Charlie sat up, reaching for her ankle. Pulling, her foot landed directly in his lap. He carefully folded her pant leg up, searching as he went for the burn. Shaking his head when he found the seared skin, he said, “Hold on.” Pulling his phone from his coat pocket, he hit the button to illuminate the screen, shining it on her leg. “I can’t see it real well, but it’s at least a second degree burn. We need to get this cleaned up and some antibiotic cream on it.”
“I will put some on when I get home.” Bryn had pulled her leg away, hoisting herself off the ground. Dusting herself off, she limped back to the bike. “Corey can come and get me.”
“No signal, Bryn. We are in a valley.” Charlie waved his phone, emphasizing his point. He sat Indian-style on the ground, not looking too eager to stand yet.
“Fine, I’ll walk.”
An exasperated sigh came from Charlie as he slumped his shoulders. “No, you will not. First you are going to tell me what exactly made you panic. Then we are going to figure out how to get your ass, my bike and me five miles south of here without any of us getting hurt,” using his index finger to point.
Bryn was beyond embarrassed at this point, and just wanted to get home, “Just ride that five miles down there by yourself, and then call Corey to come and get me. Easy as that.”
Charlie gingerly stood up, gritting out through clenched teeth, “No, I am not leaving you out here. What kind of a bastard do you take me for, Bryn? Now, tell me what I did to make you panic, and I will refrain from repeating whatever it was. Then we can just both ride to the lake and if you still want Corey to come and get you, we can call him from there.”
“I don’t know if you missed it the first five times asshole, but I said I don’t want to talk about it. Now, you can just ride home and get…Hey!” Her words were cut off as he pushed her, face first, towards the bike, tightly gripping her wrists with just one hand.
“Bryn, damn it. You need to tell me what happened, or so help me God, I will spank, what I’m sure will be, your very lovely ass from here until Sunday.”
Heat flooded her skin from his body pressed so close to hers, or possibly the suggestive words. Whichever, it had started a tingle deep down in her belly, lighting her insides on fire. No one had ever threatened her with a spanking before. Well, not like this at least. Turning to look at his face, she saw the intense stare, focusing directly on her reactions. Bryn felt some relief, knowing that he was testing her, pushing her boundaries. He won’t hurt me.
“You can’t spank me, Charlie. I’m not a child.”
“I know you are not a child. You are a stubborn, pig-headed woman that obviously has some deep-seated problem with either me, or riding motorcycles. Now, I am hoping beyond hope that it is not me, and that something else is going on here. I will only ask you one more time before I paddle your ass, Bryn. What happened?”
Bryn turned her face away from him, hoping that she’d be calling his bluff, and would realize that this was not a conversation she wanted to continue. Feeling Charlie loosen his grip on her hands, Bryn started to pull away from the bike as a stinging slap resounded across her right butt cheek. “Oww, Charlie! That hurt!”
“It’s meant to hurt, Bryn. Now, I’ll keep going until you spill it, kitten.”
The next blow was even harder than the first, causing Bryn to clamp her lips together to hold back a gasp. She tried to wriggle her arms free, but he only pressed her further into the seat of the bike, pressing his elbow down on her back. Two more rained down on her cheeks, alternating sides. The backs of her eyes burned, as the pain blossomed out across her skin, making it feel like her skin was on fire. Again, he laid out two more swats, causing the unshed tears to freely fall. The pain had morphed into something else, creating a new kind of heat deep inside her body. There was no way to explain how the pain changed into need, but it had. The next swat caused her insides to lurch forward, a moan escaping her lips.
“That’s it, Bryn. Let go, kitten.”
Time had stopped moving as the next ten swats on her ass kept her skin ablaze with wanton desire. It had become very difficult to keep her feelings bottled up anymore. Everything felt like it was bubbling up inside her, making her want to get that pent up rage out of her body. Before she could pull them back, she was saying the words she had held inside for years, “I was raped by a bastard that had taken me for a ride on a bike. He told me that I had asked for it. He said that I was nothing more than a whore that looked good plastered to his back. That no one takes chicks seriously unless they know how to ride, not dumb bitches that need to be ridden.”
Charlie immediately let go of the Bryn’s wrists, as if her flesh was on fire. Bryn lay her head down on the seat of the bike, wishing the earth would swallow her whole.
