Mallory

by Michelle Love

  By the time she got to work, the exhaustion had caught up with her and she didn’t see the figure waiting in the corner of her office until it was too late. Jess suddenly looked around and gasped in shock.

  Jules said nothing but stalked across the room and ground his mouth onto hers. Jess squirmed away from him but his hand was tight around her throat, squeezing, squeezing hard and she began to gasp for air as Jules started to strangle her. His face was a red mask of hatred and lust.

  ‘You don’t get to go home to him again. This way, you’re mine forever.’

  Theo’s blood ran cold when he saw them and in a blur, he dragged Jules from Jess, throwing the smaller man across the room. He bent to pick up his stricken love, his heart thumping at the terrified expression on her lovely face but then Jules launched himself into them. Jess was thrown from his arms and Theo slammed into the wall. Jules was a feral whirlwind of rage, raining blows down on his. His fist caught Theo a glancing blow across the temple and he reeled, black spots crowding into his sight. He staggered back but then saw Jess behind Jules, coming at him with a heavy box file. She crashed it over Jules’s head but he turned and drove his fist into her stomach, making her double up. Adrenalin coursed through Theo then and he grabbed Jules, throwing him into the other room.

  ‘You’ll never ever fucking touch her again,’ he growled, following his quarry. Jules, clambering to his feet, sneering.

  ‘She belongs to me, Storm, she always has, she always will.’

  Theo charged at him and grabbed him throwing him across the room just as Jess, staggering and breathless, screamed ‘No!’

  Jules’s whole body slammed into and destroyed The Luna Soleil.

  Theo opened the door and stood aside to let her in. She moved slowly, almost catatonic, into his apartment. He locked the door behind them, double locked it. After Jules – after they – had destroyed the painting, he and Jess had stood frozen while Jules scrambled up and disappeared. The noise of the fight had brought others who got there in time to see Jules clambering from the wreckage of The Luna Soleil. Theo, in disbelief, had turned to see Jess, shell-shocked, staring at the remains of the priceless artwork. Her knees had given out and he caught her as she collapsed. Everything after that was a blur of police interviews, photographs. Gerry had been there, and the dean and after the police had finished, the dean took Jess into his office and shut the door. Theo and Gerry waited anxiously but when Jess came out, she said nothing, just gathered her things, kissed Gerry’s cheek and walked out, Theo following. In the car she had been silent, just stared out of the window but now she looked at him, and he saw the depth of her pain.

  ‘I resigned,’ she said softly. ‘There was nothing else to do. The dean accepted it, he would’ve had to fire me anyway. This way, at least, I get to keep my dignity…except not really…’ and she started to sob. Theo took her in her arms, letting her cry herself out. He carried her to the bedroom and lay down beside her, stroking her face, kissing her tears away. As her tears shuddered to a stop, she fell into an uneasy sleep.

  Theo pulled the comforter over her and went into the living room. The dean answered the phone on the first ring. Theo apologised for the late hour.

  ‘I wanted to say, let me have the details of the owner and I’ll pay for the damage.’

  The dean was silent for a beat. ‘Mr Storm….the painting was destroyed.’

  Theo cleared his throat. ‘I know. I’ll pay for it….but Dean Roberts…he was trying to kill her. Something infinitely more precious than a painting would have been destroyed. What happened was the result of Gachet’s violent behaviour. Please don’t punish Jess – she was the victim here.’

  The dean sighed. ‘I do know that, Mr Storm. Look….I can’t say what is going to happen except this will be big news. I don’t know how we can keep your name out of it.’

  ‘That’s fine, I don’t expect miracles…but tell the truth. Don’t let them crucify Jess.’

  He ended the call and rubbed his hands over his face.

  ‘Thank you.’

  He looked up at the sound of her voice. She was standing in the doorway, barefoot, her hair tumbling down her back. Her beautiful face was drawn, her eyes tired but she had the sweetest smile on her face.

  He got up and went to her, sliding his arms around her, kissing her softly. ‘You don’t need to thank me for anything.’

  ‘You saved my life.’

  He stroked her face. ‘I love you. I’d never let anything happen to you.’ She leaned into his touch.

