HIM

by J. M. Elliott

  "Shut the fuck up! You know you want me. Stop pretending you don't. Every girl wants a piece of this," he snarls as he covers my mouth and runs his tongue up my neck.

  Brady is ripped from me and falls hard to the floor. My eyes blurry from my tears that I can barely see what's happening. Jade grabs me and walks me away from where Brady is lying on the floor; someone hovered over him. My eyes adjust, and I watch Luke's elbow cock-back numerous times as he strikes Brady in the face.

  Chapter Sixty-Two

  The VIP restroom floods with people, onlookers, our group that we came with, and the nightclub staff. Luke is pulled from Brady, and his fist is dripping with blood. Brady looks to be unconscious and is hardly recognizable under all the blood covering his neck and face. His shirt, hair, and the floor are full of blood as well.

  Ris grabs hold of me, asking if I'm okay, begging for me to tell her what happened in the restroom. I'm in shock at all the blood surrounding Brady and the crazed look on Luke's face as he tries to break free from the two bouncers trying to restrain him, that I can barely hear her. Everything feels like it's in slow motion.

  The police arrive as Jade leaves my side to talk to them. I'm not exactly sure how much she witnessed or heard. Ris is still holding on to me tightly. I look at Luke; he is starting to settle down some now that the police are here. He is yelling at them to let him go so he can see if I'm okay. I am so glad he came to my rescue; I don't know what Brady would've done to me if he hadn't.

  I leave Ris, and she grabs my arm, but I move it away from her and keep walking over to Luke. I push one of the police officers out of my way and wrap my arms around Luke's waist, burying my face into his chest. He jerks his arms from the police and wraps them around me, resting his cheek on top of my head. I start sobbing.

  "Ali, are you okay? Did he hurt you?" Luke questions.

  He grabs the sides of my face, but I hold onto him tighter and cry harder. I want him close to me right now. The paramedics carry Brady out on a stretcher. He's come to and has an ice pack over half of his face. His nose looks broken, and he seems to be missing a tooth. Luke did quite a number on him. I can't say that he didn't deserve it.

  The police ask me to sit down and tell them exactly what happened. They say they received a statement from a witness already but wanted one from me since I was part of what just took place. Luke holds me tightly, his arm still wrapped around me. I can see the swelling of his hand with some bruising and blood. Ris is next to me, holding my hand. I decide to sit down and begin to tell them what happened.

  They ask if this was our first altercation or if there's been more. Ris squeezes my hand tight and stares at me. I know I should tell them about what happened at his parents' house and this morning at work, but I decide not to. I tell them no, and this is the first time. Ris starts to rub my arm with her other hand.

  "Are these bruises from tonight?" one of the officers asks looking at my arm.

  I move the bracelets to cover them and lie while nodding yes. I begin to cry again and turn to Ris. She hugs me, while Luke rubs my back.

  "He was assaulting you in the women's restroom when your boyfriend came along and stopped it, am I right?" the officer asks.

  "That's what she just fucking told you," Ris barks rudely.

  "We will need to take him down to the station," the officer resumes.

  "He was stopping someone from fucking assaulting her. Why do you need to take him?" Ris yells.

  "He saved her from being harmed worse or even raped by that dirtbag. The person who should be charged with anything is that fucking douche bag, Brady. You should take him off the stretcher and lock him up. He's a piece of shit," she shouts as she stands to her feet.

  Irate, Ris calls her dad, who is one of the top attorney's in Milwaukee. The police leave us to converse amongst each other as the paramedics check over the bruises on my arms, neck, and back.

  RIS’S DAD ARRIVES AND THREATENS the police. We are all released to him, including Luke. I hug Jade and thank her before we leave with Mr. O'Conner. Luke holds me close as Ris's dad gives us a ride back to our apartment. Ris fills him in on what happened on the way. He tells her it's too late to discuss further details, and he will see us in the morning for breakfast at his house. Mr. O'Connor tells me that he is glad that I am okay and shakes Luke's hand, thanking him for protecting me. I thank him for the ride and also for helping us before leaving his car. Ris stays back to speak with her dad.

