Just One Night

by C. A. Harms

  “Wait, what flyers?” Looking around the group, Ruby was the only one who seemed confused besides myself.

  “The twins printed out flyers of Isaac in his get-up and plastered them all over campus. I’m sure your phone isn’t the only one he’s on at this point.” Jay was pleased with himself as he fist bumped Eli. “Come on, sis, your boy’s famous.”

  Asshole stood up, pulled Ruby with him, and walked away from the group, laughing the entire way to his truck.

  Grabbing my things, I stuffed them in my bag, picked up my phone, and said goodbye to the rest of the group. I decided that I wouldn’t mention the flyers, the image on my phone already had me in the doghouse. I’d let him figure the rest out on his own.

  ***

  “What flavor?” Isaac stepped back but kept ahold of my hand as he started to backup toward Baskin-Robbins. A mischievous grin on his face made my heart flutter. It was much different from yesterday’s tantrum about the pictures on my phone.

  I decided not to bring it up, some things are better off forgotten, or ignored, whichever.

  “Right now you’re running through all the flavors, aren’t you?” He thought he knew me. I rolled my eyes and bit my lip while I tried to decide what sounded good today but couldn’t make a choice.

  Suddenly I was once again pulled close as he circled my waist and held my body to his. I honestly loved when he held me in his arms. The presence of his dimple was making it hard to concentrate on much of anything else. I felt my cheeks grow flushed with excitement. Thoughts of what he was like in bed had been swarming my mind so much lately and he’d been a little too much of a gentlemen when we were together. I needed him to be dirty, as in, it was killing me not to jump him. The problem was I’d seen that side of him, though he may not fully remember I do, and I wanted to relive it. I needed to relive it.

  “Chocolate chip, cookie dough, and Oreo,” he whispered, lightly kissing the tip of my nose. “Let’s go with a scoop of each and we can share.” My eyes must have lit up with his suggestions because he chuckled and cupped the side of my face, his thumb grazing over my lower lip. They parted and I tried so hard to control my reaction to him. When he smirked and leaned in a little closer, I knew he’d picked up on it.

  My heart rate spiked and I waited in anticipation for him to make a move. My goodness, I couldn’t put myself out there anymore than I had other than attacking him and taking it myself. I think he secretly enjoyed working me up. To hell with his ego boost, he better do something and soon.

  There were so many things I wanted to say, but staring at him this close left my brain feeling a little fuzzy. Damn him for making me so needy.

  “I better go get that ice cream.”

  And once again he stepped back and left me hanging on the edge. Jerk laughed when he found me glaring at him when he glanced back. It was all the confirmation I needed to ensure he was, in fact, greatly enjoying torturing me.

  I wasn’t sure how long had passed, but I was sitting at a table, leaned back in the chair, when I heard my name from behind. Chills covered my back and shoulders, the little hairs on the back of my neck stood tall.

  “Hanging out alone outside of ice cream stores.” A deep chuckle fell from Alex, one of my exes, as I slowly turned around to face him. “Hoping to pick yourself up an equally needy man?”

  Tara stood at his side, clinging onto him like she was a second skin. Jeans so tight I’d found myself wondering how she was possibly moving in them and her shirt looked to be three sizes too small. Her tits spilled out of the top, her mid-riff fully exposed. The way Alex cupped her ass and pulled her closer made me nauseous, not because I wanted to be her, but because he actually thought he was making me jealous.

  It was disgusting.

  “I’m actually waiting on someone.”

  Alex did the whole looking around thing as if he thought I was lying and it only made me feel smaller. That was his thing, always trying to make me feel like I was nothing special. Familiar doubt filled me from head to toe and I started to fidget in my chair.

  “Hey baby, everything okay here?”

  I had never in my life ever felt the kind of relief that struck me when I heard Isaac’s voice break the silence. Looking up, I could almost kiss him, that was if he didn’t have a deathly look on his face aimed straight at the arrogant prick from my past.

