by Harley Stone
“Jess?”
“I’m thinking.”
“About what?”
“There’s something I need to know, first. Why didn’t you text me back?” Hurt flashed in her eyes. “I know we agreed it was a one-night stand, but why didn’t you even let me know you were okay?”
Stunned, I stared at her. “You texted me?”
“Yes. The next morning. You never showed, and I was worried something had happened to you.”
Worried, not pissed. That was a good sign. “You did?” Tugging out my phone, I angled it toward her and scrolled through the seemingly endless wall of messages, several of which were new. “This is the shit I’m dealing with, here. My phone died the night Uncle Jaime went into the hospital and it took a while before I had time to go buy a charger. I’m still trying to wade through all the bullshit and my family has way too much going on right now. I feel like I’m fuckin’ drowning in communication. Which of these numbers is you?”
Her eyes softened. “Come in, Spade.” She stepped back, and I followed her, closing and locking the door behind me. Instead of taking my cell and trying to find her message, she retrieved her own cell and punched a few keys. My phone beeped with an incoming message. “That’s my number.”
She’d sent me a smiley face to pull her previous message to the top of the list. I saved the number under her name and pocketed my phone. “I’m sorry I missed your text. I’ve been trying to put out fires and figure shit out. I had to pack up my uncle and move him up here, and it was… rougher than I expected it to be.”
“Don’t even worry about it; I’m just glad you weren’t ghosting me. How is your uncle?”
“He’s…” God, I did not want to answer that question. Time to change the subject. “Jess, I wouldn’t ghost you.” I stepped closer to her, breathing in her unique peach scent. The dark fog I’d been carrying around with me started to lift, allowing a few rays of sunlight to shine through. “I thought about you the whole time I was gone.” That probably made me sound like a whipped little pussy, but I didn’t care. Just being near her was making me feel better, and I didn’t need to front or pretend like I was some badass who didn’t give a fuck. She needed to know she was important to me.
Hey eyebrows rose in question. “You did?”
She looked so damn uncertain. It killed me to know she doubted her appeal. Couldn’t she see what she did to me? The reality of my uncle’s condition had swept my legs out from under me, and she was the goddamn crutch that could keep me from falling on my face. I’d already laid out my cards for her, so I might as well go for broke.
“Yes.” I closed the distance between us and snaked my hand around to hold her lower back. “As soon as I dropped off the U-Haul, I went to the fire station to look for you. I don’t think you understand, babe. I’ve had a shitty past week and a half. The only thing that’s gotten me through is the thought of coming home to you.”
Her eyes widened. “But you barely know me.”
I chuckled and tucked a tendril of hair behind her ear before tracing her jawline with my fingertips. Touching her felt so good it woke my cock right up. Exhaustion didn’t have shit on my attraction to her. My other hand landed on her waist and I pulled her closer to me, letting her feel how hard she made me. Her soft curves molded to my body like a puzzle piece snapping into place. It didn’t matter that we’d only shared a few hours and hadn’t spoken or seen each other since, she filled the hole inside me, made everything seem less hopeless and depressing.
“Doesn’t fuckin’ matter. I know what you do to me. I know what I want—what I need—and it sure as hell isn’t one night. I want to take my time exploring every inch of that sexy-ass body until I know just where to touch, where to lick, how to fuck you, to make you lose control. And I think you want that, too.”
Desire flared in her eyes, confirming my assumption. Her tongue snaked out and slid across her lower lip, drawing my attention. Suddenly, I needed to taste those lips, to suck on that tongue. I dropped my mouth to hers and licked the seam of her lips, silently requesting consent. She opened her mouth to me, and I plunged inside, tasting, playing, taking everything she offered.
My hands roamed up her T-shirt, sliding over her belly to cup her breasts. Her bra was in the way, so I unhooked it and slid the straps down over her arms. It got tangled in her shirt, and I didn’t want to fuck with it, so I released her mouth long enough to rip the whole thing over her head.
She stared at me, eyes wild, breathing shallow and erratic, lips plump and wet, so damn gorgeous.
