by Meg MacRose
“Welcome to our first day of Lockdown…” He kept his voice silky and his smile knowing. An expletive dropped from her bright red and bruised mouth. Her bright eyes widened, and the colour left her cheeks.
Tick to him. He’d pissed her off. Again.
Lockdown Day 2
Tansy
Tansy shook her head. Here she was, a seemingly worldly modern woman captivated by the man in front of her. All day yesterday, he had enchanted her. All logic lost as his touch had mesmerised her - gentle or not so gentle, it didn’t matter. Her body had ached for more. And his silky voice, low and masculine, had penetrated her dreams all night. It hadn’t helped that his arm lay draped over her breast. Or that she now knew he slept naked.
Like any post-wedding hang-over, yesterday had been a lazy day. She’d texted a message to her work, calling in sick. Though it hadn’t been a lie as her head had thudded until at least early afternoon. Paracetamol just hadn’t worked at all.
What a chore, trying undestand the lockdown rules. Jake had enjoyed every moment of her bewilderment, she was sure.
“The government FAQ doesn’t have an explanation for someone in my situation,” she’d moaned out loud as she switched her phone off. Her online search for any clarification if she could go home had been in vain.
“No. I imagine that they don’t.” His eyes had twinkled back, sending an ache right down her middle. “I suspect we were all supposed to be in our own homes well before Lockdown started!”
“Are you laughing at me?”
“It’s not so bad, is it? We survived the first morning pretty well, I thought!” He didn’t even try to hide that suggestive smile of his. “I for one have no complaints about how my first morning in lockdown proceeded.”
She had shaken her head. They had survived their first morning in the shower, in bed, and then in the kitchen. Judging by the suggestive and appreciative looks he had given her, there was promise of much more to come.
It had been such a spontaneous turn-on when he’d walked into the bathroom. She’d just started fantasising about him as she felt herself. Then he had been there. And even joined her. Wow. She’d never had that happen to her before. A fantasy come to life! Blurred memories from Sunday night had become very vivid.
Her cheeks blushed as she thought of how he had explored her body again last night. It was his warm tongue on her clit that had finally sent her over the edge. Again and again.
And here she was on her second day in lockdown, craving him as she watched him busy in the kitchen, longing for his touch again. It was insane how one man could reduce her to an insatiable hunger. And that was why she was searching on the government website, checking if she could go home. She was at risk of losing herself to this sexy hunk.
This was Jake, big awful brother of Stevie. The reminder did nothing for the physical awareness her body had developed for him.
A tweaking sensation in her pelvis caused her to shift her position on the stool while her nipples pinched full and tight under her bathrobe.
Who’d have thought? She was wet, just by watching this man grab a punnet of berries from the fridge! A man who she would never in a million years have expected to be attracted to.
“Here have some.”
She eyed with appreciation the small cheese and fruit platter he was offering.
“Very impressive.”
“I cheated! My PA pre-ordered the ploughman’s box from my local grocers. They delivered it before you woke up.” He grinned at her. “I don’t normally have women back here to share it, but I like to get these boxes delivered frequently.”
Something lodged in her chest.
He didn’t bring women back to his home?
“Why don’t you bring women back here?” The words blurted out before she could stop herself.
He turned back to face her. He seemed as surprised as she was by her question.
“This has always been my space. You probably know from Steven, I put up a lot of resistance to hosting his reception here. I don’t like sharing my space with anyone. Besides, I don’t ‘do’ long-term relationships. No point giving the wrong impression by inviting the ladies to my man-pad.”
“You’re a player!” Tansy wasn’t certain if her comment was an accusation or exclamation. Or what the realisation meant to her.
“Sure. Aren’t you?”
“Nope.” His question shocked her. “Why d’you think?”
Was she a player? She wasn’t good at relationships, and she’d had a few, but not that she didn’t want one someone special in her life.
“I don’t think I’m a player at all.” Her career had just become more important than the pursuing men.
Was that how people saw her?
“I’ve seen lots of photos from Steven of you with him, and with unfamiliar men.”
“Really?” She frowned. “What photos?” Her back stiffened. For the life of her, she couldn’t remember any explicit photos ever being taken.
“You must have seen them on his social media. At parties and stuff.”
“Really? No. I’ve purposely stayed away from social media. I joined up years ago and found it too distracting. So I stopped checking them.”
She relaxed. Stevie often stayed over in her spare room. Stevie had a thing for posting group photos. It was what he did.
Jake was only trying to push her buttons.
“Distracting?” She couldn’t tell from his voice if he was just toying with her, or interested in her answer.
“Yeah. I’d either be bombarded by random jerks trying to hook up, or felt miserable looking at other people’s exciting lives. I realised that I don’t need it.” Her personal admission was more than she would normally divulge. She paused for a second, reaching out the tray of berries, selecting the most sumptuous blueberry she could find.
“But even if there are photos of me at parties with Stevie…” She popped a raspberry into her mouth. Sweet and juicy. Just how she liked them. “Well, it’s not illegal to have fun at parties. I bet you do it all the time. And don’t give that gender shite either. We’re in the 21st century.”
