Love Hurts: The Love Duet

by Leah Sharelle

  Whether Hoges knew of a Stella I would have to ask him.

  “Leave it with me baby, I can’t promise you anything but I will do a little asking around. Okay?”

  I busied myself with pulling the blankets over me and I nearly missed the surprised gasp from the other end of the line.

  “Zoe?”

  “You called me baby,” she breathed softly, her voice sounding clogged with emotion.

  It was at that moment I wished she was here in my bed in my arms.

  “Yeah, I did. Zoe, I hope I have made it clear that I want us to be together. This is more than a passing fling or a roll in the sack for me. I want to get to know you, find out everything about you. Your favourite colour, what you like to eat when you are sad. Your favourite music and movie. What makes you happy.” I sat up quickly, gripping the phone tightly in my hand.

  “I feel this connection between us Nymph, I felt it ten years ago and again when I saw you at the compound. Tell me I’m not imagining it.”

  I could hear her softly panting, and for a second I was concerned that my desperation would scare her off. Then she spoke and what she said made my pulse jump.

  “Purple, gummie bears and cheese Twisties. I love Country and Western, I like all kinds of movies, but I can watch Super Troopers every day of the week.”

  Then she rocked my world with her next answer.

  “You,” she whispered, her husky voice going straight to my cock.

  She was mine, make no mistake about that, I didn’t care if I had to belt the crap out of Deck, hell I would take on his whole club.

  All that mattered to me was Zoe.

  Chapter 8

  I spread out the picnic blanket while Zoe held the picnic basket I had my mum pack for me.

  If I was honest, because I didn’t want my mum to know about Zoe yet, I didn’t tell her who I was taking on the picnic. But her food was the best there was, and I wanted to really impress my beautiful girl. Our phone call had gone better than I hoped, after revealing to her my true feelings and her, in turn, giving me the perfect answer, especially the last one that I made her happy, I was taking no chances to fail. If Mum knew about Zoe from Deck it was yet to be seen, and if she did and I told her about Zoe before we made it official then she, being my mother, would just try and talk me out of going after one of Deck’s ex-girlfriends.

  Anything that came between Deck and myself she tried to fix, why she hadn’t given up on her sons being best buds I had no idea, that ship sailed fucking years ago.

  “This spot is amazing Jason. I cannot believe I haven’t been here before,” Zoe gushed, setting the basket down on the large blanket she took my outstretched hand as I helped her down to the ground.

  “It isn’t well known to the party crowd, no places to park their cars so they can have their car stereos blaring,” I said shrugging. The five-minute hike from where I had to park wasn’t convenient for youngsters with one thing on their minds.

  I had one thing on my mind though, and she was wearing a pair of short denim cut-offs, her long bare legs tanned, toned and sexy as fuck. The off-the-shoulder loose tee she wore showed off her slim shoulders, during the drive here my eyes were drawn to the gentle slope leading to the tops of her breasts, making driving at the legal limit very difficult.

  “Well I for one am glad for that I haven’t been part of the party scene for quite a few years,” she said laughing, stretching her legs out in front of her, getting comfortable. I was in a similar position as her, our legs right up to our shoulders touching.

  “Other than the ones at the compound.” As soon as the words were out of my mouth I wanted to snatch them back.

  Zoe raised her eyebrows, her brow furrowed. “Um yeah, there are a few of those. I can’t help who I am friends with Jason. I like the guys, all of them. We have been a part of each other lives for a long time now.” Again, her voice was soft and husky and just a little hurt.

  “Zoe—”

  “Yes, as teenagers, they were douchebags sometimes, but the army did them all good. Some bad too, but they grew up, even Deck.”

  “I won’t be told where I can and can’t go. People have pasts, you have one and so do I. Granted me being with your brother before makes things a little tricky, but if you really can’t handle it—”

  Quickly I took her hand in mine and couldn’t help pressing my lips to her knuckles. Three days had passed since our missed date, and I was more than ready to get my lips on her in anyway.

