by J. C. Cliff
His kisses find their way to the tender spot behind my ear, and he whispers, “I will never be able to get enough of you.” His confession tugs at my heartstrings as he savors each slow stroke, and his eyes close as he throws his head back in pleasure.
The pace is killing me. “I need you faster, harder…please,” I beg.
He begins to pick up the pace. “My girl likes it rough,” he rumbles. A fine sheen of sweat covers his chest, accentuating and highlighting all of his muscles. My body is a sealed bottle of carbonated passion that’s been shaken up, and I can literally feel the pressure sizzling inside me ready to burst at any moment.
“Don’t stop, Travis,” I whisper in a panicked frenzy. I lock my ankles together behind his back, and spread my arms out wide, my fists clutching at the bed sheets in a sweet delirium as I take his pounding.
Travis leans down to encircle his soft, wet lips around my nipple, and I gasp. He’s gentle at first, and then he bites down, sending a blazing trail of fire directly to my core, making me spasm. I cry out from the intense pain, and then a sweet pleasure follows, ripping right through me.
My hands then thread through his hair, forcing him to feed on my breast as the sound of our bodies slapping erotically against each other fills the room. The feeling of his hard shaft as it slides in and out of my drenched, velvety folds has my entire body shaking. As he undulates at the deepest part of me, I struggle to keep my eyes open just so I can commit every second of him to memory. My eyes flutter closed with finality when Travis draws my other nipple into his mouth and sucks hard, his lips creating an erotically painful vacuum. I feel something burst within me, and suddenly, all of the bottled-up euphoria explodes into a kaleidoscope of colors. My legs uncontrollably shake, and my toes curl tightly as the eruption of a climactic orgasm washes over me. It’s all so intense; I couldn’t be quiet if I tried.
“Ohhh, Travis…” I repeat his name over and over like a whispered prayer. My mouth is dry and I’m spinning dizzily. I thrash my head side-to-side and cry out my pleasure as a thousand tingly electrical currents race through my body. As I’m coming, his hips thrust even harder. His cock plunges in and out of me with such force it intensifies the spasms and draws out my orgasm, causing me to cry out again.
“Oh, baby, I’m going to come so deep inside you. I can feel you squeezing the hell out of my cock.” I open my eyes just in time to watch this magnificent man take one last long stroke as he thrusts himself in deep and stays there. He throws his head back, the muscles in his neck straining as he roars out his release. I feel him pulsating within my walls as he pumps pure ecstasy inside me. He tilts his head to the side, and his face is flush as he takes his pleasure. While I watch this striking man come apart before me, I can’t help but think we truly belong together.
At this moment in time, there is nothing but the two of us connecting together inside our little world, and the fact we were able to explode at the same time makes it more special to me. As we both come down from our rapture, I realize I’m breathing heavily and coated in my own sweat as well. I smile at him, and he returns the expression as he moves lazily inside me again. He drops down onto his elbows, resting them beside my head, keeping the majority of his weight off me. He gives me a quick, tender kiss, then pulls back to look at me with what I believe to be adoration. “Are you okay?”
I swallow hard; my mouths still dry, a byproduct from my soul-shattering orgasm, but nevertheless, I give him a grin, smiling from ear to ear. “That was incredible.”
“Mmm, a most stellar experience.” He leans down and kisses me with sweet reverence while he continues to move his hips against mine.
I feel as if I could seriously fall in love with this man. Not wanting this moment to end, I wrap my arms around him, and begin caressing his back while he stays inside me. When both of our breathing patterns begins to slow down, I grin as I think of how he made my body sing, and I break out in tingles from head to toe at the mere thought.
He brushes the tip of his nose against mine. “You, baby, are phenomenal.” I close my eyes and sigh in contentment as he brushes his lips over mine. I feel complete, whole, and happy. Brushing my wild hair out of the way, he quietly asks, “What are you thinking about?”