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Isaac

  The high I was feeling from my earlier tease with Jade faded fast when I stepped outside of Baskin-Robbins. All I could see was the back of a guy and girl standing near Jade, but as I got closer I immediately picked up on her discomfort.

  I may not have known what any of her douche boyfriends looked like, but I sensed that the guy might be one of them. Or it could have been the girl, but I didn’t like her body language. The way she slouched and twisted her hands in front of her.

  “Hey baby,” I stepped around the guy and set the ice cream on the table near her, “everything okay here?” I spoke to Jade but didn’t take my eyes off the couple.

  The girl looked more like a hooker than someone who should be hanging out at a strip mall.

  “Everything’s fine.” I knew instantly that was a lie.

  “Yeah,” the guy said in a drawn out cocky laugh. “Everything is fine.”

  This guy was a fucking joke.

  “You must be the new guy.” He chuckled and the girl tucked her hand into the waistband of his jeans. There was a faded bruise on her left cheek and something about that made my stomach twist. “If you’re smart you’ll get out now, she’s not worth the time.”

  “What’d you say?” Stepping forward, I squared my shoulders and looked directly into his eyes. He pulled the girl tighter against him and I almost laughed. I knew his type, big enough to smack around a girl but had no fucking balls to challenge a man.

  “I wasted too much time on that one.” He stepped back, taking the girl with him. “Just figured you’d want a little warning.”

  “Make one more fucking comment and I’ll show you just how much I appreciate your so-called warning.”

  “Isaac.” I felt Jade touch my arm and instantly I stepped in front of her, covering her from them. I didn’t even want this prick looking at her. The idea of him touching her in any form made me see red. “Let’s go.” Wrapping my arm around her, I rubbed her side soothingly.

  “We’re not going anywhere, they are.” Fuck this.

  The guy held up his hand like he meant no harm and something about the way Jade flinched like she thought he was about to do more set me off. He’d hurt her, at some point this motherfucker put his hands on her, and I reacted.

  “You feel like some kind of man, hitting women?” Stepping forward, I bumped my chest to his and he chuckled. I could sense the nervousness there. “Why don’t you hit me instead? Difference is, motherfucker, I’ll hit back. But I’ll give you one good one.”

  “Alex, let’s go.” The girl tugged on his arm.

  “Yeah, Alex, why don’t you go? I think we both know you’re too big of a pussy to do anything. I don’t have the right anatomy for your anger.”

  I didn’t back down, fuck, my entire body trembled with so much anger I truly felt like I could kill this sack of shit. I knew if he stood there much longer there would be no stopping me. All I kept seeing was Jade cowering while this fuck stood over her and it did nothing for my control.

  Slowly the guy stepped away, and when he was far enough he chuckled again, like he’d actually done me a favor by leaving. Truth was, he’d saved himself because I knew if I’d been able to hit him once, I wouldn’t have stopped.

  “Hey,” Jade whispered and I turned to look at her. With her arms crossed over her chest, she looked so fucking small in that moment. “Maybe we should leave.”

  “I came here to get my girl some ice cream.” Reaching out, I pulled her close and placed my hand under her chin. Tipping her head upward, I grazed over her grin with my thumb while ensuring her eyes were locked with my own. “I
could have killed him, you know that, right?”

  “Isaac…” Jade tried to turn away only I didn’t allow it.

  “He hurt you.” It wasn’t a question because I already knew it to be true. “Never again, him or anyone else, do you hear me?”

  With her eyes closed, she nervously bit her lower lip, but didn’t answer.

  “Jade.” I gave her a few seconds to breathe evenly before she slowly opened her eyes and stared up at me. “Baby, do you understand what I’m telling you?”

  It killed me when her lower lip trembled. My chest grew tight and I leaned in and pressed my lips to hers. It took a minute for her to relax, but when she did she gripped my shirt and leaned into me. Standing there in the middle of the courtyard I’d given her the kind of kiss I’d been taunting her with all day. Nothing about it was quick and easy.