“Oh. My. God. Is that why you are trying to kill yourself learning how to ride a bike? You want to prove something?” Tears continued to fall onto the seat of the bike as Charlie continued, “Bryn, a rapist is the lowest form of scum on the earth. He takes because he has no control over his own life. You didn’t deserve anything he did to you.”
Charlie was assessing her as he stood there, waiting for her to say something. Slowly, Bryn righted herself, leaning on the bike for support. Standing there, she took deep breaths to calm her ragged nerves. Her skin pebbled when she saw the look in his eyes. Charlie was looking at more than just her physical body, but also into her soul. There was no pity, no sadness, just a desire that was echoing in her mind.
“I know that, deep down, but for whatever reason, I need to learn how to drive my own bike. I just have to prove that I can, not for anyone else, but me.”
Charlie’s lips turned downward in a scowl, “Don’t let some low-life bastard force you to do something to prove your worth, Bryn.” Reaching forward, he grasped her face in his hands, his thumbs over her cheeks. “You are a beautiful, caring, lively, amazing woman that deserves to be treasured.” His lips touched her forehead, “You need to be put on a pedestal, Bryn. Treasured. Adored.” He leaned further into her body, softly kissing her lips. These kisses were timid, reserved, not like the heat they had shared at the restaurant.
The pain in her rear and the ache in her insides were making her lightheaded. A need was smoldering, just under her skin, making Bryn crave something more. “Please, Charlie, I won’t break. Kiss me. Touch me.”
“Bryn, you need someone to go slow…” stopping his sentence with her finger over her lips, Bryn leaned back far enough to see his face.
“Charlie, I haven’t felt this safe with a man, in forever. I haven’t let anyone touch me like this in a very long time. I trust you. Please, I am aching inside. Don’t leave me like this.”
The moonlight made it easy for Bryn to see Charlie’s blue-green eyes study her intently, darting back and forth, searching for something. After a few tense moments, he relaxed his hold on her face, moving his hands down her neck, to the front of her coat. He grasped the zipper, slowly sliding it down until it opened. His hands lifted the bottom of her shirt, exposing her midriff. He gently caressed her bare flesh with just the tips of his fingers, leaving goose bumps in his wake. When his fingertips reached the small of her back, he continued his journey downward over her jeans. His control slipped as he forcefully grabbed her rear with both hands, jerking her body into his.
“Take these jeans off. Leave your panties on. Sit on the bike, facing backwards. Lean back on the handlebars.”
Bryn pulled back, hesitating, eyes glancing over to the road. Bowing her head, her words came out in a hush, “What if someone comes by?”
“Kitten, we have been out here for almost twenty minutes and no one has passed by. I live just a few miles up the road. There is very little traffic out here, especially at night. Now do it before I use orgasm denial as a punishment.”
Bryn’s eyes widened as his words sank in. Narrowing her eyes on him, she took a deep breath and started to undo her jeans. The stiff material scraped the burn on her leg on the way down, making her flinch. Charlie mus
t not have noticed, his eyes were frozen on her legs, watching her take off her jeans. The sexual tension between the two of them was so strong; Bryn felt it hanging around them like a fog. Bryn quickly stepped out of her loafers, pulling her jeans the rest of the way off. In seconds, she was sitting backwards on the seat of the bike, stretched out, waiting for his touch.
“So sexy, Bryn. Close your eyes. Reach above your head and hold on to the handlebars. Don’t move. I don’t want you to fall off the bike.”
Thank God his bike had a double kickstand, or they would be lying in the itchy grass right now. Bryn fought the urge to squirm as soft lips grazed her inner thigh. Feeling his warm breath on her skin caused goose bumps to flutter across her skin. Her oversensitive flesh and his soft caresses were making it hard to keep still on the bike. Charlie must have sensed her unease, laying his arm across her chest, reaching up to her shoulder, pinning her chest down.
“Hold on, Bryn.”
He lowered her panties with his free hand just enough to slid his fingers in between her folds. He ran his fingers up and down, gathering her arousal. Carefully, he slipped his fingers inside, slowly stretching her.
“It’s been a long time for you, hasn’t it, kitten?”
