Dagger

by Sterling, S. L.

  She was quiet for a minute, as she continually looked at all the cars in the parking lot. "There was a handprint on my window the other night after I finished work," she whispered.

  I frowned, waiting for her to continue. Surely, she wasn't basing all of this off a single handprint. That could have been anyone.

  "That used to be his...thing. He loved holding his hand up to mine to show me and remind me how tiny and insignificant I was, especially when he was pissed off with me. After a while, it was just to remind me how he could crush me like a bug." I could see tears in her eyes as she shook her head sadly. "I don't see any vehicle I recognize, Derrick," she mumbled.

  "Okay, vehicles are irrelevant. What about people? Do you see anyone that you recognize?" I asked, slowing down on what was now our third, perhaps fourth, drive-by. She shook her head as she watched out the window.

  As I drove slowly through the parking lot, I glanced over at her. The look on her face was pure fear. The more I thought about the handprint that had been on her window, the more I believed her. She was really scared, and I knew she wasn't imagining things. She wasn't a girl who made things up. I needed to be on alert, and I felt adrenaline start to course through my veins. This guy was here somewhere, and I was going to make sure he didn't get to her.

  Once we returned and I had parked my car, we walked together to the room, stopping to grab a coke from the vending machine. Once inside, we made short work of locking down my room, dead bolting and chaining the door and pulling the curtains together tightly. I wasn't worried about man-to-man competition. I would wipe the floor clean with him, but I was worried that he may bring a gun or knife to a fist fight. Still, I was serious and stoic and was determined to keep her safe. It had nothing to do with the little she was paying me either; we hadn't even talked numbers yet. At the moment, I didn't even care if I worked for free.

  After everything was locked down, we turned the TV on and found something to watch. I grabbed the spare pillows from the closet and built them up behind us against the headboard. We relaxed back and started watching TV. With the curtains pulled, it was dark in the room, and soon she was letting out these little yawns, almost fighting to stay awake.

  "Why don't you go get ready for bed," I suggested and nodded towards the bathroom. "Have a hot shower. Take as long as you'd like."

  "You sure?" she questioned.

  Did he not let her even relax in the shower, I wondered to myself.

  "Yes, I'm sure. Go." I winked at her.

  She nodded and hopped down from the bed and went to her bag. She reached in and pulled out some sleep clothes and her toiletries and made her way to washroom. As soon as the door clicked shut, I got up and made my way over to my stuff. I pulled my shirt off over my head and removed my jeans, exchanging them for sleep pants. I didn't normally sleep in anything, but I felt that perhaps a layer of something between us may not be a bad idea.

  I grabbed the extra blanket from the closet, in case she got cold, and spread it over the bed. Then I adjusted my pillows against the headboard again and relaxed back on the bed watching TV. I lay there listening to the shower run, thinking thoughts that shouldn’t have been running through my mind. What it would have been like to go and crawl into that shower behind her and kiss away every last worry she had. Make her feel worshiped like the woman she was supposed to be, and take away every last waking thought of that asshole.

  Minutes later, the shower finally shut off, and I turned my thoughts back to the TV and blew out a breath, adjusting my already semi-hard cock. I can do this, I thought to myself. We are only sharing a bed. Five minutes later, the door to the bathroom clicked open and she emerged wearing a racer-back tank top and some booty shorts. I couldn't help my eyes running over her body as she placed her dirty clothes into another bag. Thank God she hadn't met my eyes. I wouldn't have been able to hide the thoughts running through my mind. I groaned to myself. I was definitely going to need more than a layer or two of blankets between us. Good thing I had grabbed the extra blanket from the closet because I had a feeling I would need that as well.

  She walked over to her side of the bed, and I pulled back the covers so she could crawl in beside me, pulling them over top of her. Then I reached over and shut the light off and shuffled my body down so I was lying beside her, adjusting the blankets and relaxing. I flipped the TV to another show and turned the volume down. I placed both arms behind my head and relaxed, trying to stop all the thoughts running through my mind.

