I grab my backpack and my dirty laundry bag on the way out the door. My bike is parked out back. The laundry will go in the saddlebags. I know several people think a bike is impractical, but I love it. It’s so freeing, being on the open road. It helps to empty the mind.
Chapter Seventeen
Sawyer
I hear her shouting out her goodbyes as I wait out back. I feel a bit like a stalker hiding in the shadows. I parked my bike back here, beside another bike, a Harley Street 500, also all in black and chrome. I love to ride as most bikers do. I want to take my time and check out this bike, because it’s absolutely gorgeous. Every detail, including the chrome accessories and leather seat, is made to spec. I think I’m in love, but nothing compares to my baby and the hard work she represents. I wonder who the owner is. It’s more of a feminine bike, built on a sleeker and smaller scale. I would bet my trust fund that this bike belongs to a woman, and not just any woman, but my woman. I saw her use it in her performance tonight, and I doubt they would spend that much just for a prop. Her body looked amazing in those leather ass-less chaps. I almost came in my jeans when she came riding out onto the stage, her breasts hanging out of her top. She was fucking delicious, every last inch of her, and I wanted to jump on that stage and fuck her right there in front of everyone.
I start to approach the bike for a close-up when I hear a scuffle, a whimper, and what sounds like a cry for help. I turn and see a man holding onto Cherry from behind. Her face is devoid of all color, her eyes wide in fright. He has one arm banded tight beneath her neck and the other around her waist. He’s holding her so tightly that she’s barely able to move. She’s struggling and trying to kick out with her feet, but he’s stronger. Fear overtakes me. I’m so angry all I see is red, and rage consumes me as I storm over there, intent on rearranging his face.
I’m not two feet away when I hear him hiss at her. “You better keep your mouth shut, Cherry, or you get a repeat. Remember, I’ve got my eye on you.” She whimpers and sags in his arms. She clearly knows him. I don’t know what he meant by what he said, but I do know you don’t treat a woman like that.
I step up behind him and strike him hard in the temple, startling him. He drops his arms from around Cherry, but instead of turning and facing me he takes off, running down the street. I didn’t get a good look at him, so I wouldn’t be able to identify him if he was put right in front of me, because everything happened too fast. Even if it didn’t, he was wearing a black hoodie pulled up and almost completely covering his face. I turn and watch him run like a coward, my chest heaving with every breath I take. I hear sniffling and whimpering behind me. I don’t know how I could have forgotten about her.
She’s on the pavement lying in a fetal position, her arms cradling her body. She’s mumbling to herself. “Not again, please not again.” All the hair on my body is standing on end. I rush over to her and squat down beside her. She’s extremely skittish and I don’t want to frighten her further, so I go as slowly as I can, murmuring to her the entire time.
“Shhh,” I say softly. “You’re ok now. He’s gone and I won’t hurt you, ok?” I reach down and scoop her into my arms and stand, cradling her tight to my chest, inhaling her sweet scent. I hold her and rock us back and forth for several minutes, trying to calm her down, until her crying subsides, kissing her temple every so often. I can’t believe what just happened. This guy knew Cherry, and now my curiosity is piqued. I want to know what’s going on, but it’s none of my business. I don’t think she’s in a condition to talk about it anyway.
“Are you ok now?” I feel like I’m inadequate somehow, and I’m not sure what’s appropriate in this sort of situation. It’s a stupid question really. The reality is that she is not ok. She was just assaulted outside of her place of work. I feel her nod against my chest, her hand coming up to cover my heart.
“Thank you,” she says softly. “I don’t know what might have happened if you weren’t here to help me.” I love the sound of her voice, so soft and feminine, just like her. I smile into her hair and squeeze her a bit tighter while she’s letting me.
“I’m happy I was here,” I tell her, my voice sincere. I want to find that fucker and pound his face in. “Do you want to call the police?” The minute the question is out of my mouth I can feel her stiffen in my arms. She immediately starts squirming, trying to get down, but I’m not going to let her go.