  Luke and I scurry into my apartment building, up to my floor, and straight to my room. We walk into my bathroom. I ask Luke to remove his blood-stained shirt. I grab a washcloth so I can clean the blood from his swollen hand. He looks at me and tucks my hair behind my ear, then kisses me.

  "Let's take a shower," he says politely.

  I put the blood-soaked cloth in the sink, walk to the shower, and turn it on. I look back at Luke, who is naked. His perfectly sculpted body is displayed in front of me. I run my hands up his body from his waist, feeling the rippling of his abs under my touch. He places his fingers in mine, bringing my hands up to his face, then kisses the bruises on my wrists and arms. He cups his hands behind my head and kisses me softly.

  I release a few tears and open my mouth, inviting in his tongue. He wipes my tears with his thumbs. He slowly moves his hands down my neck to my shoulders, sliding his fingers under the straps of my dress and sliding them down my arms. He runs his hands down my body to the bottom of my dress, grabbing hold of it and pulling it gently up and over my head, tossing it the floor. He tenderly kisses my shoulder, my neck, then my chin as he runs his fingertips up my arms. Then brings his lips back to mine, running his fingers down my chest, and lightly caresses my breasts.

  Luke breaks free from our kiss, traveling down my body with his gentle and soft kisses. I break out in goosebumps, and my body begins to tingle. He slides his fingers underneath my thong and pulls it down my hips as he kisses my stomach. My goosebumps heighten, and I feel apprehensive yet safe. I step out of my panties as Luke makes his way back up toward my face. He cups his hands behind my head and passionately kisses me again. He walks us to the shower. As I stand in front of him under the pelting hot water, he soaps up my entire body. He grabs hold of my hair and tucking it over my shoulder as he gently scrubs my back. I'm so relaxed and content right now while he pampers me.

  Chapter Sixty-Three

  Luke wraps me in a towel, picks me up, and carries me from my bathroom into my bedroom, then lays me down on my bed. He climbs on top of me, opens my towel, and rests himself on his forearms as he cups my cheeks with his soft hands. We look deeply into each other's eyes while he runs his thumb gently across my cheek. I love it when he does that. I close my eyes and feel his touch. His presence here with me makes me feel very secure and at ease.

  He gently rubs his thumb across my lips then slowly moves his hand down my chin then down my neck. He continues down to my chest, running his hand over my heart. It's almost as if he has my soul in his hand then kisses my chest just over my heart. He lifts his hand from my chest, bringing it back to my face, and I feel like I'm floating. It's like he has lifted my whole body from the bed, and we are floating, our souls making love above our bodies.

  I open my eyes when he tucks my hair behind my ear.

  "May I make love to you?" he whispers softly.

  A little hesitant, but I am caught up in the moment and still a little under the influence- I permit him. Luke separates my legs with his knee, gently rubbing my clit with his thumb as he passionately massages my tongue with his own. I lift my hands from my bed and slowly run them up the sides of his body. I can feel his skin begin to rise with goosebumps. He amiably inserts his finger inside me. I gasp slightly at the light pressure it brings and grab his wrist. He stops kissing me, halting the insertion, then looks at me with concern.

  "Do you want me to stop?" he whispers.

  I let a single tear fall. I don't want to falter. I want him to make love to me, so I let go of his wrist; he then continues e
ver so slowly, moving his finger in and out of me. I close my eyes as I enjoy his soft touch. I can feel myself become wetter from his leisurely swipes inside of me. He removes his finger and kisses me softly. Then he grabs hold of his penis and guides himself inside me. I gasp again, at the intense pressure from his size. He slowly continues sliding farther into me, never releasing his stare from my eyes. Once he is inside me, he brings his hands back to my cheeks.

  He moves back and forth gradually, letting out a soft moan and closes his eyes. I run my hand through his hair, and he opens his eyes, looking into mine again. I take a deep breath in and let it out slowly as he continues making love to me. I begin to tingle, intensely, even throughout my face.

