by Reana Malori
After taking her shower, she decided to go all out and ran herself a bubble bath. As she leaned back against the tub, she couldn’t help but think about Bobby. Mercy knew the situation between them was moving faster than normal. The two of them being in an enclosed space like this, seeing each other all day, every day, and having the chance to let go of their inhibitions had sped up the timeline from what a normal relationship would be. Lifting her leg out of the water, she rested it on the side of the tub as she watched the water trickle down her skin. She pictured Bobby standing in the same spot where she lay, as water droplets fell over his muscled form. She wondered if he’d ever thought about her while in here. Had he taken himself in hand and masturbated while thinking of being inside her body?
It had taken such a short time, but Mercy knew she was already addicted to him. His touch, his taste, and the feel of his large hands on her body. When the time came for her to let him go, she questioned if she’d be able to do it. The one thing she knew she wanted but couldn’t hold on to was to be wanted. Mercy wanted to be loved by the one man who would remove all her fears and concerns about relationships. It wasn’t that she regretted her life or how she’d chosen to make her mark in this world, but Bobby had given her a whole new outlook. Maybe instead of the white picket fence and two and a half kids, her perfect life would consist of living in a penthouse condo overlooking the US capital and having a man to take her down every night.
A knock on the bathroom door announced Bobby’s entrance. “Hey, you. All done?”
Nodding, she smiled at him. “Yes. I couldn’t pass up another day without soaking in this large ass tub.”
“Well, let me help you get out.”
“All done with your call?” She winced as soon as the words left her mouth. That’s not the type of relationship they had. She didn’t question who he spoke to on the phone, and he didn’t question if she still had her boy toys on speed dial.
Bobby gave her an odd look before shaking his head and grabbing the large bath towel. “Step out. Be careful, sweetheart. I don’t want you to slip.”
Okay... She guessed they would just ignore the elephant in the room, or that she just put her foot in her mouth.
“That was my aunt. The doctor wants to talk to me later this morning about the next steps for my mother’s treatment.”
And there it was. Her insecurity had caused her to say something that didn’t need to be said. “I figured that’s what the call was about. I was simply asking, just... I don’t know. Making sure you were okay.” That sounded totally believable. Right?
They headed into the bedroom, where she began to put on her clothes. It didn’t seem right that she continued to walk around half-naked every minute of every day. It was almost as if she was tempting the devil, giving him access to everything he wanted whenever he wanted. She had to hold something back, right? She hadn’t played hard to get since the man walked in through the door, the least she could do was not have her honeypot on display where all he had to do was slide inside her whenever his dick got hard.
“Why are you getting dressed? I don’t like it when you wear too many clothes.”
Bobby’s heated gaze followed her around the room. The man was like a predator, and she’d been his prey their entire time alone at the cabin. Her body began to heat from the intensity of his gaze, and her channel began to slicken in anticipation of what was to come. It’s like he’d trained her to respond to him at a moment’s notice. Her body seemed ready to welcome him just from a glance.
“Nuh uh... I just got out of the shower. You’d better not come near me.” Mercy couldn’t help the smile that came over her face. “I need to eat, Bobby.”
“You will,” he said in a steely tone as he stalked her around. “But I need you.”
Shaking her head, she tried to deny the pull of his words. “No, you don’t. You want me. You like the feeling of being inside me.”
He interrupted her, “No, sweetheart. Not “like”. I fucking love the sensation of my cock sliding inside your body. Your orgasm flowing over me as I release inside you.” Coming close to her, he leaned down, placing soft kisses on her neck as he grabbed one ass cheek in his hand. “I want to bite and nibble and lick you all damn day.”
“That’s all we’ve been doing, Bobby.” Not that she truly minded all that much. Being in his arms was bliss. When they were together, he made her feel special. Like she was the only person who mattered. Why did she deny herself the chance to continue this fling for as long as she could? She was letting her heart get in the way of simply enjoying life.
“Let me eat first,” she cajoled. She could almost feel her stomach calling out to her. Sexing this bag ass man two, sometimes three, times a day took a lot of energy.
Nipping the skin on her shoulder with his teeth, he released her. “Fine. Go eat. I’m going to shower. But this is far from over. You can’t keep my dark cherry treat away from me too long.”
Patting his chest with her hand, she nodded. “I never do. Don’t worry, she’ll be waiting for you when you’re finished.” She began walking toward the bedroom door, anticipating a strong cup of coffee and some bacon.
“Mercy,” his deep voice called out behind her.
Turning slightly, she looked over at him. “Yes?”
“I want... This week has been...” he paused, shaking head. “I’m glad you’re here.”
Nodding, she responded, “So am I.” Walking out the bedroom, she made her way to the kitchen and began making some food. As she looked out the window, she felt her entire body relax. This was the life. Enjoying good coffee, even better bacon, while wearing comfortable clothing, and sitting on a wraparound deck in the middle of a beautiful countryside. She could almost see herself being out here on a regular basis. Then again, now that she knew the house was owned by Bobby, she wasn’t sure if she’d ever get out here again. Not that he wouldn’t allow her to use his space because she was positive that he would. It would be the memories that flooded her when she walked through the door that would ultimately make her regret returning. Everywhere she looked, a movie played of her with Bobby. Talking, laughing, sexing, or simply relaxing as they watched a movie.
