Hope Is Love

by Hubbard, Sylvia

  “Are you ready?” Nevada asked as Jona put the money away safely. When Jona nodded her readiness, Nevada said, “You’ll do well, Jona, and just relax and let the music take you away from it all. Don’t worry about what you’re doing, just feel the moment and if you feel good and right, let it flow. Now take a deep breath and go through the third curtain. I’ll start up the music once you’re inside.”

  Jona took long deep breaths as she walked down the hallway and when she got to the dark curtain that separated her from this life changing event, she replayed Nevada’s words in her head. “Just relax and let the music take you away from it all. Don’t worry about what you’re doing, just feel the moment and if you feels good and right, let it flow.”

  * * *

  There was just a moment of hesitation on his part when he sat in the dim room waiting for her. A moment where he felt with all the knowledge he possessed about women, there was nothing in the world he could ever do to make Jona stay with him.

  Yet the need to have her in his life was more powerful than any doubt in his heart and he was willing to do anything to have her, but first she had to depend on him.

  The music started – a deep rhythmic bass seem to make the room pulse and he watched the black curtains part. He bit his tongue to hold back a curse of arousal seeing Jona dressed in a seductive outfit. He was mesmerized as she smoothly danced to the beat of the music seducing him clearly to the point he almost didn’t want to blink just so he wouldn’t miss one millisecond of her performance.

  He had to say that Nevada was a good master of dance and she definitely was not using her teaching abilities in the right capacity. Jona’s beautiful body was transformed into a vibrant erotic vixen that drew him in like a moth to a flame. His heart sped up and pulsed just as hard as the bass yet she had not even touched him yet.

  She came to him slowly and each step she took, he could feel a layer of sweat increase more and more. Goosebumps tickled from the clothes rubbing all over his body and his manhood cried for freedom. Yet James didn’t move except to pick up a twenty to tempt her closer, he saw a brief moment of hesitation before she came within arm’s reach. When she tried to take the money, he pulled away and she understood he wanted to give her the money in his own way. She swung her hips like a pendulum toward his body and when she came close, he tucked the money into the string of the thong he could barely see under the clothes.

  With a slow twirl and nudge she moved his hands off her body and James smiled liking how she clearly made it known she didn’t want him touching her. She had no idea who he was and he liked knowing she was so receptive when she was with James.

  Licking his lips, his animalistic side surfaced and he knew the hunt for her heart, mind and body was on.

  Picking up another bill, he made her move close to him again, but this time he wasn’t satisfied with her hips. He motioned for her to bend down. He could clearly see she didn’t want to do so, yet leaned forward and allowed him to slip the bill on the side of her breast. At the same moment he leaned forward to blow just a little on the valley between her breasts, she moved away quickly once the money was secure and continued to dance.

  James was loving this game.

  Picking up another twenty, he motioned her to come again to him, but shook his head when she leaned down.

  “Turn around,” he whispered.

  She did and he slowly put the money on the side of her. At the same time, he blew a line down the middle of her back to just the crack of her posterior. She gasped, but when she started to turn to him, he gently gripped her hips.

  "Stay like this,” he ordered making sure he kept his voice very low.

  This seemed to be her preference because she didn’t have to look at him, but James had other plans in mind. She relaxed her guard and allowed him to keep his hands on her hips. James knew he had aroused her enough for him to pull her down into his lap. Her body stiffened as she settled on top of his manhood.

  “I can’t,” she said weakly. “I’m sorry.” She tried to push his hands away so she could get up.

  “Can’t or won’t?” he questioned not moving his arms from holding her.

  “I can’t. I’ll give you back your money,” she said in a defeated voice.

  “Tell me why,” he ordered.

  Her body relaxed. “I-I feel for someone else and… I only want him to touch me.”

  James smiled wanting to turn her around and kiss her until she couldn’t breath anymore, but he held his control. “What’s his name?”

  “James.”

  “Why are you doing this if you love him?”

  “Because I have to leave him and I needed a lot of money to go and this… this was my only way to do it quickly, but I’ll give it all back. I can’t do this to myself.”

  “I could be him for you. Just tell me what he does that you love?”

  She shook her head. “It’d be wrong. I’m never going to let another man touch ever again.”

  He moved his hand between her legs and gently rubbed over her groin. “You’re never going to let another man touch you. Let me satisfy one last need. Let his name be mine, one last time.” The pressure on the front of her with his fingers was definitely arousing her body. “Tell me what he did. Tell me how he touched you.”

  Jona leaned back and closed her eyes. Yes her body was aroused but all she could do was think about James. “He was so gently and his hands would cup my breast.” A soft sob of need for James escaped her lips.

  She felt his hand move up pushing away the sheer fabric and touching her breasts – just the way James had done paying special attention to her nipples and then feeling them all over.

  “What else?” he asked.

  “He’d kiss my neck and my ears…” Tears welled in shame at enjoying the touch, which she thought wasn’t James.

