by Hamel, B. B.
“How did you find me?”
“Sheer dumb luck. And you’re maybe ten minutes from the cabin.”
She laughs at that. “Shit. I thought I was miles away.”
“Nope, can’t be more than ten minutes.”
She sighs. “Of course.”
“God damn, Amy. You scared the shit out of me.” I grab her hair, looking into her eyes. I feel it come over me suddenly, that passion that takes me whenever she’s around. “Fuck, girl. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
“You’d manage,” she says.
“I’m not kidding. Don’t you ever run away again.”
“I won’t.”
I growl a little, pulling her close again. “Listen. I’m sorry about earlier.”
“I am too,” she says softly. “I know it’s not your fault.”
“It is my fault,” I say angrily. “It’s all my fault. I dragged you into this, but… I’ll get us out.”
“I know you will.”
I kiss her hard then. I can’t wait another second. I can’t hold back. I need her taste, her lips, her perfect mouth and body and skin and everything about her.
“Ever,” she whispers, and I press her back against the boulder.
11
Amy
Seeing Ever after being lost in the freaking mountains is like the best thing I’ve ever experienced.
Having Ever kiss me is a close second.
He kisses me hard and presses me back against the boulder. My big Ever, my big mountain man. He may be rich but there’s still a rugged edge to him, and it’s that edge that drives me wild.
He grabs at my hair, kissing me rough, lips against mine and on my neck. He fumbles at my jeans and gets my belt off, pinning me against the stone as his hand slips down the front of my pants. I gasp as his fingers find my panties, teasing me at first.
“Fuck, girl,” he whispers. “You can’t run off like that again. How the fuck am I going to survive without this pussy?”
“You’ll be just fine,” I say. “You’ll find another one.”
He growls. “No. Fuck that.”
I gasp as he slips his fingers under my panties and teases my clit. I can feel myself getting soaked, switching from being afraid I’d never be found and die of starvation to needing his body against mine. It’s an abrupt switch and that contrast is driving me wild.
His fingers feel so good as he teases my clit and slides them inside me. I grab at his belt and tug it off, sliding my hand down the front of his boxer briefs to find his cock already rock hard.
“You drive me fucking wild, Amy,” he whispers. “My little fucking wife. My little fucking princess.” He growls and pulls my hair, making me moan as his fingers slide inside.
I roll my hips and he pushes me back against the boulder. He lifts my shirt, kissing my chest and stomach, dropping to his knees to tug down my jeans. I let them come off, and his mouth is on my pussy, between my legs, teasing me over my wet and ruined panties.
He pushes them aside to tongue my clit. I groan, trying not to be too loud, but I know we’re alone out here in the middle of the woods. The sun’s setting off to my right and his tongue feels so good I can barely control myself.
“Don’t you ever fucking scare me like that again,” he growls as he licks me. “I can’t stand being away from this little pussy, you hear?”
“Yes,” I groan. “I’m sorry.”
“I know you are. But you’ll have to take your fucking punishment.”
“You’re going to punish me?”
“Damn right I am.” He slides his fingers inside me while he tongues my clit. “You delicious, filthy fucking girl.”
He stands up and spins me around. I gasp as he spanks my ass.
“You want it harder?” he whispers in my ear.
“Yes, please,” I groan.
He smirks and spanks me harder. He slides two fingers deep inside my pussy and spanks me again.
“Don’t you ever go wandering off again,” he says. “You understand?”
“Yes, Ever.”
He spanks me hard and grabs my hair. I groan and feel his cock press up against my pussy.
He teases me with his huge tip and I turn my head in time to watch him slowly sink himself between my legs.
“Oh, shit,” I groan.
“God damn, that’s right,” he whispers. “That’s what I fucking needed. Your tight little cunt. You know I can have this whenever I want it.”
I moan as he slides himself deeper.
“You’re never going to disappear on me like that again,” he growls into my ear, moving himself deeper, working his cock between my legs. “You’re never going to fucking disappear on me. I’m not about to lose you now, just when I’ve got you.”
I groan and roll my hips, not thinking too much about what he means. He drives himself in and out, hands on my hips, in my hair, pulling and controlling. I moan and turn my head to kiss him over my shoulder as he slides himself faster, thrusting deeper.
It feels so good, his huge cock spreading me wide, taking me deep. I love the wind on my body, the danger of being outdoors, and the total control I feel when he’s around to take me like this.
“Fuck, you feel good,” he purrs as he thrusts harder. I grip my fingers against the rock and I can see my knuckles turn white. The only thing I can feel is his hard body against mine, his cock between my legs, his breath warm on my neck.
“Don’t stop,” I manage to gasp.
“I wouldn’t dream of it,” he says. “You need this big dick. You need it deep inside your tight little cunt, thrusting and fucking and making you scream until you come so hard you fucking black out. That’s what you need, girl. That’s what keeps you happy.”
“Yes,” I moan. “You want to keep me happy, don’t you?”
“I have to,” he grunts. “You’re my fucking wife now.” He smacks my ass hard. “You’re my filthy, dirty little wife. You deserve every inch of my thick, hard cock.”
