by Iris Parker
“The future?” Alton asked.
Crap.
“We’ve got a long way left to go, don’t we?” I said, scrambling to find a lie that wouldn’t make me feel even worse. “I hope I can go through with this.”
Alton put his coffee down and took a step closer, stretching his arms up in front of me. Beneath his jacket I could see the muscles, thick and bulging, hard and unyielding. “Can I?” he asked.
Before I could answer he continued, his hands coming into contact with my neck and sending shivers down my spine. I nodded, and immediately his fingers began massaging the tense muscles around the base of my neck.
“How about we make these pit stops every hour or so?” Alton suggested.
“You don’t mind the delays?”
“No, it’s kind of nice. And we have plenty of time,” Alton answered, unraveling the knots that had formed in my shoulders. “And when we get there, I’ll make sure the hotel has a spa.”
“Oh? Didn’t you say you always had pancakes at a diner near the ocean?” I asked. I might’ve been small, but I did enjoy good food—and that had sounded idyllic.
“Of course. The hotel comes after,” Alton chuckled, his fingers now working their magic on my upper back. I let my head fall forward, closing my eyes and enjoying the sensation. His hands felt amazing, and it was almost enough that I could let go of all the fear and guilt. For one brief second, I put everything aside and just enjoyed the moment.
“How’s that sound?” Alton asked.
“Like heaven,” I sighed happily.
Alton
We got to the outskirts of Atlantic City in the wee hours of the morning, just a little before dawn. I felt a familiar exhaustion with every move I made, but that did nothing to dampen my enthusiasm. It was always like this when I got here, tired but still eager to begin the day at the same time.
If anything was different about this trip, it’s that everything felt even more intense. My body was aching—some parts more than others—but yet I couldn’t wait to spend the weekend showing Jessie around.
The ride, too, had posed unique challenges. After spending hours slowly acclimating to the bike, something must’ve finally clicked for Jessie in the last leg of the trip. Her tension seemed to finally disappear, and it allowed her to relax her grip enough that her hands slid dangerously far down my stomach.
And that’s where they had been for the past hour, hovering just a little bit above my lap.
Of course, it had been great to feel her loosen up and start to really enjoy the ride. Once her fear had passed, she’d seemed to like it as much as I did.
On the other hand, the past hour had been pure hell. At least as far as my nerves were concerned, not to mention my self-control. With her fingers so damn low, it had been a constant fight to control myself. I’d been getting hard at the drop of a hat lately, and Jessie’s fingers mere inches from my cock….
If I’d been wearing anything other than my riding pants, Little Alton would’ve no doubt popped up to meet her halfway. As obvious as the semi-bulge was when I was standing, the restrictive clothes did help keep it just out of her grasp. Barely.
Nerve-racking didn’t even begin to cover it. And that was crazy, too, because I had no idea why I even cared. Hadn’t I shamelessly bragged about all the women I’d slept with during the interview with Jessie? Didn’t I have a reputation for womanizing? Hadn’t Jessie already shown clear signs she was interested in sex?
So what if she made me hard? That should’ve been obvious. I knew it, she had to know it too, so it didn’t make any sense to be worried. But nothing about the past few days had made a damned bit of sense, and the thought of Jessie noticing my erection mid-ride had just seemed wrong.
Yeah, I was going crazy all right.
“We’re almost there,” I whispered into the headset, hoping that Jessie wasn’t nodding off. Her arms squeezed my waist a bit tighter as she moved around.
“It’s so pretty,” she said, sounding drowsy. The first rays of sunlight were just barely starting to touch the sky, a beautiful dawn competing with the twinkling street lights.
“Yeah,” I agreed, happy that she seemed to understand.
“So, about those hotcakes by the ocean…,” Jessie said.
“Good memory,” I laughed.
“Kinda. I’ve been dreaming about them all night long,” she chuckled.
