Crashing Down

by Cathryn Fox

  He deepened the kiss. Jesus she tasted sweet. So fucking sweet. He slashed his tongue against the sides of her mouth, and pulled her harder against him, his cock straining against his boxers. He moaned and tangled his tongue with hers, savoring the taste of cotton candy, sugar and honey all rolled into one. It was like a goddamn party in his mouth.

  Her hands circled around him, her warm fingers running along his back, her long nails making him tremble, almost violently. He backed up until his knees hit the bed, and he grabbed her hands in one of his as he anchored them behind her back, running his other hand over her body, squeezing her tits, and driving a knee between her legs to feel the heat of her pussy.

  She was breathing hard, taking gulping breaths, but he was too far gone to slow down.

  “I need you naked,” he murmured. Giving her no reprieve, he ripped at her t-shirt, pushing it upward.

  His grip on her hands weakened and she wiggled one of hers free. Big, honey-flecked eyes met his as she helped him peel her shirt over her head. As it fell to the floor, some working part of his brain registered that she was in sexy black underwear—underwear that she’d worn for him.

  Hands shaking, he ran his fingers along the tiny buttons lining the front until he reached her shorts. He ripped open the snap, desperate to get them off. He tugged at them, but they were too tight.

  “Take them off,” he growled, the muscles along his jaw aching as he clenched hard.

  Her chest rose and fell erratically as she pushed them down her legs. A moment later she stood before him near naked, her long, sweet-smelling strawberry hair falling in waves over her shoulders.

  He gripped a handful of her curls, and pressed a hard kiss to her mouth as his other hand went to the buttons lining the front of her lingerie. Jesus fucking Christ, why did they make them so small? He ripped them open and she gasped as they clattered to the floor.

  Lust roared through him, her rigid pink nipples calling out to him in mind-fucking ways as they beckoned his kisses. He greedily pulled one into his mouth and sucked hard enough to leave a mark. He heard her whimper and once again she reached for him. He grabbed her hands, and held them to her sides as he sank to the mattress.

  His mouth left her breasts and he buried his face in her stomach, pulling her floral scent into his lung. Jesus, she smelled good. He gripped her black matching panties and pulled them down her legs, then pushed his hand in between her thighs to spread her pussy lips wide open.

  When he caught her pink sweetness, he leaned into her and licked.

  “Oh, God,” she cried out, faltering slightly.

  Control obliterated, Noah grabbed her by the waist and pulled her on top of him. He flipped her over and pressed her into the mattress as his mouth found hers again. He kissed her hard, hungrily, as he drove a hand between her legs. He brushed her clit, then inserted a finger into her tight core. She clenched around him.

  “You’re so fucking tight,” he murmured, and pushed his finger in and out, making her wetter, hotter. “I need to fuck you.” Before she could even respond he pushed his shorts down and reached into his nightstand. He ripped into the foil packet, rolled on the condom and crawled up her body. He positioned his cock at her opening, and he buried his face in her neck, as he tasted her flesh, unable to get enough.

  Oh, God he needed…

  Her pussy lips tightened around his tip, but he needed to get deeper, needed to fuck harder. With single-minded determination, he pushed her hands above her head and shifted his body, grabbing her hips for better leverage. He drew a sharp breath and then entered her. As he powered forward, his dick snagged on something and she cried out as he pushed through it, ramming his cock deep inside her. As her warmth wrapped around him, something niggled inside him, urging him to take a moment to figure out was going on, but with the demons closing in, he shut down his brain, and began to rock into her.

  “So good…so fucking good,” he murmured into her neck, his cock throbbing and pulsing inside her. He rubbed her tits, twirling her hard nipple between his thumb and finger, loving the way it grew taut. She was saying his name, at least he thought it was his name. He pressed his lips to hers again, his tongue plundering her mouth as he went up in a burst of flames.

