“Oh, yes, I got Fury’s suit there the other day. Lovely lady,” Grace said, smiling at her.
Dottie nodded and smiled, sipping from her cup, her mouth firmly closed.
Whatever Dottie’s secrets were, she wasn’t about to spill them.
CHAPTER 39
JACKIE
Fury moved on top of me, his hulking frame blocking out the dim, overhead light, leaving nothing for me to look at but his mouthwateringly sexy face and chest. His hair hung down around his cheeks, his dark, smoldering eyes locked with mine, his thick lips full and serious as he plowed his hardness into me. I shuddered beneath him, the strength of his thrusts rippling through me, rendering me weak and deliciously annihilated as I endured his sensual assault.
He pressed into me, sliding in and out with movements as smooth as silk, each powerful push filled with precision and intention, pulling every ounce of pleasure from my flesh with each decadent inch.
I arched against him, claiming his skin with mine, wrapping my thighs around his hips as if I possessed them myself. His edges fit my curves like pieces of a puzzle, and as his lustful growls wove through my hair, it was as if I’d searched my whole life for his song, our bodies harmonizing together, singing a tune we could only sing together.
I don’t know how long we danced.
Until our bodies ached.
Until we cried out together, the world drowned out around us.
Until the moon smiled down upon us in her glowing glory, blessing us with a blessing she’d bestowed a million times to other lovers.
Until the lustful cries of our passion turned to slow and quiet sighs…
We lay snuggled together, our limbs tangled up together in the tightest embrace we could create, lost in our fantasy of suspended time, the real world lingering just out of reach.
“You make me feel so damned alive.”
His words shot through me like arrows, my heart swelling.
“There’s a dance the day after tomorrow,” I said, smiling up at him. “A winter ball. The whole town shows up. Will you come with me? Be my date?”
“Ah, yes, Dottie said something about it tonight. A real ball?” he asked. “Like something out of a Disney movie?”
“Something like that,” I nodded.
“Would it make you happy if I went?”
“Ecstatic,” I answered.
He gazed down at me, his stormy eyes turning gentle and soft. He nodded slowly, kissing me gently.
“I’d do anything to make you happy,” he whispered, kissing me slowly, his mouth lingering against mine.
In the stillness of the moment, I found perfection.
Heaven, paradise, utopia…all rolled up in one, perfect, wild man.
I didn’t care about tomorrow, or next week, or next year.
I didn’t care about the sun rising in the distance as the moon betrayed us, leaving us lost in our false sense of solitude.
Soon, it would all fall away and the sunshine would force us from this cocoon, but for now, I sank into it, melting into the moment completely, memorizing the vibration of every cell in my body, lest I forget it, lest it never came back.
Because even then, lost in the pure bliss of his long, gentle kisses, in the back of my mind, I knew it wouldn’t last forever.
It was too sweet…
Too good…
Too fucking real.
Fury was the kind of man that was too good to be true.
But that didn’t stop me from pretending, for just a little while, that he’d be mine forever.
CHAPTER 40
FURY
All decked out in lace, satin and black tuxes, Dottie, Ryder, Grace, Jackie and I strolled through the town square towards the Greenville School, following the others that were streaming over to the Greenville Winter Ball.
The moon hung heavy amongst the clouds tonight, a chill having settled in the air as soon as the sun set earlier.
Passing the pristine white steps of the church, Jackie and I exchanged a secret smile as we gazed up at the tall steeple that held the church bell.
We’d shared a magical evening up there.
We’d spent almost every night together since then, tangled up together, learning about each other’s minds and bodies, laughing and whispering in the still of the night, reluctantly parting at dawn so Jackie could run off to the diner for the breakfast rush.
When we arrived at the school, it was obvious what a big night this was for the town. Swarms of people streamed in and out of the school’s gates, the women all perfectly coiffed and manicured, their smiles wide as they greeted their friends, the men looking awkward and uncomfortable in their suits and tuxes, looking as if they’d rather be anywhere else but there.
