by Dee Garcia
“Oh, fuck,” she panted, clawing at the sheets with both hands, her legs locking around my waist.
The simple shift lodged me deeper within her. But that's the way she liked it.
Deep and rough.
Even when I made love to her, she wanted it all, every inch of me included, and I was more than happy to give it to her.
Being buried deep within Hazel was both heaven and hell. She could be so dominant and take what she wanted, but she could also be so demur, relinquishing her control without hesitation. Our connection was the ultimate high, her body was my personal brand of perfection, and her pussy, fuck… Her pussy was legitimately my kryptonite.
Licking a trail up her neck, I hitched one of her legs higher and dug myself deeper, forcing a breath-hitching moan from her throat. “Is this what you woke up thinking about?”
“Yes…” she breathed.
“Naughty kitty.”
“Your fault.”
“Who cares? I love it,” I murmured, en route to her lips.
“And I love you,” she purred, cinching her arms around my neck.
I hummed as our lips fused like two magnets, inhibiting me from expressing how much I fucking loved her too. But I didn’t have to. It was all in our kiss. Soft, leisurely, intimate. We were so in tune, words weren't necessary. Gentle fingers tunneled through my hair, pulling me closer, almost as if she couldn’t get close enough, and at this point, I didn’t think we ever could. There was always that urgency for more.
More. All the damn time.
Like now.
With a swift tap to her hip, she obliged to my silent demand, rolling over onto her knees. Hugging my pillow beneath her, she arched herself on display. And what a delicious display it was. Brown eyes danced playfully beneath wayward curls that fell in her face, luring me toward her with renewed purpose. Blanketing her with my body once more, I sunk my teeth into her shoulder and ran a hand down her smooth stomach, in search of her clit.
But then the moment was ruined.
Unexpected and incessant, Hazel’s phone began rattling on the nightstand. We both moaned in annoyance, the high that consumed us briskly falling away with each vibrational pattern. Begrudgingly – and with an audible huff – my girl reached an arm out and retrieved the offending source, glancing at the screen.
“Who the fuck is calling from New York at this hour?”
“I don’t know, answer it,” I suggested, falling back onto my knees.
Accepting the call, she lifted it to her ear. “Hello… Speaking. Who's this?”
Her eyes widened and my heart stopped a little.
“What? Who is it,” I mouthed silently.
“Maya,” she mouthed back.
Holy. Shit.
Holy shit, indeed. Shit was, in fact, about to get very, very real.
Nothing but silence followed her name. I didn’t know what to say. Even Knox was speechless, his blue eyes wide as he processed what I'd just shared with him. When I told Karley that Maya could call if the situation were dire, I didn’t think she’d ever call, especially after me denying initial contact.
“Hello, Hazel? Are you there?”
“What, yes, yes. I’m sorry, I’m just…”
“Surprised?” Her voice was soft. “I know. I am too, but here we are. Rather than sit here and make this more awkward than it already is, I’m just going to come out with it. If you’ll hear me out, that is.”
“Go on…”
I need your help,” she’s blurted out.
“My help? With what?” I asked, thoroughly confused, setting the phone on speaker.
“Saving my life,” she deadpanned.
What. The. Fuck.
Knox and I shared a horrified look.
“What do you mean, saving your life?”
“It’s my husband, Hazel. He’s exactly the man my dad warned me about. I should’ve listened and gotten myself out of this mess way sooner, but now it’s too late and I'm stuck.”
“Does he hurt you?” My question came out much softer than anticipated.
“Yes.”
“How long has it been going on?”
“A while, but in retrospect, the signs had always been there.”
Holy crap. Knox was right. After Luis and Reyna left the day we met with Karley, Knox admitted the situation was nagging at him. He’d said both him and Luis agreed something was going on behind closed doors, and they were afraid it could be something violent.
“How bad is it?”
“Just a toss here or there, sometimes a slap or a tight grip on my throat. But it's harder every time and I know it's only going to get worse.”
I gasped and momentarily hesitated to ask the next question. “Is he sexually abusive too?”
“I guess on some level, yes. I’m never actually in the mood to be with him, but when he wants it, I give it up. I always regret it afterward though.”
“Why?”
“Because I wake up with bruises,” she admitted. “He usually only fucks me when he comes home drunk, and when he’s drunk, he's rough. And not the good kind of rough.”
Knox growled beside me, completely disgusted by what he was hearing. I can't lie, I was disgusted too. It took a special and twisted type of human being to do this kind of shit.
“I'm sorry to throw this on you, Hazel, I really am, but you're my only hope,” she said, her tone shaky as though she were fighting back a stream of tears. “I don't expect you to say yes, considering we’ve never met and up until a few months ago, I had idea who you were. But I had to at least try.”
“It's okay, really. I've been curious about you for years and despite my feelings regarding what happened between you and your dad, I'd do anything for him.”
“Those were Karley’s exact words.” She sounded only mildly amused.
“Huh?”
“When I spoke to her after your meeting and she gave me your phone number, she said you'd do anything for my father, even in death.”
“She's right, I would,” I agreed, stealing a glance at Knox, who was now dressing to go to work. “Which leads me to ask, how can I help you?”