  Our passion right now and the fact he's making love to me is phenomenal. I could float into the sky or orgasm at any moment. I open my legs wider and bring my legs up the sides of his body. He slides deeper in, keeping his moderately slow pace, and the pressure builds again but feels unbelievably amazing. Luke closes his eyes and passionately kisses me. I open my mouth and slide my tongue into his. I deepen our kiss as he begins moving inside me at a slightly faster pace. He groans deeply into my mouth. Luke has such a healing touch!

  I moan and can feel my vagina tighten around the thickness of his cock as I begin to orgasm. He breathes out of his nose and slowly whispers, "I love you" in my mouth. He then tenses his body as he releases inside me. I relax my legs while Luke rests his head on my chest, with his penis still inside me. I open my eyes and look up at the ceiling. Did he just tell me he loves me?

  After catching his breath, he lifts his head and looks deeply into my eyes as he runs his thumb over my cheek and under my eye, wiping away a single tear. He kisses me then says in such a sweet and charming voice,

  "I'm sorry."

  "For what?" I whisper.

  Why is he apologizing? I should be doing that and thanking him too, considering he got into a fight because of me at the nightclub.

  "Making you cry then coming inside you," he whispers back, still locked on my eyes.

  I look deeply into his eyes as another tear slips out. I stare at him for a few seconds—silent.

  "That was incredible," I release softly.

  I want to cry happy tears. Luke smiles, kisses my nose, and my forehead. He removes himself from inside of me, rolls off to the side, then tucks me inside his body, wrapping his arms around me firmly. I nestle into his bicep, comforted, and protected. I drift off to sleep.

  Chapter Sixty-Four

  I can feel all of Brady's weight on top of me; I try to thrash my arms and legs to move the slightest bit under his heated bulky physique, but I'm completely frozen. Pure panic washes over my entire body as I am afraid for my life.

  "What are you going to do?" I call out in terror.

  I can feel the warmth of his breath on the back of my neck as he brings his head closer to mine, and the additional weight from his body crushes me. It's hard to breathe.

  "You'll see," he blusters through his teeth.

  He shifts his weight again, removing most of it from my body as he rips my pants down over my hips. I want to fight, I need to fight, and I need to break free. I can feel the weight of his body return to mine. I'm unable to move in the slightest bit, and all I can do is scream.

  "Brady, stop, please, NO!" I scream at the top of my lungs.

  I jolt awake as Luke calls out my name. I look into his concerned eyes as he hovers over me in my bed. I let a single tear tumble down my cheek as flashbacks flood my mind from that unfortunate and painful night with Brady, when he-

  "That asshole scared you last night, didn't he?" Luke asks in an angry yet compassionate tone.

  I want to tell him that last night at the club wasn't even the icing on the cake. I want to tell Luke that Brady already hurt me before that. I want to tell him that I'm afraid of Brady and he won't stop harassing me since that night at his parent's house. I want to leave and go back to my dad's; no one can hurt me there.

  I don't know why Brady is doing this to me. He's always been a pretentious asshole, but he's going above and beyond that persona. I want to speak, but nothing will come out. I don't' know what to say to Luke or how I would say it to him if I were to conjure up the words. I turn away from Luke and lay my head back on my pillow, scooting my naked body back inside his. Luke tucks my hair behind my ear, runs his fingers up and down my arm, then kisses the back of my head. I stare at the wall.

  One part of me thinks it's some sick vendetta of Brady's to get me to crack under his disgusting game and give him full control of the Christiansen account, while the other part of me thinks that he is simply this demented and needs some serious help. Whatever his evil plan is, I will never let him sabotage my hard work at Facade. I've built a good rapport for myself; I have established great interpersonal relationships that have opened several doors for me. Brady is just jealous of that and how many new and returning clients go over him to come to me.

  Because of his distasteful attitude, arrogance, and lack of people skills, he is falling short. I need to stay strong and stand my ground. I cannot let him break me. I'm stronger than him, and I will fight my way to the top. Nothing can stop me. I've worked way too hard for someone like Brady to take it all away from me. I will succeed, and I will triumph.