The gym had been transformed into a winter wonderland, with sparkling blue and white stars hanging from streams of garland that exploded over the entire space. They’d managed to bring the winter ambiance inside, piling fake snow drifts into the corners. Soft white lights twinkled over the already full dance floor, a band playing old 50’s, 60’s and 70’s covers on a makeshift stage in the corner.
“This is lovely!” Grace exclaimed.
“It’s quite charming, isn’t it?” Dottie nodded. “It’s our most cherished event every year.”
“Well, it does seem to draw a lot of people,” Ryder said.
“Everyone stops by, at least for a little while, it seems. I see a few friends I need to greet, I trust you’ll all be okay on your own?” Dottie asked.
“Of course, of course,” Grace said. “Have a lovely evening.”
“You, too, dear. Mingle a little. Most of them won’t bite,” she said, winking before walking away.
Jackie turned to me with a mischievous smile.
“Do you dance?” she asked.
“Me?” I asked, with a mock bow. “I do. But I’m afraid if I break out my stellar dance moves in front of all these people, they won’t be able to handle it.”
“That good, eh?” she asked, lifting a brow.
“That good,” I nodded.
“Well, I can’t wait to see this,” she said. “Leave the fainting ladies for me to handle.”
“If you say so,” I said, shaking my head. I offered her an arm and we strolled onto the dance floor. I pulled her into my arms, a slow song pouring from the stage as we began slow-dancing. She stared up at me, her bright blue eyes sparkling under the flickering lights above.
“Thank you for coming,” she said.
“Thank you for making me come,” I said.
“I didn’t force you!”
“That’s not what I was talking about,” I winked suggestively.
“Oh, you!” she laughed, then lowered her voice. “To tell you the truth, you look so handsome I can’t wait to get you alone again.”
“The feeling’s mutual, babe,” I said, leaning down and whispering in her ear. “If the neckline was any lower on that dress, I’d have to whisk you off to the bathroom for a little instant relief.”
“You like it?” she asked, with a sly smile.
“Oh, I like it,” I assured her. “I like it a lot.”
“I’m glad,” she said, raking her eyes over my face and biting her bottom lip. “Maybe you can take it off of me later.”
“The sooner the better,” I said, slightly pressing my hips forward, my hardness brushing up against her center. “It’s getting harder by the second.”
“Down, boy!” she teased. “The night’s just started.”
“Tell that to my cock,” I growled in her ear. Her laughter bubbled up in my ears, my heart swelling with desire for her. The long black dress she wore hugged her curves, begging my fingers to run over them. I pulled her into my arms, needing her body close to mine.
Grace and Ryder swayed to the music beside us while the rest of the crowd mingled around us, their voices a low dim in the background. Over Jackie’s shoulder, I saw Bodhi and Will huddled in a corner talking excitedly. I kept one eye on them and one eye on Jackie as the
night progressed. We danced for almost half an hour before I saw Bodhi motion to me from the corner.
“I need a minute to go talk with Green, babe,” I said. “Will you excuse me?”
“Sure, I’m going to the ladies room, and I see Tara waving. She really wants to meet you,” she said. “Meet you back here in a few?”
“Sure,” I said, brushing a kiss across her lips before walking over to Green. He looked nervous and over-heated in his perfectly tailored suit. He held a glass of whiskey in his hand and his breath told me he’d been drinking for a while.
“Good evening, Bodhi,” I said.
“Fury, I’m glad to see you here,” he said. “Even if it is with that tart.”
“Bodhi, Jackie’s a good woman. I’m not going to stop seeing her.”
“Suit yourself, just make sure you wrap it up, buddy.”
I shook my head, biting my tongue, determined to avoid a scene by making him eat his words here in front of everyone despite my urge to do just that. That didn’t stop the scene from playing out in my head — I could see the blood spurting from his nose as my fist made contact. My hands balled into fists at my side and I swallowed hard, a huge lump of pride just waiting to explode onto him.