  He looked into her eyes and saw a lifetime of hurt and abuse and fear.

  ‘I want to take care of you – as long as you want me to.’ He kissed her again. ‘So I’m going to ask you this and I want you to think about seriously. Move in with me. Let me look after you. In exchange, you can look after me. A partnership, a forever thing. Live with me, Jessie…’

  Live With Me Part 4

  Stormfronts

  By Michelle Love

  Jess pulled her clothes from her drawers and shoved them into her old and battered suitcase. She looked around her bedroom, with its now bare walls and stripped down queen-sized bed. A palpable sadness had settled in her chest but she knew now she couldn’t stay here. Jules was out of control and Theo had offered her safe harbor. She’d be a fool to turn that down.

  Theo poked his head into the bedroom and smiled at her. ‘That ready to go?’ He nodded at her suitcase.

  ‘I’ll be just a minute.’

  Theo came into the room then, took her shoulders and made her look at him. She knew what he was seeing; wounded eyes, black and purple marks on her neck, defeat. She moved to hold him, wanting to reassure him.

  She looked at Theo’s anxious face. ‘I’m okay.’ He smiled at her but she could see he wasn’t convinced. She let him go and he watched as she walked over to the suitcase and locking it.

  ‘Thanks for doing all this,’ she smiled at him. ‘I don’t know where I’d be without you. Probably dead.’ She tried to smile but regretted her words when she saw the pain in his face. ‘Sorry. It’s just everything is…I’m finding it difficult to believe any of this is real. At the same time…’ She touched her bruised throat. and gave a short laugh.

  Theo stayed silent. Jess sighed.

  ‘Come on, baby. Let’s get out of here.’

  She moved into the living room, towards the door but, as she passed him, she stumbled a little. Theo saw her legs give way and caught her. She was shaking badly but dry-eyed as he held her.

  ‘Jesus, Jesus…’ she whispered. Theo buried his face in her hair but she pulled away and looked up at him.

  For a moment, she thought about the attack and a brief flash of fear cross her face. Theo saw it.

  He bent down and kissed her gently.

  ‘I won’t let him anywhere near you, don’t worry.’

  ‘It’s not just me I’m worried about.’

  He frowned. Jess smiled at him but her eyes were serious.

  ‘He hates you, Theo, if he hurt you…’

  Theo turned his nose up. ‘He’s a coward, Jess. And a misogynist. He sees women as inferior, weaker, easily manipulated.’

  She nodded, her face somber. Theo smoothed her hair back from her face.

  ‘You okay?’

  She nodded but her face was tight and she suddenly pulled away from him, her face flushing a deep scarlet. Angry.

  ‘I’m mad, Theo. Just mad. Who the hell does that bastard think he is telling me who I can love, deciding whether I live or die? Asshole. Who the fuck gave him the right?’

  Her voice was rising with each word and her eyes were wild. She moved away from him, casting around for something, anything that would help her feel better. She gave a short laugh. She picked up a mug; a nondescript red coffee cup shoved into a cardboard box and showed it to Theo.

  ‘He drank from this.’ She hurled the cup at the wall, her face set in a grim smile as the ceramic smashed. She whirled around and scooped up a plate.

  ‘Ca
ll me a whore, motherfucker?’ And she flung the plate against the wall.

  ‘This is for every time he hurt me.’ Her hair flew around as she grabbed more and more plates and launched them at the wall.

  Theo sat, a smile spreading across his face as he watched her smash her way through an entire cupboard of crockery, yelling, cussing, screaming all her anger, her rage. Theo started to smile. By the time she had finished, out of breath, they were both laughing helplessly.

  ‘Feel better?’

  She grinned at him, tears of laughter in her eyes. ‘So much better.’

  He stood and slid his arms around her waist. ‘Good.’ He kissed her and she sighed happily.

  ‘Okay then. Let’s get out of here and start our new life together.’