A few minutes later I parked the bike just in front of the Grand Casino Hotel. A valet appeared out of nowhere, took our bags and carried them inside.
“Let’s get some food in you,” I said, my head motioning in the general direction we’d be going. “I know where the best breakfast place in the city is, hands down.”
“We’re not checking in first?”
“Already handled. They’ll do everything for us,” I said as I grabbed her hand and led her towards the ocean. It was just a couple of small streets between us and the Boardwalk, and we slowly strolled past rows of empty stores and closed kiosks. Ed’s Diner was already lit up in the distance, but as I turned to point it out to Jessie, I noticed the way she was wincing a little with every step.
“Are you okay? Shit, I’m sorry. Maybe we pushed it a little too hard for a first ride,” I said apologetically, wondering if I’d let my enthusiasm win out over common sense.
“I’m good, I enjoyed it,” she said, and her smile seemed genuine. “I mean…eventually. You know, after getting over the certainty that I was going to die.”
We both laughed.
“Still, I feel like I should do something. Let me help,” I said, stepping back and wrapping my arm around Jessie to offer support. She accepted, leaning into me as we slowly walked towards the diner.
“Aren’t you worried about your reputation?” Jessie asked, looking up at me with another smile. Her eyes were red with fatigue, but opened wide all the same. “This seems a little…sweet, for Alton Greene. Especially the way I’m dressed.”
“The way you’re dressed?”
“Well, for starters, the fact I am dressed. With clothes that cover most of my body. And shoes that aren’t hot red pumps.”
I laughed, but my mind immediately pictured Jessie in skimpy clothes and heels. My cock pulsed hungrily, desire radiating through the rest of my body.
“Don’t worry, my reputation has a life of its own,” I reassured her. “In fact, it’s unkillable. If the world ended tomorrow and only the ants survived, you can bet those ants would still write tabloid articles about me.”
Jessie laughed and rolled her eyes dramatically, squeezing my side with her hand as she leaned further against me. We arrived at one of my favorite places a few minutes later, and I could see by the look on her face that it wasn’t what she’d been expecting.
With vintage decor and a classic red-on-white sign, Ed’s was the quintessential American diner. It stood in a quiet corner of the oceanfront, a place where seagulls often outnumbered the tourists even during peak season.
Jessie looked at me in surprise, and I gave her a little smirk of victory as I opened the door for her.
“So much for the carefully crafted persona, right?” I whispered in her ear as she stepped past, sticking out her tongue at me playfully.
Despite being popular with locals, it was early enough that the diner was still mostly empty. I let Jessie pick where we’d sit and, unsurprisingly, she went for a booth with a window overlooking the ocean.
“What a great view,” she said as the waitress came to us with a pot of coffee.
“Hi, Alton, long time no see,” she said with a smile.
“Yeah, been busy,” I grumbled apologetically. “This is Jessie, my friend, and Jessie, this is Laura, Ed's wife,” I explained as Jessie nodded along politely.
Laura handed us our menus and left, shooting a subtle wink in my direction before leaving. I watched as Jessie spread her menu out on the table, studying it with the same attention to detail that she’d used on her notes the day before, her concentration only broken by the occ
asional cry of seagulls.
Even tired, she still looked gorgeous.
Eventually, she looked up at me, frowned, then smiled with a little cough. “You were right, this is such a nice place.”
“Oh, yeah,” I said as I realized that I’d been staring at her. I turned my head to look out the large window. She was right—the view was remarkable here, particularly in the morning with the beach deserted and the ocean at arm’s length.
But Jessie was a sight that was far, far more captivating.
I probably would’ve ended up staring again, had Laura not returned to ask for our order.
“Sausages and hash browns,” I said automatically, my eyes again returning to Jessie.
“Yeah, me too. And two poached eggs with that—oh, and toast. Do you do whole wheat?” she asked. The waitress dutifully wrote everything down and left as I chuckled.
“What? I'll have pancakes after that. I just needed some good protein first.”
