.”

  When she whimpered, Charlie tore her panties from her hips and sank into the wet heat of her. His fingers worked her back and forth, his thumb applying gentle, consistent pressure to her swollen nub. Her own hands reached for him, but denying himself was part of what drove Charlie to pleasure her. She came on a long moan, her hot core pressing against his thick fingers. Before she could even open her eyes Charlie dropped his pants and filled her deep. Her gasp and the way her eyes flew open and locked on his face brought Charlie a pleasure he hadn’t known he’d been missing. She rocked against him, her hips thrusting with each penetration so that they worked in tandem to meet each other. Her body sang for him and fed a hunger he was just discovering. He found that he craved more of it, more of the ease with which she gave herself to him. It was effortless, an easy slide of flesh to flesh that soothed him.

  Megan arched her body, moving her hips out and taking him impossibly deeper. Charlie had never before had a woman who handled all of him as if she’d been born, built just for him. He slid into over and over again, filling her deeply so that she moaned against him, her breath warm against his flesh. He took Megan’s breasts again, savoring the way her soft nipples tightened under the wet pressure of his tongue. Suckling her was a pleasure he gave himself as she built beneath him. Her hips rocked against him as if they had a will of their own, urging him to hurry as she increased their rhythm. He met her now, gripping her hips as his own need spiraled, undone by her. Megan cried his name as he came hard inside her, jerking her hips tight against him as he pulsed inside her.

  ***

  Megan knew the instant she came that no one had ever loosened her like that before, as if she was an easy set of knots to be untied instead of the complicated mess she truly was. Looking up she saw Charlie watching her as he righted his boxers and jeans. “I don’t know if I can stand.”

  “Give me a second and I’ll help you,” he smiled. Snagging her waist, Charlie lifted her down before he drew her up for a kiss. “You’re an amazing woman Megan.”

  “You’re pretty amazing yourself,” Megan smiled. “Do you know where my panties went? It might not be a good idea to leave them here.”

  “They’re here,” Charlie said, holding them out in his palm. “Careful, they’re wet.”

  “I don’t doubt it,” Megan blushed. “Do you make house calls Mr. Green?”

  “I will for a woman like you,” he said, his dark eyes serious and focused. “Tell your brother I’ll have his back okay?”

  Tears of gratit
ude filled her eyes and she swallowed them down. “He’ll be glad to hear it and so am I. Thank you Charlie.” Going with her heart, Megan leaned up and kissed him warmly, letting her mouth speak the words she couldn’t say. Heat flamed through both of them as the kiss deepened. Megan felt her heart trip in its rhythm before she pulled away. “Come by tonight?”

  “I have to work, but if you’re up around two I can see you.”

  “I’ll be up,” Megan said, ruining her sleep for a chance to deepen whatever it was that she and Charlie had touched in the dark of a mafia warehouse. Megan left the cleaners and headed back to the hospital. She made sure Bobby was resting peacefully before she left him a note and headed home.

  Chapter Three: Enticements

  Megan showered and dressed comfortably before she started supper. She slid breaded chicken breasts into the oven and chopped up veggies for a salad. She tossed some potatoes in aluminum foil and put them in the oven as well and then she put a bottle of wine in the fridge to chill. When dinner was ready, Megan ate slowly, enjoying the succulent flavor of the meat, the satisfying fullness of the potato and the crispness of her salad. She put everything away, checked on her wine and smiled. She set out two wine glasses and wrote herself a note so she wouldn’t forget and then promptly at nine she went to bed. Normally her bedtime was closer to twelve, but with Charlie coming over at two am, she wanted to be rested when she got up at one to get ready.

  ***

  The next morning when Megan checked on Bobby before she started work he looked worse, but seemed to feel better. The bruising around his face was a stark contrast to his normal pale complexion and even covered the freckles that spotted his skin. His jaw and nose stood out as the worse of his injuries until she saw the bruising along his ribs. They’d been wrapped tight to help him breathe easier, but Megan could tell it was still a painful chore.

  “Hey baby brother,” Megan teased. As twins she was only older by a couple minutes. His small smile reassured her. “How’s the pain?”