“Easy,” I say. “I won’t do anything you don’t want me to.” I feel her calm immediately and her face tilts back to look up at me. I look down into her eyes, the color my favorite shade of blue.
“I just don’t have time for the hassle,” she says to me, lying through her teeth. Her eyes flit away from mine, her nerves getting the best of her. No time for the hassle? The guy attacked her for fucks sake, and she is making it sound like he’s done it before.
I grab her chin in my hand, requesting for her to look at me. Something is changing between us and I know she can feel it too, yet I somehow know she’ll deny it and keep me at arm’s length.
“Ok,” I tell her. “I’m not going to make you do something you don’t want to. Can you get home on your own, or can I take you? I prefer the latter.” I stopped drinking around 11PM, nursing my last beer for three hours.
“We can take my bike and lock yours up in the building.” I see the confusion and doubt on her face. It’s obvious to me that this woman hasn’t had a good example of trust in her life. A dumbass could see it. She’s still trembling in my arms, but she hasn’t made any more attempts to get down. I hope she feels safe in my arms and that’s why she isn’t fighting it, or me.
“Thank you,” she says quietly. “I would really appreciate it if you could drive me home. I’m really shaky.” I nod my head at her and smile; now really fucking excited. I’m finally getting somewhere.
“Where do you live?” A blush creeps up her cheeks.
“Oh,” she snorts a little. “I guess that would help, wouldn’t it?” She lets out a throaty laugh and my cock immediately hardens. She gives me her address and then looks down at her hands, which are folded tight in front of her, her knuckles white.
“I promise I’ll keep you safe.” She’s startled and her eyes fly to mine. I release her legs, letting her down out of my arms, her body sliding down the front of mine. I need to bite my tongue or I’ll throw her down in the middle of the parking lot and fuck her senseless. I want to slap myself for thinking this way, especially since she was just assaulted.
I follow her to the bikes and watch as she guides hers back into Pair-a-dice, before grabbing her helmet and fastening it carefully. I get on the bike and she gets on behind me, putting her tiny hands on my sides. I grab them and pull them around me, placing my hand over hers, patting it gently. I start the bike and pull into traffic, every so often laying my hands over hers to be sure she’s holding on tight. As we ride, I reach back with my left hand and rub it over her knee, trying to soothe her. Each time I do she squeezes me just a tad bit tighter.
We arrive at her place, a quaint little house in the suburbs. I pull up in front of her house and kill the engine, pulling my leg over the bike after she gets off. I walk her to her front door and take the key out of her shaking hands, putting it into the lock and opening it. She looks at me nervously and I can sense that she wants me to leave.
“Maybe I’m doing the wrong thing and asking too soon,” I say clearing my throat, my right hand gripping the back of my neck. “But would you please reconsider and go out with me?” I try to put what I think is a hopeful look on my face. I really want to get to know her, and I don’t know why. It’s unexplainable.
I watch as she shakes her head and I prepare myself for her response.
“You don’t really want to go out with me,” she says softly, looking me in the eyes. “There are things about me that you wouldn’t like or want to know, but I’m really flattered that you asked.” I can see that she won’t change her mind tonight, and now I’m just making her uncomfortable. I run my
hand through my hair and nod at her.
“Goodnight,” I say, and lean over to kiss her cheek. Her skin is so soft beneath my lips. Her perfume is a light scent, sexy just like her. I smile at the look of surprise on her face and give her a gentle shove into the house as she looks over her shoulder at me.
“Lock up,” I say firmly and watch as she nods at me. She closes the door in my face and I hear the locks click into place.
I had lost all hope in ever finding her, and yet here she is, but I want to make her mine.
Chapter Eighteen
Cherry
My hands are shaking and my legs are trembling. I saw the hurt that crossed his face when I turned him down. I don’t think this guy is used to being turned down if the look on his face is anything to go by. A horrible feeling came over me when I shut the door in his face. I can’t handle the pain, so I need to stick to my answer.