Mercy let the silence overtake her. She’d let go of her stress from her job days ago. Now she needed to focus on the next phase of her life. No longer a spring chicken, she knew forty was on her heels and coming faster than she wanted it to. Time for the games to stop. She’d had her fun but now she needed to make a choice. She had a few more days until she had to decide. Until then...
“Mercy?” Bobby walked out of the bedroom, a towel draped around his waist.
Her mouth fell open as laughter spilled out. “What are you doing?”
A huge smile lit up his face. “I don’t like to waste time. Just one flick of this towel and I’m ready for whatever you got.”
Shaking her head, she couldn’t help but giggle as he strolled over to her. “I just finished breakfast. I don’t think it’s safe to be sexed up so soon after eating.” That was in no way a true statement, but this was fun, so she was going with it.
“Don’t worry, I have it on good authority that a good fuck can be an amazing cure-all.”
“Is that right?” she questioned. She was sitting on a stool at the breakfast nook; so he walked up and slid his body between her legs.
“Trust me, I’m a lawyer.”
Mercy couldn’t hold it in anymore, a burst of laughter came out of her mouth as she fell into Bobby’s chest. Her body shaking from mirth, she whooped in surprise when she was lifted into his arms. He carried her into the bedroom and lay her down on the bed, his towel falling to the floor as he positioned his body above hers.
“I never expected this, but I’m happy it happened.”
She knew exactly what he meant because she felt the same way. “I know,” she whispered. It felt like warm steel as Bobby slid inside her. Her eyes rolled back in her head as she lifted her hips toward him, meeting his thrusts each time. He stroked her spot
with every forward motion, pushing her toward a fast, dirty release. Her walls quaked, her body tightened, and her heart was beating hard against her ribs. Bobby slammed into her again and again, his loud grunts sounding in her ear. She knew he was about to finish, and she felt her own body falling into the abyss right along with him. His strokes became erratic as he got closer and closer. Her release roared through her body, electricity sizzling along every nerve.
“Yes, baby. Just like that.” Bobby’s body froze on top of her, and she could feel the warmth of his release coating her insides, the sensation of him spilling inside her set off another explosion in her body. Her arms wrapped around him even tighter as they both fell into the abyss.
As they lay there recovering, Mercy thought to herself that nothing could be better than this moment right here. And then Bobby’s next words dropped her back into the reality that was her life.
“Baby, I know we thought we had more time, but we can’t stay here any longer. It’s time to go back to the real world. Sorry, Mercy, but it’s time to leave.”
CHAPTER 9
Mercy
“WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU doing, Mercy? Will you give me a damn minute?” Bobby’s angry voice filled the room, but she wasn’t trying to hear that shit. It was time to go.
“What does it look like I’m doing? I’m leaving. Like you said, it’s time to get back to the real world. You have to get back to your life, and even though my vacation isn’t over, I need to get back to mine also.” Mercy did everything she could to hold on to the tears threatening to fall. She must be having some crazy ass hormonal changes because all this crying and emotional shit over a man who’d given her mixed signals from the jump, was the not way she wanted to go down.
Grabbing a shirt out of her hand, he threw it on the bed. “What the fuck did I say? Why are you throwing your shit in your suitcase as if you can’t wait to get away from me?”
She gawked at him. This motherfucker really didn’t know what he’d done. What he’d just said told her he was done, that their fun was over. He must be outta his damn mind. For an extremely intelligent man, he was stupid as fuck. “Bobby, it’s fine. I just need to go. Get back to my own reality. This...” she gestured at the two of them. “was fun, but you have a lot going on. You don’t need me hanging around. Hell, I wasn’t even supposed to be here, right?”
He ran a hand through his short hair as he paced the room. She knew, if he thought about it, he’d get there soon enough. Smiling to herself, she realized she knew some of his tells. From the look on his face, she could tell he was working through their last conversations. He was getting closer... Three... Two... Ding! Ding! Ding!
“Mercy, I need to go home because my mother needs to have surgery. That was the call earlier this morning. The doctor needs me there since I have Medical Power of Attorney.” He walked over to her, taking more clothing from her hand, and grabbed her shoulders.
“Stop doing that, Bobby. It’s time for me to go.”
“Look at me, sweetheart.”
“No.” And there she was, the brat she’d always had inside her. Maybe she wanted this confrontation. Wanted Bobby to fight for her. For them.
“Do you think I’m going to just leave and not want to see you again?”
She shrugged. “We never discussed anything beyond this week, and clearly, this week is over.”
Bobby laughed, pulling her closer. She wanted to bury her face in his chest and inhale his scent. Sleeping next to him every night, she’d gotten used to rolling over and finding him there. Or, she’d wake up to find his arms wrapped around her stomach and his body flush against hers. She’d come to enjoy those moments more than she wanted to admit.
“Why are you laughing? What’s so damn funny,” she asked in frustration. Mercy attempted to pull out of his arms. “Let me go. See, this is you playing those damn games and I don’t have time. I’m done.”
