Marked. Part I: The missing Link

by J. M. Sevilla

  I pinch his cheek, “You're just so gosh darn cute.”

  This earns a half-smile and a glance in my direction, “You have the oddest ways of describing me.”

  “That's because no one sees you like I do.”

  Jay mumbles something under his breath I can't understand.

  “Huh?”

  “We're here,” he responds, paying the driver and pushing me out onto the sidewalk.

  My walking is a bit off as we enter the lobby and Jay supports me to the elevator.

  I push the button to our floor and Jay pushes another one.

  “Wrong one,” he informs me.

  “Oh,” I sigh, leaning into him and wrapping my arms around his waist. “I'm glad you're here with me and not her.”

  “I thought you said you didn't care,” he still sounds grumpy. What's gotten up his butt?

  “I don't care because I'm drunk, but I care a lot.”

  “That doesn't make any sense.”

  I hiccup and shrug my shoulders.

  The elevator door pings open and he takes hold of my hand, leading me to our room.

  I happily follow with a cross between a skip and a drunken totter.

  Jay slides the keycard through and opens the door for me. I stumble in, Jay somewhat helping to prevent me from hurting myself.

  The door clicks shut behind me and I hear the dead bolt and latch lock in place.

  That’s my cue to strip...er...I mean undress. First go my pants, which I trip over trying to get off. Who was the genius who invented those? Damn pants, it's like getting out of a straight jacket.

  Totally.

  I giggle and I hear Jay chuckling, so I look up to see him watching me, highly amused.

  “Need some assistance?”

  “Nope, I totally got this.” I pull on the bottom edges of my sweater and bring it over my head, which gets stuck on my hat and I have to tug a few times to get it off.

  Snap. There goes my bra. I let it fall to the floor.

  “Whoa!” Jay shouts covering one hand over his eyes and the other comes out in front of him as the universal sign for stop. “Fuck, Lily, can't you do that in the bathroom!”

  I roam my hands all over my body, “Why? It's not like you haven't seen all of this before.”

  Jay's eyes widen, then blink, followed by a groan. He starts rummaging through his bag and throws a shirt at me, “Put this on. I'm taking a shower.” He grabs what he needs and shuts himself in the bathroom.

  I put the shirt on, but now I really have to pee.

  I walk right into the bathroom and plop down on the toilet.

  “What are you doing?” Jay asks apprehensively behind the shower curtain.

  “Peeing.” Duh.

  “You couldn't wait until I was done in here?”

  “Nope.” I flush and wash my hands while examining myself in the mirror. I think I look kinda pretty right now, but I'm drunk so I most likely look trashed.

  “Do I look pretty?” I curiously ask, going back into the bathroom.

  “When? Now?”

  “Yeah?”

  “Why does it matter?”

  “Just curious.”

  Jay pops his head around the curtain and he surveys the length of me, “You look like you, but drunk.”

  I roll my eyes, “Is vague the only way you know how to answer a question?”

  “Well, it's a stupid question,” he answers, head going back in.

  “Whatever,” I huff, “I don't even know why I bothered asking you.”

  “Me either. You're always pretty, even on your bad days.”

  Oomph. Belly flop, not such a good feeling when you're drunk.

  “What are my bad days?”

  “Um...Please don't make me answer that.”

  “Now you have to, with a response like that.”

  “It's a buzz kill,” he warns.

  “I don't care.”

  “Banged up from those guys attacking you.”

  “Geez Jay! Way to be a total buzz kill!” I cry, shooting my hand into the shower and turning the water to cold.

  “Aah! Hey! I warned you! Your beauty still stunned me.”

  “Really?” Damn my voice for sounding way too happy right now.

  “It always does.”

  Okay, I need to get out of here before I attack him in the shower.

  I need another drink.

  Or is that bad?

  You know what?

  I totally don't care.

  I dig around in our stuff and am disappointed when I come up empty, but I guess in order to have some you would have to buy some. Funny how that works.

