by Kim Jones
I trudge my ass upstairs in a not so nice mood. I’m let down, disappointed and maybe a little pissed. And if you were being deprived of that sexy beast that is one Devil’s Renegades Regg, then you would be pissed too.
I meet Regg at the truck wearing my rattiest pajamas. My face is makeup free, my hair is piled on my head and I look hideous in my knee high rubber boots. But, I don’t give a shit. I light a smoke, ignoring him and his amused stare.
“Somebody’s in a great mood.” Somebody needs an orgasm. I make sure I only think my words this time.
“How long is this gonna take?”
“We pullin’ an all-nighter, babe. Hopefully, this will be the last one. I don’t even remember what my bed feels like.” Poor Regg. Here I am being a bitch after all the sacrifices he’s made on my behalf. I am sure Regg needed to be home more than he needed to be with the club tonight, but he went. And something in the back of my head tells me it was more for me than it was for anyone else.
We barrel down the gravel road and stop just in front of the houses. I walk with him through one, wait for him to start the fans and then follow him back to the small office. Kicking my boots off, I curl up on the cot. Regg tells me he will be back shortly and leaves me alone. I don’t want to go to sleep, but I’m so tired that I find myself fighting to keep my eyes open.
I keep my eyes closed when I hear him come in, and I feel that tingle in my belly at his presence. He lies down next to me and without hesitation, pulls me to his chest. His mouth is dangerously close to my ear and his warm breath sends chills through me.
“Are you asleep?” I’m debating on answering him. He knows I’m not. Or maybe he just thinks I’m having a dream that makes my heart race and my breathing a little erratic. I decide to stay silent and I can feel him smile against my ear. I let out a squeal when he grabs my waist and flips me so that we are facing one another.
“I’m a man who makes good on his promises.” I start to say something, but his mouth closes in on mine. Our first kiss months ago is nothing compared to this one. Instantly, I give into him, knotting my fingers in his hair and pulling him closer to me. I want this. I want him. I’ve never wanted anything more in my life. I’ve gone too long without feeling the heat of passion from someone who genuinely wants it. And I know by the way Regg kisses me, he wants it.
He moans into my mouth and a fire ignites. Raw need blazes into an inferno, desperate for more fuel to add to its flame. I grind my hips into him, begging him for more. He gives into my demands and slips his hand beneath my shirt. His calloused thumb grazes my nipple and I moan in response.
“Please,” I beg. My plea for more is lost in our mouths, silenced by the invasion of his tongue dancing with mine. He squeezes my breast in his hand, letting the weight of it fill his palm. I grind harder into him, finding his cock hard and ready for me even through the thickness of his jeans. His hand slides down my stomach, leaving a trail of goosebumps and a wave of chills in its wake. He finds the waist band of my pajama shorts and easily guides his hand beneath them.
He teases me through my panties until the satin material is wet with my arousal. His fingers follow along the seam, tracing a path over my hip bone and to my ass. His large hand covers a cheek, squeezing it hard before moaning in appreciation. I throw my leg over his hip, allowing him access to my pussy that begging for his touch. Roughly, my panties are pulled to the side before his long finger gently rubs between my wet lips. He pushes a finger inside of me and stars burst behind my eyelids.
“Damn,” he mutters, breaking from my mouth to trail kisses along my jaw and neck. His nibbles the tender flesh, smoothing the sting with his tongue before kissing it reverently and moving on to another spot. His finger works in and out of me as he teases my neck with the heat of his mouth. I’ve never been this turned on by a man and the wetness between my legs proves it. As if I need further confirmation, Regg tells me again.
“You’re so. Fucking. Wet.” The appreciation in his tone and the enunciation of each word, says one thing. He likes me this wet. And he should since he is the cause of it.
He finds my ear with his mouth and my clit with his finger. He applies just the right amount of pressure as he rubs it in a circular motion, demanding the one thing I want most. Release. His demand is not only with his movements, but with his words.