“Did you need something?” I asked, pointedly, doing my damnedest to keep my tone even.
“Yes,” he said. “About that request I made earlier.”
“Yes?”
“It’s almost time. I assume you have everything in place, as I asked?”
“I do.”
“Great. I’ll let you know when.”
I nodded and looked out over the crowd on the dance floor.
Dottie was dancing with another woman her age, both of them barefoot, their sparkling heels discarded under a bench against the gym wall. At the other end of the room, I spotted Molly, sitting sadly in the corner, looking like a sullen, dressed-up doll. Her red hair was twisted into tight ringlets and she wore a pretty green dress with a big black bow tied in the back. Sitting next to her like a loyal puppy dog, Benji wore a stiff black suit and tie that was a little too big for him, his small frame disappearing comically into an overwhelming pile of fabric. He’d slicked his hair back and as he gazed down at Molly’s still-encased arm as he drew on it, a errant lock of dark hair fell over his eyebrow.
They were so innocent. All of them.
The entire time I’d spent here, I’d been mostly greeted by nice people. The only thing that stained this community was Green’s bullshit.
My eyes trained in on Molly’s broken arm.
Anger ripped through me as I was reminded of exactly why we were here. I couldn’t wait to bring this bastard down.
I turned to him with a somber grimace of determination and complete professionalism.
“Ready when you are, sir,” I said, nodding.
CHAPTER 41
JACKIE
“You look amazing,” I whispered over Tara’s shoulder. She turned to me, a billowy tornado of orange organza ruffles that sent a breeze through the air. Her smile lit up the room.
She squealed when she saw me, a loud, unapologetic, ear-shattering scream, that broke through the sound of the band and sent eyes scattering our way.
“That dress is insane!” she cried, eyeing me up and down, instantly making me nervous. Maybe it was too much. There was a lot of cleavage and it left nothing to the imagination.
I was being brave. Bold, even.
“Too much?” I asked.
“Not if you want to get laid,” she said, wiggling her eyebrows.
What I’d wanted to do was impress Fury. I wanted to make him want me the way I wanted him. Not that he hadn’t been convincing me of that every day for the last week. Sex with him had left me breathless and amazed at his stamina.
Men like him didn’t come along that often.
Which is why I wanted tonight to be special.
I couldn’t put my finger on it, but something told me my time with Fury was limited. In fact — that little voice in the back of my head? You know the one, the one that won’t shut the hell up no matter how much you try to convince yourself that someone’s real but they aren’t?
Yeah, that one.
It kept repeating the same phrase over and over, ripping through my good time and beating in the back of my head like an incessant, pounding funeral dirge.
He’s only temporary. This won’t last. He’ll be gone soon.
Maybe it was the fact that everything else in my life was temporary. Hank didn’t stay, not that I wanted him to. Jared was practically a ghost. Why should Fury be any different?
He was too good to be true. And a future?
My goodness, he’d even hesitated giving me his real name.
He told me other things, though. Things that melted away any desire to slow this ride. He told me he’d never felt this way before. That he’d never had this much fun. That he loved being with me.
But, as if each moment was plucked from the air randomly, there was no talk of time. Each time I tried to talk to him about the past, he clammed up. The future seemed to not even exist at all.
Spending the evenings together as if it was expected, we’d fall into bed together in a silent little bubble each night.
I mean, it was a really fucking good bubble, but still…
I knew it wasn’t going to last. A man like him would never stay in a place like Greenville. That just didn’t happen.
Fury was better than Greenville.
I’d come to the realization that enjoying this — whatever this was — was something meant to be done in the moment and that at some time, I would be expected to let it all slip away.
Easy come, easy go, right?
Sure, I could do that — what else did I know anyway?
“Where is he?” Tara asked.