  He started to with a variation of kisses – just like James - to the side of her neck, around her ears, to the back of her nape, her shoulder and then back at her neck. Just as James could work his hands and mouth simultaneously, this man did the same and Jona felt confused and aroused at the same time. He had started to grind against her and manipulate Jona’s body against his as the pressure of his hands increased and she was caught up in the physical passion he was weaving throughout her body.

  “Call his name,” he ordered.

  She fought the urge, but as she came closer to culmination, all Jona could think about was James; what he did to her, made her feel and how she wanted him. Soon she was releasing his name from her lips, crying out for James Black all her urges and all her wants; Soon she was grinding just as hard, reaching back to hold on to this man as he took her body over the edge not caring she was calling out another man’s name.

  Her head was gone for moments and Jona didn’t care where she was as she dove into the lustful bliss, shaking into culmination with a scream for James to hold her tightly.

  Strong arms surrounded her, holding her tightly as she let everything go knowing all this was because of her love for James Black. Tears of guilt and longing burst forth as she came down from her sexual high. She could feel this man’s arms pull her into his body, pulling up her legs and cradling her.

  “Why are you crying?” he asked after gently kissing her brow.

  “Because this was wrong,” she said.

  “Because you wanted someone else and not me?”

  She nodded. “I’m sorry.”

  “Don’t be. I loved being used,” he said with a chuckle. “Why don’t you go to this man and tell him how much you love him?”

  “I’m scared and … and if I go… bad things will happen.” She shivered and tried to push away, but his arms held her tighter.

  “Like what?”

  Seeing that this was a stranger, she decided to tell him what she couldn’t tell anyone else. “Like I think the people who hurt him before will hurt him again if I don’t leave and they took something from me that means everything to me. They said if I didn’t leave they’ll never giv
e it back to me.”

  “And why didn’t you trust him enough to see if he could help you?”

  After a moment of thinking about this question, she knew what the answer was. “I’m not use to asking for help from people. It’s really hard for me to do that.”

  “Do you think he didn’t love you enough to help?”

  “I think he did love me too much, but it would have hurt him in the end and his death would be on my hands. I didn’t want that.”

  “I don’t understand. If you loved him and he loved you, why can’t you trust together you can work things out.”

  Jona closed her eyes and wished it was that easy, but all she could hear was her mother’s voice of reality. “Because life isn’t a fairy tale. Good doesn’t always prevail and I can’t trust my heart enough to know things will be okay.”

  “I think he holds enough love in his heart that everything will be okay for you, Hope.”

  She stiffened and slowly looked up under that hat he wore. Although she couldn’t see his eyes, he had stopped whispering and spoken in a regular voice and Jona knew…

  James Black was here, holding her and she knew he wasn’t going to let her go.

  Chapter 33

  “Let me go!” she demanded despite the fact she knew he wouldn’t.

  James responded vehemently, “I won’t, Hope. You’re mine and I’m going to hold you until you say it.”

  “No!” she said hitting his chest, but as big as he was, she knew she didn’t hit him hard enough to cause any physical damage to him.

  His hands moved down between her legs again. “Do I have to prove it to you, Hope? Do I have to prove that you need me more than anything?”

  “You can’t …” She stopped as his finger seemed to easily slip inside of her. Reaching down to grab his wrist, that only escalated his movements and turned his finger to press against her Gräfenberg Spot. Jona moaned uncontrollably releasing his wrist and holding on as her body took her on a wild sensual roller coaster ride. With her being in his arms, he only had to dip down and use his face to push away the bra. His mouth attacked her nipple, rolling his tongue around her aureole increasing her desire for him to never stop.

  “Say you want me, Hope,” he ordered

  Jona fought her mind, but her body succumbed, grinding her hips against his hand and pulling his mouth to hers for a blissful kiss. Every word her mother had drilled in her head came to the surface to make her fight, yet everything he did to her felt so right.

  He broke the kiss off. “Dammit I love you Hope! I will protect you. I will give you everything you desire and more! Just say the words I need to hear.”

  Jona was coming down from one peak and going into another immediately. He could play her body to fruition like a master musician and she found her will to resist him draining.

  He kissed her neck and cheeks and then licked the tears that rolled down. “Let me have your heart, please,” he begged. “Please Hope. You have me. You have everything of me. I can give you everything you’ve ever wanted.” He knew her body was peaking again and pulled back just enough to stop her plateau.

  She cried out her frustrations as he maneuvered her body to straddle him. He’d torn away her costume easily as he kissed her to forgetting the reality around them around. Jona wanted to feel him so much, but he wouldn’t even let her grind against him. James had full control of everything.

  “Say it,” he ordered. “You tell me the words I need to hear and I’ll give you anything you desire.”

  Whimpering pitifully, Jona buried her face in his neck and held on to him. He rubbed her back in comfort, but then moved his finger back into her driving her crazy with lust.

  “I’ll get your case back,” he promised. “I’ll find out who’s tried to kill me while they think you’ve gone. I’ll do all this Jona and then we can be together. You won’t need the streets. I’ll protect you from everything. I promise.” Again he stopped just as she was about to come.

  “James!” she screamed.