  He needed to back for a while, stay away from her. Jules Gachet’s cheek muscles hurt from being clenched in anger and he stretched out his mouth to loosen them. He dragged his hand through his hair, long overdue for a cut, and glanced at his reflection in the mirror. Hard-bodied and fit, he’d stood no chance anyway against Theo Storm’s huge strength and now Jess was under Storm’s protection…

  No. He had to be careful, plan his next movement, be patient. Jessica would pay for her betrayal of him, would suffer the worst of his fantasies before he killed her. Attacking her at the college had been a mistake: too many witnesses. He’d been expecting a visit from the police since that day but nothing. She hadn’t pressed charges. Maybe she thinks I should be grateful enough for that, he mused, smirking. Not a chance, bitch.

  He dressed quickly and strode down the hallway. Camilla was talking to a delivery man at the front door and Jules rolled his eyes as he pushed past her. He’d only been half-serious when he’d told her to get out the other day; anger made him forget just how well she ran the estate, took most of the toil from him so he could continue playing the way he wanted to. He knew she thought he was disgusting; what on earth would she say if she ever found out what he used to do to Jessica when she was a kid? Jules smirked as he jumped into his car. Who cared what that old spinster thought? Jessica was his, had always been his, would always be his.

  Even after she was dead.

  Her possessions looked pathetic next to the opulence of Theo’s home and she felt somewhat ashamed of what her life added up to. Few clothes, more books, and art supplies. Theo had unpacked her books and had lined up the battered paperbacks and textbooks next to his on his shelves and now she was in his bedroom – their bedroom, she supposed now – procrastinating over unpacking her clothes.

  She didn’t hear Theo come into the bedroom behind her and started as he slid his arms around her waist and pressed his lips to her neck.

  ‘Hey, beautiful…’

  She turned in his arms and tilted her head up so he could kiss her mouth. Theo moaned slightly as his lips moved against hers. ‘God, you taste so good.’ His hold on her tightened and Jess felt her pulse quicken. God, would she ever not want this man?

  Theo slowly drew the straps of her dress down her shoulders, trailing his lips across her skin. The dress fell to the floor and she sighed as he picked her and laid her down on the bed, stripping off his sweater. Her hands went to the zipper on his pants and soon they were both naked, kissing, caressing. Theo moved down her body, the tip of his tongue circling her nipples, dipping into the deep hollow of her navel. Jess gasped as his teeth grazed her clit, his strong fingers spread the folds of her labia apart so he could taste her. She closed her eyes as he bit the tender flesh of her inner thighs, and his fingers slid inside her, one by one until only his thumb remained to stroke her clitoris with increasing pressure. Theo shifted so that he could kiss her mouth as he penetrated her, his fingers probing and stroking her until she was shivering with pleasure.

  ‘You like that?’ Theo asked her softly but his eyes were intense on hers and she nodded, unable to speak, her fingernails digging into the smooth hard skin of his back. He chuckled softly, dipping his head to take her nipple into his mouth, flicking the tongue around the sensitive nub before gently biting down on it. Jess gasped out ‘This is too much, too much…’ But she pressed herself into his touch, grinding herself down onto his hand, still buried deep in her. Theo teased her nipples with his mouth then pressed his lips into the valley between her breasts.

  ‘Come for me, Jessie….that’s it, give yourself to me…’ The pressure on her clit became almost unbearable and her back arched upwards violently as she climaxed, only Theo’s sheer weight keeping her from bucking herself off the bed. Theo didn’t give her time to recover before plowing his diamond hard cock into her and Jess thought she might die from the explosion of sensations ripping through her body. Theo clamped her hands above her head and began to thrust mercilessly, fucking her hard, ever thrust going deeper and deeper. Her hips screeched with pain and Theo forced them wider to gain access to her. Their eyes locked on the others as they slammed against each other and she was coming again and again as she felt Theo shudder and spasm, his cum shooting hard into her. Jess was on the verge of passing out but she never wanted it to stop.

  Theo flipped her over and before she could catch her breath, his cock was pushing deep into her ass, so slowly and deliciously that she gave a long, delirious moan.

  ‘God, when you make that sound, Jessie…you make a man almost want to…’ Theo didn’t finish his sentence but she felt him bite down hard on her shoulder and she cried out with pleasure. His lips were at her ear then. ‘You like it when I hurt you, don’t you?’

  She nodded and shivered through another orgasm as Theo gave a low, almost dangerous chuckle.