“Come for me, beautiful.” The way he says ‘beautiful,’ makes me feel like the definition of the word only applies to me. Like it’s my given name-one so rare that there is no mistaking who he’s referring to. My whole body stills once I finally make it to the top of my climax. And then on the free fall, my body jerks in pleasure, while my moans echo off the walls of the room. By the guttural sound that rips through Regg’s chest, it’s as if feeling me come apart beneath him is better than his own release.
I delight in the aftershocks of my orgasm long after it’s over. Regg’s hand is on my neck, his thumb grazing my jaw. My eyes flutter open to find brown pools of lust and desire staring back at me. I want to feel him inside me. I want him to make love to me all night until we collapse in exhaustion. I want to wake up with him buried inside of me; starting my day with the same pleasure he ended my night with. Then, he tells me something I never thought he’d say in this moment.
“I just want to hold you.” There’s something about the way he says it that makes me feel loved. He doesn’t want to fuck me. He isn’t expecting me to give him anything in return for what he just gave me. He just wants to hold me. So, I let him hold me. And I drift off to sleep in the arms of the man that I’m pretty sure I love.
Chapter Eighteen
Falling… Literally
“Wake up, sleepy head,” Regg says, rubbing my back. I’m not a morning person, but the previous night’s events have me wide awake, anticipating the movement of his hands. Maybe he woke me up to give me another dose of what he gave me last night. I turn over, trying like hell to look sultry and sexy.
“I’m awake,” I say, batting my eyelashes. I was hoping my voice would come out as a purr, but I sound like I ate gravel for breakfast. Figures.
“Good. Let’s go shoot some nannies.” He gets up and I notice he’s dressed head to toe in camouflage.
“Shoot some what?” It’s too early for this shit. If he ain’t gonna kiss me, then he needs to let me go back to sleep.
“Deer, babe. Come on, we’re late.” Late? It isn’t even five in the morning.
“I think I’m gonna sleep in,” I say, already rolling back to my stomach.
“Oh, you must have misunderstood me. I didn’t ask.” He grabs my ankles, dragging me until my knees hit the floor.
“What the fuck is your problem?” I yell, holding onto the cot for dear life.
“Watch your mouth. Come on.” I’m left staring at his back, knowing that if I don’t get up now, he will just come back and forcefully take me with him. It’s not a bad idea. Huffing, I pull my boots on and step out into the blue morning. It’s freezing outside, and just the short walk to the truck has me shivering.
“Put these on.” He hands me a pair of camouflage overalls, an orange vest and some gloves. I easily slip the overalls over my pajamas, zipping them up to my neck. I secure the hood over my head, tying it tight around my neck before putting on the vest and gloves. Regg looks at me from the other side of the truck and smirks.
“Well, ain’t you cute.” Asshole. The sun isn’t even up. Nobody is cute at this time of day. Except for him, of course. He’s all bright eyed and bushy tailed, looking like a model for Mossy Oak wear.
I light a cigarette, letting the nicotine fill my lungs, reminding me that I’m alive and adding to the morning stench of my breath. Ugh.
“Can we at least get some coffee?” I ask, ready to unleash the beast if he denies me morning caffeine.
“Here.” He hands me a thermos and I frown. Did he expect me to drink it black? “It’s fixed just how you like it.” I smile at him, wondering how I can hate him one moment and want to smother him in kisses the
next. The coffee is perfect and a wonderful addition to my cigarette. We ride in silence along a dirt road until Regg pulls the truck into the edge of the woods.
“If you have anything to say, now is the time to say it. When I open this door, don’t talk. I’m serious about my huntin’.” And his expression shows it. I shake my head, not having anything to say. The moment the door is closed and we begin our descent into the woods, I’m overloaded with shit to tell him. I want to tell him that I’ve never been hunting. I want to tell him I’ve never shot a rifle. I want to talk to him about last night, and make him promise to kiss me again. My cheeks heat at the reminder and suddenly it isn’t that cold anymore.