  Like a guy on a mission, he fucked harder, faster, yet still couldn’t seem to get deep enough. Her aroused scent curled around him, and he breathed it in as his cock thickened. Fuck, he was so close. He plunged deeper, and slipped a hand between their bodies to rub her clit. Sticky, wet moisture coated his fingers as he rubbed. A moment later, her muscles clenched around his dick and when he felt her juices dripping over his cock, he gave into his own climax.

  “Ah, Jesus,” he groaned as a powerful orgasm tore through him. Trembling with need, he pushed deep and stilled. Every muscle in his body stiffened and he threw his head back, shooting a load into his rubber, as his cock pulsed inside her.

  He collapsed on top of her, and swallowed against the dryness in his throat. His heart raced and his body hummed as it came down from the powerful climax. He buried his face in her hair and he drew a shaky breath. That’s when he realized Kat was quiet…too quiet.

  He lifted his head to see her, and when he caught the tears in her eyes, the pained expression on her face, everything inside him tightened. Christ, he’d hurt her. His heart beat faster, crashing against his chest as he lifted himself off her.

  “Kat…” he whispered. She scrambled to grab the blanket at the foot of the bed. She pulled it up to hide herself, but not before he caught the blood coating her thighs. “Fuck,” he said and swallowed hard. As the lust cleared, he looked at his blood soaked fingers, thought about the barrier he’d pushed through, and the stickiness between her legs when he rubbed her clit. A moment later his brain filled in the blanks. Holy shit. The wet heat on his cock wasn’t because she’d had an orgasm, it was because he’d popped her cherry. “I…I didn’t know.”

  “It’s okay,” she said, the flush on her cheeks spreading to her neck.

  “It’s not okay. I didn’t know. I never would have…”

  Oh fuck…

  She rolled one shoulder like she was trying to shrug it off. “The first time is supposed to be the hardest anyway.”

  He tugged on his hair, practically pulling it from the roots. “Fuck, fuck, fuck.”

  “What?” she asked, her eyes wide, like she’d done something wrong.

  “I shouldn’t…we shouldn’t.”

  “It’s okay, Noah.”

  “No, Kat. It’s not okay,” he said, his voice getting louder. “You first time shouldn’t have been like this, and it sure as hell shouldn’t have been with me.”

  He could see panic in her eyes, when she said, “I don’t understand.”

  “I need to get out of here.”

  “Noah, tell me,” she said almost frantic, tears pooling in her eyes. “What’s going on?”

  He jumped from the bed and pulled up his shorts, which were dangling around his thighs. Christ he hadn’t even had the decency to removed them. What a fucking prick. He grabbed his jeans from the floor and climbed into them.

  “Your first time…it shouldn’t have been like that.” He wagged his finger over the mattress. “Not like that, Kat.”

  “Oh,” she said wide-eyed, her innocence ripping a hole in his gut. “What should it have been like, then?”

  His heart squeezed. “Jesus Christ, you just don’t get it, do you?” When she blinked up at him, he blurted out, “I went at you like a fucking animal.”

  She pulled the blanket to her chest tighter. “You did?”

  “Yeah, I did.”

  “Why…why…” she began, choking on her words. “I thought…I don’t understand…why would you do that?”

  “Because I’m a fucking asshole, that’s why.”

  Chapter Seven

  A full week had gone by since Kat had spoken to Noah, and her insides felt like they were on an emotional roller coaster ride that had jumped the track with no controls to stop it.
She wasn’t exactly sure what was going on with Noah, or what had tripped his switch when he found out she was a virgin. She’d thought the sex was amazing, until he informed her that he went at her like an animal. Why would he do that? Why would he treat her that way, then call himself an asshole and run away? She didn’t know. All she knew was that she’d felt completely and utterly miserable since she left his bed, and he’d disappeared from her life.

  “Come on, Kat.” Amy grabbed her hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. “Everything will be okay.”

  Sitting on the shuttle next to Amy, Kat forced a smile. “I know,” she said, even though it felt like her world was crashing down around her. She’d had a miserable week at work, and because she could barely concentrate, she’d screwed up a brochure she was working on. Once again, Shannon was displeased. Her father had called a few times, but she couldn’t bring herself to answer. Once look at her, and he’d know she was not okay. The last thing she wanted to do was to lie to explain her misery.