My gaze dropped to her now exposed breasts. Soft, round, with light pink nipples that were beginning to pebble against the air, I could worship them all day. Tossing her shirt and bra aside, I palmed her tits and attacked her neck. She squirmed and giggled as my facial hair tickled her skin, and I roamed south, taking one nipple into my mouth while pinching the other one.
I was rough, but I watched her for clues to make sure I didn’t take it too far. As I sucked and squeezed, she threw her head back and moaned in obvious enjoyment. My little freak in the sheets liked it rough. Good, because in my current state, I needed full control of her body. I needed to drive her to the edge where pleasure met pain and watch her unravel so I could beat my chest and brag that I fucking did that to her.
Today, I’d lost control, and now I needed it back.
Giving her tits a break, I knelt in front of her and kissed my way down her belly to the top of her shorts. Sliding them and her panties down, I followed with my lips, over her luscious hips, down to her neat little landing strip.
I could smell her arousal, and it drove me crazy. By the time I reached her clit, I was so damn hard I could barely see straight. Determined to take care of her first, I pulled back her lower lips and focused all my attention on making her come.
Jessica’s hands roamed over my head and gripped my hair. She held me to her, either worried I wouldn’t finish the job or clinging to me for support. Her grasp was unnecessary and couldn’t do shit to prevent me from knocking her on her luscious ass. As I licked, sucked, and flicked at her little bundle of nerves, my fingers teased the entrance of her pussy. She started rocking her hips forward, against the pressure of my fingers. Relenting, I drove them inside of her and attacked her g-spot while continuing to suck on her clit. With my other hand, I reached around and slapped her ass.
Her climax was beautiful. Crying out my name, she squeezed my fingers inside her as her body went limp. Standing, I caught her, and picked her up, cradling her body in my arms. She started to object, but I found her lips again. She kissed me back, licking her own honey from my lips, making me impossibly harder. I needed to be inside of her. Now.
I couldn’t even make it into her room.
Setting her down, I bent her ass over the arm of the loveseat and retrieved a condom from my wallet. Dropping my pants and boxers, I wrapped myself up while taking a moment to admire her pale, heart-shaped ass. The faint outline of my handprint lingered, looking far sexier than a handprint should. Not wanting the other cheek to feel neglected, I slapped her ass again.
Jessica let out a little yelp. Rubbing her ass cheek to ease the sting, I lined up my cock and plunged into her soaking wet channel. She was so tight and hot that I saw goddamn stars. After giving myself a second, I slowly pulled out before slamming into her again.
She moaned.
“You like that?” I asked.
She nodded.
“Words, babe. Tell me you like the way I fuck you.”
“I like it. A lot.”
She was still so damn shy. God, I’d missed this. I slapped her ass again. “You like what?”
“I like the way you fuck me. Love it when you give it to me hard.”
Hearing her filthy language only spurred me on. Grabbing her shoulders for leverage, I slammed back into her. More wet heat coated my cock. “You like it hard like that?”
“Y-yes.”
I smacked her ass again and she moaned. Holy shit. I couldn’t wa
it to try out the flogger and handcuffs on her. Just thinking about it almost made me blow my load. Her body was my favorite playground, and I wanted to touch and lick everywhere at once.
“I wish I could clone myself, Jess. That way I could fuck your mouth, your pussy, and suck on your tits all at once. I want all of you.”
She moaned again, and the sound went straight to my cock.
“These handprints on your nice white ass are the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen.” I rubbed her ass cheek again. “You like being spanked, don’t you, babe?”
“Yes. Fuck me, Spade.”
Dropping my hands to her hips, I did as she commanded, pounding her pussy until she came again. Then I finally let myself go, cried out my release, and collapsed on top of her. Spent and content for the first time in weeks, I didn’t want to pull out or release her. Instead, I pushed us over the arm and into the cushions of the loveseat. Still connected, I held her against me.
Somehow this seemed more personal than sex.
After all, I’d fucked plenty of girls, but I’d never done this with anyone.
