by J. M. Witt
Lucy left the room, closing the door behind her. Des had walked into the attached bathroom and I gave her the privacy I was sure she wanted. Staring at the bed, the exhaustion hit me like a punch to the gut. Kicking off my shoes before dropping my pants, I pulled back the covers and lowered myself to the bed. Removing my prosthetic and rubbing my leg, after the discomfort began to ease, I laid down.
~ Odysseus ~
~ Chapter 11 ~
I woke to the sounds of mumbling and soon realized it was Des in the throes of a nightmare. Softly, I tried talking to her to soothe her. It was when she started whimpering in her sleep and crying out, that my compassion and anger came head to head. This was Saul’s doing and that S.O.B. was still out there. Even in her dreams she was running from him.
“No!”
I closed the space between our bodies and ran my hand down her arm. She wasn’t facing me, but when I leaned over her I saw the tears pooling on her cheek. “Shh, Des, you’re ok. You’re safe.” She began to flail out and sat upright, panting. I tried reassuring her, “You’re safe, Des.”
Her eyes met mine as I leaned up on my elbow; she was still sobbing, and her words hit me hard, “I’ll never be safe, not until he’s dead.”
“Des, that’s not true.” Part of it was probably true, but I couldn’t say that to her. I wanted him dead, too, but I wasn’t willing to sacrifice my life with her to go to prison for the rest of it. Self-defense was another topic all together. I couldn’t just murder him in cold blood. “I’ll do anything in my power to protect you and so will my brothers. You’re one of us now and we’re not going to let anything happen to you.”
She didn’t say anything, just pushed me down to my back and curled into my side. Trembling, she clung to me almost as tightly as I did her. The pounding in my head began to subside as sleep claimed her and it wasn’t long before I was sleeping too.
I woke to Des on her cell phone. She was calling work and rescheduling her patients for the next couple days. I needed to do the same thing and turned to sit on the side of the bed. Reaching for my prosthetic, I put it on, and then stood.
“I’m sorry. Did I wake you?”
“It’s ok. I need to get up. I need to get someone to cover my clients for the week. Do you know if Will is still here?”
“I’m not sure. I haven’t left the room yet.” Something was bothering her and then she asked, “Can we go to your place? I don’t have anything here.”
“Let me see if Will’s here. He was supposed to grab some things.”
“Ok. I can call the detective. I don’t even know if we’re allowed in there.”
I walked out of the bedroom and she followed. Will wasn’t anywhere to be found, but there was a note on the counter. He was down at the gym and had sent one of his trainers over to Montrose to cover my clients there. He was always on top of things.
After speaking to the detective, we were given permission to go to the apartment. He even said he’d send someone to meet us so that we felt safe. Walking into the apartment, her face grew pale. I gave her hand a comforting squeeze as we walked further inside. She stopped moving and I followed her line of sight. Staring into the closet, where she’d hidden before Saul attacked us both, I saw the fear wash over her.
“We don’t have to do this, Des.”
She just shook her head and inhaled deeply. “No, it’s fine.”
She headed toward the bedroom and headed for the closet. Pulling out a duffel bag, she set it on the shredded mattress and then opened the drawers holding her clothes. As she pulled her intimates out, we discovered that ninety percent of them had been destroyed. Scissors or a knife had turned them all into useless scraps. Most of her wardrobe was found the same way. As it all sank in I was becoming more infuriated at the thought of how long Saul had been in our place. He hadn’t touched a single item of my clothing.
“We’ll get you new stuff, Des.” She just nodded.
Grabbing some boxes, we threw all the ruined items in and the few items that were still in one piece she threw in the duffel bag. I picked up a scrap of denim and placed it in the box.
“Hey! That’s my skirt.”
She snatched it from the box and held it up in front of her and I recognized that skirt. It was the same skirt—if you could call it that—she wore the night she asked me to meet her at O’Grady’s. I couldn’t deny the reaction my cock had at the sight of her in that skirt. She had legs for days and that ‘skirt’ just accentuated them.
