by N. Alleman
He seems too proud to be the woman-beating type. And I imagine he only beds girls who actually want him.
Like I do. I want him so badly that it actually hurts.
Not that I’d ever admit it out loud.
"Promise not to run?" he asks, looking vulnerable again. "Promise you won't run away from me once I tell you?"
At a complete loss for words, I barely manage a nod.
Jake eyes me hard, trying to see if I’m telling the truth or not. We're still crouched in this alley, the harsh wind freezing me to the bone despite the hoodie he gave me earlier.
I just want to get out of here, so I hope he'll spit it out quickly, and we can go somewhere warmer.
"I'm on the run," he says, his voice raw with anger and something more sinister. "I'm wanted for murder."
I stare at him blankly, not quite comprehending what he's telling me.
"What do you mean, murder?" I ask, my voice shaky.
"Don't you watch the news?" He scowls and shakes his head, his frustration escalating. "I'm on every damn channel. Jake Malone. A fucking murderer."
I stare at him for a moment longer, and slowly, snippets of the news I'd heard over the past few days on the radio come trickling back.
I haven’t watched television for a very long time, so I’ve never seen his photo, but now that he’s said it, his name is familiar. Jake Malone. A criminal on the run, I must’ve heard it sometime yesterday.
The police issued a statement saying that he’d killed before and could do it again. This guy was the target of a statewide manhunt, and there was even a monetary reward for finding him.
A reward that could be mine with a simple scream for help.
Jake and I stare at one another, each of us mulling over our options.
And then I make my decision.
I open my mouth to scream.
But no sound comes out, because Jake grabs me and pulls me back, his mouth firmly latching onto mine, devouring me in a forbidden kiss.
Oh, god…
5
Jake
I kiss Daisy because I don’t know what else to do. Plus, I've wanted to kiss her since the moment I first laid eyes on her.
She tastes better than I ever could have imagined.
Sweeter. Sexier.
Like chocolate-covered strawberries.
Fuck, she feels so good.
At first, she resists my kiss, her mouth firmly shut as I press my lips to hers.
She struggles against me, trying to push me away with her arms, but her protest is half-hearted—like she doesn’t fully mean it.
I pull her closer, and her mouth opens with a low moan. I deepen our kiss, claiming her with my tongue.
Slowly, she melts into my embrace and her body goes slack, like she can't hold herself up any longer.
It’s not long before her hands find their way around my neck. I hold her waist and draw her as close as she can possibly get.
The kiss is still hesitant, like we're both trying to gauge the other's reaction. Then, she slips her little tongue inside my mouth, and I growl with satisfaction.
She bites down on my bottom lip and sucks it inside her mouth.
Her kiss is angry, like she's mad I made her do this. But oh fuck, that only makes it sweeter.
I tug on her hair, making her head tilt back, and my lips assault her neck, nibbling on her delicate skin.
Fuck, she tastes good. I'm struggling to stop myself from ripping her clothes off right here in the alley. She’s too good to be screwed here.
Way too fucking good.
Just eighteen, I have to remind myself with every taste, every kiss, every soft bite.
Eighteen, seven years younger than me.
Dare I ruin this innocent girl by claiming her as mine?
She purrs in ecstasy, her head lolling from side to side as I explore her body. My hands scratch at her top, my mind convincing me to rip off every shred of clothing she has on. Just as I'm really getting into it, we hear a car pulling away from the parking lot, and the spell is broken.
She and I lock eyes, both of us wild and burning with passion.
Then she slips out of my reach and clears her throat.
A deep blush spreads over her cheeks as she realizes what we've just done. I feel the loss of her body against mine.
The warmth where she was nestled only seconds ago slowly vanishes, leaving only my stone-cold heart.
"Sorry," she mumbles, and I smirk.
What the hell is she apologizing for? Such a sweet girl.
My eyes flit toward the parking lot as Daisy readjusts her top, and I see the police car pulling away. Guess they didn't get any information, or they would've stayed a while longer.
Luckily, no one in there paid me any attention—apart from the perfect angel standing right in front of me.
In my mind, I curse my friend Rob, who gave me the go-ahead to stay at this motel. Looks like it’s not so safe after all.
It’s then that I suddenly remember what Daisy did right before I kissed her, the memory crashing back like a clap of thunder. She tried to scream, tried to rat me out.
A red mist descends on my vision.
I grab her and force her to look at me. She thrashes wildly in my arms.
"Why'd you try to rat me out?"
"You're a criminal," she hisses. "You killed someone!"
"I didn't kill him," I growl. "I fucked him up, but I didn't kill him. I’m innocent, goddammit.”
"Well, I don’t believe you,” Daisy spits, ripping herself from my embrace. “And you have no right to kiss me like that!"
"I'll do as I damn well please." My eyes blaze with fire as we stare at each other in this raging standoff. "I take what I want, sweet Daisy. Maybe you're what I want today."
"I don't belong to anyone," she says, enunciating every word. "Least of all you."
"That's up to me."
I don't want to deal with this anymore, though. I’ve got a bigger problem on my hands. She knows who I am, and I don't doubt she'll run to the nearest police officer the moment I let her go.
