Escape: A Romance Novel

by Madison Diaz

  Ethan's head tilts to the side. "What's wrong?" I shake my head, not wanting to make him angry. He lets out a sigh then backs away. I blink at him. He puts his dick away then runs his fingers through his curly blonde hair. "I'm sorry."

  I blink again. It’s been a long time since he said that to me. Somehow, I wish it meant more to me, but it doesn’t. "I got too excited,” he admits. “When I first got home you weren't here, so I went out and met that girl. She looked close enough to you that I could squint my eyes and pretend. I didn't even think about how that'd make you jealous. You missed me so much then saw me with her. You must be so upset."

  I nod, then keep nodding as he goes through more reasons of why I could be angry. As long as I don’t have to put his nasty dick in my mouth, I’m okay with his assumptions. Maybe we can just cuddle tonight, then I can come up with a plan to leave tomorrow. Leave and never come back. I'll throw my phone in the trash can as they do in the movies. That's what I'll have to do, and it'd be worth it never to see this man again.

  ✵ ✵ ✵

  Nick answers on the first ring. "I wondered when I'd hear from you again."

  Instantly I smile, patting down my hair even though he can’t see me. My crush on him has developed into so much more. It’s terrifying and exciting all at once. How he could make me melt with a simple sentence was a mystery. "Hi," is my excellent response. Be smooth, Leah.

  He chuckles, and it makes me giddy. "Hey." I twirl the phone line as I sit on the same twin bed I’ve called him from multiple times. This time, I didn’t wait until after my shift. I had just gotten to work and decided to finally confess to Sarah. I told her Ethan returned and then opened up about how south our relationship’s been going for years, and how scared I was of him. Instantly she volunteered to help me come up with a plan. She even wanted me to stay with her after work. I thought about it. I really did, but I decided to talk to Nick first.

  I can’t really explain it, but I just want to be with him more than anything. If he says yes, being in his arms tonight was what I would need to feel safe, and Sarah told me she understood then let me into the backroom to call him and ask.

  "You called earlier than usual," he said, noticing the difference in a way only he would. Observant. Caring. So much more than Ethan.

  "Yeah,” I confirm, twirling the phone line some more, gaining nervousness. “It's because I need to talk to you."

  "Okay, what's going on?" I hear another girl's voice in the background. Jealousy starts to form in my heart before I shake my head. No. Nick isn’t Ethan. "Sorry. Band practice. My sister's annoying. Let me go outside so I can hear you better."

  "Oh, okay." See? Nothing. Not like Ethan at all. After some rustling he finally lets me know he’s outside and to go ahead. "Um. Can I see you tonight? After I get off work."

  He doesn’t skip a beat. "Sure. Wanna grab a drink?" A pause. "You're old enough to drink, right?"

  I laugh. "Yeah. I'm twenty-two."

  "Oh, good." Another pause. "I'm twenty-three. In case you were wondering."

  My eyebrow quirks. "Twenty-three and still in college?"

  He sighs as if he gets that question a lot. "I'm double majoring."

  "In what?"

  "Biology and physics."

  "Why?"

  He chuckles. "Parents. It doesn't matter. Where do you want to meet, Leah? I love hearing your voice, but I'd rather see you in person."

  I smile, blushing. "You like hearing my voice?"

  He laughs again. "Quit stalling."

  I sigh dramatically. "Alright. I want to go to your place tonight. Can you pick me up?"

  He clears his throat. "Uh. Sure. Yeah. What time? Where do you work?"

  Chapter Six

  Nick

  For some reason, Leah still doesn’t trust me enough to tell me where she works. She told me to pick her up at eleven-thirty outside of the same pizza place we met for our first date. She may not have considered it a date, but I did. And slowly but surely, I’m winning her over. She was so standoffish when we met. But now, she’s into me—hopefully as much as I’m into her.

  When she called me earlier, asking if she could stay the night, I had to bite down on my fist to keep myself from screaming out with joy. We don’t even have to have sex. As long as I get to stare at her all night, I’ll be okay with doing nothing and keeping my hands completely to myself.

