by Loren, Celia
Britton didn’t say anything; she just stared at him. If she were any normal woman, she would run out of there. If she didn’t, he would be suspicious. Was he still testing her?
“Can you please hand me my dress?”
She reached out, and he cringed as he saw her wrists were burned and bleeding from the coarse rope. Why was he so good at hurting her?
“Please stay.” he pleaded.
It was a sincere request. He truly wanted her forgiveness and he needed her touch. But why would she stay with him after what he had just done to her? After what he had done all those years ago? He wasn't worthy of her forgiveness.
“I apologize if you didn't hear me. Can you please hand me my dress?”
She wasn’t budging. Jagger slowly passed on the red satin and hung his head. Had he lost her again? Had his dark soul cost him the love of his life twice now? He was so used to ordering people around that he had forgotten what it was like to lose. Britton slowly stepped into her dress, her ankles as torn as her wrists. They stung, and she didn’t hide the pain from her face. She wanted him to see what he had done to her. She turned her back to him, willing him to zip the dress closed. As he did, he felt his stomach drop. He did not want to say goodbye to her. He didn’t want their reunion to end this way.
Jagger quickly turned her around and grabbed her shoulders.
“Britton, don’t leave. I am sorry.”
“Jagger, look at this.” She presented her wrists. “Why would I stay here with you? To subject myself to more of your sociopathic abuse?” she started to cry. “You used to have a hold over me...but not any longer, I don't need you, and you don't scare me—you can't possibly take anything more from me.”
She was in character, but the tears were real. She couldn’t believe what he had done to her. Although she knew this side of him from her research, she had hoped the words were a lie. They weren’t. He was a monster and she wouldn't stop until she took him down.
“Because I need you, Britton. I need you.” he tightened his grip on her shoulders.
“Let go of me.”
“No.”
“Jagger. Let go of me.” She shook free, grabbed her bag and pushed through the door.
The door slammed shut, and she ran. She didn’t want him to catch her. She wanted to get away. She raced to her car and turned the key. There was that sound again. His sound. She hated him more today than she had yesterday. She sped away, knowing that he would come after her. It was the trap she had laid. She knew he couldn’t resist. He always got what he wanted, and right then, he wanted her.
She ran into her house and started cleaning. She had to get rid of anything that linked her back to the FBI. Degrees, pictures, and files were shoved into a box and hidden in the crawlspace above her bedroom. Britton felt a sense of relief as she set out the single picture she had of her and David. That would have to do. There was no sign of Jagger. It would take him a few hours to find out her address, and she desperately needed a shower.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Jagger had followed her to the hotel room door, but she'd slammed it in his face. A normal man would accept that he had just lost the trust a beautiful woman forever, but he was not a normal man. He was the head of the Harbingers of Sorrow, and he took what he wanted. He would go after her. He would force her to listen to him, and he would win her love back. He just needed to find her address.
The steam felt wonderful and she needed the warmth of the water on her shoulders after tonight. Every time she closed her eyes she could see the fire in his eyes as he pulled her bindings tighter. If she was honest with herself, he scared her, even though she would never let him know that. She rung the water from her hair and tied a towel around her chest. She still hadn’t called David. That would be her next move. She stepped out of the bathroom and walked into the living room. She stopped short, her body motionless. Jagger was there, sitting on her couch.
“How the fuck did you get in here?”
“Is this David?” He was holding the picture.
“I locked my door.” She couldn’t help but stand up to him.
“You know that’s never stopped me before.”
Britton remembered back to a night eleven years earlier, when her father had forbid her from seeing Jagger ever again and she awoke to him curling up beside her in her bed that same night.
This didn’t make her swoon though. He had broken into her house, and his lack of respect for boundaries made her very uncomfortable. What might he be able to find if he broke in one day while she wasn’t home?
“So is this David?”
“Yes.”
“He’s a good looking guy.”
“He is.”
“He doesn’t look anything like me.”
“I know.”
That nipped more than he had expected. He wanted her to be attracted to no one else but him. He stared at the picture, imagining this guy’s hands on her body, the body that belonged to him. He felt the fire return to his chest, as he couldn’t rid the image from his mind. He threw the picture, hitting the wall and shattering the glass. Britton shrieked out of sheer surprise.
“Jagger!”
Jagger stood, towering over her.
“Does he touch you.”
“What?”
“Do you let him touch you?”
“We’ve been together for four years...” She wasn’t answering the question, but knew that his mind would be spiraling with the implication.
They heard a car pull into the driveway.
“Who is that?”
“I don’t know.”
Britton peeked out of her window. It was David. What was she going to do?
“It’s David. Can you hide?”
“No.”
“Please, he can’t know you’re here.”
“I want to speak to him.”
“You do and you’ll never speak to me again.”