Jessica was different. I knew it from the moment I saw her with that crazy son-of-a-bitch’s gun pressed into her side, and I felt it now. My problems were still there, but with her in my arms, they were no longer choking the life out of me.
I finally felt like I could breathe.
I needed her in my life… needed this.
“Thank you,” I whispered against her neck.
She giggled. “Anytime.”
Good. I planned to take her up on that.
Jessica
ONCE AGAIN, I found myself wrapped in Spade’s muscular, tattooed arms, my breathing heavy and my body spent, trying to figure out what had just happened. He wasn’t the “Latino Lover,” he was more like a drug that robbed me of my inhibitions and morals, ripped off my clothes, and turned me into some sex-crazed floozy.
“You okay?” he asked. His deep, husky voice rolled across my skin, making me want to arch my back against him like a shameless hussy.
What is wrong with you, Jess? Get your life together!
“Yes.” That wasn’t exactly true. I was sore, stinging, and boneless, but somehow it all felt wonderful. I was more than okay; I’d crossed over into blissful.
The dryer dinged, letting us know my clothes were finished.
Spade stood, taking me with him. I didn’t know if I could stand yet, but my capabilities didn’t matter since he didn’t release me. With my back pressed against his front, he leaned his head over my shoulder and ran his fingertips down my neck, over my breasts, past my stomach to cup my sex. “I’m not done with this yet.”
As his words turned on my body, they cooled my head. I didn’t know who he thought he was, but I wasn’t some sort of sex toy made for his enjoyment. Regardless of how freaking awesome that enjoyment was for me, I refused to be used for my body. “And what about the rest of me?”
Chuckling, he spun me around to face him. It happened so quick I had to hold onto him to keep my balance. His big, calloused hands framed my face and he met my gaze. “Do you have any idea how shitty I felt before I got here?” he asked.
I shook my head.
“This thing between us… it’s more than sex. I like being around you. You make the world a little brighter. I breathe easier when you’re with me. It’s… nice.”
That was the sweetest thing anyone had ever said to me. “Really?”
He kissed my forehead. “Yes, really. I’m not blowin’ smoke up your ass. I mean, you already put out, so I don’t have to.”
Unimpressed by his casual dismissal of what had happened between us, I crossed my arms and stared him down. “I put out, huh?”
He grinned, looking all too proud of himself. “Yep. And you will again. You like my fingers, my lips, my tongue, and my cock. You can’t resist me.”
Actually, it was his words and the way he looked at me like I was a tall glass of water and he’d just walked across the desert that did me in. The rest of him was icing on the cake.
His hands dropped to my butt and he pulled me against him. “I know how to rock your body, you feel safe with me, and I’m entertaining as fuck. Admit it, you like me.”
“You forgot humble.”
“Yeah, there’s no need for that bullshit.” He flashed me a smile, daring me to argue. “I’m hungry. I haven’t eaten all day, and I’m hoping to burn off a few more calories with you later. You got anything to eat around here?”
Trying not to get caught up on the idea of having sex with him again, I considered the sad state of my refrigerator. There were a couple of frozen dinners in the freezer, but I wasn’t about to pull those out for Spade. I might be old school, but I still believed the way to a man’s heart was through his stomach. I didn’t know what a sexy, fun, intelligent beefcake like Spade saw in a nerd like me, but I wanted the first meal I made him to impress his socks off and make him fall to his knees to profess his undying love for me. “Nope. But why don’t we head back to the station and I’ll make you something there?”
His eyes widened. “You can cook?”
Glad to have sparked his interest, I replied, “I have five words for you: basic science and following directions. Look at me.” I pushed my glasses up my nose. “Of course, I can cook.” I didn’t know where this sassy chick had been hiding but Spade sure did bring her out of me. His shameless flirting made me want to rise to the occasion and join in on the banter.
He openly gawked at me. “You’re so fuckin’ hot. Even more so when you get all feisty.”
Nobody had ever called me that before. I liked it. A lot. “Feisty, huh?”
