Alex slapped her on the ass and then pulled her close to him. She laughed at his juvenile antics and grabbed his ass right back. He smiled at her with that sexy grin of his and licked his lips. He enjoyed having his ass slapped a little too much, she knew. She loved to squeeze his tight buns and she did so as often as she could.
On stage the Foo Fighters singer, Dave Grohl, ran from one end to the other swinging his guitar wildly as the other drummer launched them into a breakdown. They were doing one of the new songs that no one had yet heard since Dave said they were getting ready to start working on a new album.
Jess had been a Foo Fighters fan ever since the first album. There was something about their music that really spoke to her. It apparently spoke to a lot of people since they repeatedly broke attendance records everywhere they played. There was just something about the artistry and the energy they brought to every show that made you a true fan for life.
“Having fun?” Alex yelled.
“Yes! This is amazing!”
Alex began grinding on her a bit and she grinded on him right back. It wasn’t the typical type of song you would grind to, but it had a pretty funky vibe to it. Besides she never needed an excuse to grind on Alex Mathers. He pulled up his shirt slightly revealing the tight abs he crunched an hour a day to sculpt and she ran her fingertips slowly over them, tracing every nuance and muscular ripple.
She was getting very turned on and she could see Alex was too. The question was what were they going to do about it?
The back of Alex’s SUV was plenty roomy and spacious and she found herself feeling a whole new level of appreciation for the tinted windows. Jess had not had sex in the back of a car since college. She was revisiting some old ground here tonight and she was enjoying every second of it. She hated to miss the last few songs of the concert, but she couldn’t stand it anymore. She was too turned on and she had to have Alex right now.
They had no sooner than touched ass to the back seat and Alex had her panties down, her skirt raised, and his zipper open. He was inside of her in a flash and she was leaning back enjoying the ride of her life. This was one of those times that they forgo all of the sweetness of lovemaking and just had some quick, rough, and dirty sex. It was hard and it was fast. It was dirty. It was taboo. And it was public. She wondered if anyone could see them through the tint. She didn’t think so because it was dark out and the tint was pretty dark as well, but passersbys had to see the car moving up and down. That was what made it all the more exciting. Jess was finding out some things about herself tonight, that was for sure.
After the sex they drove to Alex’s house where they continued the festivities. Something about loud rock music and alcohol mixing together that turned Jess into a sex demon and apparently Alex was feeling that vibe too.
One thought stayed with her through the evening, lingering in the back of her head. When she and Alex had left the concert parking lot, Jess had glanced around to see if any people were paying attention to them and their rocking vehicle. She only saw one person—Detective Tim Packard. He was sitting on the hood of his car just about fifty feet from where they had parked. He was looking at her intently. When their eyes met he smiled at her.
Had he been enjoying the show? It certainly looked that way.
Jess’s feet pounded the pavement on the track finishing the last few strides of her run. The world spun around in its increasingly familiar kind of way and she felt the routine nausea that threatened to soil the track beneath her feet, but she held it together. She was rather proud of herself for having a perfect record of not puking even though she definitely could have.
She grabbed for her water bottle and chugged half of it, letting the excess that would not fit in her mouth roll out of the corners and down her chin.
“I think you missed a few drops.”
Jess shot him an angry look, but Detective Tim Packard’s smile never faded. He kept at her with that steely gaze that she found intimidating and primal. It stirred a very special kind of beast in her and she wondered what it would look and feel like to unleash it. Would it be different than she had with Alex? Better? She tried to push the thought out of her mind.
Jess picked up her bag and began walking towards the car. She wasn’t totally sure why she was angry with Tim. Was it because he had watched her and Alex while they had sex in the SUV? Was it just because he was always there and his welcome had started to wear a little thin? Or was it because she was developing feelings for him just as she was getting her love life in order? She guessed it was probably a combination of all three things.
“Bad workout? You seemed to be giving it some pretty good intensity out there,” Tim said walking behind her.
“Do you always have to follow me around? I’m a big girl; I can take care of myself,” Jess snapped at him.
“Hey, I’m just doing my job. Do you know how many grownups that can take care of themselves but still get hurt every day in this world? That’s why the cops exist; because most capable people can’t handle everything themselves.”
Jess opened the trunk of her car and threw her bag inside. She slammed the trunk closed and glared at Tim. He didn’t flinch. In fact if she didn’t know better she could swear he found it sexy.
“I’m not ordinary,” Jess said as she opened her car door and slid behind the wheel.
“I know that. You are anything but ordinary.”
Jess stopped just then and looked up at Tim who was still burrowing into her with that steely gaze that sat atop the sexiest smirking smile she had ever seen. God, what was it with this guy? She was finding everything he did irresistibly sexy.
Jess shut the door and drove home.