Bryn could only nod her agreement as she whimpered, “Please.”
“Yes, kitten, I’ve got you.”
He thrust his fingers deep inside her channel, causing her to chest to heave up. Charlie held her down on the bike, keeping her steady as he continued. Something soft and warm was brushing across her swollen clit, jutting out from its hood. Teeth clenched down on her clit, pulling it outward making her gasp, as his fingers continued to pump in and out of her body. Bryn cried out from the orgasm that quickly consumed her needy body. Shards of light exploded in front of her eyes, her arms tingling as she rode out the waves of pleasure. Her breathing remained erratic as the last sensations fell away. Feeling sated, she took a deep breath to regain her senses.
Charlie grinned as he helped her to sit sidesaddle on the bike. Bryn knew that she had a glazed look on her face as she let out an exaggerated sigh.
Charlie chuckled, “That good, huh?”
“Oh yeah. That was fuckin’ awesome! Oww!” Charlie had smacked the outside of her thigh, leaving a stinging pain behind.
“What was that for?” Bryn asked.
“You need to stop using the f-bomb, Bryn. It doesn’t suit you. Besides, you’re lucky I don’t give you a few more hard swats for not telling me before we went riding that you have an anxiety problem.”
“Whatever, just because you gave me an amazing orgasm it doesn’t make you God, Charlie.”
He stepped in between her legs, pulling her off the bike. She locked her legs around his waist as he spun her around, “Just amazing, huh? I was looking for incredible.”
“Maybe when we get back to your place we can work on incredible,” Bryn said as he released her to get her jeans back on. Quickly pulling her jeans back on her legs, the seam on her jeans snagged the blister on her ankle, making her gasp. Warm liquid ran down her leg as the pain quickly escalated to excruciating.
Charlie could see the pain in her face, leaning down to look at her ankle. He brushed his fingers over the wetness that had spread across her foot. “Damn it. The blister popped. We have to get you back to my cabin right away. Bryn, we are less than five miles from my cabin. If I go slowly, do you think you can handle riding that far? My bike is too heavy for you to drive, otherwise I could ride shotgun.”
“I’ll have to. There really isn’t another option is there?” Bryn hoped there was, but given the circumstances, she knew this was the quickest way to get back to his cabin.
“No, but I promise. I won’t let anything happen to you. We need to come up with some hand signals…how about you hold up one finger for ‘panicking’, and two fingers for ‘immediately stop’?”
Bryn took a steadying breath, before plastering a fake smile on her face, “K. Let’s do this before I lose my nerve.”
Chapter Eight
The ride to the cabin was tense, but Bryn managed to make it, only holding up her finger once as they neared a sharp turn. Charlie had quickly idled down, making the turn at less than 20 miles per hour. Bryn could see Lake Manitowoc through the trees as Charlie turned in to a driveway. He pulled over, sliding his helmet off.
“Good girl, Bryn. I have to unlock the gate. Hop off for a second, ok babe?”
Bryn undid the straps on her helmet, pulling it off, “How ’bout I just get the gate, hot shot?” Bryn shook her head as she limped over to the gate to unlatch the chain. “You know girls can do just about anything a guy can, don’t you? Well, except for the whole peeing standing up thing.”
Charlie blankly stared at her, closing his eyes as he took a deep steadying breath. “Are you always this feisty?”
“Maybe,” Bryn teased as she swung the gate open. She motioned with her hand for Charlie to go by as she continued, “I think you can handle it, though.” He didn’t restart the bike, just used his feet to push it forward.
Charlie had a wild grin plastered on his face, shrugging before he replied, “Yes, I can and your rosy ass proves that.” He laughed at her glare before kick starting the bike, revving up the engine enough to make a few nearby birds fly off into the night.
“Don’t shut the gate again. I will be taking you home in a bit anyway.”
Bryn’s shoulders slumped when she thought about leaving him. It had been a very long time since she trusted any man this way, and she didn’t want the night to end. Sensing her discord, Charlie reached over to grab her hand, pulling her back over to the bike. “Get on, kitten. We’ll talk more once I get your ankle fixed up.”
Bryn yanked her hand back, as she hissed, “I’ll walk. It’s only fifty feet to the house, Charlie.”