  Five minutes into the show, Katy scooted over towards me and rested her head on my chest, her arm around my waist. She was just about relaxed when I felt her body stiffen.

  "Is this okay?" she asked.

  I rested my arm around her. I wanted her to know that it was fine. I had no problems with her curling up against me, especially if it was what she needed at the moment, even if it was killing me.

  "Sure. Did you want me to shut the TV off so you can get some rest?" I asked, reaching for the remote.

  "Leave it on, just for the noise. I have a hard time sleeping," she answered quietly. So instead, I dimmed the brightness a little.

  "It's okay, rest, I'm here." I shimmied and turned my body towards her and pulled her into me. She obviously needed to be held; I could tell. I wrapped both arms around her as she pushed her little body against mine as close as she could possibly get. I could feel myself growing hard and was thankful that some of the blankets were tucked between us. I didn't want her to think I wanted that from her.

  As we lay there, her breath gently puffing against my skin, I felt a tiny kiss on my chest. I pulled back and looked down at her, her tired eyes meeting mine. She didn't shy away, like she normally did. Instead, she reached up and placed her tiny, warm hand on my cheek, while still looking into my eyes. She brought her lips to mine. It started out as only a light peck, but then she actually kissed me.

  I pulled back and studied her eyes. Inside of them I saw a spark of something, a need, a want, but before this went any further, I needed to make sure it was what I thought it was, because this was exactly how I ended up fucking things up. She didn't wait for me to decide, though. Instead, she crashed into me, kissing me frantic and hard.

  I rolled her over and propped myself up on my elbow, letting her body relax and lie against the mattress. My other hand rested on her waist while I met her lips, sweeping my tongue through her mouth. There was no need to rush. I was going to take my time with her. I didn't want to blow things with this girl, and I was afraid if we rushed, it might appear that that was all I wanted. I also wanted her to know that if she decided she wanted to stop, that would be okay too.

  As I kissed her, I felt her hand trail down my side and stop, resting on my hip. As I continued to kiss her, I realized that I was almost afraid to touch her. She had been through a traumatic experience, and the last thing I wanted was to find myself in trouble with the law, so I decided I was just going to let her lead, and wherever that took me would be fine.

  My kiss got a little deeper the longer this went on, my tongue sweeping through her mouth again and again. I was fully straining against my sleep pants, my cock throbbing with the need to be inside her, and then she let out this little moan that pretty much shook me to my core. She was killing me.

  She tilted her head to the side, and I took the opportunity to kiss and suck on the side of her gorgeous neck, careful not to leave any type of marks. She reached down to where my hand was still resting on her hip and took my hand in hers, lacing our fingers together.

  "Touch me, Derrick," she whispered in my ear as I continued to kiss her neck. "Touch me, make me feel wanted."

  At the sound of her plea, it was as if I had been struck by lightning. She let go of my hand, placing hers on the back of my neck. I pulled the covers from between us and reached down and gripped her ass, pulling her closer to me. I wanted her to feel exactly how wanted she was, how hard I was for her.

  I allowed my hands to roam her body, gently brushing my thumb over her brea
st. I could feel her hardened nipple through her tank top. I felt her shimmy and lift her butt a little. I figured she was just getting comfortable, but as my hand ran down to cup her ass again, I realized she wasn't wearing those cute fucking booty shorts anymore. She had slipped them off, and I let out a throaty groan as my cock continued to throb. That was when I felt her hand reach into the back of my sleep pants, gripping my ass.

  I continued kissing her mouth, wishing she would touch me but trying my hardest not to let her know that. This all had to be on her terms. I sucked her bottom lip into my mouth, and that was when her tiny hand finally found my cock. She took me in her hand, lightly gripping me, and ran her fingers over me. The moment that I felt those soft hands run over me, I knew I was in trouble. She began pushing at the waistband of my pants, and I obliged her by kicking them off.