“Nothing. I like a woman who isn’t afraid to eat,” I said as I grabbed her fingers in my hand from across the table.
“Well, good,” she replied. “I like a man who lets me be.”
“What do you mean?” I asked, not expecting the frank answer.
“Nothing in particular,” she said.
“Have you been with men who prevented you from being yourself?” The thought was strangely unpleasant.
“No. Not really,” she answered, a shadow landing on her face.
The fingers on my other hand balled up into a fist as I wondered who had hurt her.
“It's nothing really,” she went on as she saw the questioning look on my face. “It's more that, uh, I haven't really been with many men at all. Very few, actually. So the idea of being here with you was a little intimidating, you know.”
“What do you mean?”
“I—uh—That is to say, I don't really date. Anymore. It’s been a very long time. Don’t people, you know, expect a woman to change when she’s on a date? Dress a certain way, only eat a couple pieces of lettuce, that kind of thing….”
“Sometimes, I guess,” I said, so stumped that I had to stifle roaring laughter. Jessie was adorable, and I wondered how long it’d been since her last date. As captivating as she was, she did seem very…out of practice. “But you didn’t really strike me as that type, to be honest.”
“Oh? How do I strike you?” Jessie asked, her voice unreadable.
“Fearless. Determined. You don’t let anything get in your way, and I don’t think you’d let anyone dictate terms to you.”
Jessie raised an eyebrow, smiled, and then frowned. “And uh—is that why you’ve been so forthright with me?”
I shrugged.
The truth was that I didn’t have the slightest idea.
“No, I don’t think so,” I said after a pause. “But I like it. So please, eat to your heart’s content.”
She looked out the large bay window with the contented smile of a tired kitty, and I shamelessly stared at her. She was the most intriguing woman I'd let touch me in a long time, and the prospect of spending a whole weekend here with her was both thrilling and terrifying.
Jessie
“So, what do you like in Atlantic City?” I asked once Laura was gone with our orders written down on her small notepad.
“It's not Boston,” he laughed. “Don't get me wrong. I love Boston, and I love my life there. But from time to time, it's good to get a break.” He stared out of the window for a moment before continuing. “And to be just a little harder to recognize. Sometimes, I’ll get long stares from people. Like they’re a fan and know who I am…and then they convince themselves that they don’t. Because why the hell would Alton Greene be in Atlantic City the day after a game?”
“That’s a good point,” I nodded. “It does seem a bit crazy.”
“Just a bit,” Alton grinned. “But lately, it’s becoming something of a moot point. The locals are almost starting to expect me around here.”
“So you come here to hide out?”
“Not really, no,” Alton shrugged. “I’d still come even if everyone knew me. Either way, it’s a little break from my routine in Boston. Same reason that I usually crash in Upstate New York at the end of the season.”
“Upstate New York?” I asked, unable to keep the surprise out of my voice. “What’s in Upstate New York?”
“Absolutely nothing,” I grinned. “At least not the part I go to. I’ve got this lakefront property in the middle of nowhere, up in the Catskills. It’s great. A few weeks of fishing, a couple of beers on the porch to relax every night, peace and quiet. It’s amazing.”
For a second, I was dumbfounded by the whole concept. The idea of a peaceful, cozy house by the lake in the middle of nowhere was appealing, but I couldn’t believe that Alton felt the same way. The man was infamous, and I had a hard time imagining him in a situation where he couldn’t go out to bars and nightclubs every night. That was exactly the opposite of the lifestyle he lived, even if I was starting to doubt his public persona a little.
The whole thing sounded so nice that I must’ve misunderstood. It probably wasn’t the picturesque, rustic home I was picturing. He went there for beer and fishing, he’d said, not to reconnect with nature. Or even to be alone. He probably trucked in a whole harem full of women for the trips, adoring fans who’d jump at the chance for a week of unrestrained hedonism. That’d explain why he went somewhere so remote, too.