We come to a stop a couple hundred yards into the woods and Regg points up. Way up. In the very top of the biggest damn oak tree I’ve ever seen, are three white boards. While I’m still trying to figure out what in the hell it is, Regg is already halfway up the tree. Not to be outdone, I follow. The steps consist of old wood that is rotting away in some places, and some boards are even missing. I have the urge to yell out and cuss at him, but I keep my mouth shut to keep from hurting his feelings. And because I’m too winded to say anything.
Ten minutes later, I make it to the top and take a seat next to him on a wooden bench. To my left is about a fifty foot drop to the ground. I find myself edging closer to him in fear of falling.
“My uncle built this years ago. I’m impressed. I never thought you’d make it up here,” he whispers, smirking at me.
“You’re an ass,” I whisper back, still trying to catch my breath. Regg on the other hand isn’t the least bit winded.
“Shh.” I look up at him in shock. So, he can whisper but I can’t? I start to come back with something, but his hand covering my mouth silences me. He points and I follow his finger to see nothing but a bunch of trees. “Thought I saw something,” he says, keeping his hand over my mouth. I remove it, and instantly miss the warmth as his body pulls away from mine.
“I’m cold,” I whisper, but Regg ignores me. Not even bothering to look my way. I wait a few minutes before trying to strike up another conversation. “So, you come here often?” Silence. What an asshole. “Are you ignoring me?”
“Yes.” Finally. Now that I have his attention, I continue.
“I’m hungry. Are we gonna have breakfast when we leave?” He turns to look at me, I can see the aggravation in his face and it makes me smile. “Am I bothering you, Mr. Rawls?”
“You know, I can make you shut up,” he whispers, the corner of his mouth turning up in a smirk.
“What you gonna do? Push me outta the tree? You drug me up here. The least you could do is talk to me.” I stuff my hands in the pockets of my overalls, wishing the sun would hurry up and make its way over the trees before I freeze to death.
“That’s a good idea, but no. If I did that, you might scream on the way down and I don’t want you to scare off the deer.”
“I think I have to sneeze,” I say, wiggling my eyebrows at him. He narrows his eyes on me, trying to show just how mean he is, but the affect is lost because he is still smiling.
“Last warning. Stop talking.” The dare in his eyes is too inviting. Now, I want to talk just to see what he will do. He wouldn’t really push me outta the tree. Would he?
“And what if I,” my voice carries over the trees but it’s short lived. His hand comes back over my lips silencing me, as he pulls my hood down to whisper in my ear.
“If you promise to keep your mouth shut, Red, then I promise to give you something that I know you want.” His breath is hot against my skin and I shiver in response. Regg always makes good on his promises and just as sure as I’m sitting here, I’ll make good on mine. Nothing could make me talk in this moment. Hell, I’ll stay silent for the rest of the day as long as he puts his hands on me tonight. I nod, my breath is panting in anticipation while my insides pulse with need.
He pulls away from me, winking before motioning for me to replace the hood on my head. I’m so caught up in my daydream of what’s to come that I forget what we’re doing here in the first place. So, when I see a deer, I act like an idiot.
“Look!” I say. Or yell. Or scream at the top of my lungs. You get it. I act a complete fool and in response, the deer disappears from view and back into the cut over. I’m scared to look at Regg. I feel fear building inside of me. I’ve never pissed him off, but I bet if I could, this was a good way to start.
I stare straight ahead, squinting my eyes closed in hopes that maybe I will just disappear. How could I be so stupid? Not only have I scared the deer, but now, I won’t be getting what I wanted more than anything. Him.
“POW!”
The sound of the gun going off is so startling that I take to my instinct to run. Too bad I didn’t think it through. Before I can realize my mistake, I’m already falling. Panic surges through me as I try to regain my balance, but gravity takes over and soon the ground is coming up to meet my face. I close my eyes, not wanting to remember the moment just in case I actually survive it. A tree limb catches my ankle, and I’m left dangling in the air.
“Red! Calm down! I’ve got you!” I don’t know why Regg is screaming at me at first, and then I realize it’s to be heard over my own screams. I open my eyes to find myself lying on my stomach, in the floor of the tree stand. The only thing hanging over the side is my head. I didn’t fall, I tripped. And I don’t know what’s worse-tripping or not falling at all. I think I would have rather plunged to my death. At least that would have made a better headline. ‘Local stripper trips in tree stand but is unharmed’ doesn’t seem like it would sell. “Damn, girl. What the hell is wrong with you?”