“Oh, god, yes,” I moan. “I deserve it all.”
He fucks me hard, slapping my ass again. I moan loudly, unable to help myself, as pleasure courses through my veins.
I reach back to kiss him again. I feel one hand move around my hips to find my clit. He works it as he grinds his cock inside me and I feel my eyes roll back as a long, slow moan escapes my lips.
“Fuck, yes, girl,” he growls in my ear. He fucks me faster, rubbing my clit, taking my body.
I push back against him. I work my hips and drive my ass back down along his long, hard cock. I work myself faster, taking him deep and hard, letting him fill me up and spread me out and god, it feels so good. He spanks me, rubs my clit, pulls my hair, and sweat starts to drop down my body despite the cool mountain air.
“All this is yours, girl,” he growls again. “All this is yours. Come for me and take it all.”
I gasp and push back harder. He’s fucking me like an animal, rough and out of control. I love feeling out of control with him, because I know he’ll make me feel good and keep me safe, no matter what.
“Oh, fuck, Ever,” I gasp. “Don’t stop, Ever. Don’t stop, you fucking asshole.”
He growls his pleasure and fucks me rough and deep. His cock rolls into me and he slaps my ass. His hands grab my hips, gripping tight, as I throw my head back in pure pleasure.
I come hard on his thick cock. I come so hard I have to lean my forehead against the stone just to keep myself from screaming too loud. He roars his delight and keeps fucking me, savage and unrelenting. I’m like clay in his hands, easily controlled, malleable, and he’s the perfect master. He makes me something better, something perfect and beautiful.
He comes moments later, filling me up. I moan and collapse forward against the rock, shaking, trembling. He moves against me and pulls me against him, holding me tight.
“Shit,” he whispers. “You really did scare me.”
“I’m sorry,” I say. “I scared myself.”
He laughs gen
tly but there’s something behind that laugh I can’t really read.
We stay quiet for a while. I think about the baby inside of me, the baby I haven’t told him about yet. The baby I’ve been too angry and confused to even admit to myself exists.
But it’s there, our baby, growing every day. Sooner or later, he has to know.
I almost say it. I almost say the words out loud. He may be lying to his mother but I’m lying to him, and I think my lie is the worst of all.
“I’ll tell her,” he says suddenly, breaking our silence. “As soon as I can. I promise.”
I nod a little, nuzzling closer. The desire to tell him about the baby slowly evaporates in the growing darkness.
“Now, come on,” he grunts. “Let’s get dressed and head back.”
I nod against his chest. I don’t want to move, but he’s right. It’s dangerous to be out here in the dark, even with a man like Ever.
God, I wish he could just know. I don’t want to say the words, the truth about the baby inside me, but I know it’s going to come out. Sooner or later, it’s coming out.
And sooner would be better than later. The longer I let myself be a coward, the worse it’ll be.
The problem is, just like he doesn’t want to lose me, I don’t want to lose him.
As soon as I tell him I’m pregnant, I think the illusion of whatever’s happening between us will be shattered. It’ll be too real, and I think he’ll bail. He won’t abandon me, he might even want to stay married to me to do the right thing or something stupid like that, but it’ll never be the same.
I don’t want to risk it. God, I’m so selfish, I realize suddenly. I’m just as selfish as he is.
I don’t want to lose him. So I’m too afraid to tell him a truth he so badly needs to know.
I take his hand once we’re dressed and follow him back to the cabin, not saying a word as we pick our way carefully down the trail.
12
Ever
Weeks float past and nothing much happens.
That’s how these things go. When you’re playing the political game, it’s a long game. You don’t change minds in a single evening or afternoon.
Amy goes back to work and I don’t see her as often as I’d like. She has a bear of a commute and I’m spending as much time at the office as humanly possible. I visit my father on weekends and my mother comes over at least a couple times a week for dinner, but overall, it’s a quiet life.
My role at the office is limited, entirely because of Whitney. I’m technically an upper-level manager and always have been, but he’s been restricting my rights and privileges. My team’s been gutted and I essentially have no real reason to show up to work every day, since our nominal task of overseeing the marketing division is basically being done by someone else.
But I show up anyway and I grind through. All the while, Amy does her thing, and still manages to find time to talk me off the cliff.
“It’ll happen,” she says to me one night after a particularly frustrating day. “It’ll happen, I promise. You’re winning people over, right?”
“Too slow,” I grumble. “And fucking Liam, I haven’t heard from him.”
“Forget him. That ship might’ve sailed.”
“I feel like I’m putting you through this shit for nothing.”
“It’ll be okay, believe me.”
And for some reason, I do.
In the back of my mind, I keep thinking back to that conversation with my father. I don’t know if he remembers it or if he actually followed through with his lawyers or not, but he said that if I stay married for a year, the job will be mine. I keep telling myself, don’t get impatient, don’t be stupid.
Gut it out. Weather the hardships at work.
Because everything else is great.
Being married to Amy is great. We fuck less than we did at first and still sleep in separate bedrooms, but the friendship is still strong. We laugh and watch movies and go for walks when we can. Even if our jobs keep us apart more often than not, we still make time for each other.