“Talking to Green in the corner,” I said. “Will you come to the bathroom with me?”
“Sure,” she said, turning to Jimmy, who was wearing the same brown suit he wore last year, and kissing his cheek. “Be right back.”
We were almost to the doors of the gym when they opened and Hank walked in.
“Shit,” I muttered, looking for a way to avoid him. There was only one way in and out of the gym — the door that led out to the hallway, the one Hank, dressed in jeans and a black leather jacket, stood blocking.
He spotted us right away and closed the distance between us.
“Oh, I don’t think so,” Tara muttered, moving in front of me. I shook my head, my gaze darting around quickly. The last thing I wanted was to make a scene. I pushed Tara out of the way.
“I got this,” I whispered to her as I squared up in front of Hank. He was tall, towering over me as he raked his gaze across my body. On the rare occasions when he wasn’t angry, Hank could be quite handsome in a frail, lanky kind of way. He pushed his hand through his hair in frustration, shaking his head.
“Hello, Hank,” I nodded. I figured he’d be here tonight. My big plan was to ignore him completely, and if that didn’t work, then this was Plan B. Be polite in greeting him, then ignore him.
“Jackie, you look amazing,” he said.
I smiled and nodded and then moved to step around him. He took a step sideways and blocked my way.
“Hank, please move out of my way,” I said.
“Not until you hear me out,” he said.
“That’s not necessary,” I said, lowering my voice to a seething whisper. “I told you. It’s over.”
He shook his head and reached for my arm, his skinny fingers snaking around my bicep and making my skin crawl. I tried to pull away but he gripped me tighter.
“Hank!” I insisted. “Let me go!”
“Why, so you can go throw yourself at that freaky tattooed dude?”
“It’s none of your business,” Tara said, stepping in between us quickly. “Jackie can do as she pleases. Let her go, Hank.”
“Fuck off, Tara,” he spat. “She’s fucking mine.”
“Hank,” I warned, as I b
egan to lift my knee to his crotch.
Tara reached out and tried to pull his hand away. He pulled back, letting go and swinging his elbow out, his arm striking her in the face.
The rest was a blur.
Out of nowhere, Fury appeared in a buzz of heat and with the speed of a jaguar, he jumped out of the shadows like a wild animal. His fist slammed into Hank’s jaw and he fell to the floor with a heavy thud.
“Ho-ly shit,” Tara whispered. I stared at Fury with my mouth open.
“Are you two ladies alright?” Fury asked, looking at us with concern.
“We are now,” Tara said, nodding.
My eyes broke from Fury and I gazed around the room. The band stopped playing and everyone was watching us, from Dottie on one side to a wide-eyed and grinning Molly and Benji in the corner.
Suddenly, I realized I was the sole reason their night had been interrupted. Hank flailed like a fly with a broken wing on the floor, blood pouring from his probably broken nose.
“Jackie?” Fury said, an apologetic look starting to cross his face. “I’m sorry, I thought he was hurting you.”
I looked at him and blinked, shaking my head.
“It’s okay,” I whispered. “He’s an asshole. I gotta go…”
The urge to flee ripped through me, the need to escape all those prying eyes, the lips that would momentarily begin to move, spewing rumors of massive proportions that would spread like wildfire throughout the gym and out into the town.
I’d be the talk of the town tomorrow. And the next day. And the day after that…
Fury punching Hank to defend me would be all anyone talked about for weeks. I know how all this works. And in that moment, I was mortified.
Fury had done something nobody else ever had.
This wasn’t the first time Hank had laid his hands on me in public. The first time we were at the Homecoming dance, held in this same gymnasium, in fact. Hank was being crowned Homecoming King onstage. He’d come off stage and saw me in the corner, talking and laughing with Shane and Henry, two of his friends. Instantly filled with jealous rage, he’d roughly pulled me out by my elbow and everyone had watched and done nothing, just as they were watching now.
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