A smile takes place on my lips as I slide my hand around to cup his cheek. Using the pads of my fingertips to stroke along his sharp jawline, I feel the prickly stubble on his chin. “I’m thinking that you, mister, are trouble.”
His brow arches as he grins back at me. “Trouble? Is that right?”
“Mm-hm. I can get addicted to this...to you.”
“I hope you do, sweetheart, because I’m already there.” Suddenly, I’m slammed with a realization. Worry crosses over my features as I shift my gaze away from his. “Hey,” he moves his head to stay in my line of vision, “what’s going on?”
I bite my lower lip with anxiety. “Travis, we didn’t use protection.”
His shoulders visibly sag as he expels a breath of air. He acts as if he’s relieved this is all I’m worried about. He shakes his head. “I’m clean, Jules. I promise.”
“That’s not what I’m talking about.”
His eyes stare intently into mine as he gives me a piece of my past. “I know you won’t remember this, but while we were dating, we covered this topic. Somehow the subject came up, and you had made mention about having to get a birth control shot. You said you were terrible at remembering to take a pill.”
I let out a sigh of relief. Thank God. Travis begins gently stroking my hair and playing with it. As he twirls a piece between his fingertips, he confesses, “Jules, I’ve been around the block a time or two. You are who I want, and even if you wound up pregnant, I would still want to be with you. I want there to be an ‘us’.” He softly brushes his lips over mine, then whispers, “I want you for keeps, if you’ll have me.”
I almost choke on my next breath. I don’t know what to say. In my mind, I’ve only known him for a few days now. I know he’s been nothing short of someone worthy to spend all of my time with, and as if he can read my mind, he continues, “I’m not ready for a baby yet either. I’m just saying if it were to happen, you wouldn’t be left out in the cold. I wouldn’t walk away from you or our child.”
“Thank you, Travis. That does mean a lot to me.” I give him a shy smile. “I really am thankful for all you’ve done for me. I don’t know what I would have done had you not been there to find me in that alley.”
“Hey, baby, don’t look back. Things happen for a reason, and look at it this way—you’ve got someone to kill your bugs now.” Shaking my head at him, a small giggle escapes me. His lips twist into a smile as unhindered amusement dances behind his eyes, proud of his slick remark. “C’mon, let’s go get cleaned up. I have some things I want to show you.”
His comment spikes my curiosity. “What things?” I ask, my brows furrowing.
He kisses my nose and gently pulls out of me while lifting his heavy body off mine. Immediately, I miss the full feeling and give him a pout. He laughs at me while grabbing my hand, pulling me out of bed. “I have some self-defense lessons I need to give you.”
“I still have my can of hairspray,” I retort. “I don’t want to get up.”
He chuckles. “C’mon, lazy bones. You go take a shower, and I’ll make you some breakfast.”
Not wanting our moment to end, I grudgingly get up and move toward the bathroom. As I do, he swats at my bare ass, startling me, and I leap forward with a loud yelp. I turn around, rubbing the palm of my hand over my bottom, soothing the sting while arching my brow. “What was that for?” I ask with astonishment.
He lasciviously smirks at me, eyeing the length of my body. “I couldn’t help but smack that sexy thing.”
I shake my head at him with reproach. “You’re lucky my backside has healed, because there is a fine line between bravery and stupidity, boy,” I say, holding a certain challenge in my tone. When he takes a step forward, moving toward me, I squeal and run to the bath
room. Locking the door behind me, I can hear him laughing behind it and I grin to myself.
Despite my memory loss, our intimate love making had to have been, without a doubt, the most intense and soul-connecting moment known to man. The feelings and emotions he was able to stir within me when we joined for the first time was earth-shattering. It’s as if we were fated from the beginning to be together.
After breakfast, I step out the backdoor and into the backyard as the brightly lit morning sun immediately begins warming my skin. The heat from the sun’s rays feels like paradise against my pale skin as the warmth seeps into my bones. I smile and inhale the fresh country air. The smell of pine trees and forest fills my lungs, and there’s a wonderful feeling down deep in my soul I can’t describe. The entire day thus far has been something from a fairytale, other than the revolting bug incident, of course. I shudder at the thought of having to chase down that horrid creature.