Tim caught up with her within three blocks and she was tempted to break a bunch of traffic laws to lose the dork, but she decided against it. He would probably write her up a bunch of citations and she would find that sexy as well.
Jess pulled into her house and went inside. Tim parked right across the street from her. She pretended not to notice. It was time that she finally just pretended the man was not there watching her every step. It was very creepy having someone there all the time, but she was not going to let him ruin her night.
She stepped inside and began to peel off her sweaty clothes. She was hoping to be done and showered before eleven. Her muscles ached heavily as she struggled with the clingy, sweaty clothes. She had worked out that morning and decided that she was in the mood to do it again tonight. It was the first time she had ever worked out twice in one day and the first time she had gone running at night since she had started her new regimen. It was exhilarating and she found that she was really getting into it. The way her whole body felt alive afterwards and throughout the day was indescribable and she was getting way more work done in a much quicker amount of time. As long as morons didn’t interrupt her she was able to really focus and concentrate with a much higher precision than she had before.
She was shocked to see Tim following her to the track since he had done the same that morning. She was really starting to wonder if the man had a home to go to. A homeless cop? That was a first.
Jess stood and looked at herself in the mirror for a moment before walking into the bathroom to take a much needed shower. She had not weighed herself or even paid much attention to any physical changes that might have been occurring in her body, but she suddenly looked a lot thinner and leaner. She thought it was impossible to see improvements that quickly, but it was happening.
She grabbed her bathroom scale and stepped on it. She had lost twelve pounds in a little over a week. She was conflicted on how to feel. On one hand she had made peace with the fact that she was a big girl and she was perfectly happy with it. She had not undergone a physical workout routine to lose weight; she had done it for her physical and emotional health. It was a great way to deal with stress and if physical changes happened she was OK with that.
She put the bathroom scale away and hopped in the shower.
The water was hot and refresh
ing on her skin. As she leaned back, letting the water soothe her aching muscles she felt a sense of calm pull over her. Her thoughts were tranquil and she felt totally at peace. It was her favorite part of working out she decided. There was nothing finer than just letting it all wash away as she stood under the hot water, feeling it invade every nook and cranny in her body.
She thought about Tim and wished he was there with her as her hands rubbed over her soapy breasts and her ass, wishing they were his strong, rugged hands. She knew that she shouldn’t be feeling this way, but she couldn’t help it and she tried to shut those feelings off. She felt so guilty thinking about it that she couldn’t stand it. That was one of the reasons she had increased the intensity and duration of her runs, she decided. It was just something else for her to be stressed about.
It couldn’t happen. She really cared for Alex. At this point she was sure that she was basically in love with him. It had been so long since she had felt love that she wasn’t even sure how to do it anymore. Sometimes she felt like she was pushing Alex away, but he had not acted any differently around her. In fact he was even more affectionate and romantic than he had been since the threats had started. She took this to mean that he really cared about her and that he was very concerned. Of course being the macho type of guy he was, he would never tell her that.
Jess turned off the water of the shower and wrung her hair out a bit. Then she pulled back the shower curtain. Her body instantly lurched backwards, slamming her back against the wall. Her heart began to beat rapidly in her chest and her breathing became very shallow, coming in short, quick gasps.
There, finger written on the vanity mirror in red was a message that read “Enjoy your last days. You are mine bitch!”
That had not been there a few minutes ago. Someone was in her house. She locked the bathroom door and grabbed her phone off the sink.
Jess grabbed her robe off the bathroom door and called Tim.
He rushed inside.
Chapter Eleven
Tim handed a cup of hot tea to Jess and sat down on the couch, placing his own tea on the coffee table in front of them. He looked at Jess intently, but did not say anything for a few minutes. Jess did not encourage conversation either; she wanted to rest and enjoy a few minutes of peace and quiet.
Her nerves were shot and she just wanted to sip her tea. The person had actually been in her house. She could not shake this idea or the feeling. She had not called Alex yet, but she wanted to. She was wrestling with taking him up on his offer to move in with him until this person was apprehended, but the stubborn Jessica Bilson deep inside of her would just not allow her to roll over and give up. She was not wired that way. It just wasn’t going to happen.
Finally Tim spoke.
“Are you OK?”
Jess smiled her best phony smile and nodded yes.
“Good. I understand the shock you’ve been through, but you are safe now.”
“I don’t feel safe. This person broke into my home and waited for me. They could have killed me.”
“But they didn’t,” Tim said.
“Maybe they don’t mean me any real harm then? Is that what you are saying?”
Tim took a sip of his tea and set it back down.
“Not exactly. You can’t get a false sense of security and think that because this person didn’t hurt you now that they won’t hurt you later. They might just be toying with you.”
“What am I going to do? Why can’t you catch this freak?”
“We are doing all we can. I just checked the station about the results of the Veronica Daniels investigation. It turns out that someone did hack her PC and used her IP address to send those messages. She didn’t do it.”