His head snapped toward me at the same time Maya uttered a shocked, “Really?”
“Absolutely. I'd never be able to live with myself if I hung up this phone and learned that later on down the line, your husband did irreplaceable damage.”
“He's done plenty of that already, trust me.”
“Well, then let's make sure he can't do anymore. What do you need from me?”
“Shelter. Bodyguards. An army, really.” She laughed nervously.
“Based off what you've told me about him, and the little I knew from Karley, I doubt he's just going to let you fly across the nation to meet with someone connected to your dad.”
“No, no he most certainly would not. I'll have to sneak out here while he's at work.”
“And is that as easy as you're making it sound?”
I doubted that would be the case, but I figured I'd ask anyway.
“No. He has two guards home with me all day; however, they’re not the issue. It's buying an airline ticket that’s going to be the hard part.”
“And what about if you already had a ticket?” I asked, because I knew what needed to be done.
“Then I'd be good to go.”
“Give me a sec.”
Muting the call, I gripped the phone tightly in my hand, and lifted my gaze to where Knox stood at the end of the bed. “This is fucked.”
He nodded warily. “Very.”
“I want to help her.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah. We can't pretend she never called. Imagine how Bernie would feel if he knew what she’s been going through…”
“He'd be sick to his fucking stomach,” Knox gritted out.
“Exactly. She's his baby, and she's in serious danger. If we don't help her, he could kill her. She said it herself, it gets worse every time.”
Sighing deeply, he ran a hand throug
h his hair. “So, what do you think we should do?”
“I say we find a ticket for the next week or two, and let her hunker down here. We can have Karley send divorce papers, if that what she wants, and help her rebuild. Bernie left money and his house, so it's not like she doesn't have anything to come home to.”
“Are you sure you want to do this?” he asked, a concerned look dragging across his face.
“Why, you don't?”
“No, I do, but this is huge, baby. It could get complicated and messy.”
“I don't think we have a choice, to be honest,” I said, as he came to sit beside me once more. “I'd be failing Bernie if I simply dismissed her.”
Taking my hand in his, he placed a kiss on my wrist and gave it a light squeeze. “Then let's do it. We’ll look at flights over the next few days and give her some options. How soon does she need to leave?”
I don't know.
But we were about to find out. Tapping the microphone on my screen, I unmuted the call and brought the phone back up to my mouth.
“Maya?”
“I'm still here,” she answered, the blaring horn of a taxi resounding behind her.
“Okay, so, we can get you a one-way ticket from New York. Your dad left you his house, but you’re more than welcome to stay with us until everything blows over. We’ll have security covered, too, regardless of where you decide to stay.”
“We?” The word sounded foreign on her tongue.
“Yes, my boyfriend and I. Karley’s brother.”
“Oh my God, you two live together?”
“Yes… Why is that a problem?” I asked, trying to keep my voice even.
“I don't want to intrude…” she whispered.
“It's not intrusion if we’re offering.”
“I know but, couples should li-”
“Do you want the help or not?” I questioned, suddenly annoyed.
“Y-yes,” she stammered. “Yes, I want the help.”
“Then just take the deal. You'll be safe here, Maya.”
The line went silent, and for a moment I thought it might’ve cut off, or worse, he caught her on the phone. I checked the screen, only to find we were still connected. Panic raced through my veins.
“Maya?”
“Yeah, yeah, I’m here, sorry. Just processing. You're really saving my life, Hazel,” she said, and this time I knew was crying. “Thank you, seriously.”
Bernie’s sweet face popped into my mind and my heart clenched because if Maya was hurting, I knew he was hurting too. “Your dad meant everything to me. He shaped me into the woman I am today. This is simply me repaying him for all he did.”
“Regardless of why you’re doing it, I’m very grateful.”
“Knox and I are going to check out some flights tonight when he gets home from work. Is it okay for me to text this number once we have the information?”
“This number is safe. Dimitri has no idea I have this phone in my possession.”
“Jesus, it's worse than I thought.” I pinched the bridge of my nose, feeling a headache coming on from the hail of crap that had unfolded in less than five minutes. “How soon do you need to leave?”
“The sooner, the better.”
“Okay, so we’ll search for next week or the following. Does that work?”
“Two weeks would be better. He leaves on a business trip to Russia in exactly two weeks from today, which would be the ideal time for me to leave.”
“Two weeks then,” I confirmed, peering at a very silent Knox beside me.
“Two weeks,” she agreed.
Well, we did it. After a few days of comparing prices, and going back and forth on dates and times, Hazel and I finally bought Maya a ticket from New York to L.A. for the first week of July. July 4th to be exact, the same week her husband would be heading out of town. We’d also scheduled a town car to pick her up right outside her building, two hours before her flight was set to depart. Now all she had to do was pack essentials and leave when the time came. She assured us slipping past her implanted security would be a breeze, and that Dimitri would be kept in the dark long enough for her to get on the plane and fly across the Nation. Once she made it here, Karley could begin official preparations for her divorce, and she’d be a long ways away from Dimitri and his heavy hand. Everything was good to go.