Travis comes up from behind and circles his arms around me, giving me a sweet embrace. He kisses the back of my neck, which in turn gives me chill-bumps all over, despite the humid air outside. “Whatcha thinking about?” His deep inquiring voice does something all topsy-turvy inside me.
“Mmm, how good the sun feels on my skin.” I grin in reply.
“Yes, well, it’s going to be a hot one today. You won’t be saying that in another hour or two.”
I shake my head, correcting him. “No, I feel as if I could stay out here all day and bake myself.” I close my eyes and lean my head back, resting it on his shoulder as I smile into the sunlight.
“Well, I for one am not into baking myself outside in this heat. I want to get done with some training before it gets too sweltering out here to even breathe.”
“So, did I graduate to using Raid cans now?” I tease while glancing around.
He grins and replies by pointing past the shed in the backyard. “I have some shooting targets set up over there for you to practice on.” Shooting? As in guns? He must feel me tense up, because he gives me a squeeze and reassuringly says, “Sweetheart, handling a firearm is serious business, but it’s more important you learn how to defend yourself.”
“That’s a pretty big leap though, Travis. I can point a can of hairspray, but I don’t think I’ve ever pointed a gun,” I reply nervously, “let alone at a human being.”
He turns me around in his arms and gently cups my cheeks in his palms. “Jules, I can only pray you never have to use a gun in self-defense. Even though I’m here by your side to protect you with my very life, there are certain situations where you may be called upon to act.”
“Travis, you’re scaring me.” I shake my head as anxiety laces my voice. “You’re giving me the creeps, and I really need to know what you think is going on, especially if it’s to the point of me needing to learn how to handle a firearm. I’m better now, and you said you would explain things to me once we got out of Charleston,” I tilt my head to the side, pinning him down with a serious stare, “and I’ve been patiently waiting for you to give me that explanation.”
He lets out a lengthy sigh, as if I’m putting him out, but I remain quiet as I patiently wait him out. I need him to shed some light on my situation. “Jules,” he breathes out in exasperation, “do you trust me?”
I shake my head. “This isn’t a matter of trust, Travis. I want some answers.”
His eyes turn crystal and iridescent against the sun’s rays as he stares intently into my eyes. His gaze firmly fixes on me, holding me spellbound. “This is a matter of trust, Jules. Don’t you believe me when I say I’d guard you with my life?” He accentuates the last word emphatically.
I’m taken aback, almost stunned by the sharpness and voracity in his voice. He’s very intense right now, and his conviction is so spirited I can’t help but believe his declaration. I think back on all he’s done for me, and I remind myself of the emotional and physical connection we shared just this morning when we made love. “Yes, I trust you, but...”
His fingertips press into my lips, preventing me from speaking further as he shakes his head. “No buts. There are certain things I can’t answer right now, and it’s only because I want to keep you safe.”
“Travis,” I impatiently drawl out his name with growing irritation. My temper rises as I back out of his embrace. “I’ve already lost my memory, and you keeping me in the dark is not helping matters. I have the right to know what’s going on, and with you wanting to stay elusive at every turn, well...well...it makes me feel as if you’re trying to trap me here on purpose.” I feel my blood pressure spike at the very thought and take another step back. My forehead crinkles as I stare at him in disbelief. “If someone wants to withhold important information from me, deceiving me is the only plausible conclusion I can come up with.”
In the blink of an eye, as if Travis is a linebacker, he roughly captures me in his strong arms, almost knocking the wind out of me. He holds me extra tight while his eyes squeeze shut, acting like my statement put him in pain. “God no, baby...it’s the exact opposite,” he proclaims on a choked whisper as he flicks his eyes back and forth over mine. It’s his eyes that always pull me in and take my breath away as they convey so much. Right now, they’re pleading, sincere, and pained. “I know you want to know everything, but I promise you...these stones are better left unturned for now.”