  Continuing to kiss her and run my tongue through her mouth, she dropped my cock and gripped my hand, lacing our fingers together again. Our kissing soon slowed to a comfortable pace, and then she yet again shocked the shit out of me. Taking my hand and placing it between her legs, this time I couldn't help but moan a little. She was completely bare and I could feel her hot, wet heat. I pulled away from her and looked down into her eyes. No words needed to pass between us. From the dim light of the TV, I could already see it in her eyes: she wanted this, she wanted me.

  I leaned down, placing my lips on hers, and then I softly ran my fingers through her wetness and over her clit. She kissed me harder, as soon as they ran over her clit again. She was extremely wet, and the less pressure I put on her clit, the more responsive she was. She gripped my cock, jerking it and gripping it a little harder now, running her thumb through the bead of precum that sat waiting for her.

  "Come here." I moaned as I took her hand off my cock. I gripped her ass and rolled onto my back, pulling her with me so she was now straddling my waist. I could feel her heat pouring onto me as she sat up and pulled her top off, exposing her perfect, full breasts to me. I was hesitant at first, but then reached up and ran both my hands over them, taking a moment to roll her nipples between my thumb and fingers. I felt her body shudder, and she dropped her head back, exposing her neck to me. I quickly sat up and kissed that little spot on her collarbone.

  I wrapped my arms around her, pulling her body closer to me. I could feel her wetness on my cock and knew that if we moved a certain way I would have perfect access to slide into her.

  "Do you have protection?" I heard her whisper in my ear as she sucked my lobe into her mouth, causing a shudder to roll through my body.

  Holding her close to me, I reached into the bedside drawer and fumbled around for the open box of condoms. I quickly tore the package open and handed her the condom. I lay back, putting my arms behind my head, and watched the expression on her face as she looked from me to the condom.

  "Go ahead," I whispered and ran my hand through her hair, resting it on her cheek.

  She gripped my cock in her hand and pumped it a couple of times—not that it needed it—and then she rolled the condom over me. I loved watching the shy look on her face. She was so beautiful, her cheeks holding a hint of pink.

  She straddled my waist again and placed my hands down to rest on her waist while she slid my cock through her wetness. She lined me up and took her time, allowing me to slide into her. I watched her face, her head dropping back, her eyes closing, the look of pure pleasure written on her face, while my cock slowly slid into her. I wanted to keep watching her but couldn't. She felt so damn good, hot, wet, and fucking tight. Once I was buried deep inside of her, she bent down and met my lips, letting out a throaty moan as I started to move inside of her.

  I gripped her hips with my hands, guiding her movement. Pushing myself deeper into her. Sitting up, I wrapped my arms around her, pulling her into me while she continued to ride me. She held onto me, moaning into my ear as she began to tighten around me. She moaned into my neck, and I felt the rush of heat from her as she gripped my shoulders tighter.

  In one swift movement, I lay down with her wrapped in my arms and quickly spun us so I was now on top of her. Her knees rested on either side of my hips and I began to thrust into her, deeper, harder, and faster. Her breath matched my movement, and I felt her tighten around me again, only this time, I came with her, hard and fast.

  As I came down, I looked down at her as she lay beneath me. She looked up at me, a calm, safe look in her eyes, and I leaned down and placed a soft kiss on her lips.

  "Give me a minute," she whispered into my mouth.

  I rolled off her and watched as she got up and wandered into the bathroom. I quickly cleaned myself up, tying and throwing the condom in the garbage, and crawled back into bed. I relaxed back, placing my hands behind my head, waiting for her to return. The longer she was gone, the more afraid I was that this had all been a mistake. I certainly didn't feel that way, but I was afraid she might.

  I was just about to call out to her when the bathroom door opened and the light went out. She didn't make eye contact with me; she just walked over and crawled into bed, pulling the covers over her, and slid over up against my body. As badly as I wanted to ask her if she was okay, I didn't question anything. I just relaxed, placed my arm under her neck, and wrapped the other around her waist, pulling her tightly against me. She was asleep within minutes, and soon her deep, steady breathing lulled me to sleep.