So why did this all of feel too easy?
As proud as I was of Hazel for initiating anything, after her resistance to speak with Maya in the first place, I had the most unsettling feeling when I thought about this girl coming to stay with us. With Dimitri being violent and the added factor that she was essentially running away from him and their marriage, who knew what this man was truly capable of once he realized what she’d done. This could get ugly very quickly – with Hazel and I stuck in the middle – and I don’t know that she'd had ample time to think this through before offering Maya refuge. In any case, I didn't voice this reservation with her; mostly because I didn't want her worrying, too, especially when there was a chance the imminent shit storm I was imagining could be nothing at all. Plus, she had enough on her plate in terms of preparing herself to meet the woman she'd never thought she'd actually meet.
Albeit the circumstances, I could sense Hazel was somewhat excited, even if she didn’t openly admit it. We had a calendar hung in the kitchen where she’d marked Maya’s arrival date, and steadily crossed off the days as they ticked by one by one. June swiftly carried into July and now, we were just 72 hours from welcoming Maya to L.A, though you'd think the President was coming visit. Hazel’s energy was through the damn roof. She'd cleaned every inch of the condo from top to bottom, prepared the guest room, done an obscene amount of grocery shopping, and bought things any woman who was traveling across the U.S. with almost nothing might need. And of all that was done completely uncaffeinated. Her organizational OCD was at an all-time high and in the span of a day, I learned how nasty the Lioness could be if you poked too hard. I left one tee on the floor and she almost ripped my head off with her bare hands. I could’ve sworn her head spun a little too. Yeah, let's just say I haven't done that again.
“You know what I thought about earlier today?” Hazel asked me as she rinsed the shampoo from her hair.
“What?”
“How the hell are we going to have sex while Maya is here?”
I chuckled at her query and rubbed the soap from my eyes, only to catch her staring at me with a serious expression through a stream of hot water.
Okay then…
“What do you mean? Like we always do.”
“I don't think so. She’ll be right in the next room, and I highly doubt she'd want to hear me moaning your name as the headboard bangs against the wall.”
“You'll have to learn to be quiet then, kitten,” I said, amused, knowing indeed how loud my girl could be.
“With you, impossible.”
“Then buy her noise-cancelling headphones.”
She scoffed, pouring a dollop of body wash onto her shower puff thing. “And tell her what? I got you a present I need you to use at night.”
“If she's watched The Big Bang Theory, she’ll know exactly why you bought them.”
“I don't think she'll be as clueless and understanding as Sheldon.”
“Sheldon isn't understanding, babe. He wears them simply to shield his ears from Leonard and Penny’s sounds of coitus.”
Hazel choked out a laugh and cringed ever so slightly. “God, that word drives me crazy.”
“What, coitus?”
She nodded.
“Coitus, coitus, coitus,” I belted out playfully, shoving my face in hers.
“Ew, stoppp!” she squealed, as I backed her into the tiled wall of the shower.
The water pelted my back as I laced her arms around my neck and swallowed her in my embrace.
“Would you love me if talked like Sheldon?”
“I wouldn't be able to understand you if you sounded like Sheldon.”
“Well, do you un
derstand that all this coitus talk makes me wanna do just that?”
“Coming from you” – her brow quirked – “yes. You're like a teenage boy who just discovered sex. Forever horny.”
“That's your fault, not mine.”
“How is that my fault?”
I pulled my head back and gave her a deliberate onceover that ended with tangled stares. “Have you taken a good look at yourself?”
“I'm a woman, duh. Of course I have.”
“Then you should know what I'm talking about. Perfection is addicting as fuck.”
“Oh, shut up.” She smirked and rolled her eyes, earning her a swift slap to her ass.
“How about you just get over the fact I'm always going to want you, bend over for me, and give me this ass?” I hedged, running a finger from her heat to the sweet spot she’d given only to me.
“Dirty, dirty boy.”
“Don't act like you haven't loved it every time.”
My answer was her shoving my shoulder to slip out of my grip and exit the shower.
“Exactlyyy,” I cooed, “I better find you on naked the bed when I get out there.”
With the speed of a tornado, I rinsed myself clean and jumped out into the cool surroundings of our bathroom, grabbing my towel off the counter. I dried off in double time and wrapped it around myself as I stalked into the bedroom, expecting to find my naughty little kitten on the bed as instructed. She wasn’t, though. Instead, she stood beside the nightstand with my phone in her hand. Chocolate brown eyes met mine when she noted I was standing in front of her, her expression indiscernible.
“It beeped and I was standing right beside it. I looked out of reflex. That’s Manny’s tone on my phone.”
“Who is it?” I asked indifferently.
“It says unknown, but the sender seems to know you.”
“What does it say?”
“Hey, stranger. How you been?”
“The fuck?” My head flew back. “Ask who it is.”
Hazel’s lips thinned and I caught a glimpse of the eye. You know, that look your girl gives you when she’s not fucking happy. It made me nervous, but really, I had no reason to be. I wasn’t hiding anything from her. Still, my heart beat a little faster as I watched her type a quick response and wait.