“Fierce.” He squeezed my butt. “Ferocious.” He leaned in and snapped his teeth near my neck. “A goddamn savage. You’re not cooking for me tonight, though.”
“Why not?”
His eyes darkened. “I’ve got other plans for you. I want you on my cock, not in my kitchen. Get dressed and grab whatever you need to take to the station. We’ll pick up something to eat along the way.”
He released me, albeit reluctantly. I dressed, packed up my clothes, and locked up the apartment. We climbed into my car and headed out, stopping for Chinese takeout along the way.
It was shortly after three by the time we made it to the fire station. Spade carried my suitcase upstairs while I set out the paper containers and grabbed us plates. The restaurant had neglected to include chopsticks with our order, and I searched the kitchen for some before giving up and opening the fridge.
“Whatchu doin’?” Spade asked, bumping his hip against mine as he joined me.
“Looking for something to drink.”
“The good stuff’s out in the bar. Want me to get you a beer or make you a cocktail? I think Emily and Julia stocked up some decent wine, if that’s more of your thing.”
I thought about refusing and sticking with water, but I was having fun and wanted to relax even more. Alcohol would help. “Actually, Shari made me something last night that was really good. A rum and diet? Does that sound right?”
He grinned. “Yeah. I got you, babe. Need anything else?”
“What about chopsticks?” I asked. “Got any of those around here?”
“Third drawer beneath the coffee pot.”
Closing the fridge, I eyed him skeptically as I opened the drawer and looked inside.
“Pull it out further. They’re in the back.”
Sure enough, disposable chopsticks in paper wrappers were piled up in the back of the drawer. I grabbed two sets. “You know your way around the kitchen, huh?”
“All club members start out as prospects.” He grabbed the plates I’d set on the counter and followed me out to the dining room. “While prospecting, we have to prove our value and loyalty, which basically means we get stuck with a lot of shit jobs to see how committed we are to joining. Prospects do most of the cleaning and some of the cooking around here.”
“So, it’s like an initiation process.” Interesting. I followed S
pade out to the dining room. “Is membership worth the hassle?”
“Absolutely. The club’s clean, so it’s not like a one-percenter club that makes their prospects earn or fight their way in. Honestly, it’s not bad. Not nearly as bad as boot camp and we all handled that shit just fine.”
He set the plates down on the giant table and headed for the bar while I started dishing us up food. Expecting him to sit across from me, I pushed his plate to the other side of the table, but when he returned, he sat on my left and reached over to grab it.
“Sorry if this breaks etiquette, but I like being close to you.” He scooted my drink over in front of me. “Hope that’s all right.”
I didn’t know if he was talking about the drink or his location, but I took a sip and nodded. This was a little stronger than the one Shari made me, but I could handle it. Probably. “It’s perfect. Thank you.”
He arched an eyebrow, waiting for me to say more.
“And I like sitting beside you, too.”
“See, that wasn’t so hard to admit. I knew you liked me all along.” Grinning he dug into his dinner.
Honestly, I couldn’t see how anyone could resist him. Remembering the way he’d bent me over the arm of my loveseat had me crossing my legs. Desperate to think about something else, I asked, “Why ‘Dead Presidents?’ Is there a story behind the name?” I’d been curious about the club name for a while, but I kept forgetting to ask Carly. I could have asked any of the guys, but I felt more comfortable with Spade.
“The name describes how it feels to leave the service. One minute, your entire life revolves around serving the country. Then your term ends, and you’re thrust back into civilian society. You know all this shit and have all kinds of training, but none of it matters anymore. That life’s dead to you now. You’ve gotta try to remember who the fuck you were and what you wanted to do with your life before you signed up. People come home, but they never really come back, Jess. Not like they were, at least. The service changes everyone. Sometimes it’s for the better, sometimes it’s not.” He frowned, clearly thinking of someone in particular. “Link’s dad, Jake, formed the club and built this place to help reintegrate servicemen into civilian society. And since his last name is Lincoln... the name just worked.”
