by Penny Wylder
“She’s right,” Russ says a moment later. He holds up a hand to stave me off. “And before you tell me not to risk my job for you, don’t bother, Maggie. I’m not sure I can stop myself from risking everything for you. Not anymore.” He holds my gaze for a long moment, long enough for me to read everything else he means in that deceptively simple statement.
My whole body tingles, from the tip of my head to my toes. I feel so elated I could fly. A smile starts to spread across my face, and I can’t stop it. I don’t want to, either. I feel the same way. I want to risk everything for this man. Whatever it takes.
Across the desk from us, my father stares. Back and forth between us, like he’s doing a calculation in his head. I lift my chin and stare right back, defiant. Let him think whatever he wants. He doesn’t scare me anymore.
For the first time in my entire life, my father looks away from me first. “I see how you both feel now,” he says, softly, dangerously. I’m not sure what that means.
I’m not sure I care anymore.
Without another word, he rises and reaches for his coat.
“John,” Russ starts to say beside me. “Be reasonable.”
“I am being reasonable,” my father replies, his voice shaking with barely suppressed fury. “I am reasonably going to leave this matter to decide in the morning. Tomorrow once everyone’s heads are clearer. That is as much leeway as you’ll gather from me, Russ, so I’d suggest you take it. You are both dismissed for now.”
I’m not sure whether that means fired or just released for tonight. I can’t bring myself to worry about it, not now. Not when every limb in my body feels shaky from spent energy and adrenaline. Not when my bed is not just calling my name, but screaming it.
I rise, expecting to go with Dad, the way I do every night. But he storms out of his office without waiting for me. When I jog after him, I notice he’s already taken the elevator. Guess I’m finding my own way home tonight.
Behind me, I hear soft footfall. Russ brings a hand to rest on my shoulder. “Give him time to cool off,” he says, sounding uncertain. “He’ll be reasonable.”
I snort. Russ doesn’t disagree with the sound. But at least we’re alone now. Safe, for one more night. With one last glance at the empty hallways around us, I lean back a little. My head rests against Russ’s chest. I can hear the beat of his heart in my ear where it leans against him. A moment later, his strong arms circle my waist, and he draws me back against him, swaying gently from side to side as he does.
“Whatever happens, I’m proud of you,” he says softly. “You stood up to your father. That takes real courage.”
I reach up to loop my hands around his forearms. I trace my fingers up and down the length of his arms, marveling all over again that I’m able to do this. Touch the man I daydreamed about for so long, so easily. “You were pretty great too. Giving him a piece of your mind.”
Russ chuckles softly, and the sound makes my whole body shiver, pressed close to him as I am. “To be honest, I should have said all that to your father a long, long time ago.”
“Yeah, well.” I let out a soft sigh. “That makes two of us.”
Russ’s hand slides up to tuck under my chin. He tilts my face toward his, and I kiss him softly over my shoulder. “Come on,” he whispers, his breath warm against my lips. “I think it’ll be best if you stay at my place tonight.”
I couldn’t agree more. With a shiver of relief, I let him take my hand and gently lead me down the hallway, out into the night. This time, when we get to his place after an hour of traffick in the beat-up old vintage car Russ drives—one that, I now realize, matches his whole apartment aesthetic too, old but in a stylish, purposeful way—we don’t even undress. Both of us are too tired to do anything but just collapse straight into bed, fully clothed. But when Russ gently reaches over to tuck me against his side, I let out a contented sigh.
After the day we’ve just had, this is somehow the perfect way to end it. Cuddled up together, resting before we have to face whatever tomorrow will bring. I couldn’t be with anyone more comforting right now, or who understands what I’m going through more completely.
As I drift off into sleep, with Russ’s arm draped around my side, I feel more safe and secure than I can ever remember before. Somehow, despite the bomb I know awaits us tomorrow, I am content. More than that: I’m happy.
For once, my father can’t ruin my life anymore. Because I’ve finally taken control of it. And I have the best co-pilot I could ever have hoped for, beside me at the helm.