  When I pulled back, her lips were red and her eyes were glassy. She panted and she looked incredible staring up at me. I’d never felt so territorial, so protective and possessive before. She was mine, and I swore right then and there that I’d never allow anyone to hurt her again.

  Truth was, she and I may have started from just one night of drunken sex, but the one night was the most incredible night of my life. It brought me Jade, and it brought me my future.

  ***

  “If you keep feeding me like this I’m going to be huge,” Jade mumbled around a mouthful of burger and I chuckled. “All I do is eat, but it’s so good.”

  There was really nothing to her. Yeah, okay, she had a cute little bump where a baby grew, but it was barely noticeable with clothes on.

  “I think the only time you eat is when I feed you.”

  “I eat.” Covering her mouth, she chewed and took in a slow breath. “I just get full fast.”

  Eating crackers and fruit cups hardly qualifies as eating, but I wasn’t going to hassle her. I enjoyed taking care of her.

  Sitting back on the couch, she pushed away the half-eaten burger and took a healthy swig of water. When she looked up and found me watching her, she smiled. “What?”

  “You done?”

  “Um, yeah,” she said, pushing down the waistband of her yoga pants and rubbing her belly. “If I have one more bite I think I’ll burst.”

  She ate like a bird, that’s why I fed her all the time.

  Jade was thin, not rail thin, but petite. Though by the way she talked you’d think she was four times her size and an ogre. She honestly had no clue how beautiful and desirable she was.

  “Why don’t you come over here and I’ll start this movie?” I patted the space between my legs and held my hand out for her. I liked holding her, I liked feeling her body pressed to mine. Yes, I was careful with her, and yes, I held back when what I really wanted to do was devour her. I also didn’t want her to feel like it’s all I wanted. The way we started was based on sex, and though I couldn’t honestly remember every part about that night, I did remember some things. We were crazy and now she was pregnant, so yes, that changed things.

  I didn’t want to hurt her.

  Slowly Jade rose up and crawled toward me, and at this angle I could see right down her shirt. Excitement coursed through me and I couldn’t help it, I grinned like a kid on Christmas morning.

  “What are you smiling at?” Crawling up my body, she laid over me, the weight of her body shifted to my left.

  “You.” When she licked her lip, that was all it took, I couldn’t hold back from kissing her. Cupping the side of her face, I took her mouth with my own, and when she moaned it shot through me like an electric shock.

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Jade

  I felt his kiss from the tip top of my head all the way down to my toes, a slow, tantalizing domination that destroyed me in the best kind of way. I wanted it to last, so when he attempted to pull back, I moved in for more. One thing’s for sure about Isaac, the guy knew how to kiss. If it were possible to orgasm from a kiss alone I’d be a mess.

  “Jade.” I knew that sound, it was the one he’d make when his conscience was nagging him to be a gentleman, but I refused to allow him to give in.

  Crawling up his body, I straddled him and placed my hands beneath the hem of his shirt. The very second my fingers glided over his stomach I felt him shudder. That alone was enough to ignite the need for more. He felt it too, he wanted this, and I wasn’t about to back down.

  I guess a big part of me needed to feel desired by Isaac. I craved him, I didn’t know if it was the hormones or just because the way he looked at me made me feel beautiful for the first time in my life. What I did know was I wanted more, I wanted it all.

  Feeling his hands on my hips, I moved forward, chasing the friction, and the deep groan that escaped him was addictive. I wanted to hear it again and again.

  I lifted his shirt above his head, and tossed it to the floor beside us.

  The second our eyes locked with one another once more I grabbed my own shirt and dropped it as well. Yes, I felt self-conscious, but when his eyes raked over me hungrily that feeling quickly faded.

  The way he looked at me made me forget my past. All the hateful words and judgments were gone and in its place something I’d never felt before.

  “Are you sure?”