  “I didn’t mean that, fuck Zoe, I know you and Deck aren’t together anymore.”

  “It has been a month since we were last together, actually it was only the second time since he came back from the army. Deck changed while he was away and so have I. Having a part-time relationship isn’t my thing anymore, and I agree that there is something very special happening between us. But not if you keep on bringing up Deck.” She pulled her hand out of mine gently, looking at me with disappointment.

  Blood pounded in my ears; I was fucking things up, I knew that. Being in Deck’s shadow was definitely fucking up my chances with Zoe. Of course, I knew she was making sense. It wasn’t as if I expected her to be a virgin, never been with another man, but Deck? Fuck my life.

  “Should I call someone for a ride?” she asked me, planting her hands behind her in readiness to get up. Acting fast, I moved over her and rolled us to the ground, Zoe underneath me. Finally.

  Pushing my fingers through her silky hair, I looked deeply onto her pretty eyes.

  “No. I don’t want you to go anywhere. My history with Deck is clouding my common sense. That isn’t an excuse, and I won’t try to justify my dick comment. I just… want this so much and I keep fucking things by bringing up my brother,” I told her honestly, putting my heart on the line and in effect into her hands.

  “I want this too, Jason, I have never felt the way I do about you with another man, ever. Deck is not an issue, please trust me on that.” Truth shone in her green eyes, and my defences crumbled.

  “I’m going to kiss you now Zoe,” I told her with a deep rasp.

  “I hope so, I was worried I was going to have to beg you to kiss me,” she sassed back at me.

  “You never have to beg me to kiss you, or do anything else to you for that matter,” I whispered hurriedly, moaning when her tongue poked out of her mouth to swipe seductively over her lips, wetting them.

  “Then what are you waiting for Lawman.”

  I didn’t reply, my lips already on hers.

  Moving my hands from Zoe’s hair, I pushed my arms under her shoulders, pulling us closer. Turning my head, I changed my angle to deepen the kiss, taking her mouth in what could only be described as carnal.

  Drinking in her moans, I unleashed all the passion that had been building up since I laid eyes on her again at the compound. Years of dreaming, years of praying, and she was under me, kissing me back as if her life depended on it.

  Settling my lower body along with hers, I nudged her legs with mine until I was firmly between the cradle of her thighs. Grinding my crotch into her core, the denim of her shorts and the thin material of my workout sweats did nothing to conceal the growing heat of our desire for one another.

  Dragging one arm down her body, I rested it on the waistband of her shorts. Her tee had ridden up enough for me to feel the warmth of her soft skin.

  Under me, Zoe moaned, her body arching into my hand. Taking this as a good sign to continue exploring, I pushed my hand under the tee and up her rib cage until I felt the silky material of her bra. And when her tongue touched mine, I let out a deep groan opening my mouth even more over hers, kissing her desperately.

  “Touch me Zoe, please touch me,” I groaned against her lips, needing her hands doing more than holding onto my shoulders. Mewling in agreement, Zoe snaked her hands down my back to the hem of my tee shirt, her fists grabbing hold of it and dragging it up my back.

  Moving quick, I helped her remove it then did the same with her shirt before assuming my hold on h
er again. My lips going back to hers.

  The sun had long gone down, a dark shadow from the surrounding trees, shielding us. I wasn’t worried about being seen, no one came here. I had yet to come across another person anytime I came here to get away from the stresses of work and when I just wanted to be alone.

  Still, in the back of my mind, I was worried that someone might wander by and cop an eye of my Nymph’s gorgeous tits. They were ample, more than a handful, creamy and plump spilling over the sexy bra she wore.

  With one hand gently massaging one firm globe, and the other on her hip I continued to kiss her with complete abandon, all thoughts of voyeurism vanishing as I lost myself in kissing the woman who has haunted my every dream.

  Long minutes passed, the need for oxygen long forgotten. Then Zoe took her hands from my back making me growl my disapproval. I wanted her hands on me, touching and stroking me and digging her nails into my flesh marking me as hers.