“What’s wrong with me? What in the hell is wrong with you. You almost let me die!”
“Um, hardly. I missed the deer if that makes you happy.” Regg seems aggravated when he should be falling to his knees, kissing the life back into me.
“No, Regg. That doesn’t make me happy.”
“You’re such a drama queen.” Wrong words, buddy. Wrong fucking words.
“Drama queen? You wanna see drama queen?” I scramble to my feet, finding the exit to the horrifying contraption before moving down the ladder like a damn monkey.
“You’re fucking crazy. You know that? Bat shit fucking crazy,” Regg calls down the ladder. I pause, looking up long enough to give him the finger and yell at him one more time.
“And you’re an asshole!” When I take a step down the rotten wood beneath my foot snaps, allowing all of my weight to fall on the board my hands are currently on. “Regg!” I scream, feeling the panic rise inside of me. Again.
“This is me ignoring you again,” he says, I look up but he’s turned the other way.
“Help! Help me!” The desperation in my voice has him turning and I watch as the horror registers on his face.
“Shit,” he says, moving rapidly down the tree towards me.
“My fingers are slipping!” I scream, looking down to see that the drop is about twenty feet. I watch as my grip loosens, keeping my eyes trained on my fingers at they slip from the board one by one. Then, I’m falling. For real this time.
I land in a pile of brush which cushions my fall. I wiggle my toes, my fingers and move my neck to make sure nothing is broken. I’m fine, and other than my pride, nothing is hurt. Regg comes into view, his eyes scanning me, surveying my body for damage.
“I’m telling everyone that you pushed me,” I say, reaching my hand up for a little assistance. He pulls me to my feet, turning me so that he can brush off the leaves from my back. He turns me back to face him, taking my chin in his hand and looking over my face. I can see the concern and regret in his eyes. He’s worried. “I’m fine. Really.” I half expect him to come back with some smartass comment, but he pulls me into his arms and holds me close.
“You scared the shit outta me.” I pat his back, unsure of what to do or how to answer him. Then, I get a very selfish idea.
“Since I fell and almost died, will you st
ill make good on your promise?” He takes my face in his hands, smirking down at me as he lowers his lips to mine. We’re so close I can feel the heat of his mouth against my lips. I close my eyes in anticipation of his kiss. This time, I know it’s gonna be better than the last. Our adrenaline is pumping and the passion is motivated by fear-fear that he almost lost me.
“I told you, Red. I always make good on my promises.” He backs away from me, leaving me standing cold, alone and un-kissed.
“Where are you going?” I ask, refusing to follow him until he gives me what I’m owed.
“To give you something I know you want. Breakfast.” Did I mention he was an asshole?
Chapter Nineteen
Jealousy and Its Reward
“Let’s go out tonight,” Regg says from across the table. He’s taken me to a diner that serves the best damn fried eggs and bacon I’ve ever eaten. It’s a small, local country store with a tractor suspended in the air as advertisement. I’ve never been to a place that sells tractors, toilet paper and breakfast before now. You can smoke in here too.
“What you got in mind?” I ask, shoveling a piece of toast smothered in grape jelly into my mouth.
“I have some business to handle in Jackson. The meeting is set for a nightclub up there. The whole club is coming, thought we could make a date out of it.” A date?
“Yeah, okay.” Regg seems pleased with my answer, but there is tension in the air. I have a feeling that there is more to this ‘date night’ than he’s telling me. “Is there anything else I need to know?”
“The night club is a strip club.” Suddenly, I’ve lost my appetite. How dare he even mention taking me on a date to a fucking strip joint. “It’s cool if you don’t want to go, but I have to.” I have two options here. Either I stay home and pout, or I suck it up and tag along. If the other girls weren’t going, I would just tell him to leave me with them. But, he’d already said they were which makes me wonder how long this has been set in motion. And how long they’ve kept it from me.