  I pull down the covers to my bed and start channel surfing. I catch a preview for the late night movie starting soon and I leap out of bed in excitement. I grab Jay's wallet and start pulling out all his dollar bills.

  “What are you doing?” Jay asks, coming out in his flannel bottoms that hang deliciously low on his hips and a white tank that shows off his upper half.

  “I'm getting us snacks!” I declare at a very high level of excitement.

  “Not without me.”

  I fully expected to hear a “young lady” slip out of his mouth with the fatherly tone he just took.

  “Fine, but come on,” I wave my hand to gesture him over, “We have to get back before the movie starts.” I take his loose quarters and grip his hand, leading us to the door.

  “What movie?”

  I can tell his curiosity is peaked.

  I wiggle my brows at him, “It's a surprise.”

  “I'm not watching Clueless with you again,” he warns.

  “As if! It's way more existential than that.”

  Jay laughs, grabbing the key card as I drag him out, “Wait, Lily. You need pants.”

  I stop, look down, and giggle, “Oops.”

  I go to our bags and throw on sweats, which are actually Jay's and fall down the second I pull them up. Giggling, I pull them back up and waddle to him, “Come on, we're on a time crunch.”

  Jay rubs the bridge of his nose, “Put on a pair of your pants.”

  “No time.”

  “Make time,” Jay demands, blocking the door.

  I scrunch up my nose at him and stick out my tongue before throwing on the straight jacket for my legs that I left lying on the floor.

  “There,” I huff and puff trying to get them on. Man, skinny jeans are a bitch to put on drunk. “Better?”

  Jay opens the door and we head to the vending machines.

  “Why did it matter what pair of pants I wore? We're not going far.”

  “Memories,” he grumbles.

  “Oh. Yeah, but those are good memories.” For me at least.

  “That's the problem.”

  The florescent light glowing down on the big black box of processed food distracts me and I hug it, “Thank you Nabisco and FritoLay for supplying the world with late night yummies.”

  Jay chuckles and hands me a dollar.

  I give him an “are you crazy?” look.

  “What?”

  He clearly doesn't understand.

  “I'm going to need a lot more than that,” I slap the bill insert, “throw in everything you've got.”

  His mouth drops open, “No way we can eat that much this late at night.”

  “Wanna bet?” I start shoving the money he hands me in and punching random numbers because you can't really go wrong in hotel vending machines, unless it's a granola bar or other healthy snack, “It doesn't matter if we finish it all or not, it's part of the fun.”

  I pull out the goods and start piling them in Jay's arms.

  He eyes the food warily, “If you say so.”

  I freeze mid money insertion, “You've never late night over-snacked before?”

  “No.”

  I squeal, “Perfect!” I throw more food on top of the growing bundle. “Come on, we have to get back! I'm so excited!”

  Jay chuckles and follows behind me.

  Inside the room, I pu
ll back the covers on his bed and point halfway down the bed, “Munchies go there.”

  Jay dumps his armful on the indicated spot.

  The television makes the familiar sound of a new movie starting and I climb onto his bed. “Come on, it's starting.” I wiggle out of my pants and toss them, hitting Jay in the chest, “Oops, sorry.”

  He drops them to the ground, “We're watching it in my bed, together?”

  “Yup. How else are we going to share the goodies?”

  He scratches his scruff, eying me and then the bed.

  “I won't bite. Geez, you know I don't get that kinky.”

  Jay laughs, “Uh, you have bitten me before.”

  I giggle, “Oh, right.” Thank God I'm too drunk to properly replay that moment or I would be on top of him faster than I can blink, “Get your ass over here before you ruin the surprise movie!”

  He sighs heavily but joins me on the other side, rearranging the pillows and resting his back comfortably on the headboard.

  The opening of the movie begins to play.

  “Princess Bride?” He asks, a smile playing on his lips and his eyes light up with joy.

  I bite down hard on my lip to resist the urge to kiss him.

  He beams at me, making it even harder, “You remembered my favorite movie?”

  “Of course I did silly!” I grab a bag of Cheetos and sit back and we watch the movie, sharing the bag.