"You're coming with me," I say.
She starts to speak up, fight me on my decision one more time, but I'm not having any of it. "You don't even have a place to stay. I've rented a room. You can sleep in my bed. I need you where I can keep an eye on you."
"Oh no! I’m not sleeping anywhere near you."
She looks so horrified it actually makes me laugh.
"I'll sleep on the floor, if you ask me nicely." I step closer to her, tipping her chin back so she's forced to look at me. "But I bet you don't want that, do you, baby doll? You want me where you can feel me."
Even in the light from the streetlight above, I can see her cheeks flush scarlet.
She's so fucking innocent that it scares me. I remember the things I did when I was her age, and blushing was definitely not one of them.
"Fine," she says. The anger is all-too distinct in her voice. "Let's go to your room. But if you make one wrong move, I'll scream my head off. I promise you that."
Sick of arguing, I steer her in the direction of my room. We don't have time for silly fights. I need to get us somewhere safe behind a locked door.
Daisy skulks like a sullen teenager as we walk toward the building. I don't question her bad mood, knowing I'm the cause of it. Instead, I nudge her along until we're at the door to my room.
The cheap neon sign of the motel flashes just outside above our window. Daisy tiptoes inside cautiously.
That damn light is annoying. If it wasn’t for the fact that I don’t need to bring any more attention to myself, I’d request a different room.
Daisy sits on the corner of the bed and hugs her arms around her chest to quell the shivers. I wander over and sit beside her and rub her back in a sweet gesture that’s almost alien to me.
Tension dissipates from her shoulders, and she finally cracks a smile. I let her go, and she kicks off her boots to expose dainty little feet covered by pink so
cks.
She may have the body of a woman, but in many ways, she’s still a girl.
"Why are you letting me stay here?" she asks, and I can tell she doubts my intentions.
"You're a smart girl. Figure it out," I growl in her direction, running a hand through my messy hair again. I’m contradicting myself with what I say and the way that I act, but I can’t get it together to sort myself out.
Daisy doesn’t respond, so I face her again, my eyes blazing with anger. "I know you're going to rat me out the moment I look away, but I also know you need something too—a place to sleep. You can't spend the night in your car; you'll freeze to death."
"What makes you think I won't go to the police as soon as you let me go?” She challenges me. "Got a solution for that?"
"Yeah"—I stand in front of her drawing myself up to my full height— "maybe I won’t want to let you go."
"I'm not your property!" She sounds shocked. Poor little thing, actually believing she could get away from me if she wanted to. So naïve. So young. She has so much to learn about the big, bad world.
"Not yet.” I give her my most devilish grin.
She looks mildly horrified at my words. I turn, but Daisy grabs my sleeve before I can move away.
"Maybe we can set up a trade," she says, smiling all of a sudden.
I give her a questioning look, and she clears her throat. Averting her eyes, she explains, "I'm in a bit of a bind, and I could use a helping hand. In return, I promise not to call the cops. And I won't ask any questions about ... the murder. Deal?"
She looks up with wide and hopeful eyes.
I hate disappointing her almost as much as I love teasing her, but I chuckle, shaking my head.
"What's so funny?" She sounds offended.
"You," I say. "You think I'm actually going to trade with you?"
"Why wouldn't you?" She’s so proud of her blackmail attempt. "Either you help me, or I’ll go to the cops."
I step closer, dominating her with my body until she's shadowed by my overbearing presence. "What makes you think," I start, sliding a finger down her pretty face and coming to rest on that pouty mouth, "that I take orders from anyone?"
She gulps, but I'm not done just yet.
"I don't trade, baby doll. I take whatever the fuck I want."
"But—"
"But nothing." I cut her off, a predatory gleam in my eyes. "And what makes you think you're leaving me, ever? Don't you know I'm a wanted criminal? I'll do whatever I want with you, sweet little Daisy. And I have plenty of things in mind…"
6
Daisy
I gulp at Jake’s threats.
He’s danger on two legs, and I should know better than to be turned on by him. Yet I can’t help the growing ache between my legs, the raw need to feel his lips on mine one more time.
Clearing my throat, I turn away and start unpacking my backpack, just to get my mind off his words. Fortunately, I had enough time to grab it from my car before he accosted me in the alleyway.
Desperate to freshen up, I get out another shirt, toothpaste, and a toothbrush.
“Mind if I use the bathroom?” I ask shyly, and Jake nods. I skitter in there, trying to ignore my racing heart.
Locking the door behind me, I lean against the cold tiles of the bathroom wall. It’s a good timeout, at least. Maybe it will clear my head, make me see things more clearly.
What the hell am I doing?
My reflection in the mirror reveals the sad fact that I look horrible.
My hair hangs in limp strands stuck to my head. The dark hollows under my eyes betray my stress and exhaustion.
I need a quick shower, so I strip my clothes off until I’m completely naked. This makes me feel more vulnerable than ever, but I’m dying to feel clean.
Knowing that Jake is just on the other side of the door makes me anxious, but it also makes me horny as hell. I need to control my feelings, or this won’t end well for me.