Once the door is locked behind me I turn and lean against it. “It doesn’t mean that I don’t want you,” I whisper. I want a bath. My pussy is tingling and throbbing, likely from being on the back of his bike but I can’t discount the fact that I’m crazily attracted to him. My mind wanders and I think about what a damn fine man he is. He has it all. He is tall, at least six foot two, with short, dark hair and the greenest eyes I’ve ever seen. It’s been so long since I’ve had sex, and I haven’t masturbated in some time, but I’m getting that familiar tingling between my legs and I really think I need a release, but first I need some wine.
I head straight to the kitchen and pour myself a large glass of wine. I bring it to my nose, inhaling deeply before lifting it to my lips, sighing as the flavors hit my tongue. I walk to the bathroom to get a hot bath started and light every candle I own in the process. These are the things that make what I do worth it. I love soaking in a hot bath to unwind from my day. I pour in some of my bubbles and sit on the edge, waiting for the tub to fill, and allow my mind to wander some more as I take another sip of my wine.
I run my fingers along the surface of the water. It’s perfect. I stand and step out of my dirty clothing, dropping it to the floor. I’m so grateful that Roger set me up with my own place. I live in the main floor of a house. I love this house. It is painted a soft butter yellow and has white trim, a white front door, and white window boxes that are overflowing from the flowers I planted. I have a cute little front porch with a swing and my back deck overlooks an incredible ravine, the scenery glorious. You can usually find me out back most mornings, drinking my coffee and catching up on current events and the news.
My warm bath is calling my name. I step in and groan aloud as I sit, allowing the hot water to close over my body, soothing my tired and sore muscles. I lean my back against the bath pillow and close my eyes, pulling in a deep, cleansing breath. The smell of my coconut bubble bath wafts up my nose and I sigh softly. I often think to what happened to me in the past and shake my head at how naïve I was back then. I truly was a sucker, so desperate for love and human attention that I fell for the first person to tell me I was pretty. Ugh. I still cringe at the thought.
I discard those thoughts and revert to the ones of my sexy stranger. God, he’s just so sexy. Every single time he is near me I get tingles and the hair on my scalp prickles. There is just something about him that I want, and that’s saying something. In the last several years not one man has sparked even a remote interest in me…until now, until him. It feels like we’re connecting on a soul deep level whenever I give him a lap dance. It might seem stupid to other people, but I feel like we communicate with one another without saying a word, the air around us thick with desire. The more I think about him the more I imagine him as if he were here with me in the tub.
He sits behind me, his body slippery and wet, enveloping mine. His cock is swelling, nudging my ass. His body surrounds me, his strong legs alongside mine. I sigh as his hands wrap around my body and cup my breasts. He bends his head and licks, nips, and kisses his way up the back of my spine and across my shoulders. I shiver, my nipples hard points. His hands massage my breasts while he runs his stubble against my neck. He tweaks both nipples in his hands, tugging sharply. His right hand moves from my breast, lowering itself across my belly and slides down beneath the water. He finds my bare pussy and cups it. The sensation of his callused hands against my bare folds is almost unbearable. I’m circling my hips, begging for more of his touch. He slips his middle finger through my slick, wet folds and begins to massage my clit in soft circles with his thumb, while inserting two fingers into my pussy. I can feel my body quickening, my breaths coming faster from the constant stimulation. The tingling begins at the base of my spine and my entire body stiffens as I come, moaning softly.
The sloshing of the water brings me back to reality. I came so hard that I caused a mini tsunami in the tub. My hand is still between my legs, my throbbing clit just under the pads of my fingers. Damn, I really needed that.
Maybe it is time for me to move on. I need to let go of this tight control I have over everything or I’ll snap. I want and need to learn to trust again. I haven’t had any meaningful relationships and it’s about time I start. In addition, I haven’t slept with a man in years and I need to remedy that as well, but I can’t change everything overnight. I can’t let what happened to me in my past affect so much of my future. I need to take some of that power back. I don’t just need but I want to take some of my power back, but it’s so hard. I need to remember it’s all supposed to be baby steps. Maybe I should take him up on his offer and see what happens from there. There is nothing wrong with two adults talking over drinks.