  Chapter 16

  Katy

  I woke with a start, my heart pounding in my chest, my body hot and sweaty. I opened my eyes, blinking hard. The room was still dark, and I was having a hard time trying to figure out where I was at first, and then I felt the bed move.

  It didn't take me long to remember when I felt the comforting warmth of Derrick's body pressed up against mine. His arm was slung around my waist, his other arm still under my neck, holding me. I started to calm instantly as I placed my hand on top of his and he laced his fingers with mine.

  I lay back down and pulled the covers up over my cold, bare shoulder and relaxed again. I felt so safe and comfortable in his arms and wanted to stay like that forever. I was just about asleep again when I felt the bed move again, only this time Derrick's warmth left me.

  "Derrick?" I murmured in an almost sleep state.

  "It's okay, it's okay, go back to sleep. I'm just going to hit the gym," he said, pulling the blanket down a bit to kiss my bare shoulder before heading to the bathroom to shower.

  I drifted in and out of sleep, and what felt like a few minutes later, I heard Derrick pack up his bag and the door being locked.

  I stayed under the blankets and rolled over, facing the door, and pulled his pillow under my head. I could still smell him on the sheets, and for some reason, that comforted me and allowed me to drift back into a sound sleep.

  A loud bang woke me. I sat up in bed, looking around the room frantically. I could feel my heart beating wildly in my chest as I sat as still as I could. Clutching the covers to my chest, I tried calming myself down. As I looked around the room, I noticed that the curtains were still pulled tight. No one could see in and the door was still locked.

  Another bang rang out, this time coming from the room next door. Wrapping the top blanket securely around my naked body, I tiptoed over to the door and looked through the peephole. I immediately felt my heart start to calm down when I saw that there was no one there. For a second, I thought Jonas had found me and that he had waited until he knew I was alone to bang on the door.

  I double checked the lock and padded across the floor to the bathroom. I leaned against the counter, looking at myself in the mirror. I could see the fear across my face.

  "Will I ever stop being afraid," I wondered aloud and let out the breath I was holding.

  Since I couldn't answer my own question, I decided not to dwell on it and started the shower. When the water was warm, I dropped the blanket to the floor and climbed in, letting the hot water wash over my body. After twenty minutes, my skin now good and red, I climbed out and wrapped myself in
one of the thin white hotel towels, the rough fabric scratching against my skin. How I missed my plush towels from back home.

  I swiped at the steam covered mirror, removing the condensation, and once again studied my reflection. My stomach hurt, and the longer Derrick was gone, the more worry built within me. The longer he was gone, the more I thought about what had transpired between the two of us last night, and the more I feared it might have been a huge mistake.

  It had been a stupid move on my part to sleep with him. I mean, no guy wants someone who is broken. No guy wants someone that they have to protect. We had gone way too far last night. I needed him to protect me, and I feared that things would never be the same between us again.

  I went to grab my moisturizer from my bag when I heard a large bang come from the other side of the bathroom door. I jumped, causing my toiletry bag to fall to the floor, its contents scattering everywhere. Another loud thud just on the other side of the wall told me that someone was definitely in our room. I pressed my ear up to the closed bathroom door, barely breathing and straining to listen.

  "Katy, it’s just me," I heard Derrick's thick, deep voice call out.

  Almost instantly, I felt a sense of relief wash over me, and I opened the door and stepped out in nothing but that small ratty towel. I didn't care. I just needed to know it was really him.

  He stood with his back to me, his shirt tight in all the right places, showcasing every muscle he had worked on today.

  "Good morning."

  He turned towards me, and as soon as he set his eyes on me, they washed over me, the corner of his mouth lifting in a pleasant surprise at the way I greeted him.

  "Morning."

  "How was your workout?" I asked, grabbing my jeans and shirt from my bag. I couldn't help but glance over at his heavily-muscled arms and felt a sharp throb at my centre. I had always been an arm and hand girl, and Derrick had amazing arms and hands.

  "It was good. Why don't you get dressed. Let’s go grab breakfast. I'm starving," he said, coming up behind me and wrapping his arm around my waist, taking the time to slowly kiss the side of my neck.