by Anna Lewis
As they ate and drank, Ace just nodded, listening all the while, confident and in control. Jessica used all the public relations tricks that she had learnt in marketing and business, to try and impress him.
But it wasn’t until she had to use the restroom, that Ace said anything at all. He was waiting outside the meeting room when she returned.
“Jessica... You know I have to make sure the club has their debts paid, don’t you?”
Jessica felt her heart sink, and she nodded, opening her mouth to continue pleading her hopeless case.
Ace interrupted her, “But I like you. We’ll see what I can do.”
And that would have been the end of it, if Jessica hadn’t stepped forward. If Ace hadn’t kissed her.
Kissing Ace felt electric and nothing like kissing Troy. Where Troy was passionate and fiery, Ace just took what he wanted. He grabbed her hair gently, but firmly and kissed her like the world was ending. He tasted of smoke and whisky and it made Jessica’s knees go weak.
Ace took what he wanted, and right now, he wanted Jessica. He pushed her to her knees and Jessica, taken by surprise, let him.
Intense waves of arousal flooded her, leaving her breathless, flushed and confused. She was a good girl, she always had been. She was polite and careful and tried hard to keep her love of bikes and bad boys tucked firmly away.
And yet Ace seemed to see through all of that, cut through all of it like a knife. And he knew it. Blue eyes stared straight into her soul. He never broke her gaze as he undid his belt and unzipped his jeans.
As if under a spell, Jessica didn’t break away, didn’t pull away from him as he pulled his arousal out of his underwear. Jessica felt giddy, and Ace smirked, taking her silence as consent. And if Jessica was honest with herself… he wasn’t wrong.
Ace tangled his fingers in her neatly curled hair and pulled her towards him. Jessica gasped, her lips parting, his thick head pushing against her tongue. She moaned. She didn’t mean to, but he tasted amazing.
Before she knew what was happening, Jessica was sucking him off, on her knees outside of the meeting room, Troy only moments away. Her dress had ridden up a little and she had to brace herself on her hands and knees to properly take his girth. He was so big and Jessica blushed at the heat that was building between her thighs.
Fear of being caught tingled through her, but she couldn’t stop. She didn’t want to stop. Ace’s hand in her hair felt so good, the way he bucked his hips into her, his satisfied sighs made Jessica feel as though she was floating away from all of her problems.
Only when the door swung open, did Jessica feel a thrill of fear shoot down her spine. She tried to pull away, but Ace held her in place, one strong hand keeping her sucking.
She cast her eyes upwards, her heart pounding in her chest. Troy!
She braced herself for his anger, his disappointment, but instead, she heard him laugh, a low rumble as his boots echoed on the floor, “So you got the hint. Good.”
She felt him kneel behind her. She jumped as his strong hands lifted her dress, pulled down the silky underwear that protected her modesty.
“I hope you don’t mind if I join you.” His voice was a whisper against the back of her neck, but since she couldn’t answer, his question fell to Ace.
“Not at all.” Jessica thrilled at the way Ace’s voice wavered. Her own arousal was fierce, burning between her thighs, and Troy wasted no time.
She felt his impressive girth pressing at her entrance and she parted her thighs willingly to accommodate him. When Troy thrusted into her, Jessica thought she was going to pass out from pleasure. He quickly built up a rhythm, and Ace did the same. It was all Jessica could do to snatch a few shallow breaths of air, everything feeling so good. Her heart beat with wild abandon and pleasure, soaring with freedom, with ecstasy. She never wanted these feelings to end.
And yet she got closer and closer to the burning bliss inside her, the overwhelming need to find release.
And when she did, it was overwhelming. She climaxed hard, shivering and feeling the convulsions pulse through her. Ace and Troy were not far behind and Jessica relished the way she was made to swallow every drop of Ace’s pleasure, his hand never leaving her head while Troy thrusted in deeper and deeper until he too climaxed with a deep groan.