“Some of those photos are pretty incriminating. I can show you.”
She shook her head. “Sorry Jake. You will not get a rise out of me. I know what I have done.” She paused for a second as she flicked a blueberry into her mouth. “Besides. I also have the utmost faith in Stevie that he wouldn’t post anything on his social media that was incriminating.”
She fluttered her eyelids and pasted that same sweet smile from her teenage years that had always been just for his benefit. “Next on your list.” She wasn’t showing him how he made her feel, but inside she was fuming. What a prick!
This was more like it. Jake-The-Jerk. How he used to be. Except he’d say something dumb and judgemental, and she’d rise to the occasion. Well, not anymore. She’d show him he wasn’t getting under her skin again. Even if it took everything she had.
“Well, I go back to my earlier comment. You’re a player too. You had the best of both worlds.”
What was he rabbiting on about? Her smile faltered, but she caught herself. Visibly anyway.
“You’ll have to explain. Which worlds?” Her question blurted out before she could stop it.
She braced herself for his answer. She knew exactly where this was going. He’d been derisive after the wedding when he’d poured her a nightcap. His voice had been scathing before he’d kissed her. He was no doubt, continuing his mad rantings from the other night.
“Whatever arrangement you have with Steven. He’s always been there for you in the wings, waiting to play the role of adoring figure.”
“Oh, for fuck’s sake. Grow up.” Tansy felt a lump grow in her throat. Yep, Jake’s mind is still as twisted as always. She’d cursed more in the last 24 hours than she had in the last year.
It saddened her was that this had been a facade. The blow-your-brains-out fantastic sex, watching movies together… doing things that normal people do, wasn�
��t real at all. She had actually enjoyed his company.
It’d been up there with one of the best days of her life.
Her chest ached. Her heartbeat stopped in her throat as she looked down at her berry stained fingers, trying to find the right words without showing him just how annoyed she was. “I wondered when you’d bring this up. You just can’t help yourself, can you?”
“You’re not denying it. But the important question is that now that Steven is happily married…” His eyes drilled into her. “And note that I emphasise happily married, what does Tansy the temptress do?”
Tansy stared at him, her eyes wide, as if she did not know how to react. As if she had forgotten to not let his hurtful words touch her.
“If you’re trying to convince yourself that I seduced you after the wedding, think again.” She snapped back.
“Firstly…” She tapped her finger as she counted. “I was totally incapacitated.” She paused for a breath. “Second, I only stayed on here because I had to.” She sucked in her breath. “There is a virus running rampant, in case you’d forgotten. They’re calling it a global pandemic, hence the lockdown.” She stood up from her stood. “Believe me, Jake Campbell, if I could have, I would have scarpered the minute I woke up yesterday morning.” A cold, angry sweat broke out on her skin. She trembled as if she was about to fight someone or flee. But there was no escaping Jake. Not here, stuck in his house.
He put his hand up. His smile was both tantalisingly smooth and disempowering. “Oh, I remember every delightful detail of our brief interludes. But Tansy dear…”
His endearment grated on her nerves.
“You must have had a lot of pent up frustration with Steven getting married.” He raised his hand. “I’m not complaining. Sex has been, well it’s been explosive, hasn’t it? With lots of it, too. I am, after all, the lucky recipient of your frustration.”
Her hands balled into fists at her sides. A gasp of anguish and rage hissed from her throat. An uncharacteristic temptation to throw something, anything, flowed through her veins.
He’d quickly gone from being the centre of her fantasies and dreams to the most maddening man who ever lived.
“I’m not complaining. Though I have to wonder, how do we stack up? Steven and I? Did he do it for you like I did? Did you masturbate over him in the shower too?”
No words came to mind. How did she even try to respond to such rubbish?
Tansy’s body shook with fury. She had to get out of here.
She marched out of the kitchen as rage boiled up inside of her.
In the grey light of his conservatory, she turned toward the window. Outside, she saw the March rain falling on his garden, and beyond it, the fog was closing in on the heath.
“Does he turn you on like I do?”
She whirled back to face him. He stood leaning in the doorway, way too casual for the fury he had caused inside of her.
“Did he buy you a new wardrobe and get turned on as you tried on your new clothes in front of him?” He sneered, and she hated him for it. He was despicable.
“Get over it, Jake.”
“What? Get over wondering if every time I kiss my lips on your very tempting body, you are thinking about my brother?”
He walked closer towards her. A panther stalking his prey. “I don’t think I want to be wondering. I want to erase every memory you have of my brother from that beautiful head of yours. When you think of someone, you’ll think of me. Now. In your dreams. Forever.”
She stood frozen to the spot. She watched in silence as he sauntered closer and closer to her.
“Those little doe eyes of yours might be fine for little brother Steven, but I know you. I’ve seen them wide with passion, begging me for more.”
This would always happen. Perfect days like yesterday just didn’t continue forever. Not between him and her.