That certainly would’ve been more in line with the Alton I’d expected to meet, the creep who was hiding beneath this facade of decency and authenticity. I needed to still believe that, even if my gut told me something was wrong about it.
I couldn’t afford to trust something so important to intuition. Especially not when I’d prepared myself for a golden-tongued devil, a snake who could charm the panties off any woman he wanted.
And damned if he wasn’t every bit as charming as I’d anticipated.
Laura came back with a tray full of food, and I felt my stomach grumble with hunger. It was a nice change; I’d practically been forcing myself to eat for months now, but being here with Alton made me feel like myself again.
Because I was making progress with my plan, because I finally have hope again, I reminded myself.
Or maybe just because Alton had been right about the diner. The food here did look delicious, and I couldn’t wait to tear into it. I’d ordered half the menu, it seemed, and every single thing on my plate looked amazing. After a long and intense day where I’d been too nervous to eat, followed by a long and sleepless night on Alton’s motorcycle, I was starved.
The two of us ate in comfortable silence, enjoying the food and the view. The sunrise had finished, breaking dawn on a crystal blue sky above an equally blue sea. Occasionally a seagull would land by the window, amusing the two of us with its antics.
After we finished eating, Laura and Ed came by the table for chitchat. To my surprise, Alton actually took the time to introduce me to them properly. We exchanged friendly greetings, and I did my best to ignore the way the older couple seemed amused by my presence—as if I was a wholly unexpected novelty, like they were barely suppressing the urge to shake Alton’s hand and give him a wink of approval.
Besides that, they seemed nice. I didn’t have much to say, but Alton entertained everyone with tales of how the Bruins had spent the off season. He was a surprisingly skilled speaker, coming more alive with each new story. They had to be exaggerated—if not outright fictitious—but all of them were undeniably entertaining. It wasn’t long before everyone at the table was laughing, caught up in Alton’s flair for dramatic storytelling.
Other customers began to trickle in, forcing Ed and Laura to return to work. I felt full and happy as we left the diner, and I could’ve gladly slept away the rest of the morning. The only thing stopping me from doing exactly that was Alton—his good mood was downright infectious, and by the time we made it back to the hotel I felt invigorated. As much as I hated to ad
mit it, this was quickly turning into one of the best dates I’d ever had.
Except, of course, for the fact that it was all lies.
Jessie
After arriving at the hotel, Alton went ahead to confirm our details with the reception desk and pick up the keys. It was the first time I’d been alone since we left for Atlantic City the previous night, and I took the opportunity to slip away and call my mom.
I was supposed to meet her in just a couple of hours, but obviously that plan had gone out the window as soon as Alton suggested going on this trip. I’d had just enough time to text a warning that I couldn’t make it, but we still needed to talk. Between the interview, the date, and the crazy three hundred mile overnight drive, I’d been out of touch for over a day.
And with the situation we were in, that was unthinkable.
Not only that, but the peace came with a price as well. Getting a few minutes to stop and think meant losing some of the frantic energy that had carried me since yesterday. As my momentum faded I felt my doubts catching up with me, little pangs of guilt that filled my chest and threatened to overwhelm me.
I shook my head, trying to shoo away the negative thoughts as I waited for the call to connect.
My mom answered immediately, her voice cheerful as she reassured me that Ezra had slept decently. He was feeling okay today, news that was a welcome relief. He’d finished another round of chemo just two days ago, and I’d been doing my best to ignore the gnawing terror of not knowing, of not being able to be by him constantly.
“Where have you been?” my mom finally asked.
“Atlantic City,” I said hesitantly.
“That’s nice, I hear it’s lovely this time of year,” she said, trying her best to take the surprising news in stride. “Jessie?”
“Yes, Mom?”
“How exactly did you get to Atlantic City?”
A motorcycle, I thought, but decided the situation was probably unsettling enough without my mom knowing that little detail.