When Ace finally let go of her hair, Jessica was happy to collapse back into Troy’s arms. After a few more moments of catching their breath, Troy helped her to her feet. She straightened her dress hastily, a blush burnt into her cheeks as she neatened her hair and took a deep breath.
Ace was already moving away like nothing had happened, “Let’s continue the meeting, shall we?”
Jessica nodded, not used to this pace, but reassured when Troy smiled and wrapped an arm around her waist. He didn’t seem to mind what had happened, and relief blossomed in Jessica’s heart. She hadn’t realized until now how much she wanted him in her life.
Feeling confident, though still shaky from the wild pleasure she had just felt, Jessica joined Ace in the room again, Troy constant and by her side.
***
Jessica sat alone in her house the next morning. When she heard a knock on the door, she almost didn’t answer it. Her stomach was in knots and she was expecting the worst. They’d be here to start the procedure of selling off her house, and Jessica was out of options. What else could she do, but let it happen?
Ace still hadn’t budged, after everything that had happened last night, and Jessica was left feeling sick and scared and foolish.
Despite that, the previous night still echoed in her mind, the whirl wind of pleasure and passion and freedom that didn’t fit in with the life she was leading now.
And any chance of living that kind of life were long gone, anyway. Even if she paid off the debts to the club through selling her house, she still had many other debtors who needed paying. She would be stuck in this life, this dead end job, until she died, and there was little she could do to change that.
When the knocking on the door became more insistent, Jessica picked herself up, making her way to the door and reluctantly pulling it open, “Yes?”
It was Troy. Jessica’s heart sank, but the butterflies in her stomach refused to be squashed at the sight of his figure in the doorway.
“I need to talk to you.” He walked straight past her, into the house without a second thought, leaving Jessica to shut the door and join him on the couch.
“It’s about your debts.” He was looking serious, but there was a glimmer in his eyes that Jessica couldn’t help but notice, “I talked to Ace last night and I think we’ve found a compromise.”
“What? Really?” The hope that Jessica had thought long dead started to kindle in her chest.
Troy shrugged, “You might not like it, but it’s better than losing your house, I guess.”
He fixed her with a stare, “Your background in public relations might be helpful to us.” He leaned back in the chair, “We’ve had some undue publicity lately, and we think it might be helpful to have someone with your… people skills… on our side, just to smooth things out”
He leaned forward, “So the deal is, you work for us, we write off your debts. Long-term contract, obviously.”
For a moment, Jessica wasn’t sure that she had heard him right. Then elation broke through, blossoming in her chest. The freedom she wanted, the chance to be with Troy, to quit the office job she hated… it was all in her reach. There was only one problem…
“What about my other debts?”
Troy shrugged, “You’ll have to figure that one out.” He pushed himself to his feet, smirking, “But your house is worth a lot, sweetheart, and you don’t really need one when you’re living on the road.”
He turned to head to the door, “Your choice. Let me know when you’ve made your decision, and I’ll pass on the message to Ace.”
“I’ll do it.” The words left Jessica in a rush, but even as she said them, she realized how much she meant them.
T
here was nothing left for her in this life, this house of broken promises, and a job that was going nowhere and a life with few friends. Troy was promising her a life free of the debts that had chained her, a life of freedom on the road, of excitement, passion and no responsibilities.
Having her house taken from her was one thing. Selling it willingly to pursue a life she loved, well… that was a different story entirely.
Troy turned back with a smug grin on his face, “Thought you’d say that.”
Jessica closed the distance between them with a few, quick steps, wrapping her arms around his neck. She felt the warmth of him through the leather, the scent of leather and bikes that smelt like home to her.
She felt the possibilities that now stretched out before her, that would never have seemed possible if Troy had not opened her eyes, given her a taste of what she could have.
And when her lips met his, Jessica knew that she had made the right choice.
She was right where she belonged.