  “Absolutely.” I had never been more sure. I wanted to take my time, I wanted to ensure this time every single touch, every kiss was remembered. We did start out in an unconventional way, and we may be doing things backwards, but nothing had ever felt so right.

  Isaac stood, lifting me with him and cradling my body to his.

  Carrying me through the living room and laying me on my bed, he stood tall and again looked over me from head to toe. I watched in awe as he slowly unbuckled his jeans and carefully lowered them to the floor, stepping out one foot at a time.

  I took the opportunity to remove my own, and when I was left with nothing more than my panties and bra, he joined me on the bed.

  I was immediately lost in the way he kissed over my shoulder, then up the side of my neck before once again finding my lips with his own. “I’ve thought of this, so many times.”

  God, me too.

  “I know that you don’t think I remember, but I do. Maybe not all of it, maybe not every touch, but I do remember our night together.” As he spoke he continued to kiss and taste me. “I remember what it felt like to be inside of you.”

  His words were driving me crazy.

  “The way you shifted your hips, your hands pressed to my chest, and you slowly moved above me. The way you moaned, it’s something I will never forget.”

  I wanted that, I wanted that so much.

  “I remember the dip in your back, the one right above your ass. It became more distinct each time you pushed yourself back against me and took me inside you over and over.”

  Isaac kissed the space between my breasts before unsnapping my bra and sucking my left nipple softly. I was losing control fast.

  “I have to be careful with you, and I’m afraid that I may lose control.”

  “I won’t break.” I wanted him to lose control. “Stop thinking so much and let go.”

  “I can’t.” Again he continued to kiss me softly, slowly, as I grinded my hips upwards searching for contact. I felt like a mad woman, a starving addict.

  “You can.” He had to. “You won’t hurt me.”

  Before he had the chance to talk himself out of this, I reached beneath the waistband of his boxers and wrapped my fingers around his hardness. Instantly his hips flexed and I knew his body wanted me as bad as I wanted him. It was his head that was clouding his need.

  “I want you,” I whispered and he looked up, staring at me as his nostrils flared. He was barely hanging on. “I remember everything about that night. I remember the way you touched me. I remember every shift of your hips as you took me at every angle. I remember how you felt inside of me, I remember the look on your face, the deep satisfied moans when you pushed in deep.”

  “Jade,” he moaned my name, and I could se
nse he was losing the battle with himself.

  “I want that again.” I stroked him, gliding my finger over the head of his cock, feeling the gathered moisture there. “I want to wake up tomorrow and feel the deep ache of where you’ve been.”

  He was done, I knew when he began to thrust, pushing his cock through my hand.

  “Please, don’t hold back.”

  Rolling his body over, he took me with him and I found myself straddling him as he looked up at me through lust-filled eyes. “You’re in control, baby. Do some damage.”

  I wasted no time removing my panties and pushing down his legs. Moving back into position, I hovered above him and made sure I watched the expression on his face as I slowly slid down over him.

  He felt incredible. His eyes practically rolled back in his head when he reached the hilt and I shifted slightly, taking him just the slightest bit more. In that moment I was reminded of his size when that deep ache expanded through me as I stretched to accommodate him.

  “Damn.” It was barely above a whisper and I felt incredible knowing that I was making him feel so good. When I tried to move, he gripped my hips and held me still. “Wait.” He took in a deep, calming breath. “I need a minute, just a minute.”

  I leaned over, brushing my lips over his and he squeezed my hips harder. At this angle I was able to move just a little and he growled a deep hum, vibrating my chest that laid against him. “Woman, this is going to end far too soon if you don’t give me a little time to gain some control here.”

  I couldn’t help but giggle and his gaze locked with mine.

  “I’ve been bound up for weeks, months now.” My brows shot up in surprise. “Not since us.”

  To say I was surprised was an understatement. But this only managed to make me fall for him a little more.

  Pressing my lips to his, we spent a few minutes kissing and when he shifted beneath me, it was my turn to moan. “Perfect,” he said between kisses, “never felt this good.”