“You call that a skirt? Does it even cover your ass?”
Pursing her lips, a slight smile formed as she said, “Barely. Maybe I’ll show you sometime.”
“Mmm.” She didn’t miss me adjusting myself as I went back to packing our bags.
“I can’t believe we now have two apartments that we’re paying for that we’re not living in.” She dropped to the bed in a huff. “What are we going to do, O?”
I sat down next to her and she dropped her head to my shoulder. “I don’t know. We’ll figure it out. Will won’t throw us out, but it’s not the ideal situation.”
It was a whisper when she asked, “What if he finds us there, too?”
It’d already crossed my mind and when I was on the phone with the detective he’d let me know that squad cars would be sitting outside the gym 24/7 until they found Saul. While I know that should’ve made me feel safe, it didn’t. Saul had already proven he was smart enough to get to us.
The next couple of weeks passed with no word on Saul. He’d stopped showing up to work, of course that’d happened after he assaulted Des at her place. We still had a patrol car at Will’s place 24/7, but we didn’t even know if Saul was dead or alive. I had to believe that if he was dead we’d have known.
Des decided to put her apartment on the market and was also considering subletting it. Her biggest concern was for the safety of anyone who may want it. I did the same with mine. We agreed that staying with Will was the best bet for now and we’d find a new place together when both places were sold—knowing Saul was our biggest concern. We wanted a place of our own, but also wanted to know we were safe.
My apartment had been cleaned out with the help of my brothers and sold quicker than we expected. One down, one to go. Des still had a shadow of fear that crossed her face on occasion. She didn’t talk about it much, but it was lessening. The doctors had cleared me from my concussion and my leg was almost back to feeling normal.
The craving I was beginning to have for her was palpitating. I knew I couldn’t push her and slowly her defenses were coming back down, but I was growing desperate for her. She was in the bathroom getting ready for the day when I stepped out of the shower. Sitting down in the chair where my prosthetic sat, I dried my leg before pulling some boxer briefs to mid-thigh, then put my leg back on. Standing, my erection taunted me at half-mast. My eyes caught hers as she looked at my reflection in the mirror, blatantly staring at my crotch.
“See something you like?” Her eyes darted up as she went back to putting on her makeup. She ignored my comment and didn’t say a word. Walking up behind her, I kissed the side of her neck. “I miss you.” I felt her body relax as I pulled her hair aside and continued kissing her neck.
Her breathing picked up as she leaned into me. My hands circled her waist and fingered the hem of her shirt, her warm silky skin awaiting my touch. I had to leave her wanting more, it was the only way.
Stepping away from her, I warned, “You’re going to be late for work.” I walked back to the bedroom and got dressed.
~ Odysseus ~
~ Chapter 12 ~
I got home that night to a candlelit dinner waiting for me. Music played and the aroma of something Italian filled my senses. I was ravenous. I didn’t see her anywhere, but I could smell her perfume. Perfume she hadn’t worn since the wedding.
“Des?”
“Sit down. I’ll be right there.”
“Where’s Will?” I shouted from the table.
“Don’t worry. I got rid
of him for the night.” She popped her head around the bedroom door. “He’s staying with Dorian and D tonight.” Before I could inquire more, she stepped into the room and stole my breath.
She wore that scrap of a mini skirt, black strappy heels and a flowy top. I didn’t know where to look first. Her hair fell down her back and her makeup had been touched up. I could tell by the way her lips glistened.
“Shit.” She smiled and then became nervous. “You look, just, wow.”
“Thank you.” She smiled coyly and then walked to the kitchen and pulled a dish out of the oven. Carrying it to the table, she set it down and then went back to the kitchen. “I hope you like lasagna.”
“Seriously? Who doesn’t? This looks and smells amazing.”