THE END
= Bonus Book 8 of 20 =
Safe Haven
Book1: Finding Him
As we stood in the living room of our new place I couldn’t help but sigh, then smirk as Gio mirrored my action. The space was very square, with an almost discernable line down the middle separating the kitchen and living area, in between, towards the back, was a short hallway that led to the two bedrooms and only bathroom.
“It’s small mommy,” he said as a matter of fact and gripped my hand tighter. My smile grew as I glanced down at him.
“Don’t worry, we won’t be here forever,” I assured him and kissed the top of his silky blonde head. “How about you go start unpacking your room?”
“I can do it all by myself?” he asked me, excitement leeching into his voice as his big green eyes stared up at me.
“Of course, all I ask is that you keep it neat,” I told him and he grinned proudly.
“I’ll keep it clean mommy!” he said and skipped down the short hallway to his bedroom. Getting an affordable two-bedroom apartment in New York City was hard. But I’d had to make some serious concessions when moving Gio and I out of Chicago. We just couldn’t stay there any longer, subject to Gio’s crazy father, Giovanni Senior, and his antics. I’d had enough, Gio had had enough. Anyhow the Bronx wasn’t all that bad, we were able to blend in with the millions of people in the city and that meant being safe from Giovanni.
The sound of boxes being wrestled open from Gio’s room snapped me out of my brief reverie, I stepped into the kitchen to start unpacking some things. We didn’t have much as we pretty much stole away in the middle of the night. Once I had everything lined up to leave Chicago, we just left. An aunt of mine was nice enough to give us some of her old furniture and things for this apartment. Once Gio and I got settled we’d definitely have to take the train to Queens to spend some time with her. I couldn’t be thankful enough that she came to our rescue, having the furniture and boxes moved in as Gio and I were on the train from Chicago.
I wondered briefly how long it would be until Giovanni figured out we were gone and not coming back. He had no way to contact me as I changed phones and my number. I was trying to keep all my bases covered, he didn’t know anything about my aunt who lived in Queens, so Gio and I were safe to start over here. I knew the week would be a busy one, what with my following up on job interviews and getting Gio enrolled in a new school. It was the middle of the year too, so I knew there would be some adjustment issues to come.
“Mommy!” Gio called me from his room and I hurried over to see him sitting on the little twin sized bed and pointing to his window. There was another apartment across the way and a window that looked right into the couple’s living room. They were arguing and of course we could hear every vile thing they were slinging at each other. It reminded me of Giovanni and I not too long ago. All that arguing had given Gio tons of nightmares when we still lived with his father. I couldn’t have him suffering all over again at the hands of oblivious neighbors.
“Go wait in the living room honey,” I told him softly and he hopped up and quietly left the room. With a huff I went to shove open the window and leaned out a fraction. “Hey!” I yelled and had to several more times before the couple heard and looked over. They were both confused, but the woman came to the window while the man stood angry looking behind her.
“We just moved in, this is my kid’s bedroom and your arguing is pretty vicious,” I said, instantly the woman became contrite, the guy simply sighed and rolled his eyes.
“I’m sorry, we don’t usually…we’ll keep it down,” she said, she was nicer than I expected she’d be.
“Thanks, it’s just that he’s only five and pretty sensitive so…” I said and she nodded in understanding.
“We’re sorry for being so loud, you don’t have to worry,” she assured me and I nodded slowly and glanced over her shoulder at the man who was standing there with his hands on his hips.
“Well thanks and uh…have a good night,” I said awkwardly. The woman closed her window and drew the drapes. I didn’t hear anymore arguing after that and closed Gio’s window as well. I’d have to get him some drapes really soon. New York was supposed to be our escape and I’d do everything I could to make sure Gio was happy here.
***
“So I was thinking…since you had such a great week at school that maybe we could do something fun this weekend,” I glanced behind me to see Gio’s reaction, he was chewing a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. His expression sort of pondering what I just said.
“Can we go to the park? The one by the fruit man?” he asked curiously.