  “It’s his loss, not yours.”

  “I just don’t get it.” Kathryn folded her hands on her lap. “I mean, the sex hurt, which I expected, but it was still good too, know what I mean?”

  “Yeah, I do.”

  “I didn’t think he did anything wrong, or that he was too rough, but I guess I have nothing to compare it to.”

  “That’s it,” Amy said, her eyes widening.

  “What?”

  “We’ll find you someone to compare it to.”

  She shook her head. “No. I don’t think I want to sleep with anyone else.”

  “Come on, Kat. We’ll find someone at the Cave tonight.” Amy tapped her chin. “I think I know just the guy.”

  “Amy, please. I’m done with guys.”

  The shuttle came to a stop, and they climbed off. The warm floral scent of the night air, combined with smoke from the fire fell over them as they walked to the shore. Amy opened her thermal bag and handed Kathryn a bottle before she added their drinks to the cooler. Kathryn twisted off the lid, and took a much needed drink, hoping the alcohol would help numb the emptiness inside her. Alyssa, the resort’s assistant bartender came up to her, and they talked for a few minute. She’d come to learn that Alyssa was into photography and really missed developing her photos. As Kathryn thought more about that, and wondered if there was a way she could help her, the beach grew crowded, and she suddenly wished she’d stayed at home. Partying was the last thing she felt like doing. She only come because Amy insisted she needed to get out. Throughout the course of the night, she spoke to a few more of the resort staff, but pretty much kept to herself.

  Just when she was about to find Amy and make an excuse to leave, Amy came pouncing over, a very cute guy on her arm.

  “Kathryn, this is Caleb. He’s a local, but we both go to university together. He’s a football player,” she added, like that changed everything.

  Kathryn forced a smile and tilted her head. Lord, the guy was huge. “Hi.”

  He took a swig of his beer and said, “So Amy tells me you’re into graffiti.”

  She cringed, thinking about her run from the cops. “I don’t know if I’d say I was in to it.”

  “You were the one who painted the M&M though, right?”

  “Yeah, that was me.”

  “It was very cool. I’m into painting, too.”

  “Oh really,” she said, surprised to hear that from someone like him. Interest piqued, they started talking about their passions. A long while later the sound of a motorcycle caught her attention. Everything inside her stiffened as she turned her head to see Noah walking toward the fire. Their eyes locked for a brief second and her stomach knotted. She turned away from him, and tried to keep her knees from shaking as she continued to talk with Caleb, except Caleb had a strange look on his face as his glance kept straying to Noah.

  “What’s up with Noah?” Caleb asked.

  Kathryn gripped the cooler so tightly she feared she was going to break it in her hand. Working to keep her voice even, she said, “I don’t know.”

  “He’s staring at you.”

  “Just ignore him, okay?”

  “I don’t think I can do that.”

  “Why?”

  “Because he’s on his way over here.”

  Kathryn’s heart jumped into her throat.

  “Caleb,” Noah said as he stepped up to the two of them.

  “Noah.”

  Noah’s glance went from Caleb to Kathryn and back to Caleb again. Kathryn’s entire body tensed when she caught the fire in Noah’s eyes, the clench of his jaw. What had happened to the playful Noah she knew? The one who made light of everything and went out of his way to make her smile? The one who jumped in and helped her with the labels, zipping through files like it was second nature to him? She looked at him now and could sense something dark and dangerous brewing beneath the surface, something that once again reminded her that there was more to this guy than met the eye.

  “Back the fuck off,” Noah spit out.

  Caleb held his hands up, palms out. “Listen, Noah, I don’t know what’s going on here, but I’m not looking for trouble.”

  Noah fisted his hands. “Yeah, well, too bad because you found it.”

  Caleb wagged his finger between Noah and Kathryn. “If something is going on between you too…”

  “No, there isn’t, but I just don’t want you bothering her.”