  Sean and Carrie had offered to take me to pick up Leah together. Sean is the one with the car, and Carrie said she wanted to 'meet the bitch.' “I’m your little sister, and I’m not gonna let any of those hoochies lay a fast one on you,” were her exact words once I’d returned to the practice room with news of her call.

  In a way, I understand Carrie’s concerns. When it comes to women, I have a history of simply laying down and letting them walk all over me. But, for some reason, I feel deep in my heart that Leah will be different.

  Yes, I will still worship the ground she walks on, but I think she would actually appreciate it. She lights up like a firework when I compliment her, acting like simply being around me is a gift she never thought she’d receive.

  Most of the women I’ve had in my romantic life would take and take and take from me until they got their fill, and then they would move on. Upgrade, they would consider it. I don’t think Sean or Carrie will ever let me forget how tragically pathetic my relationship and breakup with our old band member, Katie, was for me. I practically swore off women forever, but now… Things are going to be different.

  I can feel it.

  We pull into the lot at eleven-thirty-two, and I search around but don’t see her. "Where is she?" Carrie wonders out loud. "Think she stood you up?"

  "No, she wouldn't do that. Hold on." I crawl out of the car, positioning my crutches before leaning on them. I hate these things, and the three months I am stuck with them aren’t going by quick enough.

  I walk forward a few steps until I hear someone say my name from off in the dark. I glance over and watch as Leah emerges from the shadows. She’s wearing all black and has her hair tucked away in a beanie that’s covered with another hat.

  My eyebrows shoot up as I stifle a chuckle. "Why are you hiding?"

  She shakes her head, stepping forward. Her eyes are even prettier as the lights from the restaurant shine into them. She smiles that bright smile that leaves me tongue-tied. Reaching up on her tippy toes, she closes her eyes, and I meet her lips with mine.

  I’m sure we look stupid with her in disguise and me with my crutches, but I don’t care. I cup her cheeks and kiss her like I mean it. She melts into me and fists my shirt with trembling hands.

  "Hurry up, dipshit!" Carrie calls from the car, making us jump apart. I glare back at the car where Sean is giving me a thumbs up from behind Carrie as she rolls her eyes.

  I look back at Leah, who smiles. We walk side by side to the car, where I still insist on opening the door for her. Crutches or not, Leah is way too pretty for me to let her open her own doors in my presence. I'll lay down a red carpet wherever she walks—forever, if she stays with me.

  Don’t be a floor mat, I remind myself, shaking my head.

  Once I finally limp around to my side and slide in, Carrie is already drilling Leah with questions. My girl answers them all with a smile and a laugh, which makes me relax. Usually my sister scares girls off.

  “Where are you from? Where do you work? How’d you meet my brother? Why were you there that night? What are your intentions?” I almost tell her to butt out a few times, but then Leah would just laugh again, and I like the sound too much to stop my sister.

  I grab Leah’s hand and hold it in the seat between us. She blushes but keeps her focus on my sister, who grills her the rest of the way back to my place.

  Sean and Carrie insist on receiving some type of compensation for helping me rescue my (pretty much) girlfriend, so I make everyone a big pot of macaroni and cheese.

  Leah’s sitting at the bar, looking all around the apartment. At first, I thought it wa
s embarrassing. I hadn't had a chance to clean, but she insisted it was fine, and that she liked it like this. “I like seeing the real you,” she’d said, and it sent the butterflies in my stomach into overdrive.

  We eat together as Carrie, Sean, and I discuss our next out of town show. We are a week away from leaving on our tour through the south. Carrie wants to go to New Orleans, so we have to make it a point to travel through that way. Next, we'll drive through to Georgia before ending the tour in Florida. I don’t know all the specifics, but Carrie has the whole thing planned. She’s good at stuff like that.

  "That sounds like so much fun," Leah says dreamily, smiling sadly into her bowl. "I wish I could do stuff like that."

  "Well, come with us," Carrie offers like it’s nothing.

  My eyebrows pull together as my eyes narrow in her direction. She shrugs, continuing to eat her macaroni. I turn back to Leah, who is smiling so wide it makes my heart rate pick up speed. "Really? Could I actually do that?"