  “That’s so freaking romantic,” I gush when Wesley tells Buttercup “As you wish.”

  I grab a piece of red licorice and wave it at Jay, “Want one?”

  He makes a face, “No, thanks. I don't like 'em.”

  “What? How can you not like licorice? I take a bite from the back of my teeth, “You're right. They're really not that good.” I take another bite.

  “Then why are you eating them?”

  “Because they're yummy.”

  Jay reaches for a Snicker's bar and I haven't a clue why, but the sight of chocolate hitting his lips has me extremely turned on.

  He notices me watching him, “Want some?” His mouth is full when he asks, tilting the bar my way.

  I nod yes and take a bite, holding back a moan. The first bite of chocolate hitting my tongue always does that to me, and the fact that his lips were just on it makes it taste almost orgasmic.

  Jay's looking at me strangely and I just know I did something embarrassing when I took that bite. I blush and go back to watching the movie.

  Hearing the giant say, “Anybody want a peanut?” has me reaching for another snack, but the one I want is near the end of the bed so I have to go on all fours to get it.

  “Jesus, Lily!” Jay cries, pulling down the end of my night shirt over my ass, “Where's your fucking underwear?!”

  I look over my shoulder at him, “I don't have any on?”

  “NO!”

  I giggle and notice my undies in my jeans. I giggle some more, “Oops, I accidentally took them off with my pants.”

  Jay groans, grabs my hips, and pulls me back to sitting, “Don't move again. You want something, I'll get it for you.”

  “Geez, sorry. I didn't know my ass had such an effect on you.” I get up on my knees and lift my shirt, cupping my breasts in both hands, “You always seem way more interested in these.”

  Jay's eyes almost pop out, “Fuck, Lily! I am never letting you drink around me again!” He yanks down my shirt and pulls me down to rest against the headboard next to him.

  I relax and enjoy my snack and happily continue watching until Jay starts mouthing, “My name is Inigo Montoya, you killed my father, prepare to die” under his breath along with the actor.

  I think I just died from the cuteness factor of a pure masculine man like Jay repeating lines from The Princess Bride.

  I smile at him.

  He looks at me out of the corner of his eye,“What?”

  “You. You can be incredibly adorable at times.”

  He rolls his eyes.

  “Keep sweet talking me, babe. Every man loves to be called adorable,” he remarks sarcastically.

  I scoot in closer to him and snuggle up to his side, “That may be the case, but adorable coming from you is hot.”

  “Hot, huh?” He smirks, looking down at me and wrapping an arm around my shoulder. I take the hand resting on my shoulder and entwine our fingers, grinning at him.

  “Totally,” I giggle, cuddling up even more.

  “You sure giggle a lot when your drunk.”

  I giggle, which makes me giggle again for proving his point.

  Jay kisses the top of my head and I sigh into the familiarity of it, wishing we were back in his bed across the street from my mom's house, where for a brief moment in my life, everything was perfect. I decide to burn this memory into my mental flash drive.

  I laugh every time he repeats a line, which is a lot.

  Jay shakes my body with his arm, “Stop making me self-conscious.”

  “I can't help it. Seeing this side of you always leaves me all giddy and happy.”

  Jay kisses the top of my head again, “You're the only person I've watched this movie with.”

  “I guess that makes me pretty special.”

  “You are special...and pretty,” he adds and I grin up at him, getting a wink in return.

  During a commercial break I hurry to the bathroom, and when I return Jay pulls me to sit between his legs.

  I let myself sink into the warmth of his chest. God, I've missed this feeling.

  “Hit the lights,” I tell him.

  He reaches and turns off the switch to the lamp, “As you wish.”

  My breathing comes to a halt. Did he say that to quote the movie, or was it meant to say it's underlying meaning?

  I tilt my head back – a mistake, because Jay's lips are now inches from mine.

  “Watch the movie, Lily,” he commands and his warm breath washes over me, sending a shiver down my spine. I lick my lips before biting down on them and closing my eyes. “Watch the movie, please,” his voice is strained, almost begging me.