Shaking his head, the smile dropped from his face. “Woman, you’re gonna fucking kill me. If not from all the loving you give me every day, it’ll be from my brain exploding after trying to figure you out.”
“Don’t patronize me,” she snapped, wrenching her body away from and moving away. It wasn’t that she enjoyed feeling this way because truthfully, this was bullshit.
“I’m not, but now I realize why you’ve been going hot and cold on me. Did you think this was a game for me? That I wasn’t serious about the two of us?”
She refused to look at him, choosing instead to stand next to the bedroom window and look out at the lush mountains before them. Damn, this place really was beautiful. Too bad she’d never be able to return.
“Answer me, Mercy. Did you think, all those times I told you how much I wanted you, how long I’ve been waiting for the chance to be with you, or how I never wanted to let you go, that I was lying to you?”
Nope. She wasn’t falling into this trap with him. It was the one mistake she swore she’d never make. She got caught up. No matter what he tried to say now, the only thing she knew for certain is that he told her he was leaving, that their time was up, right after fucking her. Yup... Again. She was the one he wanted for a good fuck, but not the one to take home to meet his sick mother. It was time she stopped being a fool.
“Damnit, Mercy. Answer me,” he yelled.
She turned and found him right behind her, his body no more than a foot away. The look on his face told her he was at his limit. Then again, so was she. “Yes. I think you said those things to get what you wanted. And you did. All you had to do was snap your fingers, or tell me to come to you, and I was putty in your hands.” She paused to gather her thoughts. “I wanted more with you, Bobby. I believed you wanted the same things I did. You made me want something more. Then you acted like an asshole earlier.” Mercy sighed. “I don’t even know why I’m having this conversation with you. I already know how you feel.”
Strong arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her closer to his strong body. “What makes you think I don’t want the same things you do? I’ve wanted all this and more from day one.”
“Are you serious? Aren’t you the one who said I was jumping to conclusions about us continuing once this little adventure was over? You said that. Not me.” She struggled to pull out of his arms. “Let me go.”
Shaking his head, he smiled. “No. I won’t let you go. Listen to me, Mercy. It was a stupid comment. I’m sorry. I’m so used to pushing people away, I lost my head.” Leaning down, he kissed her softly, and she wanted to melt into his arms. “You know, Kane may not have known when I was coming to the cabin, but he had a good idea. He already knows how much I want to be with you. He’s probably even told Joy about my obsession. I haven’t been with another woman in the past six months because of you. I’m not gonna lie, I’ve tried.” At this, she leaned her head back and gave him a dirty look. He laughed before kissing her on the nose, “Don’t look at me like I’ve betrayed you. I haven’t. You weren’t mine then. And like I said, it’s been six months, which is like dog years for me, which makes it more like three-and-a-half years. I swear, I’ve become a goddamned monk.”
She didn’t want to laugh, but she did giggle a little. From the stories she’d heard about him, he was right. Six months was a long time for him to be celibate. It still didn’t take away what he’d said. There was no way she could have misunderstood him. “Then why are you leaving like this? You were just gonna walk away and leave me here, or worse yet, send me off like I meant nothing.”
“God, woman. You are one of the most stubborn, hard-headed women I’ve ever met.” He sighed, then walked them both to the settee at the end of the bed. Sitting down, he pulled her into his lap. “You know, that temper of yours is going to make you do something one day that you can’t take back.”
Folding her arms over her chest, she growled. “I don’t have a temper.”
Laughing, he squeezed her tighter. “You do, but it’ll keep me on my toes. I’ve survived forty-two years on this Earth without finding the one woman that d
rives me crazy enough to want her around for more than just a night. I’ve been with you for five days straight, and I still can’t get enough. Oh, did you know that you snore? It’s this cute little noise that comes out your nose when you fall into a deep sleep.”
Mercy couldn’t believe him. “I do not snore! And if I did, how do you know?”
“Because I watched you sleep practically every night. Holding you in my arms, I was half afraid it was all a dream. So, I watched you sleep to make sure you wouldn’t disappear in the middle of the night. That’s how much I want you by my side. When I leave here to go handle things with my mother, I fully expected you to be with me.”
She gasped in shock, then embarrassment. “But—But, you said...”
“Yeah, I know what I said. The problem is what you heard. Yes, it’s time to leave this place. And, yes, reality is on our ass sooner than we expected. Nowhere in there did I say I was going back to my reality alone. You never let me finish what I wanted to say before you jumped outta bed, bare-assed naked with my cum trailing down your legs, and started packing your shit. Mercy, hear my words. I’m not letting you go. I meant that shit when I first said it, and I mean it today.”
“You want me to meet your mother?” Yeah, she was stuck on stupid. At least for the moment.
“Baby? That’s all you got from everything I said?”
Nodding, she wrapped her arms around his neck before kissing him softly on the lips. “Yes, because that’s the only thing that matters to me right now. I’ll get to the other stuff later.”
“Who knows what’s in store for us, but I want to give us a try. You. Me. Making this work.”
She nodded. “I want that too.”