  "Pay your way, and yeah," Carrie answers again like she isn’t inviting my girlfriend of a week out on tour with us. We'll be gone for weeks. What if we broke up?

  Leah shrugs as she bites her lip. "Maybe. That would be so cool."

  She closes her eyes for a moment as she imagines it. I glare at Carrie, who winks. Leah opens her eyes again, smiling to herself as she goes back to eating her macaroni. There’s no way I could say no to such an adorable person. No freaking way.

  My guests leave a few minutes later. Carrie makes comments about finally getting my pity fuck with a giggle before I shove her and Sean out the front door. Once it closes, I twist around to discover Leah still sitting at the bar, smiling again. "Alone at last," I joke, then force a laugh.

  She nods, eyes sparkling. "Yep. All alone." A silence falls over us as we stare at each other from across the room. "Can I take a shower? I feel gross from working all day."

  "Uh. Yeah. Sure." I quickly limp through the room as she follows behind me. We enter my room, and I point to the bathroom. "In there. Towels in the linen closet. Let me know if you need anything."

  Our eyes meet as she nods. "Sure. See you in a few minutes."

  I give her a small smile. "See you."

  I limp out of the room like a dumbass and sit on the couch to wait for her. We’re dating now, technically, but we’ve only shared those two kisses. Tonight is, technically, our second date, but theoretically our third. So, something could happen, right? Fuck, I’m so nervous.

  Being around her takes me out of my comfort zone. I’m not sure how to act. She’s so breathtaking and mysterious and different than any other woman I've ever met. I can never guess what she’s thinking, but I want to know. I want to know everything about her.

  I watch TV while she showers. I try not to think about her under the warm water, but it’s hard not to. My hand keeps ending up mindlessly palming my dick through my pants before I catch myself and stop. After fifteen minutes, my bedroom door opens. "Nick? Can you help me?"

  I glance back to the opening, but she isn’t standing in the doorway. I shift off the couch, hobbling my way to the bedroom. I walk in, glancing around the empty room until the door shuts behind me. I twirl around, and Leah is standing in front of the closed door in only a towel. She has this sexy smirk on her face as she runs forward and throws herself in my arms.

  We laugh as I tumble back on the bed and she straddles me. I feel her bare pussy right over me as I gaze up into her beautiful eyes. I’m sure I’m grinning like an idiot, but in this moment, I feel like a king. She’s so out of my league, but somehow, she’s still in my room, in my bed, on top of me. She stares down into my eyes like I’m the only man in the world, and I feel it.

  "What did you need help with?" I ask, grinning up at her as my hands grip her thighs.

  She hums playfully, holding herself up with her hands on my chest, her hips grinding mine. I hiss as her wetness grinds right over me through my sweatpants and underwear. My fingers are gripping tighter on her thighs as she bites her lip. Holy shit. What did I do right, God? Is this all payback for letting someone run me over with a car? Did you feel guilty? I forgive you, God. I forgive you.

  Smiling, Leah leans forward. My eyes dance across her freckles again before I finally close them, her sweet, soft mouth covering mine. Both of her hands slide up to cup my cheeks as she tilts her head and sneaks her tongue into my mouth for the first time. I can’t help but moan as I let her in. She tastes delicious. The little panting noises she’s making are getting me so hard it hurts.

  My hands drift up her thighs then under her towel to grip her ass. Her skin is so soft it makes me groan. She sits back. Our mouths disconnect so quickly it makes a popping sound. I bite my lip as I stare up at the goddess in my lap.

  Her shaking fingers grasp the edge of her towel before she opens it, revealing her body—and man, what a body. Her breasts are incredible. Not too big, not too small. Her nipples are pink and a little big, but they’re my favorite pair of breasts by a long shot. Her body is slim, but she still has plenty to grab onto. Her pussy is shaved, folds peeking out, begging to be licked and sucked and worshiped. Oh, my god.

  "Leah," I whisper, sounding desperate. "Tell me what you want. I'll do whatever you want."