I can’t allow myself to act on a bunch of hormones—that would be more poor judgment to add to a seemingly endless string of stupid decisions I’ve made lately.
Inside the shower, I unwrap a new bar of soap, grateful for the small luxury. The water pressure is weak, but at least it’s warm as I rinse my hair and body. It feels so good to wash after all I’ve been through. Makes me feel a little more like myself again.
After I’m finished, I wrap myself in one of the threadbare towels. I leave my hair dripping down my back in case Jake wants the other towel. I can’t find a bathrobe, and the shirt I thought was fresh smells stale, so I throw everything in the sink for a quick rinse then hang it on the shower rod to dry.
“Shit,” I mutter, realizing that now I have nothing to wear.
I bite my lip, unsure of what to do. I don’t want to go out there in just a towel, but I have no other choice. And even though I’m ashamed to admit it even to myself, the prospect of being almost naked in front of Jake excites me.
Stop it, Daisy!
Shyly, I emerge from the bathroom. Jake is lying on the bed, flipping through the channels on the small TV, and cursing under his breath about the crappy selection.
I can’t help but notice his chest. He’s stripped off his T-shirt, and his upper body is now in full view. His chest is so toned it looks like somebody carved him from stone, and his abs are so ripped they could cut rock. I think it’s what people call an eight-pack. I’m not sure because I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone with a body like that in real life.
Self-consciously, I realize I’m just standing there staring, but then again—so is he.
His gaze burns my skin as he devours my body with his eyes.
I gulp, thankful for the ragged towel. If I were actually nude I think I might die of embarrassment.
Leaning forward, I let my wet hair fall in front of my face to hide my shyness. “Do you have a shirt I could borrow? I’ve put all my stuff in the sink to wash.”
Jake springs up from the bed, rummages in a black bag, and hands me a huge T-shirt that will probably hang down to my knees. Perfect.
We face each other, and my heart beats faster than ever. “Do you mind?” I ask shakily.
“Do I mind what?” he asks.
He’s playing dumb, and we both know it.
“I’ll go change in the bathroom,” I mumble, but he grabs my wrist before I can get away. His touch scorches my skin, and a bolt of electricity slams through my system, heading straight between my legs.
“You can change here. I’ll look away ... promise.”
His voice is husky, but he does indeed turn around.
He’s only inches away, and it feels strange, changing next to him.
It feels dangerous what I’m doing, and I experience a slight thrill as I let the towel drop to the ground.
If my sister Karen knew what I was doing, she’d slap me silly.
‘Keep away from boys who seem dangerous,’ she always used to tell me. It’s a shame she didn’t take her own advice.
I hurriedly put on the t-shirt he gave me.
I was right—it’s way too big for me, reaching the middle of my thigh. I try to forget that I’ve got nothing on underneath, and I arrange my hair so it covers my hard nipples. They’ve been pebbled and ready since the moment I started speaking to Jake, and I don’t want to call his attention to it.
“Done,” I say, and Jake turns around, and I feel him watch me as I walk toward the bed.
“So,” Jake chimes in. “When are you going to tell me what it is you need help with?”
I sit on the bed, pulling my legs up and making sure my private parts are hidden. I figure I’ll have to tell him about Karen eventually, so right now is as good a time as any.
“I’m looking for my sister,” I say, and my voice shakes as I struggle to get the words out. I haven’t told anyone about this. I didn’t even tell Clarissa. I always thought it was just going to resolve itself, but obviously, it didn’t.
“What happened to her?” Jak
e sounds genuinely interested, but I don’t let his words fool me. He probably just wants to fuck me, and that’s where his interest is coming from. He already said that he has no intention of helping me, after all.
He walks over to the bed, and my body immediately tenses up when I feel his proximity. I’m rigid as a statue, but all he does is take the blanket from the end of the bed and lay it over me.
His sweet gesture surprises me, and I try to search his eyes to find his true intentions, but he turns sideways so I can’t see his face.
“Thank you,” I mumble.
And then I have a moment of madness.
“You can sit on the bed with me, if you want.”
As soon as the words are out of my mouth, I regret them, and now it’s my turn to look away. But I feel the mattress creaking below me as Jake lies down on the bed.
His posture is relaxed, while I’m curled up in a ball. I stare at an ugly print of a ship on the wall as I begin to explain my story.
“She disappeared a while ago.”
I feel like I’m telling him a bedtime story. A fucked-up fairytale with no prince in sight. Only monsters and bad guys.
“She dated this guy for a long time, and he didn’t treat her right.” My bottom lip trembles as I dive into the story, telling Jake everything I know.
Realistically, I know it’s not wise to trust him, yet the words keep spilling out.
“…and I haven’t seen her since then.” Finally, I finish, trying to regain my composure after admitting how Manny attacked me.
Jake’s fists tighten by his sides. He’s been struggling to hold it together since I got to that part of the tale.
“How long has she been gone?” he asks in a clipped tone.
“I haven’t heard from her in four months. It was over a year ago that she broke up with Manny, but it seems like he never left her alone. I wanted to help, but it was clear that he was after me too. That’s why I’m only just looking now.”