I pull the drain plug and stand, grabbing the towel to dry myself off. I haven’t let anyone close to me except Roger and Joanne, but only out of necessity. Roger is my boss and I want him to trust me, but not just as an employee, but also as a human being. He knows I draw in a lot of clientele and as a result I get free reign. We just hired a new girl: Salem. I think I like her, and I can really see myself clicking with her. I can tell just by looking at her that she is hiding some sort of pain like me. Maybe we all recognize one another, those of us who have dark secrets.
I tidy up the bathroom and liberally apply my vanilla and cinnamon scented lotion. I love the smell. It soothes me. I sigh, thinking about my crazy busy day tomorrow. I have a full shift at work that I need to pull off and the house is a disaster. I need to clean, finish up all my laundry, and get some groceries since I didn’t finish the day I ran into the sexy guy, throwing the whole trip off. I really need to stock up as I’ve let my cupboards get bare. I shouldn’t have let everything go for so long and then I wouldn’t have to run around like a crazy woman.
I put on my pajamas as I mentally go over everything I need, planning out my list before finally falling into bed with a loud groan. God it feels so good to hit the pillow. My last thought is of my handsome stranger and his intense green eyes.
I feel his breath on my neck behind me as he scrapes his teeth gently along the skin between my shoulder and neck. His hands snake around and open the front clasp of my bra, pulling the cups aside and exposing my full, pert breasts. I watch, mesmerized, as he bends his head and takes one of my nipples into his mouth, sucking firmly. I look down at his handsome face just as he looks up at me, his green eyes shining in the light. I’m clenching my legs, trying to alleviate the ache in my throbbing pussy.
I clutch his head tight to my nipples as his tongue swipes across the pink point, causing it to harden and tighten even further. I moan in pleasure as he nips and licks various areas of my body. I shudder as he kisses his way down my navel and thrusts his tongue into my belly button. His hands are large and firm as they open the button on my jeans, pulling them and my now soaked panties down with them. His knuckles skim over my skin, raising goose bumps in their wake. My stomach clenches and I feel like I may pass out from anticipation. He stands and guides me backwards until my legs meet the couch. He pushes me down and runs his nose alongside my groin and through my folds, inhaling deeply.
I’m embarrassed, feeling the blush burn over my skin. I didn’t know that, but how could I? I don’t have any girlfriends to share this sort of stuff with.
“Fuck, you smell amazing,” he growls. “You’re so swollen and wet, just waiting for me to clean up all those tasty juices,” he says, licking his lips. No sooner are those words out of his mouth before he uses the flat of his tongue and licks me from the center to my clit.
“Oh,” I cry out loud. “That feels good.”
I don’t know what to do with all these sensations coursing through my body. I feel like I’m free falling, and I’m not sure if someone is there to catch me. I can’t get over how good his hot, wet tongue feels, hardening against my slick pussy. He keeps licking at me, alternating long leisurely laps through my folds to flicking his tongue as fast as he can over my throbbing clit. He takes a finger from his right hand and runs it through my wetness as he thrusts it deep inside of me.
“Fuck, you’re so tight,” he hisses.
He keeps up a steady rhythm with his hand, thrusting in and out of me all while eating my pussy like it’s a ripe Georgia peach. I can feel my body quickening and know that I’m about to come, my belly rippling in pleasure. A tingling begins at the base of my spine and suddenly I shout his name as my entire body tenses and pulses, twitching as my face contorts in a mask of ecstasy. I can feel my pussy milking his finger, clutching at it in tiny bursts. He sits back on his haunches and looks at me. His lips are wet with my fluids. I suck in a breath and watch as he pulls his cock out of his pants. It is thick and long with a large pinkish-purple head that is weeping fluid.
Accepting Cherry Page 13