12
The next morning, I wake up blearily to Russ’s alarm clock blaring, hours and hours before my angry, exhausted body wishes it would have gone off. I struggle to shift off of Russ’s arm as he flails over toward the nightstand to shut it off. I groan, and then tug the covers up over my head at the assault of sunlight pouring through his large windows. I thought those windows were really cute the last time I stayed over, but today I wish they had blackout curtains or that he lived in an underground bunker instead.
Beside me, Russ chuckles softly. “I know. I’m feeling it too.” He leans down to kiss my shoulder. Then the nape of my neck. I let out another sigh, this one less irritated and more contented.
I could be convinced to tolerate this hour of the morning with the appropriate motivation. I roll over to face him just as he runs a hand through my hair, curling it between his fingers. I let him draw me close, kiss me softly, and then tuck my head under his chin, just holding me for a minute.
That single motion is enough to make me sigh and let go of all the tension that flooded me a minute ago when I woke up. When I remembered yesterday and everything that exploded in our faces. “I can’t believe I said all that to Dad’s face,” I mumble into Russ’s chest.
He laughs softly, a sound that vibrates through my cheekbone where it rests against his ribcage. “You can’t believe you said it? I can’t believe I finally told him what I should have half a lifetime ago…”
I heave a deep sigh, one that I can feel Russ echo a moment later. “So what do we do now?” I ask softly, trying to disguise the tight worry that knots in my throat. Dad won’t really fire his best friend, will he? I know he’ll probably sack me, but honestly, Russ is right. If I want to pursue my dreams, I need to do that, not just sit around in this job Dad forced me to take in the first place, feeling comfortable but not like I’m living up to my potential or doing what I was placed on this earth to do.
If I want to make a difference in the greater world, I have to start by changing my own life first.
“Well, we gave him time to cool off. And last I checked, I’m still on the schedule at the hospital today. How about you?”
Reluctantly, I peel myself out of his arms and reach over to grab my cell phone. I shut it off last night, not wanting to deal with the world. I turn it back on now, and tense, waiting for the other shoe to drop. I expect screaming, ranting, at least a million texts from Dad. Maybe even some from Mom.
But there’s nothing. No new messages. No missed calls either, though those probably wouldn’t show, if someone called while the phone was shut off. Still, they would have left a message, right? It surprises me that not even Mom called to check up on me or ask where I was spending the night. Maybe Dad filled her in on our fight. Maybe they both assume I just went to a friend’s house to cool off for a bit.
If only they knew…
But first things first: I can only handle one huge fight at a time. “No texts to inform me I’ve been fired,” I say, to which Russ smiles ruefully.
“Well, that’s step one I guess.”
“It does mean I still need to be at the hospital in less than two hours.” I collapse back against the pillows with a long sigh. “And I don’t have fresh scrubs to change into.”
Russ props himself up on one elbow, watching me. His gaze dips down over my body where the blankets have fallen away from my chest. I flush with pleasure, but I don’t cover myself. Normally I feel shy at being naked around
guys, even the ones I’m hooking up with. But not Russ. The way he stares at me makes me feel like I’m the hottest woman on earth, every damn time.
He’s doing it again now.
“I can’t say I’m complaining about your lack of proper attire,” he murmurs, leaning in with a sly grin to kiss me again, slower this time.
I sink against him. But only for a moment. Then I draw back, lifting an eyebrow. “Unfortunately, I can’t exactly show up to the hospital in my birthday suit, so…”
He chuckles. “Much as I’d enjoy watching you do that, I agree it’s probably not the best move, especially when we’re both already in trouble.” He winks. “I can run you by your house to pick up a change of clothes. It’s no trouble.”
My stomach sinks at the thought of going home. Of facing my parents. But what else can I do? “Yeah, I guess that would work. Maybe we can wait until Dad’s already left for the morning at least, though…”
“Well, I know of one way we can distract ourselves.” Russ’s arm snakes around my waist, his fingertips trailing slow circles over my skin. It’s maddening, the way he always knows exactly how to touch me to drive me wild.
