by Hazel Parker
Without breaking stride, Dean moved his hands up and covered my fists with his hands. I released the sheets and instead laced my fingers between his. I closed my eyes, letting Dean’s breathy grunts and sweat permeated scent wash over me.
With a skilled motion, he brushed against my clit with every inward thrust. I never knew I could get so wet, and I all but gave up trying to suppress my moans of gratitude. Dean’s cock filled me over again, and the pressure on my clit intensified. The muscles low in my belly were drawn tighter with every thrust. His grip on my hands was making them numb, but all I could focus on was the pressure building in my core and the flex of his thighs against mine.
I was struggling on the apex, grasping for more of him. In my nearly incapacitated position, there was little I could do to take charge so I drew my legs up to wrap around to the small of his back. In an instant, a spike of pleasure shot through me, amplified by Dean’s low groan against my cheek. My muscles tightened as the change in position put more concentrated pressure on my clit. My fingernails pressed into the back of Dean’s hand as the culmination of sensations immobilized me.
With one more thrust, the rigid tension shattered apart and I came with a cry. The muscles in my legs stiffened around Dean’s body, holding me tight to him as pleasure flooded out through my body.
Above me, Dean continued to push into me with his limited range of motion, but only for a moment longer until his strained groan reverberated next to my ear. Jagged breaths mixed with jerking movements until the strength drained out of my legs and I released him from their hold. His body fell against mine and he stayed there, smothering me with his weight. I was a little reluctant to let him roll off of me, but after a minute, he did, wrapping an arm around my waist and pulling me in close to him.
Silence followed while we both caught our breath. Every nerve ending in my body was humming in a feat no man had ever achieved and I couldn’t keep the smile from my face. After a moment, Dean yawned and stretched a leg over one of mine. I could hear the smile coming through in his voice, too. I like the idea of a happy Dean. I liked it even more that I was the one to make him happy.
“I know I promised we would figure out a plan, but I don’t know if strategizing would be a good idea at the moment.”
“Agreed. This was a big enough accomplishment for tonight.”
Dean kissed the top of my head and pulled the blanket over our rapidly cooling bodies. I held as tightly to him as he was to me and let myself enjoy the first night in a long time where sleep came easily.
*****
When I opened my eyes again, it was morning. Just barely morning, anyways. The sun that was coming in through the thin drapes was tinted with orange and red. At this time of year, sunrise meant it was probably only just after five.
I turned to look at Dean. During the night, he had shifted so he was lying on his back, though his one arm was still extended out under my head. I studied him while his breathing was heavy and he was unguarded. I could see things I never noticed last night through the haze of the booze and excitement. Things like the soft creases around his mouth, the natural wave to his hair, the scar that ran along his jaw.
Men had been few and far between in my life, and never had I been with one like Dean. He was hard and stubborn, but fiercely protective too. Loyalty was hard to come by and impossible to fake. I trusted Dean and that was hard enough for me to admit.
I closed my eyes, not ready to figure out what that meant at the moment. I willed myself to fall back to sleep, knowing that wasn’t likely. Especially not with the steady thrum of Dean’s heartbeat under my hand.
The scratch of something against the door drew my thoughts away from Dean and my eyes opened again. I sat up slowly, ignoring the pounding at my temples and looked toward the door. From there, I could see the bright white of a piece of paper lying inside the door.
Once realization set in, I bolted the few steps to the door and opened it. Stepping out in to the hallway I looked frantically down one way then the other. Whoever had been there only a moment earlier was already gone and disappointment lurched in my chest.
I contemplated racing down to the lobby and searching, but the note behind me had me reconsidering. With a final glance down the hall, I retreated into my room, grabbed a tissue from the bathroom, and picked up the note.
It was just like the others. Same plain text, same brief instructions, same cautious feeling of hope.
I pocketed this one, not bothering to worry about fingerprints or anything else. Behind me, Dean was still sleeping, and I wondered if he would have gone after whoever left the note instead. It was the first time I had to be accountable to someone else for a decision and I wasn’t looking forward to earning another disappointed look. Being compatible in bed was one thing, but I was pretty sure our methods for going about this case were vastly different.
Before I reached the bed to wake him, I stopped and reconsidered. The doubts that he introduced last night rose to the surface again. With the exception of yesterdays, whoever was behind the notes had just been sending them to me. And there was a good chance that whoever it was didn’t know that Dean was on my side. Waking Dean and bringing him along would do one of two things: either it would scare off the mystery person who assumed it was only me coming, or, if Dean was right and there were more nefarious things at play here, it would give away our position by telling them we were in this together.
I took the note out of my pocket again.
East side of the boardwalk. Seven a.m.
Not a lot to go on, and with a glance at the clock, not a lot of time to make up my mind. I knew that if I woke Dean and told him where I was going, he would never let me go alone. He was too controlling, too protective, to do that.
I dressed quickly and quietly, barely giving myself the chance to pull my hair back into a bun. With a last second guilt, I fished the note out of my pocket and tossed it down on the bedside table before easing the door open and heading out.