Jagger resigned himself and moved down the hallway, out of sight. Britton opened the door as David walked up.
“Where have you been? I've been calling you all night.”
Britton quickly widened her eyes, hoping to warn him that Jagger was in her house.
“I got stuck at the casino. The high roller room stays open all night.”
“I thought you got off after we spoke on the phone.”
She started speaking more deliberately, hoping he’d play along.
“I know, but after our fight, I didn’t want to go home. I knew I wouldn’t be able to sleep without you beside me.”
Jagger couldn’t handle hearing that. He slammed his palm into the wall.
“Britton, is someone here?
Briton thought fast. She grabbed David’s face and kissed him. It started off labored and fake, but as she held him longer, they both eased into it naturally, allowing their bodies to take over. David encircled his arms around her and pulled her towel-wrapped body into his. He found himself growing and quickly pulled himself away, knowing he wouldn’t be able to hide his desire much longer.
“You really worried me last night. Don’t ever do that again.” He drew her into a hug and whispered in her ear. “Is Jagger here?”
She looked into his eyes and bounced her own up and down, signaling that his speculation was correct.
“I’m sorry that I worried you. I’ll call you later.” she said.
As she pushed him out of the door, he noticed her wrists. He quickly looked up at her and mouthed, “Are you okay?” She nodded, but could tell David was worried. She knew she’d have to explain how she received the injury at her next debriefing. Britton was not looking forward to that.
She closed the door and turned around. Jagger was standing over her, his nostrils flaring with anger.
“I forbid you to see him.”
“He’s my boyfriend.”
“You know what I’m capable of, right?”
“Are you threatening me?” Britton did not like the path this conversation was heading down. She needed to avert
his attention. “What are you doing here?”
“I came to get you back.”
“You tied me up and abused me. Why would I come back to you?” She wanted him to keep begging. She needed Jagger to think that letting her in was completely his idea, his decision.
Jagger sat down on the couch. He felt defeated. He never had to ask anyone anything more than once. People just always did what he told them to do. Why was she so different? Why didn’t he have that power over her?
“Babe...” He paused, at a loss for words. “I don’t know what came over me. I thought you had betrayed me. I thought you had forced your way back into my life to trick me into…something. I don’t even know what, but in my line of work I need to be careful. I can’t act purely on emotions. I slipped up with you in a moment of weakness. When you’re around, I don’t think straight. I panicked.”
Britton’s heart softened. It was exactly what she wanted to hear. He'd opened up to her, and after all these years, he obviously still cared about her.
He continued. “I shouldn’t have hurt you; it just progressed out of habit. I was angry. Britton, I am so sorry. Sorry for everything...” His voice cracked, and she knew she had won. She sat beside him and took his hand. Warmth flowed through her own, and she felt whole for the first time since he had left her on the side of that road, she felt like she was home. He turned toward her and opened his arms to her embrace. He felt her chest rise and fall against his. It was comforting. He didn’t ever want to let her go. They stayed that way for what seemed like forever.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Exhausted from the night before, they fell asleep together on the couch. The next morning, when she opened her eyes to the sound of a phone ringing, his arms were still fully wrapped around her. The towel tucked around her body had come undone, and she was exposed. Britton wanted him to open his eyes and see her. She wanted her body to be in his sights, and she wanted him to crave it.
She pushed back, hoping that her movement would wake him up. He stirred, and drew her in closer, splaying his hands against her bare breast. This sensation woke him up and he lazily caressed her, finding her nipple and bringing it to a point. His fingers danced around her chest, calling her body toward his. She turned around to him, wanting more, and his eyes met hers.
Jagger wanted them to start fresh. He wanted to erase his actions from the night before and meet her again for the first time to repair the damage he'd caused all those years ago.
“You are stunning.”
“Thank you.”
“Can I kiss you?”
Britton was taken aback by his sincere request. He certainly hadn’t asked any questions the night before. Her smile grew, and she nodded. He took a deep breath and their lips met. It was a slow kiss, but every move was precise. He wanted her to know with every twitch of his lips that he was still crazy about her, and in that moment he didn’t care if it took him years to prove it. He would make up for leaving her after the car crash. He would make up for tying her to the bed with a frayed rope. He would make up for any emotional damage he inflicted on her the past ten years. His phone rang again, and she pulled away.
“You can answer that.”
“It can’t be more important than you are right now.”
She reached up and pulled his lips back to hers. She wanted his clothes off. She wanted their naked bodies to feel each other’s warmth. His hands cupped behind her back and tensed, sending a cascade of goose bumps up her spine. He noticed the effect his touch had and couldn’t help but laugh.
“Hey! Don’t laugh at me.” she cooed.
“It’s just nice to know I can still do this to you.”