“Oh really? What might that be?” I bat my eyes up at him, suppressing a grin of my own.
He tugs me toward him so that I roll over, my backside pressed against his, the same way we cuddled last night. Big spoon and little one. Except that I can feel the hard press of his cock against the backs of my thighs now, clearly eager for me at this hour.
“Do you know what I dreamt about last night?” he whispers against my shoulder, his lips caressing my skin, ghosting across it as he speaks in a way that sends a shiver all the way from my scalp down to my toes.
“What?” I manage to ask, breathless already and he’s barely even touched me. Damn. How does he always know just how to get me going?
His hands glide over my hips, then down. His hand parts my thighs gently, and he trails one finger along the edge of my pussy lips, lightly, not entering my slit, not yet. “I dreamt about you and me on a trip of our own. Far away from here. Off somewhere you’d like to go and help save the world.”
“And you’ve come to help too, I suppose, in this dream?”
“Naturally.” His fingertip presses a little deeper between my thighs. Soon his whole hand slides between my legs, parting them. Two of his fingers dance back and forth along my lips. “But first, I’d insist that we take a pit stop, in order to gear up for our trip. Just you and me and a gorgeous beach somewhere, practically deserted…”
“I see… and what are we—” my breath hitches in a faint little gasp, as his index finger slips between my pussy lips and starts to stroke back and forth along my slit. I can already feel how wet I am, as my juices slick and coat his fingertip. “What are we doing on this gorgeous beach?” I finish, my voice steady once more. Though not for long.
His fingertip reaches my entrance, and he presses against it. A moment later, his finger slides into my pussy. Slow and careful. “Well. Since we have the whole beach to ourselves, we don’t bother to get dressed in the mornings, that’s for one thing,” he murmurs. His fingertip glides deeper, deeper. Then it starts to withdraw again, and I whimper faintly, hating how empty I feel without some part of him inside me right now. “First thing in the morning, we jump into the ocean—”
I shiver as he inserts a second finger into my pussy. “Sounds cold,” I say faintly.
“No, no, it’s a very warm ocean. Almost like our own personal bathtub.”
I laugh a little, but the laughter turns into a slow hiss of pleasure as he begins to work his fingers in and out of me, thrusting them in quick and drawing them out much slower. He curls them just a little inside me, so the pads of his fingers drag down my front inner wall, right over the hard little nub of my G-spot. He knows how to find it every time, and it makes my toes curl as my hips rock back and forth a little, trying to grind against his fingers instinctively.
“I swim out there with you, to a spot where you can hardly stand,” he whispers. “And then I pull you up into my arms. You wrap your legs around me, and I push my cock inside you, right there in the water. At least, that’s what I dreamt about last night…”
My mouth feels dry, my throat tight. “How often do you dream about me?” I can’t help asking, in a hesitant voice. I don’t trust myself to speak too loudly right now, or I’ll go all unsteady. What with the fireworks he’s setting off inside me right now.
He withdraws his hand suddenly, and I let out a faint mewl of protest. But I don’t have to wait long. I feel his cock slide between my thighs, the tip of his head positioned against my entrance, dipping between my pussy lips. He feels wet already, maybe from the moisture gathered between my thighs. “Every night, Maggie,” he whispers against the nape of my neck.
Then he pushes his cock inside me.
I gasp as he moves into me, inching deeper and deeper as his hips make small thrusts against mine. I arch my hips backward to grant him better access, grind against him as he forces his thick cock deeper and deeper into my tight pussy. With every inch he gains, I feel more awake, the nerve endings throughout my whole body more on fire.
Finally, he reaches the end, pushed all the way inside me. We both groan a little in unison, my heart racing. I feel more awake at this hour than I ever have, even in spite of our late night and emotional day yesterday.
“Fuck, I love being inside you,” he murmurs, and the words make my stomach tense, a pleasant little curl tightening in my belly.