Jess felt tears welling up in her eyes and she struggled hard to swallow them back down, turning her head away as a few lonely tears escaped her clutches and rolled down her face. She hated to display this weak side of her to anybody and she hated to give in to her vulnerability like this. It was sad and pathetic. If her dad saw her crying like a little girl right now she knew the lecture he would give her.
“It’s OK. We will find out who is doing this.”
Tim took her hand in his and held it gently. His touch felt good and reassuring. She looked at him and saw a gentle soulfulness in his eyes that she had not seen yet. It was a nice change on him and she saw for the first time what a good man he really was. He was a good cop and he was a good friend to have.
He reached up with his left hand and, using just one finger, wiped a tear away from her eye as it rolled down her cheek, catching it just under her cheek bone. His thick, strong finger elicited several responses in her all at once and they added up to a feeling of comfort she had been lacking lately. No matter how tough she pretended to be when it was all said and done deep beneath the surface she had a vulnerable spot. And this person had tapped into it by terrorizing her. She felt like a victim for the first time and it enraged her. She was not going to go down without a fight. She wanted to find this person and do violent things to them. She was not a violent person, but when push came to shove she came to destroy.
“I know. It’s just that something like this tends to rock your world in a very uncomfortable way,” Jess replied.
“I know that. You going to move in with Alex? You told me that he had suggested it before. Might not be a bad idea in the meantime.”
“No. I’m not going to let them have this victory. I will not be pushed out of my house.”
“I understand, but I would at least suggest installing a security system. I have a friend in the business that can get you a great deal if you tell him I sent you.”
“Thanks. I appreciate that.”
Jess had actually never thought of getting a system installed. She lived in a safe neighborhood and she just didn’t feel it was warranted.
She would call them first thing in the morning.
“Did you call Alex at least? Did you tell him what happened?”
Jess wasn’t sure why Tim was so preoccupied with Alex all of a sudden, but she paid it no mind.
“No, I didn’t want to freak him out. He would insist I come over and spend the night and he would insist I move in.”
“Well, might not be a bad idea to spend the night there at least. That way you could get some sleep. I doubt you will sleep here now tonight,” Tim said.
“Well, if you don’t mind hanging out with me I’d like to stay here tonight. I’m enjoying just sitting here. Just keep the tea coming.”
Tim smiled.
“That sounds like a plan,” he said.
Jess awoke sometime just after dawn with the bright sunshine glaring on her face. The warmth felt great for a moment until she opened her eyes and the blinding light began to burn her retinas. She squinted, shutting her eyes as tightly as she could and rolled up off the couch to a sitting up position.
She just realized that her head had been lying on Tim’s shoulder. She thought he was asleep as well until he moved his head slowly looking at her with eyes that were wide awake. He had stayed awake all night and looked after her and he had not bothered to move her head from his shoulder. She wondered what that actually meant as she moved closer to the edge of the couch. She certainly didn’t want to give him the wrong idea. She was finding herself more and more attracted to him all the time, but she knew that it was not meant to be. She had made a choice to be with Alex and when she really searched her heart she found that he was the one she wanted to be with. This had just confirmed the whole thing for her. It all looked so simple now. The choice really wasn’t a choice at all and she hoped she had not led Tim on in any way. He really was a great guy.
“You OK?” Tim asked.
Jess smiled awkwardly.
“Yeah, I guess I’m still a little shaken up,” Jess said.
“That’s understandable. But you are safe now.”
“Thanks. Sorry about lying on your shoulder. I guess I was more tired than I thought.”
“That’s no problem,”
Tim said. He leaned closer to Jess.
He reached out and touched her hand softly, holding her hand in his. She slowly turned her head, locking eyes on him. He was so beautiful that she could hardly think right then, but as he leaned forward to kiss her the senses snapped back into being and she realized what was happening.
Jess turned her head and stood up leaving Tim puckering and leaning in awkwardly. He didn’t seem to feel awkward though. He smiled and gave her a puzzled look.
“What’s wrong?” Tim asked.
“This can’t happen.”
“I’m sorry?”
“Us—we can’t be together that way. I’m involved.”
“With Alex—I know.”
“Well, then you should understand why we can’t pursue this.”
Tim leaned back and thought a moment before speaking.
“You know what I see when I look at you? A beautiful woman who is not happy. You think you are happy with a guy like Alex because he offers security and you know what he’s all about; you know what to expect from him. But then you meet a guy like me and you don’t know what to expect. I’m not nearly as cookie cutter perfect and that scares you. You don’t’ frighten easily, but this has you scared.”
“Maybe it does. But I know what I want and I can’t do this.”
“Don’t let go of something that could be amazing because you are unable to conquer your fears.”
Jess was getting a little steamed at being told who she was and what she wanted.
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