Charlie didn’t argue, opting instead to flick her nose with his index finger. He mouthed the word “brat” to her as he slowly inched forward, pausing to hit the tiny black button on his bike to open the garage door. Inside the garage was a black Land Rover, big enough for a family of five to comfortably ride in. After pulling his bike inside, he threw his muscular leg backwards, righting himself. He ambled around the side of the SUV, walking towards a set of stairs that led inside the cabin. It was more like a small house on the lake, but he repeatedly called it his cabin, so she felt compelled to do the same.
Bryn felt self-doubt take over her thoughts as he opened the door, walking inside. He didn’t want her to stay, even though they had already had a very intimate encounter, and she wanted more. She continued to wait in the garage, her arms crossed over her chest, as she let her thoughts snowball, her unease increasing exponentially.
Charlie called out from the kitchen, “Are you coming in, Bryn? Or do I have to come and get you?”
The petulant child inside her decided to make an appearance, “That’ll be the day.”
Charlie walked back out the door, waiting on the landing, with his one eyebrow cocked in playful jest. He slowly ambled down the stairs, keeping his eyes trained on her the entire time. The urge to flee was making it hard for Bryn to hold still, but somehow she held her position.
In one fluid movement, Charlie wrapped his hand around the length of Bryn’s ponytail, grasping the banded bundle, yanking her head back. She let out a gasp as he kissed her firmly on the lips, before bending slightly to lift her up in his arms. Cradling her to his body, she automatically snaked her arms around his neck.
Not wanting to give in too easily, Bryn made a half-hearted plea, “I can walk, Charlie.”
“I’m sure you can, but you won’t,” was all he replied as he pushed open the door, leading them into a mid-size kitchen. His boots made a tattoo across the hardwood floors, carrying her past a small dining room to his bedroom. He gently laid her on the royal blue down comforter, using his hand to guide her head down into the fluffy bed. Not saying a word, he moved off to the en-suite bathroom, pulling the pocket door closed between them.
Bryn wondered why he brought her to his bedroom if he was only going to take her home in a few minutes. She worried her bottom lip between her teeth as she thought about him using her quickly and then sending her home. That would make her self-esteem bottom out for sure. He seemed genuinely interested in her, making it easy to trust him, but her doubt was escalating as she waited for him to return. Curling up onto her side, she winced as the burn on her ankle brushed against her jeans.
“What’s wrong, Bryn?”
Shooting out of the bed, she stumbled when she tried to stand, almost falling on the floor. He dropped the box he was holding in his hands as he grabbed her arms, pushing her back to sit on the bed. Her doubt turned into anger as she gritted out, “I am trying to figure out why you didn’t just fuck me in the garage if you felt the need to finish what we started earlier, before you patted me on the head and sent me home for the night. You didn’t need to bring me in here and get your bed all mused up. I’ve had standing room sex before, Charlie.”
His cold glare made her shrink back, as her hands reached out to steady her shaking body. “Bryn, I had to get my medical supplies for your ankle. Most of the seating in my house is on the lower level and the only way to get down there is through a circular stair case. You shouldn’t stretch the skin on your burn any more than necessary right now. That is why I brought you to my bed. Do you honestly think I would treat a woman that way, Bryn?”
Not wanting to answer him, Bryn lowered her head, staring at a spot on the floor. Finally, she whispered “no” as she moved her head back and forth.
“Ahh, I see. Don’t completely trust me yet, huh? We’ll have to work on that.” He grabbed a chair from next to his bed, setting it in front of her. He lifted her leg up, putting her foot in between his legs, resting it on the seat.
“I will buy you a new pair of jeans, Bryn. I have to cut these off. I don’t want to do anymore damage to the tissue on your ankle than has already been done.”
Reaching next to the chair, he pulled a pair of scissors out of the box. Carefully sliding the blade up against her shin, he snipped the denim material, peeling it back from her skin. In the light of his bedroom, the burn did look pretty bad. There were two blisters crossing her ankle, the larger of the two had popped, leaving the angry red skin underneath exposed. The second half of the burn was almost white, even translucent in some areas where the skin had started to wrinkle. Bryn braced herself as Charlie started to dab at the upper half with a cold, wet cloth. The stinging that followed was almost worse than the initial burn.
Let Me Fly Page 5