She’d lowered her guard with him and even let herself care. She had filled herself with daydreams, with nonsensical and whimsical notions that could never eventuate. More fool her. Her stomach churned as she watched him in silence. For a second, an agonising pain went through her chest as she realised that what she thought they had would never ever happen.
His face was too-close, looking into at her. His minty toothpaste on his breath.
“This is what you’ll remember.” His voice grasped as he spoke. His hand shot out and his fingers tugged her hair. His face came closer.
She licked her lips, waiting to taste him. Hating herself, because he still had waved the magic and had her waiting, expecting his touch. Because despite everything – despite this whole damned lockdown thing – Tansy felt herself melt, dissolve into him. Molten lava slid through her, unerringly going straight to her core, where it pulsated hot and deep and relentlessly.
Jake continued his ruthless pursuit of her. His lips came crashing down on her own and she leaned up into him, shuddering with pleasure when his hand lowered to the swell of her arse, tantalisingly skimming over her buttocks before clenching tight in a blatant display of dominance and possession.
Tansy moaned softly into Jake’s mouth as he changed his angle so he could plunder her mouth more deeply. His hand flattened, searing into her, pressing her against the thick swell of him. If she had any defiance to him before, it had vanished completely at the shockingly real substantiation of his arousal and the deeply carnal response that reverberated through her body.
He was moving them now, propelling her eager body backwards, one hand still holding her arse, the other tangled in her hair, pressed into the back of her head.
He could steer her wherever he wanted her to go, and she was compliant. The thought unsettled her before his hand clenched her bottom again and sent a sharp thrill, which dissolved any capacity for thinking.
Together they stumbled as one intertwined entity until Tansy felt a wall of glass behind her and realised that she had nowhere else to go. Nowhere else that she wanted to go. Nowhere except into the intoxicating oblivion of Jake’s power.
For the merest second, their eyes met. Tansy felt her breath stall at the darkly savage look that shadowed his smooth attractive face. But then his mouth was on hers. In her bewilderment, she knew nothing but the rush of sensual need and the burning hunger that shook her entire body.
His hand moved in jerked movements to her thigh, lifting her leg over his hip. She wrapped it around him to steady herself, to expose herself more to the pulsing throb of him. He heard his low growl of approval – or maybe it was his victory. That he thought he had won over Stevie. She had no capacity to contemplate what this meant. His fingers yanked aside the delicate fabric of her panties so he slid against her. In her own delirium Tansy heard his half grunt, half mirthless laugh as she bucked against his touch, her shudder of pleasure immediately intensifying.
Quickly pulling away, he released her from his grasp. Her leg dropped to the ground. It was as if she had no control over her own limbs. Feeling in the pocket of his jacket, which he’d left draped over the cane chair, he took out a condom.
She watched as he ripped open the foil packet with his teeth, at the same time as he pulled away his already unbuttoned trousers. His boxer shorts went next before he rolled the condom onto himself with one precise movement.
He didn’t meet her eyes, and there was no tenderness in his expression. Sadness combined with desire fluttered across her. He picked up her arms and wove them behind his neck. Without a sound, he wrapped her legs around his waist.
With his free hand, he tugged her panties aside again. Only this time it wasn’t his finger that nudged against her, it was the head of his hot and hard arousal.
“Now.” She admonished.
Air gushed from her lungs as he perfectly sunk into her.
It was the most glorious experience as he lost himself hard and deep in her, with her. He filled her body, and she lost herself at every movement, as every thrust tuned her in to nothing else.
A purr of pleasure escaped from her lips before it turn
ed into a scream of basic need, an explicit command for him to not stop, to keep going. She needed him faster, deeper, like she’d needed nothing before. He was taking her to a new place that she feared she’d never return from.
Their bodies pounded against the window behind them until Tansy could not cling on any longer. She cried out his name as she shuddered her surrender. Jake stiffened inside of her, his rigid spasm taking over his body before he too gave in to the inescapable and roared his own release into the top of her head.
Had this not been Jake-The-Jerk, she could have easily fallen for him.
* * *
Jake
He pushed himself away from the window with the palms of his hands. Jake trapped Tansy between his locked arms. He would not give her too much space. Not yet, anyway. Not while he still hadn’t caught his own heaving breath and his arms all but trembled. His heart hammered in his chest. He stared down at the top of her tousled hair. Her slender frame shook even though she had returned both feet to the floor. She was pulling her bathrobe in close as if it gave her protection from him.
He wanted to break the silence, but the words wouldn’t come. She’d given her consent, but it had been his primal need to obliterate Steven from her memory that had driven his relentless offensive.
She hadn’t uttered a word. They’d made love on his terms, he had achieved his goal. So why wasn’t he feeling victorious? Why wasn’t he gratified? Why did he not feel that it was enough?
The thought sent a leaden weight through his body. It was important to him he was top and foremost in her mind.
He groaned. Their relationship was too complex and too personal to unravel right now.
The past couple of days they had enjoyed every kind of sex. They’d been wild and dramatic, passionate, giggling, slow and fast. But what had just happened, that had been a connection on a different level.
They’d been like asteroids colliding and exploding in the universe. They had set each other alight.