She batted at his arm playfully, making him hunger to pin her down and punish her. That wasn’t what he wanted today to be about, though. Today was about slowly rediscovering the beautiful being lying in front of him. The girl he had fallen in love with was now a woman, and he was prepared to fall in love with her all over again. He placed his finger on her cheek and traced the outline of her face.
He reached her lips and stole a kiss. He ran his finger down her chin and slid slowly down her neck, reaching the curve of her collarbone. She lengthened her neck toward him. His hands continued, finding her defined shoulders. She moved her hands up, grasping for his arms, but he smiled and shook his head slowly.
“No. Relax.”
“But…” She was struggling to keep her yearning at bay.
“No. This is about you.”
His fingers rounded the mounds of her breasts, and she pushed herself into his palm. He retreated, falling south, and traced the faint lines of her abdomen, circling her navel, and making his way toward her hips. The tension was excruciating, and she couldn't help the small moans that escaped her mouth. He loved this, and it only made him slow his fingers down. He journeyed down the sides of her legs, sketching the curves of her distinct muscles. He found himself wondering what she did to keep her body in such perfect shape, but decided questions like those would have to wait for another day. There would be another day. He would make sure of it.
He rounded her heels, tickling the bottoms of her feet as he skimmed his way back up. Her towel had now fallen to the floor and he could see his destination. He tickled her untouched inner thighs to warn her that he was about to satisfy her desires. He slowed his movement even more, lowered himself closer, and softly blew in her direction. She shook with anticipation. He pressed softly down on her lower belly to lift her pelvis, and his fingers found their purpose.
Britton gasped at his contact. Her eyes shot open and her lips parted. That was all Jagger could have hoped for. Seeing the pleasure on her face filled him. He retreated and lowered himself on top of her. His mouth found hers and they kissed. Britton tried to speed things up, but Jagger took control, keeping her craving. He pulled away and tugged his t-shirt over his head.
In the broad daylight, Britton could see every muscle and every scar. She remembered most of them, even witnessing some of them created first hand when his father would find them alone together, but there were quite a few new ones. She wondered if they were inflicted by his father, or if they had come from the years of wear and tear with the motorcycle gang.
Jagger saw her face change as he pulled off his shirt, and knew he had found his chance to gain back control. He took her up into his arms and walked down the hall into the bedroom. He slowly laid her down on the bed and kissed her, faster and deeper than his kisses before...he wanted her aroused and free from the concern and worry that he'd just seen wash over her at the sight of his scars. He pulled a scarf from her nightstand and wrapped it around her eyes.
He took a step back, admiring her willing body. He quickly undressed and slowly lowered himself on top of her. She felt his virility press into her stomach, and she fought the excitement that consumed her. Jagger used his knees to spread her legs and opened her up to him. He found her, teasing her within a beat of her peak, and then swiftly entered her warmth. She arched with acceptance, attempting to take power over the situation. He pushed her down, grabbed her hips, and slowed his motion. He wanted her to feel everything. He wanted her to want him so badly that it hurt. He wanted her to forget David.
As Jagger thought of him, and that kiss they shared right in front of him, his anger grew. He sped up, pushing himself into her, ignoring her screams. He wanted David to witness this. He wanted to tie David up and force him to watch the pleasure she was experiencing from his cock. He pushed, faster and harder as his thoughts could not escape the holds of the other man who had been inside his Britton. His Britton.
She couldn’t keep quiet any longer. She called to him, needing him to finish.
“Jagger.”
“Yes.”
“Oh, my...please.”
He answered by rapidly grabbing her hips and lifting her up onto him. Once more he flooded her and they both released. Jagger collapsed, his body falling onto hers. They continued their cries of pleasure together as their gasping subsided, and their breathi
ng returned to normal. He pulled the blindfold from her face and stared deep into her eyes. How had he let her out of his life for so long? She was his beginning, and she would be his future. They both lay there, silent, reveling in the previous moments. He wanted to turn to her and command that their relationship begin anew within the last few hours. He wanted to erase her memory of the previous night’s interrogation. He looked at her, wishing he could read her mind.
Britton kept staring at the ceiling, not meeting his eye, wishing that this were all real.
CHAPTER NINE
Jagger’s phone was going off again. He reached over, looked at the number, and answered.
“Yeah… I’m in the middle of something… well; I’m going to need you to take care of it… Listen if you can’t, then… hold on.” He smiled at Britton. “I’m going to take this out in the living room. Is that okay?”
She nodded, and watched him as he confidently rose from the bed and walked out of the room. He was used to being naked; it was second nature to him but Britton suddenly felt very exposed lying there. She searched her nightstand for something quick to slip on. She wanted to hear the rest of that conversation. She wanted to know what needed to be taken care of. She pulled a nighty over her head and slipped out of bed. She slowly snuck into the hallway, hoping to overhear something before getting caught.