  I oblige because I'm not emotionally ready for the repercussions of what will happen if we kiss, and for this to be realized while drunk tells me I'm making a smart decision.

  “As you wish,” I softly say, opening my eyes to meet his before focusing back on the movie, hoping he caught exactly how I meant that to be taken.

  Still drunk enough to admit to Jay I love him.

  Stupid drunken idiot.

  Jay wraps his arms tightly around me, resting his cheek on my head, and we tangle our legs together. For a blissful moment, I let myself pretend he's mine.

  Chapter 30

  Thursday, January 23

  9:28am

  “Time to wake up, Lily.” I feel a smack on my ass.

  “Hey!” I cry, rubbing it over the sheet, “Can I stay here and sleep while you go see Arianna?”

  Memories of last night at the club coming flooding back, and that mixed with my headache has me wanting to avoid Arianna's hotel room at all costs. Thank God we did not go home with her last night, that would have sucked (and ripped my heart out).

  “No, you need to come with me.”

  “Please don't have sex when I'm there,” I groan, throwing off the covers and heading to the bathroom.

  “I thought you didn't care,” Jay reminds me while brushing his teeth.

  I close the bathroom door for privacy and raise my voice so he can hear.

  “That was the alcohol talking. I guarantee if we had actually gone to her room and I had had to hear you guys doing it, I would have puked all over her perfect little suite.”

  I hear him rinse out his mouth and I flush the toilet.

  “I was never going to sleep with her.”

  I open the door and wash my hands, “That's not what it looked like last night.”

  He's standing behind me and we stare at each other through the mirror.

  He starts to smile, “So you do care?”

  I nod my he
ad, face flushing in embarrassment.

  He's still smiling and slaps my ass, “Get dressed so we can go.”

  I begin to change, “Why weren't you?”

  “Going to sleep with her?”

  I nod yes as I pull down my shirt, realizing I had just been completely nude in front of Jay and then dressed without even realizing it. We are getting way to comfortable with each other.

  Jay flips his shades down, “I didn't want to.”

  “Would you have if I wasn't here?”

  “Yea,” he responds honestly and it makes my stomach drop. Well, boo.

  I put on my sunglasses to hide the hurt in my eyes, followed by my new hat, and I brush my teeth.

  Once we're in the cab I talk again, “She's gorgeous.”

  “Yeah, she is,” Jay confirms, staring out the window.

  “Do you love her?”

  “No.”

  “Did you ever?”

  “No.”

  “She said you were each others' first?”

  “Yeah, we were.”

  “So, you must care about her?”

  Jay scratches his scruff, “What's with all the questions?”

  “Just curious,” and jealousy's a real bitch. “She told me the two off you spent a week in a hotel, never leaving.” I loathe the animosity and bitterness in my voice. I lasted a nanosecond at playing aloof with him. Have I mentioned how hopeless I am?

  Jay laughs, “She told you that?”

  “Yes.” Stupid pout forming on my face, “Did you?”

  “Kinda. We were in Vegas doing a job together. We never left the hotel we stayed at – which isn't hard to do. So technically, yeah, we never left, but she mislead you a bit. I think she's jealous of you.”

  My turn to laugh.

  “I'm serious. The whole time we danced she kept asking me questions exactly like you're doing. She even called this morning to ask about what happened when we got back to the hotel.”

  “I didn't hear the phone ring.”

  “You were passed out and snoring.” He rubs the side of my mouth with his thumb, “With a little bit of drool.”

  I bite the tip, causing him to groan. I have no clue what possess me to do this but I take the whole thing into my mouth and suck.

  Jay's eyes darken, “I wouldn't do that if I were you...”

  “Why?” I ask around his thumb. He closes his eyes as my lips travel up, slowly releasing it.

  “Fuck it,” Jay growls, sliding over and taking hold of my face, smashing our lips together and forcefully kissing me. His tongue thrusts inside and his hands form into fists in my hair, knocking my hat off, forcing me closer, and his mouth devours mine in a way he never has before. I'm lost in a sea of pleasure tearing through my body.