by Brooks, JL
Scooping a little more soap off of his back, I reached around and lightly wrapped my hand around his hard cock and pulled gently. Threading my fingers towards the head, I let it slip between my palms before circling and tightening slightly. His large hand covered mine and directed me on how firmly to hold and how fast to go. Using my other hand to cleanse his sack, I tugged slightly while increasing my speed and pressure. I felt every muscle in his back tense and flex against my chest. His breathing grew heavy as he came closer to his release. Squeezing my hand almost painfully around his rigid shaft, I felt it grow a little more just before swelling at the base and vibrating in my palm. He angled it away from his stomach and against the wall as he came hard.
His free hand grabbed my arm and pulled me closer while the other held tight to my palm, which remained gripped to his still pulsing member. In this awkward hug, my cheek rested on his back where I could feel his beating heart. He made no attempt to rush out of the shower, enjoying the euphoric moment. When he finally did turn around, his hands came up to my face and held it softly, kissing my forehead and smiled.
“Unexpected, yet greatly appreciated.”
“You deserved it. I know you haven’t gotten laid since I showed up. If I am rubbing off on you, I might as well be doing it physically to keep your dick from falling off. Isn’t that what the older boys used to tell you? If you don’t use it, you lose it…”
Reaching out to grab a towel, he held it up to wrap me first. Even though I had left to stay at my daddy’s, all of the girlie stuff he bought me was still out.
“Yeah, something like that. So do I get to return the favor? Seems only fair.”
I shook my head. “No, don’t worry about it. I’m okay, but thanks.”
Before he could protest, I bolted into the bedroom and got dressed. His face held a worried expression the rest of the day, making me wonder what he was thinking. My guilty conscious started to plague me, telling me I was moving precariously close to an edge I would plunge off and never return. My heart responded. She already has.
After a lazy day and a long visit with my daddy who was still in a coma, I told David that we were going out and that he needed to look nice, but to bring something to change into. I whispered my master plan to daddy and imagined he was thrilled we were having a night on the town. David didn’t ask any questions, and made me nearly piss myself when he came walking out in a three piece suit. It was pinstripe black and impeccably cut. He wore a light grey shirt and pewter tie made of fine silk. I wondered how often he had actually worn it since coming back to Sloan. He told me he occasionally attended fights in town or went out, but I was not sure if wearing such a striking suit was required for those things.
He gave a low whistle when I came out in a tight, navy-colored, strapless dress. For the first time in years, I felt I deserved the sign of approval. I managed to tame my hair into an elegant knot and wore only a chunky bangle that Erin had gifted me last year and a pair of glittery, peep-toe stilettos I borrowed from Jodie. I was nervous about walking on the gravel to the car and held on to David for dear life until I was safely inside. The good thing about Vegas was that it was made for high heels.
“So where to?”
With a wink I replied, “The Bellagio for starters.”
David gave me the biggest smile, peeled out of the driveway, and flew into town. Of course, the standard CD went in, and the speakers started blasting the guitar riffs loudly as the members sang crude melodies about having sex and partying hard. It humored me how seriously David took them, because the band was not serious at all.
“Man, these guys are here tonight. I have seen them a few times. If you weren’t such a tight ass, I bet you would like it.”
I snapped my head. Oh hell no! Tight ass?
“Well, I’m sorry, but I have a nice, relaxing night planned. You can go some other time. You told me to lay off the drinking, and somehow I think I would wake up with a tattoo, wearing bad, leopard spandex after hanging out at one of those shows.”
David just pursed his lips, none too pleased with my jab at his favorite band. Little did he know what the night had in store.
I couldn’t stop from smiling to myself, knowing how surprised he would be. He didn’t like my comment very much – I could tell from the way he shifted towards the door and focused only on the road. I wanted to build this up so when it finally happened, he would be bursting with excitement. After checking into the gorgeous suite, we headed to Caesar’s Palace for our seven o’clock reservations at Guy Savoy.
Walking into the door, I was overwhelmed at how stunning the place was and felt a little out of my element, yet David waltzed right in, feeling at home. These small luxuries were not something I enjoyed often. Because I knew our dinner was gratis, the sticker shock of a ninety-dollar entrée was not too devastating.
The atmosphere caused a shift in both of us as our refinement was able to shine. Never before had we been in such a place together, although separately, time had taught us the rules of etiquette. He held the door and pulled my chair out like a gentleman, ordered for us both and cranked up the charm to calm my nerves. Here, he did not mind being recognized; in fact, he was reveling in the attention. Fingers were pointing, and hushed whispers hidden by hands, but given away by eyes, came from all around.
“I didn’t know we were putting on a show tonight. I will make sure to act extra classy so they don’t think you’re out with a hooker.” I bit my lip to keep from laughing too loudly and was grateful when the first course was placed in front of us. Although the night started out light and effervescent, it became more serious as we approached off-limit topics. How the setting fostered the environment was strange, yet it was ripe for confession.