  “Well hey, if nothing is going on then—”

  “I said, back the fuck off.”

  “Noah, stop it,” Kathryn said, unable to keep the hysteria from her voice. She searched the crowed for Amy, or Jared, hoping one of them could intervene and knock some sense back into Noah.

  Before she could find them, a fight broke out in front of her. Noah went flying to the ground, but he jumped to his feet and retaliated. Soon the two were throwing punches, their bodies rolling around on the ground in a mass of blood and sand.

  Kathryn screamed, and Jared came running over. “Shit,” he said then gestured for a few guys to help. Once they peeled the two off each other, Noah spit blood and wiped his mouth.

  “What is your fucking problem, man?” Caleb asked. “I told you I wasn’t looking for trouble.”

  “Then stay away from her and there won’t be any more trouble.” With that Noah turned around and headed toward his bike.

  Kathryn went after him. She grabbed the back of his jacket, and he spun around. His eyes, hard and dangerous, locked on hers.

  She flinched and inched back. “Noah, what’s going on?” He split blood again, and grabbed his helmet.

  “Nothing.”

  “So, what, you don’t want me but you don’t want anyone else to have me?”

  His blue eyes were colder than an East coast winter, and his voice was harder than she’d ever heard it when he said, “I never said I didn’t want you.”

  With her gut completely tied up in knots, her mind raced, struggling to figure out what was going on with him…with them?

  He climbed onto his bike, toed the kickstand into place, and wiped the blood from his face before pulling on his helmet.

  She took a cautious step toward him. “I don’t think you should be driving.”

  “I’m fine.”

  “You’re not fine, you’re acting like a…like a jerk.”

  He popped his shield and laughed. “Why don’t you tell me what you really think?”

  “What the hell is the matter with you?” she screamed.

  Instead of answering, he started his bike, and took off, disappearing into the night.

  With tears pooling in her eyes, Kathryn turned to find Amy rushing up behind her. She put her arms around Kathryn’s shoulders and led her toward the street. “Come on,” Amy said. “Let’s get you home.”

  “What is the matter with him?” she choked out.

  “I don’t know. He gets like this sometimes.”

  Close to an hour later, Kathryn crawled into her bed, her body exhausted. Except afte
r seeing Noah, and that dark and dangerous side of him, her emotions were in a jumbled mess, her mind too revved up to sleep. She tossed restlessly, and heard Noah storm in sometime around two.

  She listened to him bang around in his room, like he was drunk and knocking into things, or pissed off and throwing his furniture across his room. After a long time, he went silent and she wondered if he’d fallen asleep. With exhaustion pulling at her, she closed her eyes, and soon fell into a fitful slumber.

  She hadn’t been asleep long when a loud male voice pulled her awake. Her heart began pounding as she rubbed her eyes and looked around her room. What the hell was going on? Was someone in her room?

  She listened carefully and then realized the noise was coming from the other side of her wall. Noah… He was yelling, crying out something she couldn’t understand. Was he having a nightmare? Kathryn put her hand on the wall and drew a shaky breath. She listened a moment longer, and heard him mumble something about Jonny. Clearly the J on his arm stood for Jonny. What the hell had happened to Jonny, and did it have something to do with Noah’s erratic behavior?

  As she lay there with her ear pressed against the wall, Noah’s cries stopped. A few minutes later she heard his door creak open. She sat up in her bed, her heart pounding, worry zinging through her blood. Moving slowly, quietly, she threw her legs over the bed, pulled on her robe, and slipped into her pink, fluffy slippers. Padding quietly across her room, she inched her door open. She glanced up and down the dark hall, only to find it empty. Leaving her door open she tiptoed to the common kitchen wondering if she’d find Noah in there. She poked her head in and stole a quick glance around. Moonlight shone in from the window, giving her sufficient light to see Noah slumped in the chair beside the table, his hands over his face. Looking so incredibly troubled, so utterly lost he sat still…eerily still. Her heart squeezed in her chest at how miserable he looked. Whatever had happened to Jonny had taken a great deal out of him.