  But when she arched her back and released the back clasp on her bra, the silky material suddenly loose in my hands, then, I was back to happy again. Moving quickly, I slipped the material down her arms, pushing it beside us.

  “Jesus baby, feeling your fucking gorgeous tits against my bare chest… God, don’t make me come yet.”

  “Jason, oh god Jason,” Zoe chanted as she gyrated under me, grinding her core into my hard as hell cock, and pushing her tits firmly into me, her nipples pebbled into hard points scoring me.

  Hearing my name leave her pouty lips in a breathy pant, turned me on more than I had ever been before. Lifting myself from her so I could have an unencumbered view of her I nearly swallowed my tongue at what greeted me.

  Rounded and large, her nipples begging for my mouth. Not able to resist, I lowered my head and opened my mouth over one pink bullet and sucked it, my tongue rolling over the fleshy treat.

  If I ever thought heaven was a myth, now I totally fucking believed. Like a man possessed I kissed, licked and sucked one breast then went to the other and gave it the same adoring attention. Over and over, I went from one to the other, lavishing and worshipping them equally.

  “It seems… oh god… that you are a breast man,” Zoe moaned out her words in between those breathy pants that drove me crazy.

  Placing a kiss to the valley in the middle of her breasts, I moaned low in my throat.

  “No baby, I am a Zoe man,” I answered her. “Anything and everything, Zoe.”

  “Damn but you know just the right things to say.” She smiled at me, there was a flush on her cheeks that matched the blush on her chest. But what she said gave me pause. I wasn’t feeding her lines, sweet talking my way into her pants. Did she really think that was my goal?

  “Zoe look at me,” I said softly, gripping her chin gently in my fingers, “I mean it baby, it’s you. Absolutely and irrevocably… You.” I could almost hear the beating of her heart in time with mine. This moment, nearly naked lying on a blanket in the middle of a grassed block, would be locked forever in my soul. This right here is what I have been waiting for since that five minutes that changed my life and outlook when it came to women.

  Zoe.

  My cock throbbed inside my pants, the loose material did nothing to ease the pain of my hard-on. There was no way I was going to make love to Zoe out here in the open, and even though every fibre of my being screamed at me to sink deep into her heat I found some control, kissed the slender arch of her neck then eased my body up from hers.

  “As much as I want to go further baby, we’d better stop. This isn’t the place I want our first time to happen.” I told her reluctantly, happy to see the disappointment in her lust-filled green eyes.

  “I know,” she said simply, her fingers running through my hair sending shivers over my skin.

  “Soon?” she asked hopefully.

  “It better be soon, I don’t think my cock can stand much more before he explodes,” I said ruefully, pushing my lower body back into hers making us both groan.

  Very fucking soon.

  Getting back in the car was difficult, not only because I didn’t want this night to end. Nope, also because sitting with a hard cock was not the most comfortable right now. I swear my balls were twice their normal size.

  Pulling out of the deserted park, I headed for the direction of town. Sure, I could have taken the shorter way to Zoe’s place, but I wasn’t ready to end our night together.

  With her hand wrapped in mine and sitting on my lap, I indicated the right turn and pulled out onto the street.

  “I wish we had of gone to my place tonight, but then we wouldn’t have had that wonderful time together,” Zoe said, breaking the comfortable silence. “And in case you didn’t realise, we didn’t get around to eating the food you brought, not that it matters too much, I wasn’t very hungry anyway.”

  Laughing, I lifted her hand to my mouth and pressed kisses to her knuckles.

  “It won’t go to waste, it will do for my lunches for the next few days. As for tonight, I agree baby, but I also kinda like this way too. Getting to know each other in all ways will make it even more special when I finally get you in my bed naked.”

  “I guess so — Jason is that someone walking along the road in the dark?” Zoe asked worriedly pointing at a small figure walking on the shoulder of the dark street.

  Taking my lights off high beam so I didn’t blind the walker, I slowed my car.

  “I think it’s a girl carrying what looks like shopping bags,” I said with a hard edge to my tone. This was not what I was expecting to see at the end of our night. As a police officer, I knew what could happen to young girls alone at night.