“She cheated on me while I was overseas. I was having a hard time and being an ass like always. Things were rough between us when I left, and it just compounded. I could never do anything right, and she was always spending my money – that’s all she cared about. The worst part was I saw forever, and boom, like that it was over.”
I felt my heart being ripped out as he bared his. I had shared my struggles with David candidly, but he had never brought up her before. I knew there were some public fights they had gotten into, and being David, there was always a camera nearby. He was vilified, and his role as an enforcer on the ice followed him off the ice as well, only to compound the stress.
“Hey, I bet I know something that will turn that frown upside down and restore your hope in things that have vaginas again.” Smiling slightly, his eyes followed my hands as they reached into my clutch and pulled out the two VIP passes on black lanyards and handed them over.
“No fucking way! How did you do this?” David nearly flipped the table over and disturbed the entire restaurant in that moment. Like a bull in a china shop, he was ready to go right then. I was glad I saved them for the right time, and it was perfect.
“You can thank Travis for them; I remembered meeting him in the club and called one of his restaurants to connect to him. He was ecstatic to help; he said you’re hands down one of the best guys he knows, and he’s been looking for a way to return the favor, whatever that meant.”
He continued to shake his head in disbelief. As we finished dinner and walked out the door, David grabbed my waist with one arm and held me behind my head with the other while he kissed me passionately right on the strip. Surrounded by people, suddenly nothing existed as all the air left my lungs, and I fell into space. His tongue urgently pried my lips apart and began to devour every part of me. Women dream of being kissed like this. I never thought it was real – just something written in romance books. His lips were full and soft, pressing firmly into mine, consuming me almost painfully. Any wall I had built up against him now rested as dust beneath my feet. A knot formed in my throat at the thought. He’s going to destroy me.
After pulling away from the kiss, he nearly ripped my arm out of the socket, pulling me towards the taxi that whisked us off to our next stop. Touching my bruised lip
s, he leaned over and lightly kissed me once again before whispering, “You are amazing. You know that, right?”
I did not take compliments well, so I smiled back and tried my best to hide the tears that wanted to burst forth.
I cannot do this, what was I thinking? Nothing good can come of this. I am only setting myself up to be devastated, perhaps even worse than before. One night, I can have one night. If that is all the happiness I ever get for the rest of my life, it might be tonight. Fuck!
“Let’s do this, fucking Steel Panther!”
His fist pumped in the air as the cab pulled up in front of the House of Blues. I scooted to the edge near the curb and took David’s hand to help me step out. We looked out of place among the crowd of rockers, bikers and groupies, but I was definitely more comfortable here. Although I couldn’t hear anything during the two hour show since we were so close to the stage, I loved watching David have such a good time. He was so into it and connected to the moment. Afterwards, the band recognized him and came over, greeting him with man hugs and handshakes. I received a few raised brows and smiles once David walked away from me, as well as unwelcome propositions. I stayed seated where I was with my beer, letting him enjoy his time before I realized an hour had passed and he was nowhere in sight. Rather than looking for him, I decided to head back to the hotel.
I packed my bathing suit, dying for a dip in a pool. With the weather growing even hotter during the day, I wished for one almost hourly. Padding down to the surprisingly empty pool, I had left a note for David and swam a few laps before a handsome, older man came near the water, pacing back and forth, holding a drink of some sort as he talked angrily on his phone. Not seeing me resting on the edge, he went on in what sounded like Italian for quite some time. It made me curious what someone could possibly be so upset about on a Saturday night in Vegas, but then again, it was none of my business. He sat down on a lounge chair a few feet away from me before becoming startled, realizing I was there.
“Oh, sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.”
He took a long sip of his drink before smacking his lips and pinching the bridge of his nose between his fingers. “There are many things in this world to be afraid of, and you, my darling, are most certainly not one of them.”
I tilted my head and looked at him curiously. He seemed far away and rattled. His foot bounced as nervous energy appeared to radiate out of him. His accent was clear and sultry. He had thick, black hair with a slight wave that fell perfectly into place no matter how many times he ran his fingers through it. I could tell he was wealthy from the watch on his wrist and immaculate shoes. He wore a tie loose over his white button-down Oxford. I guessed him to be early to mid-forties. He was not wearing a ring, but I knew that didn’t mean anything.
“Well, that’s good to know. I prefer to come across as relatively harmless; that way, they never see it coming.”
The man smiled into his glass as he took another drink. Pursing his lips, he set the glass down and turned towards me.
“So what is a beautiful woman like you doing swimming alone at this hour? In a city that never sleeps, surely you have much more entertaining things to do with your husband.”
The man had checked me out, too, making his assessments before deciding to embark on a conversation.
“My husband is not here, or else perhaps I would be out with him right now. Seeing that he isn’t, here I am.”
I rested my palms across the top of the water, not really expecting any type of dialogue as he gauged I was not interested. Exchanging pleasantries usually only occurred when people were lonely or being polite. This was a polite conversation. I saw the man’s eyes go up just before I caught a person diving into the water and swimming in our direction. We watched as the figure approached us in the dark waters. It was late, and they had turned off the lights in the pool with the exception of a few spotlights embedded in the wall.