It’s like a real relationship. I mean, it’s like a real marriage or whatever the fuck.
Never thought I’d be happy about that, but goddamn it, I am.
More time passes like a torrent, rushing faster and faster. Frustration ebbs and flows. Until one afternoon, I’m alone in my office, bored as hell, trying to decide if I want to cut out early since there’s nothing for me to do and Whitney’s being an ass again as usual, when someone knocks at my door.
“Come in,” I call out, assuming it’s my secretary telling me there are no messages and maybe she could go home early since it looks like there might not be any, but it’s not her.
Liam steps into the room and shuts the door behind him.
“Ever,” he says, nodding once.
I frown and sit up straight. “Liam.”
“How goes work?”
“Shit. But I bet you know that already.”
He grins at me. “Yeah, I’ve heard. Your brother making your life hard.”
“That’s what he does best.”
He walks over and sits down in a chair in front of my desk with a sigh. He looks tired for some reason.
“Listen, Ever. We should talk.”
My heart starts beating faster. I’ve been wondering if we’d have this conversation. The look on his face isn’t promising, but hell, at least he’s here. At least I’ll know.
“We should,” I agree.
“I’ve got board members on my side now.”
I blink, not sure what the hell to make of that. “Okay,” I say slowly.
“Meaning, on your side,” he says pointedly.
I arch an eyebrow. “I didn’t realize we still were on the same side.”
He stretches a little. “You thought just because there was some silence, that I’d forgotten about our conversation?”
“Pretty much,” I admit.
“Well, I can’t blame you, but I hadn’t.”
“That’s good.” I lean forward, excitement rekindled. I suddenly feel like maybe there’s a goddamn chance. “How many?”
“Three,” he says.
I cough. It’s a seven-man board. “That’s good,” I say. “But is it enough?”
“Maybe.” He shrugs. “There’s one in the middle. I think we can sway him… if we’re lucky.”
“Which is it?”
“Bailey.”
I rack my brain, trying to picture the board members, but it’s hard. Since Bloom is a private company, the board doesn’t have direct power or oversight, but more of an advisory position. They only have power because my father takes them seriously. He handpicked them all back when it was established and, although a few have retired, they’ve mainly stayed the same.
Bailey though, he’s not one of the originals. I can’t place the face, but I know the name.
“What can we do?” I ask Liam.
“I’ll keep working. I mainly wanted to say, you have some support. We’re still working.” He clears his throat. “You showing up every day… that’s been good.”
“Yeah, well.” I shake my head bitterly. “Not exactly doing much around here.”
“No, but showing up anyway is still a good thing. They want to see you trying before they decide to push your case in front of the old man.”
I grunt a little bit. “The old man doesn’t give a shit who runs this company, so long as they run it his way.”
“That’s probably true,” he admits. “But what’s it matter?”
I watch him carefully for a second. “Say… I wanted to make changes. Would people be okay with that?”
He arches an eyebrow. “What kind of changes?”
“Modernizations,” I say softly. “Small things. Make us less of a conservative, traditional brand, and try to market toward new customers.”
“Market has been shrinking,” he notes. “But revenue remains steady, if not growing.”
“We could grow more. We just need
to bring more people into the outdoor lifestyle, push more outreach programs.”
He nods a little. “I like that idea. I’ll mention it around, see what people think.”
“Thank you.”
He stands up and stretches. “I’ve got to be on a plane soon. If you don’t hear from me, it’s not a bad thing.”
“Understood.”
He nods. “And Ever? I hope this isn’t a fleeting thing.”
I stand. “I’m not going anywhere,” I say.
“Good.” He turns and leaves the room without another word.
I watch the door shut behind him. I sigh and sit back down.
Without thinking, I pick up the phone and call Amy. I know she’s at work but I just can’t help myself.
She answers after a couple rings. “Ever?” she says.
“Hey, sorry. Are you busy?”
“Between classes.” She’s talking quietly. “What’s up?”
“Liam came.”
Short pause. “Seriously? And?”
“And he has board members backing me now.”
She takes a sharp breath. “Board of Directors? Really?”
“Really. They’re more like advisors or whatever but my father takes them seriously, and if people see them backing me as the real candidate, then…”
“Oh, Liam. That’s amazing.”
“Thanks. It’s a good step.”
“We have to celebrate.”
“Nothing’s set in stone yet. I just have to keep showing up, keep soldiering on.” I laugh a little bit. “Man, I needed this though.”
“It’s worth celebrating anyway. Look, I gotta go, but I’ll see you tonight, okay?”
“Okay.” I can’t help but smile. “See you tonight.”
We hang up the phone and I lean back in my chair.
Okay, so, it’s happening. The wheels are turning. I need to keep showing up, prove that I’m a serious candidate, that I’m not just the playboy asshole that I used to be. I need to be serious and controlled and…
I need to stay married to Amy. Because she’s the glue holding everything together. Hell, she’s holding me together.
It’s strange, how excited I feel to see her tonight. It’s like seeing her is going to be the best part of my day, even despite that conversation with Liam. She’s the thing I look forward to the most, the thing I miss the most when she’s not around.