  Luke grabs hold of my hand, and I'm released from my "This is Sparta" clouded bubble. I watch his hand as it interlocks into mine. It's swollen and very bruised. His blood-stained knuckles remind me of what I witnessed him do to Brady's face last night. It's something I can envision he did to his ex-girlfriend's brother when he saw his house engulfed in flames knowing his mother was inside. I can only imagine what he would do to Brady if he were to find out about what he did to me before last night.

  I'm worried about what might happen to Luke if Brady decides to press charges. He went to prison the last time he was in a fight and had beaten the guy to a bloody pulp. Brady deserved every second of it, as did that guy who burnt Luke's house down and badly hurt his mother. The justice system doesn't work that way; unfortunately, you cannot defend another's life without receiving consequences.

  Do I report how Brady forced himself on me and how he fondled me inappropriately at work yesterday morning to save Luke from another prison sentence? I have no proof that what happened at his parents even took place, other than the bruises on my arms that I lied about and said happened during the club incident. I don't know what to do. All I do know is that I do not want Luke to go to jail again because of me. He was only protecting me.

  "Ali, will you, would you, officially be my girlfriend?" Luke stammers in an almost shy way.

  My anxiety and stress over the issues that have assembled over the past few days is instantly lifted. I look over my shoulder at Luke. His dreamy eyes and gorgeous lips stare motionless in front of me.

  "Yes. I would love to be your girlfriend," I reply with a ginormous smile.

  Luke pulls me close to him and kisses me. It's a short but sweet kiss.

  "You're so beautiful, Ali," he whispers as he runs his thumb over my bottom lip.

  Luke gently crawls on top of me while never breaking his stare. At this very moment, time feels as if it has slowed down, and Luke and I are the only two people alive on the planet. No one else and nothing else matters right now, just us. The way he looks at me brings me to another world; I can forget everything bad happening in my life and be carefree.

  He runs his thumbs over my eyebrows, down the sides of my face, across my cheeks and lips, as he holds himself up with his forearms. The rest of his body is lying snug between my thighs. I can feel his flaccid penis against my stomach. I am so hungry for him, but at the same time, I'm content at the very moment we have encountered. It's a sweet, sensual, and special moment that I want to engulf myself in.

  I am so consumed by him, by us, and how flawlessly we fit. We are absorbed by one another, and it's very enchanting. I feel like my life has been given back to me, like I'm coming home, into my own body. He unravels a
ll my insecurities and makes me more confident in myself than ever before. I feel so safe with him. I surrender deeply and melt into nothingness.

  Chapter Sixty-Five

  "Ali, are you guys decent?" Ris calls out as she knocks and slowly opens my bedroom door.

  Luke rolls off me as Ris comes into view. I pull the covers up over my chest. It's not like Ris hasn't seen me nude before, but both Luke and I are naked. So it feels a bit awkward.

  "Sorry to interrupt you guys, but my dad just called and would like us to head over to his house soon," she states.

  "Okay, we will shower quickly and get ready," I reply.

  Ris smiles and leaves my room. I wonder if she only filled her father in on what happened last night or if she told him more. I'm not sure how long she stayed with her dad after Luke and I came inside the apartment. I hope Mr. O'Connor can help us keep Luke out of serious trouble.

  Luke and I shower, and I try not to think dirty thoughts while we are here, since we need to make it quick. Ris's father is not going to wait around all day for us. We get dressed without any funny business besides, well, some minor distractions, but we still manage to make it out of my room in just under a half-hour.

  We head out of the apartment and pile into Ris's Mercedes. It does not take long for us to get to her parent's house. They live in a large condo across town on the historic third ward, on the Kinnickinnic River. The concierge service greets us at the front entrance, but Ris shoos them away and walks right on by. We enter the foyer, and Ris gestures for us to hurry up. I've been to her parent's condo a few times but not under these circumstances. We reach the thirty-second floor, all of which is her parent's captivating home. Ris doesn't knock but barges in like she owns the place. I hate it when she does that; it makes me feel a tad uncomfortable following her.