“The fruit stand honey, and sure we can go. But I was thinking about spending some time out exploring the city with Aunt Aida too, how does that sound?” Gio sighed and I had to hold in my laugh.
“Aunt Aida is not that fun,” he pouted.
“You just have to give her a chance, how about we go to the park first, get some pizza for dinner, then tomorrow we can see her?” Gio perked up at the mention of pizza and he nodded vigorously. His hair flopping in and out of his face. He’d need a haircut soon; his long waves were almost touching his shoulders now. Gio looked a lot like me with his green eyes and blond hair, though he had his father’s masculine features. I could see it in his jaw and cheekbones, no doubt Gio would grow up to be a ladies’ man, God help me.
Once we were done with our lunch we set out to walk the few blocks to the neighborhood park. It had a short jogging trail and playground as well as an open field and a couple of basketball courts. What I really liked was that it was right outside the neighborhood’s fire and police complex so was completely safe.
“Mommy can you teach me how to swing?” Gio asked as we reached the playground, there was an open swing and my heart actually squeezed a bit at the fact that he no longer found the baby swing enticing.
“Alright, first thing’s first, it’s all in the legs,” I told him as he hopped onto an open swing. Gio picked up the technique pretty quickly and soon he was making friends with a couple of the boys his age and jumping off of the swings and into the piles of fallen leaves with them. I turned around to go find a seat at one of the nearby park benches, but was nearly plowed over by some idiot with his head down and a cell phone glued to his ear.
“Hey, watch it!” I yelled, my temper flaring as I tried to catch my footing.
“Shit, I’m so sorry,” he said, catching me before I could tip over. I huffed, ready to let him have it for not looking where he was going. But as I looked directly at him I took pause, he was staring at me in shock.
“What’s the matter?” I asked and glanced back at Gio who was running with leaves in his hands and chasing the kids he found to play with. I looked at the man again and couldn’t help but notice how…well gorgeous he was. He had a face cut right out of a GQ magazine, with his angular jaw, slightly cleft chin, and intense brow. His eyes were a striking blue and framed by enviably long lashes. His brown hair was even styled
perfectly, cut short and gelled into a neat coif.
“Maddy?” he said in a strained voice and I froze a bit, searching his face even more to see if I recognized him. His eyes were familiar…
“Yeah…do I know you?” I asked him curiously.
“It’s me! Oh my god, it’s Josh! From like the fifth grade!” he said, his eyes alight with excitement all of a sudden. His phone call completely forgotten about. After a second I finally placed him, how could I forget his striking blue eyes!
“Joshua Aberdeen is that you?” I said, a bright smile stretching across my lips. My earlier upset forgotten.
“Yes! My goodness, how long has it been? You’re still as gorgeous as I remember you,” he said, suddenly taking me into a warm hug. He smelled like cologne and a hint of aftershave, I tried not to get wrapped up in his scent and pulled back.
“I can’t believe this, it’s such a small world!” I chuckled. “And in the biggest city at that,” I added.
“So you moved to the Bronx now? Are your parents still in Long Island?” he asked, firing questions at me, and his arm was still securely around my waist. I couldn’t help but laugh, Josh hadn’t changed much. He was still the fast paced kid I knew and was best friends with from elementary school. A true New Yorker.
“Uh…actually I moved to Chicago for school years ago and stayed, but just came back to New York,” I said slowly, not exactly wanting to give him all the details of my life as it was currently.
“Wow…I’m just in shock I can’t believe this, we have to catch up. Are you free right now? Have you had lunch?” he asked.
“Mommy, mommy look what I found!” Gio came running up to me then and practically leapt into my arms, he hated to be carried. Then again he was pretty protective of me even at his little age and was definitely aware of a strange man with his arm around my waist. Josh let go of me, his eyes widened with a bit of shock. Gio held up a little gold charm that was in the shape of a Sagittarius symbol.