I had plenty of time to get to the boardwalk, but I was propelled with a sense of urgency. I parked my car as close to the east side as possible, but still had to walk a ways. I forced myself to slow down, to stroll past the cafes and browse the street-side shops. I tried to channel Dean’s propensity for observation, scanning the area beyond the tourist stops. I didn’t know who I was meeting or what I would be getting into. Rushing into the unknown wouldn’t be wise.
As I passed the last shop and the boardwalk narrowed, there was still no sign of the person I was to meet. By now the crowd had dispersed and the only people I passed were the odd person on a morning stroll or couple returning from fishing. With the noise of the crowd behind me, I heightened my surveillance. I could hear people, on their boats or down a different section of dock, but few were visible from my vantage point. My legs carried me forward, the gulls calling above me. Their screech echoed and added simultaneously to the pit forming in my stomach and the rapid beating in my chest.
I had no idea what I was looking for, so I continued east. I kept going until I had reached the end and the path had narrowed to a rickety and worn dock. With no sign of anyone, no other note, I turned around and started my way back.
Out on the old dock, with no houses or shops nearby and fewer boats docked there, the wind off the ocean was stronger and lifted the hair from my face. Now the only sounds I could hear were the gulls and the lapping of the water against the dock. It was peaceful out here, and I couldn’t help feel guilty about leaving Dean behind. Given yesterday, I should have known it would have been a bust, but at least I wouldn’t have ditched the only help I’ve had.
There was no way I could slip back into my hotel room and play it off as an innocent trip out. He had to be up by now and would have seen the note. As I followed the curve of the boardwalk toward a more populated area, I reached the unexpected truth that even if I had the ability to lie, I wouldn’t be able to. Not with those intense, blue eyes looking at me. Trust was a two way street I guessed.
&n
bsp; Carried on the wind, an unusual sound stopped me. It had been a quiet noise but was such a contrast to the organic hum around me that I felt compelled to look around. I hadn’t noticed anyone at this part of the dock on my way past the first time and my heart raced with the admittance of my uncertainty. I was caught between trepidation and curiosity. It seemed silly to come all this way and not see it through to whatever end awaited, but reality was starting to sink in.
I pushed through the fear and proceeded, surveying the docks like Dean had the street last night. I scanned down each branch of the dock that darted off the main line, my steps slow. My caution was in vain, though. I heard the brush of fabric behind me only seconds before I felt a hand come down on my shoulder. A blinding pain shot through my body, black filling my vision for a few fleeting seconds.
With no time to react, a second hand moved to cover my mouth. With an impressive strength, I found myself being dragged backwards, heels bouncing off the joints in the boards. My head was held tight between hand and shoulder, and trying to turn my head was useless. My eyes desperately searched, but I could only see sky and a small slice of the boardwalk. From my limited view, there was no one near enough to help.
Too soon we were walking across the narrow gangplank of a boat. My mind raced to figure out how to stop from being pulled onboard. My chances of escape were a lot better out here than trapped on a boat.
I frantically kicked my feet, the sound reverberating off the planks and echoing. But all too soon we were across and on the boat. In a matter of minutes I found myself in the cabin of the boat, zip ties holding my wrists to the chair arm.
In the dim cabin light, I caught my first glimpse of my captor. I willed my mind to stay calm, to focus on the details and commit them to memory. To not panic.
His profile was one of a tall man, though I assumed so from the strength it took to drag me here. His head was covered in a tan-colored hat, and his frame was covered in a baggy fishing vest. The best kind of camouflage given the setting, I guessed.
There wasn’t much distinguishing about him, nothing to help me tell him apart from anyone else. Not until he turned to face me, that is. I had to suppress a vocal reaction when his dark eyes settled on me.
“Sal?”
His eyes twitched up as if to smile, though his mouth never moved.
“Sera, Sera, Sera. I had hoped it wouldn’t come to this. But you never were any good at leaving things alone, were you? Neither was Ashley.”
I licked my lips and cleared my throat, buying myself time while my mind worked hard to think.
“I don’t think I understand.”
“I would be happy to explain it to you.” He took a step closer, and I caught a glimpse of the length of rope he held. He was wrapping it around one hand, then the other in a mindless, practiced manner that made me uneasy. “When you first called me, all concerned and righteous, I was happy to let you come up with your notions and your theories. Especially because no one was listening to you. I thought that in itself would be enough to deter you.” Sal stepped closer, his eyes narrowing. “Unfortunately, I was wrong. I hate being wrong. You started digging around on your own. You forced me to take action.”
That piece was starting to become clear and my dead end was turning out to be very much alive. Never in my mind would I have though Sal would be behind it. He was a lot of things, but I never doubted his love as a father. How naïve I had been.
“So where does that leave me?”
“It leaves you as a loose end.” He took another step towards me, rope continuing its infernal passing back and forth between his hands. “Just like Ashely. I hate loose ends.”
Sal unwound the rope so both ends were secure in his hands, leaving a gap in the middle. With one more step forward, it didn’t take me long to realize how I would meet my fate, and my minutes were ticking down.