“I can’t ever get enough of you,” I breathe in return, but I’m not even sure if he hears me or not, because he’s already moving, drawing back out of me. Just when his cock reaches the entrance of my pussy, almost completely out of me, he drives back in. I gasp and fist my hands in the sheets. His hands, on the other hand, are wrapped tight around my hips, pinning me in place where I’m curled up against him. Holding me steady as he starts to drive into me, building toward a faster and faster rhythm.
I lose track of time, place, any of my anxieties and fears, while we move like that, together. There’s just me and him and the heat between us, the thrust of his cock deep inside my pussy. He slides a hand between my legs and fingers me until I come, screaming his name as I do. Then his hand returns to my hip, where he holds me in place, makes me come all over again using only his cock, angled right over my G-spot with each thrust.
Finally, after what feels like hours lost in one another’s bodies, he finishes deep inside me with a guttural growl. I roll over to face him again, kissing his lips, his stubble-scratched jaw, his neck. Every inch of him I can reach.
Then we roll ourselves out of bed and head for the shower, only to do it all over again there.
By the time we’re finally clean and presentable enough to brave leaving his apartment, it’s already past the usual time when Dad heads to the office. I trudge down to Russ’s car, parked in a garage a few blocks away from that vintage and very bachelor-y apartment he’s got. It’s a little uncomfortable to walk, my pussy feels so sore, but it’s a good kind of discomfort. One that reminds me, with every step, exactly where I got these sore muscles and deep aches from.
It leaves me aching for more of them, all over again. And again and again and again…
I drift into daydream as we reach the garage, and Russ chuckles when he has to touch my shoulder to get my attention. “Come on,” he says, amusement written all over his face. “Car’s ready.” The garage attendant has already pulled it around. I don’t know how long I was standing there, lost in memories.
My face flushes as I climb into the passenger side seat, and Russ walks around to the driver’s side. “Good to know you distract so easily at this time of day, Maggie,” he comments with a wink as he takes the wheel.
I clear my throat, embarrassed. “What can I say? It was a memorable morning.”
“You can say that again.” His eyes find mine, and the searing heat in them, the sheer, obvious desire, takes my breath away.
/> I turn back to the road, mostly because if I don’t, I’ll do something insane like climb over the gear shift and into his lap for round three. Or would it be round four? I lost count when we were getting dressed after our extra-long shower…
My gaze drifts to the console. “Dad should be gone by this time,” I comment, a statement that’s sure to take sex off of both our minds.
Russ clears his throat in acknowledgement. “Well, if he’s still around, you can run in by yourself, if you’d rather not deal with all the awkward questions yet.”
“Screw it.” I let my head fall against the seat back, shaking it gently side to side. “I don’t care what he thinks anymore. He made it pretty clear last night that he’s not going to take any kind of feedback, ever, so why should we just spend our whole lives catering to his comfort?”
Russ smiles. Then he reaches over, as we pull out of the garage and onto the Manhattan streets, to loop his free hand through mine. “You’re a smart girl, Maggie. I’m lucky you picked me.” He raises my hand to his lips and kisses the back of my knuckles.
Heat rushes up my arm from where he’s touching me. “Yeah, well. I had help from a smart guy along the way, pointing the obvious out to me,” I reply with a grin. “Couldn’t have stood up to my father without you. Seriously.”
“We make a good team,” Russ says, as he lets our hands fall clasped between us on the gear shift.
We fall silent as the radio clicks on. We listen to the morning traffic report, until Russ switches it to a music station. Rock. I flash him a grin. Good to know we have similar taste in music, too.
By the time we reach my parents’ house, I’ve almost calmed down again. Almost.
One glance at the windows tells me the house is empty. Mom always leaves half the lights on whenever she’s inside. Sure enough, we pull up the driveway around the side, and find the back empty, Dad’s car gone. Mom must have gone out too. Some mornings she goes to meet friends for brunch or runs errands and picks up things we need for dinner.