  “Yes, love,” he said, kissing her lightly but even stopped her from making the kiss longer. “Where you want to be, I will be and my world is yours. My heart is yours. Together we can be one and I’ll love you forever, Hope.” His need for her to acquiesce was in his voice. “What more can I give you Hope? Please tell me what more?”

  She knew she was just being stubborn and her body was ready to give in and cursing her for not. Every inch of her skin had goose bumps all over and Jona needed him to release the demons wound tight in her body.

  James moved one hand around her nape so she was forced to look at him. With his fingers that had been inside of her, he brought them to his lips and Jona gasped softly watching him suck her essence from them. She leaned down to him, pushing the hat off his head and he allowed her to kiss him. It was arousing to taste herself on his tongue, increasing her own lust. Reaching down, she unzipped his pants.

  Time stood still as he let her release his shaft. They’re eyes never unlocked as she guided him inside of her. James pressed down on her shoulders though as she fully took him inside of her stretching her to the fullest.

  “Fuck!” he cursed with a satisfied grin. “You’re the only woman who can make me do anything Hope. You’re the only woman who’ll ever have my heart. My body is yours and I will do anything to make you happy.”

  “I know,” she said.

  “Then make me happy.” He pulled her close to him. “Be my wife. Let me call you mine forever.”

  Jona couldn’t believe he was asking her this and more tears came to her eyes because this was what she wanted. Being married just like her mother and father and loving someone unconditionally, was just what she needed in her life. Someone to wake up to, someone to call her own, someone who would be with until death do them part – James would give her that.

  “Yes, James! I will. I will be with you.”

  He cursed again as he turned their bodies around until she was sitting where he was and he was on his knees over her body pumping deep into her bringing them to a paradise pinnacle only they could enter together.

  She whispered repeatedly, “I’m yours, James,” and loved how he groaned each time she said those words.

  Jona didn’t know how much time had passed before she knew they weren’t alone. Someone else was in the room and when she could focus right, she almost screamed if James had not put his hands over her mouth.

  “You’re safe, Hope,” he assured her. “Onyx, how long have you been there?”

  “Long enough to want to lose my lunch,” Onyx Black sneered.

  It was the woman the sisters had spoken about.

  James moved from Jona completely, but he pulled up Jona’s costumes so that she would be decently covered before he stood up and faced Onyx adjusting himself. “You need a bell around your neck so people know you’re around.”

  “What fun would that be?” Onyx asked belligerently.

  Jona was almost starting to understand sarcasm and suspected everything out of this woman’s’ mouth was nothing as it seemed. Putting on her costume quickly, she listened to the conversation.

  “Where’s the bitch that led you up here?” Onyx asked. “One moment she’s standing watching the show and the next she disappeared when she sees me. I haven’t seen anyone move that fast since Mandingo.”

  “It was Nevada,” Jona answered. “She’s quick and if she doesn’t want you to see her, you won’t.”

  “Never and no is not in my dictionary. That just sounds like a challenge,” Onyx snide. “But it’s not important right now. Are we ready to go? Sheriff’s around the back waiting for us and he says the little lawyer’s wife is out in the crowd somewhere. She’s been following us since I picked you up.”

  James took off his jacket and covered Jona’s shoulder. “You’re coming?” he asked, holding out his hand.

  Jona had her personal things in the room she had changed in, but there was still a small bit of hesitation.

  “Onyx, give me the case,�
� James ordered.

  “What? I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Onyx said.

  “Onyx!”

  Onyx huffed and pulled out Jona’s case from her jacket to hand to James, who handed the beat up case to Jona.

  “Now will you trust that everything else I’ve said will come true and stay?” James asked her.

  “How?" Jona asked, gripping the case tightly amazed. "How did you get this?”

  They both looked at Onyx.

  Onyx sighed. “You knew where it was at all along,” she said to Jona.

  Jona just looked at Onyx trying to hide her fear of what Onyx could possibly know.

  “Oh so you want to play innocent?" Onyx asked indignantly. "So James doesn’t know who really had it, does he?”

  Jona still refused to talk and Onyx sneered, “When I saw her sneaking out the house the other day, I followed her and when she went to the salon, I went through her purse while she was getting her facial.” Onyx shrugged as if anyone could have done this. “I knew immediately this was not something she would carry in her purse. I knew it didn’t belong to her and after going through the contents, I knew exactly who it belonged to.”

  “Who had the case, Onyx?” James asked.

  Onyx ignored James and glared her black eyes directly at Jona. “You think you got some explaining to do?”

  “What do you mean?” Jona asked not believing this woman could possibly know anything.

  Onyx smiled mischievously. “Alright, I don’t think you know about me, so I’ll give you one more chance, Hope Crump.”

  “What’s going on, Onyx?” James demanded to know.

  “Ask your girl. Ask her what really happened when she found your body, James, because that’s what the killers know and have been holding over her.”

  Jona couldn’t believe this was happening to her, but then again, getting to her happiness wasn’t supposed to be easy.

  James and Onyx stared at her as they waited for her to answer their questions.

  Chapter 34