  Pulling behind the figure dressed in a pair of jeans and a light long-sleeved top, her arms burdened with at least four full bags, I quickly put the car in park and pull on the parking break.

  “Mind coming with me baby, as I don’t want to scare the girl more than she needs to be.” I was mindful of approaching young girls in similar situations. Some took the presence of the law well, and some saw an opportunity to pull a scam. Screamed police brutality or harassment.

  Zoe nodded her agreement and taking off her belt then jumping out of the car at the same time as me.

  “Excuse me ma’am. Are you okay —Kelsey?”

  When the girl turned around, I could not believe who I was seeing. Kelsey lived across the road from my parents. She spent a lot of time over at our place as a young child, mostly because her mother was an alcoholic piece of shit that didn’t have a single thread of will power not to drink or spend the entire food budget on herself instead of feeding her daughter.

  “Oh, hey Jason, how are you?” she said with an awkward wave of her arm that was weighed down.

  “Oh, hey Jason. Really Kels? What the hell are you doing out here at this time of night?” I shouted a little too loudly, but fuck me she is only twenty-one years old for fuck’s sake. By most standards twenty-one isn’t young, but Kelsey was different. I watched her as a little girl struggle with a mother that didn’t care about her. Experienced a time when she had dinner at our place wolfing down the food in front of her like it was her last meal. My protective instinct went into high gear whenever it involved Kelsey.

  “I intended on getting a taxi home, but Mum practically emptied our bank account again. I barely had enough to cover all of these,” she said doing her best to lift her arms to show me the bags hanging off them.

  Rushing forward, I relieved Kelsey of her heavy burden, all the while silently cursing her useless mother. Who the fuck sent their kid out at night to get groceries on foot? Even as a little girl Kelsey had been the one that cooked and cleaned while her mum drank herself stupid. There were so many weekends when she had to stay with either another neighbour or us all because her mum was on a bender and had men over. The whole street quickly discovered that Kelsey wasn’t safe at her house ninety-nine percent of the time, not with the unsavoury characters Belinda, Kelsey’s mum, found at pubs or wherever the hell she managed to pick up and con the
men into buying her grog and going home with her.

  It had been my mum and the lady next door to Kelsey that formed the ‘keep Kelsey safe and her mum out of prison’ idea. It had been more to keep Kelsey from going into the foster system than for Belinda, how she lasted so long with that piece of shit egg donor I had no idea.

  Looking over at Zoe, I nudged my shoulder towards the car; I knew Kelsey, so also knew getting her in the car was not going to be easy, growing up the way she had, being forced to accept help from people because they felt sorry for her. She developed a stubborn, prideful streak in her teens and although I hadn’t seen her for a couple of years, I had an inkling that streak was now a mile long.

  “Hi Kelsey, I’m Zoe, Jason’s girlfriend,” Zoe said, holding out her hand for Kelsey to shake. I cocked my eyebrow in amusement at hearing the word girlfriend, we were yet to label what was happening with us, but I had to say I liked it.

  “Oh hey, your mum didn’t say anything about you having a girlfriend Jay,” Kelsey said frowning at me.

  “Well that’s because she doesn’t know yet, so zip it Mermaid,” I mock growled at her, using the nickname I gave her when she was younger. Kelsey had had the longest hair I had ever seen, even back then and the colour was just like the Disney character Ariel. I remembered the happy smile on her nine-year-old face when I called her that for the first time. After that I decided she was Mermaid, even Deck called her that nickname. I didn’t know if he’d kept in touch with her over the years we had both been gone, but surely, he had to know something of her current situation at home. I made a mental note to talk to my mum, see if she had any information for me.

  “As if I would say anything.” She huffed glaring at me, looking so much like the kid that used to follow me around the backyard asking me question after question about shit that just popped into her head. At the time it annoyed me, but I still answered her no matter how asinine the topic. She had a shitty parent, the least I could do was make her feel special before she had to go back to the hell in which she lived.