When she set the salad down next to me, I pulled her to my lap. She didn’t resist me and I was so grateful for it. Instead, she leaned in and kissed my cheek. “I don’t want to be apart any longer, O.”
Breathe by Ryan Star started playing as she started to say more and I stopped her. “You don’t have to explain.” Cupping her cheek, my fingers caressing the sensitive skin behind her ear I asked, “Tell me I can kiss you, Des.”
“Please kiss me, O. I want you to kiss me, need you to…”
My mouth covered hers as she moaned, surrendering to my kiss. God how I missed kissing her. She kissed like no one else and I couldn’t get enough of her satin lips and velvet tongue. Her lip gloss tasted like candy as I greedily pulled her bottom lip between my teeth, licking it clean. One hand circled her back as the other moved down to her leg. Pulling her closer, her legs wedged between mine as she sat on my thigh. My cock throbbed and as she tried to get closer to me, her leg brushing against me caused my erection to leap.
Groaning, she stilled before running her hand down my side. Her fingers played with the elastic of my gym shorts as she confessed, “I want you inside me, O.”
Opening my eyes, I stared back into hers and listened to the lyrics of the song. I wanted all her cares and concerns to be gone, given to me to deal with. All I wanted for her was happiness and pleasure and I wanted to be the one to give them to her. She was so full of life when I finally met her that day at therapy and I wanted that Des back.
Admittedly, I’d had my eye on her for a while, in awe of her beauty and grace. I was so nervous that day and almost walked out, the nerves getting to me. What I hadn’t expected were the sparks between us to be so potent. It was the best surprise, even though she tried fighting it.
“I want that too.” I kissed her softly and then pushed her off my lap. “Eat.” Her brow scrunched up as I chuckled. “There’s no rush. Let’s eat.” I yanked her closer as she stood and buried my face in her belly, my hand roaming up the back of her leg, almost touching her ass. “I promise, after we eat.”
When she stepped back, the glaze in her eyes gave her away, though she didn’t know it. I wanted her a complete puddle of want when I took her. It was what she needed and what I craved. There couldn’t be any doubt or worry about what we were about to do when we finally consummated our marriage. There were too many demons in both our closets threatening to wreak havoc on our relationship. If I wanted her crying out for more, foreplay and anticipation would be key.
She scooped some lasagna onto our plates and I moved closer to her. Eating with one hand, the other ran up and down her leg the entire time we ate. Soon, she reached out and placed her hand on my neck, her fingers digging into the tight flesh of my neck and shoulders.
I helped her clear the plates and put the leftovers in the fridge. When we were done, she took my hand and led me to the bedroom. I pushed my own nerves down knowing far too well how long it’d been since I’d made love to a woman, having tried and failed on a couple of occasions since my injury.
Walking into the room, she turned to face me and pulled the shirt over her head. A black bra covered her perfect breasts and my hands reached for her without delay. Feeling her skin under my hands was everything I remembered. Her hands ran under my shirt and over my torso. Pulling the shirt up my sides, I helped her remove it from my body.
“I hope you don’t mind if I put some music on.” I shook my head. “All I think about when I hear this song is you.”
“Let’s hear it.”
She pushed some buttons on her phone, set in on the dresser and informed me of the song. “It’s Beautiful With You by Halestorm. And it’s on repeat.” Smiling, she looked me over and sighed softly, “You’ve been working out. Hard.”
One side of my mouth turned up as I confirmed, “Yes. All about the gains.” She chuckled as I added, “Been a little frustrated. Working out helps.”
“I’m sorry I’ve been so distant.”
“Don’t ever apologize for that, Des. I’m not going anywhere.” Bending my face toward hers, hands gripped my lower back as our mouths met. “Tell me to stop and know that I will.” She just nodded and continued kissing me.
I tangled my hands in her hair, holding her face to mine. Her own sank into the back of my shorts and gripped my ass before she pulled the shorts down. They puddled at the floor as her fingers ran up and down my hips, my cock desperate for her touch. My hands moved down to trace over the top of her breasts, then pulled the bra straps down.