Feeling hands on my legs pull me down, I screamed as I went under the water. Coming up seconds later, I was caged against the wall in David’s arms. His mouth came crashing over mine, frantic and angry. I knew what he was doing and could taste the liquor on his tongue. To keep the man from panicking, I wrapped my arms and legs around David and accepted whatever this was until we were in a private area where I could find out what the fuck he was thinking. He looked up, and the man had left, easing whatever tension he was carrying.
“Toni, you have to be careful. How many times do I have to tell you? People are crazy and you’re in a dark pool by yourself. What if you got hurt? What if it wasn’t me and it was some asshole who could have raped you? This is Vegas; you can’t trust anyone.”
I was touched by his sweetness and concern, but could tell he was more intoxicated than I had ever seen him before. Despite my legs wrapped around him and the passionate kiss, there were no indications of arousal.
“David, I was fine. You were the one who left me, remember? And that’s okay, too. I brought you here to have fun. You should be out banging some hot groupie right now and getting shit-faced with the band, not worried about me. I am a big girl. I can handle my own – you’ve seen it. That is why I brought you here, so you could have some of your life back. I know I have invaded it. You didn’t ask for this.”
He looked at me with hurt in his eyes, unable to hide how he felt. He tightened his grip on my thighs and pushed me back against the wall again. Resting his head against my neck, I could only hear him breathing for a while.
“But I want this,” he whispered.
I held tightly to his neck and twisted my legs around his calves for support in the warm water.
But I want this, he said.
How could I respond to that? Hell yes, I wanted it, too, but I knew it was the liquor talking, or I was denying myself what I knew I felt. After all, I had become an expert at restraint. Even if I was available, once the excitement wore off, what then? I didn’t have enough to keep him interested. I wasn’t his type, never was. My chest tightened as the self-imposed rejection wrapped its way around any hope I tried clinging to, crushing it to smithereens.
“Hey, it’s getting late, let’s go to bed.” I broke away from him and pulled myself out of the pool, thankful the water pouring down my head masked the tears coming from my eyes.
He stopped me as I hastily wiped the water off of me. “Toni, look at me.”
I refused to.
“Dammit, Toni!” His sudden tone of anger shook me. Bringing my eyes slowly up to his, I didn’t want to hold his gaze. He could see through me, and any bullshit I tried to use to hide myself from him was useless. He knew me better than I knew myself. Pulling me against his chest, he rested his chin on the top of my head.
“I know, okay? It doesn’t mean I can’t want it.” His voice was low and full of sadness. Turning to kiss the top of his breastbone, I held my lips in place before resting my forehead. Without another word, he led me back to the room and poured a steaming bath. We would be back in hell soon enough. I would take bittersweet for a few more hours.
The ride back to Sloan was quiet. David looked a little worse for wear, yet smiled at me often. His VIP pass swung back and forth as it dangled from the rearview mirror. Knowing he felt bad that he didn’t realize he’d left me alone for so long, I kept trying to reassure him it was fine, and that I somewhat hoped he got to cut loose for a bit.
We napped until afternoon, visiting daddy before another night at the club. Melanie had settled right in, and the girls all got along. It was a relief, knowing I could focus on other things, and she kept it strictly business, avoiding David unless necessary. The crowd was roaring and packed. Smoke and the scent of stale beer wafted through out the building. All of the girls were working tonight, twenty-three of them. That might seem like a lot, but when seven are on poles at once, it gives some space on the floor. I floated through each station, making sure everyone was okay. I had installed a drop vault for bills so the cash register did not get too full and to help prevent theft. I wanted to trust everyon
e, but it only went so far. David was able to focus on talking to the patrons and actually do his job.
Looking over towards the entrance, I could make out that something was happening. David brushed past me angrily before turning around and shouting in my ear. “Looks like someone decided to finally give a shit.”
He then continued to walk into the office and slammed the door. Turning back around, I saw Andrew about twenty feet away with a horrified expression on his face. Rushing over, I wasn’t sure how to react, so I acted happy.
“Hey! I didn’t know you were coming to town! Do you want a tour?”
Disgust washed over him as he grimaced from the scenery. Eying me from head to toe, he was not happy with what was happening.
“What are you wearing? You look like one of these prostitutes. I didn’t realize that when you said you were helping at the club, it meant earning a little extra money on the side.”
Standing aghast, my hand made contact with his cheek for the first time in our relationship. He hadn’t given me any notice he was coming, not that it should matter, but knowing full well before he married me that this was what my daddy did for a living and how I felt about it should have caused those words to never leave his mouth. The fact he referred to the girls as prostitutes made me even more volatile. He rubbed the side of his face that was growing red even under the dark lights before turning and heading out the door. Looking at the bar, the ladies had all stopped serving drinks and watched me to make sure I was okay. Running after Andrew, I finally got him to stop as his hand touched the door of his rental.
“You came here to see me. What the fuck is wrong with you? I hear basically nothing from you for over a month and the first words to come out of your mouth are telling me I look like a hooker?”
His jaw clenched tight as he seemed to be formulating the words to say.