As he moved to take the final step in my direction, I had to act now or be forced to go out quietly. That sure as hell wasn’t going to happen. With useless, bound hands, I used the only thing I had to my advantage. I paired my legs together and kicked them straight out. The force of both of my feet hitting his knees was enough to knock him backwards and to the floor.
It wasn’t enough to keep him there, though.
With a roar, he was back up on his feet, face red and teeth bared in a grim line. His footsteps thundered on the deck beneath him and I tried to kick at him again. This time I wasn’t so lucky. Sal grabbed my legs just below the knee. With a pressure that made me wince, he jerked me forward, forcing me from the back of the chair. The ties at my wrists burned, but the look on his face was worse. With a swift step behind me, Sal wrapped the piece of rope he still held around my neck.
I never imagined what it would be like to die, to be choked at that, but there was no reprieve. It was all pressure and abrasion and gasping for air. I gulped what little I could into my lungs, but it wasn’t enough to sustain me. My hope was limited and my voice was constricted, but my feet kicked at the deck anyways, my only strategy for salvation. In far less time that I thought, my world started to narrow. Black lined the edges of my vision and I fought to keep my eyes open.
As I began to lose the battle and my eye lids started their slow drop, bright light streamed across the cabin. Consciousness faded in slow measure, but the deep rumble of familiar voices floated into my awareness. I only heard it briefly, but when my eyes finally fell closed, it was to the most pleasant sound.
******
Another thing I never imagined in my life was having a dream so brilliant and clear and peaceful, only to wake and face a reality much more dreamlike than when I was sleeping. In my head, I had been happy, on a beach so vivid that I could hear the waves lapping the shore and smell the sun warmed sand. I tasted coconut on my lips that was so real I had to blink my eyes several times to acknowledge that it was indeed a dream and I was far from it. An ambulance was pretty much the furthest one could get from that kind of dream.
The ambulance I found myself in was a flurry of activity that seemed to have increased with my opened eyes. I scanned the space from my limited perspective, surprised to find Dean hovering near the back. Close, but too far away to touch. And that’s what reality felt like.
After we arrived at the hospital, there were tests and checkups. There were people talking, but no one talking to me. A few asked questions, lots explained things, but no one talked to me. I learned that the voice I heard was Dean’s. I learned that the reason I was alive was Dean. I learned that Dean incapacitated Sal in a manner that would insure he couldn’t hurt anyone. I learned a lot without a lot of words spoken. Especially by Dean.
After I was given the all clear from the hospital, I was taken to the police station. There held another interesting sort of reality, one where I should have been smug and justified for being right, but that wasn’t the case. It was a decidedly anticlimactic event in which I was merely shuffled through the process until they were done with me.
With Sal booked, processed, and in the hospital, Dean and I headed out of the precinct. He had earned a few days off and I was ready to go home with a peace of mind I hadn’t possessed in months. We were mostly quiet on the ride back to my place. It wasn’t even articulated that he would be coming with me; the expectation was just there. Even when he parked outside my house, a look was all we exchanged before he turned off his truck and got out with me.
I let us in and tossed my purse down on the table. I winced as I turned my head, and Dean was behind me in mere seconds, pulling my coat from my shoulders and gliding it down my arms.
“Does it hurt?” It was the first full sentence he said to me, and I couldn’t help but hear the quiet worry in it.
“Not too bad. Only when I move in certain ways.”
“What did the doctor say?”
“There wasn’t much he could do for it. Rest, ice, take something for the pain if I need it.”
Dean nodded and looked away. His face was so serious, as it usually was, but the f
irm set of his mouth told me there was more behind it. I faced him fully and touched my hand to his cheek.
Dean’s eyes flashed back to mine and they lost their edge.
“I’m sorry I made you mad.”
“I’m not mad.” His voice was loud in my small apartment and I drew back my hand. He closed his eyes for a long blink, then focused them on me again, taking my hand back and pressing it to his cheek again. “I was so fucking scared, Sera.”
His hands wrapped around the back of my head, holding me tightly and gently pulling me into him. I slid mine to the back of his neck. His mouth was on mine immediately, and I could feel him pouring himself into that kiss. All his fear and relief filtered through, and I wanted to let him kiss me until he wasn’t worried anymore. But all too soon it was over.
“I’m sorry I scared you.” I whispered against his lips.
“I’ve never been in a position to be worried about someone else. But this morning when I woke up and saw that note…” Dean closed his eyes and inhaled a breath before opening them again. “When I knew you’d gone, there was no denying what I was feeling.”
I had no other words. Nothing that would comfort him and give him back the control today had taken away. And I wanted to, because without it, he wasn’t the same man. And because I wanted him to know that when I had lost all hope today, it was him I was thinking of.
I may not have had the words to do all that, but I pressed myself against him tighter and hoped that my actions would do what words couldn’t. With hungry lips, I kissed him back, threading my fingers into his hair. I slid a hand down to his hip, tugging him into me and pressing my hips to his.
I could feel his sureness growing in the way he kissed and nipped at my lips, by the way his cock pushed up against me. I let him take me over, let him possess me. I let him know that I was still there and that I was his. I wanted him any way I could get him, but especially when he was confident and cocky and stubborn.