  ‘Jessie…I’m going to take you away somewhere, somewhere private and we’re going to try some things that you’ll like, and I’m going to have complete command over your glorious body.’

  He pulled out and turned her to face him. His green eyes were dark with passion and danger and her breath quickened under his gaze. He bent his head to kiss her neck, her breasts before shifting to bury his face in her belly. For a second she just felt his hot breath on her skin then he looked up at her, a wicked grin on his face.

  ‘I’m going to fuck you in so many different ways, Jessica Wood, until you beg me to stop.’

  She smiled, her skin damp with sweat and glowing. ‘I’ll never want to stop.’

  Theo smiled. ‘Good. Because this body is mine. These breasts – ‘ He nipped at her nipples with his teeth making her squirm with pleasure, ‘this belly…’ He traced a circle around her navel and she felt her eyes roll back into their sockets from the sensation.

  ‘Theo…’ Her words were a sigh and then he was kissing her mouth tenderly, lovingly.

  ‘You are my life,’ he said and the softness, the truth in his voice made tears roll down her cheeks and she pulled his head down to kiss him.

  Jess looked out of the small airplane window down at the island. Theo’s island, she thought to herself and shook her head, grinning. My boyfriend owns an island. She didn’t know why this shocked her but because she had always insisted on going Dutch with him when they went out, and of course, from the obvious opulence of his homes, she’d never been this aware of his great wealth until now. Something about it bothered her, she could feel it but she pushed that thought away. For once, just don’t overanalyze, just enjoy, sister. She smiled and turned to Theo. She took a moment to take him in as he tapped away on his laptop next to her. That face – all fierce angles that were so quickly softened by his boyish smile, the way his eyes would almost disappear when he laughed. She loved it all, the way his dark hair curled slightly around his ears, the hint of five o’clock shadow.

  Theo sensed her scrutiny and looked up with a smile. ‘Okay, baby?’

  ‘Very, very okay. I love you, Theodore Storm.’

  Theo smiled and closed his laptop, shoving it to one side. In one movement he had pulled her onto his lap, winding his arms around her waist, pressing his lips to hers. ‘And I you, beautiful. Excited?’

  There was something burning in his eyes
and she smiled enjoying the double meaning in his words. She nuzzled his neck. ‘God, yes…’ she whispered and felt his chuckle rumble through his chest.

  ‘Not long now…’

  Jess stroked his face and then glanced around the private jet’s cabin. ‘We’re all alone now…’

  Theo said nothing, but a small smile played on his mouth. Jess slid from his lap and knelt between his legs. She reached for his fly, freeing his cock and stroking it gently.

  ‘Put your head back, Theo, relax…’

  She took him in her mouth, her soft lips parting and gliding over the wide crest of him, the soft skin of his cock feeling like silk against her tongue. She traced the delicate veins with her tongue and traced tiny circles around the tip, feeling it harden and Theo drew in a sharp breath. Jess moved slowly, drawing the shaft in and out of her mouth, teasing him. Theo closed his eyes and leaned his head back, sucking in air between his teeth as she worked.

  ‘Jessie…’ He tangled his fingers in her hair and began to massage her scalp, sending shivers of pleasure down her body. She hollowed her cheeks, sucking gently on him, feeling his cock quiver and swell. Theo groaned and she could taste salty pre-cum. She smiled – quite a feat considering his cock was now so huge in her mouth she had to stretch it so wide it started to hurt.

  Then he was groaning and coming, shooting into her mouth over and over and he collapsed back into his seat, pulling her into his arms.

  ‘Do it. Kill me. Run me through. Stab me to death. I’d rather that a million times over than your revolting prick inside me ever again.’ Jules sighed. She was calling his bluff. Wrong move, Jessica. Very, very wrong. ‘Oh, why must you make me do this?’ He turned and thrust the blade into her belly. She gasped, shock, terror. He stabbed her again. ‘Ungrateful little bitch. Don’t you know what I’ve done for you?’ He twisted the blade, feeling her hot blood pumping over his skin. ‘This could have all been so different.’ Jules smiled, caught her as she fell, laid her on the floor. ’No, no, please…’ She was staring at him, her beautiful eyes wide with disbelief as he brought the knife down again and again and again…