He leans down, tenderly kissing my lips, and my lower belly clenches. His tongue darts out, lightly brushing over my lips, and I shiver as I open up to him. My God, the man is like a drug, and I’m so addicted. How is he always able to do this to me? He kisses me stupid every time I get upset; making me forget what had me riled up in the first place until I’m putty in his hands. I have the insane desire to run my hands all over him, so I do. I go ahead and indulge myself as I softly trail my fingertips up his arms and run them over his hard biceps.
I feel as if I could make love to Travis all day long. He pauses in his kiss, pulls a hairsbreadth away from my lips, and gruffly whispers, “This morning when we made love, we bonded, Jules. I know you felt the potency between us.” His tongue flicks over my lips, and I grow wet with arousal. His eyelids sensually dip to half-mast. “Tell me you feel it too,” he softly murmurs.
I can’t deny how he makes me feel. “Yes, I sense something powerful when I’m with you,” I quietly admit.
“Then let’s focus on that. I don’t want to stop what it is we’ve started building between us. Please, just trust me. Let me do what I do best, and that’s protect you and safeguard our future.”
Our future? He’s really serious. He removes his hand from my back, and threads his fingers through my hair as he waits for my response, which I give him. “Okay...but eventually, I do want answers, Travis.”
“I understand, and I promise in time I will give them to you. Be patient a little while longer.” I nod, acknowledging his request. He briefly closes his eyes, sighing in relief, and pulls me to his lips by the nape of my neck, tenderly kissing me one last time. “Thank you, baby.”
Travis steps back, takes me by the hand, and gently tugs so I’ll follow him. He leads me to the backside of the shed to begin my first lesson in firearm training. As we walk hand-in-hand, I remain quiet. There are too many thoughts running rampant throughout my mind, thinking these must be dire circumstances if he wants to teach me how to handle a gun and learn how to defend myself.
I would’ve thought it best to clue me in on the dangers, but Travis always seems to know what he’s doing and looks to be in control of the situations that surround him at all times. I’m amazed at how he always comes across so self-assured and confident in his decision making.
Perhaps it is best I don’t know what’s going on after all, and to be honest, I’m not so sure I want to discover what perils are lurking in the shadows. I wouldn’t know what to look for anyway, especially since I don’t remember anyone or anything. I’d probably wind up spending all my time worrying about things I couldn’t control or fix.
I know Travis has my b
est interest at heart. He was beyond serious when he said he would lay down his life for me. There are just some questions that stick out to me like a sore thumb. One question is why would Travis, who has only known me for a month, guard me with his life? How could someone be so serious in this short amount of time? Granted, there is something undeniable I feel when I’m with him, but not having my memory, I can’t recall any past relationships to compare what we have to. I just wish I could remember my past to help me make a cognitive decision for my future. I know he said he’s been around the block, having had his fill of women, and he knows what he wants now, which is me. I have to ask myself, however, do I want him? What or who am I leaving behind?
I don’t know why after such a short period of time he’s decided he wants me; it seems so fast. What about me is so special that someone is willing to lay down their life for mine? Just by looking at him, I know for certain he could have any supermodel at the drop of a hat. So why me?
I’m trying very hard to remain positive and optimistic at every turn, but for some reason, I suddenly feel tired, as if I’m wearing down and giving in too easily. Travis lets go of my hand and says something I don’t catch, pulling me out of my reverie. He begins to unzip the duffel bag, which is on top of a wooden picnic table. I remain quiet while I watch him work methodically and with purpose. Once he has his items spread out across the table, he opens a black case and reveals a small handgun.
As he introduces me to his weapon, he wraps his large hand around its handle, pulling it out of the case’s padding. “This is a Sig Sauer 9mm. This model is small enough for you to handle, yet the deadly bullet size will do more than just piss an attacker off.”