Turning her, I unclasped her bra as I nipped and sucked on her neck. As the bra fell from her body, I cupped her breasts and kneaded them as she sank back against me, the top of her ass rubbing against my dick.
“O, don’t stop.”
My hands ran over her belly and to the snap closure of her skirt. Tugging it open before I pushed it down her thighs, black lace panties I hadn’t seen before met my fingers. Moving my hands down her ass, to her thighs, and around to pull her hips back against me.
“Touch me, O.”
I dipped my hand between her legs and found her panties already soaked through. “I want to taste you, Des. Please tell me I can taste you.”
A shudder ran through her as she turned to face me. “You can taste me, please taste me.”
Kissing me, her tongue collided with mine and she didn’t stop till we were both breathless. With us both only in our underwear, I walked to the bed and sat down against the headboard, motioning her to climb up in front of me. Placing a foot on each side of my hips, she stared down at me as I slowly ran my thumb over her lace covered mound. Her eyes closed and her hips pushed a little closer as I put a little more pressure on her clit.
“Odysseus…” It was barely a whisper and I wasn’t even sure if she knew she’d said it.
Slipping my thumbs under her panties, I pulled them down and helped her step out of them. I was salivating at the thought of her in my mouth and dripping down my chin and her scent just accentuated it. I looked up to her, the glaze heavy over her eyes, and leaned in to kiss her hips. Her hand came down on my head as she gently tugged on my hair. Cupping her ass, I pulled her close as my tongue slid along her lips.
She tasted like redemption, like a sweet tart I’d never get enough of, and I knew it after just one taste. Her soft moans began to fill the room as her hips began to rock against my face. Slipping my hand between her thighs, I slid a finger inside her as she pulsed around it.
“O, please…Oh, God.”
My lips circled around her clit as I sucked on it gently, my tongue softly stroking it. It wasn’t long before I felt her ass clench in my hands. She was close and I felt like a God when she came in my mouth. She chanted my name and I thought she might pull the hair from the roots, she was gripping my scalp so tight.
I pulled her down into my lap and she collapsed against my chest, straddling me. I traced my hands over every inch of her flesh until the tremors subsided. She lifted her head, a silly grin on her face and then she kissed me. Rubbing against my erection, she planted herself against me. The warmth of her against me had my cock thrumming with need.
“Make love to me, O.”
She continued kissing me and then reached for the night stand. Pulling out a box of condoms, she climb
ed off my lap and sat on the edge of the bed as she opened it. Moving to the edge, she didn’t miss a beat. She knelt in front of me, massaging my thighs before pulling the boxer briefs from my hips. She’d torn a single foil packet off and set it down next to us.
I grabbed the wrapped condom, anxiety beginning to flood me. My eyes stared at my prosthetic and my hands began to shake. I could do this, I wanted this, and I wanted her. We’d been married for almost a month and had yet to consummate, thanks to Saul. Her hand came down on my shoulder, sending my thoughts scattering.
“Odysseus?”
I loved hearing my given name falling from her lips. We were both naked and I began wondering what was wrong with me. Why wasn’t I pouncing on her, sinking my dick into her, the place I wanted it most? I sucked in a sharp breath as her hands began running up my thighs again. She’d been more than accepting of my injury and was somewhat immune to it considering her line of work.
“Do you want to take it off?” I looked to it and back to her and nodded once. Setting the condom back down, I reached for my leg and she stopped me, “I can do it.”
Once she removed the prosthetic and the dressings, she began running her hands over the sensitive skin. I felt myself relax again under her touch as her hands slowly began moving upward. Our eyes locked as she began massaging my dick and he sprang back to life, harder than ever. Running a hand through her long hair, I leaned down to kiss her. It was a slow kiss full of nips and lip tugging before her tongue reached out to mine.