  She blinks, somehow surprised I'd willingly admit to wanting to worship her. She doesn’t say anything. Instead, she smiles, leaning forward, connecting her mouth with mine again. This time her arms wrap around my neck as my arms go around her back, pinning her body close to mine. We make out like teenagers, our tongues exploring each other's mouths. We moan into each other, our hips grinding together like we can’t stop ourselves.

  I grip her waist and carefully flip her over. I try to move swiftly enough so she won’t notice how terrified of spraining something I am. I just want to make her feel good.

  My body rolls on top of hers as we keep kissing. Her fingers are in my hair, tugging and pulling while she moans into my mouth. My hands roam up and down her body, feeling her perky breasts and teasing between her legs.

  Her fingers tug at my shirt, pulling it up and over my head. I pull back enough to slide it off and throw it on the floor. She grins at me, and I smile back before licking her lips one last time. I feather her cheek and neck with kisses as I move down her body. She gasps as I lick down her collarbone to her perfect nipples, already half hard for me.

  My mouth covers one as I pinch and rub the other. She lets loose these tiny breaths, grinding her hips up against my stomach. I open my eyes and catch her watching me, her mouth parted slightly as her breathtaking eyes hold my gaze. I lick across to the other nipple, pinching and rubbing the one I'd left wet and puckered.

  "You're so fucking sexy," I whisper to her before kissing down her belly. Her fingers dig into my hair as I reach her pelvis, laying delicate kisses across her skin. She hisses and squirms before I'd even touched her pussy. I've never had a woman react this much to my touch, and it makes me feel like a god. How am I this lucky? Is she still real?

  I pull back enough to stare down at her wet, eager pussy. Two of my fingers separate her private lips, exposing her sexy folds. My eyes flash up to Leah's again as she bites her lip, staring at me with so much intensity. "Please," she begs with a moan, rotating her hips.

  I can’t hide my grin before I lower my head and cover her with my mouth. She gasps again, bucking up against me, but I pin her hips down this time. My tongue digs through her folds to find that special throbbing button. Her groan is almost violent as I suck it between my lips. She pulls my hair as I flick it with my tongue. I moan into her, squirming my legs as my cock rubs against the bed, begging for release.

  Pulling one hand away, I keep devouring her clit as I shove two fingers in. She moans, grinding my face, and I love it. She tastes so good, and I love the sound of her panting and those moans. I’m close to coming in my pants if I can’t get her to come soon. I hook my fingers inside of her, rubbing that special spot, feeling her body begin to pulse against me.

 
; Her body goes rigid before she shudders, letting out a throaty groan with my name attached. I have to palm my dick by the end of it, attempting to relieve some of the pain. Once she slows, I pull away and wipe my mouth with the back of my hand. I glance up as she catches my eyes again with a sedate smile.

  "Come here," she orders, opening her arms. I crawl on top of her and into her arms, aiming to kiss her again. We kiss and kiss, and I know I’m falling in love with her.

  Yes, it’s a foolish thing to think considering I barely know her, but it's how I feel. She’s flawless in every way, and I’ve been in love with her from the first moment I opened my eyes in that hospital bed and witnessed a goddess among men peering down at me. I knew in that moment my life would forever change.

  Leah’s hands press against my shoulders, rolling us over so she’s on top. I shift my leg again, trying not to pull something. She leans back, biting her lip as she looks down at me. She runs her soft hands along my chest. I watch in awe as she keeps nibbling on her lip then trails kisses down my chest, down my stomach to my sweatpants.

  Her fingers hook my waistband, and she’s slow as she moves them down my legs, taking my underwear with them. My cock springs out, and she gasps at the sight of it, giving me an ego boost. Her eyes dart to mine as she leans forward, licks from the bottom of my shaft to the head, then swirls her tongue. The groan that escapes my mouth is needy and desperate. She makes me so incredibly desperate.

  She shifts my pants and underwear down the rest of the way, struggling with my cast, but she doesn’t seem to mind. Once my pants are off and on the floor, she runs her hands up the length of my legs, taking her lip between her teeth. Nuzzling my dick once she gets back to it, she’s on all fours, swishing her ass back and forth in the air as if she’s trying to hypnotize me.